It may be ironic that one of the longest videos I have made in a while is on a topic that most people just assume is understood and put into practice. I'm often amazed, however, how many new RC builders don't know about prop balancing, or just plain forget to do it. It's a boring and tedious task. It can also drive you crazy if you let it! : )
In this video I go through my method of balancing all three props for my tricopter build. I don't just show you one...I show you all three. Why? Because they are each different, and require a different approach to balancing. The first is pretty typical, the second was a pain, and the third was a piece of cake. That's how it goes.
Sometimes I address the blades first, sometimes the hub. This video explains why and how I make that decision. My method may be different than others...but like many things in this hobby...there are many ways to achieve the same result. I tried to take extra care to point out the things I was looking for, and how I addressed a certain behavior. For example, it's one thing for a blade to drop to the bottom when on the balancer, but it's another to drop to the bottom, pass the center line, and then end up hanging offset on the other side from where it was dropped. In my opinion, that speaks more to a hub issue than a blade one -- rather than the prop that has a blade that hangs straight down -- which is likely to be a blade imbalance. Don't worry. I show you what this looks like in the video.
As I mention in the video... sometimes the hard part is knowing when to stop. Often, I am my own worst enemy, and have a well-balanced prop...that I mess with just a little more...and...well... you can guess how that goes.
Anyway... I hope this helps folks looking for more info on total and complete prop balancing, from hub to blade...sometimes in that order, sometimes not. : )
And yes, most people tend to forget the hub.
But even as important. Balance your motors.
The are by no means balanced from the factory, at all.
I use the "Lazer" methode, in a rig of hobby plywood where tho motor is mounted togheter with a piece of polished carbon (As a mirror.) and a lazerpointer to show the unbalance. Search the Flitetest show for a tutorial...
This will give you the best possible start to getting jellow free images and movies from any multirotor, or plane equipped to fly FPV.
I do this to all my new stuff, Motors and props for planes, Heli's and Multirotors.
Log In to reply
Ed Christlieb.
Log In to reply
Evan
Log In to reply
Log In to reply
this was a good video on balancing large props. How do you balance small props? my small props will not fit on that type of balancer.
Log In to reply
Do you know if i can use a 105 deg celcius wire instead of a 200deg C wire same AWG? I just have a bunch of the lower temp stuff at home and dont want to buy new stuff if i dont need.
I am building the RCExplorer tricopter.
Thanks
Log In to reply