Ok, so I am vacillating between a SP140 and an X4. I think I prefer everything about the X4, the modularity, performance, the AVAILABILITY, everything except the Bonka batteries. I think I would prefer the battery system that the SP140 uses, one big battery (or the smaller one), in a durable case. Since mounting looks like a PITA, I wonder if something similar to a plate carrier setup and wearing the battery pack on my chest. That might also make launching a little more balanced. Anyway since I don’t own either rig, I cannot experiment with this to see if it would work, so I am asking here… So, am I stupid? Why would this not work or why this is a bad idea?
The sp140 battery is not compatible with the X4. Different voltages.
The DIY nature of the X4 including battery mount system is partly why it’s a tad more affordable. Putting the pack on your chest increases the distance between the battery and the motor controllers which is a bad thing for power electronics.
Here’s my solution for X4 bonka battery mount. Simple, light, easy to make, easy to use.
The real nice part about the sp140 battery is that it has a built in management system - bms. With the Bonka lipo batteries their health is up to you and your chargers. The sp140 battery is constructed from round 2170 cells (i think). They’ll have a longer cycle life than the Bonkas.
I still like the X4 over the SP140 – sad that no upgrade for a nice battery/holder was done for the the X4.
Cheers
Well, the SP140 was a new design that simplified battery mounting and incorporated other improvements. Maybe the same could be done for the x4 configuration, with higher-voltage motors to match the SP140 battery pack while retaining the ease and compactness of folding the 4 arms, along with the improvements in the electronics and the frame mounting. Maybe some other improvements are possible for the x4 configuration, regarding prop speed and pitch that affect overall noise levels. The skills to upgrade this design are beyond me, but not beyond others here.
1 Like
I would happily be the guinea pig I mean Beta Tester - or actually Alpha tester, technically…for this kind of project