600 Derek's Align Trex 600e Pro DFC
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Derek
Well-Known Member
Oh wow! It's been a busy day today. Time to take a breath and relax with my 600 in front of me.
So, I think I'm finally at the point to apply some power to the helicopter and get the Ikon setup. I did receive my Castle Link USB Programming kit in the mail today, but I will do this part later on.
I have questions...Imagine that!!! lol
Should I go ahead and bind my DX8 to the helicopter and work on getting the swashplate level and get the blade pitch set or should I go through the Ikon setup process first? I was reading through the Ikon setup and there is a setup that allows me to bind the system at that time. I can't imagine that it would make much difference if I go ahead and bind the system so that I can level the swash and set the pitch before going through the Ikon setup, but I wanted to ask.
What do you guys think?
So, I think I'm finally at the point to apply some power to the helicopter and get the Ikon setup. I did receive my Castle Link USB Programming kit in the mail today, but I will do this part later on.
I have questions...Imagine that!!! lol
Should I go ahead and bind my DX8 to the helicopter and work on getting the swashplate level and get the blade pitch set or should I go through the Ikon setup process first? I was reading through the Ikon setup and there is a setup that allows me to bind the system at that time. I can't imagine that it would make much difference if I go ahead and bind the system so that I can level the swash and set the pitch before going through the Ikon setup, but I wanted to ask.
What do you guys think?
Derek
Well-Known Member
...then level the swash and set the pitch?
You need to run Ikon setup first. One of the first screens in the process has you select the type of sats you have connected to the ikon. You will not be able to bind before that point. Personally I wouldn't even plug the sats in until I had made that selection in the setup. Same goes for servos. Do not connect them until you get to the Ikon step to select servo freq and pulse width (for proper centering). There's also a screen for setting up your Tx with the ikon which, while not required prior to doing later steps, it makes sense to do it early on so you don't forget to do it before trying to test fly. 
After that will be the step to select swash type and configuration, then the step for centering, 90ing, swash leveling and min/max pitch setting. Then tail setup, model type, bank setup, etc.
It guides you through the process fairly well. Take it step by step.
After that will be the step to select swash type and configuration, then the step for centering, 90ing, swash leveling and min/max pitch setting. Then tail setup, model type, bank setup, etc.
It guides you through the process fairly well. Take it step by step.
Derek
Well-Known Member
Man, I gotta say....this Ikon has me worked up into some expletives!!! I got the 600 bound to the DX8 but one of my sat's aren't lighting up. Not happy about that. It would blink during the bind process but then it won't do anything once bound. The other sat was blinking during the bind process then turned solid...as it should. So, one sat is bothering me severely. Then I was doing fine until I get to the tail setup. Oh wow!!! I wish I could type what I'm thinking right now.
In the tail setup, it says to fully move the tail stick to the right and click on the + or - to adjust the servo throw. Well...the tail was binding so I clicked on the - and no changes were made. I clicked on the - some more and now I've got no left or right travel. Ok....so I click on the + and still...no travel left or right. I am so pissed off right now. I can't believe this. It could just be that I'm a bit tired and cranky but this really is crap. How do I go from "binding" to "no travel at all" with just a few clicks? and then not be able to get anything when I go the other way? This thing is gonna sit for a while.
In the tail setup, it says to fully move the tail stick to the right and click on the + or - to adjust the servo throw. Well...the tail was binding so I clicked on the - and no changes were made. I clicked on the - some more and now I've got no left or right travel. Ok....so I click on the + and still...no travel left or right. I am so pissed off right now. I can't believe this. It could just be that I'm a bit tired and cranky but this really is crap. How do I go from "binding" to "no travel at all" with just a few clicks? and then not be able to get anything when I go the other way? This thing is gonna sit for a while.
Bind: You're using the two plugs that are on the same side, right? The one plug port on the other side is for gov input. Also, did you try swapping the two sat ports to see if the problem followed the sat or if it stayed with the port? This should help determine if the sat is having an issue or if it is an Ikon issue. Remember when binding to put a bit of distance between the Tx and the sats. Couple feet at least. Too close can result in binding issues.
Tail: hmmm. odd. Is the tail servo still buzzing and fighting if you try to move it from position? In the servo setup screen (for freq/pulse) have you double checked to make sur eyou have the right settings in there for the tail servo? If you select values that are too high you can damage the servos (which is why I suggested not plugging them in until you had gone through this step). Assuming that is all good: for these setup steps the Ikon has a highly quantized handling of the stick positions. Anything near center will hold to center, anything high position will hold high position, low to low. You need to hold the stick to the right and left during this adjustment. Also, did you do Tx setup or did you skip it? I usually have to dial in quite a bit of endpoint/travel adjustment to get the inputs to +/-100. If you skipped this it is possible the rudder input is not getting a signal high or low enough to trigger the right/left position reliably (unlikely but possible, grasping at straws on this idea).
