Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

I have resurrected my trusty old Hotspot which unfortunately went down due to interference on 72mhz using my 9ZWCII

I am trying to set up the elevon throws with my new 9303 2.4Ghz. If you are familiar with the Hotspot you know it needs lots of elevator throw but very little aileron throw. It was complicated but possible with my 9Z. I can't figure out how to do it with the 9303. I need 1 3/8" elevator throw but only 1/2" aileron throw. As far as I can tell the delta wing style only allows overall elevon throw adjustment.

What am I missing? How do I independently adjust aileron throw from elevator throw?

Airforce7

My Feedback: (31)

Go to the dual rates menu and adjust them there. I don't believe you can simply adjust both elevator and aileron from the travel settings menu. You'll find that after you adjust the throws you'll still have additional unwanted travel when the sticks are in the corners at full deflection. You can adjust the travel further down, but you might not be happy with what you're left with for elevator. So there's a balance and it will take a few hours to get it right.

Kelly W

My Feedback: (2)

Wow, I went through the EXACT situation last week with my Hotspot. its a bit of a learning curve going from a Futaba rig to JR, in my case a 12X. I kept looking for the delta wing setup screen, which does not exist now...

Here's what you do...
1) forget about aileron throw, to be done later...
2) Configure the wing type as delta
3) Sub trim for center point, matching horn positions on both sides as close as possible.
4) Set end points of elevator motion only.
5) leave upper end of elevator dual rate at 100%, adjust lower rate to whatever you like.
6) Reduce the 'high' aileron dual rate to achieve the maximum aileron throw (I had to set mine in the 30's), and adjust the lower rate to whatever you're comfortable with for minimum throw.
7) Final bind to set failsafe, and fly.

Essentially what you're doing is setting the aileron throw as a % of elevator, though setting up the dual rates... This actually results in a much better tracking aircraft in that the elevator travel is fine adjusted 1st, then aileron. My 9C was somewhat backwards in the programming, such that the elevator travel always seemed to induce some small amount of roll.

What receiver are you using? I went withe AR9100 power safe unit. I put one of the remotes far up in the nose with its antennas vertical. That one will get the best reception, almost guaranteed... I added 2 more in the aft end of the fuse, 90 deg from each other but in the same plane. My 4th receiver is on the right side of the nose retract at some random angle. I had 8 flights on it Sat and Sunday, and the Flightlog had very favorable numbers.

Let me know if you've got any questions...
Kelly

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Thanks Kellly, I'll give that a try. When buying the 9303 I didn't even give the delta programming a second thought, I stupidly assumed a 600 dollar radio would have just about every feature I needed. Even though my Futaba 9ZWCII was a nightmare to program you could program it to do just about anything. I still have the 9Z and happen to have a Spektrum module in it. I bound it to the AR9000 receiver but the old programming doesn't seem to compute with the AR9000. If all else fails I'll just reprogram the 9Z/Spektrum and use it to fly the Hotspot. Have used the AR9000 receiver with great success in my SD models 33% Yak so I think it will be fine in the Hotspot. I speak to Bob Wilcox fairly often and he says guys fly jets with DX7's so I'm sure the AR9000 with two remotes will be fine. My plan is similar to yours, one remote in the nose and another either up in the canopy or inside to the side and rear of the canopy stuck to the upper fuselage.

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Thanks guys, got it figured out, I think. Elevator throw gets set in LEVN and REVN in travel adjustment. Aileron throw gets set in dual rates; set the same number in position 0 and position 1 so it doesn't matter where the dual rate switch is. Glad someone figured this out. Nothing mentioned in the manual. I've got to wonder if this works by accident or if it was actually engineered in!

Kelly W

My Feedback: (2)

Sound's like you're on top of it. Funny, this is a carbon copy of the conversation I had with Al Watson last week! My comments about the lack of instruction in the 12x manual were almost a carbon copy. If its similar to the 12X, it leaves lot to be described when coming over from a Futaba system.

