Spectrum DX6i

[GCK]

I’m planning on ordering this radio early next week for my Belt CP. Anyone wondering why see my thread "Stock Radio Problems?" A few questions as I have no experience with these computer radio’s. Does this radio support both digital and analog servo’s? I just installed Tower Pro SG90 servo’s and they work fine with my stock transmitter. I have the stock rate gyro and a Hobby wings ESC with an external switching BEC. Just not sure what to expect with this new radio as far as any compatibility issues. I appreciate any guidance you could give me.

[Ian 777]

Analog and digital servo's work fine with the DX6i. With 2400 ghz radios it is important that the voltage supply to the reciever doesn't drop or the connection to the TX will be lost and the radio will have to 'rebind' (Brown out). Digital servos can draw too much current from from the stock ESC/BEC and cause the supply voltage too drop. Since you already have a decent ESC and BEC, this won't be a problem even if you do get digital servo's.

There are some good videos In Finless Bobs Tech Room which show how to set up computer radio's and those of us that have them will help with any thing your not sure of.:thumbup:

[GCK]

Thanks for the input I will go ahead and get this thing on order then. I'm sure I will need some assistance getting things set up. I down loaded a pdf file of the manual and started looking through it. I'm sure a lot of things I'll have to work out on my own to get the subtrim and servo travels set up right for my setup. But other settings like throttle pitch curves and expo I would be looking for some input. I would like to start with the controller behaving in much the same manner as the stock radio and then go from there.

[Ian 777]

Any:)time mate

Again finless ccpm set up vids will show you how to set up your head correctly

to sumarise setting up the radio:

Normal throttle curve 0,25,50,75,100
Normal pitch curve 40,45,50,75,100
Stunt throttle curve 100,90,80,90,100
Stunt pitch curve 0,25,50,75,100

Use the subtrims to ensure the servo arms are at 90 degrees when the sticks are central in idle up mode.

Use your servo reversers to get all three cyclic servo's moving in the same direction
when you move the collective stick.

Use your swash mix settings to make sure every thing works in the right direction

Use your swash mix and servo travel settings to make sure every thing moves the right amount.

Expo, dual rates and channel mixing can all be experimented with when youv'e got it flying. The curves I have given are just a starting point.

All the best

Ian :thumbup:

[copterboy]

Have a DX6i and 6200 Rx for Trex and planning on getting 6200 Rx to go in my Belt next month!
Just spent the last 3 days rebuilding the booms & tail on both heli's, new align main shaft & sg90's went on the belt today too. Hopefully will be back to the field this weekend for some test flights!

Anyway, will help out with any questions you got when it arrives and hopefully I might learn something too!

I've played around with the DX6i normal throttle/pitch curves, but not been able to test them properly yet. I've got throttle at 80% mid-stick but I don't think the pitch curve's right yet!

[davideh2]

80% at mid stick in normal mode is way high. Throttle curve should be near linear. Like Ian777 said it should be close to 50%.

[Ian 777]

Yeah but quite a few people do tweak it so the top half of the curve is closer to the idle up curve, its worth experimenting a bit, higher head speed at mid stick has its advantages

[sutty]

I totally agree with Ian. I have 80% too. It means my top half matches my idle up top half. In my opinion this has several benefits. Firstly there is absolutely no change in pitch or head speed or pitch when I switch to idle up. Second I can fly around in what is effectively an idle up configuration when only in normal, but whilst still only having 2 - 3 degrees of -ve pitch, so I am less likely to over do a descent. Third when I switch to idle up the helicopter has exactly the same flight characteristics as it did in normal, at least for all positive pitch configurations, so when I do switch I can't even tell the difference. Fourth it means my helicopter benefits from the added stability that you get from a high head speed when in normal mode.

I still get more than adequate flight time of 12 minutes per 2200 battery, and I can fly when it is windy. I do not have evidence of this but I even have a suspicion that the motor is more efficient at these higher speeds meaning that I actually get longer flight times than I would with a slower speed. Slower speeds require more pitch and therefore create a higher load on the motor. It seems to me that it should require the same energy delivery rate in order to keep the helicopter in the air, whatever the speed and pitch combination, but with a lower pitch and higher speed it just feels more efficient to me. Can't tell you why it feels like this it just does.

