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ImplicitAssembler posted:Balancing: I balance them maybe every 5th charge? Yeah, I quickly flashed my 9x to opentx. There is a nice video that goes over the features and from there I got the radio doing what I needed. I'll try and find it later.
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Sep 18, 2013 16:41
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Flashing to opentx are the only videos and guides I've really been able to find for the 9xr. Is there really a good reason to do it? Should I just do that to begin with? I was really just wanting to use it the way it was and maybe do that once I actually know what's going on.
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Sep 18, 2013 16:53
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I think I'm getting close to being confident enough to add video gear to my bixler. Which means I need to find the following: Camera (really no clue. 5v or 12v? Thinking 5v.) Vtx (thinking 5.8ghz, not concerned with signal penetration) Antennae (if required) Battery or power filter. Vrx (no clue, but I doubt I'll bother with antennae tracking or DVR) Power (likely go with lead acid battery) Screen or goggles. Thinking of just a 5-7" screen for now. Any recommendations on the above that people have been happy with? Eventually I want to get an odd as well if that effects the vtx choice.
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Sep 18, 2013 17:08
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Anyone have any experience with the TBS Caipirinha http://team-blacksheep.com/products/prod:tbscaipirinha I'm thinking pretty seriously about getting one. I'm looking for a small fpv wing and this one seems like a good choice.
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Sep 18, 2013 17:34
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rotaryfun posted:Flashing to opentx are the only videos and guides I've really been able to find for the 9xr. Is there really a good reason to do it? Should I just do that to begin with? I was really just wanting to use it the way it was and maybe do that once I actually know what's going on. They're in some ways slightly easier to use, but my main reason was so that I could program it from my PC. Straight 4 channel planes are not so bad, but programming my MCPX the first time around was a nightmare.
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Sep 18, 2013 17:44
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Golluk posted:I think I'm getting close to being confident enough to add video gear to my bixler. I recently built an FPV SkySurfer (same as the Bixler I think) and went with the following set up. I got it all from ReadymadeRC. You can probably get it for a wee bit cheaper elsewhere but these guys have great service and everything I needed. 600 line RMRC camera, 12V 1.3 ghz 400 mW transmitter IBCrazy Bluebeam RHCP cloverleaf antenna pair 1.3 receiver, V3 8 inch monitor The video system is working great. I need to go to 72 mhz or UHF as my radio system is now my weak link. I would also like to get an OSD for GPS directions (I kind of lost my bearings flying at a new location and wouldn't have been able to get the plane back if it weren't for some spotters).
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Sep 18, 2013 18:11
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Wojcigitty posted:If you like my video look at some from Daniel Holman and Gabriel Altuz. They are very good at doing precise stuff low enough to be exciting and interesting. Precision competition flying (pattern/IMAC) is a lot of fun to do but I agree that it is pretty boring to watch. Argh, just about what I didn't want to hear. Michael Wargo seems to rate it, but then they also appear to sponsor him  .They no longer sell those servos though and now recommend using the Hitec 65s. I like the way it flies in the videos, so maybe I just like floaty planes .How much better is the Crack Laser in the wind (compared to both the mini Pitts and the Addiction?). Maybe I should just stick with foamies as I mostly want to fly in my local park, but more than a very gentle breeze makes it tricky to fly the mini Pitts.
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Sep 18, 2013 19:58
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Wojcigitty posted:I recently built an FPV SkySurfer (same as the Bixler I think) and went with the following set up. I got it all from ReadymadeRC. You can probably get it for a wee bit cheaper elsewhere but these guys have great service and everything I needed. Seeing as 1.3ghz was my 2nd choice I'll give this a good look over. Thanks!
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Sep 18, 2013 20:40
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Just a friendly reminder for all you new FPV flyers: You probably need a HAM license to legally use any of that tx/rx gear you're buying that's outside the low power 2.4ghz 5.8ghz stuff.
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Sep 19, 2013 01:09
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CrazyLittle posted:Just a friendly reminder for all you new FPV flyers: You probably need a HAM license to legally use any of that tx/rx gear you're buying that's outside the low power 2.4ghz 5.8ghz stuff. Yep, looking into that as well. Though I'd think Rx would not require a license, just the Tx?
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Sep 19, 2013 03:44
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My JST connectors have made me feel retarded. How the hell do I put them in the red sleeve and get them to stay in there? I imagine I'm not getting them all the way in place since they pull out pretty easily.
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Sep 19, 2013 03:45
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Golluk posted:Yep, looking into that as well. Though I'd think Rx would not require a license, just the Tx? How do you receive a signal without transmitting it first?
