adamjedgar

here is a photo of the battery i use in my other paramotor. Well actually, this is the one that i accidently let voltage run down too low on and now wont charge anymore (it wasnt in my paramotor at when this happened...i was using it for something else and it went flat and then got left sitting around for a long time). Having said that, this is the type that can be recharged in the paramotor whilst running.

ah ok. If only it was a 12 volt system...the lithium motorcycle battery that i have has its own circuit board built in to it...i am assuming this controls voltage to the battery. For example, i have 2 of these motorcycle batteries...one of them had its voltage drop to around 9.8 volts. I cannot charge it as the circuit board wont allow any charge to the battery. I am assuming this would be the kind of battery i would need...but not in 12 volt obviously. Unfortunately the manufacturer doesnt make them in suitable voltages for my paramotor

I was interested in the Lipo option however i was deterred from going down that pathway because the nirvana system is setup for charging nicads and has no controller on it for lipo's. I have tried to contact nirvana about this to determine exactly how the charging system on the nirvana works...is it a pulse charging system (as is required for nicads and Nimh batteries)? My understanding is that pulse charging is not suited to lipos? I have a motorcycle 12 volt lipo in my other paramotor...its brilliant. Not only is it a lot lighter than the nirvana battery pack, as you say, it give phenominal cranking power and will go on cranking for a long time before going flat. I have considered perhaps changing the nirvana system back to 12 volt...why its 16.8 i dont know?

Hi Andy, I have had that one mentioned to me before. however, shouldnt this engine be able to run without a battery? If so, than the ignition system produces its own electrical current from the motor not necessarily the battery in order to produce spark. Or, would it be that if the battery is nackered, then the starting system is drawing too much power from the charging system whilst cranking on the electric starter...therefore not leaving enough to produce a decent spark? Can this actually happen? This was one of my gut feeling theories mentioned but not described in first post. I intend to test this theory by separating the two systems and trying again (ie connect the starter motor directly to an external power source completely independant of the paramotor to see if it fires.

Hi guys, Background to my issue i have a nirvana rodeo with a simonini mini 2 plus engine (200cc). It has about 100 hours on it now, and i have done virtually nothing to the motor since new (it has been very reliable). I did pull the head off once because i thought that perhaps the decompression port was blocked (i almost exclusively use the electric starter because it develops so much compression i can barely start it with the pull starter). anyway a couple of flights ago i noticed that i could not get the engine to fire when cold starting using the electric starter. I then went for the option b (the dreaded pull starter)...and since i am barely able to pull this beast using that method i was pleasantly surprised to hear a crackle and into life came the engine from barely enough revolutions per minute to consider it a decent pull. I warmed up the engine, shut it down..got out my gear and wing, put the unit on my back and she fired up with electric starter at this point no problem. Next time i went to fly the motor, which was that afternoon, same thing again...engine would not fire using electric starter when cold, i gave it a pull and away she went...shut down to setup wing and put gear on...put paramotor on my back, hit the electric starter...she fired up straight away. Third time (the following day) same as above again...no fire on electric when cold, but fired up using pull starter...shut down to setup wing, put motor on back, fired up using electric starter no problem. Fourth time, no fire electric...i accidentally broke the pull starter...no flying whilst i wait for a new part for the pull starter. the nirvana rodeo is a 16.8 volt system it has two switches, one for the starter and a second one for the ignition I have cycled and recharged the nicad battery pack I have pulled the spark plug out and checked it for spark...its not exactly the sort of spark i remember 2 stroke lawn mowers used to produce when i repaired them 20 years ago...so to me the spark seems weak. I changed the plug for another second hand one i had laying around from a different engine, it produced an identically weak looking spark and also motor will not go using electric starter (i cant use pull starter now cause i broke it and am still waiting for replacement parts to arrive) I have reset all mixtures back to the Nirvana factory defaults for this engine, 3/4 low speed and 4/4 high speed (thats 1 full turn high speed) I plan on buying a brand new spark plug as it may be possible that the old second hand plug i pulled out of an unused engine is also cactus Now to my question... Can someone help me problem solve why the simonini mini 2 plus has suddenly decided to only pull start when cold but quite happily electric starts when warm? (cranking speed seems fine but it will not even so much as fire with electric starter when cold) I will avoid putting my gut feelings out there right now as i would really like a completely fresh input into problem solving this.

Same weight as me. 25 mtr low end wing should be fine. The rela concern is actually what motor you should get. My honest advice, by the lightest high powered motor you can afford. I fly a nirvana rodeo 200. Lots of power but its 34kg on my back with full fuel. Conversely i have second paramotor with a dle 200 twin that is a bit less powerful, however its 6kg lighter. That 6 kg less makes a huge difference. The problem with cheap paramotors is often that they are not very reliable and not particularly comfortable (for example vibration feedback through back rest is a bit of an issue on my cheaper one...its important to keep prop balance in check). Ultimately you get what you pay for. Good luck.

