bugsysiegals

I will either be purchasing a .30 or .50 Raptor shortly after Christmas. Because I will probably purchase my transmitter seperately, I need to know which servos I should look for.

Most of the transmitters I have seen so far come with servos. I dunno if this is a package deal or what but I would like to purchase a transmitter that comes with the correct servos nonetheless. Which servos would you recommend using for the .30 Raptor and which for the .50 Raptor?

Lastly, I've seen many recommendations for the GY401 gyro with 9254 digital servo for the .30 Raptor. Is this also the recommendation for the .50 model or should a different gyro and servo be used?

mxracerx43

Can't beat the 401 9254 works awesome. Check heliproz price I have not seen any better .

mutare23

Bugsy

The simple answer is get the best servos you can afford. You can never have a servo that is too good for a task. True, you can have a bit of overkill, but it is far better to be that way than to be marginal.

FWIWm I use digital servos on all chopper channels. I've found the Hitec 5945 and 5955 to be outstanding a real case of set and forget. Many say that this is too much, but when you work out the cost of your chopper, gyro etc, I reckon it is just good insurance.

Chears

Phil

bugsysiegals

I've seen a lot of recommendation for the GY401 w/S9254 Digital Servo. There is a package offer on heliproz which includes a Logitech LTG-6100T/6100G gyro servo combo. The price difference is roughly $219 / $289 respectively if gyros are purchased independently. Is the Logitech gyro combo significantly different?

I really didn't want to spend more than $1000 on this helicopter and then after looking more into it I was thinking I could spend $1500 without being to upset. Now it seems like I will hit the $2000 mark at the rate this is going.

The one combo I see on www.heliproz.com is the Raptor 50 Titan with a Futaba 9CHPS 9 channel PCM radio with the super precise 9252 digital servos, the rock solid tail lock LogicTech LTG-6100T/6100G gyro servo combo, and the great running and easy tuning OS50 Hyper, and of course, our awesome flying Mavrikk 600 PRO blades for $1500

As far as I know thusfar, I would still need to purchase engine exhaust, a receiver battery, a switch harness, a basic field setup, and a few odds and ends. I have no idea if I'm overlooking any components or how much these last few accessories will cost me but it appears the total would would easily jump up to $2000 which is a lot more than I intended on spending.

The only way I see myself cutting the cost to around $1500 is to purchase a different package and go with a cheaper 7CH transmitter for now. I thought it would be better to get the 9CH right from the start and maybe it is. Is the 9CH that much better than the 7CH? Are the servos that come with the 7CH remotes good enough for this helicopter?

sherman89

It's a case of pay me now, pay me later, but you will pay me. Heli's are not cheap, I have found out the hard way, do it right the first time around, it keeps the frustration level in check, I was a raw beginner 3 month ago, I have had 5 major crashes which required rebuilds. As for radios I think you will be happier in the future with the 9c over the 7 Futaba, yes the 7 is less expensive now BUT there is programming in the 9c that you will use in the future. You can't beat the 401/9254 combo, especially for a beginner, easy to set up and forget, A set of 9202 servos will work well for many hours of learning and save some money on the servo bill. I started with the 30, moved through the 50 and am now flying the 60(just started with the 60, OS70 for power) I use the 9C, 9202 servos and the 401/9253(older version of the 9254). The 60 is the easiest of all to fly, most stable, easier to see, but it has a higher sink rate(heavier, just something to get used to) and the fuel(I am using 15%) consumption is higher. I have not crashed it yet, allthough I have back up shafts and blades it will definitely have a higher repair bill. The tail boom is going to be expensive to replace with the shaft drive system. An important point that you have not factored is the cost of a a simulator. The sim will save you tons of money in the wreckage dept. Also, find yourself a competant instuctor that is very familiar with the type of heli that you chose. He will save you a ton of money with setup and fight lessons. I spent time at the beginning by my self, very frustrating, spent a ton of money going nowhere, then I was fortunate enough to meet an ex-world heli contender who took me under his wing and got me through the tough times. With out his guidance I would surely have given up on the heli. I continue to push the limits and pay accordingly, there are no shortcuts in the heli world. Put your time in on the SIM, the bottom line will be much smaller. OH, and by the way, if you talk to 10 heli pilots, you will get 10 different ways on how to do things so get the salt shaker out and figure out what works for you! Good Luck on your project.

bugsysiegals

Thanks for the great replies and answers they are definitely helpful.

rjm1982

I wrote a giant post just now with links and all that good stuff, then the firefox decided to quit for no reason...

So heres the summary.

Great servos arent that great. Especially for a beginner. I fly 3010s in mine (9254 on the tail) and its just fine. It can do most of the 3d stuff without a problem, especially since i switched to 6-volts on them.

When you get to an advanced level of 3d, then maybe they might benifit you, but you're not going to see a bit of difference as a beginner or even semi-advanced 3d stuff..with a 30, too fast of a servo will actually hurt you in 3d, as it will get your pitch up faster than your motor can cope with...

