LOL.......

Maybe I am just taking it too the extreem....but couldn't we just make motors that run on water? [8D]

johnny_zero, you are in luck, they do have motors that run on water..... they are in boats.

Let me guess, those break in by putting in a jar of air?

I was hoping for a better selection of puns, but maybe this will spark some more. In the article that I derived the benefit to bl motors from, it explained that in a brushless motor the break-in period was shortened by half and the main purpose of the cooling effect of the water was for bearing benefit. it would allow the bearings in the motor, which from what this article explained, were for the most part encased in either kevlar or nickel to seat properly without creating hotspots in the casings and main bearings. Now, I caught alot of flak as I say for merely bringing up the thought of dropping an electric motor into water in the first place and all my real intentions were was to prove to wheel that I was not suffering from flashback or an other currently formed halucinations, but I did investigate further and really from what I can tell, it is recommended that you should low-volt break-in a brushless the same as a brushed. whether you use water or oil or any other method. I found a website that sells 12 brands and types of "break-in" machine designed specifically for this purpose and I noticed all included bl in their applications, so make of it what you will but I don't think it could hurt. I will still be investigating this "coversation piece over coffee" and do some experimenting on my own, the last thing I want to do is pass along advice or information that I know is bad or stupid, but I always recommend doing your own investigations on any information you get here or anywhere else before you implement it. I don't endorse the water theory, wheel just thought I made it up.

All this talk of brushless advantages is causing me to look forward to getting one when I can afford it. I am just happy that my brush type stock motor is a sweeping success.
Also, it would indicate from what I have seen, maybe they encourage a water break in to help with the fluid motion of a motor.

What do you mean by the fluid motion of a motor?
Is this just another joke?
If so, I just don't get it.

You people are killing me here!!!
Fluid... a smooth and continous motion.
I am so going to fire my writers.

To make matters worse, I totally lost my intelligence and tryed (don't ask me why, cause I don't know)to extend the antenna mid-flight and did the chicken dance of death in the parking lot. luckily I only wasted the blades on the main rotor. I have hit the blades twice on my shop floor and the smooth concrete( and luck no doubt) caused NO damage to the blades, I even checked the balance afterwards. Ashpalt on the otherhand, does not like balsa wood, actually balsa wood does not like asphalt. Does anybody remember the link to the $9 practice blades? I think that I am going to learn how to make my own. If I am going to be stupid I am going to get creative in the process. So much for taking off the oak training gear.
thanks for letting me rant, and I will try to stop talking about brushes and motors before I paint myself into a corner.

I just had my first flight with a megapower 1350 lipo. BIG difference. I noticed though that my tail motor seems to pulse a bit. I can hear it as I'm hovering but the tail seems to be steady. Is this normal?

It's an unwanted characteristic of the 3-in-1 HareBear. It can be adjusted out, but it's a PITA.

I assume to adjust it out you are adjusting the pots on the 3 in 1. If I opt to not adjust it out and live with it, Will this harm or wear out the tail motor, or is it fine if I can live with it?

I need help

Just got this Axe cp and I seem to be able o control the tail..But once the axe gets light and begin to hover..Like inches off the ground..she wants to drift left. I add some trim on the cyclic (sp) and then it wants to tilt over the right..not drift right...Or better yet, tip over to the right.

Yes..I'm a total newbie to this RC heli thing so I'm sure I'm missing something. I messed with the pots and am sure I screwed that up. Bottom pot is for controlling how soon the tail blade come on right..

Please help me a least get this beast to stay still!!

Lab

Sorry..One more thing..Can I change the radio to a futaba 6ex 2.4 gz faaassst?

The bottom pot it the speed of the tail motor and the middle pot is the gyro.

Harebear I'm not sure if it will cause premature wear. It does make control more difficult though.

Lablover what your going through is normal. The tail rotor thrust causes the heli to drift left then over-compensating with right cyclic will cause the heli to roll right. Many of us went through this. Just take it slow, you'll get it. Unfortunately the FASST system is incompatable with the 3-in-1 so it can't be used.

Cool

I think what I'm doing wrong is trying to trim the axe before it really gets off the ground..From Radds totorial..cant trim unless airborne.

Man.These batteries take forever to charge..Gotta be a faster way. I have 2 stock batts with stock charger.

Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Lab

Your right Lablover, but one thing you can trim before your airborne is the swashplate. Just make sure it's level. Also I've heard with the aid of a "Lazy Susan" type device you can adjust the 3-in-1 on the ground. Good Luck!

