Thunder Power RC has released a new firmware version for the Thunder Power 1010C charger. Version V2.3A contains many great features that re-affirm this charger’s position as a market-leader in features and performance. Among these features are the ability to now charge NiCd, NiMH, Pb (lead-acid), and A123 batteries. It’s another free upgrade from Thunder Power RC. All you need is the Thunder Power 1010C USB Programming Cable to apply the update.

Most important of all is the new procedure for applying the firmware upgrade. This procedure protects the charger from damage, and failure to use it will negate the 1010C’s warranty. The procedure is detailed by Thunder Power in their pdf note. The firmware can be obtained from the Thunder Power RC download page.

Changing the firmware requires that you power the charger from a simple 9V battery while applying the update. Alternatively, you can use a 10-15 Ohm ceramic block resistor inline with one of the power cables if you power the charger from your usual charger power supply.

Use the new 1010C firmware upgrade procedure to enjoy the many new features of V2.3A while maintaining your warranty.

TP1010C V2.3A Upgrade Features:

1. Added NiCd/NiMh/PB(SLA)/A123 battery charge/discharge/cycler functions
2. Memory slots (10) are independently assigned to each battery type
3. A123 top off voltage adjusted to 3.65V/cell
4. Added System timeout(selectable to 2-10Hour)
5. The last cycle of charge and discharge data before an error interruption occurs can now be read by pressing the [Sel] button
6. Discharge power factor added
7. 1’s decimal digit added to the voltage display

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
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Charlie Wang, CEO and Founder of Thunder Power RC saw a vision to bringing a new generation of high power batteries to the hobby industry. In 2003, Thunder Power was the first company to market Lithium Polymer batteries on a wide scale distribution for hobby planes and helicopters.

Within the first two years of operation, Charlie established the Lithium Polymer battery as the standard in the hobby industry for electric planes and helicopters. During this two year period, the best and most successful hobby industry pilots switched to Thunder Power batteries because of the incredible power they delivered during flight.

By 2005, the industry embraced the new batteries and Thunder Power instantly became the world wide leader in supplying Lithium Polymer batteries for planes and helicopters. Pilots who previously flew gas planes began switching to electric. The growth of the market began a rapid expansion due to newly discovered power that Lithium Polymer batteries produced. In 2006 Charlie introduced the eXtreme Series which ushered a new era of Lithium Polymer battery power.

In 2007, Thunder Power Batteries changed their name to Thunder Power RC to better represent the company’s expanded product line. Thunder Power RC launched a line of ESC’s with a revolutionary new feature that includes a battery monitoring system. The company will be adding several new and exciting products this year that will be launched at IRCHA and Ihobby.

Thunder Power RC will be moving into their new 32,000 sq. ft. Las Vegas office-warehouse facility later this year. All operations including marketing, sales, R&D, tech support, battery assembly and an indoor test flight environment will be housed in this spacious facility.

Draganfly Innovations is one of the top Distributors of Thunder Power RC Lithium Batteries, Chargers, Balancers, and accessories.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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Unlike NiCd batteries, lithium-polymer batteries are environmentally friendly. For safety reasons, it’s best that LiPo cells be fully discharged before disposal (however, if physically damaged it is NOT recommended to discharge LiPo cells before disposal - see below for details). The batteries must also be cool before proceeding with disposal instructions.

To dispose of LiPo cells and packs:

1. If any LiPo cell in the pack has been physically damaged, resulting in a swollen cell or a split or tear in a cell’s foil covering, do NOT discharge the battery. Jump to step 5.
2. Place the LiPo battery in a fireproof container or bucket of sand.
3. Connect the battery to a LiPo discharger. Set the discharge cutoff voltage to the lowest possible value. Set the discharge current to a C/10 value, with “C” being the capacity rating of the pack. For example, the “1C” rating for a 1200mAh battery is 1.2A, and that battery’s C/10 current value is (1.2A / 10) can be used, such as a power resistor or set of light bulbs as long as the discharge current doesn’t exceed the C/10 value and cause an overheating condition. For LiPo packs rated at 7.4V and 11.1V , connect a 150 ohm resistor with a power rating of 2 watts (commonly found at Radio Shack)to the pack’s positive and negative terminals to safely discharge connecting it to an ESC/ motor system and allowing the motor to run indefinitely until no power remains to further cause the system to function.
4. Discharge the battery until its voltage reaches 1.0V per cell or lower. For resistive load type discharges, discharge the battery for up to 24 hours.
5. Submerse the battery into bucket or tub of salt water. This container should have a lid, but it should not need to be air-tight. Prepare a plastic container (do not use metal) of cold water. And mix in 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water. Drop the battery into the salt water. Allow the battery to remain in the tub of salt water for at least 2 weeks.
6. Remove the LiPo battery from the salt water, wrap it in newspaper or paper towels and place it in the normal trash. They are landfill safe.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
RSS: www.rctoys.com/pr/feed

