evdreamer

Did you buy the premade ones or make a pack? If you made it what did you do to make it? I have heard your not supposed to solder on them, but people do like the NiCd's.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Yep, that's where my username came from...I use it on HF and eBay as well...

That is cool that there is an article on the Gaui in RC Heli magazine....do you get a subscription? I guess you get it sooner than it will be on the newstands? I'll have to make a point of picking up a copy, for sure! That is very encouraging that they gave it high ratings...definately will have to check that out.

I didn't really fly today either, got busy with some other stuff, went to the baseball field, and there were people there, so I went to my other area, and all I had time/light to do was to test fly both helis. Neither one had been test flown since they were repaired. They both flew fine, and as a matter of fact, the Gaui actually seemed to hover a bit better than it has been...which is cool. I didn't really fly as much as tested before I ran out of light.

Hmm, the a123 batteries sound like they are pretty cool...you'll have to keep me updated on how you make out with them...I should research them as well in the meantime. Sounds like they are still pretty new technology?

I have read some of the reviews in RC Heli magazine, and they do tend to use like the best equipment available alot of times...making the flying total pretty high. But I guess they do that to make it more real world.

Good luck researching the a123 batteries. I hope to get some flying in tomorrow. I was noticing tonight that it is getting dark earlier than it was a few weeks ago...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah I have a subscription to it. I like the reviews, building tips, and some of the magazines tell you how to do some tricks.

I ended up getting three flights in today. I put the new tail blades on, but I can't tell a difference, since I am still a little afraid of piros. I think my gain is up to 87% now. When I add rudder it easily pushes the helicopter around. Cool to hear your helicopters are flying good and the Gaui is a little better now. My T-Rex is flying better after I sized the links and redid the head linkages. The links were really tight on the tail pushrod and now it is silky smooth.

I can afford the A123 batteries right now, but I would need a new charger which I can't afford. I need to figure out how to sell stuff on the RCU classifieds, so I can afford the charger. I think they have been out for a few years, but their popularity on RC vehicles and aircraft are slowly growing. They are a little bigger and heavier than LiPo's, but I think the advantages make it worth it.

The only thing I am unsure of is how to attach the cells. A123 recommends not soldering to the battery, so they have optional tabs that you can solder too. I am planning to go that route, but the tabs are held on by four spot welds. And some people aren't a fan of those. And it is possible if the tabs come off it will leave a hole in the battery. Then there are ones with out the tabs which I would like to solder copper bus bars on like people did with NiCd's. Then I would get a better connection with lower resistance.

Nick

HeliStyle

My Feedback: (2)

I actually went to walmart and bought the vpx black and decker battery pack, it actually have real a123 cells in them, there is a huge thread about this over at the a123 section in the forums, you break the pack open which is just a plastic case surrounding the cells, and inside there is 2 a123 cells, they are pretty much already aligned together as a pack all you have to do is solder a deans connector on it, I have been using mine for like 3 months now and im very impressed with them, I like them just as much as a lipo, im only using 2 cell a123 packs, you can pretty much run them till they are dead, and have no problems with them later

evdreamer

That seems to be the popular method on Helifreak and RCGroups as well. Does the VPX pack use the 18650 or 26650 cells? Are you balancing them? Some people say they don't need to be balanced and others say they do. I need a triangle shape of three 26650 cells, so I couldn't use the Dewalt pack thats in the brick shape. It is good to hear that you like the batteries a lot.

Nick

HeliStyle

My Feedback: (2)

im not sure what the cells are in that pack, I never balance mine, and I charge mine with a nmih charger, never had a issue, people will not reccomend you doing this but I have over 100 charges on one of my packs and had no issues at all, still same power and performance

tiptonre

If you want a very nice set of blades try these. I use them and the performance gain is amazing. they are 255mm blades so they are a little longer and they are also thiner than stock. they are a FRP carbon fiber. They are not hollow with a styrafoam core they are solid. These blades are heavier than stock and are cheaper than the stock CF blades.

Micro Heli part number MH-CP088.... trust me and buy them.

