epc

My Feedback: (33)

Hi :

I know both of these units are top notch but If you have to choose one ,which one it'll be and why .

Emcotec DPSI LDO or Powerbox Comp. w/o matching device.

Thanks,

epc.

schroedm

My Feedback: (1)

Tough one!

BMW or Mercedes

BBW Walt

My Feedback: (11)

I just did a project with the Powerbox system. It installed very easily and made the entire wiring process a snap. The unit was installed in a Composite Superextra with one receiver. No "Y's" no issues. I would recommend it.

famousdave

My Feedback: (61)

I used the powerbox. I was amazed at how it cleaned up my QQ Yak install. I used dual Li-Ion power, Li-Ion ignition, RCATS cut off switch and the entire setup runs off of one master switch. Combine that with full power redundancy, signal buffering, battery state monitor and power conditioning/ regulation and it pays for itself in a short time.

I also love the lack of the usual rats nest inside the plane!!

DP

flier

My Feedback: (7)

Neither.
Cost, weight, complexity.
Using the "Air Wild Pro Power combo pack" here.
http://www.airwildpilotshop.com/More...product&id=535
No "Y's", less weight, eazy setup, and less cost.
Try it, you'll like it!

Ken Bryant

My Feedback: (10)

YO! That is a combination product. The power expander is made by Smart fly and the rest is Fromeco. All Airwild did was package it all up in one combo. [:-]

famousdave

My Feedback: (61)

Not sure what you mean ... no "y's" I have never used Y's in any plane.

While the stuff works, and I have used it extensively in the past, it is in no way simpler OR lighter than the powerbox. It is less expensive.

When I ran the tradiditional setup of 2 batts, 2 regs, 2 switches and a power expander it was 2.3 oz more than the powerbox. Part of that weight came from all the wire! All that stuff adds up.

The powerbox is one module, it controls everything through one very cool fail-safe switch. If you use a relay ignition cut-off you can eliminate the ignition on/off switch as well as it can be armed with the RX.

All in all, the powerbox saves weight, reduces complexity immensely, and looks really pretty! It does cost about $150 more than the traditional setup though.. but in a $4000 plane ... who cares?

DP

flyinrazrback

My Feedback: (69)

In my 2.6 yak, I used the smart fly power expander and super regulator, and am very happy with it so far, and the total weight of the box and regulator is about 4oz, maybe a little less.

flier

My Feedback: (7)

DP you forgot how to add.
2 batts, 1 switch/reg, 1 power expander. = less weight.
Add the less cost and you've got a better setup.

epc

My Feedback: (33)

Thanks for all the replies .

I'm sure that the Smart Fly power expander is a great product but I'm not considering it , they're different type of prods. and IMO are in different leagues.

And I'm not sure but I think that the Power Ex. from Smart Fly is suited for single rx, and on my 40% I use dual Rx.

Thanks,

epc.

flyinrazrback

My Feedback: (69)

They all serve the same purpose, and saying that smart fly equipment is not in the same league as the emotec, powerbox, etc, is not correct IMO. Everything smart fly sells is top notch, I guess its how much you spend makes you feel better about it. I gave up on 2 rx a long time ago, never had a rx fail, and a single rx is more than capable of pulling all the amps of any 40% airplane and all its servos, etc

epc

My Feedback: (33)

They all serve the same purpose, and saying that smart fly equipment is not in the same league as the emotec, powerbox, etc, is not correct IMO. Everything smart fly sells is top notch, I guess its how much you spend makes you feel better about it. I gave up on 2 rx a long time ago, never had a rx fail, and a single rx is more than capable of pulling all the amps of any 40% airplane and all its servos, etc



Hey flyinrazrback:

Read my post ,I didn't say that the Smart Fly aren't top notch products ,I have their swithches and like them a lot. I did say that IMO they're in different leagues that's my opinion and I know that maybe a lot of people wil not agree like I don't with other opinions like yours.

If you gave up on two rx's good for you that's your opinion and I respect it but I'm a beleiver in the dual Rx setup and Like I said in my previous post the Pbox and Emcotec arebetter suited for that purpose.

