TheMonkMan

Well, my time has finally come, ever since I was a little toddler heli's have been a huge interest to me, I'd play any pc game that simulated it (which lead to 6 months of 9 hours a day playing GTA Vice City lol) and yeah, never had my own RC Flying object. I've flown some small 3 channel mini heli's and fixed them cause the kids they were intended for, kept breaking them. BUT!! Now, I've ordered my very own, first heli. The details as follows:

JF 810:

Fully Assembled - Ready to Fly

Metal Frame

4 Channel, Up/Down, Forward/Back, Pan Left/Right, turn Left/Right, Hover & Land

Built in Gyroscope

Lights for night flight

Length 45cm

Range 30M

Flight time +-10mins

Box contains

1 x Helicopter

1 x Radio control ( NOT Infrared)

1 x Battery charger

Spare main blades
Instructions are on the boxs


It is an Coaxial Heli, and I've done some reading up on gyro's, coaxial, 2ch, 3ch, 4, 6 and so on, and the types of motors, the handling and who knows what else.

More details and pics can be seen here ->nastoysshop.blogspot.com/2011/10/jf-810-4-channel-rc-helicopter.html

It's coming on Tuesday and I can't wait!! It's currently 12: 15 am here and I'm still looking at rc heli's on the web LoL... So, do you guys think this is a good one to start off with? Any tips? I'm gonna take things VERY slow cause I don't wanna break it before I fly it... Haha... I got the 4 Channel cause I wanted to have as close a feel to the "real RC's" as possible... 3ch ones just don't do it for me.

Regards,
Brian

Oooeh, now I'm hungry as hell. Uhm, see you guys in the morning

Scrooem

looks like a cool heli.
co-axial which will be very stable for a 4 ch
looks similar to the syma line of helis like their S031,32,33 and then thier 9190 is bigger but i think they are all 3 ch
i really like my 4 ch helis mostly the walkera 4# twins whcih are no longer made but are fixed pitch with a flybar and i have had to crossed link all parts
i have the walkera ufly 4 ch as well flys good its just a bit more delicate
the 6 ch are where i have my most challanges i have totaled one heli, have one in constant repair one that has never been more than 3 feet off the ground...but never crashed! and one in build
i have the most fun with the almost indestructable cheap 4.5 ch coaxial micro raven and pulse...the .5 is for the lateral rotors for r/l lateral motion

can be a very fun frustrating hobby...when i crash one real bad i go back to flying something a bit less to remind myself why i fly in the first place....

Mack66

Cool! Looks similar to my Blade CX2. I had a lot of fun flying it , crashing it, fixing it. Learned a lot. Then went on to .50 nitro Hirobo Sceadu and never looked back. It's a great hobby. You just have to start somewhere. Crashing and fixing is very much part of the hobby, so don't fret when you crash. You'll need to get the tools, the parts, and learn to fix it. You'll love it.

Welcome to the hobby.

Mack

helicub81

I don't mean to go against the common view here, but frankly, the one you have purchased is more of a toy than a hobby grade heli. If you are intending to seriously get into this hobby, i'd pick up another one.

TheMonkMan

Ehm, ohkay, but isn't that a bit, fast? I mean, I've never flown any RC thing besides the 3ch mini heli's (which are true toys)... So, wouldn't I be better off getting used to flying things, the directional changes, the eye-thumbs co-ordination and so forth? I mean, if I had the money, I would have bought a raptor or something to that effect no doubt, but I'm pretty sure I would total something like that within my first flight. I'll later on, once I'm into it enough, go into 6 channel choppers...without doubt. Another problem I face is spare parts, I live in Mozambique and have to buy everything in South Africa (1000km's away) so I'm gonna try to get through my hobby-starting-phase with as little damage as possible. Which brings me back to an easy, cheap learning chopper.

droggy66

That heli is gonna be real stable compared to a 4ch fixed pitch, when you get one of those, you are gonna learn all over again. The transition from 4ch fp to 6ch cp is going to be easier than coax to 6ch

helicub81

Ever since they came out with those coaxial helis, everyone has this impression that you NEEd to start off on one of those and the truth is that you don't. I didn't and i learned fine. Granted, i did break a couple parts here hand there, it wasn't too bad. IMO, the coaxials as well as teh Blade MSR give ppl the impression that they are learning how to fly a rc heli when in fact they aren't. All you really need is a well setup heli and a simulator. Skip the "beginner" ones. Its just pure marketing.

