What ESC and Reasonably Priced Servos?

[Carthagenj]

I am planning my X2 build and have decided to switch from HS65-MG's to digital. What "Low Cost" digital cyclic servos and ESC would you recommend?

[glarepro]

GAUI digital servos work perfect, and the GAUI 22A speed control works great as well.

However, if you want a different ESC look at the Kontronik mini jazz 20.
I run the mini jazz because it has a govenor that works really well.

[rhodesengr]

Not sure what you mean by low cost. I used Hyperion DS11GCB's and suggest you do not use these. Maybe the metal gear version would be ok but I broke one of the plastic gears on the GCB's during my build. Another broke due to mild blade strike.

But there's more to consider.

There are some subtle issues regarding servo choice for the x2. This is due to the fact that the elevator servo has the ball mounted facing back in towards the servo housing. The stock Gaui servos have a slanted top which allows clearance for the ball to face backwards and not hit the housing. Most servos have housings that will hit the ball unless you move out to the third hole on the horn. This messes up the FBL geometry some. Mine flys fine but I do regret my servo choice.

The stock Gaui's were not available when I built mine but they are metal gear and cost the same as DS11's.

A while back we had some discussion about servos. I looked at a bunch and other than the gaui's, the MKS DS92A+ looked good but more expensive. One of the guys here used them and posted photos so it seems they will fit.

Small heli's like the X2 are more sensitive to all force inputs so fast servos will probably help the FBL unit keep it stable. I'd avoid cheapo servos on this small heli.

All things considered the stock Gaui's are probably the best overall choice unless you are willing to spend more and get the MKS.

I'll change to stock or MKS next time I break a DS11 gear.

[desertstalker]

the ds95s (or 92s for that matter) are way to heavy for an X2 (except a 95i on the tail) I am using the Ds09 series hyperions with good results (9g to the 95s ~23g). The MKS cyclics are for a 450 and excellent there but massive overkill on a heli this small.

Speed is far less important to a FBL system than people think, you need enough torque or the speed is meaningless (servos slow down a lot when you get towards the top of their torque spec).

[dpelletier]

ESC - I got the YGE 18 to replace the Gaui. Replacement is to have governed head.

[MinskUK]

I agree with the weight dileama of using mks servos on a x2 but no matter what i did, I was never happy with the feel of mine. I couldn't see that replacing the stock servos with comparable models would make much of a difference - the tail drifted and although cyclic was ok it wasn't as I wanted. My x2 started as 255. I converted to an x2 with a beastx and it still wasn't right. After a what happened there crash I vowed to rebuild this for the last time before binning it. As well as rebuilding i added 95i to the tail and 92a's to cyclic (these could be reuse on a 450 by my 'how do I justify this logic).

So the results. This is now a heli transformed. It is smooth, precise, predictable and controllable. It just what I wanted it of be - albeit slightly heavier than maybe I wanted - there are always pros cons and trade offs. So my thoughts to add to the mix are:

Tail - mks95i. Despite a great deal of effort, it was adding this that banished all bad behaviour. There are no drifts anymore and movement is smooth and precise. Although hardly a budget servo, I think this one is a must.
Cyclic - I'm using ds92a. I wasn't sure myself about this one but as soon as it came off the ground I could feel the change. I'm more than happy with the results and in my view superior in every way to the combo servos - and in the main these are regarded as good.

I'm still using the 18a ESC. This now feels slightly lacking in oomph though I think this was always the case hence Gaui replacing it with a 22a model. Currently thinking of a YGE30.

Whilst i now have the small, stable, yet responsive heli I was seeking, lthe cheap 250 i intended to build really didnt work out. The moral for me is that smaller helis don't necessarily make for cheaper flying though Im intrigued to see if the 300x can deliver this! Now how to justify having one of these too...

[desertstalker]

NO cyclic issues with the hyperion servos here, on a microbeast.

[Ranger71d]

I believe the Hyperion GCB servos are intended for use as a tail servo. They are faster then their siblings, but have less torque.
I use 11AMBs for cyclics on my 450. These are metal geared and have survived a few crashes. Im really pleased with them.
Im looking at getting an X2 or the new 250 Align when they have a little time on the market. Either way I may use Hyperions for cyclics if the stockers dont last or arent up to snuff.

[desertstalker]

Originally Posted by Ranger71d

Either way I may use Hyperions for cyclics if the stockers dont last or arent up to snuff.

The 11s are a bit of a tight fit, the 09s are better there (and lighter). Kit cyclics are reported to be good, the tail isn't quite fast enough though, if you can swing it the DS95i is brilliant on the tail.

[heathy]

Another massive vote for the hyperion 09s here. Mine started life in my old 200fes before switching to the x2. They've had more crashed than I can remember and a few really hard impacts too and still going strong.

These can't be beaten for the money, anywhere!


Sent from my iPhone 4s using tapatalk

[Carthagenj]

Guys,
Thanks for all of your advice. I decided to go with the MKS 92A+ on the cyclics and MKS 95i on the tail. Now I am torn between the BeastX and the Mini Vbar. I have the Mini Vabr Blue Line Express on my Beam E4 and it is great!

[dpelletier]

Skookum 540

[GravityJunkie]

I absolutely cannot believe how much of a difference the 95i is on the tail. I tried all kinds of stuff with the stock servo, I got it to work ok most of the time. But once I went to the 95i -- WOW. My flips are soo much better it doesn't seem like I'm the one flying it.

[MinskUK]

There are a couple of small modifications when using the DS92A's on Cyclic:

The mounting plates are thinner so consequently the screw a fraction to long. I fixed this by putting a washer on the screw.The slope on the upper front of the frames where the servos sit is at an angle that matches the Gaui servo's The angle on the MKS servo's is different so this needs a very small amount of material removing to allow the servos to sit correctly. Neither of these are major tasks.

I'm using a beastx on this model and very happy with its performance and stability now that I have the MKS's installed.