Mark, good to see you are still around, even if its only for just a little while longer. I have to admit I took a lot of inspiration from your contributions to this forum.

Well It's time to investigate going separates. I burned up a motor this weekend at the gym. Good solid hover, then a rapid reduction in power. Just another hard landing is all. Thankfully I was only about ten feet up.

CopterX build is going real sloooow. No instructions. Hope I dont end up with spare parts, LOL.

Without reading through all 72 pages of this string to find out.... What are folks doing to put a heading hold type gyro on their CP-L's? Other then what is recommended in the manual?

i am using the gy240 - at first i did not like it - cuz when the battery starts to die the heli starts to spin uncontrollably and i did not know to "calibrate" it after the beep by moving left stick all the way to the right and the left. Now i actually like flying my (non belt driven ) Axe.

I also just listen and watch the heli and you can tell when the battery has run down so as not to get that crazy spinning.

my 2c

ciao

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6588525/anchors_6588525/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#6588525]Add a HH gyro with no other parts needed[/link]

Thank you Mike.

I have an e-flite CP Pro and they describe a procedure on adding an HH gyro without the addition of an ESC. Looking at the hardware it appears that both heli's share the same 3 in 1 speed control and receiver so I was thinking of doing the same on the AXE CP.

For those who have been possibly waiting, Tower Hobbies has the Heli-Max MX400 in stock. Get them while they last!!!

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&P=IA&I=LXKXU8

I did this with a telebee gyro on the axe once and it lasted all of five minutes. I would use a seperate esc if I were you. Some people have had success without one but the voltage on the axe seems to be higher than the average 5volts that most electronics use. Losing a $40 dollar gyro is bad enough, I would hate to have that happen to a 240 or a 401.

Not to worry about a gy401 used with a stock Axe 3 in 1.

The GY401's operating voltage spec. is: +4.0 - +6.0 vdc.

My Axe's 3 in 1 BEC output is 4.95 vdc.

Note- my Axe was shipped with the LiPo.. I doubt the NiMh version would be any different since the Rx is the same regardless of batt. type.

RWW

Maybe that's why the tail motor burns out so often!

Mike,

Go back up to my BEC/GY401 reply and you'll see I edited the BEC voltage from the Axe CP-L stock 3 in 1 to: 4.95vdc, NOT the 5.95vdc originally posted.

Sorry for any confusion. But barring any 3 in 1 board defects/failures, the GY401 would operate optimally at 5.0 vdc.

As far as the tail motor... sans any physical damage, I would expect its failure to be brush related.

RWW

The thing is the gyro wasn't designed to be a speed controller and the motor can pull to many amps causing a failure.

Please allow me to explain my set-up...

The 401 is set to non-DS output.

The Axe's (stock) rate gyro is set to minimum sensitivity (effectively eliminated).

In terms of signal path, the 401 is inserted in between the receiver's rudder output (channel) and the Axe's stock 3 in 1 tail ESC input.
Simply put, the 401 "adds or subtracts" to the drive or output signal to the tail ESC.
The ESC then drives or provides the current to operate the tail motor.


Thus the 401 gyro is not being used as a speed controller (ESC) in my setup.
It is however being used to drive the ESC input just as it would drive a servo input.


The question now becomes one of hardware compatability in general and input/output impedance in particular.

Is the input impedance of the Axe's stcok 3 in 1 tail motor ESC significantly different from any other "separate" ESC on the market today??

I doubt it.

MOST name-brand manufacturers maintain compatability to allow cross-brand useage. Otherwise sales would suffer and you would be forced to by "Brand X" everything.

I'm sure incompatabilities exist out there, but I don't see any problems with the equipment I'm using.


