Other use for retract circuit

[Ken Culbertson]

Does anybody think it would be possible to use the landing gear circuit on A Fiorotti timer to activate landing lights?  I simply cannot see that tiny light on the timer.  The gear triggers at the same time the light on the timer stops blinking.  I would think it is possible.

Ken

[CircuitFlyer]

Something like this might work:  https://www.davesrce.com/product-page/high-power-strobe  Although it might also be on at the start until the gear up signal is sent.

[Brett Buck]

Does anybody think it would be possible to use the landing gear circuit on A Fiorotti timer to activate landing lights?  I simply cannot see that tiny light on the timer. 

     You could put on a bigger LED so you could see it.

       Brett

[Ken Culbertson]

     You could put on a bigger LED so you could see it.

       Brett

Wish it were that simple.  The Fiorotti is pretty compact, and the LED is pretty well fixed in place.  The other reason is embarrassing.  I put the timer in the nose where I always put it and didn't think to check where the props were on the twin.  The inboard prop covers it up.

Ken

[Paul Taylor]

With the climb and dive you get a speed up so you know you have a lap before it shuts off.

[Ken Culbertson]

With the climb and dive you get a speed up so you know you have a lap before it shuts off.

True but I am very used to the ease of programming and the trimming features of the Fiorotti controlling 2 ESCs.  I wish that they would add something other than the LED but it falls on deaf ears.  Just out of curiosity can the C&D handle a twin?

Ken

[Ken Culbertson]

Something like this might work:  https://www.davesrce.com/product-page/high-power-strobe  Although it might also be on at the start until the gear up signal is sent.

That appears to be EXACTLY what I am looking for.  Now to figure out where to put it.  If I have guessed correctly the gear function is nothing more than a servo link.  What will be interesting to see is how long the light stays on.  I am guessing about 3 seconds.  It is worth $12 to find out.  I am keeping an eye on your timer.  Those here using it are pleased.

Ken

[CircuitFlyer]

The Climb_and_Dive timer could be used on a twin using a Y cable but it wouldn't be ideal.  I have a working prototype of a new timer on my workbench that is designed for twin engines and retracts.  (And yes, it has a connector to plug in a remotely mounted Neopixel LED).  There is a lot of things to consider when designing for a twin and retracts.  When the timer can monitor both motor RPM's there are several safety features that can be added to the program code to help when things don't go as planned.  I think I have it work out OK so far. I hope to get back to flight testing soon.

[Howard Rush]

I have a circuit that should do what you want.  It has daylight-visible LEDs on a detachable module.  In my application it tells battery charge status by LED color, then the LED goes out after takeoff so's not to annoy judges and comes back on to tell me when the kill loop is armed.  It gets mode transition data from a TUT, but could use the gear retraction signal.  Here's simplified logic:

Red LED on if (V_battery < threshold voltage) AND (red-LED discrete ≠ 5V)
Green LED on if (V_battery > threshold voltage) OR ((green-LED discrete not grounded) AND (pull up = 5V))

Threshold voltage depends on how many cells your battery has.  There are some other electrical details to establish, like what the retraction signal is and whether the timer and battery have a common ground.

[Ken Culbertson]

The Climb_and_Dive timer could be used on a twin using a Y cable but it wouldn't be ideal.  I have a working prototype of a new timer on my workbench that is designed for twin engines and retracts.  (And yes, it has a connector to plug in a remotely mounted Neopixel LED).  There is a lot of things to consider when designing for a twin and retracts.  When the timer can monitor both motor RPM's there are several safety features that can be added to the program code to help when things don't go as planned.  I think I have it work out OK so far. I hope to get back to flight testing soon.

Let me know when you have the C&D Twin. I would like to try it.  You are into innovation! 

Ken