crashcrash

Found I had a bent pitch link, straightened it...THAT HELPED...a little.

ArrowNaughtic

Went to the LHS today...after going to the tire store and buying chains for the van............yes....i hit a fire hydrant yesterday.............. slowly...and didn't bend anything.....but had to get out paint drops and lay them on the ice so I could slowly back away......LOL
Ok....back to topic, I went to LHS today and had the guru there look at my Blade for me. I was actually there to get a new flybar for my Venom Ocean Rescue (more on that in a bit, LOL) He looked at my setup....changed my battery placement and took off and hovered about 12" off the floor. Space available was only like 7' x 10'. He was using the sticks quite a bit to hold it in place....brought it up to eye level and noticed that my blade tracking was off. 1 full turn and viola!! Tracking was right on. Swashplate and Zero Pitch were ok so no adjusting. He then got a hands free hover at waist height for about 2 seconds.......which is about the best you can hope for with these critters. Only real issue was that i had a jury rigged tail rotor gear and shaft. Bought a replacement and scurried home to do my own hands free hover in my front room where i have been using every bit of the 10' x 12' space. Well........what do ya know.......... I did it.......for about a millisecond. Then had to catch it and stick it back in the center of the room.......Instead of landing now.....i drop down to one skid.......and slide back to my starting point.
Ok....so with that figured out.and on my 3rd charge tonite will explain about the flybar on the lil coaxial. Was hovering it in front of the fireplace when it went insane on me............i managed to set it down......and still had the rotors spinning when i heard a loud thwack! and saw what i thought was the end of one of the props flying off. they are pretty beat so just want to get my nickels worth out of them before replacing them. What had come off the end had flew into the fireplace...and bounced back out. I went over.......unhooked the battery from the heli......and saw a weight and the rubber tip laying on the ground. I was trying to move the weights in a little and actually hadn't got it back together just right......... Luckily i was hovering at eye level just moments before and also right in line with the 4 ft by 3 ft mirror that hangs over the fireplace. Who says luck is not a factor?? Looks like i actually have this coming weekend off, so will be hoping the weather is nice and breeze free.
Swap out that 4 in 1 crash........thats gotta be it............a bent pitch link isn't gonna make your motors surge! You need to get a balancer like I have for my lipos. heres the link and order the astro blinkie!

http://www.modelelectronicscorp.com/ Click on battery chargers, then scroll down to astro blinkie balancer. is 23 bucks from this guy 24.95 from www.astroflight.com

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Of all the things I ever lost........................... I miss my mind the most

crashcrash

I checked on the astroblinkee....hummmmm. Glad you stumbled onto an experienced pilot. Did you get his name? Maybe you could go to the field with him and he could give some pointers. Instructors HELP alot. They can spot problems you have no idea that you're even seeing one. Nobody in this area flies heli's, all fixed wing. Instructors can also help in the area of seeing what you are doing wrong and you have no idea that it is wrong. Instructors are a winning factor. They can save you a ton of $$$ preventing you from doing damage to your bird during the learning phase that is not called for. I LOVE instructors!

I adjusted my swash level according to the CP Blade repair website. Stability went down the hole. Now it's all over the place. Still got the motor RPM's prob also. I know some is adjustment, some is the 4-1.

crashcrash

I did some more adjusting today. 100% better flight control now. My swash plate likes to be a little more over 1/2" down from the top of the rotor shaft to fly better. Since I'm running Li-Po's and running a stock main motor...I guess this may cause problems too. Maybe I should get the 370 with a 9 tooth pinion, it might help (lots of yo-yo going on).

