Which Gyro ? CSM or Futaba ?

[jakesvdm]

Hi, I am about to buy a HH Gyro for my T-Rex 600 Pro. The local hobby shop recommended the CSM 420, but I always believed that the GY401 was a good gyro, and also my first choice. Unfortunately the GY 611 is just out of my reach.

Which one is the better one to go for. The local hobby shop is willing to give me a discount if I take the CSM 420, which will make it cheaper. But the GY401 was what I saved for (and also within my budget). I just don't want to make a mistake. Thanks a lot, and I know in the end I will have to make the decision myself, but I would welcome oppinions (and facts).

Regards

[brgsstm]

I think you will get told that the 401 is the way to go but here is my 2 cents (pence).

I would go with the CSM. I use a CSM SL420e on my 450 and love it. It is newer technology than the 401 and the setup is nice. You set all reversing, digital mode, travel limits with the rudder stick making setup a 2min job.

There are other options out there like the Spartan or JR7703D which I believe are cheaper than the 611. I use a 611 on my 600 but am sure a 420 is up to the job. I really like the CSM products, they are well made and perform well (not that futaba isnt) but I personally vouch for CSM.

Tom

[frogbmth]

I think you should seriously consider the JR770, far superior to the 401 and hardly any more expensive

[brgsstm]

I think you should seriously consider the JR770, far superior to the 401 and hardly any more expensive

Yeah Andy is right, I have heard really good things about the 770. I believe setup is a little different but its getting great feedback. Plus Szabo uses one, if it's good enough for him it will do fine for us minions :thumbup:

I just dont buy this whole 401 thing, I know theyre well proven but so are pentium 3 processors but we move on, we seem to be stuck in a time warp with the 401 but i suppose its each to their own.

Tom

[Pinecone]

Spartan. :)

[Angelos]

Yeah Andy is right, I have heard really good things about the 770. I believe setup is a little different but its getting great feedback. Plus Szabo uses one, if it's good enough for him it will do fine for us minions :thumbup:

Not any more ;) http://www.runryder.com/helicopter/t392375p1/?p=3121040#RR
In fact Alan is now on our team http://www.spartan-rc.com/team.php

-Angelos

[brgsstm]

Not any more ;) http://www.runryder.com/helicopter/t392375p1/?p=3121040#RR
In fact Alan is now on our team http://www.spartan-rc.com/team.php

-Angelos

I stand corrected. :o

Quite happy really as the Spartan is what I had in mind for my up and coming 90.

Thanks

Tom

[RexChop]

Don't forget the Logictech 6100, better than 611 but cheaper.

[matrix1171]

I'm flying this one on mine:thumbup::thumbup:


http://rchover.com/curtis_youngblood2

[BillTheCat]

do love the 6100 !!!!!!!:smokin:

[aussiemick]

do love the 6100 !!!!!!!:smokin:

Me too

MIck

[mporlier]

My vote goes to the Spartan.

[baddraptor]

CY Solid-G Just put one on this weekend, holds better than the 611. Very consistent piros. Did I mention it holds VERY solid. And super easy to set up with the g-view.

[GootyS]

This was also a question running through my mind up till this past weekend. A buddy of mine swears by the 401, i looked into the logitec gyros and for there price they are good. THEN...i went to s field owned by one of our local hobby shops and 98% of the helis were running the CSM gyros. I asked them why CSM, the replied..."THey work great hold dead still and the service back up from the CSM manufacturer is way better than what they get from Futaba".."if someone comes in with a problem with a CSM gyro, we replace it on the spot and send the other back to CSM, with Futaba we have to send your unit in and you must sit and watch others fly as your gyro is being repared" I dont know about you but an on the spot replacement gyro is good for me...i dont wanna wait for a gyro to be repared. So at this point in time Im also saying CSM.

[bpgoa]

My vote goes to CSM. They invented heading hold, yaw rate demand and continue to innovate. I'm running the 420e in my T-Rex 450SE v2 and I've never felt anything so dialled.

