rotarydoc

Hey guys,

Nick, that sounds cool...take your time, no rush...

I took a video of the servo acting up...see what you guys think...

Seems that you guys both have seen servos acting funny before, so give me your opinion?

I'll be back in a few....

Glenn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcKNJYFXGiM

evdreamer

Glenn,

I just checked my Gaui and 450 servos and they all move to some extent when I power up, but not as much as yours. The one that sticks out in my mind was on the CPP, but all the servos are off of it right now. I don't think you need to worry about it. I would recommend just to hover really close to the ground the first couple of packs and see if it truely is ok. You are going to have a lot of cyclic throw with the pushrods out that from from the servo horn center.

If you were wanting to go A123 next year I think you have to use end to end soldering for the 500 in an upside down triangle shape. With four batteries on top and two in the middle and under of those. Helifreak has a few threads covering it. I was thinking about using thick soldering wick if I ever had to do it that way, so I would solder the two ends to two batteries then just fold it, so it was end to end.

Nick

Evan T.

hey guys do you think i should use the expo setting on the dx6i when i get the b400 and if so how much people are saying like around 25% or so

evdreamer

Evan,

I don't like using EXPO. I like the stick movements to be proportional. If the cyclic is too sensitive for you just lower the swashmix and headspeed.

Nick

Carljw

I might have been wrong on the 1.3 but I think someone said they needed 1.3 and a .050.
I just got back from Hobby Town and no 1.3 but i did get a DU-BRO .050.
Carl

rotarydoc

Nick,

Yeah, the more and more I look at the way that servo is doing that, the less concerned I am...since it always comes back to center 100%.

And, it doesn't do anything stupid when you put a load on the servos like the crappy Eflite servos do.

I think I may be paranoid because of the Eflite servos I have seen act up.

Like you said, I'll probably just keep it at a low hover for the time being, until I gain it's confidence. I am hoping that Align will replace it under warranty.

We'll see. In the long run, I'll probably go with MG servos anyways, that is why I am hesitant to just order a new DS510 from Helidirect.

That sounds cool on the ABC's....I like the idea of "wick" or "braid" to attach the cells. We used to to alot of that stuff with NiCd batteries back in the RC car days.

We didn't even use connectors; we hard wired (soldered) the battery leads on each run...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Evan,

There is alot of debate on that subject...like Nick is pointing out, the expo makes the controls less linear....that is, they will have more movement out towards the ends, and are kinda "dead" in the middle.

Some people like it that way....and there are, as Nick pointed out, ways to slow the cyclic response besides using cyclic. Lower head speed is a very good way to "calm things down" quite a bit on the 400 at first...it will help more than expo will. You can adjust that just by changing pitch and throttle curves.

It's an individual thing....you may like more expo, and some guys like less or none....it's really what works for you...

Counting the hours yet??? LOL!!!

Glenn

rotarydoc

Carl,

I think it was the .050 I needed for SOMETHING...but I still can't figure it out.

But since you got one, you should be set. I only needed it for one thing, but I'll be darned if I can remember what it was....LOL

Anyways, you should be good...I still don't think there are any 1.3 mm though...

Glenn

Evan T.

man now i want to get a heli i have to build like when the trex 250 comes out i may get it for christmas lol but prob not cause im getting the b400

Carljw

I think it was in one of Finnless videos and some kind of set screw that was .050 .
He was useing shoe goo to set the brgs, I couldenet find any but somethig called
Goop seams to be the same thing. I got a 500 swashplate leveler I ordered in the mail today
off a guy selling them on Heli Freak its real nice.
Carl

evdreamer

Carl,

Those swashplate leveling tools are a life saver. I have three for all of my helis and it makes the setup much more precise and quicker.

Nick

rotarydoc

Evan,

Building the heli was very much fun for me...I really enjoyed that...and I'm still not done yet!

You do learn alot more that way, when you put it together yourself, there is no doubt about it.

I'm sure you have built car kits, right? It's almost the same, just a LOT more parts and more critical not to make mistakes...and double and triple check everything.

If a wheel falls off of your RC car, it's no biggie...but if your main blade grip comes of mid flight on a heli...it's a BIG DEAL....LOL!!

Besides, you want a bigger heli, not a smaller one...trust me!

Glenn

rotarydoc

Nick,

That was one thing about Hobby Hangar, I was going to get a leveler...and they don't have them, use them, or recommend them!!

I think that while it's not a necessity, it would be a good thing to have...

I need to do my linkages soon. They are all way too long by the book...

Glenn

Evan T.

