Gaui 100 or 200 questions [Archive]

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jnasystems

05-13-2008, 03:29 PM

Hello, I have been thinking about getting a helicopter for about a month now. I got my son and I the laser battle set from air hogs, got hooked and want to get serious about a flying machine.

The helicopter I want must be able to fly in the basement and outside, and be able to grow with me as I get better. The above limits me to only a handful of birds, the 200 and 100 from gaui and the walkera 52 that I am aware of (if I missed any please let me know). I think I have ruled out the walkera, but I am still torn between the two gaui models.

Is the 100 able to do everything the 200 can? I know I will not be doing 3d any time soon, but I fully expect that I will be eventually and want to have a vehicle capable of everything. I also understand that the larger the chopper, the more stable it would be, but I want the smallest thing I can find.

That does, however, have me somewhat concerned. Is it just that a small helicopter is hard to keep steady in a hover, or does it seem to have a mind of its own?

Future updates are also something I want to be aware of, are there still upgrades being made to the 100, or is the 200 essentially the result of so many upgrades applied to the 100 it became the 200?

My next question is about the materials, in this small of a heli, does aluminum make sense? Is it more durable than the plastic parts on the 100? I have read quite a few times where the aluminum part failed and the replacement was plastic for economic and durability reasons. I expect to make mistakes and don’t want to be replacing a bunch of pretty parts that don’t hold up as well as cheaper, uglier parts.

Fianaly, I need a couple of questions answered about the radio. Is the 2.4 ghz futaba 6 channel worth the extra money? (I think I am going to buy from flying-hobby.com and the difference is about $90.00) Does the 6EXH allow me to also fly a plane if I wanted to, or is it heli only? And last, can the radio be used in simulators on my pc directly attached?

I hope I have not asked too many questions, I just have so many. Thanks in advance for your advice, it will be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe

Gr4yb3ard

05-13-2008, 04:59 PM

Hello Joe!

It seems that I answer this all the time.....
...and NO, I don't get commission, from anyone...

I got into this about the same way, with a Radio Shack "mosquito". I've got a bunch of heli's now, done all kinds of neat things. Got my B-inlaw, S-inlaw, and a couple of co-workers hooked in the process. Be wary of that, we call it "Heli-Crack"!

Good clean Sunday afternoon fun! It's mostly harmless, and you can play with (fix) them indoors with about as much fun as (un-fixing) them outside, or in the garage. It's relatively cheap, (try getting your ticket in a full-scale JetRanger!!!) and a skill that not many have the ambition, or determination to conquer.

After a few months, I set out to find a good indoor heli, or something that I could travel with. I bought a lot of worthless stuff....

Finally found the GAUI-200 and I'm very happy. Good, clean everyday fun now!

I'm still looking, but have never found anything to beat it. I'm content with my four birds (62" rotor down to 7") right now, but when I retire one, I'll be getting another 200, you just can't find anything more economical to fly or more fun, or that you can actually fly indoors (see disclaimer).

Search for Nick Maxwell on utube, look up Surfcity, Buzzkill, Crabfu, Rotorhead58 and <many> others up here. Great bunch. Heck, just posting on this site and rambling with these folks is an absolute hoot...

(Disclaimer:
If you're new though, please be careful. These are not toys, they are "real" helicopters, just without seatbelts. The T-Rex 600 reminds me of a 4hp flying lawnmower, I choose my sites with that in mind. The little 200 is a cutie, but it can bite. Don't worry, but take note of safety precautions. We have a safety forum up here <gulp>, please take notes, but don't let anything scare you off, this is fun stuff.

You will find a bit of chauvanism in these circles as well, ignore it. We have grandmasters that fly the 200.

It's also a relatively new heli, my theory is that the Firefox, Zap, Pixi, Shogun line was pretty much a low-end market trial attempt. It appears that the 200 is here to stay, I'd say it's a good form factor. Large enough to fly well, small enough to be cheap and portable.

I think it will be around a while. From what I've seen in the web-post numbers and press, this is the hot ticket, just like buying Yahoo stock in the 20th century ;-)

But: Parts can be a hassle as well, you need to be able to do the mechanical stuff, but all the info you will ever need is up here. Figure on a thousand U.S. $ or so to really get running if you don't already have a 2.4ghz tx, but that compares very, very well to others, and extremely well to most hobbies I've bought into. Is it ever going to be as popular as the 'rex 450, I doubt it, but I don't see it getting recalled either...)

