Man I learn something new every day. I had no idea that rubbing alcohol could cause that kind of damage. I'll definitely keep that in mind for future reference. Thank you for the tip.
I don't have this effect, but I did read in a few forums about this before I bought it. There are a few guys that mentioned they have this problem with the Top Flite balancer. I will pay closer attention when I balance some prop this week and let you know if I experience it.
Dennis, great video. I home brewed one of these, but I noticed if I turn the shaft without a prop it wants to return to one position, as if the magnetic field has an affect on the shaft which does not make it accurate. Do you have the same effect on yours?
That's great to hear! Glad you're up and running. I'll be on the lookout for your maiden FPV. Regarding balancing the hubs, I know what you mean. I've sort of given up on hub balancing with this balancer for the time being. It does feel like an endless loop and I'm not sure what to do other than get the blades balanced and go from there.
hi dennis.. great video and thx for the knowledge..... hey FYI, regular rubbing alchol is BAD to use for cleaning especially when used on plastic as it will actually EAT the plastic away.. THE BEST thing for modeling is denaturized alchol that you can find in one gallon cans from a Home Depot or Lowes type of hardware store :) happy using !!! NO DAMAGE to any surfaces not even plastic or drywall paint.
That's good to know. It's crazy to think about all the different variables that can impact vibes on a quad. It will drive you crazy. Good to know about doubling up the plates. Did you have it mounted to the tab part of the bottom plate that sticks out on two sides? I've seen a lot of guys do that, but I've never tried it. Mainly because I'm flying the TBS now.
I know what you guys mean. The more time I've spent with this magnetic balancer the less I like it. It's like the shaft spins to a certain position even when there are no props on it. I'm going to see what I can figure out, but may be opting for another balancer. Thanks for sharing your findings.
Good Video, I like how it set's up after you build it and it works great! have you seen unbalanced prop's just breaking from spinning? I had two of my DJI prop's just come apart in the air?
Yeah it's been great. I've had some good results with it so far. It's just super sensitive so things really have to be dialed in. If you do end up with one I'll be interested in hearing your comparison.
I couldn't imagine trying that in stable mode. I would definitely get stuck upside down and plummet to the ground. Yeah I think you're right that you invented this technique. Perhaps you should put a patent pending label on it! Thanks for the info.
Yay! The difference between a magnetic balancer and the finger ones are night and day. Had a fight with a DJI F450 frame and getting my Gopro Hero 1 to not jello It was odd because my friends Gopro Hero 3 didnt have the issue. Realized it was quite heavier and resonated the platform of the DJI frame, like the platform was slightly flimsy. Fixed it by doubling up on the bottom plates and had to make sure that the camera was mounted as tightly to the frame as possible. Just FYI..
Yeah, everything I get now is reinforced. I started with the Gemfan plastics and now I get the carbon reinforced ones. I'm mainly flying with Graupners which I really like. What are you flying with?
You are a stunt master. Great vid. I didn't realize you could do them in stable mode, but now I realize how setting throttle to 0 could do that for you. That's pretty insane man. Do you feel like you can flip faster that way? It definitely seems like the quad would come around quicker vs my enormous slow-motion loops :)
I'm finally up and running Dennis. I have my f450 flying and have done a couple of FPV flights as well. As soon i get time to edit, I'll post a video of my maiden FPV flight. I'm still having issues balancing my props. I got the top flight one. I balance the blades till they stay horizontal then i try to balance the hubs and it's strange. I'll get to a point and then all of a sudden it's like the weight completely shifts and i'm back at step one again. It's really strange.
I gotta ask how you were able to disarm your motors during a flip? What FC are you flying with? Sorry to hear that but glad to hear you only lost 4 props. Could of been much worse.
I was going to try and balance the prop holders with some glue. I'm not sure if other balancers would be any better, I think since this one is such low friction, this problem is more noticeable.
Thanks Larry. No I've never heard of unbalanced props breaking while spinning. That's complete insanity! I hope you didn't suffer too much damage when that happened.
