pgroom_68

Hey again macz,

If you are meaning the Ultimate 2.4G metal BIG Lama [link=http://www.rc711.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=2180]HERE[/link] - then yes, I know of two on this thread....... One guy had a Lama 400 a while back & tended to fly the BOL more than his 400[sm=72_72.gif] - and I also have a Walkera 180D (don't buy the Q - the stiff shell cracks and it is harder to work on the mechanics). It is quite a nice bird, but not as forgiving, and there is not as many parts and upgrades as readily available as the Big Lama (BOL). Ask an owner for advice and he will rave! I might be biased - but the BOL is your best bet!

Peter[sm=shades_smile.gif]
P.S. IF ANYONE FROM AN ONLINE STORE IS READING ALONG - I WANT A 2.4G Big Lama WITHOUT transmitter.............[sm=49_49.gif]

pgroom_68

Hey again Simon,

Thanks for the warnings (and email). I have ordered a servo extension cable or two - they should be here tomorrow or the day after.............then I will wire in a small switch and we'll see!

Peter[sm=shades_smile.gif]

rikybob

Hi macz,

I echo the collectives sentiments. The BOL is great flying (out of the box from RC771, immediately remove 3D blades BEFORE use and install stock) bird, very forgiving, amazingly powerful, fixed my car, did my taxes, yada, yada, yada!

Good luck on whatever your decision is!

Rikybob

sgbfly

Hi Peter,

I am confident it will work out.

If I may I suspect this little video will help someone (I bet you already did this anyway). When a say disconnect a wire eg step 20 in my guide or for isolating the power from the gyro many people are simply cutting the wire with snips. This is OK but not reversible. I recommend this method: here if Youtube image not showing

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ri8i5ITI8o[/youtube]

Also, Peter, have a read of this - I think I will need to add a trouble shooting page to the guide - but its my guess you will be OK because you have some good lipos to chose from

Simon

rikybob

Collective,

Never shying away from the "1000lb Gorilla in the room" I would like to ask "The" question about your successful quest with the Boardless, Brushless Conversion. If you have had the opportunity to compare/contrast its performance against the RC711 premodded bird, what are your observations?


Respectfully,

Rikybob

pgroom_68

Hey again r/b,

...I'll be sure to let you know which I think is better when I finally get the parts needed to complete this puppy

Peter[sm=shades_smile.gif]

rikybob

Peter,

I hope all is well Down Under and look forward to your completion so as to hear your obeservations. BTW does the water "swirl" left or right as it goes down the drain over there? Anyhoo, respecting that modding is half the fun (yes, I am one of those, perhaps not to the degree you and that crazy Simon are) I am interested that when all is said and done if it is an exercise that one would undertake if they were actually a rational human being.


Yours Bird-Fraternally AND mildly insane as well,

R/B

pgroom_68

Hey again Simon,

Thanks for your positive vibes mate.

I am also confident that it will work - evenually!

Thanks for the video guide on removal of the red wire's pin from plug (you're correct that I already knew). I usually prefer doing it this way instead of just snipping the wire also But on this occasion[sm=72_72.gif] I think I will snip near to one end of the red wire to solder in a sliding switch just like Spiros had sitting in front of his bird on the bench in his video in [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=9461253]this post[/link]. That way I wont need the electrical tape

Peter[sm=shades_smile.gif]

sgbfly

Hi RB,

Its the question that need to be asked! I had my BOL stock for 3 months, the brushless kit like rc711 for 2 months and boardless for about 6 weeks now.

Boardless wins hands down (but I would say that lol)

With the rc711 set up when you start to get near the limit of the model in FFF or other power hungry maneuvers the tail twitches like a fish. You can stop this by turning the gain down on the 3in1 but then you get poor gyro performance. Really you cant win. Also try a long sweeping turn and you will see its not smooth.

Boardless overcomes these problems. As you can see in my videos. The boardless keeps all the power but the BOL is much smoother. The gyro performance is great. I can hover on the spot for a whole lipo and the nose will not drift so I don't need to touch the rudder! Try that with the rc711 bird.

Simon

sgbfly

Hi Peter,

Good stuff mate. But dont forget you need to also remove the red wire that goes mixer to gyro. Or else the gyro draws power from the mixer instead of the switched wire!

Simon

pgroom_68

Hey again Simon,

Of course! (Pete hits his forehead with the palm of his hand)

It is 12:40pm (after midnight my wife went to bed) so I'll be off soon....

