Spektrum DX6i with Spektrum's AR7200BX on a T-Rex 450 Pro DFC

[Doum066]

Greetings guys,

I finaly finished building up my first heli, after a few years ago i bought CX, then left it aside, and 2 months ago i took off the dust form it, and flew it, change parts and so on. and start looking to get up the echelon, and i bought a Blade 120 SR and a Spektrum DX6i, and was training inside since it's winter, so went down the learning process hovering a single rotor fixed pitch, then a few weeks after, i decided to buy Phoenix 4 Sim, going u learning CP heli, guess what happened, i felt in love with them, and bought my first build, a T-Rex 450 Pro DFC, i bought the 3GX less Combo. since id idn't have any Rx that came with my TX, is tarted looking for which Rx would be great with this bird, and ended up on a lots of forums people talking about the AR7200BX which is a full range RX and a FBL system and how stable it was, easy to set and so on... so basicly that's my background.

so as i said, i finished building this bird last night, and since, yeah i can fly basics in the flight Sim, but, as for it comes to seeting up Pitch, Rx and so one, it's a completly different song, i'm still new to this, so i'll start reading the Rx booklet, but since i'm visual, would anyways has videos on how to set this up, a kinda crash course, or even more, suggestion for a beginner's settings. I joined a Rc Club a few weeks ago, so i'll start flying with a trainer, but i wanna start gradualy, learning the basics feel, nose in, hovering, what most would consider boring stuff, but what makes me love the elarning process, but event hough i'lls start with training gear, i was wondering if anyone would have beginners settings, hints and stuff... I rather learn slowly, but avoid the massive repaair build because i start like a dumb ass.

Thanks a lot,

Dom

 

[Lee]

Hi Dom,
You have a great set up there with the AR7200BX. Super easy to use. The booklet that comes with the unit, is very straight forward to use and understand. I'm a visual person for learning too, and i managed its Just read through it a few times before you start messing with the settings. After setting my 600 up last year with one, i still get the book out every time I make changes, just to clarify i'm doing it right.
A Main Hobbies have a great video series on setting it up. If i can find it i'll post up a link.

 

[Lee]

Here they are.
A Main Hobbies' RCTalk: How to Setup BeastX Flybarless Gyro System, Part 1 of 3 - YouTube
A Main Hobbies' RCTalk: How to Setup BeastX Flybarless Gyro System, Part 2 of 3 - YouTube
A Main Hobbies' RCTalk: How to Setup BeastX Flybarless Gyro System, Part 3 of 3 - YouTube

And if i were you before starting to fly, change the stock foam tape for some 3M Mounting tape like the stuff they stick GoPro cameras down with. The stock tape has been found responsible for some unintentional rolling over if vibrations are present.

 

[Doum066]

Awesome thanks, i'll look at those after reading the booklet, i started last night, my build is finaly done, finaly did the wiring as i wanted to, not bad for a first bird

 

[Doum066]

Alright, so i started the Setups... but there a question i can't quite find a specific answer, i'm at the menu i need to select a Swashplate mixer.... as from the Trex-450 Pro DFC manual, at page 18, it says to set CCPM 120 on the TX, but in the Spektrum AR7200bc manual at page 14, it says to never use the TX electronic swashplate mixing. All CCPM mixing is done by the AR7200bx... so now i can't find answer for this part, what settings should i put on the TX and which one on the AR7200bx.. is it 120 on both or only 120 on the Beastx.. or is it even 90.. not sure.


Thanks

 

[breeze400]

If I'm not mistaken the tx gets 1 servo 90 and the RX gets the 3 servo 120. I'm shur someone will confirm that soon.

 

[Tony]

I wish I could help out, but never owned that Rx before. I have always run a 120º swash in my tx. But, if it's saying to use a single servo, then set it up that way and test it out. Make sure the motor is unplugged though. If it's not mixing the way it should, then one of the servos (pitch) will not be moving.

 

[Lee]

1 servo normal on the TX and 120 on the BeastX

 

[Doum066]

Great, that's what i had, just wanna be sure, thanks.

I tried it out this morning at home, seing if all was right, of course, spooling only

Had positive pitch on throttle up, good sign, had to inverse pitch and rudder, swash plate almost perfectly leveled, servos centered, rudder link bar set properly with endpoints, all wiring set properly, went through the Beastx settings... as everyone says, easy as hell mostly.... finaly finished my first build.

I'm now leaving for the indoor club flying, hope an instructoer will be there so i can try this little baby wnth training gear... nervous for a first time CP heli... but i gotta move one day from sim up to real life..

See ya guys, thanks again

 

[breeze400]

Get video! Lol

 

[Tony]

Sounds like you are on top of it. I did read "swash is mostly level" though... You want yoru swash "perfectly" level or it will throw that heli all out of wack. And yes, we need video of the maiden! It's not often we get to see a maiden flight.

