450 Align TRex 450 Pro v2 3 GX build

[Slobberdog]

I also am building my new t Rex 450 Pro 3G X and am a little confused (I know, a little for now....) about setting up the 3G X. I have two Spektrum satellite RX and a DX6i but there is something about the govenor from what I am reading that is complicated by the DX6i? Is that right? Do I need a govenor? I've never had a govenor that I know of and kind of resent the idea just based on how it sounds. I am looking for simplicity and just a helo to that flies normally. I can wait for the violent 3D stuff...

No you don't need a governor on the 450, but that's not the main problem with the Dx6i you only have 6 channels and when you use 2 sats on the 3Gx unit you need 7 as the rudder gain is directed to aux 2 ( channel 7) not channel 5 as normal, this is why you have to use a receiver connected to the 3Gx.

 

[Tomhintz]

No you don't need a governor on the 450, but that's not the main problem with the Dx6i you only have 6 channels and when you use 2 sats on the 3Gx unit you need 7 as the rudder gain is directed to aux 2 ( channel 7) not channel 5 as normal, this is why you have to use a receiver connected to the 3Gx.

In the software it says if you have less than 6 channels to use the receiver method rather than satellites. It seems like this would suck lots of 6 channel guys in thinking they can fly this thing with that radio. they need to bne a bit more specific I think.

 

[Chompwat]

In the software it says if you have less than 6 channels to use the receiver method rather than satellites. It seems like this would suck lots of 6 channel guys in thinking they can fly this thing with that radio. they need to bne a bit more specific I think.

I agree that the software is misleading. The software and the paper manual are translations from the original Taiwanese and some bits are not that clear. I fell in to the same trap early on and ended up buying a receiver.
TBH I would watch some build videos over several times, rather than just following the manuals. You wait il you get in to set up, then it gets very confusing.
Tony's videos on this thread are very good, there are also others on You Tube, Freddy can fly is good as well.
Good luck with the rest of your build

I enjoyed several flights today. The training gear is off now that I know it won't flip over on spool up.
I'm still on very basic settings at full rates and no expo, but already I'm building confidence.
This heli is very responsive, but rock solid. I'm really excited about getting it fully set up.
I'm away for 5 days now and sadly the 450 won't be coming with me!

 

[Tomhintz]

I agree that the software is misleading. The software and the paper manual are translations from the original Taiwanese and some bits are not that clear. I fell in to the same trap early on and ended up buying a receiver.
TBH I would watch some build videos over several times, rather than just following the manuals. You wait il you get in to set up, then it gets very confusing.
Tony's videos on this thread are very good, there are also others on You Tube, Freddy can fly is good as well.
Good luck with the rest of your build

I enjoyed several flights today. The training gear is off now that I know it won't flip over on spool up.
I'm still on very basic settings at full rates and no expo, but already I'm building confidence.
This heli is very responsive, but rock solid. I'm really excited about getting it fully set up.
I'm away for 5 days now and sadly the 450 won't be coming with me!

I have been watching tony's videos and will some more. He is the only place I cojld find out where the Pitch goes in my 6 channel RX. Now, to figure out if I bind the gyro or the RX, or both? I havben;t found that one in the videos yet......

 

[Chompwat]

I have been watching tony's videos and will some more. He is the only place I cojld find out where the Pitch goes in my 6 channel RX. Now, to figure out if I bind the gyro or the RX, or both? I havben;t found that one in the videos yet......

What Rx are you using Tom. Your servos won't plug in to your Rx, they plug direct in to the 3GX. It's the coloured signal wires from the 3GX that plug in to your Rx together with the red, white and black lead which provides power to the RX from the 3GX unit.

- - - Updated - - -

This is how I bound mine. This is a Spektrum AR6210.

Once bound the red, black and white wire which is providing power goes where the bind plug is shown, and the yellow pitch signal wire goes back in the aux channel where the red, black an white wire currently is.

Alternatively you can bind your receiver independently of the 3GX by powering up using the ESC wire straight in to the throttle channel.

 

[Tomhintz]

I shoujld add that i am doing all this now so I can get the servos centered before installing them in an attempt at not having to dig them out later to get the arms level. I figure if I can get them level now I will be way closer later after assembly so hopefully any tweaking I need to do to the arm position can be done with the sub trim. Or so I hope....
Off to the shop soon to attack the 450 once again!

