Flite Test - Laser Balancing Props - FLITE TIP 

Great tip - really like the comment on the mirror.

Awesome production!!!

That is very effective and smart! Thanks guys!

You make a great team!

Nice tip!! Thanks. Just built David's Tri Copter.. Gonna have fun, gotta figure out a few things, but I like this tip. Thanks a bunch... for all the videos!

At the end LOL Josh as Doctor Evil brilliant!

Excellent Tip!

I've just done my Tri this way and the footage is much better....So yes...Its works.

Brilliant idea!

Awesome tool! Thank U guys!

Amazing tip!!! Thanks

I would recommend using a prop balancer first (old school glow guy speaking) and then using the laser trick to further isolate possible engine balance issues. Since you copter types use much lighter props then us glow engine types you could easily just use two neodymium magnets and a shaft that equals the prop hub diameter to rig a up prop balancer.

thankyou so much I got it now ! have a good day.

I feel like this can't really help balance a prop very well, but it can confirm whether your prop is balanced or not.

This is checking to see if a particular motor/prop combo is balanced, he mentions at 4:20 in that you would, once you determine your combo is unbalanced, then apply or remove whatever substance you wish to balance your prop, once you've balanced it then check it again, if it's out then check the motor, once both are balanced you get a dot and move to the next one.

Thanks guys,good tip.

nice tip guys

Hey guys keep em coming and need some fresh stuff.. good job good advise Mt. Dew

Nice tip! Thanks!

Vary good tip!!!!!!!!!!!!

cool, I hadn't thought of doing that but it makes complete sense.

great job!

Another awesome way to do this is using the iSeismometer free application for your smart phone. I have it on my iPhone 5. Put the phone on the table with application running and use the 3 different graphs to adjust motor and prop as needed. Free and easier than using the laser beam method.

The mirror helps to amplify the vibrations visually. If you where to just mount the laser on the arm, then the visual vibration would be much less. The mirror makes it much more precise.

GOOD TIP!

Guys, great video as always. As a beginner in this hobby, your videos are a wealth of information that would have probably taken me years to figure out on my own (not to mention the expense of learning the hard way). I am pretty good at reading and retaining information, but to actually see concepts happen in real life (on video) really helps and brings the point home. Thanks again for making this hobby more enjoyable for me by removing some of the frustrations that I would have experienced if it wasn't for your educational videos!

Let me get this straight: This is a method for figuring out which one is unbalanced/balanced. If you find an unbalanced prop, you have to take it off to actually balance it. I like the method, because I can't easily tell if a prop is balanced or not.. (I do pre-balance, as a crash of mine was caused by an unbalanced prop). (it is possible to balance this way too, by adding tape to specific sides and looking at the effect, being worse or better)

Nice tip! Without reading all the comments, there is an easier way if you have a multiwii FC. Just connect the gui and click everything away except for the acc lines than increase the scale to x10. With unbalanced motors you will see the "flatlines" shaking. Others put their i/android phones with somekind of vibration monitoring app on the copterarms.I like the starwars - laserapproach the most - of course. The dark side of vibration becomes a red line of vibration.. hehe. So long Crashpilot

Glad you guys started giving credit to the original youtube or forum thread author. I enjoy looking back at the old videos and seeing how you guys have evolved as a channel.

He added the tape before the episode started just to show you that you could "see" the vibrations. You need to add tape when you see vibrations in the prop, but if you add tape and the vibrations get worse take that tape and put it on the other side of the prop. Then you should get a vibrations reduction.

I'm using 'Vibration' on my iPhone. Put it on the place of your cam and go from there. Placing it on the arms is also a good way to telll if the motors are balanced.

This guy really shined the laser in your eye!

Obviously, to keep the video length decent, they had pretested and balanced out the prop, then added a big weight to mess it up so that they can demo the effect. Naturally you would use your favorite balancing method (they have vids for that too on the channel) to get it near perfect, and then check with the laser and tweak it out to get a perfectly balanced prop. Oh, and balance your motor first as well, especially if it's an outrunner.