PS I have cut a 1/2 inch diam branch clean off a tree and di not nic the blades nor did I crash. They went clean thru it and did not mis a beat.

rotarydoc

Hey guys,

What's new out there in heli land? I just got back from flying, a very short, rain suspended session. I took my new helipad and put it pretty far out in the baseball field, and MAN, what a difference!! It is so COOL to be able to fly without having to worry about hitting anything but the ground!

I was having a field day (pun intended!) with the Gaui, and then the B400 for a short period, before the storms came...

I usually fly where there are buildings and stuff to hit if the heli gets away, but this is so wide open, it really lets you relax more...

How is everyone doing?

Hope you guys got to fly some today...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Sorry to hear you didn't get to fly as long with the rain, but it sounded like you had fun. I really like flying in a open field too. There is more room for mistakes and you can push the helicopter to the limits like speed.

I only got one flight in today. I fell asleep in front of the computer, so I couldn't fly anymore. But it was kind of windy, so it wasn't too much fun with the one flight that I did get too do.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Yeah, exactly...I was finding myself pushing the Gaui pretty hard, because I had alot of room for error, and corrections. Well, pretty hard for me at least, some pretty cool fast banked turns were very much fun.

I am finding the Gaui more fun to fly than the B400...I hate to say it, but it's fast becoming my favorite heli to fly. After I flew the Gaui, I flew half a pack in the B400, and it just seemed so big and bulky!

One huge advantage though, is that I had no problems seeing it...and I think once I get more confident and get it out further and up higher, I will enjoy it more.

The Gaui is just more fun because it is much less intimidating for me, and the field provides a HUGE flying area for it, with plenty of room. That little heli is quite addictive!

Hope you get some rest so you don't fall asleep at the computer...and hope college is going well, and you get some flying time in...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Cool to hear you had a lot of fun with the Gaui.

I don't know if you have done any dives yet, but they are pretty fun to start up high. Stall turns are also more fun to do the higher I go.

The main reason I chose a helicopter over an airplane is to fly in smaller spaces, but going to a field is more fun.

I got an A on my first math test, but it was pretty easy and only had 5 questions. Yeah I hope I can get some more flights in tomorrow too. Hope you can fly longer tomorrow if you go to your field.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Haven't tried any dives yet, not quite going that high...as my confidence in the field is not that great yet. But I am becoming more comfortable with higher flying and further away.

I have never owned an airplane, just never had the desire (or space). For some reason, they just don't do much for me. Maybe if I tried one I would like it...but I don't think I feel like going to a flying field every time I wanted to fly it.

Great news on the math test, keep up the good work, it will pay off in the long run!

It's been nice here, cooler, but kinda windy, so I'll have to see on the flying tonight. I am having a blast with the Gaui 200 on G4...that heli on the sim is amazing!

After I fly it, and then fly the helis I used to practice with, (Impala .30 nitro) it's like in real life going from the Gaui to the B400...

Hope you have fun flying if you get a chance today...

Glenn

rotarydoc

Nick,


Well, I was doing so well....LOL

I had two great flights in, and decided to try to do figure 8's in the other direction, which I still have problems with on the sim...and it didn't go so well. I actually didn't crash per se, it got a little out of shape, and I lost some altitude, (I HAVE to learn to fly higher!) and the Gaui was kinda skimming across the grass in the field, and snagged something, and brought it to an abrupt stop, and had a tailboom strike.

Looks like I'm in for a tailboom, tailboom supports, tailshaft, see saw arms, blade grip screws, maybe a spindle, and main blades. I figure about $40 or so...

Just got done ordering a bunch of crash parts for the Gaui on Readyheli. Got a bunch of the hard to find grip screws, and I tried to get 2 sets of see saws, but they only had one set available.

Oh well, no flying the Gaui this weekend, but it will give me a good excuse to install the Micro Heli tail!!

I can't figure out why I still have such a hard time doing left hand turns to my left...that is what caused me to lose it. I must learn to fly higher, I could have saved it easily had I had more altitude.

Live and learn, I guess.

Hope you had better luck flying...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

I think airplanes are too easy to fly. I was doing rolls and loops on my first flight.

Thanks for the comment about my math test.

Cool to hear you are enjoying G4.

Sorry to hear about the helicopter accident. I have never seen a boom bent that bad. My boom never bent before, but it was made of carbon fiber. I guess $40 isn't too bad for a crash. Cool to hear you were able to get more of those blade grip screws.

