Start-up/Checklist for a CP Pro?

[slikrx]

My CP Pro literally just arrived. :clappp :banana :woot :woohoo

I've spent many hours on a sim, so I'm rearing to go in the flying/learning aspect.

My questions/concerns are more in the "what else do I need to do?" category. I assume the manual/booklet is missing useful info/tips.

I have the helo, training gear, a spare set of flat bottom blades and a second LiPo battery... and that's it. (I have a fair assortment of tools)

I searched, ("CP PRO checklist" CPP Checklist" CPP startup" and a few other iterations...) but couldn't find anything for a first timer getting ready to set it up and go flying/hovering?

Or is there a link I missed?

One other thing... the charger uses 2 alligator clips to attache to a power source. Besides a car battery, are there any good power supplies? ( I can scam a variable DC power supply for the first couple nights, but the other engineers will want it back :roll: )

Thanks!

[Jermo]

1. http://www.dream-models.com/eco/flying-index.html
2. Start saving for a T-Rex 450
3. Don't become discouraged with the hobby because of anything that happens with the CPP.
4. Go slow and sure, don't take chances...Follow RADD...Discipline..
5. When all else fails have fun and don't take the hobby too serious.
Jermo

[skunkworx]

Congrats!!! Welcome to the insanity!!
Like Jermo said-Radds flight school will save almost as much money as a sim if followed correctly. I'd say a good way to get a grip on the heli's controls would be tape it to the floor. You can experiment with the controls, throttle and ESC or BEC if so equipped without major risk of overthrowing the controls or damaging your blades. While doing this, (keep throttle under 50% if possible) check for slop in your controls, throttle/pitch spikes that might occur, sevo movements (ensure no binding is happening), vibrations, blah,blah,blah.....also obvious things to check are loose screws, damaged parts, glitches, smoke (hopefully none!), etc...after that, it's up to you. :arggg:

I also hope you have a lot of patience as well, it's real easy to get carried away even if it seems you are in total control. You're combining a green heli (new) and a green pilot :shock: so take baby steps, your wallet will love you for it!

Best bet for a charger (kinda depends on what batts you are using). If you are using LIPO's, you should get a LIPO only charger to avoid putting it on the wrong setting. If you feel you are competent enough, there are a lot of chargers that will charge all types NiMH, LI-ION, LIPO,NiCd, Lead acid etc...Talk with your LHS to see what they carry , if you live in B.F.E., There are lots online, I use a Triton Jr. by Great Planes. It'll handle 1.2-16.8V NiCd/MH and 3.6-14.8V LIPO/ION batteries(1-4 cells). Runs about $70-$80. There might be better ones out there, but this one will be fine for my needs. The alligator clips are on mine as well. You can use opposite end connections to grip the clips onto depending on which ones (male/female) you have hooked up on the batts. Read all warnings on dealing with LIPOs, The cells you will use are small, but pack enough punch to bring the roof down around you if you're not careful! :twisted: Try not to turn it into a weed whacker first couple trys! :D

[Danyboy]

Slikrx,

All been said, I'd like to stress the point:
Take baby-steps!

Second:
Do not get discouraged by all those guys that claim you bought a POS.
It's not.
It's not as high quality or size-class as a T-Rex450, that's why it's not made of carbon and it's called a 300-heli. If it was in the same class as the T-Rex450, would cost the same, have the same handling qualities, carbon, alu and everything, then you'd call it a TRex450. But as far as I remember, the box is labelled BladeCP, right? ;)
Though you will have a hard time getting beyond fast forward flight (meaning aerobatic) without any mod (and getting there is already a lot...), let me assure you that I mastered all aspects of fff with the Blade.
With stock only.
With no crashes at all.
Within only 40 battery-charges.
The BladeCP from Eflite is a lot of heli for not much money...
It's not super-duper-special, but definitely much higher in quality than those dragonfliers.
It's dual-motor, brushed motors, rate gyro and 300 class.
IMHO: Someone that compares these design-aspects with a belt-tail, brushless motor, HH-gyro, carbon frame & blades and 450-class is simply relating pears to apples. Point.
There is indeed some crap out there that's not even worth a glance (coming back to Dragonfliers... ;) ), but Eflite's BladeCP definitely is not.
It's more difficult due to its size, but then again, doesn't the army say: Train hard, fight easy? ;)

Have fun and do not get seduced by the dark side of the force:
Only baby-steps with the training-gear. ;)

Cheers,

Daniel

[Pinecone]

And you are VERY unusual. Most people crash a lot, and in 40 packs will still be working on some aspect of hovering.

And many people who stick with the Blade end up spending more in mods than it would have taken to do a Trex up front.

The Blade is not a bad heli at all. It just isn't a great heli for a beginner.