Thank you guys! I'll definitely try this out. Have a lot of props to balance.

thanks!

Hi, I don't usually reply on other peoples channels but I hear these guys are really cool and their in my neighborhood so maybe they won't mind. Last I heard you can buy any laser you want (in the US) as long as it is 5 mw or less. That's plenty to do the vibration test. Anything over that and you may find it won't ship to certain countries. Some manufacturers ship no matter what and I know of many people still buying 50-500 mw lasers but you might loose it in customs if something goes wrong. J

Totally agree... got a new Bixler with a HK prop and it blew up on the second flight. Replaced it with a APC prop and everything is cool again. I have never had a APC fail and only broke one due to stupid human error.

This process is typically used to balance the MOTOR, not the prop. Your supposed to balance your props first, THEN do this and add tape to the motor to balance the motor.

Need a MASSIVE Thumbs up for this one!!!!

The reason you only take one prop at a time is because (especially with cheap) props tend to come unbalanced. it is easy to figure out if one prop isn't balanced this way, and adding tape will tell you if it becomes better or worse (from that you can judge whether to add or remove the tape (and add on the other side). When you have multiple motors running, it is harder to find unbalances in props, as vibrations come from all motors.

The laser is shone onto the mirror, and since the mirror is stuck to the tricopter it will vibrate with the tricopter. The laser beam reflected by the mirror will be distorted by the vibrations and it will stretch the dot into an oval or line.

It's Entertaining and informative. Love it!!!

I laughed so hard at the beginning I had to pause the video and come back to it a few minutes later... You guys are nuts, and I love you for that! Keep up the great work! :)

Using a stationary laser and vibrating mirror produces twice the deflection so it's easier to see small vibrations.

There was a guy on hobbyking called vash dao showed me to use CD/DVD's instead of mirrors. CD/DVD gives a spectrum of dots instead of one dot on the wall, so the further the radius, the more sensitive vibrations and you can micro adjust from those levels. It was cool how he showed it. I can't do it anymore, but maybe you guys in the USA can.

To make a first-surface mirror out of an ordinary household mirror, is pretty easy: Apply a chemical paint & varnish remover to the mirrors backing, per product instructions. Wipe off gently with a non-abrasive cloth; the protective coating should come off, leaving a reflective surface . A second treatment may be required to get all of the paint off.

Put a zip tie around the motor and the zip part will act as the weight to balance it. Just slide it around until you find the balance point, mark it, pull off zip tie and put your tape there...

Downwards facing LED laser on each motor base, and you could do all four at once simply by hovering it high over a relective surface...

U forgot to mention this also improves alot of other factors like , more power , less hot esc's , longer battery life etc.. cool way to balance them props tho ^^

you can also do this without the prop to balance the motor first use tape on the outside of the motor to balance it and then put the prop back on and do it again to balance the prop for the best results

This is very freakin cool. Never seen this approach but I love it!! Can't wait to try it out and see if it tunes my quads better!

That's great!

You could probably use a small square of self adhesive Aluminum (Aluminium?) tape in lieu of the front surface mirror.

Especially the prop mounted on the tilting tail servo on a Tricopter. The HK generic GWS clone prop material is not very strong. Aggressive yaws will rip the blades apart after a while. I had it happen to me on my Tricopter. Now I use only Gemfan carbon nylon props.

Pre test....you could mount a motor on A rubber base with the laser and a servo tester and test each prop .

Great guys. Love the show. keep doing what you do. Try to be funny or not it's all good. I have only been flying for 5 months and these guys have helped tremendously. keep your spirits up as high as your plans are.

Nice!

top flite ballencer is good, but this method is also good. Just because you dont like it dosen't mean that it is horrible

I balance my motors using this technique and then balance my props on a prop balancer. It's more work, but a heck of lot safer.

HI!! Loving this tip. Gonna try it on some EDFs.

Yeah, you are right! I mean, there was only one prop spinning when they did this--so how DO you know which one is actually causing the vibration? I mean, the other two are not even moving at all so you wouldn't be able to tell at all!

