I think I need to slow down a bit

[codyw20]

I need some advice everyone. I have been going VERY slow in this hobby. I got addicted like everyone else with a small coaxial and loved it but have been moving very slow. I went from a syma to a 120 SR. Then got a DX6i to go with it later. I loved the difference a real radio made. I could then hover the 120 and fly it back and forth but nothing major or even nose in hovering very long.

After about a year of slow going (I hardly ever flew because of wind at my house and the 120 not capable with wind) I finally got a 180 CFX so it would handle wind and wanting to go slow and learn CP. Unfortunately, right after I bought the 180 by chance my DX6i died and I didn't have anything to fly it with for several months. I finally saved up and got a replacement DX6 yesterday. However, now I am having second thoughts about moving right to the 180. And might be willing to give up outdoor flight to learn more CP inside first.

Should I go ahead and keep the 180 on the shelf and go with a tiny CP like the nano? I guess the nano is all that is left for blade helis(MCPX no longer made). Should I go ahead and buy that one and learn on it and then down the road fly my 180? It is hard to still park it after all this time but maybe that is the right idea. What do you think?

[dominator]

Keep your 180 but get a simulator. Master nose in hover on the simulator then try it with your 180

[Imzzaudae]

A simulator would be a great tool for learning.
However a Nano would give you a real fun to fly indoor helicopter.

NANO CPX SERVICE AND FLYING LINKS FOR NEWBIES
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=596574

This is a great little helicopter! You can even take it outdoors if it's relatively calm and have a blast flying it.

When you can fly Nano you will be able to fly the 180.
180 will be a real hand full but flies the same.
Hope this helps you.
Ron

[sooners]

agree with what the others have said and a sim is enjoyable also. Don't worry about time and if things are slow. Everyone learns at there own pace and a lot of times if you really push yourself you can get frustrated and discouraged about things. Just have fun and nose in to me is one of the toughest things to learn for some reason. I fly with some guys that have flown for years and they will still struggle with nose in. I would keep the 180 also because one day things will start clicking for you and away you will go keep it up.

[Blade Scraper]

Originally Posted by codyw20

I need some advice everyone. I have been going VERY slow in this hobby. I got addicted like everyone else with a small coaxial and loved it but have been moving very slow. I went from a syma to a 120 SR. Then got a DX6i to go with it later. I loved the difference a real radio made. I could then hover the 120 and fly it back and forth but nothing major or even nose in hovering very long.

After about a year of slow going (I hardly ever flew because of wind at my house and the 120 not capable with wind) I finally got a 180 CFX so it would handle wind and wanting to go slow and learn CP. Unfortunately, right after I bought the 180 by chance my DX6i died and I didn't have anything to fly it with for several months. I finally saved up and got a replacement DX6 yesterday. However, now I am having second thoughts about moving right to the 180. And might be willing to give up outdoor flight to learn more CP inside first.

Should I go ahead and keep the 180 on the shelf and go with a tiny CP like the nano? I guess the nano is all that is left for blade helis(MCPX no longer made). Should I go ahead and buy that one and learn on it and then down the road fly my 180? It is hard to still park it after all this time but maybe that is the right idea. What do you think?

Your start in the hobby and wind problems with the 120 SR mirror my own in some ways. I'm 4 years into the hobby now. My 120 SR got a few flights outdoors the first 2 years I had it, but because of how it handles the wind, it didn't get a lot of flights.

A few months after I bought it, I bought an mSR X as its flybarless (FBL) design suggested it would be a better candidate outside. It wasn't: I was flying it on the RTF radio that came with my 120 SR (MP4DSM) and with no ability to program rates or expo, the mSR X spent most of the next 3 years on the shelf (yep, in the hobby for over three years before I upgraded to a DX6i).

A year after I bought my mSR X, the mSR was discontinued and I picked up 2 for not much more than the price of 1 on a clearance sale. This heli is the one that has seen, by far, the most flights: 300+, all indoors, and even bought 4 new lipos to replace the original 4 which were showing their age by then.

The nice thing about the mSR: it flies very nicely in a small indoor space. It uses the same flybar design as the bigger 120 SR it derives its name from. As an indoor heli, wind is never an issue and mine have more 'pop' indoors than my 120 SR does on a calm day outside. Its almost indestructible. It requires no expo or rate settings so it has only ever been flown on the MP4DSM in high rates, even after buying the DX6i (the DX6i is setup with Phoenix and my mSR X).

I bought my DX6i and Phoenix late last fall (early November). Been putting serious, logged time into the sim since the beginning of November to learn CP and 3D.