Thanks... RWW

Hey guys. How are you all doing. I've had this heli for a year now and haven't really flown much. I had some three in one board trouble. Some of you may remember my posts of frustration in the begining of the thread. But anyway I have built up a stock of money and want ot seriously upgrade my heli. I want to put in a gyro and belt drive with some other cnc parts over time. What would be the best exipment for doing this without buying the most expensive part out there. For instance a gyo that would work with the tail motor at first and then a servo for the belt drive later. IS THIS DOABLE OR AM I JUST CRAZY. [sm=spinnyeyes.gif] QUITE POSSIBLE [sm=50_50.gif] And am not worried about buying an esc for a gyro so please don't suggest using the stock 3 in 1,

Shadow99 i was looking at your pictures, not to be nosy but how much did that setup cost fully flight ready.

We are having a lively discussion about our recent re-builds of our Axe CPs on HeliFreak:

http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=35145&page=32

I just got my Belt Mod kit today and have a few bits from Microheli on the way. I have the Bell-Hiller mod bits so I have a lot of tinkering to do.

At the moment, we in a state of major dis-assembly. I may get to splitting the frame halves tonight in preparation for the Dremel work needed for the Belt Mod, plus I need a new Tail Boom.

I'm on my way to getting my Axe flying well. Meanwhile, I have been getting lots of stick time on my TREXSEV2 which is a joy to fly - I am flying it around like a plane now - at speed and very comfortable in all 2D flight modes except Nose-in Hover. My circles and 8's look pretty good, and I like to fly her fast on the straight aways. Waaayyy cool.

After I get my Axe fixed up, it will be nice to bring 2 helis to the park instead of just one! WOOT!

You don't have to split the frame to cut it. I just did the belt driven tail conversion yesterday. If you take out the shaft and main gear and the left servo you can get to it with a small dremel blade and a hack saw blade. What adifference this conversion makes, the tail is rock solid, but with the 3 in 1 board the tail servo dies on my heli as the board heats up, all of the pots (nobs) on it are turned all the way off but the main ic gets extremely hot and the servo tritches alot. That is my only problem, the bdt does give more left heli drift wich needs to be trimed alittle.

Hi Guys

I got hooked on the AXE CPL, does a good job after some usual problems. I have been reading the information here on the Gyro and the upgrade. Seems to me that the 3 in 1 board should work. I did some expermenting and got a sample of Temper/Pedic foam and made a receiver/ 3 in 1 foam box and was able to calm the factory gyro down a bunch and it still holds very well. If you look from the front of the Heli the 3 in 1 is on the left and the receiver on the right. It would be nice if the canopy had a bit more room but it works. Anyone out there with a 3 in 1 board layout and a schematic, boy that would really help ????

Happy Flying

Rich
(olderrich)
[email protected]

Correct! I got it all installed and hover tested now! Just waiting for a calm sunny day now. She's in my Wing Tote right next to my 450V2, which depleted 4 packs today and was a lot of fun! Too windy for my still experimental Axe CP, but the TREX can handle a really decent breeze and I have no trouble with big or small 8's high or low. TONS of fun!

Tonight I install a Futaba S3114 for the tail servo. Just following the top pick for this job from the HeliFreak thread. ITs tiny! Has better specs than the HS-50 or 55, so in it goes.

The Belt Mod is AWESOME!!! [8D] If I only knew when I got this thing... [:@]

Just keep an eye out for that servo markind I installed that same servo with the gy240 and got about 5 flights out of it then it burnt out and froze up. Put in a hs 55 and now it flies like a drem, although sometimes the belt slips and causes the nose to drift right, but only slightly if he belt gets loose over time. How I wish I had a grand to biuld a monster trex but only 16 and need to save for a car.

Thanks for the tip! I will be checking that servo closely. It does seem very tiny for the job it does - the specs are impressive but its a really small plastic thingy.

Heck ya I had to save for a car when I was 16 too! Been there done that! But now I am 44 and got a portfolio so as long as the wife doesn't axe my Axe I can squeek some hobby funding past her... heheh My free advice to you is - keep doing good in school - Think CAREER, not just JOB (you can hate your job, but you should love whatever career you choose) - and keep up with your people skills - keep building friends and contacts. Also, never forget the your most valuable asset - your integrity. Loose that and you ain't got squat. And don't worry - do these things and you'll have all the hobby stuff you want. Ok, 'nuff soapboxing...