I really like your channel and the presenters shame you don't do more videos of helicopters

Lasers are very bad for the sensor in the camera.

It will balance the motor too!

Also do not use a high power laser ( above 5mW)

I think you should compare this balancing a tyre that's not on the rim. The tyre (prop) can be well balanced but it will need balancing again when its on the rim (motor), and for this you need to spin it up SImply, balance your prop using methods mentioned here, the balance prop and motor with laser, iphone of whatever and tape, then when you are happy, you can if you like remove the tape and sand or scrape if you prefer. No idea why you are all so angry there is some great info here!

I use a laptop hard drive platter as a mirror. I used epoxy to attach a large alligator clip to it.

Hey Could you make a short video on how to build a folding flying wing out of an existing one? Ty lots, love your videos.

Also, vibrating the laser pointer may damage it.

I'd like to see you guys fix the H quadcopter with this method and show a before and after. Lets see you remove the Jello.

Hardest part is deciding what tape to put on which prop and where on that prop. Is this in the next episode?

I nearly lost a finger last night so if you have throttle lock USE IT, I got lucky with a tiny paper cut and minor bruising but it could have been much worse

Should consider using wax paper to sand down the weight on the heavier side rather than adding tape, which can change the air-flow over the prop

One can simply feel whether or not the motor is out of balance when running full power. Trial and error, feel for vibration, it takes a long time. Pain in the bootay.

One added benefit is not having to take your props off.

It is the Canon 5D I believe

Can u guys do a video on the pros and cons of 2blade vs 3blade props

So you can use the mirror to check if it's balanced but HOW DO YOU BALANCE IT?

used this method with all my motors BUT i tape the motor bell NOT the prop, keeps the weight closer to center mass.

Miss josh Scott

Josh Scott, is he a NAVY VET? (clicks the laser pointer on and off) "for all you non Navy vets out there, that means..."

Great tip ... and works with planes, too! :)

why don't you use a vibration meter app for your smart phone and use that?

laser beams on their heads!!!!! great episode!

I noticed this when I was in the USA using spectrometer in the labs. Sadly, when I got back, I noticed lasers was banned because countries like Australia say it can shoot down life sized planes.

This is not really showing you how to balance the prop just how to display the effects of an out-of-balance prop. Do you have another video on how to balance the prop blade?

Like a laser guitar tuner! right on, boys.

can u make a video about how to do tricks

HobbyKing just opened a UK warehouse. Not much selection but cheap shipping!

I wonder if a strobe would be a more useful tool to visualize vibration? Especially if the strobe were adjustable for frequency. (maybe an automotive tuning strobe could be used?) If you shot a strobe at the motor/prop/arm against a background with a black grid drawn on a white surface, not only would vertical prop oscillation be visible, but so would motor/arm motion, and both could be measured in a linear way. This might be more useful if the RPM could be determined and recorded at any point. The motor without the prop could be spun up first, to isolate non-prop vibration. The only thing I don't know is, would any video camera actually catch the motion? Would it be able to focus? Even at 60fps, I don't know if it could be a useful part of the test, or if only direct visual inspection could be used. Alternatively, performing the same test shown here, but bouncing the laser onto a white background with a black grid would yield more useful results.

Cool way to balance the props. A later show mentions balancing the motors as well. How can you tell if you need to balance the motor, or is this just a different way to do it? Seems this is the easiest method.

Interesting

what to do with a triplle prop?

just landed, pretty much burt up my motor but it was a good flight i didnt have to pick up any peices... 12.50 cents to learn how to choose the right motors isnt bad but i have to order the proper motor for an 11/ 4.7 sf prop if it says 7.4v at 11/7 doesnt mean it will run a 11/4.7 on 11.1 v.... it just doesnt work out

How do you know which blade is off? Just guess?

Because...?

I thought, I was the only one who noticed that his voice changes when he say "Hi!" haha. It's cools, like a genuine happy to see you Hello!

pause at 7:08

So with conventional aircraft to do point nose in air and mirror on wing or on fuse under the prop? Also I would guess the laser would be set on table away from plane?

yep sanding...