Mack66

Woopsie, JD. Good thing weather is lousy for Matty or it might have been all over! Haha.

Weather is lousy here too. Either warm, muggy and rain, or cool and windy. We got cool and windy today. You'd think it was Wintertime or something...

Mack

matty_p80

no harm JD as i'm going at my normal snail pace and have just about applied power to the gyro to get the important settings sorted to prevent damage to my servos!!




Matty

dooleyje

Hey everybody, I have been busy doing heli stuff and setting up FBL helis for clients. I had the opportunity to do a Spectrum 7200bx and the gyro it is nothing but a Beastx FBL system built into a 7 channel receiver. It works flawlessly. A very nice system. I purchased one for myself and hope to install it on my Vibe.

I have my hands on a source for 2 Logtech 2100/3100 combos gyros, no cost just let me know in a PM if you would like one. They are used but in new shape. Since I have gone to Flb I gave 2 Futaba 520 gyro away and this person is doing the same. The 2100 gyro is a super system and programs easily like most other gyros. I would put them up against a Futaba401 anyday.

Matty did you get you 500 flying?

Mack, whats happenng at the club?

Gotta go to the store, hollar later,

Jim

scasari

Hey everybody, I have been having some problems with my mcpx, whenever I am hovering, my tail sudendly spins out of control and its like flying without a gyro. It is not instant but after about a minute in the air it acts up. I took it apart and nothing seems to be wrong? Any suggestions?

Thanks, Sean

Mack66

Hi remember me?

Weather has been unflyable for years here now. BUT, we finally got to fly last Tuesday at the old Rat Club. It was a purely uneventful afternoon. I got in three tanks of remembering which sticks controlled what, since it had been so long. Troy was out there flying the feathers off his nitro 90 T-rex and 500 T-Rex electric.

Greg, however...well let's just say it wasn't exactly his day. He had decided to dust off his Skookum 700 FBL system and reinstall it on one of his Hirobo SDX's. He hadn't brought out the programmer with him. He just figured he'd take it out and see what issues cropped up. It had issues. As soon as head speed was up to lift-off, the head went unstable and started wobbling. Concensus was that gain was too high, but since he had no way to adjust it, the bird was deadlined for the rest of the day.

Greg then got out his other SDX, which had recently been repaired. His carburetor had issues which he could not fix, for who knows what reason. I suggested he take my spare carb that doesn't close completely, but works fine so that at least he could finish setting the heli up. He did, and at least got in some quality tune-up work completed. And yes the carb still won't let you shut the engine off. BUT, at least it put Greg in the air and that made me feel good in finally being able to help Greg as opposed to the usual other way around!

Now we're looking at flood watch conditions here, so good luck flying any time soon. We shall continue our vigil however, and will grab the first opportunity to get out there when conditions permit!

Hope someone is flying somewhere!!!!

Mack

Mack66

OK, had trouble with post, and duplicated it. Think it's fixed now.

Mack

matty_p80

JD, not had it flying yet due to work but am applying myself Sun. to get everything in and sorted! going to have to take the head off again and start all over!

if no-one else is interested, i'll have one of those gyros!?!

been a very bad boy and did not pass up an opportunity i found on e-bay.co.uk and have purchased a T-Rex 600N! brand new, pre-built but never flown as the bloke is having/has had a baby and doesn't believe he can do both!! only snag is it's at my mother's as she lives not far from where the seller lives and he had originally had the auction as "pick up only". gave him £40 for fuel (little bit generous but he was going out of his way for me!) and he dropped it off at my mum's!! Naiya's birthday at the end of March so will probably be going back then and will swing by the Badger's house and get it!

****ty weather here, it's warmed up but that means it's now raining and damp!!

be good and fly it like it's on the sim!!!

p,l,c+mh

Matty

dooleyje

Matty congrats on the 600. I mentioned you would like a gyro. Every body be well.This is the 3rd post that never went through.

Sean did you find the problem? PM me

Jim

Mack66

Happy Presidents' Day. Nothing like spending a day with a six year old to get the old blood flowin'. Haha.

I had lots of trouble sending a message on this thing the other day, JD. Wonder what's up with that? Cosmic rays?

Tomorrow several of us are headed for the Rat Club. We're betting we're gonna get good weather. We may have to wade out there, but once there it should be good. Wish us luck!

Sean, did you get any help?

Mack

dooleyje

Mack I too have had a problem posting????? Sun spots? We have been dodging twisters here with a touch down just a few miles away. Hurt a bunch of folks. I have not been able to fly due to the high winds but I guess that what you can look forward too in March.

I hope everyone has a nice week,

Jim

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I hope any of my friends in or around the tornado effected areas are ok.

killbucket

Absolutely, I hope this is it for the year.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAFurhP68R8[/youtube]
Got the new Helizone Thunderbird and the

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWorKuBCmEg[/youtube]
New Syma S800G 4-channel copters to compare them.
I prefer the Thunderbird for its slightly bigger size, but the Syma S800G is remarkable for its tiny, tiny parts.
The S800g is the same size as the S107 3-channel copter.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05W1Zt-sqKE[/youtube]
See how teeny-tiny the servos are?

