HELIMASTER
Oct 27, 2004, 01:05 PM
I originally posted this on 2 other (coff, ahem) r.c. websites. I am hoping it well help someone here. This post has received over 12,000 hits and over 200 replies, so I am sure it should be helpful to someone!!!
This information was written for the FIRST model of Co-Pilot, but from what I can tell, the basic setup principles are the same for both versions. :D
I strongly recommend the Co-Pilot for any newbie to the r.c. helicopter hobby. It eases the transitions from basic hovering to more complex turns and positions. If set up on a toggle switch, it can even allow for practice while inverted with NO FEAR of crashing. (However, before attempting this, MAKE CERTAIN your radio has been set up for inverted, and that you are comfortable enough to flip the heli over, and maintain altitude.)
ORIGINAL POST:
I have noticed a lot of discussion on the co-pilot. It seems that some people may be confusing some of the setup steps of the co-pilot. I have posted this information in some other places, but I am re-capping it all here for everyone's convenience. I can point my heli nose down, and put it in a violent roll, and when I let go of the sticks, it levels beautifully. I can also fly it in some heavy wind, and let go of the sticks, and it will sit there as pretty as you please. (It might rise or fall with the lift from the wind, or it may drift slightly, but it will stay level.) Please follow the instructions I've provided here, and you'll get it right, and it will work great.
NOTE: Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 should only have to be done when you first install the CP. After you get it setup correctly, then these four steps are to be ignored at the field. It does not matter if you disconnect the battery or turn the RX off. All you are doing in these four steps is setting up the mixing functions in the control box. So remember, once you complete these steps successfully, you DO NOT HAVE TO DO THEM AGAIN. This only applies to steps 1, 2, 3 and 4!!!
1. INSTALLATION>Make sure you have the copilot installed correctly. The device should sit on your tailboom, with the cable forward. The co-pilot should be diagonal to the boom.
2. INITIAL SETUP> Turn on your tx. Hold down your calibrate button, and turn on the receiver. The Co-Pilot will twitch the swashplate three times to tell you that it is in "SETUP MODE" Your CP (co-pilot) is now in "SETUP MODE/PITCH". The active sensors will be "P", or pitch. Only these two sensors are now active! (Your engine should NOT be running yet.)
3. PITCH SETUP>Check the pitch compensation. This means, move your hand in front of the two sensor windows that are marked "p". These windows should sit opposite each other. The swashplate should move OPPOSITE of the sensor your hand is on front of. Keep in mind that only the two sensors marked "p" are active right now. If the swashplate does not move opposite your hand, then the switches on the control box need to be adjusted. Depending on your individual setup, you may need to switch more than one of these switches. Keep playing until you get the desired swashplate movement. (Away from, or opposite your hand.) If your swashplate moves correctly, then go to the next step. If not, start over again.
4. ROLL SETUP>Now, press the red calibrate button once again. The CP is now in "SETUP MODE/ ROLL" Verify that the same procedure you used for the "p" sensors now works for the unmarked sensors. The swashplate should move away from the sensor you hand is in front of. Now, Check the trim pot on the co-pilot, and ensure that it is turned COMPLETELY counter-clockwise. This will tell the co-pilot that it should be in auto trim OFF. You can read more on this in the book, but for now, just do it. (What this does is tell the co-pilot that YOUR trim inputs should over-ride the co-pilots calibrated trim settings. Basically, when you calibrate the co-pilot and lift off, the helicopter may be slightly out of trim when you center the sticks. All you have to do is re-trim them while you are not touching the cyclic.) When you have completed the above steps, and everything is working, turn off your tx and receiver, and move on to the next step.
5. FIELD CALIBRATION>You are now ready to calibrate your CP at the field. Try to avoid pavement, highly irregular terrain, and snow or water. You should be in a relatively level field (not perfect though...) with as little obstructions as possible. Buildings and trees and other materials give off varying degrees of infrared heat. Try to avoid what the instruction manual tells you to avoid!
6. Turn on your TX and RX. Do not start the engine yet.
7. Lay your helicopter on its' side. Fold your blades up to get this correct. Now, press and hold the red calibrate button. Your swashplate will twitch when you first press this button, then it will cycle the swashplate back and forth quickly. Count these cycles. 1 and 10 should be avoided. If you get a 1 or 10, then repeat this step until you get a reading from 2 to 9.
8. THIS IS IMPORTANT! After you have counted the cycles and made sure you were within the operating limits, the swashplate will slowly cycle back and forth. Real slow kind of.... Don't count these... It's just a message from the CP telling you that it is waiting for the next command. YOU MUST MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THE CO-PILOT SITS LEVEL AT THIS POINT!!!! BEFORE YOU MOVE YOUR CYCLIC STICK! FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A MIS-PROGRAMMED CP..... Once the CP is level (I use a small circular bubble level I found at big-lots... ) then move the cyclic stick in any direction. The swashplate should center itself.