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Sep 19, 2013 04:04
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rotaryfun posted:My JST connectors have made me feel retarded. How the hell do I put them in the red sleeve and get them to stay in there? I imagine I'm not getting them all the way in place since they pull out pretty easily. Do you mean that you can't get already assembled Male/Female JSTs to stay "mated"? If that's the case then maybe one of them is some cheap non standard size knockoff (gently caress it - close enough) - you can put a bit of tape to keep them together. Or are you making your own? Like putting bare wires into the red connector terminal? I've never done this, but I'm pretty sure assembling your own JST connector would require a crimp tool... they're pretty darn small. I buy JSTs with the wires already attached and then just solder those wires to battery lead / ESC / whatever wires + heat shrink tubing.
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Sep 19, 2013 12:59
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Widdershins posted:Or are you making your own? Like putting bare wires into the red connector terminal? I've never done this, but I'm pretty sure assembling your own JST connector would require a crimp tool... they're pretty darn small. Yeah that's what I'm trying to do. As far as I can tell, there's a small hook on one side that I assume is supposed to catch the plastic once it goes through but it's either just not doing that or I'm not able to push them all the way in. Crimping the wire to the connector isn't hard, it's just getting the connector into the red sleeve that is giving me trouble. Honestly they were just part of the items that I was linked to when I was doing my original purchase of equipment so that's what I got. I'm hoping I can run into radio shack and find some jst pigtails but I'm doubtful. Started all this in the beginning of Sept end of Aug and I'm just ready to get my stuff in the air at this point. But I'm still waiting on my TX from HobbyKing, so I still have another week or two before I'll even be able to fully do some transmitting. I'm guessing radio shack isn't going to have them so do you guys have a shop you order your pigtail jst connectors from or should I just forget all about those anyway and get some XT60's ordered? rotaryfun fucked around with this message at 13:24 on Sep 19, 2013 |
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Sep 19, 2013 13:06
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I've had no luck with Radio Shack, so I ordered a bunch of them from Hobby King. ReadyMadeRC, Hobbypartz have had them as well, you'll spend a lot more, but have them in your hand this year. http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9682__Male_JST_battery_pigtail_10cm_length_10pcs_bag_.html http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9683__Female_JST_battery_pigtail_12cm_length_10pcs_bag_.html I'm just throwing out ideas but have you tired using a small jewelers screwdriver to push it in? I use JST on my smaller models where weight and space is important - but XT60s would work just as well. Plus they're FAR easier to solder. I love 'em. Widdershins fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Sep 19, 2013 |
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Sep 19, 2013 14:01
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I haven't tried the jewelers screwdriver yet but that's a good idea. There's a hobby shop an hour away from me so I'm going to call them first and see what kind of stuff they have in stock and if they don't have anything there thankfully USA warehouse of hobby king has connectors available.
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Sep 19, 2013 14:53
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Trabisnikof posted:How do you receive a signal without transmitting it first? If some one else with a license is the one transmitting? Of course in Rc field just receiving without being able to transmit is rather limiting. I took a practice exam with the governments software. Managed 64% with no prior studying. I don't see getting 80% being too hard with some work.
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Sep 19, 2013 15:38
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Anyone heard of the 9xr with Orange DSM2/X module suddenly deciding to not bind on one model memory? Went to fly my nano CP last night and it would not bind, light on the module wasn't even blinking or on unless I was pressing the bind button. Every other model binds right away on power up. CP board was flashing away like crazy looking for something to bind to. Haven't tried copying the model to a different memory yet and will give that a shot when I get home. Hoping my 4-in-1 board didn't die on me.
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Sep 19, 2013 15:39
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ImplicitAssembler posted:Argh, just about what I didn't want to hear. Michael Wargo seems to rate it, but then they also appear to sponsor him Well, none of the 32" planes are any better in the wind than the Addiction. But if the wind blows them into the ground or a tree it won't hurt them, whereas the Addiction turns into a bunch of splinters. Don't get me wrong, the Addiction does what it is designed to do very well: float along easily and slowly. But you can get the same performance from a foamie without the expense. For the same flying space and situation I would go with a foam plane every time. A lot of people are happy with the plane though, so if you want a balsa plane that's easy to fly and don't mind the expense then you'll probably like it. If you want a bigger foam plane, the new 39" RCF Edge is awesome to fly. Decent in the wind, very stable, very durable. A regular Crack Yak is also a great plane for a bit more wind than the CPM. The Crack Laser will also be a bit better but not as good as the Crack Yak, and is not quite as durable. The Laser is certainly my favorite foamie ever though as far as flight performance; I get them in twos so that I always have an extra one ready for when I wear out the first one.