Hope the MicroHeli tail works out better. Good thing you didn't have the shaft driven helicopter or that would add to the cost of the accident.

Yeah altitude is a helicopters best friend.

I almost crashed twiced today. Both times I was doing a dive. I almost didn't pull up fast enough to miss the ground and almost didn't pull up fast enough to miss a fence.

Have fun rebuilding the Gaui.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Did you get a chance to fly today? I only managed one pack, everywhere I went to fly, there were people around, and in the way. I finally found one spot and by that time, it was almost dark out.

I have never flown a plane, so I'll just take your word for it...sounds kinda boring to me...LOL

Well, Readyhobby continues to impress me. Today, at lunch, they called me on the PHONE, and told me that they had made an inventory error, and that the see saw arms were not in stock, and asked me if I wanted to substitute something else.

I didn't, but I asked them how much more the shipping would be to get the parts here tomorrow, and she said about $15...which was the cost of the arms...so I told her to go ahead and ship them next day...so I should have my stuff tomorrow, instead of Monday or Tuesday. I like that much better, I will have all the time I need for the rebuild tomorrow night, and not have to work on it when I am tired after work...plus I might be able to get some flying time in on Sunday as well.

LOL, I ordered 5 packs of the grip screws...that's 50 screws!!

I am going to order two sets of the see saw arms from Helihobby tomorrow...and hope I don't break any until I get those. Those things are kinda expensive, at $16 a pair...man, I was browsing the Hirobo Lepton parts earlier, just out of curiosity, and WHEW, I would hate to crash one of those!! Most of the parts are really expensive, especially stuff for the rotor head. Even the main shaft was like $13...and you only get one!


I may still get the see saws made by the machinist on HF eventually, it looks like the stock ones are pretty fragile. But, on the other hand, the blades are super tough, mine didn't really suffer any damage, except for a little cosmetic stuff...

I am still debating on the Micro Heli tail, don't know if I should use it now, or wait until something happens to this one, like the bearing holes wear out, or a major crash...

Hope you had time to fly today...

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

I only got one flight in too. I mostly flew above the tree tops for something different. It was kind of uncomfortable tilting my head back to see the helicopter. I like to fly at eye level or below. Sorry to hear you couldn't fly too much today. I am planning to go to a baseball field tomorrow if the weather is good. Then Sunday night I am going to go to my local flying field and watch all the people with RC warbirds fly.

I was flying a Hangar9 Alpha 40. It is a nitro trainer and pretty much flew itself. I am sure the 3D airplanes are a different story. Airplanes fly a lot longer than helicopters because they need less power, so that is kind of cool. I probably got 10-15 minutes, but I didn't have a timer. I just flew until it was out of Nitro. I should have got the Outrage helicopter from Helidirect instead of the T-Rex because it is just as good and uses a 6S battery which allows it to have longer flight times.

That is cool that Readyheli called you and that you are going to get your parts tomorrow.

I think that many screws should last a long time.

It seems high quality helicopters have expensive parts. But it would probably be worth it to fly one of those once. Too bad I don't know anyone with a bigger helicopter I could test fly.

Have fun on what ever you decide to do with the MicroHeli tail.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

Yeah, my one fllight was fairly productive. I made myself fly higher than I usually do, almost to the point of being uncomfortable with it. I managed to do a few of my left circles that I have so much trouble with. It got too dark after the one pack, so I quit while I was ahead. I don't want TWO rebuild jobs at once!

I also want to fly more at my baseball field tomorrow with the B400. I will probably do the Gaui rebuild tomorrow night. Still can't decide on the tail...I guess I'll get it out and take a look-see what's involved. I am a bit worried about making the heli tail heavy with the new tail. I will probably compare the weight when I get the stock one off...someone at HF said there was only a half gram difference in weight. I could probably offset that with a coin glued to the inside of the canopy if it came down to it.

What are RC warbirds?

Yeah, I don't think a Lepton is in my future any time real soon...LOL I would have to be a MUCH better pilot before I would consider $100-$200 a crash...

50 screws better last me a while! I am kinda learning that with the Gaui, one had better get the parts he might need whenever he can find them...as they get scarce very quickly!!

