GY401/DX6i experts, have a question

[JEB123]

Hey guys, how important is having the rate switch for the gyro set up on my radio? The reason I ask this is because I want to have a radio switched landing light on my Hughes 500, but I'm out of channels. Can I inhibit the gyro setting once I find a good gain value and use the gear channel for the light? Can I just have the gyro set to say 50% (or whatever works well) and use the gear switch for the light or does the yellow gyro wire need to be connected somewhere so the gyro will work properly? :confused:

[TheBum]

The gyro does not remember its last gain setting; it relies on the gain channel for that. So, using the gain channel is required.

[JEB123]

So why does it have a manually adjustable gain pot?

[TheBum]

It doesn't. One of the pots is for setting the servo delay and the other is for setting the tail slider limits.

[JEB123]

My apologies, you are absolutely correct. Can you think of any other options I may have for switching the light? Maybe mixing the switch with something else?

[TheBum]

You could tie it to a very low throttle level, but I doubt you want to be doing autorotation landings at night and I'm not even sure what circuitry you would use to detect it.

Another option would be to tie it to gyro gain, which would be OK if you didn't mind landing with the gyro in rate mode. Again, there's the circuitry question.

Sounds like it may be time to sell that DX6i and get a DX7.

[JEB123]

I just bought ithe DX6i! There has to be another way, like you said, tying it to another landing related function.

[TheBum]

<biting tongue>

The only channels you have are aileron, elevator, and pitch (needed for collective and cyclic pitch control); throttle (needed for head speed control); rudder and gyro gain (needed for tail control). That's all 6 channels you have available. Your only other option is to run without a gyro or get a different gyro that doesn't require a radio channel for gain control, such as a GY240.

On second thought, you could rig up some sort of standalone pulse generator to provide the gain signal and then use your gain channel for lights. Here's a link to the schematics for a simple one:
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/servo2.htm

[JEB123]

Better yet, I'll just leave the light fixed on, screw switching it on and off.

[nbrooks]

Looking on instructions to program my Align ESC with my DX6i. I have watched the video to do the set up with a Futaba, but when I power up in ful stick to get into the program mode, it stays in regular mode. How do I get to program mode?

[JEB123]

Might wanna start a new thread with that question.