I was doing them in attitude "stable" mode. So the only way to get it to come around requires you to be off throttle. It's hard to explain because I've never seen another person stunt like I do lol. I flick the roll or pitch in one direction while simultaneously cutting throttle entirely, as soon as it comes around im back on the throttle. I got really stupid at one point and was yawing as I came off the throttle, didn't realize what I had done till it hit lol. Watch JBQuad Convention Center vid
Also, I'm using a custom built board utilizing Aeroquad open source software. Costs me $20 a board. What I was saying at the end of my other reply was watch my video titled "JBQuad Convention Center Session" to see how I stunt.
The only thing I can't stand is the sometimes exorbitant shipping fees and long wait times. This generally isn't a problem if you're ordering a flight controller because you want to have an extra. But if you break something and are waiting for parts the shipping time goes by SLOWLY.
Ya I just set my GoPro on top of the "tab part" of the plate with velcro on the bottom of the gopro and a velcro strap to really crank it down on the frame. In response to your earlier comment, I use the carbon reinforced gemfans. They are a bitch to balance but I haven't had one fail on me midflight yet. Just dont accidentally disarm your motors doing flips like I did earlier today! lol another 4 props in the trash LOL
The shaft isn't balanced, I noticed it with mine too, I was going insane trying to balance props, then I decided to check the shaft and blade holders, and they are not balanced.
I'm really enjoying it, but man does it make it pretty difficult to get the prop perfectly balanced. I guess I should do it within some margin of error because I spend too much time making sure it's perfectly balanced :)
I purchased the Top Flite Magnetic Propeller Balancer. However I have a Wltoys V262 Quadcopter and the thickness of the Propeller is a few mm too thin, and the shaft of the Balancer will not go thru the propeller hole . Do you know weather the manufacturer bakes a smaller shaft to fit the V262 propellers?
Honestly though, I can hardly fly a quad without "stable" mode. Iv'e never seen anyone stunt like I do, I think I may have invented it LOL. The flips aren't as controlled as it looks because the stick movements that are needed to pull off each flip are very fast, The more you do it the more it makes sense, I guess it just takes a bit of practice. Don't stunt in stable mode without reinforced props though, its very hard on the props if you screw up a flip and it goes bonkers to correct itself.
What was your other (previous) balancer? Did you ever try a Dubro Tru-Spin? There's Chinese (OCDay) copies on eBay for $13+, about 1/3 of a Dubro Tru-Spin - I was wondering if they are okay.
Yes. I switched to the Tru-spin as you can see here: ua-cam.com/video/h5PgZ-UePZo/v-deo.html I'm not familiar with the Chinese copies but let us know what you find out. Thanks.
Yes sir. Getting the parts out of China is the way to go. Doesn't have altitude hold or gps. But its a fantastic little board for stunting and park flying.
Just a note to those interested, the balancer shown in the video can also be purchased from Tower Hobbies for less than $20, check it out: www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHY61&P=ML
Man I learn something new every day. I had no idea that rubbing alcohol could cause that kind of damage. I'll definitely keep that in mind for future reference. Thank you for the tip.
I don't have this effect, but I did read in a few forums about this before I bought it. There are a few guys that mentioned they have this problem with the Top Flite balancer. I will pay closer attention when I balance some prop this week and let you know if I experience it.
Dennis, great video. I home brewed one of these, but I noticed if I turn the shaft without a prop it wants to return to one position, as if the magnetic field has an affect on the shaft which does not make it accurate. Do you have the same effect on yours?
That's great to hear! Glad you're up and running. I'll be on the lookout for your maiden FPV. Regarding balancing the hubs, I know what you mean. I've sort of given up on hub balancing with this balancer for the time being. It does feel like an endless loop and I'm not sure what to do other than get the blades balanced and go from there.
hi dennis.. great video and thx for the knowledge..... hey FYI, regular rubbing alchol is BAD to use for cleaning especially when used on plastic as it will actually EAT the plastic away.. THE BEST thing for modeling is denaturized alchol that you can find in one gallon cans from a Home Depot or Lowes type of hardware store :) happy using !!! NO DAMAGE to any surfaces not even plastic or drywall paint.
