tomarnold

I am finding that the 12v lead acid battery just isn't enough to start my Simonini Mini 2. Not enough power there. If I connect it with jump leads to my car, it starts instantly. I flew with a friend at the weekend who used a lipo battery pack to jump start it. We made a little connector using xt60 connectors and a couple of leads connected to the battery terminals. We then connected it, started the motor, and immediately disconnected the lipo and left it with our kit on the ground while we flew. This was SO effective I thought I must buy myself a lipo battery and charger. My question is, do you think this is a safe enough option? I don't intend to fly with the lipo, I'll just connect it to jump start the motor then leave it behind. Or alternatively I could disconnect it after the motor starts then carry it in a fireproof bag velcroed to my frame. My Simo has in flight charging, but I'm guessing that having the lipo connected to the main battery for literally a second or two after starting isn't going to do any harm. Or am I wrong in thinking this? If so, can anybody help me with how to disconnect the charging circuit? I'm looking at buying a 1500mah 60c 4s lipo, as I will only use it for 1 start then charge it at home.

Anybody know of a supplier for HE R120 spares? I am thinking of buying a used engine but I have been told that spares are very hard to get hold of here in Sweden.

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Annoyingly I'm pretty sure it isn't the carb settings as I have tried every setting (spent a very long time over it and turned each screw just 1/8 of a turn at a time) with no difference - it just gets to mid-throttle and then dies. Still, I'll see if the primer bulb makes a difference when it arrives...

Seemed to work for mine, it starts easily now so long as I don't use the decompressor valve that I unnecessarily fitted! It still won't reach full power though. I've ordered a new primer bulb as there are a lot of bubbles in the fuel line and that's the only part I haven't yet replaced. In the meantime I'm flying a Radne Raket motor that I have borrowed from a local pilot. Early morning flight tomorrow...

You have to take out the little allen screw first, then run the drill through the hole behind it to make sure it is clear. Then put the allen screw back in. Weird, but it works. Refer to this: http://www.geocities.ws/peaksclimbing/walldecr.htm The other option is to fit the decompression valve, and yes, mine looks very much like the one you posted a picture of. It was for a Husqvarna 3120XP.

I took the head to a local lawnmower repair shop and they drilled and fitted the decompressor for me. But the easier option is to have a look inside to see if the inbuilt decompressor hole is blocked. All you have to do is use a 4mm drill bit to drill out the carbon and then it should be much easier to start. The big head and tuned exhaust are well worth having if you can fit them. I am 70kg so I get off the ground just fine with the standard solo 210, but it is nice to have the extra power when you launch in nil wind, plus having the ability to climb quickly is great partly just because it's fun but also for safety (if you find yourself stuck in sinky air or heading towards trees or something like that. My motor with the tuned exhaust is much more pleasant to fly plus the fact that it makes a much gentler noise.

Thanks Simon. I assumed the bearings were ok as when I spin the prop without the belt on it spins freely and easily, but there does seem to be some play when wobbling the prop from the tips. It looks like I'll have to try and figure out how to change the bearings then...

I flew my borrowed Fly Products 115 solo 210 motor, which is finally running properly! However, after flying for 5 minutes yesterday evening, the engine suddenly raced to high revs so I immediately cut power and landed. I found that the drive belt (a new one that I fitted yesterday morning) had slipped and become very very loose. I tightened it up again, but as soon as I revved the motor up a little it loosened right off. I tried this several times, but every time the belt would loosen. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, or perhaps a part is broken? To adjust the belt I thought I had to loosen off the smaller nut that goes in parallel to the propshaft, then tighten the larger (17mm) nut that goes in to the back opposite lower pulley behind the prop. But is this incorrect? Can anybody suggest why this is happening? Very frustrating, as I am once again faced with a problem that has stopped my flying. Aaaargh!

Unfortunately, no electric start.

Thanks, but there are no one-way valves on mine except in the primer bulb, which I have removed for now. But I can't get fuel up to the carb by blowing into the breather hose so perhaps I'll just have to buy a new bulb.

I have been having problems with my Solo 210 with Tillotson carb. It starts and idles beautifully and revs up to about 4000rpm but then dies as I try for full throttle. I think the problem could be the fuel line and maybe primer bulb, so I thought I'd remove the primer bulb so I know that's not the problem. So I replaced the fuel line and filter and took the primer bulb out thinking that I could prime it by blowing into the breather tube. But as hard as I blow I can't get any fuel to even start going up the fuel line let alone get it up to the carb. Does anybody know if I can get around this problem or do I have to put them primer bulb back in?

... And yes, I'd definitely agree with starting out on a reverse-launch day, it is a nice easy way to start. Get the wing up and settled, then it's just full throttle and go. Enjoy!

I flew it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, but when i landed to check the plug (to see if it was running rich/lean) the starter mechanism broke! I have ordered new parts but they haven't arrived yet, so i have fixed it as best i can so it starts. Going for a flight this evening. Will post a video if i can...

Excellent news, good work Bob. Now I would like to see a video of you flying it please

Yep, that's paramotors! Or at least that's old paramotors anyway! Can't help with this one i'm afraid, but do persevere - flying them is great fun! I've just found a new place to fly from here and have got permission and the weather's looking good for Wednesday and the motor is fully up and running...

Yes, thanks for the input. I've had an offer from a local pilot here to machine the starter parts in aluminium, so hopefully i can put more force into it without bending bits!

I learned to paraglide 12 years ago. Then i bought a motor in 2012 (or thereabouts) and found that instead of flying once or twice a month i was suddenly able to fly at least once a week on average. Also i found i almost never had a wasted flying session as if the weather was ok i could simply go out and take off without being reliant on the right wind strength and direction. I still love freeflying, but i fly with a motor far more often. It's a very different sport, each have their own merits, and I love having the option to choose how i fly. I also have a PPL which is great for taking friends flying, although definitely not as fun in itself as paramotoring or paragliding. If i had to choose only one method of flying, it would almost definitely be paramotors. In hindsight, i found it very easy to teach myself to fly with a motor as i had around 200hrs of paragliding experience, but i would highly recommend getting quality training whichever one you choose to start with. I had an excellent paragliding instructor (Andrew Pearse of flying frenzy in Dorset) and i still think i benefit from his teaching 12 years down the line. Enjoy!

Ah i see, you don't fly, that explains your lack of understanding. No offence meant, i just mean to say that starting a motorbike is very different to pull-starting a motor on your back. I had an XS650 which was kick-start only, and heaving that over was just a case of standing on the kick-starter and putting all of my 70kg into it. But that is completely different to putting a hand up to your shoulder and pulling a rope attached to a rather flimsy plastic starter mechanism, hence the need for some sort of decompression valve to avoid breaking the starter mechanism as much as actually overcoming the compression to start it.

So do you think by closing the internal decompression port and using the decompression valve instead I could get a few more horsepower eh? Now that does sound worthwhile...

I got it from my local lawnmower repair shop here in Sweden. However, without blocking up the decompression hole or is not much use as the engine won't start with the valve open!

Yep, you're probably right, i just don't fancy undoing the work i did when i put the decompression valve in 2 weeks ago! Ah well, I'll just carry on with the valve closed. Just got to fix the starter now...

Thanks, that's really helpful.