Product Spotlight
New products that are Worth a Closer Look
HITEC X4 AC PRO
When you think of Hitec RCD, the first thing that likely comes to mind is the company’s high-quality servos, radios, and receivers. It is also well known for its aircraft that are sold under the Multiplex name, along with a nice lineup of chargers.
The new X4 AC Pro charger includes innovative features such as Bluetooth connectivity, allowing a user to set and monitor the charger via an Android or iOS device. Add to that the fact that you can charge or discharge as many as four batteries at once and that the charger can be powered from an AC or DC source, and you can begin to appreciate all that this charger has to offer.
The X4 can also be controlled and updated using Charge Master software, which lets you operate the charger with your personal computer. A USB cable is required, but not included.
Inside the charger’s colorful box you will find the following: Hitec X4 Pro Charger; universal balancing board; XH-type balancing board; XT-charge cable; two-pin T-type charge cables; two charge cables with no connectors; receiver battery charge cable; DC power cord; AC power cord; and an instruction manual.
The X4 AC Pro has four charge ports that all support balance boards and temperature sensors. Two balance adapters are included, but there are no temperature sensors; however, either can be purchased from Hitec. If you are planning to charge LiPo batteries, it is worth investing in two additional balance boards. I prefer the universal balancing board, but XH-type boards such as one of the included boards can be purchased for less money if you don’t need the flexibility of a universal board beyond the one that is included.
Although the X4 AC Pro is intuitive and easy to use, don’t skip reading the manual before using the charger. It packs a lot of information within its 38 pages.
The charger utilizes five buttons under the LCD screen for programming when not using the X4 app. The Channel button on the far left allows for the selection of the four charge ports labeled A to D. The Batt/Prog/Stop button will halt the current action or cycle back to the previous screen. The Dec and Inc button allow you to scroll through available menus and increase or decrease parameters. The Enter/Start button allows you to cycle to the next step or screen or start the charging process by depressing the button for a few seconds.
When charging or discharging LiPo, Li-Ion, LiFe, or LiHV batteries, the charger provides five options: Charge, Discharge, Storage, Fast Chg, and Bal Charge. I have been using the charger in Bal Charge to balance all of my LiPo batteries. The charger does a good job of balancing the individual cells to be of equal voltage at the end of the charge cycle. The Storage mode has come in handy for batteries that will not be used for a while. In Storage mode, the charger charges or discharges the battery so that all of the cells are at approximately 3.8 volts.
The app to control the charger and monitor it while in use, via a smartphone, is a nice option. I downloaded the X4 AC Pro app for my Samsung S6 Edge from the Google Play store and installed it. With Bluetooth enabled, I powered the charger and my phone recognized the X4 AC Pro. At that point, I was able to set charge parameters and begin charging or discharging batteries without directly interacting with the charger.
After I initiated the charge cycle on a couple of LiPo batteries, the app allowed me to work at my build table and monitor their progress while the charger sat on another table in the same room. Instead of occasionally walking over to the charger to see the status of the charging cycle, I could simply glance at my phone to see things such as battery type, battery cells, charge current, voltage, capacity, charge duration, battery fuel gauge, and charger temperature.
This information can be easily displayed for each one of the charge ports. The charge or discharge cycle can also be stopped inside the app. As much as I have enjoyed the app, it is still important not to charge your batteries unattended.
The Hitec X4 Pro is a capable and flexible charger, and the ability to charge and discharge four batteries at once helps speed up the process of getting ready for a day of flying. Bluetooth connectivity is a nice feature that is well implemented and a welcome addition. Beyond ordering additional balance boards, the charger and everything included with it has met my charging needs.
The ability to connect the charger to a PC for any updates, along with Hitec’s one-year warranty, provides peace of mind that the charger will continue to meet my needs.
Hitec RCD: 12115 Paine St.; Poway CA 92064; Tel.: (858) 748-6948; website: www.hitecrcd.com
Origin Hobby Funter Brushless EP RxR @ $129.99 + S&H from Tower Hobbies, Box 9078, Champaign IL 61826-9078; Tel.: (800) 637-6050; website: www.towerhobbies.com
Origin Hobby’s Funter Reciever-Ready (RxR) electric-powered airplane is easy to fly and extremely stable. Electronics are already installed; you provide the four- to five-channel radio and receiver, the 3S 11.1-volt 1,800 to 2,200 mAh LiPo battery, and battery charger.
The mid-mounted wing contributes to a wide flight envelope to allow it to glide well and perform aerobatics with ease, while the pylon-mounted brushless motor and pusher propeller provide powerful performance.
Dual aileron servos allow a pilot to experiment with flaperon or spoileron mixing using a computer transmitter.
The easily assembled Funter also features an easy-to-remove hatch, a carbon-fiber wing tube for quick assembly of the two-piece wing, and a tail that assembles without glue. A 2-inch spinner and 8 x 6 folding propeller are also included.
Vortex 150 Pro BNF Basic @ $319.99 + S&H from Horizon Hobby, 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; website: www.bladehelis.com
Blade and ImmersionRC have teamed up to bring to market the Vortex 150 FPV racer, a fully integrated, tuned, and equipped racing quadcopter that uses Spektrum technology.
Completely assembled and ready to go, the Vortex features the ImmersionRC Synergy F3 Fusion 32-bit flight control system with 8 KHz loop times and BetaFlight flight controller preloaded firmware that updates easily via the USB port. The graphics heads-up display was inspired by full-graphic jet fighters with complete on-screen control and telemetry.