If you're still having issues when you get back to it, feel free to ping me.
Tail: hmmm. odd. Is the tail servo still buzzing and fighting if you try to move it from position? In the servo setup screen (for freq/pulse) have you double checked to make sur eyou have the right settings in there for the tail servo? If you select values that are too high you can damage the servos (which is why I suggested not plugging them in until you had gone through this step). Assuming that is all good: for these setup steps the Ikon has a highly quantized handling of the stick positions. Anything near center will hold to center, anything high position will hold high position, low to low. You need to hold the stick to the right and left during this adjustment. Also, did you do Tx setup or did you skip it? I usually have to dial in quite a bit of endpoint/travel adjustment to get the inputs to +/-100. If you skipped this it is possible the rudder input is not getting a signal high or low enough to trigger the right/left position reliably (unlikely but possible, grasping at straws on this idea).
If you're still having issues when you get back to it, feel free to ping me.
heli-maniac
New Member
It may have fried the tail servo . I know i did it to mine when i set up the Ikon on my 550 Trashed a brand new DS655
Thats what i dont like about the ikon is having to have it hooked to a pc to make changes
Thats what i dont like about the ikon is having to have it hooked to a pc to make changes
Derek
Well-Known Member
Ok..I'm happy to report that I have slept for the last 7 hours and I feel pretty good. I went through the bind process again and now have solid orange lights on both satellites. That's progress!
Yes, I am sure that I have the right frequency and pulse for the servo's. I did double check the frequency and pulse before selecting the servo type (1520/200).
Yes, I also did the tx setup, making sure that I got +/- 100 on Aileron, Elevator, Rudder and Pitch. I also got 0-100 on Throttle. Got the Gyro to show up at 45.
I have some errands to run today but I'll be working on this helicopter when I get back.
Yes, I am sure that I have the right frequency and pulse for the servo's. I did double check the frequency and pulse before selecting the servo type (1520/200).
Yes, I also did the tx setup, making sure that I got +/- 100 on Aileron, Elevator, Rudder and Pitch. I also got 0-100 on Throttle. Got the Gyro to show up at 45.
I have some errands to run today but I'll be working on this helicopter when I get back.
Dirk
Member
Hey Derek
Glad you made some progress. The Ikon setup is pretty foolproof if you follow the wizard. It works "most" of the time.
I ended up turning my gyro gain down to 39 because it had serious tail wag in IU1. Try it at 45 first though, then adjust as necessary. I keep my lappy powered up in my car's trunk so that I can make quick adjustments at the field. I got my Crius bluetooth module yesterday, but realised that I still need the correct adapter for the Ikon, so now I am waiting for the postman once again.
I did the "Milton" mod and I must say that I am very pleased. When I pressed my bailout switch (I use my trainer switch on the DX8) the heli just sits there. Of course I tried this about 12 mistakes high, but got no surprises.
Give a shout if you need any help.
Glad you made some progress. The Ikon setup is pretty foolproof if you follow the wizard. It works "most" of the time.
I ended up turning my gyro gain down to 39 because it had serious tail wag in IU1. Try it at 45 first though, then adjust as necessary. I keep my lappy powered up in my car's trunk so that I can make quick adjustments at the field. I got my Crius bluetooth module yesterday, but realised that I still need the correct adapter for the Ikon, so now I am waiting for the postman once again.
I did the "Milton" mod and I must say that I am very pleased. When I pressed my bailout switch (I use my trainer switch on the DX8) the heli just sits there. Of course I tried this about 12 mistakes high, but got no surprises.
Give a shout if you need any help.
Good news. Hope you get the tail issue figured out too. Hopefully just a simple thing.
Interestingly, I just ran into a bind issue between my Gob 500 with an Ikon on it (single sat) and my DX9. The DX9 takes a longer time to boot up than DX7s and the bind period on the Ikon is pretty short after you power it up. So I was just missing the bind period by the time the DX9 was powered up and starting attempting to bind. I ended up solving it by powering the Ikon and then starting bind powerup on the DX9 before the Ikon was even powering servos. Afterward I discovered that there is a new "bind" option in the model menu which may have saved the timing issue from being an issue. Maybe with two sats you were running into a similar problem, one was getting bound in time but the other was not?
Interestingly, I just ran into a bind issue between my Gob 500 with an Ikon on it (single sat) and my DX9. The DX9 takes a longer time to boot up than DX7s and the bind period on the Ikon is pretty short after you power it up. So I was just missing the bind period by the time the DX9 was powered up and starting attempting to bind. I ended up solving it by powering the Ikon and then starting bind powerup on the DX9 before the Ikon was even powering servos. Afterward I discovered that there is a new "bind" option in the model menu which may have saved the timing issue from being an issue. Maybe with two sats you were running into a similar problem, one was getting bound in time but the other was not?
