Spektrum Fbl Complte Head Setup Incl Swash Plate Leveling

[Jacob Kjer]

Hi,

I have now seen you video for the AR7200BX setup 2-3 times, and it's just great. In that video you are referring to a "head setup" video, and there should be a link for it, but I can't find it!

I'm using a AR7200BX gyro on my Trex 450 Pro

Can you please help me put here.

I'm pretty sure it's all nice and level, I just wane be sure that I have done it correct......

Thanks in advance.

Jacob, from Denmark.

 

[Tony]

Hey Jacob, can you post the link to the video you are watching so that I know what one you are referring to?

 

[Tony]

I think I know the video you are talking about. To setup the head, all you need to do is set your throttle stick to mid stick, after you unplug your motor of course, and make sure you have 0º of pitch at mid stick. From there, you will set your positive and negative to about 11º, maybe a little more if you are used to flying these things. On a flybarless head, that is about it. At mid stick, your servo arms should be 90º to the links. If they are not, you will not have the correct geometry and your setup will be a little more complicated. So make sure to 90º your servo arms to the links.

If I can get a helicopter with this gyro on it, I will shoot the complete head setup guide. I thought I already had one, but apparently I do not.

 

[Jacob Kjer]

Hi Tony

First of all, thank for your very much for your quick reply, and a great site for your lovely hobby.

Well actually I did know all this already, however my real issue is that the my heli was born as a Trex 450 FB v2, but the previos owner upgraded it for the FBL with a brand new Align head. But he never completed or even started the adjustment and finetuning. So button line, I don't have any manual for the heli nor dimensions for the linkage rods for the swash. However I have managed to download a manual for the my model, but I not that sure that it's the correct one. I'm not convinced that the numbers and messurements and all correct. And that really come into view when I started the setup of the AR7200BX, at point J, think it was. Where the gyro want us go to 0 pitch, and next 6 degrees positive and negative. And all time keeping the blue status light. That turned out to be more or less impossible for me to keep that damn blue light both ways.

But I'll start from scratch again....

So I guess I just have to work my way up from the buttom, and the 90 degree servo arms. once again.

 

[Jacob Kjer]

BTW here is the link I talked about.

 

[Tony]

Yup, that is the video I thought it was. If you can, post up a picture of your helicopter and a good picture of the head and I will see if I can get some measurements for you.

As for setting up without a manual, you are exactly right. You start from the bottom and work your way up. You will be going up and down a few times. In Menu G is where you will set your servos to 90º to the links. Take your time on this step, there is no time out setting in the gyro that will kick you out in this menu so take as long as you need. Get your servos setup to the links and then move on to the swash.

First thing is first, level the swash. Either use my zip tie method to level the swash or use a swash leveling tool. But get the swash completely level. Do not touch the servos when doing this, only adjust the 3 linkage rods. Once it is level, now you can put the head back on and you can set 0º pitch at mid stick with a linear pitch curve.

To set 0º pitch at mid stick, first unplug your motor for safety. Then, raise your throttle up to mid stick (if you have a monitor menu, this is very easy to get perfectly accurate) and check your pitch. If you are not at 0º, adjust the two linkages going from the swash to the blade grips until you do. Now, go to full positive pitch and set it at 10º, 11º or 12º depending on how much flying experience you have. Once that is set, lower the stick to full negative.

If your negative number is smaller than the positive number, then your swash is too high. You will need to shorten the 3 swash links evenly one turn at a time (unless you are off by a lot, then you can do 2 or even 3 turns at a time) and then set your Tx to mid stick. Now you need to adjust back to 0º pitch again. The same, but opposite is true for the negative number being larger. If you have a larger negative pitch than positive pitch, your swash it too low and you need to lengthen your 3 swash linkages, then reset mid stick.

Once you get within a half degree (it's hard to get perfect without turnbuckles), call it good and move onto J

In J, unless you want to order different servo arms, it is very hard for a stock, older, Align helicopter to achieve a blue light. Just set it to 6º and call it good. But, if you have a purple light (whatever color it is that is way far away from a blue light), then you might want to look at changing the hole that your servo arm ball is in, or just getting some new servo arms. But again, I have set these up that are slightly out of blue (I did this in the video posted above, but ended up going the other way and got a blue light on a Pro V2) and they work perfectly fine.