So based on what I've learned over the years, the market changes since then, regrets on putting the sim off so long, and where you're at now I would suggest:

a. A sim to use with your DX6. A small investment with a long term payoff. And crashes on the sim are free.

b. Set your 180 CFX aside for awhile. You'll come back to it later when you're ready for it.

c. Skip the nCPS. Seriously. Read in depth, the many, many problem threads on this flea ridden dog since its release to see why. Your money can be better spent.

d. Take the money you'd waste on the nCPS and pick up instead an XK K110 RTF. It includes a very good radio, parts are cheap, it has enough power to handle some outdoor wind and has stability and 3D mode you can toggle between. In RTF it costs the same as an nCPS but you get a real tail, real piro comp, and no bizarre issues like mystery recurring twitches, drift, tail spool up, etc, etc, etc. Fly this outside instead of the 180 CFX and begin in stability mode until you're comfortable with the radio and the heli. Then switch to 3D mode. Use the sim inside, pick a structured sim training program and stick with it. Sim daily if you can.

You will see the frustration ebb away. You will spend less. You will see progress.

By the time you've logged 6 months on the sim and several hours on the XK k110, you'll be ready for the 180 CFX and have more confidence flying it with far fewer crashes. Take it off the shelf and enjoy it then. Meantime check the forum on storing the 180 CFX lipos at storage charge and take that step to avoid needing to replace them 6 months from now due to improper storage.

[micksonline]

Originally Posted by Blade Scraper

Take the money you'd waste on the nCPS and pick up instead an XK K110 RTF.

I agree with Blade Scraper,

Today I am hooked. Christmas I started with the Phoenix simulator with a DX6i and have been practicing my hovers for about a month. (following the (From tail-in to all 8s and funnels in 6 months" training.)

Last week I ordered the V977, which is similar to the K110 but with not as nice a radio. It came in today and I flew it... Twice... Without crashing it. How amazing was that. It was just a hover but it wouldn't have happened without all the time spent on the sim.

The V977 flew very easy in it's "6G" stability mode which seems like their "training mode".

[PhenixFord]

Originally Posted by codyw20

.

Should I go ahead and keep the 180 on the shelf and go with a tiny CP like the nano?

This is just my $0.02. But a hard lesson that I learned. And just maybe I can help you avoid the same situation that I'm in.

Sell the 180 now while you can still get decent money for it.

Here is why I say this: I to am progressing slowly due to not enough flying. I get a lot more sim time than actual flight time. And the sim has been invaluable to my progress. So definitely get a sim. But, in the mean time, I'm still crashing my real heli. No big deal for me. I gain experience with building and set-up. BIG problem is - HH has discontinued my heli. And Lynx has dropped their support of aftermarket products. So, the next crash could mean jumping thru hoops to get her back into the air again. Or, she becomes a very expensive non-working desktop model. Somehow, I thought that I would be flying this heli for years. Just FYI brother.

[Blade Scraper]

Originally Posted by PhenixFord

This is just my $0.02. But a hard lesson that I learned. And just maybe I can help you avoid the same situation that I'm in.

Sell the 180 now while you can still get decent money for it.

Here is why I say this: I to am progressing slowly due to not enough flying. I get a lot more sim time than actual flight time. And the sim has been invaluable to my progress. So definitely get a sim. But, in the mean time, I'm still crashing my real heli. No big deal for me. I gain experience with building and set-up. BIG problem is - HH has discontinued my heli. And Lynx has dropped their support of aftermarket products. So, the next crash could mean jumping thru hoops to get her back into the air again. Or, she becomes a very expensive non-working desktop model. Somehow, I thought that I would be flying this heli for years. Just FYI brother.

The 180 CFX might be Blade's best selling heli since the mCP X. I would keep it. Because today's HH discontinues helis as fast as auto makers introduce new model years, I think the 180 CFX may get axed soon - though through no fault of its own nor lack of sales or demand.

But even when it is discontinued, Blade continues making and selling parts for years afterwards. Unless there is a financial motive precluding doing so, I would keep it until you're ready to fly it - that may be as soon as 6 months from now. The 180 CFX will then be a heli you don't have to buy to increase the difficulty a notch up from the k110.

The 180 CFX is the only product made by Blade I would consider buying - I really, really dislike Horizon Hobbies, but if the 180 CFX is still in production this Spring, I may buy it for what it is, and hold my nose regarding my antipathy for the company that created this beastly little gem.