 

[Doum066]

We did some settings, specialy with the curves, the guys wanted to make sure it was flying perfect before i touch it, after all, i gotta earn my wings before flying it :S Nxt time i'm sure i'll be able t get my training gear on it and fly, but one of them flew it... for my first build, was almost perfect, he flew it with both hands off TX and it was hovering almost steady on it's spot. I then realised my little birdy is big enough to leave home on it's own now.

But since i folled around so much with the settings in the AR7200BX, i decided to reset factor default, and start a brand new seting up since i now know what to do.

I've got a question though, in the menu of the Collective Pitch Range setup, i didn'T exactly perfectly set the angel i wanted (i wanna try as a beginner the -5 to 11 pitch range stated in the T-Rex booklet... but, how much importance does it make a sligtly variation of 1 deg and less... ie: what i was able to register was moer or less -4,8 to 10,7...

 

[Tony]

.2 or .3 is not going ot make that much difference. On these things being flybarless, there is not a fine control of the links. so you have to settle for what a full turn of the links gives you and deal with it lmao. Reminds me of my anemone in my aquarium, you might not like where he is going, but you just deal with it when he gets there hahaha. but that is all good.

 

[stokke]

-5° is maybe a bit much in Normal mode for a beginner? I would go to with maybe -3° or -2°.

 

[Doum066]

Indeed, in the manual they also have that General pitch range if i remember correctly (since i'm at work) i think it was like -2 or 3 to +11... speaking of, what would be better, settings my pitch range in the Gyro (AR7200BX) let's say that -3 to +11, or set the max pirch range -11 to +11 and use curves on my Tx to bring it back around -3 to +11 ?

Damn i feel stupid with my questions, but there is some stuff i don't find with searches....


Thanks

 

[Lee]

You always set up the heli for +- 11 or 12, then set the desired pitch using your TX curves.

 

[Doum066]

Well guys, here it is, a almost maiden flight, someone did fly it a little a week ago as i mentionned, but i did lots of changes since then, i did reset my AR7200BX to factory default and reprogrammed it properly after i got use to the setup procedure, how to setup pitch.. so basicly i tried to «mechanicly» center as much as i could the servos arms, leveled the swash plate properly, «mechanicly» adjust the blades so it's at 0 deg pitch at center stick (at more or less ,4 deg variation), properly balanced the blades so it's balanced, has same COG and weights the same, ESC programmed now, which before we couldn't because of the Smart Fail safe feature of the BeastX, so now it is able to soft start. Pitch set to -12 to +12 (same as center pitch, at more or less ,04 deg difference since digital pitch gauge is fragile) and ajust pitch curves and Throttle curves in my TX for a beginners settings or around -2 or -3 can't remember to +11... Made sure blades grip tightness was ok for main rotor and tail rotor blades.....i checked the tracking at home this morning... basicly it's almost perfect.. Since it was a nice winter day, almost 5 celcius up here..... i decided i couldn't wait any longer to try it out, since our next session inside with the flying club is in 2 weeks because of easter....

So here's a little video of, we can call it, maiden flight, and actualy my first time ever flying a CP heli out of the simulator, and facing a 7 mph wind.... not that bad.. The hard part was to record this thing with an IPhone and since i decided to go try it out all of a sudden, i went alone without cameraman

It's boring for all experts out there, but i'm sure you can remember the feeling you had the day you flew your first build, and actualy realize you did put together something that is actualy flying.
Again, thanks to Tony with his 450 Pro build videos, was realy handy and learned a lot with it, and thanks to Lee for the video links of the AMainHobby Beastx Setup.

Enough said, here's the link.

Align T-Rex 450 Pro DFC Maiden Flight - YouTube

 

[canongraphy]

Hey Dom nice job! it feels great getting that first solo flight under your belt,and I bet you were nervous!
good for you!
I will be doing my maiden here soon too.

 

[Doum066]

Nervous you say... lol i'm sure my tooths are 1 mm smaller because i was so crisped... lol But at my second pack i felt more confident, and third one normal. I have 3 packs so afetr 3 it was over for that day. I'm sure the Microbeast has a lot to do with it since it so stable.. but i'm sure my many hours of Sim setup with the model at highest diffiulty and a wind of 7-10 mph did help I tried tonight after work, but a bit too windy, 13 mph, i was able to keep it stead and was relaxed went a gust of wind took it a few feet higher all of a sudden, but i decided 1 pack was enough for tonight... i didn't wanna be one of those stupid beginner crashing because of dumb actions. But i can't wait so much til our club next session inside and fly that bird in a gymnasium, no wind at all, i think i won't tell them i did flew it, to make a is i'm a total newb, guess i'll even act stupid, asking question like ie: Ok so if i push this stick left, which is rudder, the bird should turn it's nose, right?

Don't forget to get a vid if you can.

 

[Lee]

Well done mate, that looked very smooth for the first flight. You must have got those setting dialed in well. Very stable.