Peter[sm=shades_smile.gif]
P.S. I guess I will be using the electrical tape afterall![sm=49_49.gif]
P.P.S. Goodnight all (*yawn*)

sgbfly

Ha Ha!

That nearly made me spit out the banana I was eating for lunch whilst scratching my stomach and making uh uh uh noises. Your right I am completely bonkers.

As a special treat for you I have attached a little picture

Simon

rikybob

Simon,

Great observations! I am pleased to know there is an appreciable difference and that your efforts were fruitful. My bird does remarkably well stock and has seasoned amazingly. Like Spiros, I almost hate to fly it as I know I will crash it! Peter thinks the wear-in is in the gears. Whatever has happened, it flies like a dream and performs very well.

Be all that as it may, when will you offer this mod commercially and come independantly wealthy so you can become the "chicken rancher" that you always dreamed of?


Your across-the-pond pal,

Rikybob

P.S. I am drooling after the Eflite Blade SR.....I cannot wait till it comes out and see how it does!

P.S.S. Thanx for the pix of the fat chix!

sgbfly

Hi RikyBob,

Glad you like them .

I bet the Eflite Blade SR is a great helicopter if the mCX and mSR are anything to go by

Simon

ps. The stock BOL goes great and seems to get better - then out the blue a motor fails or the 3in1 goes pop. Especially in warms places like (NSW or Fl)

rikybob

Simon says, (really, I never get tired of this)

"ps. The stock BOL goes great and seems to get better - then out the blue a motor fails or the 3in1 goes pop. Especially in warms places like (NSW or Fl)"


I AM actually concerned about the above. It gets so hot here in Florida that once "It was sooooo hot, I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking" and time will tell about the ole 3 in 1. If that happens to me, I hate to be YOU! I (even though you made a comprehensive guide) will be bugging you like a maniac!

I wonder if we know of any incidents of the RC711 having failures as described above. Not that I don't enjoy tinkering but I am holding off on a redundant BOL so I may concentrate of the aforementioned Eflite Blade SR.

Regards!

Rikybob


P.S. Time to go to work!

aircrash

Hi Rikybob,

you know.. mine is getting the dog a walk, cook, clean the dishes, goes to work instead of me, and flies up to moon. You know, the usual.

As for the wobble disappearing, did you eventually changed the outer shaft?
I have also mentioned that a very tight pinion to gear gap makes a wobble, but your`s was way out of order, for just a bad gap.

You can see here how a straight outer and inner shaft spins:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ScQ4C6J_c[/youtube]

No sign of a wobble, not even a slight one.
Although the bottom gear (inner shaft`s) is warped (it was warped when I bought it).

But you have it right now, what did you do -change- actually?

Spiros

aircrash

Hi Simon,

I`m also a one with two BOL here.
One boardless brushless, so I can say the best words.
But one all stock also, so I can enjoy its trully low cost parts.

I have no problem with the 3in1 as I don`t crash with the throttle open. I have passed that stage a long time ago.
But those who like to crash on full throttle, <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">so the crash is even more amazing</span>, then <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">a fuse to <u>each</u> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(brushed)</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> motor will save the 3in1</span> and <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">the motor(s).</span>
Start with 5A fuse, I think it`ll be OK. Better bench test first so to see if it blows it, rather on air...
I have not and will not, as I`m enough expert , so to avoid that.

But that is not a problem to a brushless BOL. And I mean to those ready converted systems than run on a 3in1 and brushed to brushless convertes. They should not burn the 3in1. Only the stock, with the brushed motors.

Anyway the parts do not cost much. With a good search you can find them cheap.

So my conclusion is:
Get a stock and convert it to boardless brushless, after you have mastered it as a stock BOL. This way you`ll also enjoy modding and will make you love it than get bored soon.
If you`re an experienced pilot then convert it immediately to boardless brushless.
But I think many will just sit on stock, as it performs very well, and with a very good flying time out of a battery.

Spiros

rikybob

Hi again Spiros,

My wobble disappeared like this. I replaced the outter shaft=1/3 diminished wobble. Installed Xtreme blades (wrong). Ran up rpm really high. No lift. Figured out problem (Simon says "schoolboy screw up). Flew RC711 BOL with Xteme blades. Hated same. Put stock blades on and flies like a charm!

Rikybob

aircrash

Hi again Rikybob,

well, I was thinking that in no way your wobble would disappear without an outer shaft replacement. It was obviously heavily bent making even a new inner shaft to dance than spin.
The base must be in perfect condition so the rest (balancing flybar, blades) can work.
After any change to the shafts, or after a terrible wobble, bench test without blades and flybar, and see if the shafts spin or dance.