End disclaimer:

Again, I say this from the perspective of owning 600's down to the dimestore toys. I love 'em all, but, as I so often say, if I had to choose just one.... GAUI-200!

Gr4yb3ard
"...resident 200 evangelist..."

Gr4yb3ard

05-13-2008, 05:17 PM

Joe,

As usual, a good re-read sends me back up here.

Yes aluminum makes sense! It will fatigue and crack easier than plastic, but is much more precise (read flyable). Just don't try to bend-back a tweeked aluminum part, as it may fail, plastic has some advantages, especially when you're learning.

I've got plastic heli's, But I don't call my Blade 400 a crash-test dummy for no reason, I can get parts cheap, at most major convenience stores!, yes! But when it comes to performance, the Rex 450 or the Gaui 200 beat it hands down.

Regarding radios. In this day and age, you need to start with a 2.4ghz spread-spectrum radio. Go with Futaba, Spektrum or JR to be safe, though there are others in hot puruit. I'm not familiar enough with the Futaba you asked about to comment, but second tier in any of the lines will certainly get you started in good fashion. The $90 is about 1/4 the cost of the GAUI-200 airframe, or the cost of three decent batteries, need I say more...

I laid hands on a Spektrum 6i, and I'm very happy it, a 7 would be nice for Christmas, but I'm okay for now.

Get a good, small 3d heli, with good parts support. Don't go out and buy a 120 size monster right off, you'll regret it. Go with 2.4ghz. Learn the territory, by reading and listening. Crash as often as you can, and can afford (That's not a funny). Be sure to stock up with a <good! charger and batteries>, you should have a least four batts for a decent flying session, or your patience will go elswhere....

Gr4yb3ard
"...I'm gonna can all this, and put a cardboard "Welcome Kit" box around it ;-)..."

northcarolinadan

05-13-2008, 07:37 PM

A+ Gr4yb3ard, well said. the Gaui 200 is the best it gets right now in the 200 class.

I just want to add the Futaba 6ex radio does not have subtrim, so setting up the helicopter it will be a bit tougher. ( means it needs to be mechanically set up perfect, which you can get them close) picking up a Spektrum DX6i would be the smart move just getting into heli's.

also,

a Esky #4 fixed pitch, in my opinion is a cheap way to find out what the first step to helicopters is.... hovering, in most cases, when you crash nothing breaks, straighten out the blades and fly again. then if you get hooked on this helicopter, then you know your ready for a CP machine. The #4 is an $80 dollar investment to see if heli's are right for you, well also $20 for spare blades, rotor heads, etc.

just my opinion:glasses2:

jnasystems

05-13-2008, 08:21 PM

Thanks for the replies!!!

Unfortunately, I can not get a fleet of choppers, my wife said I could get one. She does not care how much it costs, just that it is only one, so I need to get one that will allow me to fly all year and enable me to continue to get better without boredom, so I think 3d is a must. My biggest concern is getting something that is too easy and I master it in a month.

I had not ever heard of Spektrum, so I did not consider it. It is probably also important to say that I had thought that Futaba was the best because it was the only name I recognized from when I was a kid playing with rc cars. I looked at the specs on their website and it seems to have some better features.

What is a "good charger"? I am going to buy this (http://flying-hobby.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=3_5_169&products_id=2777) to get me started and thought that I would buy 2 more chargers and 2 more batteries along with it. I figure then I could pretty much keep flying all the time. I looked at the other chargers, and only saw a couple that were able to charge more than one at a time to keep the batteries charged for the same money as these (http://flying-hobby.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=12_40&products_id=2660) little balance chargers.

Thanks again for the replies,
Joe

J-Heli

05-13-2008, 08:33 PM

I'm also a fellow Gaui 200 evangelist :smokin:.

Everything that Gr4yb3ard said is 100% accurate. I'm fairly new to helis (4 months) and I built the Gaui wondering if I was going to be able to handle it. I joined heli-freak and asked around a little, after reading constantly for a week :), and the advice everyone around here gave me was to dial in a little expo, get some training gear, and just take your time. You'll crash a couple times, but you'll get used to how the bird flies and by then you'll be hooked and well on your way to a full blown "heli-crack" addiction.