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Sep 19, 2013 15:54
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For those interested, I found an awesome ebay seller. http://www.ebay.com/usr/backbayrc-com His ebay store is stocked with all sorts of connectors and he's based in Massachusetts. Literally 10 mins after I placed an order with him for some XT60 connectors I got a tracking notice that the package is shipped. Free shipping with what seems to be priority mail in the US.
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Sep 19, 2013 17:34
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rotaryfun posted:For those interested, I found an awesome ebay seller. Oh yeah, I totally forgot to mention this guy. He's a go-to source for battery/charger plugs, adapters, balance boards, charging leads, servo y-cables and extensions, etc. Granted he's a little on the expensive side but he's rock-solid, delivers fast and reliable. He specializes in cables only though, so glue/servos/materials/models will have to be purchased elsewhere. He DOES have a bunch of 1S batteries that you can use with micro helis and micro quads. CrazyLittle fucked around with this message at 18:50 on Sep 19, 2013 |
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Sep 19, 2013 18:47
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CrazyLittle posted:He DOES have a bunch of 1S batteries that you can use with micro helis and micro quads. I saw he had those for the champ too. Thought about grabbing some spares for my son once he gets that down a bit more. Can't wait to get that up with him flying and me flying a scratch build. And as far as the few extra bucks more expensive, he did free priority shipping. So it's basically a wash. Rock on. Also, what's a balance board do for me? obviously the balance port on batteries plug into it, but what's the deal with them? rotaryfun fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Sep 19, 2013 |
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Sep 19, 2013 18:58
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rotaryfun posted:Also, what's a balance board do for me? obviously the balance port on batteries plug into it, but what's the deal with them? VERY basic explanation: it allows the charger to monitor the individual voltage for each cell in your battery and "fill/empty" them to the same level. In a perfect world we would always have each cell at the same voltage no matter what, but as you use your battery some cells "empty" more than others and/or "fill" faster. Without balancing, you can get to a point where you can empty or fill a particular cell past its rating. i.e lower than 3v or higher than 4.2v. This will cause damage to the battery and/or start horrible fires.
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Sep 19, 2013 19:10
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Ok that makes sense, so then what I'm seeing here is the same thing that I have on my charger, it's just built into the charger here 
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Sep 19, 2013 19:34
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You got it, exactly.
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Sep 19, 2013 19:55
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rotaryfun posted:And as far as the few extra bucks more expensive, he did free priority shipping. So it's basically a wash. Rock on. Widdershins posted:You got it, exactly. Yep. Not all chargers have the balance board built in. Also apparently in some circles they don't use JST-XH connectors on the balance lead, so in those rare occasions a universal interface to different balance boards would come in handy. CrazyLittle fucked around with this message at 20:26 on Sep 19, 2013 |
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Sep 19, 2013 20:22
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Ugh, got the bixler glued back together and went to try flying. Came down sideways into the ground and damaged the wing mount again. Wing more or less stayed together so I tried once more, or it around once and then ended up landing upside down, breaking the prop... And apparently crushing and nearly grinding through the capacitor on the esc (it was mounted up top). This is really slow going learning. Part of me feels if I can fly from first person I'll be fine. The other says I'll just be risking destroying hundreds of dollars of gear. Golluk fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Sep 20, 2013 |
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Sep 20, 2013 04:42
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Golluk posted:This is really slow going learning. Part of me feels if I can fly from first person I'll be fine. The other says I'll just be risking destroying hundreds of dollars of gear. Sticking lots of expensive camera and downlink gear on a plane is a very bad idea if you're having trouble with just flying the thing and not crashing. Fly more, practice more and pick up a sim if you can. Also fly higher, the old saying is two mistakes high except landing and takeoff. Keep in mind if your video downlink goes out while flying first person you have to quickly find the plane in the sky, establish orientation and get the plane to the ground safely.
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Sep 20, 2013 12:28
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I flew my Floater Jet for a grand total of 3 batteries before I put FPV gear on it and flew FPV. I think it's important to have some LOS skills. I taught myself how to LOS by going back and forth between my FPV TV and flying LOS. I'm still a crappy LOS pilot and I always prefer FPV mode. Once I launched my wing LOS and then had a motor failure so I quickly went FPV to land it because I'm so much more comfortable that way.
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Sep 20, 2013 16:37
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Would it be worth getting a smaller more durable plane to learn on? Or is a bixler 2 about as easy as it gets?
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Sep 20, 2013 16:42
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Golluk posted:Would it be worth getting a smaller more durable plane to learn on? Or is a bixler 2 about as easy as it gets? If you're worried about cost and crashing, build some dollar-tree pusher-planes. At least that way your frame only costs a few bucks.