If you dont plan on 3d anytime soon (or ever) then get some reliable servos, like the 3010s, and use them. Save the money for your next heli (there is *always* a next heli)

I fly scale-like...i pretend there is a pilot in there and treat him nicely...because honestly (in my experience) flying smooth and scale is as hard (or harder for some guys) as flying 3d...and its more challenging to make a perfectly coordinated scale turn than it is to throw the heli around all over the place...

But i digress, thats not what you asked. But my message...unless your going to be doing tic-tocks and flipping piros out of the gate, save your money on servos, and start saving for your next heli...everyone needs 2

haasjj

Did you happen to notice that BUGS was a beginer. Mabye you should explain that 6 volt systems are not recomended with the Fut 401 and 9254. That would be a very expensive lesson when he burns out an 85 dollar servo.

rjm1982

Jared...

Ok? So he's a beginner...means he should be reading, and being assisted by a non-beginner. Shouldnt be an issue. If hes going it completely alone, he wont have the time to burn out the 54.

By the way, giving a 54 6 direct volts isnt going to kill it right away like everyone says...they just seem to eventually build up some slop because of it. One of the guys at our feild does this (more money than sense kind of guy) ...

PutU2Sleep

My Feedback: (3)

I fly a Raptor 30 with JR equipment. I have DS811 servos for the throttle, collective, aileron, and elevator. My gyro is the JR G500T with the JR 8700 servo. They work great and I have no problems.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

You arent exactly beating that Raptor around yet

Seriously though, keep an eye on those 811's they develop slop fairly quickly in a heli.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

You arent exactly beating that Raptor around yet

Seriously though, keep an eye on those 811's they develop slop fairly quickly in a heli.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

You arent exactly beating that Raptor around yet

Seriously though, keep an eye on those 811's they develop slop fairly quickly in a heli.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

You arent exactly beating that Raptor around yet

Seriously though, keep an eye on those 811's they develop slop fairly quickly in a heli.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

You arent exactly beating that Raptor around yet

Seriously though, keep an eye on those 811's they develop slop fairly quickly in a heli.

bugsysiegals

Well if I go with the JR remote I will get the 8311's. If I go Futaba I will get the 9252's. I just dont know which one I should go with. Both remotes are populare where I will fly. Prices are close between the two. The JR's servos have more torque ... 125oz compared to 91.6. I just dont know.

PutU2Sleep

My Feedback: (3)

Something to consider is to find out what is used by the majority of the pilots at your local field. They will be able to help with setup and issues more readily if you are using the same equipment they are.

I bought JR equipment because I couldn't find any local pilots and I got a better deal on the JR stuff. But now that I know a few people I would have probably gotten the Futaba stuff because thats what they all fly. But I don't have any complaints about my JR stuff..................no matter what Hockey says

sherman89

OH, Ya !!!!!!!!!!!

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

Keep in mind that even though I have only messed with JR minimally I was able to get your helicopter programmed from scratch in an hour so if you can do one you can figure out the other. The only thing that stumped me was the annoying switch assignment menu that you have to hold down a button and turn on the transmitter while standing on one foot to get into, other than that they all do pretty much the same thing.

Bugsy, there's quite a few JR guys sneaking Futaba servos under painted canopies even though the specs appear better so there's nothing that says you cant use 9252's with a JR system

PutU2Sleep

My Feedback: (3)

Hey whatever you did worked and believe me I appreciate it.

falconatsea

I have a similar problem.... I am BRAND NEW into gas Helos and mine isnt even here yet. I bought a used Shuttle ZXX off ebay and it needs a Gyro and Battery. I have been flying my two Dragonfly 22e's for about 4 months and am OK with them but they are small and very light and get kicked around a lot. My friend who is currently on deployment told me that the larger helos are better because of the size and weight and if I get pretty good with the 22e then I should not have a lot of problems with the .30s. Now, big question... I have heard a lot of talk about the 401s but are there any advantages to going with like the 501 or something else? What is the big draw for the 401? Ease of setup? reliability? like I said... I am brand new and want to learn but my other problem is that I am stationed in northern JAPAN and its freezing here so I wont be able to fly it til at least next month when I deploy to somewhere WARM.
Also, what is this battery the seller was talking about? is there some sort of onboard battery for the electronics? what size is it? where can I get it? Here is the link to the helo I bought on ebay so you can check it out...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...1710&rd=1&rd=1

Also, if ou DO check it out, please let me know what all you see and let me know if I got a good deal or not... not that it really matters at this point because its already paid for, but I had done some research on basic .30 kits and stuff and though that this was a pretty good buy. I can see the basic radio and the helo but thats about it. Any clue what kind of radio it is? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

The 401 is popular because price versus performence there's not a better deal on the market. If you get to the point you need something more, not likely with a 30, then its time for a 611 but now you are talking 320 bucks versus 185.