rotarydoc

Jeff,

Have you ever watched the video of Finnless flying the Trex 500 at the beginning of the build videos?

That is my goal, to be able to fly like that, maybe even without the inverted flying around....but he makes the flips near the end of the video look completely effortless....like they are on the sim....

I know it's not that easy, it can't be, but he sure has a way of making it look easy!!

Glenn

J-MICHAEL

Glenn ~

Yes I did ! How cool huh ? I didn't realize he could fly that well... I always wondered if you did, but kept forgetting to ask... I unfortunately watched that video late at night right before I was going to go to bed.... Well.... That was a bad thing, as then I couldn't sleep all night thinking of that video, and hearing those blades harping and cutting into the air....LMAO... Man... How cool... Someday I hope to be able to fly like Nick or Finless... No rush though. I love working on them just as much !


Alright, I gotta go work on the heli's for a bit.... Talk with ya guys later maybe.

~ Jeff

rotarydoc

Jeff,

Yeah, he flies pretty darn good...sets a goal for me...

While I can appreciate the hard 3D alot....it's not really what I want as a goal...my goal is very much like what Finless does in that video...maybe in a year or two....we'll have to see...

Well, I'm going to take a break from the heli world for a bit, and watch Jack Bauer save the world on "24"....LOL

I'll "check in" before I hit the sack...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Hey guys,

Gonna call it a night...

Wonder if Evan made any progress with the new B400?

Got a big heli day ahead tomorrow...

Glenn

Carljw

Glenn J Michel

I know how Even must have felt with the waiting, I am 63 but fill like a kid when it comes to hiles, went through the same thing with my B400. I keep buying things as I wait.
So far two screwdriver sets from Align the HZ024 and the HZ040 .
The HZ040 i got first and think I ordered it by mastake. It has two 1.5 tips but they are 4 sided.
And a 2.5 hexagon and a philips. So i ordered a HZ024 set. I got a align spindle set and what a diference next to the B400 ones. And I got the step down regulator. A Y harnes.
I will need batterys since I have two 1800 e-flites one TP 2100 and one G-force 1800.
I wonder if it would even spool up with the two 1800 bats.
I am telling my family to just get me Hobby Town gift cards for Christmas for servos a Gy410
and a better charger and some batterys. Its around 35 deg here in Pgh so rideing the Nighttrain is out to keep me busy although I do have a heated vest LOL.
Carl

Carljw

I made a wooden thing for my camera tripod to mount my CPP on to ck tracking and that worked ok. I tried it with my B400 and spooled up over 1/2 stick and to ck tracking and the next thing I know there is the B400 and the tripod legs a foot off the ground, scared the crap out of me. Its a light tripod so If I add some weight to it like 5lbs it might work.
I used a 8x8 piece of wood with two eye bolts on one end and the other side two eye bolts opened up sp i can twist them over the front strut legs and tighten them down with wing nuts.
Carl

Carljw

That canopy is sweet I been eyeing up the stars and stripe one. Did you get that at
Heli Proz, How long did it take to come after you ordered it . I sure hope there web site
is correct and they do have the T500 in stock.
Carl

Carljw

Jpee
Thanks for the case info, I marked that down in my to get list.
I forgot to mention I got a hola hoop yesterday so will be getting some wood rods
to make training gear for my first spool up, I know that will be scary.
Carl

Carljw

Glenn
I see you have a Forester, my wife has a Black 2005 Baja. I have a PT Cruiser with lots of room in the back.
Carl

rotarydoc

Hey Carl,

Wow, sounds like you are really getting prepared for the new heli! I think you will really enjoy it, I know I love mine so far, and I haven't even spooled it up yet! The build was alot of fun, I really enjoyed that alot.

Yes, it will spool up fine with the 1800's, since they are 3S packs, and will have 22.2 volts available....they just won't power it for very long...I'm guessing maybe 3 minutes safely...

Interesting on the camera tripod...that would be scary to have it lift off....and the 500 has alot more power, I'm still figuring out how I'm going to check tracking, but not like I do my B400, holding it down with one hand, and operating the TX with the other (with industrial grade face mask, mind you!)...I'll probably do it the old fashoioned way, lay down on the ground, and spool it up from a distance.

You can trust Heliproz, I have had a few great experiences with them...stuff got here on time, and correctly every time. Those people are 100% heli people, they are even building a new facility in Montana, on a nice piece of land, with a flying field, large shop, etc....

Yeah, I just recently got my Forester, it's a 1998, but it is in great shape. I got a steal on it, as it needed head gaskets...and I'm an auto mechanic, so I did the repair myself.

