Ok I'll spill my guts. I started out with an MSR  2 months ago. It has given me more brain damage than you can imagine. It has also given me great pleasure as well. Even when it was brand new, it took me about a week to somewhat fiqure it out enough to hover and fly it a littleI have had various problems, replaced almost all parts, some more than once, but it is worth it! When you do get it to work correctly, it's a blast. To this day I am still adjusting rod lengths, trimming etc. Maybe to to wall impacts......LOL
If you are still having problems..............here's the solution...................
Spoend a few bucks at your local hobby store and at the same time, ASK FOR THEIR HELP! One of ther best investments I have made (which can be used for many more things than just the MSR is a pair of magnifying glasses/headset. These are the best, http://www.doneganoptical.com/optivisor.php. I bought the 2.5 magnification and they are FANTASTIC! Stop F***ing around if you are getting absolutely fustratedand go to a hobby store and get spend more and make a best friend. If you really want to get into this hobby, do it before you give up! Patience, Patience!
FYI After a month or two with the MSR I bought a Used Blade 400. Well talk about frustration...........lolThe one I bought was supposedly just rebuilt, yeah, right...LOL Maybe by a 3rd grader. I have spent realistically at least 30 hours resetting this thing up. Sevro's were connected wrong, swash plate F***ed, every setting wrong, tail blades spinning the wrong direction,screws loose, stripped or even missing. UNBELEAVABLE BRAIN DAMAGE, but I kept going. I used help from forums, you tube and the best...the books from http://www.rchelicopterfun.com. Every time I completed an adjustment and saw that it was really working as it was supposed to, it was a great feeling of accomplishment. Yesterday was the day to finally try it. Everything was right, at least  what I checked over....92% of EVERYTHING. Trainingg wheels (gear...LOL) on I was ready....I was , the Heli was not. As soon as it raised up and got light, it started spinning violently. Back home to look it over. Searched the web for a cause and then. Well, I found that two screws holding the tail boom braces for stability had vibrated out, the tail boom was loose, therefore the belt to the rear rotors was not tight too. Fixed that and then to the garage to try again.............NO LUCK. I then started changing things in the Transmitter as well as the Heli (not really knowing what I was doing) reversing the rudder, reversing the gyro, physically changing the position of the gyro thinking I had set it up wrong (I upgraded that to something other than stock as well as all the servo's) STILL NO LUCK! Well I was discussed to say the least! I finally gave up,and put the Gyro back the way I had it.  Was thinking about selling everything that I bought,. The Heli, tools, cases, $200 upgraded charger and power supply.I could go on. At this point after Hours ans Hours of effort it had yet to leave the ground! I then went into the house and wrote an e-mail to someone local that had offered help! begging them for assistance. Even offering to pay them. I refused to give up......At least not yet! Then, as a last ditch effort, I decided to try it one more time..............IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!! Amazing! It was not spinning and was actually starting to raise off the floor without spinning. I fooled around with it for a little while and before I damaged it by slamming it by slamming it into something in the garage. I put it away. I was THRILLED, EXCITED, HAVING AN ORGASM, not really, but close...LOL I have no idea what I did to make it work now? Maybe I was lucky (obviously), something like the Gyro is defective and erratically, I still have no clue. But all I can tell you is I can't wait to take it out today and try it again! Whew, I'm running out of breath. And you think your having problems.....LOL
AGAIN ! GO TO THE LOCAL HOBBY STORE, SPEND A FEW BUCKS, MAKE A FRIEND,AND ASK FOR HELP... .............................
************************************************** **MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!********************************************** *********************