TheMonkMan

Ohkay cool. Then I will be buying a CP as soon as budget allows it. But you don't suppose this co-axial would help prepare me at all? I mean, aren't some of the controls more or less the same as the 6channel? (Physically speaking) Left up/down is levitation, Left sideways is heli directional control, right is more or less panning in any direction... Or are things much different for the 6+channel heli's?

helicub81

You are right, the controls are the same but in terms of the flight characteristics its dramatically different.

When you get your 6Ch CP heli, its going to be very difficult to fly. I'd say, for the first month it will seem impossible to get off the ground; and you will crash.

You can't expect to pick it up and start flying on the first day. It takes a lot of time and a lot of money (for repairs) IT would be really prudent to get a simulator too. As well as training gear.

If its possible, have someone who is good at the rc helicopters look over it. With the 6Ch helis, they are more difficult to setup, but they are quality machines (assuming you get a good model). This means that you won't need to worry about whether your helicopter is behaving correctly.

I want to reemphasize this; it is going to be extremely difficult. When i first started, i thought that this was a gross exaggeration. Its not. You will crash and it will take a lot of time. You may think that you did the wrong thing by buying a more advanced heli. I promise that you didn't. I know a bunch of people who purchased the smaller helis hoping that would help them. And to be honest, they are all shocked at how different the flying is and from what I have observed, none of them can smoothly transition from a "beginner heli" to a more advanced one.

Don't give up!!

helicub81

By the way, what kind of heli were you looking at?

And yes, the coaxial helicopter will prepare you a little. It will teach you the basic orientations.

But you need to be careful not to "over control". With the coaxials, you can bang on the sticks and the helicopter will still hover. Don't get used to this. On the 6ch helis, this leads to a lot of crashing.

A sim is VERY useful btw. To be honest, its really boring to practice, but it saves you a lot of money in the long run. When i started, i didn't believe this and went straight to the helis. Not a good choice.

TheMonkMan

As a CP heli? Well, I saw thisone and was very impressed with it. I have a few problems with it though, like, it might be more for Pro's, it uses a nitro gas engine (you wont be able to get fuel for it here) and the price is hefty. (about 220USD) I'd prefer electric, since I don't have to buy fuel and stuff every time, but would like one that's able to keep me interested, that I can learn to fly, yet good enough to learn stunts with or a bit more advanced flying. (I don't mind difficulty, if I did, I'd have gone into planes) But that means, I'm gonna have to perfect the sim before I can even test out the heli....

And, about the simulator, I doubt I would get one with the coaxial that I've ordered, so should I look for a seperate sim+control to buy or should I just wait till I buy the CP? (which should come with it's own sim)

I saw some extreme 3D flights, and even though I sure like the more model type heli's, those stunt heli's blew my mind. I never even knew that they could do that, so I'm not sure which catagory I'd go into yet, but for now, something that's not gonna break into 10 million pieces (which I'ma have to plastic-weld together) if it falls 3 feet......

helicub81

Whao.. i didn't realize you meant a raptor 30 when you said 6ch haha. I was thinking more along the lines of a nice trex 450 or one of those blade 450s. If you have a lot of experience with RC and mechanics, the raptor wouldn't be a big deal, but if you are a beginner, a heli that size can seriously injure someone if it isn't set up correctly. You need to learn about blade pitch, locktite, how to fix etc.... lots of mechanics involved.