I'm not sure if this is normal for the Axe but the rear peg, the one that goes through the swashplate stay, moves quite a bit at extreme roll input. Even at lesser input - one that closer simulates actual flight - there's movement. My slide block moves as well, which causes the seesaw to move, which affects the blade grips. The best I can tell is that it's reducing collective but it could very well be affecting just cyclic (I don't have a pitch gauge). If I can fix this, I know I can tame this wild beast even further. So, I guess a several questions:

1) Is this normal for the Axe?
2) Is this caused by poor electronics (3-in-1, servos, etc...)?
3) Or is this caused by binding?
4) How would I fix this?

Can someone recomend a good ac/dc charger as well as some lipo batt's? My LHS seems to be no help. I don't want to fool around with heavier batts and have to mess with couter weights etc but would like a little more flying..urrr um trying time

These stock batts are for the birds I'm sure.

Lab

Heliko is right, the FASST 2.4 GHz is incompatible with the 3-in-1. I too am a noob and I bought the 6EX 2.4 and found this out the hard way; I decided to keep it and to go completely separates using a GY401 gyro and I have just finished modding Axe 1 (I have 2). The 401 was ony $20 more than the 240 and I figured that I will likely use it on another heli in the future. Probably like you, I was looking to move to a different transmitter so's I could program it to be less sensitive; I have done the programming but have yet to fully balance and test Axe 1. You could buy the 6EX 72MHz version and stick with the standard Axe setup but gain the ability to program the transmitter.

I ordered a GWS Futaba [:::] to USB cable online which should arrive any day now; I'm planning to hook that up to the FMS simulator to get some practice where the only thing I need to do after a crash is press 'I'

First let me say I'm completly hooked and I have not even left the ground. With the futaba 6ex fast..what else did you have to get to make it work with the Axe?

I am considering the dx6 but not sure it's the same quality radio as the futaba?? Again..Notal newbie. I'd like to see or hear how you did the radio swap with the futaba.

So..I can get a usb cable for the radio and then run the sim?? I almost bought it yesterday but 198.00 seemed a bit much..Heck if I don't need the radio im sure it's cheaper right.

Can the radio and elec from the stock axe be used for anything in the future..other helis etc. Seems like a waste if I ge the new radio.

Not sure why I'm bent on the futaba

Lab

EDIT

Also how you did the mod to the radio to use FMS..Thanks a ton

Here's a good article on separates http://www.helihobby.com/html/separate_electronics.html and the diagram further down shows my set up http://www.helihobby.com/commonImages/l_sepImage3.jpg although I bought the GY401 which has another CH5 connector that lets you control the Gyro sensitivity from the transmitter.

I did some online searching and found there were several people who had not gotten good response from manufacturer when they had probs with the DX6 so I went with Futaba.

Although 'The' Sim costs $200, you can get a freebie version called FMS here http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html , I'm running 8.5 Alpha in Windoze XP and have several heli models that I downloaded - also free; the only crashes I've had so far were due to pilot error [&o]. Some people complain that FMS isn't realistic and that it's too easy to hover; my experience is that it is easier than reality but it's not unrealistic, it has very good graphics, and it's FREE!!! I want to use it to get good at the coordination of the sticks, so far I've only flown it on a MS joystick and although I got fairly good, I want to use the actual transmitter that I'm going to fly the real thing on. My cable hasn't arrived yet but it specifically claims to work with FMS, I'll let you know how it goes. The 6EX has some funky wording about the trainer function in Heli mode (because the trainer switch is used for the Idle / Up). Verbatim the manual says "The T6EX-2.4GHZ (HELI mode) trainer function lets you practice flying as a student by connecting the T6EX-2.4GHz to the instructor's Futaba transmitter" so I'm hoping / assuming that the data will be sent out from the transmitter to the computer when I plug the cord in. You have to calibrate the controls in FMS to suit the controller, that's in the instructions.

It's the 3-in-1 that is not compatible although it may be possible to work around that. Using a non-FASST receiver, you should be able to re-use the 3-in-1 in a heli. Another option is to sell it, there are many people who have fried their 3-in-1s and the list price is $80.

I didn't mod the radio, see above. I believe that the cable will work on the stock heli-max Axe transmitter or the Futaba EX6 without modification.


Ted

Hey Lablover, where in Michigan are you? Maybe we can go crashing together?

BTW, this http://www.dlebrun.rchomepage.com/gr...iles/T-REX.zip is the link to a Trex model for FMS, you have to unzip the file into the directory c:/program files/fms/models

It's difficult to fly and very realistic, if you get close you can even read the writing on the Gyro although it's backwards.

Thanks a million Ted..I'm off to go shopping

News flash...Got her about 3 inches off the ground and she was drifting left for about 10 feet. I freked so shut her down. This drifing left is gonna kick mu butt

Joe

Sterling Heights..How bout you..I'd love to find someone who can crash/help out

Joe