Hope this helps, and post up the pictures and I will see if I can help further. And as always, ask questions when you have them, we are always here to help.

 

[Jacob Kjer]

wow thanks again for your reply. Once I get home I'll post some pics of the heli head.

Hope it works now.

 

[Tony]

It's my pleasure Jacob!

 

[Smoggie]

Hi Jacob,
There isn't much for me to add here that's not been covered but at the risk of duplicating what's already been said; If you have a straight-line 0-50-100% pitch curve and put the collective stick in the middle (50%) then all the servo arms should be perfectly horizontal, the swash should be level and the blades should be at zero pitch. If the pitch isn't zero and/or the swash isn't level then adjust the link lengths as required.

PS.. Where in Denmark do you come from? I work for Maersk in the UK. I visit Denmark occasionally, I was in Esbjerg a few weeks ago.

Steve

 

[Jacob Kjer]

Hi Jacob,
There isn't much for me to add here that's not been covered but at the risk of duplicating what's already been said; If you have a straight-line 0-50-100% pitch curve and put the collective stick in the middle (50%) then all the servo arms should be perfectly horizontal, the swash should be level and the blades should be at zero pitch. If the pitch isn't zero and/or the swash isn't level then adjust the link lengths as required.

PS.. Where in Denmark do you come from? I work for Maersk in the UK. I visit Denmark occasionally, I was in Esbjerg a few weeks ago.

Steve

Hi Steve,

I'm living just outside of Aarhus in a small village named Hammel.

Thanks for your input always appreciated.

I'm a fairly new beginner, havn't been flying for the last 6 years, busy with kids and job, and before I flew Nitro heli and fixed wing for some years. I have been flying the sim for a while, using the Heli -X free version, and I can handle that quit well.

So I think I will do a pitch curve which is very relaxed inspired. +/- 10 degress is way to aggresive for my stage of experience. I have something like -3 to +7 degrees in mind. And with a dual rate and expo on top of it.

In the end I'm more into the real scala flying and basically the opposite of 3D. For me 3D is only managing the thrust, drag and weight vectors. Don't get me wrong here, it's impressive and very tough to do, but it will never be me.

On a daily basis I'm flying business jets worldwide, and my entusiasme and passion for flying in generel may have it's origin from this aspect.

But that is the lovely side of our hobby, it has some many faces. And the same heli can more or less be used depending on the programming.

 

[Smoggie]

With your previous RC exparience and sim sime (not to mention flying 'real' planes you should do fine. -3 to +7 pitch range should work ok. Personally I found a very flat curve made it harder to react when the heli was disturbed by gusts etc, so i prefer a more aggressive curve. It's an individual thing so just be prepared to make adjustments to get the feel how you like it, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' setup, as long as it works.

The most critical thing in any setup is getting the control and gyro response directions correct. These are the things that will for sure spoil your day if you get them wrong, so double and triple check. The rest of the setup has some margin for error.

 

[Jacob Kjer]

Let's just hope I can manage it..... I will let you know either way.

I wondered do you have any sugested numbers for my gyro settings, DR and expo. I was thinking something like this.

I'm using Spektrum DX7S transmitter, AR7200BX gyro and hobbywing ESC 50A with Gov. Align DS410 CCPM servo, Goteck 9257 for the tail.

Gyro (goes on the gear ch, 3 ch switch) 25%, 30% and 35%
elevator DR 70% expo +30
Ailron DR 70% expo +30%
Rudder DR 80% expo 20%

Throttle hooked up with gov so it will be a straight line, controlled with the hold switch. 80%

Pitch -3 degress to +7 degrees

As I wrote, I consider myself as a brand new beginner, but with an experience in the past. I just don't wanna crash the very first time.

Thank you so very very much for your reply allready in this thread

regards jacob

 

[Jacob Kjer]

Yup, that is the video I thought it was. If you can, post up a picture of your helicopter and a good picture of the head and I will see if I can get some measurements for you.

As for setting up without a manual, you are exactly right. You start from the bottom and work your way up. You will be going up and down a few times. In Menu G is where you will set your servos to 90º to the links. Take your time on this step, there is no time out setting in the gyro that will kick you out in this menu so take as long as you need. Get your servos setup to the links and then move on to the swash.

