transimitters and reciever or electrical question

[siang]

I hope to start this thread so someone out there can help people like me a nooooob (newbie) or others. lol.
Had my first heli a lama in aug 2007. Out of frustration that I cant hover or fly it I got myself a copterx 2 mths later ..... still can't fly. lol.
However I am able to hover tail in, side (left and right) but not head in yet... almost getting there thou :D.
Love my heli and got my first plane 1 week ago, a stryker (frame only), presently setting it up. This is going to be fun or crazy you'd say as I havent flown a rc plane b4. lol. I know I should have start with a trainer but well its love at first sight, stryker. lol.
I'll post my set up (6EXHP) on the next post and problem I face further down.

[siang]

My 6EXHP setup for heli.
PCM ( set to PPM when on SIM)
ch1 = nor
ch2 = rev
ch3 = rev (must be rev, that's what i was told)
ch4 = nor
ch5 = nor
ch6 = rev

Duel Rate ch1,2&4 = 100%
Expo ch1 & 2 = -35 ch4 = -22
EPA ch1-6 = 100%

N Throttle N Pitch
ch1 = 0% ch1 = 45%
ch2 = 45% ch2 = 50%
ch3 = 55% ch3 = 65%
ch4 = 65% ch4 = 80%
ch5 = 100% ch5 = 100%

I Throttle (idle up)
ch1 = 100% I Pitch ch1 = 0%
ch2 =65% ch2 = 25%
ch3 = 55% ch3 = 50%
ch4 = 65% ch4 = 75%
ch5 = 100% ch5 = 100%

Hold = 0% (for electric have to be 0 i think)
Revo = 0 % ( not sure what this is)

Gyro: up (avcs) = 65% ( updated, copy from someone setup ferom net )
down (normal) = -55%
SWSH ch A = +50%
ch E = +50%
ch P = +50%
3-5 [set to 1-5 when playing on SIM ( pheonix)]
Fail safe: ch3 = 20%

The exponential have been set by a friend of mine (Jacko) who has a thread (copterx) with radio setting there as well unfortunately he's not on much lately. I think pp there are more concern with copterx than other issue, that's why i start this one up hoping to get more idea on the electric/control then the bird itself.
I'll move the exp to zero once i can do head in hover. The exponential soften the control stick and its good for beginers like me.
Setting on the throttle and pitch (normal/Idle), I follow the one printed by Rotorworld mag. Again, I soften the pitch at 45%,50%,65%and 100% N throttle so I dont have any hard landing when I panik and also I have more head speed thus more control. lol. Hmmm, I think its my friend who did this for me too. Agan I'll change the setting (N pitch) to 40%,70%,75%,80%,100% (figure recomended by rotorworld mag) later when i gain more control over my hovering.
Well, please feel free to post your setting and yes can someone post their setting on heli with their DX7. Mine is coming in tomorrow. :D
Although there is many control that i dont undestand yet on this 6EXHP, I'll post my question later in the day coz I g2g for now. have fun all, fly high and fly crazy. hehe.

[siang]

ok I made some reading on setup thru nett and found out that my gyro setting is wrong. lol. have been fllying with the setting as above for the past 5 months. have mod my setting as :-
gyro AVCS (up) = +50%
normal (down) = -50%
Revo is a mixing funtion.... must be set off(INH) when using gyro. ( not too sure what this means but set it off anyway if using gyro, lol)

[siang]

1. If AVCS( angular vector velocity) means heading hold, does normal means heading lock on the transmitter (6EXHP) under the gyro setting?
2. What will hapen when one change the value?
3. I've had this problem b4.... was hovering futher away than I usually does and my copter suddently lost control/signal and crashed. I tried to throttle up and elevate it but it didnt respond, definately not out of range as its barely 30m away. This hapen 3mths ago but b4 that it glitches all the time esp on the end second batt, then the "no signal crash" came one fine day. lol. Suspecting it's the esc i change a new one and no more glitch since then. And 1 week ago, I experience 1 glitch, the next day it crashed. So, my third question is ... what causes it?
Hope someone out there will come across this thead is able to help me out. :)

[pmackenzie]

What gyro are you using?

Pat MacKenzie

[siang]

Hi, I'm using GY401 futaba but with a jr servo, ds362. are they compatible?

[pmackenzie]

I don't know if the DS362 is compatable with the 401 in digital servo mode, but it should work in non DS mode.

Going back a couple of posts, the 401 should always be powered up in HH (AVCS) mode. You can tell if it is because the LED will be solid ON, not flashing.
Changing the value changes the gain of the gyro. Bigger numbers = higher gain. Turn it up until the tail starts "wagging", then back it off. If it is too low the tail response will be "soft".
One side from zero will be HH, and the other side will be rate mode.

