450 DX 8 E - Heli setup - Trex 500e and Storm 450 - HELP !!!

Zach Legward

New Member
Hi Guys,
Geoff & Zach from South Africa. I dont need to tell you that the SA community is very unhelpful and nobody really wants to help us do setups. Everyone says google it. Ive tried and Im not coming right. We have a DX8e and I need to know what plug ( from servo ) goes into what port on the reciever. Throttle, rudder is obvious, but im battling with elevator, aileron etc. It has binded, but everthing is moving in opposite directions. IM n NEWBIE to Helis, but Zach flies 3d planes. ( Planes I know well) I know when u hit elevator , the swash plate must all go up, and left and right seems to be relatively simple. Zach seems to know the throttle curves as we had a trex 660 nitro setup up for him. ( This kid is insane, In a wheelchair, 3 flights on the nitro and turned it upside down, lots of time on the sim).
Question ? Is there a downloadable setup file somewhere for Trex 500e Flybar and Storm 450 which I can transfer to the transmitter via sd card. Ive looked for the Spektrum community whivch I saw in one of the post, cant find that either, ( I must be stupid) Q - Is there a decent video to setup a new reciever which shows "what goes where" If anyone can help I would really appreciate it. PLEASE send me a link if possible. Or does someone have a similar file on there transmitter that we can use and then tweek setting from there. Im trying to learn all the settings and to teach Zach at the same time.
Please help if you can.
Blue Skies, Geoff
 

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RandyDSok

Well-Known Member
I'm not a heli guy so I can only cover some general stuff so you have an idea of what to expect and what not to expect. Helis are an expert model to learn to build, setup and fly. Always begin your training using a flight simulator because you will crash often and learning on a computer will save you having to replace a lot of broken parts. What model you practice on in the sim isn't as important as the relative size of the model you select. If you do find the model you own in the sim, it still won't be exactly like the real thing. In fact, two identical real models will still fly differently. What is important in learning in the sim is the muscle memory about what to do when something happens. The longer you practice on the sim, the more successful and fewer crashes you will see in real life. The saying about it isn't IF you will crash but when is very true, even experts still crash often no matter what type of airframe they are flying.

Every heli must first be assembled, plugged in properly and then run through the setup steps before you even get to what the setup in the radio does. That means that when you push for up elevator ( rudder or whatever ) , the swash already is setup properly and already moves in the proper direction. That is a requirement long before you even start working on the radio setup itself. Just like each heli is setup with a flybar or FBL... they also each have a certain type of cyclic setup that must be properly chosen and set in the radio once you do reach that part. So to start with... go through the manual for the heli itself... that will list the physical parts you need to have right like how you want to setup all of the linkages etc after you have it assembled.

Every receiver differs in how things are plugged into it... you didn't list what receiver you have but the only part of any importance is what channels are where and the polarity of the plugs so you don't plug the servos or in this case the wires going to the gyro incorrectly. The channels on the receiver are going to be the same as if you used it on an airplane, heli or whatever airframe you intend to use it with, so you should be somewhat familiar with the concept even if it's a different model than you may have used before. For what the channels are setup by default as... again I point you at the manual for that make/model receiver.

The gyro, also not mentioned by you... is also unique and must be setup according to the instructions for the make/model gyro that you are using. Gyro's can also differ not only by the make/model but also by which firmware is installed on it. Once make/model of gyro will likely have a lot of different versions of firmware but typically there is one that is recommended and that often isn't the very latest. So you'll definitely will want to ask around and read everything you can find about this on the internet before you go much further in your setup.

Next, about that setup file you asked about... they probably exist if all of the components you are using are common. Still, even if you have two identical setups with all of the same equipment, they will differ enough that the exact same setup file will not work perfectly on both models. Now given the "millions" of combinations of helis, radio, receiver , servos and gyro's that people will put together and use, any setup file you may find will only get you in the ballpark of being actually properly setup. Now throw in your own personal preferences that you have or will develop over time, do not expect that having a setup file will help all that much, it only gets you a basis to start from and that is all.


Like finding the exact model you have also be available in the sim, as I mentioned at first... Finding a build and set of setup videos of your exact setup is going to be unlikely. Look for several videos similar to what you have and just use those as guides. I'd probably start looking for the Trex 500e or similar that also has a flybar and then follow those. In fact, most flybar heli videos around that size should be of help. You'll likely find a tip in one that is just good to know for many models of the same type even when they aren't identical. You will find even on very different model helis, radios, receivers, servos and gyros ( etc ) the concepts are similar enough to be of use.

That is a lot of info I know... but it should be general enough to give you a better idea of what to expect. I'd suggest you also list the other things I mentioned that you didn't list... or other things I may have skipped so others may be able to give you tips about them and not just the radio and make/model of heli since there is a lot more to consider during a setup.
 

LooseNut

Active Member
I'm not an expert, I can get a Heli off the ground and fly around a bit, but a typical Rx setup for JR/Spektrum is Ch1 - Throttle (ESC), Ch2 - Aileron, Ch3 - Elevator, Ch4 - Rudder (Gyro), Ch5 - Gyro Gain, Ch6 - Pitch.
Most folks think of Ch5 and Ch6 as Gear and Aux1 respectively. Like most Trex manuals, the 450 should have a diagram of the connections to the Rx.
The Swash on that Heli is 120 degree.
Are all these set up correctly?
 

LooseNut

Active Member
Right, didn't mention what gyro, so just a guess at common setup.
Looking up the Storm and using their Tx/Rx, the channel setup is different as well. More like a Futaba.
 

Zach Legward

New Member
Hi Guys, Thanks for the responses, Just to give clarity , Zach has spent many hours on the sim and is completely proficient with the Trex 600 Nitro, I swapped to electric so that I dont have to run backwards and forwards the entire time. ( Buy the way 3 flights with training wheels and he inverted the Nitro.) He flies aero planes in 3D already. The manuals for the Helis dont show the Spektrum settings and I had to change the receivers as he has the new DX8E, I also worked out the the polarity was reversed from the old receiver to the new. Im the idiot DAD, whos trying to work out the mixes , channel reverses, and battling to find the "right video". Any suggestions ? Geoff ( Dad)
 

D.O.G.

Goblin 380 Supporter
Im the idiot DAD, whos trying to work out the mixes , channel reverses, and battling to find the "right video". Any suggestions ? Geoff ( Dad)
Idiot DAD...I don't think so just confused. I'm not sure if this help or seen it but here you go from Horizon
 
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