Thunder Power RC released the brand new
TP-610C-ACDC computerized battery charger today, the first sophisticated computerized charger to feature a built in AC power supply. The new TP-610C-ACDC balancer, charger and discharger can use any 100 to 240 volt AC source or 11 to 18 volt DC power supply, making it one of the most flexible balance chargers ever made. Whether you’re out at the field running off a field battery or at home on the bench, the TP-610C-ACDC can service all your charging / discharging / cycling needs.

Unlike most battery chargers, the new TP-610C-ACDC features a built in power supply. This eliminates the need for an external power supply or 12 volt battery and allows you to charge your batteries using almost any AC source. If you’re flying beyond the reach of extension cords or other AC sources, the TP-610C-ACDC can also draw power from any conventional DC 11 to 18 volt DC power supply or battery. Because you can run the new TP-610C-ACDC using household power it can be used to charge your 12 volt flight battery without an external AC source. Instead of using an unreliable and dangerous wall wart type power supply for your 12 volt battery, you can finally migrate all your charging needs to a computerized charger.

Including an AC power supply in the charger design has the following  benefits:

• You don’t have to buy a separate power supply to use your Thunder Power RC charger. Most computerized chargers on the market, including the popular TP-610C require an external power supply in order to run. The new TP-610C-ACDC eliminates this requirement by including a built in adapter.
• If you don’t already have a 12 volt power supply you don’t need to run your charger off of a 12 volt battery. Most field batteries are designed to provide 5 to 10 amps for a few seconds while starting fuel airplanes. If you use your 7 amp-hour field battery to run your charger, you will deplete it after only a few cycles (assuming an average battery capacity). Many flying fields now provide 120 volt AC outlets for chargers and power supplies, so use them to power your balance charger while you use your 12 volt battery for other purposes.
• Obtaining a new TP-610C-ACDC is cheaper than getting a TP-610C balance charger and 5 amp power supply separately.

You can get the brand new TP-610C-ACDC charger on our website.  New to lithium polymer batteries, computerized chargers or electric flight in general? We have many helpful articles online.

You can get charging leads, solder, and even multi plug adapters on our website.

When it comes to radio gear, there’s no point in taking risks. Even if you have the best RC plane or helicopter in the world, a bad radio system can turn it into a pile of debris at the end of the runway at a moments notice. Lipoly batteries have completely replaced NiCd and NiMh cells for powering electric RC gear, but for some reason they’re still commonly used to power radio receivers. Here’s a list of 5 great reasons to switch your RC radio receivers to lipoly batteries today:

1. Lithium polymer batteries have a much longer runtime – Unlike NiMh or NiCd batteries, Lipos can provide thousands of milli-amp hours to your radio gear. A typical NiMh 4 cell receiver pack is limited to approximately 400 to 600 mAh, while its lipoly equivalent can have up to 2600 mAh of capacity. This means that you can run your RC plane or heli longer before re-charging the receiver battery.
2. Lithium polymer batteries last longer – Most lithium polymer batteries are good for hundreds of cycles when used properly. This means that you can use them in your model for years before replacing them.
3. Lithium polymer batteries are lighter – Lithium polymer batteries have the highest weight to power ratio of any battery chemistry on the market. Reducing the weight of your receiver pack by switching to lipos will buy you more flight time.
4. Lithium polymer batteries have better chargers – All the chargers available for lipoly batteries are sophisticated, using the CC/CV algorithm to charge lipos completely, but not more. Chargers like the TP-610C or TP-1010C support balancing and advanced diagnostics, so you always know what the health and status of your receiver battery is. As an added bonus, most of the better lipo chargers (like the TP-610C and 1010-C) support charging other battery chemistries like sealed lead acid (Pb) and the older NiMh / NiCd cells.
5. Lithium polymer batteries hold their charge longer – Unlike NiCd or NiMh batteries, lipos have about a 1% self discharge rate. This means that they can hold their charge for days at a time and still work great in your airplane.