First thing is first, level the swash. Either use my zip tie method to level the swash or use a swash leveling tool. But get the swash completely level. Do not touch the servos when doing this, only adjust the 3 linkage rods. Once it is level, now you can put the head back on and you can set 0º pitch at mid stick with a linear pitch curve.

To set 0º pitch at mid stick, first unplug your motor for safety. Then, raise your throttle up to mid stick (if you have a monitor menu, this is very easy to get perfectly accurate) and check your pitch. If you are not at 0º, adjust the two linkages going from the swash to the blade grips until you do. Now, go to full positive pitch and set it at 10º, 11º or 12º depending on how much flying experience you have. Once that is set, lower the stick to full negative.

If your negative number is smaller than the positive number, then your swash is too high. You will need to shorten the 3 swash links evenly one turn at a time (unless you are off by a lot, then you can do 2 or even 3 turns at a time) and then set your Tx to mid stick. Now you need to adjust back to 0º pitch again. The same, but opposite is true for the negative number being larger. If you have a larger negative pitch than positive pitch, your swash it too low and you need to lengthen your 3 swash linkages, then reset mid stick.

Once you get within a half degree (it's hard to get perfect without turnbuckles), call it good and move onto J

In J, unless you want to order different servo arms, it is very hard for a stock, older, Align helicopter to achieve a blue light. Just set it to 6º and call it good. But, if you have a purple light (whatever color it is that is way far away from a blue light), then you might want to look at changing the hole that your servo arm ball is in, or just getting some new servo arms. But again, I have set these up that are slightly out of blue (I did this in the video posted above, but ended up going the other way and got a blue light on a Pro V2) and they work perfectly fine.



Can you recommend any servo arms that would be better. I'm using the Align DS410 for CCPM, Goteck 9257 for tail. I've connected the linkage rods for the swash to the inner hole on the servoarm, that turned out to help a bit but still no blue light..

 

[Tony]

Your DR/Expo settings look great, but don't touch the tail. Leave it without any DR/Expo. Set your helicopter up with at least 10º of pitch, otherwise, if you get a down burst of wind, or you start flying in dirty air, you may not have enough pitch to pull yourself out of it and end up crashing because of too little collective pitch. Also, set your collective pitch to 10º both positive and negative with a linear pitch curve and 0º at mid stick. Then use the pitch curves to reduce the negative pitch. Trust me, it's easier this way.

As for the servo arms, I have never purchased anything aftermarket and just ran it by setting it to 6º and calling it good. Just make sure you are on the inside hole of the servo arm so that you have more resolution to work with.

 

[Jacob Kjer]

Your DR/Expo settings look great, but don't touch the tail. Leave it without any DR/Expo. Set your helicopter up with at least 10º of pitch, otherwise, if you get a down burst of wind, or you start flying in dirty air, you may not have enough pitch to pull yourself out of it and end up crashing because of too little collective pitch. Also, set your collective pitch to 10º both positive and negative with a linear pitch curve and 0º at mid stick. Then use the pitch curves to reduce the negative pitch. Trust me, it's easier this way.

As for the servo arms, I have never purchased anything aftermarket and just ran it by setting it to 6º and calling it good. Just make sure you are on the inside hole of the servo arm so that you have more resolution to work with.

Ok, actually that was also my plan. pitch range +/- 10 degree setup by the beast X, and adjusted with my pitchcurve in my radio to the desired value. -3 to +10. Good input, tanks.

What do you mean by "more resolution"? On the servo arm, there is 2 holes, an inner and one outer. they were at the outer, now the linkage is connected to the inner.

 

[Tony]

A servo works on a radius which goes from the center of the servo arm screw to the center of the ball. Lets say you are moving the arm 60º in the travel which will be the exact same for both holes. But, when you look at it in a way of how far it is actually making the swash travel, the servo arm has to travel farther on the center hole than it would on the outer hole. Instead of moving 40º to achieve 2cm on the swash, the servo has to move 60º to achieve the same 2cm on the inside hole. You have much more control on the inside hole which is where all flybarless controllers want you to place it so there are not as many oscillations.

 

[Smoggie]

Jacob,

Usually in the heli build manual there will be guidance on the distance from centre (radius) that the balls should be places on the servo arms. Sometimes the holes on the arms don't allow you to put them at exactly the recommended distance but 'as near as possible' is usually fine.