Hope you get your new stuff soon...I hate USPS tracking, because it's never accurate. My guess, unless they surprise me and send it Priority, is that it will take about a week to get to you, give or take a couple of days.

I'm going to at the very least, spool my 500 up today....but the weather is NOT being nice...I am having 20 MPH winds, with 30+ MPH gusts...it's not going to be pretty...LOL

Glenn

J-MICHAEL

Carl ~

Yeah I bet ya can't wait for that thing to arrive soon ! I bought mine October 3rd, and its still not in the air... But by next weekend hopefully... Who knows, you might have yours in the air before me at the rate I'am going...LMAO...But I tell ya at my age of 38 years, I hope by the time I'am 63 like yourself that I'll finally be able to fly these things ! I wish I would have discovered these fun little things sooner that's for sure. I can't wait until you get your 500... It should provide you with better stability I'am hoping as they say with these bigger birds. Me and Glenn will definately let ya know soon though ! And all of us on this thread are here for ya if you need any help on the way during your 500 adventure in building and flying it.

I'll be ordering that canopy from Heliproz tonight... I went over EVERY single product they carry in all departments last night. Whew.... What an addicting task that was...LOL.. I also reviewed everyones profile who works there, and they sure seem like a very great bunch for sure... There was even a couple ladies who built and fly a heli or two. I thought that was really neat... It looks ass if I will be doing business with them in the future also as I also do with Helidirect and a few others out there. I'am pretty picking on where I order from....


Glenn ~

Bring out the boys with the Scottish Bagpipes... Today is spool up day ! [8D] Remember when you spool up, to also kick it full stick throttle right after as Finless did in that video so you can see it launch to the moon faster than the space shuttle alright...?! I can't wait for that test upon spool up for me... I'am gonna trash that stick full throttle and see where she sits as far as power goes on a full vertical launch... But only after a few spool ups so I can get the trust factor established...


Alright talk with ya guys later.....

~ Jeff

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah it is also windy here, but the 600 will handle it just fine. But I don't know if I will fly the 450 or not. I also rewired my little balancer and I will test it here soon.

Nick

rotarydoc

Hey guys,

Well, I did what I set out to do today! I took it out, and spooled it up, and hovered (if you want to call it that! LOL) for a couple of minutes....

It is just flat out TOO WINDY here today, gusts still 32+ MPH....heck, the wind was blowing the car around on the drive out there...imagine what it will do to a 7 lb. helicopter!

The good news, is that I didn't crash, or break anything other than the dowel on the training gear (yup, I had them on for safety's sake!)...but the wind was really pushing it around, and worse, it wasn't constant wind, but huge gusts suddenly coming up...so I packed it up. I will watch the conditions, and haven't ruled out another attempt later on...

The thing is amazing, from what I have seen so far!! LOTS and lots of power, and it's very easy to control the power, it's not like a swich like the Gaui can be...very smooth power application.

And the SOUND!! AWESOME is all I can say....Jeff, you won't mistake it for your 450, that is for sure!! But, you've heard and seen your dad's 600, so you have an idea what to expect....

The setup seems great, the tail is unbelievable....rock steady, right off the bat, no adjustments needed....and it didn't even flinch at the wind!! It was the rest of the heli that was all over the place!

The headspeed sounds about right at hover, didn't try idle up yet....

Overall, I'm very impressed so far, I can't WAIT until I can actually fly it!!

I just can't wait for the wind to die down some...maybe towards sunset, like it did in the summer....

I'll be on most of the day...doing chores and checking in...

Nick, the 600 will come in handy in the wind...the 500 is really good, but I don't think it can handle wind nearly as well as the 600 can.

Good luck on the balancer too...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Cool to hear your first hover was a success and that you like the heli a lot. There are a few bugs in the balancer, so I reduced it even further just for a one cell. Hopefully it works out better.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Thanks....at least I know that all the basics are there and good...and I can work from there.

There was no way I could check blade tracking, I'm halfway temped to take it to work this week sometime and see about checking/setting the tracking, if I don't get another chance to fly it today.

It was very cool to see it fly, reminded me of the GMP Cobra days somewhat, I guess because it's closer to the size of the Cobra than my other helicopters are.

I hope you can get the balancer to work out for you at one cell...and then you can work from there on it.

I am hoping the wind dies down.

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

I am thinking the reason the balancer isn't working is because the main chip can't tell the difference between a .02V difference. I checked all my batteries with E-Flite balance connectors and they are all .02V off. So when I charge a battery and the voltage difference is in the .1V range I will try it again and see if it turns on.