crashcrash

Sometimes you have to walk away for a while. It's been a dreadful heli night. Got gutsy and decided to land on a 10-3/4 x 17-1/2 x 6" deep box. It didn't happen. with all the surging of the motors, the yo-yo, the pendelum, I couldn't land on an aircraft carrier. I've dialed the trims and settings till I'm blue in the face but it'll do no good till I get a new brain in that thing. Don't get me wrong, I hovered it about 10 times today...with a lot of close calls due to unexpected and unwanted moves by the heli. Heck...I almost got my dog tonight and I've never got close to her before. She gets real nosey about what I'm doing sometimes but she generally stays away from the angry bee. I'll back off till all the new parts get here. The new main rotor blades are here and I'm waiting on the 4-1, main rotor shaft/gear, spindle, and tail motor. I've straightened the spindle about 10 times now because plastic blades do a lot of damage with the most minor of hits. I'll never manage a tail out until I get the stability issue addressed. I had a tail motor stop happen this week while at a low hover. That's an interesting thing to have happen. Spins like a top! I did manage to set it down gently and change the motor out. Take a break! Time to give it a rest because when the new parts get here, I'll have to re-set everything before flying.

ArrowNaughtic

Heh, funny how looking at some of your past posts..all seem to be pointing at your 4 in 1. The motor surges and stability(gyro) and also your one tail motor that went out........yet you swapped with one ya had removed earlier.....and it was ok.
Mine is flying ok, i took a break from flying last nite. I was getting to "gutsy" as you put it and almost took out the tv. Funny how when ya start the pendulum it seems to decide to go where it wants.......... and I become an observer, no longer a participant. LOL........ my cousin was telling me about a mutal friend of ours who got his first heli and was flying it outside......it got away from him...and was heading straight for him.....so he tossed the TX down....and took off running. Needless to say, it was a total loss for him......I guess he even messed up the TX. So.....We in good shape crash, still got all our fingers and toes.......and the critters are not limping.


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Of all the things I ever lost.................... I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

I just won't really know until I can verify the 4-1 is bad but I really think it is. I know I have other issues too like the spindle and main rotor shaft (balance of rotor head). Like I said, vibration is a no-no and I have it to some degree. The tail motor might be going bad. I'll replace everything except the 4-1 and if it don't clear up the problems, then the 4-1. I even changed main motors. I've basically got a new heli except for servos. That's the only thing besides the 4-1 that haven't been changed.

crashcrash

Just cant leave a dead dog lay. Put the new blades on and flew it about 3 charges worth...and I didn't hit anything. Still waiting for the rest to show up...most likely when I'm at work. Stability still bites the big one tho.

crashcrash

Took it OUTSIDE. 30degF wind at 11mph out of the south. I had to really nose her down to hold (fwd stick). Seems like the motor problems got worse in the cold. I didn't crash it tho! I wanted to put it out a few yards and turn it 180 and bring it back...still too unstable for that manuver. Less wind would have been a good thing.

ArrowNaughtic

Ballsey move crash! Good thing ya didn't have to drive a few blocks to retrieve yer heli....... neighbor got drunk........ flew his cx2 at night with a bunch of friends watching...... He found it a few houses down in the driveway.......motors still spinning....blades gone......lol.
I still say its yer 4 in 1 crash. I wish bladecprepair.com had some troubleshooting on the 4 in 1's . That site really gives the n00bs a clear approach to all the other aspects. Still haven't got a full battery hover yet. I need more room to fly and be able to let the thing wander a little if it wants to. This weekend doesn't look good for outdoor flying. Maybe next week sometime i will get a decent day. Nice thing about owning yer own bidness........ You can play hookey and go fart around and only have to answer to your checking account at the end of the month! I am determined to get mine out and let it flex its muscles a little. I also want to try the idle up function....lol. (Sees repair time in his near future, heh)


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Of all the things I ever lost....................... I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

I wasn't scared (right!!). Working 3 days of 12's with an hour commute each way. Hopefully the parts will be in tomorrows mail but I won't be touching the heli till Monday. Got enough time in the day to do 3 S's, grab 6 hours of sleep, on the road at 4:30am. I've been over and over the trouble shooting section. I come up with the following from them:

*Bad tail motor (?)
* Bad 4-1
*need to upgrade to 370 with 9t pinion/heat sink
* bad batteries (?)

As far as rotor head wear...it's NEW, not even broke in yet.


Well...off to see the wizard.