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Derek
Well-Known Member
So, i'm at the point to set the headspeeds for normal mode, IU1, and IU2.
The Align manual shows various numbers but I don't understand how to interpret what is being shown. Can someone take a look at the Align 600 Pro DFC manual and check the headspeeds that are listed and give me some suggestions?
THanks!
The Align manual shows various numbers but I don't understand how to interpret what is being shown. Can someone take a look at the Align 600 Pro DFC manual and check the headspeeds that are listed and give me some suggestions?
THanks!
I'm not sure which pages you are looking at. There's a page 35ish with section 17 and 18 on it, which has a table showing that at hover (roughly 5 deg pitch, using 0-50-65-85-100 normal mode throttle curve) that you should be getting around 1750 RPM headspeed. And in idle up with 100% throttle curve that at 0 pitch you should getaround 2720 RPM and at max pitch (-/+12 deg) you should get 2470ish. These don't speak to a governed headspeed though. Only what you'd get with a ESC in normal heli mode using throttle input normally, ungoverned.
In the pdf of the manual I found there is also a CC 80 HV ESC page that has some settings to use assuming 13 tooth pinon, stock 600MX motor (510kv), and 112 tooth main gear.
RPM 1: 2000
RPM 2: 2100
RPM 3: 2245
I'd probably try 1900 for a low end (normal mode) headspeed, use 2050 for IU1 and IU2 at 2200 even. I tend to use slower speeds though, preferring to leave plenty of headroom for the gov to maintain headspeed through a botched maneuver.
In the pdf of the manual I found there is also a CC 80 HV ESC page that has some settings to use assuming 13 tooth pinon, stock 600MX motor (510kv), and 112 tooth main gear.
RPM 1: 2000
RPM 2: 2100
RPM 3: 2245
I'd probably try 1900 for a low end (normal mode) headspeed, use 2050 for IU1 and IU2 at 2200 even. I tend to use slower speeds though, preferring to leave plenty of headroom for the gov to maintain headspeed through a botched maneuver.
Derek
Well-Known Member
That sounds real good, Paul! Thank you for that!
I was just on Skype with Tony and he gave me his recommendations, which weren't far off from yours. His headspeed settings were a little less than yours, but since his advice and your advice are so close, I surely have a baseline to start with.
Setup is complete! Swash is moving like it's suppose to. The tail is moving like it's suppose to. Awesome!!!
I was just on Skype with Tony and he gave me his recommendations, which weren't far off from yours. His headspeed settings were a little less than yours, but since his advice and your advice are so close, I surely have a baseline to start with.
Setup is complete! Swash is moving like it's suppose to. The tail is moving like it's suppose to. Awesome!!!
Derek
Well-Known Member
here is the next dilemma....I just don't know about this, so here is a video to show what's going on now.
Ikon setup question - YouTube
Thanks!
Ikon setup question - YouTube
Thanks!
Dirk
Member
Hi Derek,
The blinking light is to show you in which flight mode you are in. On the video, you are in FM 3. The LED flashes once for FM 1, twice for FM 2 and 3 times for FM 3. I don't think the light next to the green one is orange but just spill-over light from the green LED next to it.
When is the maiden? Video!!!!
The blinking light is to show you in which flight mode you are in. On the video, you are in FM 3. The LED flashes once for FM 1, twice for FM 2 and 3 times for FM 3. I don't think the light next to the green one is orange but just spill-over light from the green LED next to it.
When is the maiden? Video!!!!
Yeah, it flashes the number of times indicating which bank setting you're on, which is controlled via AUX2 channel on my DX7s and DX9, if I remember right. I assign a three position switch to control it, usually the switch second in on the top left front of the Tx. I run it independent of my Tx flight mode (normal, IU1 and IU2) but you could also control it with that same switch if you wanted. Lots of options.
Derek
Well-Known Member
Ok, Thanks guys! I think I'll have to go back into the setup and clarify things a bit. I'm not a hardcore 3D pilot, so I really don't need 3 different options.
Paul....I have to work tonight and tomorrow night but would it be possible to meet up with you on Skype this weekend? I'd like to talk with you about getting some details clarified.
I appreciate the continued help, everyone! This has been an awesome project so far....a bit frustrating the other day, but I lived through it, lol. I will probably take my 600 out to the garage this weekend and strap it down to my work table and spin it up without any blades on it so that I can check for vibrations and such.
As far as the maiden flight...I can't promise anything right now...we'll just have to wait and see.
Paul....I have to work tonight and tomorrow night but would it be possible to meet up with you on Skype this weekend? I'd like to talk with you about getting some details clarified.
I appreciate the continued help, everyone! This has been an awesome project so far....a bit frustrating the other day, but I lived through it, lol. I will probably take my 600 out to the garage this weekend and strap it down to my work table and spin it up without any blades on it so that I can check for vibrations and such.
As far as the maiden flight...I can't promise anything right now...we'll just have to wait and see.