Yep i agree this is the way to go. Most low end free flying gliders can handle a motor, so you can learn to fly, save your pennies for a motor, and use tour free flyong wing initially until you can afford to upgrade to a decent motor glider. As aexample....i weigh 70kg. I purchased a 25mtr ozone buzz pwr z4 (which is the same wing as a standard buzz z4 with the exception of different risers...ie has speed trimmers). That wing was the perfect size dor me to both free fly and motor with. The wing was 1 year old when i purchased it and i got it for half new price with 20 hours on it.

To be honest i would get trained by blackhawk...my reason,they dont fill their youtube channel with competitor trashing rot! I dont think there is really any difference between instructors who have taught hundreds of students (whether its dell,captain k, or mike robinson)...but i honestly think mike and his crew are honest guys and that means a lot to me!

Hi guys, i have now completed what i believe is a world first for paramotors in our country...and a personal bucket list item. First ever flight down the Sydney Victor One (North/South) from Longreef on Sydneys Northern Beaches to Bulli just north of Wollogong. Flight distance was about 75 kms...much of it over cliffs and water. enjoy https://youtu.be/_smHTn5yZTY

I hve a nirvsna rodeo eith hhp. I dont have any issue forward launching, reverse is a bit of a neck stretcher as the hang points are near your cheeks once the wing comes up. I agree with the brake line point made already. I find it a pain having to alter the length if i want to use my gliders for both pg and ppg (i use my reflex ppg wing for free flight in strong conditions) One point i havent seen added here yet which i believe is important...the lack of weightshift when ridge soaring with the motor off, means your turns are without weightshift. I find this a pain in the arse when coatal soaring cliff faces...its more difficult to turn and stay close to face during the turn (wider arc). My solution is to first initiate a pendulum swing by turning a little in opposite direction first.

Its doable, but you are flying a weightshift machine. Bigger wing needs more weight for the pendulum weightshift part to work effectively. also, wind is more likely to cause problems penetrating because your wing is so lightly loaded, so without ballast near zero wind would be helpful

Gday steve. yes you can certainly free fly a ppg wing, although your choice of wing considering the question should be a dudek universal rather than a synthesis. Probably it may be important to expllain to you the difference between ppg wings and free flight wings that make them more suited to each application. Pg wings usually dont have reflex in their profile ppg wings often have reflex. Particularly the intermediate to high end gliders(trailing edge kicks up) Reflex gliders cut through turbulence and headwinds far better than free flight wings do, however this comes at the price of increased sink rate and perhaps a slightly faster minimum flying speed. On the upside, top speed can be higher on the reflex glider for a given size and same loading and speed trimmers allow for increased trim speed...which is very useful on take of and landing in strong winds....but you have to be careful using trimmers in this way. So in my opinion, yes you can easily free fly any glider, just dont expect top of stack performance in a reflex ppg wing. Example.... I have a dudek universal that i free fly with quite often. Its a tragic glider height wise in light to moderate conditions ridge soaring however, its a total weapon free flying in strong winds (this is where paramotor wings excel free flying). I regularly free fly my 25mtr universal in winds up to 20 knots (my body weight is 73kg)...so that says a lot! I do have to be careful launching such a big wing, as if i cock up its still 25mtrs of surface area taking me for a ride...but because of being able to let out trimmers prior to launch i have never been dragged backwards launching in strong conditions. Even in 20 knots i usually only need to let them out about 30mm...let em out too much and you'll have troubles stopping the wing shooting forward and then frontalling over your head during the reverse launch. A word of warning about using trimmers vs speed bar....in the event of a collapse, speed bar is the far safer option as it automatically is disengaged because of the loss in tension in your lines. Trimmers on the other hand are impossible to pull back in until you reload the wing (remembering trimmers out works against the wing reinflating quickly) I never free fly in strong conditions with trimmers fully opened on a reflex glider. In my case i am flying a big wing at low angle of attack and lightly loaded in order to match the speed ocapabilities of heavily loaded speed wings(note... not all ppg wings are reflex gliders. Some ppg wings are just standard free flight glidr with trimmers on them. These wings do not have reflex...eg ozone buzz pwr). My wing is safe to use with brakes and trimmers out about 150mm...beyond that one should only use tip steering. Trying to land the dudek universal on 240mm of trimmer with only tip steering probably would not be the smartest thing to do IMO (the universal has a huge trimmer range 240mm usable) Once wind strength dictates and im free flying at 90mm trimmer i usually call it a day as i like to keep a bit up my sleeve just in case (70mm spare considering my 150mm maximum without having to use tip steering) Sorry for long reply...im not the expert, just its hard to find out this stuff...i had to work it out for myself as no one i free fly with paramotors too.