Hey glenn I watched your video it's kinda weird listening to you talk lol I just didn't expect you to sound like that. You know what I mean cause like we've been talking on here for so long that I kind of made up my own voice for you in my head like when I'm reading your post I can like hear it in my head as if you were saying or something LOL

rotarydoc

Jeff,

Finally getting around to responding to your post earlier today!

Hope you are feeling better, and your weekend doesn't get ruined.

Yeah, the general concensus seems to be that the servo will be OK...as long as it is acting OK under load, etc...which it seems fine once it's done with it's little dance number there...LOL

Don't get your hopes up too much for a maiden this weekend, the weather does NOT sound good so far....Sat is supposed to be all wind and rain...and Sun is supposed to be cold an even windier....so we'll have to see!

Hope you get to feeling better soon....I was hoping to see some vids of YOUR 500 this weekend, but it'll have to wait...

Get better soon!!

Glenn

rotarydoc

Evan,

Yeah, I know what you mean...I "met" JPEE online for the first time, since we've been on the forums and email for 9 months, and we finally hooked up with webcams on Windows Live Messenger...pretty cool stuff!!

I know, you get an idea of what you think someone looks or sounds like by reading, and sometimes it's not what you might think !! LOL!

Like they say, it "puts a face" on the person that you are talking to over the forums...

Glenn

Carljw

I think the .050 is for the canopy pins. I just rewatched the frame build again and he
set two set screws aside and said they were for the canopy pins and would show installing them later. Dont fell like going through the vids to find it ,might be the .050 I saw.
Carl

Evan T.

haha yeah its called imagery lol so anything you should warn me about before my first lift off with the b400 on saturday besides the servos being crap ugh i wish they would like atleast update them or something make like a b400 v2 lol

J-MICHAEL

Glenn ~

Alright.... I told ya I would get back to ya on the battery weights... So, I weighed those 5-cell TP's (3300 mah), and all 4 came in within a few gram difference of course, but at 434 grams averaging... This is with the Deans installed, and a huge strip of industrial strength velcro applied on the back... Hope this may help...? What is the weights of your two 3-cells...? Do you know by chance ? I was curious on the weights....

Oh.... the link to those batts, say they are a tad heavier, but they actually are shy of that a little...


http://www.helidirect.com/product_in...oducts_id=6254


Take care,

~ Jeff

rotarydoc

Carl,

You hit the nail on the head....that is exactly where that is needed...the servo mounts use these little "studs" that go into the swash stabilizer, and the canopy mounts.

Good work. Now I have one less thing to worry about...LOL!

Glenn

rotarydoc

Evan....

Chances are, your servos will be good, at least for a while. I have flown my spare B400 a few times, and it flies fine with them.

But, having seen what I have seen, I would strongly recommend that you do a very careful pre-flight check before EVERY flight, and double check the cyclic servos...you can do this by flipping the throttle hold switch while you move the collective and cyclic sticks around.

Also, let me give you some settings that you should definately think about using to calm the headspeed down a bit...the B400 right out of the box has a pretty high (intimidating) head speed, and it's kinda twitchy like that...you can slow it down quite a bit with this pitch curve, instead of the stock curves...

L=0%

2=51%

3=69%

4=85%

H=100%


These settings will slow the head speed quite a bit....and help you get started. You can gradually reduce the numbers a little at a time until you get more comfortable. These will also increase your safe flight times too.

Let me know if you need help when you go to program them...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Evan,

Now that I look at that, you may want to change the L setting to about 35 or so....to prevent negative pitch in case you chop the throttle real fast, which is the thing that people tend to do alot when they are new pilots.

That, and don't try it without training gear! Unlike the CP...even a slight tip over can cost you at least a set of main blades, and a spindle!

And, just take it nice and easy...it will fly much better than the CP....but it's sure not going to be like the CX2!!!

Glenn

rotarydoc

Jeff,

Thanks....that helps explain why I'm leaning towards the tail heavy side...you should fare much better...

The Efite packs are 376 grams, combined, with velcro and EC3 connectors...

So, you shouldn't have the issues that I am having...I just wonder if you'll be able to keep the packs in the "safe zone", behind the battery tray...and out of harm's way in a nose in crash?

So far, knock on wood, I have not had a nose in crash yet....that horrible thud when I tried inverted was on the side...but it still knocked the battery pack clean through the canopy!! LOL

Hope you feel better soon!

Thanks again for weighing them, I think we both learned from it...

Glenn

evdreamer

I am almost done with the batteries. The heatshrink I got is a lot bigger than I imagined, so I can fit both batteries in one heat shrink. I am waiting for the glue gun to heat up, so I can glue both of them together. Then later I will write and show pics of the build.

Evan T.

so does anyone have something to say lol like something new oh and heli how is the progress coming on the wasp v3 did you ever finish the head.........