Have fun if you get to fly tomorrow, and have a nice weekend.

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

Yeah I didn't quit when I was ahead a couple times while flying and it ended up in a crash. Cool to hear you got to practice left circles and didn't crash.

I wonder how the CopterX 200 tail compares to the MicroHeli one.

RC warbirds are like fighter jets, but I am guessing that most people will have the old type of fighters from WW2 and later.

The parts for the Gaui remind me of when the B400 spindles were really hard to find.

Hope you have a good time if you go to your baseball field too.

Nick

rotarydoc

Nick,

I was also tired last night after a long week at work, another thing I have learned is to quit when I feel too tired to fly. I also find I have some eye strain after more than about 4 -5 packs, so I usually take a break after that.

I have never heard of the CopterX 200 tail? The Guai guys at HF seem to swear by the Microheli tail, although with some reservations. Generally, they don't like Microheli stuff, and don't deal directly with Microheli, they say the customer service is poor, so recommend buying the tail from Helidirect or Helihobby. One thing good about the Microheli tail is that you can get replacement parts for it, or so they say, at Helidirect. I have not checked into it yet. Maybe I will today before I put it on, if I do.

It's very windy this morning. But, as I have learned since I have been in this hobby, that can change literally from one minute to the next, so we'll see how it goes later today.

That RC warbirds show sounds pretty neat, no helis though, I guess?

Yes, the Gaui parts are very scarce at times. I don't have the shaft driven model, but the guys say that if the tail just touches the ground, it blows the crown gear (that drives the shaft off of the main gear). It has been nearly impossible to get the gears, so some guys have even switched back to the belt tail for that reason alone.

The shaft tail sounds interesting, though. It is apparently smoother overall, and takes less power to drive. The conversion kit is only like $50...so maybe some day when the parts problem is resolved, I might have to try one out.

Hope you get some flying in!

Glenn

evdreamer

Glenn,

The CopterX 200 looks like a T-Rex 450 SEV2, but in a 200 sized helicopter. And the tail section looks just like mine on the T-Rex. I have also heard MicroHeli's customer service isn't the greatest.

Hope the wind calms down for you. It is very humid out here, so I am going to stay inside until it is a little better outside.

Nope, no helicopters there. I looked at the members there on RCU and only a couple of people have helicopters, but their profiles didn't say what kind. I was talking with my instructor and he said their might be a helicopter show if enough people are interested.

The 3D people like the shaft driven tails on the T-Rex 600 for the same reasons you described.

Nick

HeliStyle

My Feedback: (2)

hey everyone, hows everyone doing? Haven't been on much due to a bad thunderstorm blowing up my modem and my flatscreen lcd tv.

evdreamer

I am doing good. I have been taking it easy and haven't flown much.

Sorry to hear about the modem and T.V. Did you have a surge protector? Then you could get refunded for the T.V. and modem. Have you been flying the CPP or CX2?

Nick

rotarydoc

Hey Heli,

Wow, sorry to hear about the lightning damage, that is terrible. I have heard that can happen, but fortunately have never had it happen to me.

Is the TV completely smoked, or can you get it fixed? I guess since you are online, you got the modem fixed?

Not much going on here, really windy, and I'm rebuilding the Gaui after a minor crash.

Have you been able to get much flying in lately?

Hope all is well,

Glenn

HeliStyle

My Feedback: (2)

actually the tv and computer was hooked up to a surge, but I guess the cable company I have said sometimes surges fail and it still happens, yeah I got a new modem, but the tv is fried for good lol, I have been getting alot of flying in been flying the cp pro alot lately and have been getting to comfortable with it just stripped out the gears on the main gear again today, when the blades hit the ground it made a crunching noise, and that was the teeth on the main gear again, and have that happen alot, is that common in crashes with the cp pro or is it because maybe im not cutting off the throttle before I hit the ground? also I just made another 200 on ebay so I think tonight is the night I order a honey bee king two or I have been looking at a walkera 52 micro heli size 200

evdreamer

I don't think I ever stripped the main gears on the CPP. I have stripped the main gears plenty of times on my 450's. Good luck on buying another helicopter.

Nick