9. FINAL CHECK>You need to verify all is good before you crank the engine. Tilt the helicopter nose down. The CP should tilt the swashplate away from the ground. Then do the same test to the other axis of the swashplate. Left should move right, right should move left, and so on.... Whichever direction you hold the heli, the swashplate should move OPPOSITE of that position. IF not, something is wrong. Insert another quarter and try again!!!
10. SENSITIVITY>Now, you will need to set up how sensitive it is. If you have set up a toggle switch, or a trim dial, you will need to be certain that it functions correctly. I just simply saved the extra channel for something else, and set the trim to about 1/3rd from completely off. (Turn the pot all the way counterclockwise, then open it 1/3rd turn.) This setting should give you sufficient leveling power, but if not, you can turn it up a little at a time to find your comfort zone.
Just so you know, it CAN be used on cloudy days, & the reason you can use it in cloudy skies is this:
The calibration that you do at the field tells the Co-pilot 2 things: The infrared heat signature of the earth in that general area, and the infrared heat signature of the sky. The clouds will make little to no difference, because of the heat signature of the sky... To explain further (and in layman's terms), the Co-Pilot is reading the ambient infrared temperature (I am using the word temperature loosely here.) of the AIR and the GROUND. Clouds generally do not affect the temperature of the whole sky. Since co-pilot reads the two measurements for each area, it averages them. Then, when in use, it simply monitors the tempurature differences. So, if you tilt the helicopter to the right, the right hand sensors will point at the ground and the left hand sensors will point at the sky. The co-pilot knows that these two temperatures are now different/offset, so it levels the swashplate until that initial setup information is restored. The sky above us on any given day, retains almost a perfectly steady infrared heat signature, thus clouds have little, or no effect.
Hope that made sense!!!
There you have it. I follow steps 5 through 10 every time I fly with the CP. Once you have it configured properly, you'll enjoy it. I sure do. I hope this helps!
AND REMEMBER:
During INITIAL SETUP, your transmitter and receiver MUST both be on.
During INITIAL SETUP, it doesn't matter where the trim pot is turned to, but you should go ahead and turn it all the way counter-clockwise since you will have to do that at the field for calibration anyway.
During FIELD CALIBRATION, it's important that you are NOT on concrete. Or snow, or water. (Unless of course the ENTIRE area you are flying over is universally snow, water or concrete.) Like, say, Alaska, or over a lake. Who flies around these areas anyway? During FIELD CALIBRATION, after you press the red button, try to stand as far from the co-pilot as possible.
This information was written for the FIRST model of Co-Pilot, but from what I can tell, the basic setup principles are the same for both versions. :D
I strongly recommend the Co-Pilot for any newbie to the r.c. helicopter hobby. It eases the transitions from basic hovering to more complex turns and positions. If set up on a toggle switch, it can even allow for practice while inverted with NO FEAR of crashing. (However, before attempting this, MAKE CERTAIN your radio has been set up for inverted, and that you are comfortable enough to flip the heli over, and maintain altitude.)
ORIGINAL POST:
I have noticed a lot of discussion on the co-pilot. It seems that some people may be confusing some of the setup steps of the co-pilot. I have posted this information in some other places, but I am re-capping it all here for everyone's convenience. I can point my heli nose down, and put it in a violent roll, and when I let go of the sticks, it levels beautifully. I can also fly it in some heavy wind, and let go of the sticks, and it will sit there as pretty as you please. (It might rise or fall with the lift from the wind, or it may drift slightly, but it will stay level.) Please follow the instructions I've provided here, and you'll get it right, and it will work great.
NOTE: Steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 should only have to be done when you first install the CP. After you get it setup correctly, then these four steps are to be ignored at the field. It does not matter if you disconnect the battery or turn the RX off. All you are doing in these four steps is setting up the mixing functions in the control box. So remember, once you complete these steps successfully, you DO NOT HAVE TO DO THEM AGAIN. This only applies to steps 1, 2, 3 and 4!!!
1. INSTALLATION>Make sure you have the copilot installed correctly. The device should sit on your tailboom, with the cable forward. The co-pilot should be diagonal to the boom.
2. INITIAL SETUP> Turn on your tx. Hold down your calibrate button, and turn on the receiver. The Co-Pilot will twitch the swashplate three times to tell you that it is in "SETUP MODE" Your CP (co-pilot) is now in "SETUP MODE/PITCH". The active sensors will be "P", or pitch. Only these two sensors are now active! (Your engine should NOT be running yet.)
3. PITCH SETUP>Check the pitch compensation. This means, move your hand in front of the two sensor windows that are marked "p". These windows should sit opposite each other. The swashplate should move OPPOSITE of the sensor your hand is on front of. Keep in mind that only the two sensors marked "p" are active right now. If the swashplate does not move opposite your hand, then the switches on the control box need to be adjusted. Depending on your individual setup, you may need to switch more than one of these switches. Keep playing until you get the desired swashplate movement. (Away from, or opposite your hand.) If your swashplate moves correctly, then go to the next step. If not, start over again.