As you posted earlier, revo mix must be off for HH gyros. It is (was?) only used with rate gyros to correct for torque changes due to main blade pitch changes. The HH function of the gyro now takes care of this.

If you don't have a copy of the GY401 manual it can be downloaded here (http://manuals.hobbico.com/fut/futm0807-manual.pdf) .
Not the best written manual :rolleyes: , but everything is explained in it.

Pat MacKenzie

[siang]

yes the DS362 is a digital servo.
thanks, and yes I always powered up randomly, not knowing the switches too well but the led is usually solid on even if i powered up on normal mode. If the led blink, I would move the rudder 3 times to the left then 1 time to right then the led would turn solid again.
Could be that my setting was wrong before (AVCS= +45 / NORMAL= +55). I 've changed that setting to +50(AVCS) /-50(NORMAL) today and I see the difference now when I switch it to normal the led turn off back solid on again when switch to AVCS. On the transimitter printed on that switch is, CH5 AUX / GYRO, which confuses me that switch down is for gyro and switch up is for CH5 AUX, not knowing what it is I assume its for rudder/pitch mix (wrong again). lol. I didnt know that AVCS is HH before. lol .
So, to change the value... do I turn up till wag then back off on the AVCS mode? Do I have to change the value on the NORMAL mode too? If so On the normal mode, bigger value means more negative (> -50 .... -55/-60) or less negative ( like -45/-40 ....)?
Thanks MacKenzie for taking time to help me out understand all this. :). Dont you love/hate newbie like me. lol. silly one, eh. lol
Ah, so revo mix is for different type of gyro, the rate gyro. Yes I still have the 401 manual, didnt really understand it when I first got it, thou. Time to read it again I guess. :)

[siang]

finally my copter tail's holding, not perfectly yet thou maybe coz I havent made changes to the setting yet. Will make changes on the setting later on after I get my batt charged up. :)
Before the tail will keep moving slowly to the right, tried triming but when to much trim it moves the other way. Thinking back, I've always flown with wrong setting (normal value should be negative instead of possitive) and under normal mode (rate mode) and not AVCS (HH), assuming switch down meant gyro but its not. lol.

[siang]

Today when I hover my heli, consider windy for some pilot (some pp refuse to fly their plane), my copter dont seem to be much in control, it will lift and drop face by a gust of wind, tend to fly away from me. I have less authorithy over it. Is there anything I should change on my setting (pitch curve/head speed) or is it just me?:). To me it's not too windy. Im flying a copterx anyway, clone of trex 450.

[pmackenzie]

It is not that down means gyro. The switch can have multiple uses.
If your heli had retractable landing gear it could be used to control that.

Higher headspeed can help in wind, or you could just try again on a calmer day.

Pat MacKenzie

[siang]

oh, ok so that's a multiple uses swith, nice :).
yea, I recond I should test on a calm days. I ususlly do better(hovering) on my backyard, maybe coz its sheltered but its not big enough if I want to fly around or rather I dont have that skill yet. lol.
Dialed up gyro gain on my tx (AVCS mode) last night till the tail wag, then back down. Seems to work fine, will do more test latter on a nearby park. :)
I just pick up my DX7 this morning, apparantly the delivery address has some missing info. Lucky I tracked and call them up. I need another reciever, cant decide which bird to use on atm, I have a new stryker, bought the DX7 coz my 6EXHP cant do plane. lol.

[siang]

I read thru the GY401 manual, tried setting it up but tail still creeping. :(. This is what I've done so far.
Power up on AVCS mode, initialised the gyro. solid led light on. Switch to normal mode and trim the rudder, 1 click too much and tail creep the other direction. Then I tried a mechnical setup, under normal mode ... tail stay but when switched nack to AVCS mode tail not holding, moves rather than creep to right (head turn left). Tried changing the gyro gain under normal and AVCS still the tail is not holding. It's getting complicated. Could it be that the gyro isn't funtioning?
There is one more thing that I havent tried adjusting, that's the delay on the gyro, will try that tomorrow if the weather hold.
If all fail then the best option would be to take my copter to a flying club and hopefully someone there can have a look at the problem.

[siang]

Hey thanks Pmackenzie for trying to help me out. Weather hasn't been great lately over here. But for the first time I tried hovering without the training gear and surprisingly it's wonderful, I have more control over the heli. Anyway many thanks to you and I think the best option for me is to take my heli to a local heli club to have someone with experience looked into it. :)