Posts filed under 'Articles'
With the release of the Samsung Omnia II which is an improvement over the Samsung Omnia I which I am still happily using, I am now able to use the Midomi Application on my Omnia. Since the two companies have entered an agreement to allow usage of the Midomi on the new Samsung Omnia II, there are parties who have extracted the Midomi Application from the new ROM which now allows us to install the application via a CAB file onto our old Omnias.
If you haven’t heard of Midomi, here’s a brief rundown. It is an application which is easily downloadable onto the Iphone (previously and now onto the Omnia) which allows you to HUM or SING a tune onto the phone and it will do an online search onto the Midomi Database to find out the NAME and ARTIST of the song.
No longer will you need to crack your head to find out the name of a song/tune that has been stuck to your head. Try out the application at their website at http://www.midomi.com/. You can use your PC’s mic and use the online app on their webpage to see for yourself how it works. It’s really cool and I’m glad I now have it on my Samsung Omnia I. Sorry I don’t have the link here on my site but a quick search on the internet should bring you to some sites which link to the CAB file.
September 8th, 2009
For those of you who have been wondering how you are able to get your Blackberry’s GPS to work like that of the Garmin GPS, think no more. I managed to locate on the internet (though I’m not the first to do so), a FREE GPS program that does the job of voice navigation pretty well on the Blackberry. Whilst I don’t think it is as good as the Garmin Mobile XT on my Samsung Omnia, I think it does the job well enough to get you from Point A to Point B. It could and would have done a better job if the maps were more updated (not that they are that outdated to begin with). All in all, it will get you places even though the program is not as feature packed and heavy as other GPS programs.
Do note that the “amAze” software is not limited to Blackberries, it also works for a host of other handphones as well, so if you wish to give it a try… check it out if your phone has an in-built GPS. The software is free. The only cost you will need to pay is for “DATA” Transmissions as Maps are not stored locally, they are downloaded on the go. An unlimited data plan is recommended.
For those of you who are interested, you may check out the “amAze” GPS software at http://www.amazegps.com/ . The coverage support ranges from Europe, North America, Australia and parts of Africa and Asia (Malaysia included as I have tested). Have fun!
September 8th, 2009
3 Blade EP Propeller 15×8 / 381×204mm
Just received my 3 bladed prop shipment today and I immediately tried it out on my Yak-55. I spent approx. 20-30 mins shaving 2 of the 3 blades to obtain a balanced blade since it ain’t perfect out of the factory.
I hooked up the WATTS UP meter and recorded the following readings. Specs as per below:
- SWANG 480Kv Brushless Motor + 80A 5A BEC ESC 158U
- RHINO Battery 3700mAH 5S1P 20C
- 3 Blade EP Propeller 15×8
Max Amp: 57.74
Wp: 1110.9
Wh: 1.5
Vm: 19.13
Specs look ok for the system so will test out the flying performance soon!
July 21st, 2009
I’ve managed to fix my tail wag issue on my T-Rex 250. Thought I’d share it with those of you who are looking for a solution.
I basically did the following:
1) I made my own “chinese weights” for the tail by using the nut ends of EZ Connectors and putting them through longer screws used to secure the tail blades. With the Nuts as added weight, it perfectly balanced the tennis raquet effect of the unweighted tail grips. After making adjustment, I was able to move the tail pitch slider (with or without the tail blades) easily without much force and when I let go of the pushrod, it would stay in place instead of move back to the center. The basically cures the high-torque needed to move the original tail slider due to design flaws.
2) I substituted the Align DS420 with a DS520 servo. I’m not sure if the 520 is needed after my fix above since I made the changes at the same time but the 520 definitely packs a bigger punch in terms of torque delivered to the tail slider.
As a result of the above changes, My GYRO Sensitivity which was previously at 60% is now up to 70%. I am probably also able to move it up to 75% without getting much wag but since I have changed my pinion from 15T to 16T now, I had to dial it back a little to prevent tail wag.
The Heli now feels locked in. I have yet to test full collective climb outs but I have a feeling the tail will hold this time round. Here’s to having more enjoyable flights rather than an expensive paper weight 
I’ve also ordered a set of new tail grips from Align which comes with the counter weights. I’ll put them on to see if they perform as well as my mod but I doubt it since I’ve seen a video on YouTube which shows that the weights on the new tail grips are still not heavy enough to counter the tennis raquet effect. We shall see…
UPDATE – 4 July 2009 : I’ve installed the new tail grips from Align (which comes with the larger screw heads – thus new allen screwdriver is needed), and true enough, the weights on them does not make a big enough difference. As such I decided to put on my mod onto the tail which seems to even improve it more. Pls refer to the pictures below to see how I’ve done it.
