Walkera 4#3 won't gain altitude (Cause; Battery or Motor?)

[dave63]

Hi All,

I've been leaing to fly on my 4#3B (Brushless). It's slow going but I'm making progress.

My trouble now is that the heli does not want to fly for very long on a charge before it refuses to gain altituted. In other words the charge seems to last only a very short period of time. Nticbly differn;t frm when new. I have two batteries and with simular results on both. I probably have 10-20 charges on each battery.

I suspect it's the batteries but I was wondering if i could be the brushed motor beginning to wear out?

Any advice?

[tombo242]

Hi dave63,

Most likely your batteries, if you've been flying them right down or keeping them above or below the storage voltage, they soon gain internal resistance and the performance goes as you say yours is. You cannot rectify this.

When close to the ground (i.e. around the rotor diameter high) the power required to keep the heli up is less and the battery can just cope, but as you lift out of "Ground Effect" you require more power and the battery cannot supply it.

Once your batteries have cooled after flight it is best to bring them up (or down) to the storage level of 3.8~3.9V per cell and do not charge them fully until just before flight. Then never fly the batteries right down. At the first sign of the power failing land and change the battery. This will give you the best battery life. They need looking after, at touch of TLC battery style.

[marco1]

I am having the same problem with my Lama2-1. I wish I would have read this before I bought replacement motors. Oh well.... I guess I will have a back.

[dave63]

Cool. Thanks for the sound advice.

[tombo242]

You're very welcome folks.