Good idea. I'm looking at another balancer at the moment and when I order it I'll be glad to give that comparison a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
That's good to know. It's crazy to think about all the different variables that can impact vibes on a quad. It will drive you crazy. Good to know about doubling up the plates. Did you have it mounted to the tab part of the bottom plate that sticks out on two sides? I've seen a lot of guys do that, but I've never tried it. Mainly because I'm flying the TBS now.
Will do. I appreciate you calling that to my attention.
I know what you guys mean. The more time I've spent with this magnetic balancer the less I like it. It's like the shaft spins to a certain position even when there are no props on it. I'm going to see what I can figure out, but may be opting for another balancer. Thanks for sharing your findings.
Good Video, I like how it set's up after you build it and it works great! have you seen unbalanced prop's just breaking from spinning? I had two of my DJI prop's just come apart in the air?
Yeah it's been great. I've had some good results with it so far. It's just super sensitive so things really have to be dialed in. If you do end up with one I'll be interested in hearing your comparison.
I couldn't imagine trying that in stable mode. I would definitely get stuck upside down and plummet to the ground. Yeah I think you're right that you invented this technique. Perhaps you should put a patent pending label on it! Thanks for the info.
Yay! The difference between a magnetic balancer and the finger ones are night and day. Had a fight with a DJI F450 frame and getting my Gopro Hero 1 to not jello It was odd because my friends Gopro Hero 3 didnt have the issue. Realized it was quite heavier and resonated the platform of the DJI frame, like the platform was slightly flimsy. Fixed it by doubling up on the bottom plates and had to make sure that the camera was mounted as tightly to the frame as possible. Just FYI..
Yeah, everything I get now is reinforced. I started with the Gemfan plastics and now I get the carbon reinforced ones. I'm mainly flying with Graupners which I really like. What are you flying with?
Great first FPV flight! Very impressive.
You are a stunt master. Great vid. I didn't realize you could do them in stable mode, but now I realize how setting throttle to 0 could do that for you. That's pretty insane man. Do you feel like you can flip faster that way? It definitely seems like the quad would come around quicker vs my enormous slow-motion loops :)
I'm finally up and running Dennis. I have my f450 flying and have done a couple of FPV flights as well. As soon i get time to edit, I'll post a video of my maiden FPV flight. I'm still having issues balancing my props. I got the top flight one. I balance the blades till they stay horizontal then i try to balance the hubs and it's strange. I'll get to a point and then all of a sudden it's like the weight completely shifts and i'm back at step one again. It's really strange.
I gotta ask how you were able to disarm your motors during a flip? What FC are you flying with? Sorry to hear that but glad to hear you only lost 4 props. Could of been much worse.
I was going to try and balance the prop holders with some glue. I'm not sure if other balancers would be any better, I think since this one is such low friction, this problem is more noticeable.
Thanks. I've really enjoyed balancing my props with it....as crazy as that sounds.
Great video! Thanks for taking time to do this. I'm sold and ordering mine now.
Great to hear it and good luck.
Thanks Larry. No I've never heard of unbalanced props breaking while spinning. That's complete insanity! I hope you didn't suffer too much damage when that happened.
If you do get the Du-Bro, please let us know if the nuts are machined as poorly as some reports I've seen. I'm trying to find a good balancer. Thx.
I was doing them in attitude "stable" mode. So the only way to get it to come around requires you to be off throttle. It's hard to explain because I've never seen another person stunt like I do lol. I flick the roll or pitch in one direction while simultaneously cutting throttle entirely, as soon as it comes around im back on the throttle. I got really stupid at one point and was yawing as I came off the throttle, didn't realize what I had done till it hit lol. Watch JBQuad Convention Center vid
I have to wonder why that plastic disc does not come glued on already.
***** Yeah you would think that would be a relatively inexpensive thing for them to do.
Thanks Joe. I hope it works out for you.
How in the world do you get the boards so cheap? Do you DIY them?