How much I spend doesn't make me feel better at all , having a product that I trust does.

epc.

flyinrazrback

My Feedback: (69)

I know, thats whats great about this hobby, is everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Heck, even QQ uses on rx and one battery in his plane, one switch, etc, but....I dont think he pays for his stuff either though. I like smart fly because its an american company. Very shortly he has his own powerbox coming out with programming capabilities, etc.

Silent-AV8R

This being the case then there is only one product makes sense. The Emcotec DPSI Twin. Your two receivers will be TOTALLY redundant. One will act as primary and the other is the backup. If the primary dies the other takes over with FULL control of ALL servos. Not this half a plane silliness.

The really cool part is that for absolute true total redundancy you can have the second RX on a DIFFERENT channel. Keep an extra TX at your feet ready to go on that channel and programmed for that plane and you will FINALLY have true redundancy.

Desertrat

My Feedback: (2)

Ditto.

If you are running dual receivers, you are wasting money that would be better spent on cable ties. There is no value added unless you use the DPSI Twin.. Think about it.

Roger

jmiracle

My Feedback: (9)

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this thread went this direction....I'm beginning to think it's just not possible to ask a question about how two specific products compare to each other without someone else chiming in about how both are junk and a 3rd option is better. [:@]

BTW, flier...YOU forgot to add that each plug/connection between components with the smart-fly setup (as per the diagram you provided) is a failure point.
Less cost....less reliable.

famousdave

My Feedback: (61)

Jmiracle - some people just don't get it. Its the same in the engine forum - do I get a DA or 3W and some clown always comes in and says "BME or Brison" is better, etc, etc, etc.

Flier - I can add just fine. The system you have posted does not even compare to either of the setups under question. Its like a Ford vs. BMW debate. Some people think BMWs are too expensive and too technical. Same principle applies here. It's a different league so let's not compare apples to oranges.

Not to mention this thread was started to discuss Emcotech vs. Powerbox..

None of this stuff is really required. I know plenty of people including QQ and Andrew Jesky that run nothing more than one big battery, and one good regulated fail safe switch.
Some times we are our own worst enemies by bringing all this fancy stuff into the picture.

I will reiterate what I had stated above, I chose to use the powerbox as it represents the "elegant solution" to me. Yes there are smart-fly, duralite, MpI, etc, etc. solutions that will probably work just as well, but if put in the same configuration it will probably weigh close to the same or more, have a LOT more wiring, and not look as pretty... it also won't have all the functionality (battery monitor, ability to individually switch battery banks, etc) however it will cost about $150 less than the powerbox.

At no time did I say either setup was better or worse.. just stating why I used it.
I am not sure why we have to get so accusatory in these threads... this is supposed to be fun

SERENITY NOW
DP

epc

My Feedback: (33)

desetpig : you sure got the point.

I don't understand why when you ask a question between 2 prods. and there comes somebody with a third one , If a post title is A or B , C is not and option , in my case if I need all the options and opinions I'll ask which one ......? or What do you think about power systems etc etc.

Is like when you ask something between Carden and Aerotech and there chimes someone with Composite, or 3W -Da etc .

This thread is about Emcotec and Powerbox nothing else. I already made my choice thanks for all the replies.

epc.

jmiracle

My Feedback: (9)

DP nailed it....NONE of this stuff is REQUIRED for the plane to fly well...but for those of us looking to add a little piece of mind to a $4-5K investment, they begin to look attractive. Add in that those of us who use them also probably just like to tinker with cool gadgets like this....and it's easy to rationalize the expense.

I used an Emcotec DPSI Mini in my 35% Carden. This install was by-FAR the easiest, most trouble-free setup I've ever done. Yet when I show the guys at the field the setup....most of them walk away seeming a little overwhelmed by it all and usually mumble something about how complicated it all looks.

I did quite a bit of reseach before I settled on the Emcotec unit....I very nearly bought the DPSI Twin as I originally planned to run 2 rx's. Emcotec's website provides a HUGE amount of very detailed information that explains exactly how the units operate and why they make sense. It was this info that helped me realize the Smart-Fly solution just isn't quite as "polished" as the Powerbox or Emcotec solutions.

