WOW! TREX 450 and my First Flight.
10-11-2007, 09:28 AM
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WOW! TREX 450 and my First Flight.
Hello,
I'm very new to this hobby, although I've done RC cars (electric and nitro) in the past. I became interested in heli's a few months ago and decided to purchase a Heli-MAX AXE CP. I'm somewhat successful at hovering but I've got a long way to go, and with training between the AXE CP and Realflight 3.5 (when the AXE CP is down with repairs, etc) I'm making headway.
About a month ago, I decided to purchase a second heli, and after research I decided on the Align Trex-450SA. I wanted the SA because I really didn’t feel that assembling a frame was going to prove something useful in a learning process to me, but installing the rest of the goodies such as the servos, motor, and ESC, were the items I wanted to focus on. It's been many years since I built my RC10 back in the very early '90's. I'm a bit older now and I just took my time with the build and I feel proud of my work.
Here's the list of goodies I've installed/purchased
Trex-450SA w/35G ESC and 430L (3550KW) Motor
JR XP7202 (JRP7642 - heli specific) w/3 DS825 Servos and R790UL receiver.
JR DS3400G Tail servo
JR G500T Gyro
Heli-Max Rotor Blade Balance
2 Align 3S 11.1V 2100MAH and 1 TP 3S 11.1V 2100MAH Lipos
Thunderpower 1010C Charger w/v205 Balancer and 20AMP 12V PS.
Today, I'm putting the finishing touches on the install, Blades have been balanced and I'm just adjusting the tracking, and completing the GYRO fine tuning. I decided to lift of and WOW this this is 1) VERY POWERFUL in comparison to that toy: the AXE CP, and 2) Extremely stable. Whereas the AXE CP is struggling under the washout of the rotors in low hover flight, the TREX450 is just rock steady just inches above the ground.
It just sits there and doesn’t twitch at all. I'm completely amazed at the quality of the flight of this thing. Highly recommended and very satisfying to build and fly.
Anyhow, I do have a question with regards to the Gyro. The documentation on that device and the transmitter are a bit lacking and I struggled to find the settings I've need to make to understand the whole working relationship between the two. Ive called Horizon Hobby but really didn’t get the answers to my questions specific to these two items.
In a nutshell, my problem is that on the Gyro, I dont really understand what "RATE" and "Tail Lock" mode options are. These are apparently remotely selectable, but what are they and how do you program them up? I've got the "white" GYRO lead plugged into the "GEAR" receiver port. Gear is a Toggle on the Transmitter, and there's a "GYRO SENS function screen in the transmitter which allows for adjusting for rates in position 0 and 1, as well as Flight mode adjustments for Normal and Stunt (top left switch with N,1 and 2 positions).
But what am I Adjusting in the when I adjust the rate percentage? the amount of input the Gyro sends, and how does this relate to the GEAR selector toggle switch?
I guess I don’t fully understand the operating principal of the GYRO in relation to the heli with what I'd like to accomplish. I do have a minor bit of tail wag, but I'm countering that with SUB trim.
Thanks, Brian
I'm very new to this hobby, although I've done RC cars (electric and nitro) in the past. I became interested in heli's a few months ago and decided to purchase a Heli-MAX AXE CP. I'm somewhat successful at hovering but I've got a long way to go, and with training between the AXE CP and Realflight 3.5 (when the AXE CP is down with repairs, etc) I'm making headway.
About a month ago, I decided to purchase a second heli, and after research I decided on the Align Trex-450SA. I wanted the SA because I really didn’t feel that assembling a frame was going to prove something useful in a learning process to me, but installing the rest of the goodies such as the servos, motor, and ESC, were the items I wanted to focus on. It's been many years since I built my RC10 back in the very early '90's. I'm a bit older now and I just took my time with the build and I feel proud of my work.
Here's the list of goodies I've installed/purchased
Trex-450SA w/35G ESC and 430L (3550KW) Motor
JR XP7202 (JRP7642 - heli specific) w/3 DS825 Servos and R790UL receiver.
JR DS3400G Tail servo
JR G500T Gyro
Heli-Max Rotor Blade Balance
2 Align 3S 11.1V 2100MAH and 1 TP 3S 11.1V 2100MAH Lipos
Thunderpower 1010C Charger w/v205 Balancer and 20AMP 12V PS.