Basically the new tail from Align and the weighted nuts did the job of curing the tail issue. When spooled up, I can move the tail freely with hand and if I leave it at any spot, it does not move or spring back to any position. Having said that, I’ve left the DS520 on the tail because that seems to deliver more power than the DS420 which in my opinion is a little on the weak side. Good Luck Guys
July 2nd, 2009
Just managed to get my prop back from my friend today who got the hole enlarged to 8mm?!? Thank god for him coz I wouldn’t know how to get it drilled without having to bring it to a machine shop. Anyway I managed to hook up my WattsUp Meter to my Yak55 and got some readings off it. Specs as per below:
- SWANG 480Kv Brushless Motor + 80A 5A BEC ESC 158U
- RHINO Battery 3700mAH 5S1P 20C
- Turnigy 17×8 Light Electric propeller
Max Amp: 54.46
Wp: 1049
Just as a comparison from my previous post with a 16×10 prop:
- SWANG 480Kv Brushless Motor + 80A 5A BEC ESC 158U
- RHINO Battery 3700mAH 5S1P 20C
- TGS Sport 16×10E Precision propeller
Max Amp: 52.08
Wp: 923.3
From the looks of it… its not overdrawing any Amps for both the motor/esc & battery. The only problem is… there’s actually very little clearance of the prop from the ground. Especially hard not to scrape the tip on fields with loads of pebbles. Probably need to increase the wheel size perhaps 
Happy Flights all!
May 30th, 2009
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Trex 250 against Samsung Omnia as size comparison
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Trex 250 sitting on Original Packaging Box
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Trex 250 against a Red Apple as size comparison
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Trex 250 on the rug
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Trex 250 on the rug with blades open
My latest addition to my fleet is Align’s newest micro helicopter, the TREX 250. This little baby captured my interest the first time I laid eyes on it… or rather the first time I laid eyes on the box. My next encounter with it was by reading an article on RC HELI magazine which featured the new comer. What got me interested was that the combo kit came with almost everything that you would need to get this heli up and flying except for a radio, receiver and battery. Apart from those three items, it came with everything like its very own digital servos, 3 for the cyclics and 1 for the rudder and it also comes with a high quality gyro fit even for larger birds.
The build of this heli was done over a span of 2 weeks although I believe you can actually get it done in 1 night since most of the heli was already pre-built. I took my time because I had to order LIPO batteries for it. For those of you who are short sighted and have fat fingers, do be warned… the screws and parts are really really minute! Don’t drop any screws or you’ll spend the rest of the night looking for them! Having said that… the instructions that came with the kit was pretty well written and laid out. Oh might I also add the quality of this kit is unbelievably good with its machined metal heads, carbon fibre parts and basically smooth operations of the tail drive and all head linkages.
I have just managed to fly this baby last Thursday / Friday but found that the GWS receiver which I used was prone to interference (which almost cost me to lose the chopper a few times). I have since changed it to a ’spare’ 8CH corona receiver which seems to be doing very well.
I was also hit by the dreaded tail wag issue when gain was only set at 51% (head-holding) or 49% (non-head hold). Needless to say, the tail held terribly. I was so sure that I used the correct ‘+’ (plus) shaped horn measured at 5mm but still I decided to try to change it to the ‘o’ shaped horn which seemed to have the mounting point just slightly closer to the center than the ‘+’ shaped horn. Unbelivably, that cured the problem! So if you guys are having tail wag problems, make sure you use the right horn with the Align DS420 servo and Gyro! 5mm is the magic number. you might even want to try 4mm if there’s such a mount point! My rates are not at 65% there abouts and the tail holds like a dream. I have also set my gyro to have a delay of close to 100% since a 0% delay seemed to give me a slight wag. I think the servo might be a little too quick for the tail and gyro to keep up!
Alright that’s all I have to report for now. Btw I’m using a Zippy 1000 mAH battery that’s rated at 25C. It was a little tight for the canopy but that was cured by drilling two new holes just about 7 or 8 mm back from the original holes. The power is good but I will need to try some pitch pumps and see how well the power holds now that my tail wag problem is gone and that the tail holds rock steady!
March 31st, 2009
After a period of slightly over 1 month, I finally managed to put all the needed parts together for my Yak-55. The maiden flight was successfully flown on 21 Feb 2009 under the watchful eye of my flying buddy who was well versed with the plane (seeing that he was the one who influenced us all and showed us how nice this plane flies). This plane is fully 3D capable and I hope to be able to execute some nice clean maneouvers in time to come.