If you want to jump right into a full blown CCPM machine that's fine, but it won't be easy. My suggestion to you is to get RealFlight G4 (good r/c sim), download the Gaui 200 model from the "how many teeth" thread and practice! I've flown quite a few helis, but only own a T-Rex 450 se v2 and the Gaui Hurricane 200. If I had to pick one of them, I would probably pick the Gaui. There's a large misconception about the Gaui, and that is that it's an unstable heli, which it's not, it's not a really easy heli to fly, but it just gets moving to places faster than most helis. You really have to stay on this heli, but it's not a hassle to fly once you get used to it's flight characteristics. It's just a really fun heli to fly, and if you ever need any help, you know where to find us ;)!

stoatnchips

05-13-2008, 09:15 PM

Gr4yb3ard/Cuzz good comments, i love this heli too... I flew (well just hovered and manovered a bit) the 450se V2 for the first time on sunday. I was lured in by the Bling and the design features at first but...handling felt so dosile.. almost slugish in comparison to the 200 and its quite a bit bigger. Joe, a few people tried to put me off the 200 as first CP EP heli, but i'm glad i went with my gut feeling, its skitish to start with you soon get used to it and get the best setup for your skills. I can't give you a direct comparison between Radios, but what swung it for me was Spektrum invented the technology and allow others to use it under licence (such as EFlite) and Futaba just copy the idea...
Notice the pattern here... The telephone, The Jet Engine, Spektrum 2.4 DSM technology... we Brits are just hopeless at converting an orginal idea into a world leading technology/brand... oh except for the Cyclone vacume Cleaner.. hmmm so proud of that one :DOH

rotorhead58d

05-13-2008, 10:29 PM

J-Heli

05-13-2008, 11:14 PM

dude, if you can get any heli you want, get a bergen twin turbine. you can fly them indoors, honost...

lol :rollingYou'd need a real hangar to fly that 'indoors'!

jnasystems

05-13-2008, 11:27 PM

That is one awesome bird, not sure it would fit in the basement, much less fly. I think I will probably get the 200 though, that is already a little larger than I originally wanted.

crabfu

05-14-2008, 03:29 PM

It's possibe to fly the 200 in a garage or small basement, I fly in the garage when it's too windy out. But I think it will take a lot of practice before you can fly it in a small space, since this is your first cp heli. Hovering will be a challenge for a while, it's not as easy as it seems. Bigger is easier of course, but I absolutely love the gaui for everyday flying, it is great for small backyards.... indoors you'd need a pretty large space, or surrounded by stuff you don't care about crashing into, i.e. no big screen tv :)

And about radios... I love spektrum :) I have a dx6 then moved onto dx7, and yeah, you can use it for planes as well, cars.... robots... whatever that has servos :) If you think you are going to stick with the hobby, I'd recommend getting a nice tx, it is a big investment, but it's something that will grow with you as you find new toys.

What I'd actually recommend.... although not as fun, but is something that I wished I did.... is get a nice tx, and sim. Practice and get good at it before trying to fly a real heli, real crashes are expensive and time consuming, sim crashes are free. I've tried a few sims, and found phoenix sim to be the best. It also uses your tx, so it already has a profile for dx6,7 etc. It comes with cables so you just plug it right in your usb port.

So bottom line... gaui 200 is NOT the easiest thing to fly, bigger helis are much easier. It may not be the best thing for learning, but it is possible. If you dream of flying in the basement.... just keep in mind that it will be a while before you get there. It's not an air hogs toy, it doesn't matter how good you are with one of those things, learning any cp heli will be a brand new experience... but it sure is rewarding :)

-Crabfu

jnasystems

05-14-2008, 06:51 PM

Wow is that ever a cool sim!!! The graphics on that seem to be like photos! I will definately be getting it. Thanks for the tip.

Joe

crabfu

05-14-2008, 08:28 PM

Wow is that ever a cool sim!!! The graphics on that seem to be like photos! I will definately be getting it. Thanks for the tip.