Now to Peter mostly,

I happened to see again the other topic.
If Peter faces something similar, one motor stops spinning, then he should test as:

1. remove the gyro and test with only the mixer on the system. If system is OK then it`s the gyro, itself or its setup. If it is not OKthen proceed to the next step, still without a gyro in the system.

2. plug the esc servo plugs to the mixer in different order, from one to the other.

a) If still the same rotor stops spinning (but different esc + motor) then it is a mixer fault. -&gt; Try to unbind and re-bind the Rx. If that does not work then-&gt; Try to reverse the mixer (eg. plug the pot side to the CH3 instead of CH4). If that does not work either then it`s the mixer itself.

b) If it stops spinning the same esc + motor then the esc or the motor but most propaby the esc, or its connection, have a problem. Re-set the throttle range as well check the esc programming on both the esc. Check the connections.
To isolate the problem to one component and see if it`s the esc or the motor. -&gt; Use one esc to the other motor and see if the motor is having a problem or the esc. Re-check after changing the esc`s plug to the mixer so mixer has no effect on the test.
Now you have found which esc or motor has definitely a problem. -&gt; throw it in trash. Before you do make sure you have tested another known working component so to double check if the other worths the trash bin.
But before all that check the next steps.

3) you have a ground loop.
Out of the BEC used to power the electronics then take a second cable out of the ground and connect it to the ground (black wire) of the CH3 plug.
Do the same to the red wire, just in case.
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
4</span>) you have a loss of power by using the wrong BEC (red wire) to the mixer. Use the other BEC instead, and now the power goes to the other pin side of the mixer.
Better do as I did, connect the red wire directly to the Rx.

5) you have used both BEC. This way one BEC tries to fight the other. Then one stops, the other takes over and so on.
Usually only one BECis active (powering) all the time but if the current draw is suddenly much then a slight voltage drop occurs. The other BEC sees low voltage, has enough juice to give and takes over. That makes the electronics and mostly the Rx to loose signal and try to recover, but with a problem. Note that in no case both BEC output power the same time. One or another. So you must avoid jumping from one to another, thus confusing the Rx and/or the rest electronics.
Just use only one BEC.

If I think anything else then here I am.


Spiros



Editing mostly for spell checking.

sgbfly

Hi Spiros,

^ Some interesting thoughts there but imo if 1 rotor stops its most likely mechanical, motor or esc related. Esc related includes low voltage cut offs/ failsafe so the question then becomes why.............could just be a tired lipo as it was for me once!

I cant see a fault in the 5V regulated circuit and components being likely to cause the symptom we a discussing except possibly mixer. Even then I would rate it down the pecking order of probabilities (RB will like that )

Best wishes mate...........and of course I may well be wrong

Simon

aircrash

Hi Simon,

Sure that`s not a guaranteed to work or the one and only proper testing route.
Neither a complete one, as I suppose the basics have been considered already.
It`s good if you`re too desperate and will keep you busy until something else will come into your mind or as a suggestion.
That way you save a lot of money, some may had already fly it by a huge kick , as I would have done if it was not you, which kind of energy is by the way totally environmentally friendly.

Think this way, a switch makes the gyro work. What if a simple change between of the esc makes them work forever as there was never a problem?
You never know out of electronics. That little things that can make you a large pain...
An esc may be not so compatible with that motor, but with the other may have a good relation... they may even get to bed together... !!!

Spiros

Ddaddy

Hi macz,<div>
</div><div>Take a look at other coax heli's for beginners and look at forums/website. This will be paramount to getting support and future in that aircraft. That ultimately is what keep me from getting the 400, not as much forum info or mods for it. And if you really want, you can use those blades on the BOL! So you can get it the same size :  )</div><div>
</div><div>Ken</div>

macz

thx I had a esky blt cp v2...couldnt really get it to fly so I returned it but Im getting better...I have the 5303 walkera..I'm still learning but lookin to move up...

Ddaddy

Hi Simon,<div>
</div><div>I was reading your guide (again). It is great. But can I make a suggestion? You have instructions before pictures but starting on page 11 instructions and pictures get separated. May I suggest a page feed to keep instructions and pictures on the same page?</div><div>
</div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Ken</div>

sgbfly

Spiros Says, (new game lol)


Should go in the Oxford English Dictionary that one!

(Or RB's wiki page)

Simon