And if i am understanding correctly, it is 200 dollars USD? That should be more like 2000 USD.

I think the raptor may be a bit much. RC universe has a really good beginners section. You may also want to check out rcgroups. Thats another really good one. That website has more traffic too so there are more people to chime in.

TheMonkMan

Err, -looks at price again O.o- Yeah, sorry... I worked out the price of something else, 7500 rand is very close to 1000USD, something like $980 or something... Anyway, yeah, I'm very new to all this haha, I've seen the 450's and they look like some nice ones too, but I'm scared of those breaking the body too easily.. I'm fine with lots of mechanics, I learn quick, and am a quad mechanic, bike mechanic, somewhat cars, electricion, pc tech, ehm, basic Jack of all trades so I don't have a fuss learning a new trade. I'm good with precise tuning things, but yeah, flying a non tuned heli to test it out could be quite hazardous. LoL...

So I'm looking at the 450 range hey? I saw a pretty nice 450 blade somewhere... 6 channel and not too big, I'll look into them rather then. What price range should I expect them to fall under? (new)

Btw, a major thanks for all the help and advice so far

helicub81

If your looking at the Blade 450, i think that is like 400 new RTF. i'm not completely sure though. I heard its good, like a lot better than the blade 400.

You mentioned that you thought that the 450 was more delicate than the raptor 30? From experience, the 450 can take a lot more abuse than those big ones. Even if you have a little mishap with the big ones, everything goes to S**T Not even lying. One time, i landed a little bit hard with my trex 600, the blades folded, hit the tail boom and it was a 200 dollar repair.

On the other hand, ive crashed my 450 inverted and only broke the blades, flybar, and main shaft. hahah


You should definately get a second opinion on what to get though. If there is a hobby shop around, i'd say to go talk to them. people who work at hobby shops are generally really nice and welcoming.

Some people would recommend the coaxials (i don't think its useful); the 6ch helis are the way to go if you are planning to be serious about this hobby.

TheMonkMan

Ohkay cool, I'll look them up and do that. Thanks for the advice...

matty_p80

Monkman!

just to put my view in.....i learned on a Blade 400 3D, which is do-able if you're as old as me and not the impetuous sort! personally though, if i had the money and spares supply, i would have gone for a 500 size electric first as it is much more stable (you have an extra 200mm of rotor disc compared to the 450 size) and also easier to see in flight for orientation (a big one with the 450's)! that said, if you can fly the 450's in a safe and controlled manner, you should be set for anything with rotors!!!

Matty

p.s. SCROOEM- even if it's written on the box, there is no such thing as half a channel! it either has a channel where the info. is passed from the Tx to Rx or not!!

TheMonkMan

LOL, Yep, that's what I thought, I've seen many 3.5 and 4.5 models and looked and searched and went through the specs, but all the controls were the same and I'm always wondering where the other "half" is..... Probably controls the night-lights or something.....

Anyway, I see your point, even though right now, financially, I can't afford the big 500's etc. but will definitely look into it. I saw some pretty mean heli's like the E-Sky Belt V.2 for close to $120 and some others like the TREX 450's for about the same, all in the 400-450 range but none in the 500 range for that price. (which is a very good price....)

And ehh, no no, I'm still fresh blood, cold out the school refrigerator... (I'm half through with writing my finals, then I'm done!!) Which means, I'll have plenty time to work, spend it all on helicopters and equipment and fly.. Haha (and unluckily, I probably HAVE to say this, "and crash them" too)

Monk

Mack66

This is why it's important to consider the cost of replacement parts so it doesn't exhaust your budget!

The life cycle for helicopters is simple: Fly-Crash-Fix-Fly-Crash-Fix-Fly-Crash-Fix-Fly-Crash-Fix and on and on and on...

So you better like fixing!

Mack

OliverJacob

My Feedback: (12)

...if you want to learn without paying a fortune, get a simulator. I have used Real Flight and learned a lot, the reset button fixes any mishap :-)
Besides airplanes I started with a Raptor 30, this heli is very stable and great to learn how to fly, even with some wind.
I also have a little indoor heli, but that one is actually harder to control then the rappi.

