Condition Switching

[pete d]

The latest Version of programming software for the3x-cx3000 (copterx 1.2 & John_NZ's beta) allows the Tx tail gyro normal/HH switch to be setup to switch between the 2 conditions that can be programmed in the gyro.

Can this be used/has anyone tried switching while in flight?

Regards
Pete

[Vinger]

Works a treat on the ZYX-S, you basically have two complete helis in one!

[RedOctobyr]

I only have a 6-channel radio, so I'd have to give up TX-adjustable tail gains to use the condition switching (not sure if more channels let you get around that).

It sounds like a cool idea, even if just for easily testing a tweaked group of settings, so you can toggle back and forth, without needing to get out a laptop/programming box.

Do many people use this feature, either while in the air, or between flights, etc?

[FireDoug]

So looked over the software, and I am assuming you you can us your TX gyro switch to change between 2 different 3 axis gyro setups oppose to just using it to change tail gyro gain value. Am I correct? And if so I have a few questions on how this would be used.

1. So I guess an example of its use would be to have Condition 1 setup as F3C and Condition 2 setup as extreme 3d? So be switching the gyro switch I could immediately completely change how the heli performs in multiple ways?

2. With the software other than creating 2 conditions is there any other things that have to be enable to use 2 condition mode? What if you don't wish to use it and just want to have gyro switch adjust tail gain value?

3. On TX do I need to program a certain gain value to make it change from 1 condition to the other?

[RedOctobyr]

#2- I'm not sure which software you're using; I'm using John NZ's. In his, I think it's in Advanced, there's a drop-down box which seems to control whether changing the gain actually changes your tail gain, or whether it changes conditions. I think all you have to do is change that setting, from tail to condition. I'd imagine that a gain setting below 50 (if a 0-100 range, like setting Rate mode) would probably select condition 1, and above 50 (HH mode) would probably set condition 2? Just a guess.

[Vinger]

Originally Posted by FireDoug

So looked over the software, and I am assuming you you can us your TX gyro switch to change between 2 different 3 axis gyro setups oppose to just using it to change tail gyro gain value. Am I correct? And if so I have a few questions on how this would be used.

1. So I guess an example of its use would be to have Condition 1 setup as F3C and Condition 2 setup as extreme 3d? So be switching the gyro switch I could immediately completely change how the heli performs in multiple ways?

2. With the software other than creating 2 conditions is there any other things that have to be enable to use 2 condition mode? What if you don't wish to use it and just want to have gyro switch adjust tail gain value?

3. On TX do I need to program a certain gain value to make it change from 1 condition to the other?

#1 Yes completely different setups can be used as per your example

#2 If condition switching is activated you loose the ability to change tail gain from the TX, tail gain is now fixed for that condition in the software

#3 Yes, anything below 50% on your TX gain select channel will give you Condition 1, set it at arbitry value of say 30%, anything above 50% gives you condition 2, set it to say 70%.

just remember that this condition select can be dangerous if you have not check EVERYTHING in BOTH conditions to be correctly setup. So do a setup on say condition 1 and then when it is flying to your liking, copy it to 2 and then apply only the changes you want to condition 2.

[FireDoug]

Finally had time to give the condition switching a try tonight. I thought I would give it a try since I never use Tail Rate mode, I always fly in HH, so really is a wasted channel for me. We will see if I have any reason to use the 2 conditions.... not really sure if I will once done testing.

So my crash test dummy is going to be the Blade 400 it has HS65MG on cyclic, E-flite DS76t(off my B450) on tail, 420 motor, Align 35 amp ESC. and CX 3X1000 FBL gyro.

Plugged B400 into Jon NZ software and it sucks the program out of the 3X1000 to condition 2 by default. I went to advance settings and enabled condition switching.

Now when I switch my gyro channel switch the heli and the software immediately switch between condition 1 and condition 2. I have a DX8 so positive gain setting sets condition 2 and a negative gain setting sets condition 1.

My normal flight settings have been the default soft 3D, this I left as condition 2. I flipped the TX gyro switch to select condition 1 and set that up for beginner.

Flipped gyro switch a few times with computer still connected and worked as expected. Inspected heli swash for proper correction in both conditions.

Already dark so set it down on garage floor for a test hover, took a breath and spooled up in Condition 2 flew as normal, while still spooled up set it down and flipped TX gyro switch to select condition 1. Worked just like it should, so now I will try switching mid air at the field where I can have some altitude, just in case.

Seems to work just like I expected, now I just need to figure out how I might use the 2 conditions in a practical way?????

[Dr. M]

I've never used the condition switching capability, but I could see its utility in testing some incremental changes to a good setup. The thought of tweaking two different flight modes different to fly well is simply not appealing to me. I'd end up using the one that feels best to me anyway... Besides, I like to spool up in rate mode to prevent possible weird behavior upon lift-off.

[Mozzy1977]

I find condition switching very useful when tweaking the settings. I use it as a failsafe, with a settings I know to work under condition 1. The default F3C settings work very well on my 450 pro.
All the testing is done in condition 2. If I get a strange wobble/vibration I just flip the switch to condition 1 and the heli is stable again.
Works like a charm in flight!
I am now in the process of converting my 500 to FBL with the ZYX, it requires some more tweaking than the 450. The 500 is not vibration free on the default setting.

[pete d]

OK thanks for the info....so I previously set up the tail gain in the software main page to 100 and used my futaba ff9 to control the tail gain,(as recommended somewhere)
... 45 in hh mode (on the futaba 100-0-100 mode) which give 53 on the 1st setup page hh slider worked nicely.

If I now use condition switching is the tx value still used to compute the gain, or do I have to reduce the software main page value and re-establish a suitable tail gain setting?

Thanks
Pete

[RedOctobyr]

I believe you would set the TX's gain channel is now only being used to select condition 1 or 2. I'd set the two different gains to something in the Rate and HH ranges, respectively, maybe -100 and +100, and see if the ZYX is responding the way you expect for each condition.

I would set the software's gain to whatever value corresponds to what you had set on the radio. If your TX gain range goes -100 to 100, and you had the TX set to 45, I would expect that would correspond to 72.5 if setting it directly in the software.

This is based on just a quick look at the Condition stuff a while ago. I'm still using my TX gain to set the tail gain, I haven't tried using Conditions yet.