As far as I can see the only drawback is that when I crash there is more energy in the system, so the damage is likely to be higher. Fortunately, touch wood, I now seem to be at a point where I am no longer crashing too regularly.

[davideh2]

I agree, but I was thinking more about someone setting up their first programmable Tx and probably not familiar with pitch and throttle curves.

[davideh2]

P.S.

Someone just like me.

[copterboy]

The DX6i was my first programmable Tx and it was tricky to setup for a heli-noob like me! I think I got my head around it now. It is complex but we're here to help with any questions bro...the freak has helped me endlessly, so I'm always happy to give knowledge back whilst still learning myself!

My reason for setting it to 80% at mid-stick was about the higher head speed/blade load points (see linear or logarythm thread) it means I can fly my heli with the stick in the middle of it's range.

Can anyone one using 80% throttle tell me their pitch curve? Think I've set my pitch to high and I'm getting too much load on the motor! :...: After I first setup the new throttle curve up, I crashed backyard testing it + had to re-built tail as a result. Bird now back in air with some upgrades, so I can't wait to test it down the field!

[Ian 777]

I agree, but I was thinking more about someone setting up their first programmable Tx and probably not familiar with pitch and throttle curves.

:)Thats why I suggested the ones I did:)

[davideh2]

Touche (too-shay)

[GCK]

Just a few more questions on the DX6I radio. I think I figured out what has been going on with the occasional glitches I’ve been getting with the stock radio. It has been very humid around here the last few weeks. When going out side from the air conditioned house I can see condensation developing on my radio. My glasses to. That’s been a pain in the but as on several occasions I had to land quick as my glasses fogged up to the point where I could hardly see. Spraying contact cleaner in the potentiometers did very little to fix glitches or the servo jitter. But spraying WD-40 made this radio work better then new. WD-40 is very good at repelling moisture. Having said that will I not run the risk of having the same problem with the DX6I? Or are the potentiometers on this radio sealed? Also on my stock radio it is very easy for me to change the pitch relation to rotor speed by playing with the "HOV.PITV" and "PIT.TRIM" controls. I prefer a lower head speed when flying indoors and a higher head speed when flying outdoors especially if there is a little wind. Can these things easily be changed on the DX6I or do you need to go back and reprogram all the throttle and pitch curves?

[Ian 777]

I have had no glitches with my DX6i and have flown in some very damp conditions over here, there is no comparison between the build quality of the two radios, I doubt you will have any probs.

You will need to adjust the pitch / throttle curves via the menu but it only takes a few moments.

Flying with low head speed minimises ground effect when you are flying inside and slows down the helis responses, but you can't get past very basic hovering like this

The heli works much better with high head speed.

When you say you fly inside do you mean in your front room or a sports hall / ware house?

[GCK]

When I say fly inside I mean in my 30’ x 30’ attached garage. I fly or hover in there if it’s real windy or raining outside. The helicopter seems to be more stable and more docile flying in that small of an area with me at the controls with more pitch at a lower head speed. On my stock radio I can change this simply by turning up the Hov. Pitv a bit.

[Ian 777]

Yes mate I did the same thing in my living room when learning to hover.

I't wont get you past the very first steps though.

You reduce the overall performance of the helicopter with low head speed and you get a shorter batery life because the motor is more efficient at high RPM.

My advice would be to keep your head speed high and start learning to fly in the wind.
(light winds at first)

It is not as hard as you would think you just need to be read to put in much lager collective adjustments to control the height.

Many people have their initial learning hindered by glitchy stock radio's. It really is a lot easier when every thing does what it is supposed to.

Also using pitch and throttle curves gives you a better understanding of your heli

All the best :thumbup:

[GCK]

Your are right the helicopter is definitely more responsive with the higher head speed. When I fly outside I do run with a higher head speed. As far as wind I’m comfortable flying around in 5-8 mph wind as long as there are no gusts. Once the gusts come out I go in. But when I first got the helicopter I would not fly if there was any wind. So I’m sure with time and practice it will only get easier. And not fighting radio problems would help with my confidance I’m sure.