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Thank goodness, I kept hearing crickets in here every time I came by!!

Keep an eye out of the June Model Aviation and check out my coverage of the Orlando Helicopter Blowout.

dooleyje

Killbucket.. yet everything is getting smaller.

Andy, I simply could not post and would get kicked out.

Mattyr, where you at son!

Sean you having Fun?

Jim

scasari

Yes!!! I sure am. I finnaly got into forward flight with my raptor 30 this weekend!!!! I went all day sunday and I had one minor tail stabalizer break )= I hit the ground a little to hard but luckly I just broke the stabalizer. I was so proud last weekend I couldent wipe the smile of my face! Hope everybody is doing good, and Jim I hope you get flying soon. - Sean

matty_p80

hey there! yes, i'm still alive and well!

my internet has been severely poor recently to put it midly! so bad that i could go and make a cup of tea whilst waiting for one page to load and it still not done when i sat back in front of the confuser!!!!!

other reason is i've been TDY for the last two weeks at a satellite airfield right next to Ramstein airbase! still working UH-60's for the Army but in a much more civilised environment (only 6 of us civvies there)!

a little bit of news: somehow managed to blow the ESC up on the 500 whilst trying to figure out this sodding 3 axis gyro! was quite entertaining as there was a nice blue/green flash and a small mushroom cloud appeared over the speed controller. i was using a voltage reg. in line between the esc and the gyro but maybe using a 6V one was the wrong option?? anyway, the gyro sets up fine and i have inputted the correct values for the servos on the heli but when everything was all plugged in the servos were either going mental or the gyro was (the led screen was going beserk!). the worse bit was i was at the biggest RC bazaar in the area the day before, which happens just down the road from my place of work and i could have picked up a new ESC had i known!!!!!!!

on a better topic; after 2 years in this area i finally found a RC flying field last Sunday and it's just down the road!! when i got out there the place was deserted but i got a quick pack in with the B400 and then whizzed the mCPX around at mach 12 in the wind!! could only do two packs as my fingers were starting to lock as it was blummin' cold!!!

the sad news is , my days will be numbered here of my own accord as i don't feel moving to Illesheim when Coleman brrks shuts down is going to do me any favours and i am really missing my girls and feeling quite lonely out here! my room mate is also deciding enough is enough as they've cut everyone's hours but won't put him on a better wage (even though he's the only machinist they have!!!) so won't be making enough for it to be worthwhile being out here in Germany!

will be back here soon (hopefully) but Au'Revoir for now

p,l,c+mh

Matty

TakeshiSkunk

Well I've been keeping myself busy lately! Been flying indoor every Friday, got the UMX Extra, my 3decathlon and my mCPx. Trying stuff new every week and getting to know the local club guys better.

I'm getting in with the heli crew from the local club, the president invited me over to his place last night to check out some helis and talk shop with him and another member. Really nice and helpful guys, even soldered some deans on my blade 400 and batteries for me! Looking forward to flying with these guys when it warms up, seems like it'll be a lot of fun.

As I said before, I was really seriously considering a 550 3GX for this season. Well, my plans may be changing because while I was over there last night I was offered a built 500ESP with a 3GX controller, just about ready to go, for half the cost of a new 550. It's a lot smaller than the 550, but it's still an astronomical leap from the Blade 400...considering I need to invest in batteries and a nice 6S charging setup as well as AMA membership and likely club dues...this may be the best choice for me this season. I'm sure it'll fly amazingly and let me push my skills and grow a lot as a pilot.

The local guys are doing a lot for my ego, just based on my track record and seeing me fly my mcpx at the indoors they seem to think I'm going to be some pro 3D pilot if I stick with it On the one hand it's kind of flattering...but on the other I was really hoping there would be some crazy 3D pilot at the club to keep pushing me and help me advance quicker. If nothing else their confidence is motivating me to try and convince myself I deserve it!

matty_p80

yo! Skunk meister!

good to hear from you! sounds like you're coming on leaps and bounds? good that you have comrades in arms you can talk face to face with now!

sounds like you need to be getting a video done of your flying with the mCPX and show us all here???!

the mCPX really does inspire confidence in your flying, after tentatively moving the B400 around in the wind last Sunday, i picked the mCPX up and whizzed it around in exactly the same conditions! it is such a mental barrier the money/cost thing when flying the bigger ones! maybe one day i'll train myself or have enough money to just say *&(£ it and just fly how the mood takes me!

p,l,c+mh

Matty

dooleyje

I fly an ESP500 and I love it. I wouldn't worry too much about a 6 cell charging system when you can simply make a serial cable and use 2 of your 400 batteries. I prefer that over 6 cell packs. I use mutiple packs in series because if I loose a cell all I have to replace is a $30 battery instead of a 60 buck one. Every 6 cell battery I have owned has lost a cell. My 600 I use 2 4 cell batteries in an 8 cell configuration. The 500 will serve you well with the 3gx sytem.

