rotarydoc

Nick,

I can fly backwards, and do little funnels with the Quark....now, if I could just do that with a bigger heli...LOL!

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Cool to hear about funnels and backwards flight. I am going to head off to work. I might be on later tonight if I am not tired.

Nick

rotarydoc

Sound good, try to have a nice time at work...

See ya,

Glenn

Evan T.

hey guys thanks for the happy b-days i hope i can get the b400 by tomorrow because i only have 300 so far and dont know when the rest will get here but hopefully by tomorow and its gay because everyone is sending checks not cash so if i dont get it all by tomorrow then i have to wait longer because banks are closed on sunday ughhhhh

Evan T.

going to dinner i guess be back tonite byy

rotarydoc

Evan,

That kinda sucks! Hopefully, someone will give you some cash too, so you can get it this weekend. Or, maybe you can get to the bank before it closes tomorrow, most are open on Saturdays.

I'm not doing too much better here, the weather forecast is looking pretty grim for the weekend. Tons of rain and wind tomorrow, and high winds and cold for Sunday...

So, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do much with the new heli or not this weekend, I'll just have to see how bad it is and go from there.

If nothing else, you can get it next week, and then you'll be able to have time to read the instructions too...

You are welcome on the happy birthday...hope it's been a good one so far...

Glenn

J-MICHAEL

Glenn ~

Hey.... I have an idea.... Since mine won't be ready until next weekend, and since it was 83 degrees today, and warmer supposively for the weekend, you could always ship your 500 over here to me, and I'll fly it for ya !... Hek... I'll even shoot a video for ya also...


Evan ~

Sign the checks over to your parents at dinner, and then tell them to go to the nearest ATM to withdraw funds for the 400.... And tell them if they don't, you'll scream like a little kid ! LOL.... Have them drop ya off at the LHS, so that you can camp-out there until morning when they open...




Cheers,

~ Jeff

HeliStyle

My Feedback: (2)

Happy birthday evan, hope you get the b400 soon


weather is junkie here as well, how is everyone else doing?

choppersrule

Evan,


I've been lurking and watching you guys, you're all doing absolutely wonderful.. Great work by all. However, I just dropped in to wish you a "Happy Birthday"

Dave / Choppersrule

JPEE

Hi Evan

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND GET THAT HELICOPTER AT LEAST BY SATURDAY NIGHT. THIS YEAR IT IS A HELICOPTER, NEXT YEAR A CAR OH BOY TO BE YOUR AGE AGAIN.

MY BEST TO YA LAD. ..JPEE

rotarydoc

Jeff,

I'll pack 'er up and send it right out to ya!! LOL!!

Sure picked a bad weekend to do a setup and maiden flight...but, what can you do?

If the weather is as bad as they say it's going to be, I may well take the 500 up to the shop, and at least spool it up, and see if I can set the tracking...and see how the gyro acts when it gets light on the skids...but NO HOVERING IN THE SHOP....LOL!!!

I'm coming down the home stretch...I need to balance the main blades, install them, and check the pitch, and then fix the tail blade grips, as I have them on backwards...(the BLING is pointing inwards...CAN'T HAVE THAT....LOL!)

Then, I gotta do the tail...which I am not 100% sure on, since it's my first GY401 setup....I have been researching it some, so I'm going to see if what I am reading makes sense...

I know that I have to get the servo arm at 90 first, then get the tail slider at it's neutral position....but what should the gyro settings be when I'm doing this? In rate mode....or as the manual said, in HH mode? Kinda confused on that one....

And, on the GY401, is it like an Eflite gyro, where anything below 50% is rate, and above 50% is HH mode?

Lots to learn!!

I'll be around pretty late tonight, so I'll probably see ya later...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Heli,

Not much here....just hoping for a break in the weather this weekend...but it doesn't look too good...

What kinda laptop are you going to get for school? They have alot of nice ones these days for pretty good prices...

As I wrote above, getting pretty close on the 500...and I flew the Quark today at the shop for like 5 battery packs....forgot how much fun that little heli is....makes a perfect little trainer...was doing stuff that I can't do on the bigger helis...

