Rennster

Graduating from a Blade CP. Looking to buy the parts for a complete TREX. Planning to buy the TREX XL on Grandrc.com but I don't know what a positive shift receiver is. Do I need a heading hold gyro and what is that? My knowledge comes from repairing the Blade CP so that is my limit of my knowledge of RC helis. I love this hobby though! Learned how to hover whenever I have downtime in Iraq. Serving with the Army and have been here for 11 months. I hope to get my TREX by February when I return home in Hawaii. Thanks! If we can only mount a 50 cal on these things!!!!

jh4db536

My Feedback: (2)

1) positive or negative shift refers to which side of the "radio wave" the Rx receives and answers to. Tx like JR transmit in positive shift only. Futaba and hitec are negative shift i think. Some Tx have selectable shift (both).

shift does not exist in all countries...i think this is for north america or something.

main point = the shift of your Tx and Rx MUST match!!!

2) get a gy401 for a heading hold gyro. youll probably never fly the bladeCP again after experiencing what that has to offer. the tail will hold steady even in wind. when setup right you can hover the entire pack without touching the tail stick unless you want the heli to turn.

i hope you have your own transmitter...the trex is a kit and doesnt come with one. if not you have to buy one, make sure it has CCPM capability.

3) you are graduating to a REAL heli - add pitch/throtle curves, governor mode, ccpm mix, soft start, low voltage cut off, etc to your vocabulary

freez

yup you will love the trex , I started with the blade and the trex is a whole new beast . The 401 gyro and a digital tail servo are the bomb , as stated above with this settup you can actually run without ever touching the tail unlike the blade where you are constantly trying to keep up with the tail .

and stay safe bro

Twawsi

My Feedback: (1)

Rennster,

Stay safe man. Been there, done that, now I'm doing it again in the Stan. I have gone a route similar to yours. Un-named starter heli, learned to hover, still practicing, bought a Rex-SE and I'm building that prior to redeployment. There is a lot of great info here and everyone has helped out tremendously. Keep your guys focused, you guys aren't done yet and accidents happen more towards the finish. Once again, stay safe.

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

I hate to be a party pooper, but my suggestion would be to spend your cash on a 30-sized glow trainer (or even a 50-sized one for more stability). You will get soooo much farther down the road with a larger ship than you will with the T-REX. Don't get me wrong, the T-REX is awesome. I just think it's not a great training ship.

By its size, the TREX presents a large challenge to begin with. More subtly, you will try to fly it at home and won't get good training like you would at a flying field with experienced pilots. With helis, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TRAINING and PRACTICE. Having said that, I have seen some "Young Thumbs" get jiggy with the TREX right away...so good luck if you go that route.

Michael

jh4db536

My Feedback: (2)

it depends on what he is expecting. the trex controls are ultra responsive and very snappy. corrections require the slightest touches, unlike the blade which is a lot slower and requires a lot of stick movement. try that on a trex (w/o exponential or rate limiting) and it will flip or corkscrew rapidly because it's geared for 3d out of the box. since trex are very high powered, jerkin the collective will either rocket it into the sky or plant it in the ground.

however it is very predictable and responsive. that will give you a true taste of how it's supposed to be.

maybe you should start with an x400. it's like a trex but not as snappy while retaining the responsiveness. if you want to make it trex like, just buy a full align metal head swap for like $100 and itll fly exactly like a blinged trex.

i have a 60 sized nitro and i never flew it. actually i think it would be funny if i hovered it in my driveway. i wonder what my neighbors would say to that.

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

As a beginner, my bet is he is NOT expecting (or wanting) crisp, responsive controls! That is the point of the larger ship. You have time to react.

I just believe that a mini heli is not the best platform for beginners.

And, yes, I've hovered a 60-sized (electric) ship in our cul-de-sac!

jh4db536

My Feedback: (2)

well he is "graduating from a blade" if he can fly that, then he can fly anything.

it's probably a lot easier to fly than that because with a HH gyro he wont be fighting the tail anymore. he can devote all his concentrations to getting used to the trex's cyclic.

my xcell in the driveway is gonna be like a flying weedwacker. my neighbors have called the cops on me before for using an impact gun and the compressor past the hour lol. nice heli. what's under the skin?

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

Nothing under the skin except Uni-Elektro mechanics (Graupner). The only scale ships that I've built were meant for scale from the beginning. I'm not into the conversions.

Even though I have those shots, I wouldn't fly a full size heli in the neighborhood. Too much can go wrong and when it does with a heli, things get dicey.

Michael

Rennster

Thanks for the replies. I have more insight into the hobby now. Hmm...Now I am perplexed between a gas heli or an electric like the TREX. I fly Raven UAVs here but they can't compare to a heli. I used to fly gas RC planes a decade ago. If I get a gasser I'd have to go to the RC field but if I get the TREX then I am afforded a bit more flexibility. Gas would be more expensive vs. electric power. I was learning firgure 8s before I crashed and broke a skid. You guys are right about the tail though it wags a lot and I put a lot of input to compensate. Well...I will heed everyone's advice especially about redeploying back. I am the XO of our company and safety is a major concern. Anxiety is a major factor. THanks guys! How about a Corona? I was thinking about buying a Futaba 6EXCH ? (spelling might be wrong) but I can't tell if it has CCPM capability or how can I tell if a radio has it? BTW, thanks for the explanation about positive and negative shift.

mkranitz

My Feedback: (60)

The Corona, like the co-axial helis, is a fixed pitch heli. In my view it's inferior to a collective pitch heli.

From an expense perspective, I figure you'll crash the TREX 3-4 times as much as anything else and you will pay for parts.

Having to go to the field is GOOD. In the beginning, you will want instruction. For practice, you can pick a remote location (away from any flying field) where you believe (and hope) that nobody will be playing with their transmitter (I like construction sites with no houses in the vicinity). Anyway, the point here is not to actually fly it, but just to hover and work on maneuvers 2-5 feet above the ground. Convenience is not something I would look forward to until you have a mastery of sorts over the heli.

I started with little guys and almost gave up the hobby. I then bought a GPH 346 (older Hirobo) and loved it. Flew a Raptor and then a Venture before punting pod and boom for scale. Nothing like the bigger ships to learn on.

Again, my 2 cents!!

Michael