[MarkWebber]

As I understand it, CSM produced the first commercial HH gyro. They did not invent it. Someone else built one well before as a hobby project and if I am not mistaken, there was a publication in a magazine too. I wish I could recall where.

[brgsstm]

As I understand it, CSM produced the first commercial HH gyro. They did not invent it. Someone else built one well before as a hobby project and if I am not mistaken, there was a publication in a magazine too. I wish I could recall where.

I was under the impresson that CSM invented the heading hold gyro too. Lookin at their site http://www.rcmodels.org/csm/ on the about us page they claim they LAUNCHED the firsy HH gyro.

Even if they didn't my vote is still for the CSM but only between that and the 401.

If I could have another it would be either the JR 770 or the Spartan.

Tom

[brgsstm]

Excert from the CSM site,

"Colin - The founder of CSM. Back in 1992, having decided to have a go at helicopters instead of fixed wing, he resorted to writing a flight simulator to help himself learn - he's that sort of geek! His background is in Atmospheric Physics, which includes aerodynamics and electronic control systems, so I suppose its not too surprising. In an article in MHW he proposed the heading hold gyro, and when none of the manufacturers took up this idea, he produced the ICG360 - the worlds first commercial heading hold gyro."

[Angelos]

The core of all heading hold gyros is a PID (proportional–integral–derivative) controller or a simplified PI. With the modern top of the range gyros additional software is added around the PID controller to enhance performance. The concept of P(I(D)) control has been known and widely used in industry for several decades. It is so old that the early implementations were totally mechanical, moving on to analogue electronics around 1930 and nowadays digital software based systems. It was therefore just a matter of time until an engineer familiar with PID happen to have an interest in model helicopters and the free time and drive to put the two together. That's what engineers do, find creative solutions to complex problems.

The first hading hold gyro was made as a hobby project by James Wang in 1985. It was probably not called heading hold back then and very likely using a mechanical gyro sensor (hacked rate gyro of some sort) with an analogue integrator. It took a further 8 years before CSM existed and probably longer before work on the 360 gyro had started. Whether Colin had seen and was influenced by James Wang's preceding work I don't know. One think for certain is that people had been working on processes controllers since the late 18th century. Todays top of the range heading hold gyros are just heavily optimized implementations on the same old theory.

-Angelos

[brgsstm]

The core of all heading hold gyros is a PID (proportional–integral–derivative) controller or a simplified PI. With the modern top of the range gyros additional software is added around the PID controller to enhance performance. The concept of P(I(D)) control has been known and widely used in industry for several decades. It is so old that the early implementations were totally mechanical, moving on to analogue electronics around 1930 and nowadays digital software based systems. It was therefore just a matter of time until an engineer familiar with PID happen to have an interest in model helicopters and the free time and drive to put the two together. That's what engineers do, find creative solutions to complex problems.

The first hading hold gyro was made as a hobby project by James Wang in 1985. It was probably not called heading hold back then and very likely using a mechanical gyro sensor (hacked rate gyro of some sort) with an analogue integrator. It took a further 8 years before CSM existed and probably longer before work on the 360 gyro had started. Whether Colin had seen and was influenced by James Wang's preceding work I don't know. One think for certain is that people had been working on processes controllers since the late 18th century. Todays top of the range heading hold gyros are just heavily optimized implementations on the same old theory.

-Angelos

great info :thumbup:

Thanks

[Rigalo]

Van der Merwe, ( is this shot too long?)

Self swore I would never buy CSM again in my life after some crappy 200 on my 1st 450. Had a couple of 401's and also on my Raptor 50. Then....... I bought a SL720. I must say I like it alot. Don't know what the price difference is between 401, 420 and 720. If you are seriously going into the piro-style flying, and/or are brave enough to fly in winds when the others are moving back to the lapa, then hey, strech the rande a little further. I also like the anti-fibration plate that comes with it, but you can make it for any gyro.

Without any knowledge of the 420, I would buy the 401 between them two, but just sold the 401 for 720.

Lekker flieg.