And now my latest hobby blog news!!


Awesome stick time today!!

A very warm and sunny and surprisingly calm morning came my way today, and I got full wifely clearance to spend the morning at the club field.

I got in 5 excellent runs with the TREX, and an amazing 3 runs with the Son of FrankenAxe!

On the last pre-flight inspection, I found a loose screw in my Axe's new tail pitch mechanism, so I started as usual with a detailed checkup and found everything fine.

I spooled her up into a hover and checked that the tracking was surprisingly dead-on. Woot! So, I just started inputting the same stick movements I give the TREX...

And she responded pretty close!! Like the TREX after a shot of buorbon and a half a quelude. A little wishy-washy, but quite manageable.

In fact, some circuits looked even smoother than what the TREX would do because the Axe doesn't build up speed as suddenly as the TREX, and the slightly sluggish response resulted in some very smooth and clean turns, both upwind and downwind.

The wind was off and on but pretty mellow, so no problems on landings or takeoffs. Very smooth.

I am just tickled pink with the response of the Belt Mod!! I could hardly tell it from the TREX tail response! Very docile - surprising since I am only using a Gy240 Rate Gyro and cheap S3114 servo in the tail. It required very little flight management - pretty much just point and go. Basically the same stick inputs I give the TREX work fine for the Axe. When I let the rudder stick go to center, she pretty much just kept the heading. EXCELLENT!!!

Once I got some confidence, I opened up my pattern and got way up there and way out there!! KEWL!!!


Now then, on to fine tuning:

I noticed when decending into the wind and flaring and decelerating, the main blades (flat bottom plastic trainer blades) would flap terribly, throwing the tracking off by a full inch or so. The flutter would obviously stress the mechanicals, be inefficient, and of course cause loss of lift.

This condition immediately subsides when I level out and apply a slight bit of throttle. This condition does not exist at any other time - only when decending, flaring, and reducing throttle into the wind - which is common for me when I want to slow down and bring her in closer, or on landing approaches.

After dabbling, I have concluded that the headspeed is too low and have begun incrementally lowering the Normal Pitch Curve and upping the Normal Throttle Curve. I am trying to find the lowest headspeed I can get and not have this problem...

Woot!! I got two good flying birds in the bag now!!

Hey Markind... been a very long time since I posted in here.... Congrats on getting your AxeCP flying like an actual heli and not like a leaf in a gust of wind. Even thought I miss my Axe I am waiting on Helimax to do a version of the Axe that comes with the belt driven tail so I can grab on and have an indoors heli. I tried the Gaui200 but that thing is far too squirrely for me.

Hey Guys,

The KEY to SUPREME PERFORMANCE with the BDT system on the AXE is adding BOOM SUPPORTS & CF tail blades. Once you are able to stiffen-up the 8mm OD "tissue-paper thickness" tail boom (boom supports), then add CF tail blades & you can really get the tail to POP around (like the BIG BOYS do)!
Without the supports, if you push the tail HARD, you can see the boom flex which causes the tail to hunt, depending on your gyro gain.
I used T-rex 450 parts, and made a delrin bushing to fit between the OD of the boom (8mm) & the ID of the T-rex boom clamp (12mm).

Shadow

Excellent mod! Thanks for this tip!

I may actually get to it later, more flying and testing to do yet...

BLADES ON SALE!! STOCK UP WHILE YOU CAN!! HALF PRICE STOCK BLADES!!

http://www.helidirect.com/product_in...roducts_id=779

Will you explain how you installed the telebee gyro? I bought one alone with an align ESC. I can't figure out where to plug the ESC for the tail motor in. The gyro (telebee has a plug for a tail gyro but I'm not using the belt mod). I've sereach for 2 days and your the only peron I've found that has hooked one up. Can you help?

The tail esc is in effect your tail servo so you want to plug the esc in where you would normally plug in the tail servo. Which telebee do you have? One has two connecting wires and the other micro gyro has one connecting wire with a slot to plug in your servo. The other ones are for .30 size helis.