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Sep 20, 2013 16:43
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CrazyLittle posted:If you're worried about cost and crashing, build some dollar-tree pusher-planes. At least that way your frame only costs a few bucks. Sounds like it would be fun. I have the stock motor from the bixler spare. So I'd need: Motor mount ESC Battery (unless a 2200mah 3s is good) 4x servo Control horns/hinges/piano wire Carbon rod Any recommended simple designs/instructions you can recommend?
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Sep 20, 2013 17:06
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Golluk posted:Sounds like it would be fun. I have the stock motor from the bixler spare. flitetest.com Go through their first swappable series. Your motor/battery is a little overpowered for that, but it should work You'll then need 2-4 9 gram servos, piano wire and some plywood. (unlesss you want to order firewalls/control horns from them). Foamboard can be found at DollarTree. Or you can pick up a Hobbyzone Champ... On a somewhat similar note, I got started on my FT3D yesterday  I think if it didn't have the squared off top, it would look so much better. Since it's actually really easy to build, I might just try and do a version like that. I also got my power meter from HK and I'm getting 217 watts with a 8x4 on my NTM 2826A, which means there's room for going to a bigger prop for the FT3D. ImplicitAssembler fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Sep 20, 2013 |
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Sep 20, 2013 17:31
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rotaryfun posted:For those interested, I found an awesome ebay seller. I sent this guy a message a few months ago when I bought some deans connectors from him. I just told him it was cool he was selling RC stuff on the east coast and to keep it up. He emailed me back a few weeks later thanking me for the positive feedback and seems pretty excited about selling RC stuff.
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Sep 20, 2013 21:49
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I've ordered from Magnum Hobbies (http://stores.ebay.com/magnumhobbies) on eBay a few times when I didn't feel like waiting for HobbyKing processing and shipping time. Stuff showed up quick and with the free shipping it about evens out for ordering from HK. Just discovered pre-mixing gorilla glue with a little bit of water to pre-foam it and help it set faster. Holy crap build time on my next foamy is going to go down a lot when I'm not waiting 4 or more hours for stuff to dry.
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Sep 20, 2013 22:23
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Wojcigitty posted:Thanks for the kind words! (I'm the dude flying in the video). That is some very nice flying! Other dudes, don't let this fool you. If you own this plane, you will not be flying like this any time soon  . I have put in ages in the sim time, lots of stick time, and I'm nowhere near this good. But since we're on the topic of super light and possibly indoor foamies, check out the UMX Extra 300. Unfortunately, the drat thing is discontinued. I had ran across an approximate clone of the airframe but forgot to bookmark it. Mine still flies but it has so much repair work weight on it that I've pretty much ruined it. If anyone knows a good replacement, let me know. I have a semi-outdoor foamie, the MX2, but if you have the space to fly indoors, nothing beats this little guy for getting the hang of 3d. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ynJAxlIGI And since this thread is actually more about aerial photography, you guys might also enjoy this cruise around my hood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUeN_3yn0rk
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Sep 21, 2013 00:49
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Well I pulled the trigger on the TBS Caipirinha http://team-blacksheep.com/products/prod:tbscaipirinha Happy birthday to me from me. I'm thinking of using the HK openlrs setup with it for control flashed with the latest firmware from Kha over at RC groups. Has anyone got any firsthand experience with that or any other uhf systems? The openlrs is very attractive as it doesn't cost $300 + dollars. Also I am going to get a HAM licence the next time UBC does their course which should be in October or November. Don't want to be naughty or anything 
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Sep 21, 2013 16:36
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I run DTF UHF openlrs. It's pretty great. I have a basic model tX 1w (I bought the deluxe) for sale. Full disclosure, as usual. I snapped the SMA off it and soldered a new one on, and I also like an idiot, powered it on w/ no antenna for a ~20 seconds. I have flights with it after the fact and it is fine. I've spoken w/ Carl, who builds them, and he said he has done the same thing w/ no problems. He said you either burn the radio out or not. It has two holes drilled in the plastic casing spaced at 52mm to bolt it to the back of a 9xr. I also modified the connector to plug directly into the JR style module pins on the 9xr. I'd sell it for 25$ shipped, if you have any issues send it back and I'll refund you. ease fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Sep 21, 2013 |
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Sep 21, 2013 21:42
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What exactly can happen if you turn it on without the antenna?
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Sep 21, 2013 23:43
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The energy that is intended to go to the antenna and turn into radio waves has no place to go, and can burn out components.
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Sep 22, 2013 00:17
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