Today, I'm putting the finishing touches on the install, Blades have been balanced and I'm just adjusting the tracking, and completing the GYRO fine tuning. I decided to lift of and WOW this this is 1) VERY POWERFUL in comparison to that toy: the AXE CP, and 2) Extremely stable. Whereas the AXE CP is struggling under the washout of the rotors in low hover flight, the TREX450 is just rock steady just inches above the ground.
It just sits there and doesn’t twitch at all. I'm completely amazed at the quality of the flight of this thing. Highly recommended and very satisfying to build and fly.
Anyhow, I do have a question with regards to the Gyro. The documentation on that device and the transmitter are a bit lacking and I struggled to find the settings I've need to make to understand the whole working relationship between the two. Ive called Horizon Hobby but really didn’t get the answers to my questions specific to these two items.
In a nutshell, my problem is that on the Gyro, I dont really understand what "RATE" and "Tail Lock" mode options are. These are apparently remotely selectable, but what are they and how do you program them up? I've got the "white" GYRO lead plugged into the "GEAR" receiver port. Gear is a Toggle on the Transmitter, and there's a "GYRO SENS function screen in the transmitter which allows for adjusting for rates in position 0 and 1, as well as Flight mode adjustments for Normal and Stunt (top left switch with N,1 and 2 positions).
But what am I Adjusting in the when I adjust the rate percentage? the amount of input the Gyro sends, and how does this relate to the GEAR selector toggle switch?
I guess I don’t fully understand the operating principal of the GYRO in relation to the heli with what I'd like to accomplish. I do have a minor bit of tail wag, but I'm countering that with SUB trim.
Thanks, Brian
10-11-2007, 09:55 AM
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RE: WOW! TREX 450 and my First Flight.
Rate mode resist change by adding opposite rudder input. It senses amount of deflection and tries to compensate. it tries its best, but its not perfect.
HH (Or tail lock) corrects rudder movement and adjusts until it is on the same heading it was before the change. Alot more accurate.
I'm not familiar with JR, but i would think that you could limit travel on that gear channel to indicate what percentage of gain. For instance. if toggle is down, you could set this to 35% travel. This would be rate mode with 35% gyro gain. in the up posistion, lets say its 85% travel, that would be HH mode, with 85% gyro gain.
Tail wag is the gain is too high. In your case, turn down the percentage until it stops wagging.
If i've missed something or have it wrong, please someone speak up.
HH (Or tail lock) corrects rudder movement and adjusts until it is on the same heading it was before the change. Alot more accurate.
I'm not familiar with JR, but i would think that you could limit travel on that gear channel to indicate what percentage of gain. For instance. if toggle is down, you could set this to 35% travel. This would be rate mode with 35% gyro gain. in the up posistion, lets say its 85% travel, that would be HH mode, with 85% gyro gain.
Tail wag is the gain is too high. In your case, turn down the percentage until it stops wagging.
If i've missed something or have it wrong, please someone speak up.
10-11-2007, 10:03 AM
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RE: WOW! TREX 450 and my First Flight.
Michael,
Thanks for providing me with that information. I certanly appreciate it. I also just found a video which explains a DX-7 setup, and in the vidio the author describs how to setup the Gyro and how the sensitivy is adjusted. Since I have a JR you would think that it's diffrent from the DX Specktrum series, but all of my menu's are pretty much the same as the DX-7. So I just followed that a bit.
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=28681
Here's the video if anyone is intrested.
Thanks again.
Thanks for providing me with that information. I certanly appreciate it. I also just found a video which explains a DX-7 setup, and in the vidio the author describs how to setup the Gyro and how the sensitivy is adjusted. Since I have a JR you would think that it's diffrent from the DX Specktrum series, but all of my menu's are pretty much the same as the DX-7. So I just followed that a bit.
http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=28681
Here's the video if anyone is intrested.
Thanks again.
10-11-2007, 01:06 PM
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RE: WOW! TREX 450 and my First Flight.
Pottstown, just south east on RT422 about 15 miles outside of Valley Forge. I think your on the other side of the universe from where I'm at. Not far from Erie if i'm not mistaken.