Joe

Good graphics is a added bonus... you want a sim that feels like the real thing, as much as possible, as that is the main purpose :) I've tried clearview and real flight as well, and hands down phoenix is the best in all aspects. Another plus for phoenix, upgrades are free, and they seem to pump out new versions, models & fields regularly. Several people here have urged them on to make a gaui 200 model, so hopefully we will see that soon. In the mean time, I find that if you pump up the simulation speed, the 3d versions of blade 400 & king2 feel very close to the gaui. You can also play it online, and view other guy's flights with the transmitter in view, to see what they are doing on the sticks in real time.... I often just watch and get mesmorized by some of these crazy 3D guys doing piro flips and watching the sticks go round and round in perfect control :) There are also a few modes of practice and training.

Anyway, can't go wrong with phoenix, it is the best investment I've ever made in this hobby, it is a great tool..... besides, it's fun to test drive helis & planes that you'll never have lol :)

-Crabfu

Hover_X

05-14-2008, 08:33 PM

FWIW, I am a self-taught RC Heli pilot and I learned on a Fixed Pitch Piccolo. If you don't know what that is, it is one of the first (if not 'the first') micro helicopters on the mass market. It's got a 20" rotor. I did learn to hover without breaking anything; mostly because I am very conservative. I did use training gear in the beginning which I found to be extremely helpful. The problem is that after I learned to hover I needed something that I could take outside since the little FP Piccolo didn't fly very well in any wind at all.

So I went shopping and bought a Shogun 400 size heli for outdoor use. As it turns out, that thing, to me, is like a flying lawn mower as related to in an earlier post about a much bigger heli. Needless to say, my conservative nature (OK, I was $cared to crash) didn't allow me to do much with it other than hover and learn a bit about CP helis.

About a month ago, I mentioned my dilemma to a friend who showed me his Gaui 200 and I was hooked :YeaBaby:. I bought the Gaui and have since flown it a bit and think it is the greatest thing to come out of China ever!

As far as stability... all I know is small micro sized helis and I feel that the 200 is an extremely stable platform and highly recommend it.

I just picked up a Phoenix Sim and am flying quite nicely with it and my skills are improving faster than ever right now. I recommend it as well. I am using a Spektrum DX7 radio.

As always, do your research and consult the guys who have chimed in above, as they have already been an invaluable resource to me! :thumbup:

Thanks guys!

baby eagle

05-15-2008, 03:07 AM

Hi All,

I am a new comer to this hobby. With only two months of experience! Having read the messages posted in this thread, I am moved and can't help sharing my story with the enthusiasts here.

I remember that I was first attracted by a Gaui EP200 in the showcase of a hobby shop near my home four months ago. Whenever I passed the shop, I would stop and take a while to look at it like a child. It was truly delicate, little and lovely. Until two months ago, I finally could not resist the temptation and took the plunge to take it home though the value was not inexpensive. But, I didn't know how hard to fly a helicopter then.

My journey to the heli-hobby began. Everyday and night, whether in office or home, if time allowed, I would browse the web and look for information about electric helicopter, relevant flying skill, set-up guide, accessories .... I downloaded the radio menu, gyro menu, servo specification sheet, esc menu and flying guide one by one from the web and printed them out (almost four hundred pages) to study seriously like preparing for public examination. After all, it was a big investment. And finally I started buying the accoutrements systematically - 7c 2.4 radio, GY401 gyro, 3153 servo, bb306 servos, hyperion esc, 7.4 and 11.1v cells, balanced charger, pitch gauge, tachometer, digital caliper, digital multi-meter, heat shrink tube, loctite, dedicated screw driver set, phoenix simulator, ... .... Again, the bill amount was not inexpensive.

Then, one night two weeks ago, I was scolded suddenly by my wife. She menaced to throw all my EP200 belongings into garbage bin if I kept on engrossing in this toy this way. I only surrendered and put the package under bed. Frankly, after calming down, I admit I was poisoned and insane then.

And now? My passion is fading. I only occasionally play the simulator when my wife is out. But, it is really difficult to fly a cp helicopter well. The full package remains intact. Perhaps, I will let it sink in the abyss one day like Titanic.

Conclusion? Heli-hobby is glamorous. Gaui EP200 is even irresistible. But, be careful! Don't let it occupy you too much and jeopardize your normal work and normal life, like going to church on Sunday.

baby eagle

jimgrant

05-15-2008, 07:07 AM

"" Then, one night two weeks ago, I was scolded suddenly by my wife. She menaced to throw all my EP200 belongings into garbage bin if I kept on engrossing in this toy this way. I only surrendered and put the package under bed. Frankly, after calming down, I admit I was poisoned and insane then...""