The durable Vortex airframe has 2mm carbon-fiber motor arms and comes equipped with a set of eight bright 24-bit LED lights; a loud lost-model alarm is also installed. The “Tramp” video transmitter with Touch-N-Race technology is integrated, while Dynamic Power Control saves power and keeps temperatures low.
A full-range, five-plus-channel Spektrum DSMX transmitter, Fat Shark 5.8 GHz-compatible FPV headset, and/or FPV monitor are required. A 3S to 4S 500 mAh LiPo battery is recommended, but the Vortex is also capable of using an 800 mAh LiPo for flight power.
Emcotec Safety Power Switch @ $79 + S&H from Esprit Tech/Model, Box 360815, Melbourne FL 32936; Tel.: (321) 729-4287; website: www.espritmodel.com
The Emcotec Safety Power Switch is an electronic primary switch designed for switching the main power supply for your RC model aircraft, adding an element of safety when handling the aircraft. There is no need to physically disconnect the main battery pack.
The Safety Power Switch provides the advantage of virtually unlimited on/off cycles, unlike mechanically operated switches. Sparking from connectors is prevented when connecting the batteries; the Safety Power Switch also replaces anti-spark connectors.
A pin switch is included for operation. The Emcotec Safety Power Switch was designed to be operated with it, an optional magnetic fuel cap, or specially designed, remote-switch actuators.
F6F HellCat .46 EP/GP @ $219.95 + S&H from VQ Warbirds, Box 3512, Bryan TX 77805; email: info@vqwarbirds.com; website: www.vqwarbirds.com
VQ Warbirds introduces the VQ F6F HellCat, a .46-size electric-powered or gas-powered warbird. Featuring a generous-size battery hatch, working flaps, a painted pilot, a machine gun, antenna, and many great scalelike details, this model will really stand out on the flightline.
The 60.4-inch wingspan aircraft accepts a two-stroke .46 or four-stroke .70 engine, or any electric motor that is the same size as a .46 two-stroke engine with a 14.8-volt 4,500 mAh LiPo battery. An eight-channel radio with five standard servos and four mini servos for the flaps is required.
UAS Multi-Rotor Propeller Blade Torque Wrench Series @ $18.95 + S&H from KDE Direct, 20760 Carmen Loop, Ste. 140, Bend OR 97702; Tel.: (360) 818-4215; website: www.kdedirect.com
KDE Direct’s new UAS Multi-Rotor Propeller Blade Torque Wrench Series provides precalibrated, handheld torque wrenches for bolt-on installation of KDE Direct UAS Propeller Blade Series and UAS Propeller Blade Adapters.
Multiple fixed-torque and hex-key wrench sizes are available for direct compatibility. For optimal equipment selection, more specifications, and technical media, visit the KDE Direct website.
SafeTech Parachute Drone Rescue System @ $219-$299 + S&H from Esprit Tech/Model, Box 360815, Melbourne FL 32936; Tel.: (321) 729-4287; website: www.espritmodel.com
Opale and Esprit Tech are happy to introduce the SafeTech Parachute Drone Rescue System, available in two model sizes based on the size of the drone.
The parachute is ejected and deployed in less than 0.8 second, with a deployment height of between 2 and 5 meters (roughly 6.5 to 16 feet). Permanent pressure is not applied to
the fuse-free, explosive-free parachute, guaranteeing a safer ejection, faster deployment, and a longer parachute shelf life—it does not need to be repacked every week. A simple and fast attachment method allows it to be mounted to all machines currently on the market.
The SafeTech Parachute attachment lanyard is made from Aramid/Kevlar, while the lines and strap are knot-free. The parachute is made with the same quality standards as ULA rescue parachutes, using a silicon coating on the fabric for a low-mass, lightweight system.
The ejection tube, rescue parachute, HD spring with ejection piston, parachute retention cover, servo with a release pin, and the removable safety pin are all included.
UMX Waco BL BNF Basic @ $129.99 + S&H from Horizon Hobby, 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign IL 61822; Tel.: (800) 338-4639; website: www.e-fliterc.com
Blending classic style and state-of-the-art features, Horizon Hobby and E-flite introduce the UMX Waco BL BNF Basic.
Out of the box with scale touches, including molded surface wing and fuselage details, carbon-fiber flying wires, windscreens, and a pilot with a flying scarf, the Waco flies on a 180-size brushless power system utilizing light wing loading and AS3X stabilization technology, allowing for a wide flight envelope.
No assembly is required; the UMX Waco BL BNF includes Spektrum Performance Linear Servos, a classic Waco trim scheme, and scale landing gear with wheel pants and a steerable tail wheel. A full-range, four-plus-channel Spektrum DSMX/DSM2 transmitter, 200 to 280 mAh 2S 7.4-volt LiPo flight battery, and suitable LiPo charger are required.
SRMH-24R High-Brightness Monitor @ $1,000-$1,600 + S&H from TRU-Vu Monitors, 925 E. Rand Rd., Ste. 200, Arlington Heights IL 60004; Tel.: (847) 259-2344; website: www.tru-vumonitors.com
TRU-Vu Monitors, a leading provider of industrial-grade LCD monitors and touch screens, has released the SRMH-24R, a new high-brightness monitor with more than 1,500 nits of brightness. It’s ideal for use in direct, bright sunlight, making it perfect for FPV racing. The SRMH-24R features a 24-inch screen with 1920 x 1080 full, high-definition resolution. This monitor is seven times brighter than a typical desktop monitor and produces clear, sharp video images, even when it is used in bright, direct sunlight.
The Ambient Light Sensor (ALS) automatically adjusts the monitor’s brightness depending upon the ambient lighting conditions. This monitor is also available with optional touch screens, NEMA 4X waterproof enclosures, and more.
