First off how do you measure it, second what should mine be, i just purchased a raptor 30 with an OS .32
thanks

you could buy a miniature aircraft tach to tell you, or buy a govenor for it, thats what Ive got, and checked it on a tach and its right on.

You made a good choice, now buy some training gear and alot of fuel

I set mine for casual hovering about 1600-1700, for 3d Im almost 1800. I run the stock wood blades on mine.

Thanks a lot for the help, the heli will be here this week and i will also pick up the radio this week so it will be pretty interesting

John
Will a tach for airplane propellers give a accurate reading for heli blades

I held mine over the heli and it read around 1500 just as it was about to lift off.
However this wasn't safe as I was holding the tach with one hand and controlling the heli with the other.

I have not heard of anyone using one, but I dont know why it wouldnt be ok, tape it to the boom pointing up or something, dont stand above it!!!!

Taping or rubber banding to the boom is fine to see what your hover speed is. Thunder Tiger even makes a tach expressly for this purpose.

Your kind of limited though.

Holding your tach over the rotor is definitely a bad idea.

The Min Air Skytach is the best way to go, but a governor works well too. If you can only afford one buy the governor. You can always borrow a tach at the field.

Blair

tach works fine for heli and props, just make sure you have the right amount of blades selected...

1500rpm is pretty low, depending on what you want to do.

Please get an optical tach. You still can't fly and record your reading. My ex- Raptor used 1650 for hover and 1750 for my mild 3-D flying with wooden blades. The optical tach by MA is really easy to use and worth the money. 1550 is fine for learning to hover by the way. If it is really windy then try 1600-1650. Good luck. Mark.

For the cost of a tach you can get a GV-1 and just tell it what speed you want, heck you can even select from three different speeds from the transmitter, or assign it to a pot and adjust while you are flying.. My GV-1 was 125.00 brand new, and no messing with a tack, or having to have someone else be there to make adjustments. Please do not use an airplane style tack. I would not want to be that close to the blades if one decides to give up.

I glued my airplane tach to a piece of spruce about a foot long. I stick it in the ground and hover over it. When I was first starting I'd just sit the heli over it and read it when the heli started to get light on the skids.

Brian, where did you get a GV-1 for 125. At that price I'll take one! After spending nearly 2K for new radio, engine, X-cell Fury, servos etc. I'm about broke and decided to forego the GV-1 at lhs that was $180.

Later,,,basmmntdweller

I use a plane tach, the min air one is nice but overpriced, & still req's a second person to run it.
I rubberband my tach to a screwdriver & stick it in the ground.
Hover over it, just at edge of rotor, too far in & it picks up the paddles too! Instantly recognisable, speed doubles.
If there are long shadows, put tach on sunward side of the bird.
I set up my Heli's this way and a guy showed up with a min air tach, speed was right on according to his tach too.
I plan on a GV-1 for my next upgrade too. Just got the GY401 & servo combo installed last week, Love it.

Russell