ArrowNaughtic

Bummer crash......... maybe you can get some sleep while commuting, heh. traffic here gets so bad some days it can take over an hour to go a measly 10 miles. Tried to do a hover last nite, and just couldn't get the feel for it.
I got up at 6 30 this morning and ran all my batteries down. Charging them now and hoping the weather will break enough that I can go to a parking lot that I always see people using for thier RC stuff.
OOOOOps....... NM just saw the weather forecast on the news. Looks like I am staying home for a few hours. Rain in Seattle? Go figure!
I sure hope your stuff shows up in the mail. I am dying to know what you finally find out with your Blade. Keep us posted!


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Of all the things I ever lost......................... I miss my mind the most!

ArrowNaughtic

Heh........... turned out to be nice this morning..so charged up all the batteries...and headed for Celebration Park. Seems I had nothing to celebrate tho. The wind picked up 5 mins after i got there....ended up trashing a brand new set of flat bottomed blades. I guess flying on the asphalt wasn't such a great idea. Looks like I need a whole bunch more indoor hover time. ripped the plastic off one end of one of the blades.....but think I can scotch tape it.and save them for a emergency set. I was surprised I didn't get the tail rotor too. I panicked..........and dropped the throttle too far. I just wanted to get it closer to the ground so I could land it. Best laid plans resulting in a hard landing.
I so need to find an indoor facility that gives a little time to novices. Cmon Seattle...... where o where does one find such places? The Club and flying fields listed here don't provide much. guess I will try the email address for the Sand Point club. Ok....off to balance a new set of blades and scope out all the damage, but I think it was just blades. (crosses fingers)


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Of all the things I ever lost............................ I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

I made that mistake indoor too. Sitting it down too hard is rough on them. Check your tail boom for cracks, sometimes they're barely noticable...but they are there. Super glue the cracks lightly if it is or you'll end up with wires glued to the inside the boom, and it's not fun. Good luck on finding an inside practice area. I had one but it got shut off on me at work.

ArrowNaughtic

Good call crash, I would have never thought of it...untill the tail motor went its own way. But you could probably get one of those what the heck was that looks when it happened.
Just got done repairing the blades and will now rebalance them and toss em in the eflite box of goodies. Now to balance the new set too and check rotor head and everything for damage and tail boom for cracks....then should be ready to give it a blade tracking adjustment.


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Of all the things I ever lost........................... I miss my mind the most!

ArrowNaughtic

Funny, I fixed those blades and left them on the heli...... All i had to do was tape up the ends with equal amounts of electrical tape. Decided to test em out to see if they would work ok and actuall got a full 3 or 4 min hover with them.
I went ahead and balanced the new set and put them right back in the box. Tail boom is ok and rotor head and shaft look the same as before. I have a little wobble in the head when spinning up but it has always had it. All in all, it seems my crash yesterday was very minor and no lasting physical effects on the thing.


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Of all the things I ever lost.......................... I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

I found out the spindle is very soft. That minor wobble you get on spin-up should not be there and could be the spindle or the main rotor shaft. You're right, if it balances out at flight speed and there's no vibration and stable flight is not affected, you can continue to fly it. I've read here that vibration is a BAD thing in heli's, and it makes sense. It'll cause undue wear to the mechanical and electronics of the heli. After a blade strike, I normally have to straighten the spindle...no matter how minor because I run plasti-blade and they are heck on the main shaft and spindle (trashed 4 spindles and 3 main shafts). When I get the yo-yo situation and the surging rpms of the motors addressed, I'll be ready for some serious precision hover practice and maybe some tail out hover. OFF for a couple days...hope my parts come in so I can fix this thing!

ArrowNaughtic

Got it tore apart now crash...will scope out the spindle especially. Having problems getting the main shaft past the bearings tho......been using emery cloth and scotchbrite to deburr the shaft at the retaining pin hole.


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Of all the things i ever lost.................... I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

Sounds real fun...keep going. Aint got my parts yet. Horizon takes 3 days normally, it's been a lot longer than that but last Monday was a holiday...may be backed up.