If you think about it, I think the JR style programming is less intuitive but probably more accurate in the end. It forces you to set travels based on elevator first, then aileron as a multiple of elevator. In the 9C, its kinda the other way around and doesn't really give you the freedom to adjust the elevator travel as independently. I wound up with a much more accurate loop track as a result.

You're probably right about the AR9000. I know Al's using that receiver in a Bobcat/P-120. Just don't use a 4-cell pack... I went overkill with the AR9100 and Duralite A123's since I really didn't have a good hold on the JR technology and chose the safer route. Besides, with the receiver rebate on the 12X last month I got an extra pair of the 1221 receivers...

Kelly

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Thanks Kelly. I appreciate your advice regarding four cell packs. Just thought I'd pass something along. I've been using Spektrum for a while now. First DX7, then 9ZWCII with Spektrum module, then last year switched to the X9303 in my 33% Hangar 9 Cap. I started out with dual five cell packs and of course had no issues except that the JR8411's on my ailerons jittered badly around neutral with fully charged packs which come off charge at about 6.85 volts. I ran regulators for a while but got a little nervous doing that. Just for the heck of it I switched to dual four cell packs, very powerful ones, namely Elite 2000 nimh packs which I topped off after every flight. Before I flew the airplane that way I checked it on the ground, loading up the control surfaces with my hands, knees, whatever. I cycled them back and forth at 3D rates for over twenty minutes monitoring the voltage draw the whole time and never saw it drop below five volts. I flew that airplane extensively with those two four-cell packs, recharging after every flight, with no problems whatsoever. I guess my point is that it's not so much the number of cells but the current capacity of the power system. In my case I was able to run 8 digital servos with no problems using dual four cell packs recharged after every flight. I think a Hotspot, with essentially only two digital servos running at one time (four on the Graupner version with split elevons), could easily be operated on two of those Elite 2000 four cell packs. Your point is well taken; however, in light of the known power isssues with Spektrum receivers. Will keep your advice well in mind.

Kelly W

My Feedback: (2)

Absolutely correct. Its not the pack voltage that matters, just the capability of maintaining pack voltage inside a useful range for the equipment. I went way overkill with the A123's in my Hotspot, and I'm recording the performance with my Eagle Tree data logger and an electric expander on one pack. So far the max power draw per pack is only 6 watts, or just under 1 amp per pack... On the other hand, I also run Spectrum hardware in the blimps that I run at the local NHL and Canadian Football League stadiums and I only run 4-cell packs there since I know the current draw is minimal. For extra insurance in the blimps though, I run a capacitor in the voltage line to prevent spikes. Probably not necessary, but it was only $5 so easily in the equipment budget.

Off topic, but check out this [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_WvBO4tmEc]video[/link] from Princeton last weekend. Still working on the exponential, so she'll get lower!

Good luck with your Hotspot. Let er' rip.
Kelly

Dustflyer

My Feedback: (13)

Great video! Very nice flying, that would be plenty low for me!

With regards to the elevon setup I think we just got lucky with our radios. Seems like JR just forgot to engineer individual throw adjustments for aileron and elevator when using elevons. Kinda like elevons are elevons and that's that. Luckily the Hotspot uses less aileron throw than elevator throw which is easily accomplished in the radio. I'm not sure what someone would do if they needed more aileron throw than elevator, that doesn't appear possible.

No matter, I'm quite satified with Spektrum as a whole. Must admit it was a real head scratcher when I first went in to program the aileron throw and didn't see any provision for it! Thanks for the help!

Kelly W

My Feedback: (2)

I'm not sure it it would ever be a problem based on all the delta wing based planes I know of, but I think you could still do it. If the aileron throw had to be more than elevator you'd be forced to just set the travel of the aileron in its own 1st, then reduce dual rates of elevator as a % of aileron throw. Again, not so intuitive but I think it's possible.

I'm slowly getting my head around the programming methods and finding different ways to accomplish the same or better function in my 9C. I only wish I would use the snap roll switches like I use to for activating function but it doesn't seem to be available (yet...?) on the 12X.

Kelly