[learnedthehardway]

I agree, keep the 180. Have owned quite a few Blade helis and the 180 has been the most reliable by far.

The XK or V977 rtf are excellent choices. I have the V977 and with its rotary servos it's not glitchy and twitchy like the Blade micros.

Start in 6g mode to get a feel for the heli then move to 3d mode in low rates asap. I don't say that meaning for you to rush your progression, but if you're trying to learn how to fly a cp heli that's the mode you want to practice in. Flying in 6g mode is more like flying the fixed pitch heli you already have, so it really isn't preparing you for cp at all.

Sim is great for working on orientations and learning new maneuvers, but flying a slow and smooth 600 in the sim won't prepare you for the 180 as well as another micro will when used properly.

There's 0 penalty for crashes in the sim so you don't get any of the nerves you get flying in real life. Nerves were my biggest enemy when I first started flying the 180. There's little to no penalty for most crashes on a micro which can lead to bad habits too, but you don't want to crash it too much cause you will break something eventually.

Don't use the micro's durability as a crutch, concentrate on not crashing and landing on the skids at the end of every flight.

A sim is very helpful and an absolute must once you start getting into more advanced maneuvers, but it bores me to death so I use a micro over tall grass instead whenever possible. YMMV

Download the free Heli-x demo and get a $15 usb adapter for your tx, you get a good sim for the price of the adapter. I'm still using the demo and have no plans on ever buying the full version, it's all the sim I need.

The demo and V977/XK will not only prepare you for the 180, but can carry you right to 3d flying for just over $100

[codyw20]

Thank you so much guys. This has been very helpful. I do have a sim now, Phoenix 5. I am working on getting my DX6 to work with it.

I spent months trying to decide what CP heli to get and I am glad I finally decided on the 180 according to your posts. I will indeed park it for a bit and look into those other two models suggested.

My only question now is; did you imply you all used the transmitter that came with those other micros? So I should use those and not try to bind my DX6 to them. Or maybe the DX6 will not even bind those?

[toadiscoil]

Ok great advice here. I have little to add but here goes. Not only pick up a simulator but also follow a proper training program like the one from ArchmageAU. I mention it on this post which hopefully will help you.

https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=720316

I think you are taking a great approach. I purchased too many helicopters and I am now sitting with a bunch of machines on the basement. Well only 4 but still probably 3 too many.

With a sim cable and the DX6 and practicing upright piros is the best thing I could do. Wish I would have started that way. Would have saved tons of money and likely would be flying now.

I like HeliX training modes but neXt has a very easy interface to play around with DR and Expo settings so you can understand how the heli reacts to changes. This is invaluable knowledge as well. I am not familiar with Phoenix or RealFlight.

So yes to me it was too painful to just let my Heli sit and now here I am with lots of useless helis. So good to just shelf it for now.

About where to start is a difficult question. You already have a micro but it is a zippy one. A Nano seems to be a good option for indoor practice because also ArchmageAU says not to get too far ahead on the sim as there are things on real life the sim cannot duplicate so you might think you fly great then crash and get all depressed. The idea is to start progressing and get fun out of it as progress satisfaction comes along.

Whatever Heli you choose if it is a small one (micro or less) you should be fine. Some recommend bigger helis be a use they fly better and some micros are hard to make to fly right. But they teach great lessons and they are less dangerous and expensive. One thing avoid the upgrades just run stock or worse case buy another of the same. You will probably get to know the Heli well enough to probably eventually sell it when you move to a bigger one.

Finally for your question your DX6 should bind to any Blade Heli without any issues, any size even coaxials as I understand. Also any Heli that accepts a Spektrum satellite aka remote receiver. If buying other than Blade check the documentation online or ask around on the forums or search the model you are interested in here. You might find the answer right away.

Well that's my two cents. Good luck!

[Blade Scraper]

Originally Posted by codyw20

Thank you so much guys. This has been very helpful. I do have a sim now, Phoenix 5. I am working on getting my DX6 to work with it.

I spent months trying to decide what CP heli to get and I am glad I finally decided on the 180 according to your posts. I will indeed park it for a bit and look into those other two models suggested.

My only question now is; did you imply you all used the transmitter that came with those other micros? So I should use those and not try to bind my DX6 to them. Or maybe the DX6 will not even bind those?

In the Phoenix sub-forum there is a sticky on the DX6i setup with info on the DX6 as well. Its through that thread that I setup my DX6i with Phoenix. I follow the Freddy Can Fly series and use a method discussed in the relevant combinations of other stickies in that forum (I blended from several the method I follow).