There are a few new terms and procedures for people new to lipos to learn, but switching over to lipos gets you a much better airplane / helicopter system. New to lipolys? Read our helpful article which explains everything you need to know about lithium polymer batteries.

We’ve got a full selection of receiver lipo batteries, chargers, and balancers for your RC vehicles. Make the switch to a more reliable and longer lasting power system for your RC aircrafts receiver today.

RCtoys.com has been selling the MASH rescue helicopter by E-flite for a few months now, and it’s turned out to be a great little scale helicopter for indoor flight. The MASH helicopter looks great in the air and handles better than most co-axial RC helicopters out there. It’s also got a fair bit of weight, making it great for flying outdoors in low winds. The MASH helicopter is so easy to fly that it’s perfect for anyone who’s new to RC, but sometimes we make mistakes and the helicopter can require repair.

If you’ve crashed your MASH helicopter and need new rotor blades, grips, or even a new flybar then you’re grounded until new parts arrive. Enter the crash kit – a carefully chosen assortment of the most commonly needed replacement parts, all in one convenient and discounted package. If you keep one of these on hand, you won’t have to stop flying and wait for new parts in the mail again. The MASH helicopter was designed to be user-serviceable just like larger fuel and electric helis. If you’ve got a broken part, then it’s almost certain that it can be replaced without anything more complicated then a screwdriver. This guide will walk you through replacing the most common parts:

Replacing Main Rotor Blades

The main rotor blades can become cracked in a severe crash and pieces can break off. While it’s completely possible to fix small cracks and dings with some medium CA glue and accelerator, this can negatively affect blade balance and make the helicopter vibrate. It’s easier and faster to replace the old blade so here’s how to do it:

1. Get a small Phillips head screwdriver and unscrew the single aluminum screw at the root of the damaged blade. The blade will now be free, and you can remove and dispose of it. Damaged blades can be sharp, so be careful not to cut yourself.
2. All the top rotor blades come with a white warning label on their upper surface. Choose from the upper and lower rotor blades as needed so that the rotors look like this when viewed from the front. As viewed from the front, the right top rotor blade should curve upwards and the bottom right rotor blade should curve downwards. This picture shows the correct blade orientation.
3. Install the replacement blade and tighten the screw just enough so that the blade swings freely when you tilt the helicopter, but is secure enough that it won’t fly off. This has to be done by feel – it’s not critical that the screw is perfectly adjusted, but the blade should feel secure and move freely.
4. Repeat this for any other rotor blades that need replaced. It’s helpful to install them one at a time to keep track of the orientation.

Replacing the Blade Grips

The blade grips / holders are black clevis like objects which clamp down on the root of each blade and hold it to the main shaft. If one of these becomes damaged, use this procedure to replace it:

1. Remove the both of the rotor blades that the blade grips are holding by following the instructions above.
2. Lay the helicopter on its side and observe the two screws that hold the blade grips together and on the main shaft. This picture shows one screw removed, viewed from the bottom of the helicopter.
3. Unscrew the blade grips and keep the screws in a safe place where they can’t roll away.
4. Replace the broken blade grip and install the screws.

Replacing Ball Linkages:

Ball linkages connect the RC helicopter’s servos to the swashplate and flybar. It’s fairly unlikely that these will get broken in a crash, but if they do, here’s how to replace them:

1. Snap off the damaged ball link using your fingers or a screwdriver.
2. Find the replacement link that matches the one you took off and press it on to the spherical plastic nubs where the broken link connected. This picture shows a partially disconnected ball linkage on the flybar:

What makes the MASH helicopter unique is its ability to be completely disassembled and user serviceable. You don’t usually find this on helicopters in the 100 to 200 dollar price range, which are usually meant to be flown and then discarded when they break. Want to learn more about the MASH helicopter, or get one to fly around your living room? RCtoys sells them at a great price. If you just want the crashkit, RCtoys.com has that as well.

The swashplate isn’t included in the crashkit, because it rarely breaks. If you need a replacement swashplate, you can get one online for a low cost.