 

[Tomhintz]

I have the wiring done between my AR610 and the Align gyro and have been over it and Tony's video and while it seemed to bind OK, now with the power wire coming out of the battery out on the gyro (measuring 4.97 volts at the end of the esc wire that goes on the throttle and at the end of the power wire with it plugged into the battery out. plug ever4ything in, turn on the radio, plug in the battery and nothing. No lights no beeping, nothing.
Do I have to plug it into the computer to get this working the first time? I thought I would at least get everything lit up before I moved on to the programming. maybe not?

 

[Tony]

Make sure you have a good bind. I would bind it again just to make sure. It's been known for settings to not take and have to be redone.

 

[Tomhintz]

Make sure you have a good bind. I would bind it again just to make sure. It's been known for settings to not take and have to be redone.

OK tony, nobody likes a smart ass! I had bound it twice before, nothing. Now you come along and tell me to again and it works! Are you sneaking around in my shop or something?
Anyway, onwards to the next video and start installing the main shaft and gears and stuff. Stay around, I am bound to mess something else up!

 

[Tomhintz]

When are we supposed to do the computer thing with the software? I have been following along with the videos and really haven;t seen anything about it other than Tonyt saying to get a USB extention cabel (I got one already...) I think I am going to try it now as while everything works I don;t think everything is working right in how it is moving the swash plate, and I have no throttle at all. I have been over and over the plugs, everytnhing is in the right port, everything seems to be right side up (the plugs) yet something is ca ca.
More later. I am going to go fly the fixed wing stuff this evening. I need to make some gun runs with the P51 to work out my frustrations.

 

[Tomhintz]

I got the throttle working, in idle up also. I also found a note in the software about no swash mixing so looked and sure enough, I had like 70% across the board that must get diaqled in when i selected the 120-degree swash. I started with a new model in the list so should not have old stuff in there.
Time to go fixed wing for the evening but will be back at it tomrrow early. I sure wish I had my fancy swashplate setter upper and my cool digital pitch gauge that I ordered..... for now I will settle for getting travels and stuff set.

 

[Tony]

I am a smartass and as a PI I do sneek around, but I promise, I was not in your shop hahaha. Glad you are getting it going though. As for the computer, you dont "need" it to set it up. You can do everything on the gyro its self. Im trying to find time to finish those videos but with the move, time is hard to come by. I'm trying though.

 

[Dizzle000]

I am hoping you will talk about the 3gx pot adjustments and the Rutter gain with the dx8 in your next vid hehe hint hint.

 

[Tomhintz]

I am having a frustrating problem getting my radio stuff set up. I have a DX6i and noticed in the Trex software they say no swash mixing but when I zero out all of the swash mixes in the radio I get no stick response in aileron or elevator. throttle works. If I leave the swash mixes at 70% across the board as it automatically sets up when you create a helo model, the elevator seems OK but the pitch and ailerons seem to work together and have equal movement when you move the stick or try to check the gyro response. Both front servos work upa dn down but it's like it can't decide what to do. Spo, am I supposed to do some swash mixing or what? I have the 120-degree swash selected which apparently tells the radio to enter the swash mixing.

Help!

 

[Tomhintz]

OK, found out I was nuts on the swash mixing, got that figured out, got the mechanical responses at the swash plate all in the right direction except I think the pitch curve is backwards, when I got full throttle the swash goes down... I will check that further to be sure that actually is backwards.
A list of DX6i settings for the t Rex 450 would be great but I suspect there may be a bunch of variables there making it tougher than it seems.
On to getting the servos closer to 90 mechanically. seeing as how you have to take half of this thing apart to fix any of that it might be a while.....

 

[Slobberdog]

If your swash is in the wrong direction go into swash mix and change the pitch value from a + number to a - number

So if you have +60 change it to -60

 

[Tomhintz]

Yep, figured that part out eventually. Have everything going the right dierections now, squared the horns up mechanically now hack to tweaking the gyro I think.
In the gyro settings in the radio I have two positions, what percentages are common there?

 

[Slobberdog]

Start at

Position 0 = 68%
Position 1 = 35%

Position 0 you can alter when you fly the heli, increase until you get wagging then back it off a couple of %

 

[Tomhintz]

Start at

Position 0 = 68%
Position 1 = 35%

Position 0 you can alter when you fly the heli, increase until you get wagging then back it off a couple of %

thanks. I noticed that when the gyro switch is moved to the lesser value the light turns red on the gyro. Is that just to let you know you are in the lesser of the two?

 

[Slobberdog]

It's to let you know your in rate mode, you always want to fly in heading hold mode, rate mode is only for set up really.

So fly with green light on.