Hi from Bristol uk

[Nikkita]

Hi I'm nikki. Have always loved rc stuff from when I was a kid a few too many decades ago now.
Always wanted a helicopter but it only happened recently when I picked up a spares/repair 450 off ebay. Also recently took the plunge into 3d printing and made the Eclipson model T.
Still yet to fly either.
Did used to race cars at an indoor club a good 20 years ago.
Thought it made sense to join after watching quite a few of the YouTube videos.
Always been reasonable with nuts and bolt stuff (dad was a mechanic and getting plastered in grease was always more fun than knitting with mum ) but I struggle with electronics side of things.
Looks like a cool place to hopefully learn a lot of new things.

 

[D.O.G.]

Nikkita to the forum. You'll like it here. Knowledgeable members

 

[Smoggie]

Hi Nikki,

RC helis can be a steep learning curve but very rewarding when you get it right. Taking on the repair of and old/damaged heli can be hard work, much more of a challenge than building a new one from a kit. Getting spares for some older models can be difficult too. So what is it that you have got?

 

[Nikkita]

Hi Nikki,

So what is it that you have got?

Hi, not really sure if I can call it a specific brand. Frame is HK450gt but it's a bit of a "pick n mix". It's got a Tarot boom and CopterX flybar head and an Align main gear set. The new bits I've had to get have been Align parts. Put a Cyclon Mini Heli Punch motor in with the skywalker 40a esc. Radio is a Flysky fs-i6x which is also a bit of a steep learning curve compared to the 2 channel late 1980's Acoms from the car racing days!
Have been using the Clearview sim a bit but that just tells me I can't fly a helicopter yet, lol! Been doing ok with some of the planes on there but not so good with the helis yet.

 

[Smoggie]

You will have 'fun' setting up an OpenTx transmitter for flybar heli swash CCPM mixing Hopefully there will be something on Youtube to talk you though it, but 99% of youtube content on openTx is for drones, which wont be any help. Make sure to set the ESC to the 'softest' startup setting. Using the standard setting will strip your gears.

Good luck!

 

[Nikkita]

You will have 'fun' setting up an OpenTx transmitter for flybar heli swash CCPM

Yeah so far trying to find info on getting the throttle and pitch on same stick on the fs-i6x seems sketchy at best and non existent at worst. And I'm not entirely sure my brain even understands how it all should work yet.
At the risk of sounding a bit dense should the stick start off controlling throttle but once spooled up, flicking a switch then changes it to running the pitch servo?

 

[Nikkita]

And thanks for the tip on esc's. I hadn't actually looked at the instructions properly yet! Ooops!

And my brain was making a rather blonde error on the "throttle hold" function. It was permanently saying inactive and then I decided to flick assigned switch and the menu screen suddenly changed to active.
Kind of logical once you see it. Course it's only going to say active when it's active!
I can have moments of being a bit dense.

So at the very least I think I now have the pitch control working on the throttle stick and throttle at constant revs when switch A is down.

 

[Smoggie]

At the risk of sounding a bit dense should the stick start off controlling throttle but once spooled up, flicking a switch then changes it to running the pitch servo?

No, the stick controls both throttle and collective pitch 'all the time' but both are controlled via separate curves (a throttle curve and a pitch curve). Throttle hold on the other hand is essentially a throttle cut switch, when activated it kills the motor.

with traditional transmitters the basics of this is setup is configured automatically when you select a heli model. With OpenTx it's not that simple, you have to do the setup from scratch. the throttle and pitch part is actually quite easy, it's CCPM mixing that's more difficult

 

[Nikkita]

CCPM mixing that's more difficult

And ccpm is the sort of thing where the pitch and Aileron servos work together in opposite directions to tilt swashplate left and right?
Which works automatically under the "swash mix" setting?
Sorry, loads of questions.

I think once I get it off the ground for first time it should make a bit more sense. Just not brave enough to take it out anywhere yet!
But I can use the throttle hold to keep it at just enough revs to get some lift?
Having a limit sounds a lot safer to begin with.

 

[Smoggie]

And ccpm is the sort of thing where the pitch and Aileron servos work together in opposite directions to tilt swashplate left and right?
Which works automatically under the "swash mix" setting?
Sorry, loads of questions.

I think once I get it off the ground for first time it should make a bit more sense. Just not brave enough to take it out anywhere yet!
But I can use the throttle hold to keep it at just enough revs to get some lift?
Having a limit sounds a lot safer to begin with.

CCPM = Cyclic and Collective Pitch Mixing

This is the mixing of aileron, elevator and collective channels to operate the swash servos. On older helis this was done mechanically using quite elaborate linkage systems, but more modern helis it's all done by electronic programming.

As for throttle hold.. No, throttle hold must be set to 'closed throttle'. This is the switch you use to stop the motor. It's very important to have throttle hold set correctly as this is how you kill the motor in an emergency (and you will have some of those when you are learning!)

The amount of throttle applied when you are in flight is set with throttle curves. It doesn't work like a car or airplane where throttle output is directly proportional to stick movement. For most collective pitch (CP) helis you would set a 'flat' or 'almost flat' throttle curve so that the speed of the motor remains constant. The idea of a CP heli is that the RPM is constant and the heli is controlled by adjusting blade pitch.

There is a lot to get to grips with on RC helis!

 

[Nikkita]

There is a lot to get to grips with on RC helis!

Thanks Smoggie,
There certainly is a lot to get your head around.
It'll sink in slowly.
And I certainly won't be taking it out til I'm sure I know what it's supposed to do and sure that it's set up properly.
(the 3d printed Eclipson model T is "disposable" enough to go in the air first)

Just wish Flysky had included a better instruction manual. It kind of says what tx can do but gives no info on how to actually do it!
Shall leave everyone in peace for a while and come back when everything looks set or I've completely given up!
Thank you for your input so far.

 

[Nikkita]

Make sure to set the ESC to the 'softest' startup setting. Using the standard setting will strip your gears.

As a friend down the pub occasionally says "by jove, I think she's got it"!

Pitch servo decided to stop working on channel 5 but works fine plugged into 6.
I now have whole swashplate going up and down on throttle stick, both front servos tilting opposite left and right, back servo tilting swashplate forward to back. And tail is wagging left and right.

Now I think I understand why the ESC needs setting on a slow start.
Because throttle will be set to quite a high % in position 0?
So esc needs to start the spooling up slowly.
Will definitely shut up for a while now.
Thank you again. Wouldn't have got this far without the YouTube videos and this forum.
You have a fan for life Tony.