Hope all is well with you...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Jeff, Nick,

Okay....I give up....and I have to give in, and admit that I'm in the dark...LOL!

In my bag with the main blades, both the cheapies from Helidirect, and the Align ones....there are small reflective halogram looking stickers...I am guessing that they make the rotor "disc" more visible in flight?

If so, where do they go...? One on each blade, or both on one blade, top and bottom?

I don't want to look like an idiot when I show up at the flying field with them on wrong..LMAO!!

I got the tail grips on right now, so the nice machined aluminum is showing....and I mounted the tail rotor blades.

I balanced the FRP cheapie blades from Helidirect, and the things are amazing! Took one strip of scotch tape to bring them in perfectly! They look very decent for half the price of CF blades....but they are more flexible, for sure.

Glenn

J-MICHAEL

Glenn ~

You got it right with starting out and having your servo arm at 90 degrees, tail pitch slider at center (Later you'll tweak with this), and also make sure all your trims are at 0 like your rudder channel, rudder sub-trim, etc. etc. The inner-hole is generally the hole selected also on the tail servo as it offers the best amount of resolution as if ya go to far out on the hole for your rod placement it can bring the gyro end down, if that makes sense... Make sure your tail pushrod is also straight down the underside of the boom and you should always have the gyro in rate-mode as this offers the best set-up for the gyro as many do, and even Finless states for many reasons why...

You are also correct on that less than 50 % is RATE mode, and more than 50 % is HH mode...

There is gonna be a lot of little tweaks with the set-up of the gyro and tail servo and even a few more after your first test hover and flight. However, its really not to bad if you don't get overwhelmed on thinking so as the steps and understandings aren't that bad once you do it once. Just stay focused, and you'll have no probs... Also Nick should be on-line in an hour or so, and since he is our "Father Of Knowledge" he will be one of your best helpers for getting your gyro and tail servo set-up properly... And I'll be able to help ya also... Tonight is a busy night for me a little, as I'am helping my dad set-up his 600 as he had it taken apart, and his knowledge is slim in the heli dept...LMAO... CRAP that things huge compared to our 500's...! It makes our 500's still look like a toy !...YIKES huh ?!

To get ya started, until Nick may be able to help, you should go to Finless's TREX 450 SE vids, or a couple others he has that may have the GY401 set-up with the rear tail servo... But I know for a fact the GY401 info for set-up is on the TREX 450 SE video section that he offers... Its listed under there as "Gyro-Setup" He goes over the WHOLE thing very clearly... You should at least download it and save it to your computer, so you can always go back later quickly to view it if need be...

That info will drive ya in the proper direction, and done so very clearly for you to understand. I can't stress it enough in watching it... And then me and Nick can guide you through any other issues, or things that you may have in question... You'll be fine...

Yeah bummer about the weather huh ? Its been nice here lately, but the season at this time of year brings stronger winds and such (Santa Ana winds) from early morning until evening generally...

Not sure if ya caught my post from this morning, but I said I was glad your manual stated on where to put your servo links on your servo arms...Cool... They show in my manual also where to put them on various servo's but not the Align's... Basically it was 16-16.5 mm from the center of the arm where the arm attaches to then the hole...

Alright, I gotta go before my dad messes up anything more !...LMAO... He's the type that thinks he knows everything or more, but in fact with the heli's he's very clue-less....LOL...! Gotta love him though.....


Take care Glenn ! [8D] I still can't believe we got 500's.....!!! [8D][8D]

~ Jeff

J-MICHAEL

I put mine on my forehead.... LOL... No, I'am not going to be using them for tracking, but using a different configuration for that with other decals I have... I used those stickers on my bump stop thingies on the skids, as I liked there pretty little colors...Ooooooohhh how purty..... I couldn't go for those ugly ***** blue stops...No way... LOL... I lost those from day 1 on my 450 also....

rotarydoc

Jeff,

Thanks for all the info.....I have the gyro installed, and I think I have it down pretty close, just following the instructions both from Futaba, and Align.