In my case...I chose the mini because I decided to use single servos (Hitech 5955's) on the ailerons and rudder of my plane. This simplified the radio setup quite a bit. Since I used fewer servos, I just didn't need the full capability of the powerbox or larger Emcotec....plus the mini weighs less.

Combine this with fiber-optic servo extensions and a single battery for the throttle servo, smoke pump, and ignition-kill and I came up with a solution that totally isolates the engine/ignition systems from the flight-control systems.
The best thing is that I have not had a single issue with any of the systems in the plane. (In fact, the only real problem I've had was when one of the silicon pads supporting one of the canister mufflers vibrated out of position....causing that can to make a bunch of noise as it bounced around inside it's mount.)

To give my .02 to the original question. Look at how many and what type of servos you plan to run in the plane and then pick a system that is sized the best to your setup. I think the powerbox makes a lot of sense if you're running multiple servos per surface and need servo matching.

The larger emcotec and "standard" (sans servo matching) powerbox compare quite well.

The emcotec mini makes more sense if you're running a more "standard" setup with fewer servos.

famousdave

My Feedback: (61)

Jmiracle.. - I'm with ya on the cool gadget thing. I first saw the powerbox in Billy Hempels big Yak.. it made life very easy and since then I had to try one.

I used the powerbox competion 20/40 Li-Ion (i.e. no servo matching) for 8 8611s. Works perfectly, probably about comparable to the Mini.
I liked the idea of the servo matching, but then you have 4 giant, long extensions from the ailerons to the PB so I just used matchboxes.


Hey EPC - what did you end up going with ?? Just curious. I don't think you could go wrong with either tell you the truth!

DP

jmiracle

My Feedback: (9)

This post is probably more for those who've been following the thread wondering what all the fuss is about.

Lets start with the Emcotec DPSI Mini:
The latest version is a 6-channel unit. Any additional channels needed are connected directly to the RX (such as throttle, choke, smoke)
It will handle up to 8 servos (2 per aileron, 2 on rudder, 1 on each elev half)
It's targeted at 35% aircraft.
It weighs in at just under 4oz.
Adjustable output voltage from 4.8 to 6.0
Acoustical battery monitoring
Price: $199

The Emcotech DPSI RV:
12 RX channels available
Up to 32 servos total (Up to 4 servos per channel)
Weight is 7.5oz
All other specs are the same as the mini
Price: $329

PowerBox 40/24 (No servo matching)
7 RX channels available
Up to 24 servos total (Up to 4 servos per channel)
Voltage regulated to 5.9V (Not adjustable)
Weight is 5.24oz
Price: $324

PowerBox 40/24 w/ Servo Match Control
Same as PowerBox 40/24 but with servo matching on up to 12 servos over 3 channels
Price: $425

All units have signal amplification, signal filtering, short-circuit protection, fail-safe switches.

I do like the powerbox switch much more than the emcotec. The little pin that turns the emcotec unit is a little fiddly. I've gotten used to it, but would much rather just push a couple buttons to turn the unit on and off like the powerbox does.

The powerbox has the nice LED's on the unit itself which make it nice to check voltage visually. The Emcotec uses a very loud piezo buzzer to indicate operational status. One nice feature of the Emcotec though is the switch has plugs on the back that allow you to plug in your choice of battery monitors. I use I4C's C-Volts. They plug right in and show the actual voltage of each battery under a real-world load. They turn on with the unit and really add a little something extra to the plane.
I mounted the switch and the c-volts inside the cockpit...with the hatch-latches in place it's very easy to pop the hatch and turn the plane on or off....and I can check voltage at any time by just looking through the canopy. I think it looks pretty cool too. :-)

This is the best photo I have of it right now...I should take a couple more detailed shots now that the plane is finished.

avionics12

My Feedback: (12)

I like a clean install myself. I can look through the canopy and see real time load voltage. The maiden is this coming Monday.

famousdave

My Feedback: (61)

Here is my powerbox setup. What you see is literally the entire electrical system. No rats nest, no worries!

DP

avionics12

My Feedback: (12)

Gotta question about the PB. Does the 40/24 provide servo matching? Also does the wiring plug in from the top? I like experimenting and may try a PB in the second 2.6 Yak I build