Mini Telemaster Battery Hatch

[KeninAZ]

I ordered a Mini Telemaster ARF as at the time the kit was not available or at least where I looked.
I have it all together and it's all balanced just fine on the factory CG but the battery wants to be in that forward compartment to balance right. That's fine with me but it's just a little tough for my large hands to get in in there and then I can't imagine how I am going to secure it.
I really think that this ARF or kit should come with a hatch up front personally.
So I thought about cutting a battery hatch on the bottom of the Mini.
I am thinking about just putting some small hinges up front with a catch at the rear but I am open to other ideas.
Anyone have any pix of how they did their hatch, Mini Telemaster or not. It may give me some ideas.

[rcers]

First hatches are always best on the top - so you don't have to turn the plane upside down to switch the battery. I would just hack out the top, build a tray for the battery stick some velcro on it.

For securing the best thing is a balsa tab on the front bottom of the hatch and magnets in the back.

Let me see if I have some pics somewhere....

[KeninAZ]

Thanks, I was look at the curve on the bottom front and wondering how I was going to manage that.
Putting the battery in through the top makes more sense and that's a flat surface too.
Pix will help me. Not too imaginative at this point.

[Monterey10]

I'm trying to make a hatch for a PZ SE5A. I have a thin piece of bass wood sheet. I'm trying to figure the hinges on the front. The original had tabs. The back is held by a latch.

The problem with the SE5A is that most people are inclined to use the 2100 battery, which is a tight fit. The original plastic hatch is prone to breaking. Ideally, the new hatch leaves a little more room under for the larger battery.

[rcers]

I snapped some quick pics for you...

This is from my Ace Mach None (a vintage model).

You can see the gold Neodymium magnets and the hatch. It has balsa tabs for the front and the other two you see keep it aligned on the fuse.

Mike

[KeninAZ]

OK, I have already cut the hatch area open with my dremel. I got to thinking about it and I think I bought this dremel the first time I got into RC in the 1970s. I have rebuilt it a couple of times since I think as it gets a lot of use in my projects.
Now for a trip to the HS to get some wood to work with to build a tray and supports and the like.
It's the pits when you are just starting out and don't have any scraps laying around like I used to years ago.
And to top that off the HS is almost 10 miles away and it's the only one.
But it's a decent one so I cannot complain.
Oh well, time for an inside project anyway as we got our first snow here last night and more is due Monday.
It's early this year too.

[stuart]

a couple of the mini tele hatch. i used balsa laminated cross grained for strength..put a simple spin latch as cosmetics didn't matter as much to me and those earth magnets weren't as popular years ago.the hing is covering and red tape[very ugly].Velcro holds great and a 3cell 2200mah 20c zippy fly's this bird great with a turnigy 35-30-1400 SK and 40 amp plush.

i crashed this plane more times than i could remember,but she still flys great. stu

[KeninAZ]

Thanks for the pix.
I picked the same battery, size wise anyway, I found myself with the 2200 20c also. Should give me some nice flight times.
I am running a 400 Size Brushless Outrunner 1200Kv that they recommended and it looks like even with the 8x6 it's going to have lots of power to spare.
Just curious, with your setup, what kinds of flight times are you getting?

I got some wood and such to make the tray and all and I think this is going to work out nice.
The only problem I had was our only HS did not have any the the magnets like shown and he admits they should have. It just switched owners so maybe in the future.
I went to a big box hobby store and found some small button magnets that I will make work out somehow.

[rcers]

That pack is HUGE for the Mini Telemaster. I used a 1000 or 1320 in mine and got 7-8 minute flights.

And saved half the weight.

Mike

[stuart]

+1 on the pack being to big,but like i said.....to many rebuilds on this old girl...lol. seriously tail heavy now with the added wood rebuilding the fuse. in fact i sheeted the sides of the fuse with thin balsa due to the stick design taking such a beating. it resembles the micro telemaster. i heard from a fellow builder that the micro tele is super strong..

the 35-30-1400 draws a few extra watts than the mini tele should need when built lite[or should i say"built right"]



TGY AerodriveXp SK Series 35-30 1400Kv / 470wSKU: SK-3530-1400$13.99 WEIGHT : 179g | BACKORDER

[KeninAZ]

Originally Posted by rcers

That pack is HUGE for the Mini Telemaster. I used a 1000 or 1320 in mine and got 7-8 minute flights.

And saved half the weight.

Mike

Yes well being a rookie at electric I got what the recommended for it.
They were out of the 2100 so I checked the physical size and got a 2200 that matched that size when I ordered it.

[velojet]

Originally Posted by KeninAZ

... I am thinking about just putting some small hinges up front with a catch at the rear but I am open to other ideas.
Anyone have any pix of how they did their hatch, Mini Telemaster or not. It may give me some ideas.

Here's how I did it, with a top-loading front-hinged hatch (Dubro hatch catch and plastic hinges):





Still holding together, after 214 flying sessions and some pretty heavy landings. (I took the above photos in the course of a nose repair job after one such heavy landing.)

John V

[bluzjamer]

I have a mini tele also. Also have big hands and have broken balsa getting the battery out.
Tried a 1300 mah and it was still tail heavy so I went to a 1800 mah. I need to install a tray as I was using velcro on the curved vottom and it was coming loose in flight and shifting the cg. What do you guys use to cut out a hatch? Exacto, mini saw, coping saw, dremel? I also had to use low rates and expo to calm down the twichyness this model had. Using a 8-6 prop on a axi 28 series.

[velojet]

Originally Posted by bluzjamer

I have a mini tele also. Also have big hands and have broken balsa getting the battery out.
Tried a 1300 mah and it was still tail heavy so I went to a 1800 mah. I need to install a tray as I was using velcro on the curved vottom and it was coming loose in flight and shifting the cg. What do you guys use to cut out a hatch? Exacto, mini saw, coping saw, dremel? I also had to use low rates and expo to calm down the twichyness this model had. Using a 8-6 prop on a axi 28 series.

I just cut mine (see pics above) with an Xacto-type knife, and fitted a Velcroed tray.

As for CG (and twitchiness with tail-heaviness), I found I needed lead ballast in the nose. More recently, I've gone to a 3S 2200 mAH Lipo (with an Axi 2208-34 and an 8x6 prop) and have been able to take out the lead. Now flies beautifully, cruising just just under 1/2 throttle and not a hint of twitchiness (DX6i on low rates and expo).

[dgjessing]

Originally Posted by KeninAZ

The only problem I had was our only HS did not have any the the magnets like shown and he admits they should have. It just switched owners so maybe in the future.
I went to a big box hobby store and found some small button magnets that I will make work out somehow.

Some little bits of velcro would do the same thing...

[stuart]

i built a battery box for the uproar which is tight after flights. using 2 2200 20c 4cells in parralel. the reason i say this is i also put a strap under one of the batteries to pull up on thus not pulling on the wires.

this idea will work for most battery locations where its tough to get the battery out. the strap i use is duct tape folded over on its self so it weighs nothing and is very thin.
strap not shown in picture but just wanted to show the tight fit for the batts and they are the perfect weight so cg is met without lead added anywhere.