ArrowNaughtic

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........... that dang shaft is not playing nice at all! It does have a slight wobble at the very top of it.......so will have to get it out and install the new one I bought the other day. What a pain getting that shaft out! feels as smooth as a babys butt......but is catching on the top bearing........right at the retaining pin hole. What a nitemare, I need a drink.....of super juice! (Wild Turkey)


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Of all the things I ever lost.......................... I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

That's where a set of jewlers files come in handy...getting rid of the burr. You may need a magnifying glass to see it. It's either a flat spot or a burr you're fighting. I can't really do too much with mine till the parts get here. I did get a waist high level full pack hover a couple times. I got the trim set where it will actually hands off hover for a second or three, and I can fly it "one stick" once the throttle is set (for a bit anyway). Once I get rid of my problems...I should be able to accomplish a "tail in". It's just too unpredictable as yet.

Some guy made a shaft straightening tool (mentioned here, and advertised on E-Bay). Theory is good, but it's a little crude looking. If you took a block of steel and drilled it the exact same size as the shaft, and as deep as the shaft is long...you could straighten the shaft with a plastic hammer pushing it into the hole. The shaft always gets bent in the upper section...not near the frame or gear. I've got a couple bent ones laying around...guess I'd better do something about it. Also, the retaining pin hole gets streached out, making the pin fit loose. Easy fix...use a sharp punch and gently stake the hole so it closes up a little. You'll only get away with that a couple times.

My dog decided she had to be close to me, and I kept telling her to stay back. She got a slap on the rear leg (no damage to the dog or heli). Maybe now she will lay on her pillow until I'm done. I got smacked on the ankle too (no damage again). Still hurts though.

crashcrash

Flew outside today twice....cold! Got an 8' hover going on, wind grabbing it, skipping off the tops of snow banks...what a rush! Kept it within 10yds. Took it back inside in one piece! All in all, a good heli day (problems are still there though). Might have to re-straighten the spindle again though. Got a little vibration until it's up to speed.

ArrowNaughtic

Ya crash....I tore my Blade all the way down and cleaned and relubed everything. No more "wobble" when spooling up. The blade tracking is a little off but will have that fixed in 2 shakes. The spindle/ feathering shaft was perfectly straight as was the Main Shaft. I am wondering where that "wobble" went to? But all in all, got things pretty well worked out.and am still flying on original parts!
Lubed everything with some Hoppes gun oil as don't have anything else that will work on it right now. What kind of lube are you using when you reassemble your spindle? I need to get something in my Heli tool box so I don't have to break into the gun case all the time. I bought a soft sided tackle box from walmart for 20 bucks that has ample room for everything but the transmitters and heli's. Bought a couple of storage totes for those..but they were out of camping pad foam so have to wait till they get some in before I can set those up.
Also....went and bought FS One with controller so I could work on my flying outside techniques. Still can't maintain hover with that but will keep plugging away till i can get some stick savvy on it.
Glad to hear ya went outside and survived........... I assume the dog was prolly happy about that too. Lots more scurry out of the way room!


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Of all the things I ever lost........................... I miss my mind the most!

crashcrash

Lube...sew machine oil, 3-1 oil, GUN oil, WD40, it's all good. I use light grease like vasalene or R/C car grease if it's handy on the gears/pinions. You will get the hang of hover. The biggest thing is keep at it. I can hover all day long...can't do much else though. Start out at 6" high with lots of room with nothing to hit (tail in) and don't let it get more than 6ft from you (trying to stay in a given area). Once you can keep it in the air through a full charge, work on keeping it in ONE place hover through the full charge (this may prove to be well-ni impossible). Once you can keep it pretty much in the area you want it during a hover...every time, increase hover height to 2-1/2 ft, and practice everything you did before that at 2-1/2 ft level. Once you master 2-1/2 ft hover, go back to 6" hover, and walk behind your heli moving it forward a few feet (about 5 ft), make a 180, and walk it back, and turn 180 again. The more you hover, the more you get the "feel" of your machine. Even though mine has problems, I know what aggravates the symtoms, and what doesn't so I can still practice hover. When you near the end of your charge on the battery, you will have to fight harder to maintain a stable hover, that's just how it is. With a fresh charge, the first minute of flight is unstable too, and I have to fight it until it settles into the flight.

crashcrash

I sent a shorter vid...maybe you'll get it. I'm considering maybe a CP pro. It'll be set up the way I need it instead of modifying this one into a CPP.