Here are some pictures of my Yak-55, which is basically a 50 sized plane with the following specs:
- Wingspan – 58″
- Fuselage Length – 59″
- Wing area – 713 sq inches
- SWANG 480Kv Brushless Motor + 80A 5A BEC ESC 158U
- RHINO Battery 3700mAH 5S1P 20C
- TGS Sport 16×10E Precision propeller
- 4 x Align Digital Servos
Current Draw:
Amp Hours: 0.152 Ah
Max Amp: 52.08
Wp: 923.3
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Plane against car backdrop
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Close Up of the Yak
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Yak Top View
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Yak’s side profile
Forum Details at: http://www.rcbuddies.com/forum/index.php/topic,198.0.html
March 8th, 2009
I got Mc Donald’s entry coupon about a week or so ago and we finally got the chance to trot into Bangsar Mc Donalds to see if May Lee could actually complete the slogan within 4 seconds. The reason why it took us so long to participate is because the competition time is only from 3 – 8pm daily during off-peak times which did not coincide with our free time.
Upon announcing to the person at the purchasing counter that we wanted to take part, we were asked to proceed to a special counter where a staff came by with a stop-watch! Three, Two, One… GO announced the staff… *tic*tic*tic… the stop watched was started. And May Lee went on with the chant…
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“Two All-Beef Patties,
Special Sauce, Lettuce,
Cheese, Pickles, Onions
On A Sesame Seed Bun!”
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STOP!!!! .. the verdict? Well.. the staff announced “Congratulations!… you did it”. Curious ol me asked her what the timing was…. and we were told she completed the chant in 3.19 seconds! Woo Hoo.. you go girl!
Basically, if you don’t stutter, I’m sure you will be able to complete it. But as for me.. I’ll probably choke on the words… somehow I don’t think I have clam nerves like May Lee. And yes… thanks dear… the Big Mac was delicious. Thanks for sharing…
For those of you who are wondering what this is all about.. just in case you haven’t seen or heard it over the radio, you can check it out here: http://www.mcdonalds.com.my/highlights/bigmacchant.asp
May 25th, 2008
Just managed to update the RCBuddies.com mainpage and layout plus a host of other stuff like resizing of the gallery picture thumbnails, redoing the gallery layout, updating the software for the Forum & etc.
Also changed the Meta Tags for the site so that hopefully it would not be better placed once google.com has crawled the site with the new titles and descriptions.
Just like on this Site, RCBuddies now have their own Related Videos showing on certain pages or articles. If you have any articles you wish to have placed on RCBuddies.com, do feel free to email your content to admin@rcbuddies.com
Visit http://www.rcbuddies.com for all your Radio Control Needs!
May 13th, 2008
During our last two trips to Penang, I brought along our Garmin Nuvi 250 GPS assist in navigating around Penang. Actually when I was offered to use the unit, I declined, but after much thought, I decided to bring it along. No harm trying it out right?
After trying it out first hand in a place I know little about, I found the Garmin GPS most helpful. My brother-in-law commented that we drove around like locals via the shortcuts and small lanes. I must say, the GPS made me feel comfortable and sure of where I was and where I was going. It had very little faults so I guess the map that I had in the unit was pretty much up-to-date. However I decided to surf the internet and managed to update the GPS’s software as well as load up free maps of Sydney (Australia) to see how the system would adapt. I didn’t manage to get the unit to “Speak Out” the directions during the simulation drive around Sydney. Perhaps its coz I didn’t have the needed data files? Perhaps someone could point this out to me since I am very new at this and am just learning how the GPS works and what files are needed for proper navigation. So far, I managed to find out that there are various files; the MAP itself, the POIs (Point of Interests) and perhaps the NAVIGATION file (which brings out the audio). This last part I am not really sure though as I have mentioned.
All in all, I think the GPS is a good buy and a very useful tool to have. I would recommend it to any one who drives a lot, and those who like exploring places and roads. You will never lose your way again… that’s until you lose satellite connection. If that happens, you will need to use your girl instincts (i.e. ask for directions!)
Some of the places which I used the GPS to find: Komtar, Lone Pine Hotel, E&O Hotel, Ocean Green Restaurant, Swatow Lane, Penang Hill, Botanical Gardens, Snake Temple, Penang Bridge, Gurney Drive/Plaza & loads more.
Here are a few useful links: http://www.garmin.com/ (Garmin’s Official Map), http://www.malsingmaps.com/portal/ (FREE Malaysia & Singapore Maps)
May 7th, 2008
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