4. ROLL SETUP>Now, press the red calibrate button once again. The CP is now in "SETUP MODE/ ROLL" Verify that the same procedure you used for the "p" sensors now works for the unmarked sensors. The swashplate should move away from the sensor you hand is in front of. Now, Check the trim pot on the co-pilot, and ensure that it is turned COMPLETELY counter-clockwise. This will tell the co-pilot that it should be in auto trim OFF. You can read more on this in the book, but for now, just do it. (What this does is tell the co-pilot that YOUR trim inputs should over-ride the co-pilots calibrated trim settings. Basically, when you calibrate the co-pilot and lift off, the helicopter may be slightly out of trim when you center the sticks. All you have to do is re-trim them while you are not touching the cyclic.) When you have completed the above steps, and everything is working, turn off your tx and receiver, and move on to the next step.
5. FIELD CALIBRATION>You are now ready to calibrate your CP at the field. Try to avoid pavement, highly irregular terrain, and snow or water. You should be in a relatively level field (not perfect though...) with as little obstructions as possible. Buildings and trees and other materials give off varying degrees of infrared heat. Try to avoid what the instruction manual tells you to avoid!
6. Turn on your TX and RX. Do not start the engine yet.
7. Lay your helicopter on its' side. Fold your blades up to get this correct. Now, press and hold the red calibrate button. Your swashplate will twitch when you first press this button, then it will cycle the swashplate back and forth quickly. Count these cycles. 1 and 10 should be avoided. If you get a 1 or 10, then repeat this step until you get a reading from 2 to 9.
8. THIS IS IMPORTANT! After you have counted the cycles and made sure you were within the operating limits, the swashplate will slowly cycle back and forth. Real slow kind of.... Don't count these... It's just a message from the CP telling you that it is waiting for the next command. YOU MUST MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THE CO-PILOT SITS LEVEL AT THIS POINT!!!! BEFORE YOU MOVE YOUR CYCLIC STICK! FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN A MIS-PROGRAMMED CP..... Once the CP is level (I use a small circular bubble level I found at big-lots... ) then move the cyclic stick in any direction. The swashplate should center itself.
9. FINAL CHECK>You need to verify all is good before you crank the engine. Tilt the helicopter nose down. The CP should tilt the swashplate away from the ground. Then do the same test to the other axis of the swashplate. Left should move right, right should move left, and so on.... Whichever direction you hold the heli, the swashplate should move OPPOSITE of that position. IF not, something is wrong. Insert another quarter and try again!!!
10. SENSITIVITY>Now, you will need to set up how sensitive it is. If you have set up a toggle switch, or a trim dial, you will need to be certain that it functions correctly. I just simply saved the extra channel for something else, and set the trim to about 1/3rd from completely off. (Turn the pot all the way counterclockwise, then open it 1/3rd turn.) This setting should give you sufficient leveling power, but if not, you can turn it up a little at a time to find your comfort zone.
Just so you know, it CAN be used on cloudy days, & the reason you can use it in cloudy skies is this:
The calibration that you do at the field tells the Co-pilot 2 things: The infrared heat signature of the earth in that general area, and the infrared heat signature of the sky. The clouds will make little to no difference, because of the heat signature of the sky... To explain further (and in layman's terms), the Co-Pilot is reading the ambient infrared temperature (I am using the word temperature loosely here.) of the AIR and the GROUND. Clouds generally do not affect the temperature of the whole sky. Since co-pilot reads the two measurements for each area, it averages them. Then, when in use, it simply monitors the tempurature differences. So, if you tilt the helicopter to the right, the right hand sensors will point at the ground and the left hand sensors will point at the sky. The co-pilot knows that these two temperatures are now different/offset, so it levels the swashplate until that initial setup information is restored. The sky above us on any given day, retains almost a perfectly steady infrared heat signature, thus clouds have little, or no effect.
Hope that made sense!!!
There you have it. I follow steps 5 through 10 every time I fly with the CP. Once you have it configured properly, you'll enjoy it. I sure do. I hope this helps!
AND REMEMBER:
During INITIAL SETUP, your transmitter and receiver MUST both be on.
During INITIAL SETUP, it doesn't matter where the trim pot is turned to, but you should go ahead and turn it all the way counter-clockwise since you will have to do that at the field for calibration anyway.
During FIELD CALIBRATION, it's important that you are NOT on concrete. Or snow, or water. (Unless of course the ENTIRE area you are flying over is universally snow, water or concrete.) Like, say, Alaska, or over a lake. Who flies around these areas anyway? During FIELD CALIBRATION, after you press the red button, try to stand as far from the co-pilot as possible.