Mack66

Actually, the bigger you go, the easier it is to learn. I went from a CX2 to an Hirobo Sceadu .50 EVO SWM.

It would be cool if Monkman could latch on to a Gaui Hurricane 550 or similar. They have more mass and don't dart away so quickly.

Mack

TheMonkMan

Wow, I'm very impressed by that heli... Looks good, it's big, runs off 22.4v, but I saw that just the kit costs $250 and then I have to buy everything else too.........

Well, atleast I have something that I should keep an eye out for, like I said, I got lots of time to work, so just have to save up

My only concern is that... I'm still scared of taking a heli like that out the box when I've never flown anything with CP before... Ehh, I guess with lots of time playing with the coaxial and simulators, I should be fine, just be very delicate with the controls on the first flight.

Well, thanks for all the help and advice guys... Much appreciated and I will probably be on here often too, my order (the one I started this thread about) is coming tomorrow and I'm super excited (even though it's not a CP) and ehh, will probably be looking for tips on fixing broken blades by tomorrow afternoon LoL.

helicub81

haha don't tape the blades back together!!. One time i was being cheap and i decided to do the same thing. I had wooden blades so i popped a couple staples in the blade and went over it with masking tape. Like ten seconds into the flight, the blade fell of and flew off. I literally felt the blade wiz by my head. no joke. Don't do it lol.

On the other hand, if your blades are like little plastic ones, you can always take some thin CA and fix like a little crack. I do that with my mcpx all the time. But you have to make sure that your blades are still balanced.

TheMonkMan

LoL, sounds like some good advice... The heli I'm getting is plastic though, and from experience, I know that a soldering iron can do wonders with plastic, so I hope that I'll be able to use that instead of sticky tape, as long as I don't solder the blade back on, and it's skew..........

I feel like I'm getting experience already and I haven't even flown it yet!! Haha

Matty, since you have an interest in aircraft and so on, just wondering, were you in the airforce back in the day? (My dad was and so was a few other friends of mine... Just wondering if they all have such an interest in RC aircraft LoL)

TheMonkMan

WEll, it came! And I'm super happy.. Even though........... It's much harder to fly than people make it look!!

Err, and the controls are different to what is explained in tutorials, left lever is throttle and pan left / right and right lever is rotate and pan forwards or backwards... I didn't see and "mode 1 & 2" so now I'm confused. I removed the cover to find a pc board (where I unplugged the lights cause I don't like em) and well, no options or adjustable screws.... Once again, confused. It hovers very well, but as soon as it starts going left or right, I touch the wrong controls, cut the throtle and crash LOL. Ehm, I have already had to do a repair but didn't have to replace any parts ... So yeah.

UPDATE:

Well, after about 5 flights, I can now nearly control the heli... Once it's up and flying, it's stable... too stable. It doesn't slant as much as I'd like it to.. I took it outside so I have more space and well, there's very close to no wind so that was a good decision.. But I'm bummed about these controls and have found no way to change them to the conventional 6channel setup, so maybe I should just get used to it and set the remote of whichever 6 channel I get to be like this one is now...... Anyway, I'm having plenty fun, the big dog keeps wanting to take my chopper out the sky but she gets shouted on LoL. It's definitely a big learning curve for me, and I am glad I started with this and not a full on CP 6 channel raptor or something... But that will come and I'm looking forward to it already!(just wanna buy a few spare batteries already cause 1 hour charge for 10 mins playtime is quite a bummer.)

Cojac92

Well it looks like your having a good time. I'm not sure what you were asking when it comes to your controls on the transmitter. It sounds like a mode 2... Which is fine.

When you say it starts to drift right or left, try adjusting your trim on your transmitter. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube showing you how. You should be able to get it dialed in enough so it only wanders an inch or two in any direction.