[Danyboy]

Terry,

Now *that's* a statement I can live with very well... :)

Though let me point out/admit:
I was able to hover when I changed to the Blade.
So taking 40 batteries to get through fff and nose-in might be a bit much... ;)

Cheers,

Daniel

[Jermo]

Nobody said the blade CPP was a POS. It's just fact(based on all the posts) that the AVERAGE person will spend more than the cost of a T-Rex450 just in repairs alone to even come close to flying the blade CP/CPP decently. Quality: you don't want to go there with me. I find most mainstream heli products to be substandard to the available technology. As a result, quality in the heli community is reduced to comparing one product to another. In this process the highest quality is still crap compared to modern (within the past 10 years) manufacturing processes. Obviously this level of quality is to keep the cost of the units down and is likely good enough for hobbiest. My point is that nobody should confuse hobby products for true manufacturing quality (if you know quality at all). I'm not even referring to the electronics which is at least 20 years behind the curve (adding an off the shelf chip to use 2.4GHz DSS is not a huge leap since literally anyone can do that).
Jermo

[slikrx]

THANKS for your resopnses and sugestions!

I purchased the CPP on the suggestion of a coworker who has one and likes it.

I've heard/read plenty that it can be a handful, so I'm prepared for the possibility of frustration. Even with that possibility/likelihood, the extremely low start up cost was just too enticing to pass up. Back when I first got into RC (~14 years ago) the price of entry into helos was ~$2,000 (from what I could figure out)

I've been describing my travails here: www.slikrx.blogspot.com so I won't waste your reading time here... but I've got about 10 hours sim time with FS One. I've attempted to try to follow RADD's instruction using the sim, but it's kinda tough. I plan to try to follow it with the real deal.

I dinked around with it last night here at work and realized I am going to need to spend some time adjusting the pots to get comfortable with it.

Then at home, I showed my girlfriend (basically just spun it up, but it did slide a bit :shock: :roll: ) On the good side, I now get the pleasure of balancing a set of new blades! :lol: Thank goodness for Finless & his videos.

[slikrx]

Oh, one thing about the charger: the kit comes with a balancing charger. The problem is that the charger does NOT come with a power supply :shock: :arggg: :badair:

So I used this big old analog power supply from here.

Well, it turns out that I have a 12 volt power supply/wall adapter that has the right conector & polarity already, so all's well there!

(It's a charger for one fo those 10,000,000 candlepower flashlights with a gel cell battery- a Thor X-10)
http://www.topratedadventures.com/Mfg/CycThorX.jpg

[slikrx]

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f206/slikrx/raddachievement1.jpg

Slow going, mainly cuz I am driven to do stuff i shouldn't, :roll: but I'm getting there.

slooooowly

[Jermo]

WOOT!!! CHEER!!! :noteworthy
Jermo

[maltydog]

i like this heli. i just got it about 1 1/2 weeks ago (total beginner to helis). before that only had an axe ez (coaxial) for about 1 1/2 week. the first two days with the cp pro i figured it would take a looonnnggg time to get the hang of it but now i am doing 2+ minute fairly stable hovers in the garage. it will take a long time to get good but at least making progress with the hovering. also no broken parts yet (i shouldn't say that). although not following the radd program strictly i do try to follow the general premise. with the coaxial i broke landing gear 3 times, a rotor blade and the inner shaft all in the first week so i knew to be very careful with the blade. also have FS one simulator and have played with the CP in there for several hours. although it is helpful, i prefer the real thing.

i also have a trex se that i will start building in the next week. so, enjoy your new heli and take your time. don't rush it and dont' crash it. baby it along and you will begin to tame it down in a couple weeks.

gw

[Raysun]

You will be fine with the CPPro. Just take it very slow and easy, follow Radd religiously, lots of sim time...hint..try a bigger heli (in FS1!) once in a while eg JR50, as CP is hard to see when you get off the ground but it is realistic..the bigger heli is more forgiving and easier to see for the first few hovers..it will help your learning...go slow. In the sim, hover as if every crash remmoves $50 from your bank account.

If you can, get someone good to check your CPP for trim and balance..its so much easier to control a heli thats trimmed correctly..you are not fighting it, just telling it where to go. I say get someone else because the only real way to check is to fly, land, adjust, fly, land, adjust....you can't trim it standing still. Try a club or LHS for advice.

Once you start to hover...be patient...set goals...OK, ten seconds. Hover 10 seconds and put it down, Do it again. Work gradually up to 60 seconds. Your nerves won't take much more for a long time.

Give yourself a lot of lateral room, minimum 10 feet square of clear, hard shiny floor....wood is best. Way easier than carpet or worse, grass.

Good luck!

Ray
CX2 CPPro (x2) HDX450SE, DX6, FS-1.

[slikrx]

I made it through the first four RADD sessions, and, well, I'm not the most disciplined about it. :roll: :oops:

Here's in indoor hover: HERE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Y3rExds7o)

I have a short video of hovering outside, but 1) it hasn't completely uploaded, and 2) it's pretty ugly. There's too much wind, and something's acting a little wonky... I guess I'll post it when it is "available", but eh... we'll see ;)

[SinxarKnights]

Nice smooth hovers for a "newbie" (J/K). I have seen people that has owned a BCP for almost a year and can't even hover like that!