Jim

dooleyje

Hey everybody. I recently installed a 3GX system on myTrex450pro. This unit was given to me by a great friend. He had trouble getting it to work on his Gaui 425. Now I use the Beastx systm on my other helis and love them. I flew the 3gx in my heli and I was very pleased with the results. It was actually flawless in my opinion. I have read a lot of negative things about all units available including the so called great Vbar and I believe the problem is the person installing it taking short cuts and not setting the helis up properly. Folks seem to not understand that the FBL systems are not autopilots. Hey you still have to actually fly it. Anyway, The 3gx is a nice unit and I will keep it on my 450pro with great pride. Don't believe all the negative comments you read on virtualy every product known to man till you can see for yourself. Thanks Align for a nice product. Oh by the way there is a new firmware for the 3GX and I will download it tonight and see how well the new software flys. Keep in mind that everytime you change you firmware you must Go through the FBL setup again.

Jim

matty_p80

well hello folks!

it's almost like real family: everyone's growing up and have their own things to concentrate on! ha ha ha ha!

i do hope everyone in our little family here is well and have more luck with their weather than i am here in Deutschland!

this last week has been so incredibly ideal for flying, every day i thought to myself, "...should i take a sicky?...."! wretchedly i didn't and was good, waiting for the weekend! got up at the ridiculous time for a Saturday of 0730hrs to go and fly with my friend Paul as he's moved and found a proper club near to his new address! arranged to be at his for 1000hrs and sure as eggs is flowery tomato things, the wind picked straight up from 0 to 20 mph!!! arrrrrrrrrrrrgggghhh! we went out there anyway (after Paul did some final fiddling to his planes and i got his little Gaui 200 flying properly) and it was blowing a hooley! Paul got his foam boat plane flying once, which will actually take off from the grass!! we stayed and chatted with the guy he's got friendly with at the club (Paul speaks pretty good German so is handy to have around) this guy apparently has a very large garage filled with RC planes, boats and cars with a couple of helis thrown in for good measure! he's retired and that's all he does is fiddle with RC stuff all day, oh in between the jaunts off to the Alps to go skiing!!! hard life!!??!!! mind you, the amount of tax the German's get charged on their earnings, you would hope they have a very comfortable retirement package!!

i didn't get to fly because it was way too windy for the B400 and also i don't have any proof of insurance over here from my BMFA membership. it was a good day nontheless, watching lunatics flying the likes of indoor foam slow-fliers in winds that would make you consider whether you really need to go out of the house!!!

i have just ordered a Scorpion LV90A Commander esc for the Apache project. still haven't heard back from Thunder Tiger about the gyro so will write again. i did contact [link=http://www.fast-lad.co.uk]Fast-Lad[/link], whom i purchased it from but they haven't fitted it into anything yet but will let me know (i hope) what happens when they do! i am really determined to get the damned 3-axis gyro working, if not only for the fact it cost £150!!!!

everyone, be good and be well!!

p,l,c+mh

Matty

matty_p80

p.s.

J.D. i have considered just saying bug'rit and getting one of the Spektrum/Beast X Rx's!



Matty

TakeshiSkunk

Well, kind of an exciting day today. Spent most of the afternoon over at our local club presidents place setting up 3GX on a 500ESP. Ran into some snags running it on a DX6i but before it was dark we had a completely dialed in heli ready to rock. Then I wrote him a check and drove home with my new baby

He included a 6S battery and a 12V power supply at a good price. I need to get myself a nice charger and some batteries, open to suggestions on affordable brands to look at here. I've decided I'd like to go with 6S batteries for the sake of simplicity. To address the DX6i issue we had to run the 3GX unit into a normal receiver, so I'm borrowing a spektrum receiver from him until I replace it with something of my own. I was considering going with an Orange RX and satellite, some club members have said they never really had any issues using them and would go for it on a 500, curious if anyone here has experience with them. Also open to suggestions here, but with how much I just spent the price point on the Orange RXs is looking really attractive.

[link=http://i40.tinypic.com/2ds03u1.jpg]Here she is![/link]

I did a very conservative first flight in the back yard after everything was set up. Kind of had the new model shakes so I just hovered and slid her around in some boxes and such, I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MUCH BETTER THIS FEELS THAN THE BLADE 400. I mean, I've always understood how significant the difference would be, but after actually seeing this bird hands off hover for 10 seconds or more I'm completely blown away. Control inputs are so direct, no weird tendencies or quirks in the movement, it feels exactly like the simulator. I'd been assuming the helis flew too perfect in the sim to be true but it looks like I was mistaken!

Lot of feelings right now. Excited, nervous, slightly uneasy about spending that much money all at once on top of the deposit I had to pay on our new apartment...but I don't think I'll regret this at all. It's my first real heli!

dooleyje

Matty you would be better off going the beast route...I can support you then. By the way did you receive the logitech gyro we sent?

Jim

dooleyje

Matty get the beastx. Then I can support you. Man this thread is almost impossible to post. This is my third attempt. It simply keeps "cooking" when you hit OK and comes back with an error. Matty did you get the Logitech gyro?

Jim