Our Draganflyer RC Helicopters are quad rotor coaxial design. Not all the rotor blades spin in the same direction. This is why your Draganflyer rotor blades have markings “A” and “B”. The coaxial rotor design makes the Draganflyer extremely stable and easy to fly. Draganflyer V-ti and Draganflyer V-ti Pro RC helicopters come with a single solid rotor blade on each of the helis ‘arms’. The Draganflyer SAVS RC Helicopter comes with 2-piece folding rotor blades. Two of the motors spin counterclockwise (A) and the other two spin clockwise (B). All Draganflyer rotor blades are designated as either “A” or “B” and can be confirmed as so by checking between the mounting holes and the blade on the rotor. The “A” rotors will be used for the Front and Back, where as the “B” rotors will be used for the Left and Right arm. You can confirm you have the right rotors on the right arms by verifying the rotors marked “A” are spinning counterclockwise and the rotors marked “B” are spinning clockwise. If you have the rotor blades on the wrong arms the Draganflyer RC helicopter will not fly and will crash.

Attaching the rotors is easy. Simply use our Nylon rotor screws or Nylon Rotor Thumbscrews. The Nylon rotor screws securely attach the rotor blades to the Draganflyer main gear on each arm of the helicopter.

If you need replacement Draganflyer RC Helicopter Rotor Blades we have them in stock on our Web site or order by phone by calling 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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Choosing what brand and type of connector to use with your lithium polymer battery is a decision that is often overlooked and not given much thought. Although it will mostly come down to personal preference there are few things to keep in mind when choosing what connector to use.

1) How much current (Amps) with the connector handle?

The current rating is probably the most important feature to look at for the connector. Before choosing your connector you should ensure that the current rating on the connector is higher than the estimated current that your system will be drawing, so if you know you will be drawing 20 amps from the battery, it would be safe to use a connector rated at 30 amps. Using a connector that is rated at a lower current than you are drawing may cause the connector fuse together and possibly short out causing damage to the battery, speed control and other equipments. You should be able to find the current rating on the connector from the manufacturer or supplier.

2) Are there any special tools I will need to install it?

Most connectors can be easily soldered to the wire leads on the battery and speed controller. However some connectors such as Anderson Power Pole connectors require special crimping tools for installation.

3) Can it be accidentally plugged in backwards?

For batteries it is a good idea to choose a connector that is polarized, so there is an evident positive and negative on the connector and it can not be plugged in backwards. A good example of a polarized connector is a Deans Ultra Plug. Non-polarized connectors such as bullet connectors are good for connecting motors due to their small size however are not a good choice for connecting batteries as they can easily be connected backwards causing damage to the battery and electronics.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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Thunder Power Batteries is now called Thunder Power RC. Famous for their Pro Lite and newer eXtreme series lipoly batteries, Thunder Power RC is a worldwide powerhouse in lithium polymer technology. ThunderPower RC’s reputation for extreme high quality is not just for their lipo batteries, they also manufacture Thunder Power R/C chargers & balancers. Recently, they have expanded to produce a line of ThunderPower R/C ESCs (Electronic Speed Controls) and their constant innovation has led them to break into the 3D RC helicopter market with the release of the new Thunder Power R C Extreme 450 helicopter. All of this expansion has resulted in the desire to rebrand to ThunderPower R C in order to embrace a larger section of the RC hobby market.

The change from Thunder Power Batteries to Thunder Power RC is purely cosmetic. The company structure and ownership remains the same. Charlie Wang remains as president and the Thunder Power RC headquarters remains in Las Vegas, NV, USA.

The new Thunder Power RC sports a new, less cluttered logo design that focuses on the company name rather than lithium polymer batteries. Continue reading to view the new logos.

Read the rest of this article »

Many people ask if the Draganflyer SAVS RC Helicopter can take still digital photos. The answer is yes, but the Draganflyer SAVS is intended primarily for recording and viewing a live aerial video feed, not taking still pictures. The quality of the still images can be defined as approximately 0.5 Megapixels or 710 x 480 pixels. Still images can easily be extracted from the video by means of any video editing program and you most likely already have a video editing program on your home PC. Pretty much every Windows XP computer comes with Windows Movie Maker and every Mac these days comes with iMovie. Both of these free video editing tools are very simple to use and both have a feature to capture individual frames to still images. Here is a still picture we grabbed from a Draganflyer SAVS video feed. This technique can also be used with video captured from your Draganflyer V Ti with Eyecam or your Draganflyer V Ti Pro.

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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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