Hey all - if anyone has an extra 3 in 1 board - even a broken one, please PM me:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=1843105

I seem to be in constant need of an extra one given my, er, creative flying style. Current board just got sent off for it's second repair.

In the meantime, I just got my parts for my MCPX BL - just put it back together and batteries are charging for it's re-maiden. Say a prayer nothing hidden was wrong with it - I can't stand the idea of another week w/o an aerobatic heli!

Flight report time! Flew four batteries yesterday at the big flying field... where with an audience I managed to flip several times without crashing, even holding an inverted hover for several seconds without losing it. I don't even bother trying this in the house or outside the house where there are low tree branches. I need at least a 20 * 20 * 30 foot square to do it in still. -I put the non bullet blades back on for this flight because my bullet blades have been really chewed up on the edges from doing the headless chicken dance on the driveway. Honestly, I completely forgot I had put them on, couldn't tell the difference.. other then less vibration. Okay maybe flipping was a little easier, a little bit quicker reaction. Easier in fact.. Fast forward/normal flight seemed the same. There must be a subtle difference, but again if someone had switched the blades without telling me I wouldn't have noticed a difference. I have been flying exclusively with the bullet blades for several weeks until yesterday. I think I'm going to stick with the regular ones from now on until they too get beat up or broken. Then I have another set of regulars I can put on that came from my first lost Nano.

How does everyone like the lynx blades do they give you more responsiveness

Originally Posted by Aphro

If everything is okey dokey, you should have silent spinning by hand even with the main gear on...

So I took off my main gear, and the shaft and head spin flawlessly smooth.

The motor is crazy, I used to get a "really cheap rc car noise" when I spun the rotors by hand. So taking it apart, the motor seems to spin freely on it's own. I put it back together with a new main gear I had, the motor (or gear mesh) seemed stiff or harder to turn (like a brushless 450 motor locks into the next magnet turning by hand, also my helimax novus fp brushed motor was the same way)... So I tested it out, still wags the same as before, but after a real short flight test the motor didn't seem nearly as stiff anymore. But still stiff and ratchet feeling when I spin the rotors by hand. So now it's worse, the wagging is the same, just from taking it apart and putting it back together.. something isn't right.

So I still don't know if it's the motor (bad or bent shaft), mainshaft, gear, or meshing.

Originally Posted by finguz

But still stiff and ratchet feeling when I spin the rotors by hand.

I've got no stiffness or ratchet feeling at all when I spin the rotors by hand. I'm sure your gear mesh is whacked. The only way to fix it is with a new frame. Probably the only thing you haven't change yet?

Sounds like main motor is toast...

Originally Posted by ruzam

I've got no stiffness or ratchet feeling at all when I spin the rotors by hand. I'm sure your gear mesh is whacked. The only way to fix it is with a new frame. Probably the only thing you haven't change yet?

I've changed the complete tail, feathering shaft, and the 3in1. Horizon sent me them as replacements.

does anybody have the inside scoop about when the astroid design kits will be back in stock?

Originally Posted by Aphro

Sounds like main motor is toast...

It seemed to spin freely & smoothly on it's own. I'm thinkin bent motor shaft or meshing. It doesn't account for my different results I'm getting each time though... like why the ratchet feeling out of nowhere, when it was somewhat smooth before.

I think this one is going back to Horizon, unless they want to send me a frame and motor to try.

I hope this isn't constantly a problem, like some recently posted in this thread, where the motor mount deforms all the time, I wish there was adjustable meshing somehow.

When my motors are getting ready to give up the ghost, they will be stiff after a run while they are warm... once they cool down they will spin freely.

Do you have the main gear on the right way... right side up/down?
And is the flat spot lined up on the shaft and the gear?
Is the motor pressed all the down so it is seated firmly into the frame?

Originally Posted by finguz

I hope this isn't constantly a problem, like some recently posted in this thread, where the motor mount deforms all the time, I wish there was adjustable meshing somehow.

I think it was me that posted the motor mount deforms, and I was referring specifically to the mxc2 (not the nano). The mxc2 has super thin motor mounts that can get deformed from motor heat. I've never heard of a nano do this, the nano frame is much thicker and not likely to deform even from very hot motors.

I think you have the mis-fortune of getting a nano frame from the factory that didn't quite meet quality control.

Originally Posted by Aphro

When my motors are getting ready to give up the ghost, they will be stiff after a run while they are warm... once they cool down they will spin freely.

Do you have the main gear on the right way... right side up/down?
And is the flat spot lined up on the shaft and the gear?
Is the motor pressed all the down so it is seated firmly into the frame?

I tried flipping the main gear both ways, I wasn't sure which way it went. I assumed the finish side faced down (side opposite of molding marks).

The mainshaft flat spot is lined up with the gear.

The motor is pressed into the frame all the way. The main & pinion gears center each other.

Turning the pinion/motor by hand I do feel it's a little rough now. When the main gear is on I guess the ratchet feeling is amplified. I think I'm going to try a new motor, or see if they'll send me one. I would hate to spend more time on waiting to get my heli working. Maybe I'll get a frame too, if nothing else I'll have a spare.

Thanks everyone for your help and patience, I'm still kind of new to these micros. We'll see how it goes.

STOP Finguz, it's your main gear.

I recently purchased a new main gear and found this same problem, put the old one back on and bam, problem gone. Went back and replaced it at my LHS and it was perfect, just like my old one but not worn out.

Grab yourself a new main gear, again. Clean any crud off of your pinion gear before installing, and you should be fine.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by georgeintexas

My nano flew beautifully until Saturday when I crashed into an end table in the living room. The boom broke where it goes into the frame, the tail motor mount split and the front post broke off the skid. I had some 2mm CF rod, so I made a new boom. Glued the motor housing on the end and made a new front post out of some wire covered with shrink wrap. I had terrible tail wag at first which I assumed was because I couldn't get the boom back in the frame as far as it had been before. So, I pulled it out, sanded it a little and put it back in like it originally had been. Still had some wag. Cut off an eigth inch of boom and reinstalled. Still wagging like crazy. I'm a little baffled. I took a short video of it tonight which I put on YouTube unedited. Not sure what to try next.

http://youtu.be/YNw2dZpBShY

George

Well, just to update, my problem was that the main gear had slipped down. I checked it before, but not well enough. The amount it had slipped was teeny, but I guess that's all it takes. I went to the hobby store, picked up, and replaced the boom and the skid but it still wagged. Popping the gear back in place made it almost like a new heli again. I flew it 6 times today. Thank goodness.

George

Billz01, there's definitely a difference between my stock and new main gear putting each one on. The old gear feels less ratchety, but the resistance in the motor is still there (like when I just spin the motor, separate from the main gear, with my fingers), and spinning the rotors by hand it sounds like a cheap rc car. The new gear really makes it feel ratchety.

I'm almost certain it's the motor. Everyone says theirs is totally free and smooth, mine is rough in 2 spots. The motor running by itself sounds kind of rough even. My LHS are backordered too, so that sucks. I'll see what horizon says, waiting to hear back from them.