Ha. You know I did. Amazon had it for $19.99, which PB told me was the cheapest price. Am I going to see you next weekend???
I hear you. Let me know if you get it balanced. I may pick up the Dubro balancer just for comparison.
Also, I'm using a custom built board utilizing Aeroquad open source software. Costs me $20 a board. What I was saying at the end of my other reply was watch my video titled "JBQuad Convention Center Session" to see how I stunt.
one question... Did you PriceBlink it?
The only thing I can't stand is the sometimes exorbitant shipping fees and long wait times. This generally isn't a problem if you're ordering a flight controller because you want to have an extra. But if you break something and are waiting for parts the shipping time goes by SLOWLY.
If they are plastic and not specifically carbon reinforced, I had to replace 3 frames until I wised up and bought some reinforced props.
Ya I just set my GoPro on top of the "tab part" of the plate with velcro on the bottom of the gopro and a velcro strap to really crank it down on the frame. In response to your earlier comment, I use the carbon reinforced gemfans. They are a bitch to balance but I haven't had one fail on me midflight yet. Just dont accidentally disarm your motors doing flips like I did earlier today! lol another 4 props in the trash LOL
The shaft isn't balanced, I noticed it with mine too, I was going insane trying to balance props, then I decided to check the shaft and blade holders, and they are not balanced.
I'm really enjoying it, but man does it make it pretty difficult to get the prop perfectly balanced. I guess I should do it within some margin of error because I spend too much time making sure it's perfectly balanced :)
I purchased the Top Flite Magnetic Propeller Balancer.
However I have a Wltoys V262 Quadcopter and the thickness of the
Propeller is a few mm too thin, and the shaft of the Balancer will not
go thru the propeller hole .
Do you know weather the manufacturer bakes a smaller shaft to fit
the V262 propellers?
I've looked and haven't found one from the manufacturer, but perhaps you can find a shaft from another balancer that will work. Good luck.
Honestly though, I can hardly fly a quad without "stable" mode. Iv'e never seen anyone stunt like I do, I think I may have invented it LOL. The flips aren't as controlled as it looks because the stick movements that are needed to pull off each flip are very fast, The more you do it the more it makes sense, I guess it just takes a bit of practice. Don't stunt in stable mode without reinforced props though, its very hard on the props if you screw up a flip and it goes bonkers to correct itself.
what can we do after this
What was your other (previous) balancer? Did you ever try a Dubro Tru-Spin? There's Chinese (OCDay) copies on eBay for $13+, about 1/3 of a Dubro Tru-Spin - I was wondering if they are okay.
Yes. I switched to the Tru-spin as you can see here: ua-cam.com/video/h5PgZ-UePZo/v-deo.html I'm not familiar with the Chinese copies but let us know what you find out. Thanks.
well put brother ! nice work
Thank you. Much appreciated.
That is an excellent prop balancer, and I don't just say that cause it's the one I have as well lol
Great Video, Thanks for sharing.I just ordered one
I have this balancer. It really is a great piece of equipment. Well designed.
So true, James.
How can u balance an self tighthening prop with this balancer?
Thiago Araujo that's a really good question! I'm not sure how to do that and have wondered the same. Maybe someone can enlighten us.
Thanks I'm new to RC bought yuneec Q500 love it building foam planes now haven't flow any yet but build 4.Nice 2 now A noted Baldwin.
Warren Baldwin Cool good luck with your build.
Yes sir. Getting the parts out of China is the way to go. Doesn't have altitude hold or gps. But its a fantastic little board for stunting and park flying.
Just a note to those interested, the balancer shown in the video can also be purchased from Tower Hobbies for less than $20, check it out: www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXHY61&P=ML
Alternative balance method. Balance V949 V959 V212 Blades with a Laser
Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
But the end result is one balanced prop!
very useful!
My maiden is up on my channel. Check it out when you get time.
Ding Houston we found the problem. I bet your jello goes bye bye now. I have a different balancer I will check this one out and do a comparison
cool
Whoever though of this should desert to be very rich
:-)