I will definately watch the Finless vid on the 450, I could not find a vid on the GY401 itself, so thanks for that bit of info!

I figured out how to get it into AVCS mode and normal mode, and it does say to set up the linkage in normal mode...I didn't read before I started asking questions...LOL

Yeah, I have a couple of questions for Nick, if he's not too beat after work....

But in the meantime, I'll watch ole' Bob do it...LOL!!

Thanks a million!

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah they really help with black blades which are really hard to see. In videos I have seen them on top at the very end of the blade, so you know the diameter of the rotors when they are up to speed. And it is one one each blade.

Jeff pretty much covered the gyro thing, but like he said we are here to help you if you still have questions.

Jeff,

Is your dad going to let you fly his 600? They are a lot of fun and then you can compare it to the 500.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Thanks on the reflective stickers...I don't know if I'll use them or not, but it's good to know!

Just got done with Finless....and I redid a couple of things, like put the ball stud on the inner most hole, as he says that gives the best resolution on the gyro.

I just need to set the limit adjustments now...

One question though...when I was setting it up before, I had alot of unused travel at the end of the rudder stick throws, both directions....I would adjust that in the radio, right?

Something like swash mix, but for the travel of the rudder....but I wouldn't use expo for that....maybe travel adjust?

I'll look into it...but it looks like I am on the right track.

Thanks guys!

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

When you have unused travel did you turn up the limit pot on the gyro all the way? If so and you need more then you would go in the travel adjustments for the rudder and increase both left and right the same amount.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

I have it about 98% dialed in....I figured out the rudder stick travel...it was travel adjust...

Now, one BIG problem....any idea why the HH mode will only engage about half the time when I power it up? Maybe less than half the time...?

The only other thing is, I am right on the border between having the limit all the way up, and having the servo ball in the closest hole...in other words, I have the limit maxed out...and am just a TINY bit short of absolute full travel...

I am thinking for my type of flying, I'll keep it that way....I'll have more resolution on the rudder, but maybe a little less piro rate?

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah the 401 can be tricky to get it into HH every time. Is the light blinking or just off? If it is blinking just go into normal, HH, normal, HH, normal, HH in three seconds and that should cure the problem. You can also have both gain settings in HH mode and rebind the heli so the receiver memorizes to go into HH mode before it arms then the gyro can go into HH mode. If the gyro arms before the receiver it will be hit or miss, so by rebinding it, it forces the gyro to go into HH mode.

I bet you won't need the full travel of the pitch slider. The farther it travels the faster your piro will be and it will be a little slower since your ball joint is near the center. You might want a little more travel of the pitch slider to the left, so it can cancel the torque of the main rotors and give equal piro rates to the left and right.

Nick

evdreamer

Glenn,

I am going to call it a night because I have school tomorrow. I hate having these Saturday classes. I hope I get out early like last Saturday.

Hope the weather turns out better for you since it must be hard having the 500 almost ready to fly. Then not be able to because of the weather.

Talk to you tomorrow.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Thanks....yeah, when it does that, it just blinks slowly. I tried the 3 throws on the gyro switch, and as Futaba says, three throws on the rudder stick...didn't seem to help.

I also tried making both gyro settings above 50 to see what would happen...and that didn't seem to help either. Is 50% or more the HH mode switching rate?

As a last resort, I tried unplugging the gyro from the receiver, and that did the trick, but I'm not going to be able to do that when the RX is mounted...

I guess it's just something I'll have to get used to...unless you have any other ideas?

I also doubt that I will need full travel...I think I would benefit more from better resolution on the rudder stick...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Sounds good Nick,

Have a nice day tomorrow, and thanks again for your help!

Glenn

rotarydoc

Nick,

I did some research on HF, and found some other people with the same issue.

It was fixed by rebinding, making sure that the gyro switch is in HH or AVCS mode when you rebind.

Took care of it 100%....

Now all I need to do is route my wiring, mount the gyro and receiver, and set the blade pitch.

Hopefully, it will stop raining for a while tomorrow, or I may go up to the shop and just spool it up a bit....

Thanks again,

Glenn