First post. 450SE, 401, 6EXP.

[Loaded]

Hi guys,

Fantastic forum btw, my No1 place for the last month or so since I got started.

I got a couple of stoopid questions, really sorry. I have watched the videos and Wayne Brown really kindly sent me some instructions but I am still struggling.
Firstly I don't really undertsand the Gryo setup at all. Sometimes I can get the 401 light to come on with the Gryo switch (Ch5 ) on and it goes off when I turn the switch off - it will only do this with a positive value in the tx for Ch5 with the switch one way and a negative value for it the other way. The tx manual suggests +80% and -60%, so is it in HH mode with the light on and OFF altogether with the light off? If so, why when I power it up sometimes does the light just blink, with any switch position. Sometimes it gives two flashes.
Also, instructions say to go to Ch5 in the ATV menu (but my tx does not have an ATV menu) and set 63% in both switch positions - I thought it was the same as end point adjust, but the Ch5 Gryo switch obviosly does not change the value in EPA.
Anyway, I basically just wanna hover, no 3D, no idle up, no throttle hold, I just want it to come off the ground without violently spinning counter clock and coming down again spinning clock. Couldn't find any settings here for this tx to just get heli to hover, but please let me know if I have missed them somewhere and I will read some more.

Thanks for reading guys, hope you are still conscious.

Loaded

p.s. I still don't understand when the finless video gets you to set the tail pitch slider midway for centre stick position.....surely the tail pitch slider needs some offset to counteract the rotational tendency of the main body?
I used to sleep really really well btw !!!!! :bomb:

[BarracudaHockey]

401 light indications:
ON steady = initialized correctly and in Heading Hold mode
OFF = Gyro in rate or normal mode (not to be confused with normal flight mode)
Slow single flash = gyro not initialized in Heading Hold mode or no signal on the single wire
Double Flash= gyro is recieving a stick input. If you arent moving the stick you messed with the trim after it was initialized or you have different trims in the different flight modes and they need to be zero'd.

ATVs (Adjustable Travel Volume) and Endpoints are the same thing. The channel 5 end points set how much gain the gyro is using.


I still don't understand when the finless video gets you to set the tail pitch slider midway for centre stick position.....surely the tail pitch slider needs some offset to counteract the rotational tendency of the main body?

You are right, the linkage should be adjusted so that after you initialize the gyro in heading hold mode, you switch it to rate mode and set the linkage so you get a stable hover. The Trex and 401 are a bit of a compromise due to the small amount of pitch throw so what Bob is saying is set it to the center and let heading hold figure out how to hold the tail, that works, though its not the best way to do it for the Trex its probably the best you are going to get without a gyro where you can set individual end points.

[Loaded]

Andy,

Thanks for the reply. I assumed EPA and ATV were the same but......if I am supposed to switch the gryo on and off with the Ch5 switch, why do the instructions say "Go to ATV menu, set CH5 to 63% both switch positions" - that would mean the Gyro was always on and I have read elsewhere that you have to set the heli up to hover without the Gyro on at all to prove out the mechanical setting.

So 63% both switch positions would mean the CH5 signal is active all the time wouldn't it?

Sorry if I am missing the point.

Loaded

[BarracudaHockey]

You dont turn it off, you set it to rate mode (light off) the gyro is still on.

In rate mode the gyro dampens the rate at which wind and power changes effect the tail but if the wind were to blow from the side the heli would slowly weather vane into the wind.

In heading hold mode if a little correction doesnt keep it still it will keep adding rudder until the helicopter does what its told or it runs out of throw, this is why when you give a rudder command on the ground in heading hold mode the gyro doesnt feel the heli move so the rudder servo doesn't return to center like it does in rate mode. If you were to move the tail to where the stick told it to turn you would see the servo move to center.

[WayneBrown]

the channel 5 switch tells the gyro what mode to be in, HH or rate.
The switch position is reversable, so you can have the position default to the direction you want, normally away from the faceplate or towards the back of the radio.
(this is so at a glance you know all conditions are normal, all the switches are thrown the same direction)
63% is a starting point, you will have to adjust up or down to get the tail to hold and not wag, it's the 'safe zone' to keep the tail from destroying the rest of the heli by wagging too hard.

[Loaded]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. Guess I was wrong in thinking that the REVO was supposed to stop the tendency of the heli to pull counter clock on acceleration and clock on deceleration then. I have it INH as per the instructions at the moment.

Thanks again,

Loaded.

[BarracudaHockey]

Well thats what its for but with a heading hold gyro, the gyro takes it as a command to turn, it doesnt know the difference between the stick telling it to move and a mix telling it to move.

Even in rate mode a 401 will hold on acceleration w/o revo.

[Loaded]

Thanks guys, got it sorted as you said and now the tail holds steady. Is it me or are the standard 450SE blue plastic servos a pile of pants? They seem to strip so easily if I have any incident at all.

[kgfly]

I guess you have the Align servos ? Get yourself three Hitec HS-65MGs for the swash and your days of changing servo gears will be over.

[Loaded]

Will do, thanks very much.