R_Lefebvre
Arducopter Developer
Oh really? eCalc showed it will work out quite well but...
This is on 4S though, not 6S. And not lifting a lot, AUW like 3kg.
KDE Direct has added Multi-Rotor Heli motors to their lineup
- Thread starter Bartman
- Start date
Oh really? eCalc showed it will work out quite well but...
This is on 4S though, not 6S. And not lifting a lot, AUW like 3kg.
fltundra
Member
I'm at 2515 auw with a 4S8000mah readymaderc at 62% hover with tiger 14 cf's 22min at 6300mah used. Even at 62% hover, the KDE's never go above 95% output on full throttle climbouts. Running same config , but with 6S 8000mah, at like 2949 auw she hovers at 48%.
Tarot 15 cf's hover with the 4s at 57%, but motors and esc's run a lot warmer then the 14" tigers in this stifling Florida heat.
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R_Lefebvre
Arducopter Developer
Well, the motors arrived. I'll be frank, I'm slightly underwhelmed. The machining quality is not what I have come to expect from KDE. Lots of machining marks, signs of rough handling (pock marks), etc. And the windings aren't as tidy as I expected. It's not bad but.. I was expecting perfection given the price. I find iPower motors are prettier.
But at the end of the day what I really care about is performance, not looks, so we'll see how these go. The bearings feel fantastic. Though they could probably use a bit more beef around the bearing bores because I had to be careful not to tighten the mounting screws too much or they got a little notchy. And that was just bolting them to CF plate, not any kind of stiff aluminum mount.
I noticed that on the box it says Made in China. I had thought these were made in the USA? Aren't KDE's helicopter parts made in the USA?
But at the end of the day what I really care about is performance, not looks, so we'll see how these go. The bearings feel fantastic. Though they could probably use a bit more beef around the bearing bores because I had to be careful not to tighten the mounting screws too much or they got a little notchy. And that was just bolting them to CF plate, not any kind of stiff aluminum mount.
I noticed that on the box it says Made in China. I had thought these were made in the USA? Aren't KDE's helicopter parts made in the USA?
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Av8Chuck
Member
I was under the same impression. I'm doing all that I can to engineer out as many of the Chinese components as practicable.
kloner
Aerial DP
pletenburg and axi
pretty sure nothing they have electronic is american made. Back in my first encounter with kde NEU motors was supplying them, now those were american made but they weren't worth a crap. paper insulation under the windings,,, they quit using them pretty quick. trex 700 bump up kit....
Think Castle makes there stuff in mexico, but not sure about motors
pretty sure nothing they have electronic is american made. Back in my first encounter with kde NEU motors was supplying them, now those were american made but they weren't worth a crap. paper insulation under the windings,,, they quit using them pretty quick. trex 700 bump up kit....
Think Castle makes there stuff in mexico, but not sure about motors
Av8Chuck
Member
I don't want to be "internationalists" but I would prefer that the components I use were made in the US but short of that I would prefer that they are not made in China. Although most of the Chine's components are cheaper its been my experience that they just aren't that reliable and thats saying nothing about the lack of support.
I just received my first set of KDE's and I have an immediate need for another 24 so I think I'll get those and see how it goes. KDE support has been pretty responsive to any inquiries so that's a good sign...
I just received my first set of KDE's and I have an immediate need for another 24 so I think I'll get those and see how it goes. KDE support has been pretty responsive to any inquiries so that's a good sign...
Clogz
Skunking about...
I hear you... As long as the quality is matching the original design I don't really have a problem where it is manufactured. Sure, t he US (or UK for that matter) would be my preference but above all I want the product to have an excellent level of design and final quality. Production location is no guarantee for quality. The fact someone answers my emails and phone calls is something I really rate...this level of support is very valuable and unfortunately less and less common nowadays.... So well done KDE! 
R_Lefebvre
Arducopter Developer
The most important thing to me is reliability, and performance. I don't care if somebody answers the phone, because if I have to call, it's because I had a problem. And if I have a problem, I'm not going to feel better about the fact that somebody answered the phone.
I am curious which props KDE used for their testing, because I can test them on my thrust rig. I'm curious what numbers I get compared to KDE, because as we've seen here, seems the thrust is a bit over-rated. I wasn't expecting magic here so that's fine. But I would like to compare them to iPower motors. Because iPower has the edge on price, and appear to be of better quality.
I am curious which props KDE used for their testing, because I can test them on my thrust rig. I'm curious what numbers I get compared to KDE, because as we've seen here, seems the thrust is a bit over-rated. I wasn't expecting magic here so that's fine. But I would like to compare them to iPower motors. Because iPower has the edge on price, and appear to be of better quality.
R_Lefebvre
Arducopter Developer
Ah, well I just happen to have DJI folders. But the 2814's seem to only be tested up to 14". So that means they didn't use those props. Anyway, just looking for an A-B comparison.
rotorvista
Member
Today I received my KDE UAS55amp ESC's and running them with KDE4012xf motors and 17" TM carbon props. Took a month to get this lot and was expecting good things from these but initial testing is looking like more damned Chinese junk..............
Motopreserve
Drone Enthusiast
What testing is coming up "junk?"
rotorvista
Member
vertical play in 3 of the 6 motors, looks like the retainer on the bottom of the shaft slips. vibration at certain rpm which i guess is due to the play and also noticed the blue balancing compound seems to melt which also would cause imbalance....
R_Lefebvre
Arducopter Developer
Oh man.
Has everybody found the shaft retaining screws are well loctited? Or should I be checking these?
Has everybody found the shaft retaining screws are well loctited? Or should I be checking these?
rotorvista
Member
I don't think it matters how well loctited they are, I think it's a case of the 2 screws cannot grip the shaft tight enough... unless I'm just unlucky. imo the Tmotor U series retainer seemed a better design
R_Lefebvre
Arducopter Developer
It's a pretty common design to use screws hold the shaft on. Helicopter tail rotors commonly have this. Maybe a divot instead of a flat would be better though... I guess we'll see. Either way, I'm just wondering if they're loctited in so they won't come ALL the way out. That is one issue I had with iPower. No loctite at all, almost lost a motor.
rotorvista
Member
well I have tightened 2 of them to tighten up the play and the screws were not loose but were not hard to turn either. A dimple would be more secure if it was located correctly