Nick

J-MICHAEL

Cool Glenn ! Darn wind huh ? I bet it still handled its own better than the B-400 though in that wind for ya today ! Yeah Nick has the upper-hand with the wind as his heli is around 7.3 lbs, where ours for the 500's is only around 3.3 lbs or so... Big diff, but still better than the 450's.... I'am trying to do some research on a Hacker A30-10 L brushless motor that's brand new that is for the Logo 10, which has been staring at the Trex 500 lately...LOL.. It seems it may work in it. But really not sure still yet... I wouldn't try it until I flew several packs with the stock power train anyway... And besides, from what I see and hear the 500's stock power train is way plenty...

Sunny and hot out here today... Hardly any wind at all... Keep us posted if ya do another hover attempt. Good to hear about the 9257 doing good... Again today I was still debating on which rear servo I should put in that I have for the 500...


Have a good one,

~ Jeff

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yep I was right that my op-amp can't tell a difference between .00-1.05V, but it wasn't really designed to do what I am using it for. I bet if I set my reference voltage 1.05V lower I can get the balancer to work. I am loosing flight time to this balancer design, but it is just as fun as flying helis.

Nick

rotarydoc

Jeff,

Yeah, but ya can't do much about the weather...just hope that I can get another try before sundown. Yeah, I was thinking our 500's were a bit heavier than that, they feel like it when you are holding them...but I did the math, and they are around 3.5 lbs, give or take...and Nick's 600 is twice that...and that will make all the difference in the wind.

I don't feel too bad, Nate from Hobby Hangar cancelled his flying today too. The B400 would be a handful in this wind. I have flown it in about half of this...and it's a pretty good handful....lots of elevation changes!!

LOL...you kill me...already looking for more power, and you haven't even flown it yet!! From the little I just felt, my 500 has PLENTY of power... and it's nice, smooth power too...should fly great like that.

Nick,

Sounds like you are zeroing in on the issue....good work.

I can see how you would get drawn into a project like that, and distract you from flying...

Hey, aren't you going to the fun fly with the Gaui today?

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah I am still planning on going to the fun fly, but if I remember right it starts at 5PM CST, so I still have some time.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Cool. Bring the 600, and surprise everyone!! LMAO

Can you imagine flying that indoors?

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah I don't think they would like the idea of me flying the 600. They won't let anything from a 400 and up size fly there, so the Gaui is perfect.

Nick

evdreamer

I got my balancer working this time. I could clearly see a voltage go up and one go down, but I am taking the current from the low battery and putting it into the high battery. So I need to work on that. It is also very slow at balancing, so I need to pull more current to speed up the process, but I don't know the max current the balance connectors can handle. Right now I am pulling 415mA. I was thinking maybe an Amp would do.

J-MICHAEL

Glenn ~

LOL... MORE POWER !... Yeah I'am sure the stock power is way plenty for sure... But it certainly couldn't help to have a tiddy bit more eh ?!...[8D] The weather here today in Cali is just perfect. Its like 82 degrees right now, and not even a peep of wind whatsoever... I should go out and fly my MCX its so calm... Its doing this, just to tease me since the 500 isn't ready yet ! LMAO... Next weekend it will probably be stormy or something, just watch... Kinda like what its doing for you there where you live...


Nick ~

That Castle Creations 10 amp BEC I have hooked up to my 500's ESC is cool... It works with our Castle link USB so you can change the settings with it like we do with our other CC ESC's... For default the 500's ESC is set to 5.5v... But I disabled the BEC from the ESC and will be using the CC BEC for better effeciency in operation going to the 500's ESC so I'll be setting the settings going to the servo's to then 6.0v as Finless also did to get a little more response from those cyclic servos, and of course using the stepdown for the tail servo... Its a neat little BEC for sure... If all goes well, I may get another for the 450... I like the idea of taking a majority of the load off the ESC and letting it concentrate more on the job at hand instead of trying to do everything and making it tired and running hotter... I can't wait to see the results... Sounds like your coming along with your balancer contraption eh ? No magic smoke yet ?! Good thing I'am not at the realms of that operation, or there would be magic smoke filled in the whole room, yet alone probably the whole house !...LMAO... Oh..... Its crazy you can set the voltage to 9v's with that CC BEC...Crazy... I wonder what servos take that high of a load...YIKES... The cool thing however with the 500's ESC is you can also program it from the default 5.5v and put it to 6v's and its also a switchable ESC also. Pretty cool... Except the drain I'am thinking would be more to the ESC in doing so... Alright, off to go play....


Cheers,

~ Jeff

JPEE

Hello Glenn,

CONGRADUALTIONS! on your first and safe flight/hover. Smart not to try and push it. There is always tomorrow............


JPee