I used to have a wife like that as well.... I chose the heli's.. it was her that was poisoned and insane

psindrup

05-15-2008, 07:12 AM

I used to have a wife like that as well.... I chose the heli's.. it was her that was poisoned and insane

:rolling

Peter

crabfu

05-15-2008, 03:30 PM

Lol... well I'm beyond hope, there is definitely an element of addiction needed to be in this hobby, and I've got a deep addictive personality. I mean it's garuenteed to crash sooner or later (usally sooner than later for me), and parts and time add up quick... so if you don't have this addictive side to you, you would have given up the hobby in the first crash.

But yeah, I'm with jimgrant there lol... balance means choosing the what is right for you, and it doesn't "always" mean giving up something you don't want to. There are sacrifices to everything in life, just matter of choosing what is right for YOU in the long run. For me, flying helis on sunday mornings IS my church lol :)

-Crabfu

stoatnchips

05-15-2008, 05:44 PM

I'm with Peter on that one Jim :lolol

Baby Eagle... DO NOT surcome to the 'Dark Side'... 'its just too difficult' or 'its taking over my life' are common worries/misconception when starting out in this addiction... I mean hobby!! I believe the rest of us have worked through these problems to a greater or lesser extent. Dig the Wee Beastie out and learn to fly!! Get some CX2 traing kits and take it really slow, you'll be glad you did! :) If you still wanna bail on the hobby, then maybe you and Joe can come to a happy arrangement on the 200... just can't bear the idea of the poor little 200 rotting away under the bed :(

Stoat

baby eagle

05-16-2008, 03:22 AM

Dear All,

Thanks for your comfort. After introspection, I feel my love for Gaui EP200 is not spur of moment, so I decide not to quit my heli-hobby yet. However, to temper dissatisfaction from my wife, I am going to reschedule my time in a more balanced manner.

Besides, as my moniker "baby eagle" says, I am only a fledgling pilot. So, I decide to sharpen my heli-skill in simulator first, and then proceed to the sweet Gaui EP200. As for the suggestion of trying CX2 to build up my confidence, it is a good idea from Stoat. But, I forgot to mention in my previous message that I also bought a Walkera 4#3 when getting the accoutrements. My naive plan was to take it as a training machine because this little gadget was small enough to fly in living room. But .... It now remains intact beside my Gaui EP200. To put me in a safe position at this juncture, it is wise to withhold this invaluable suggestion. Anyway, thanks Stoat.

Hey all, I will keep learning from you in this forum. Thanks a lot.

baby eagle

stoatnchips

05-16-2008, 11:38 AM

Baby Eagle, by all means get a CX2 to help learn orientation, but as far as CP/Coaxial skills crossover goes, they are just too different. What i ment was get a set of CX2 training "balls" to help you learn on the 200, they are about the perfect fit and easily available :)

baby eagle

05-16-2008, 10:33 PM

Hi Stoat,

As my living environment is not spacious, is it a good idea to get a Walkera 5g6 to develop my orientation first. Besides, would it be acceptable to get a training gear similar to CX2's for EP200 because it is difficult to get CX2 gadgets here. Please advise.

Thanks.

baby eagle

rotorhead58d

05-16-2008, 10:55 PM

you can make training gear from ping pong balls and carbon rods, or styrafoam balls. make sure they are secured really good to the skids. they should stick out about 8 inches or so in an X fashion

jnasystems

05-17-2008, 05:06 PM

Well, I just ordered this (http://flying-hobby.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=3_5_169&products_id=2777) one.

Should be here sometime next week.

A couple more questions though. I want to eventually be able to film my son's t-maxx and would like to be able to follow him. Can the 200 keep up with a fairly fast truck? The box said the t-maxx should go 45 mph. The other question is about load capacity. I would like to use this (http://www.raidentech.com/24ghzmiwicoc.html) camera and want to make sure it can fly with it ok. Has anyone tried to see how much this chopper can lift?

Thanks,
Joe

rotorhead58d

05-17-2008, 05:55 PM