Belt v2, dx8 and ar600

[ChopperNoob]

Evening gents, I have been given an ar600 rx and I have tried to set up my belt with it and the dx8. No problem binding it but I'm at an absolute loss as to how to get the cyclic working correctly as well as the gyro. I'm beginning to think that this rx is designed for planes only as no matter where I look on the Internet I can see no explanation as to how it should be connected up and set up. Would I be better off buying a specific heli rx or will this thing work? It was a freeby so it's no loss if it doesn't work but any help would be great!
Cheers fellas

[comatosed]

Here is a link to the user manual, hope it helps.

[ChopperNoob]

Thanks, I've had a look through this already and I'm still none the wiser! Im thinking it may be a mixing issue or something along those lines but I'm still a bit green with all this technical stuff. I might just be missing something glaringly obvious lol

[sutty]

Can't see why it wouldn't work. It is the replacement for the AR500, which was for mainly used for fixed wing, as it is only 5 channels. If this has 6 separate channels then I cannot see why not, it is a full range receiver after all.

So try this, set up a new model in your radio. Choose type heli, set the swash type to 120 degree, and we should be able to try from there.

Plug the left cyclic into aileron, and the right into Aux1, and the elevator into elevator. Bind with the new Tx model, and then see what happens when you push the throttle stick up and down.

Dont worry about the direction for now, and don't concern yourself with elevator for a moment. If one aileron cyclic goes up and the other down, as you move the throttle stick then reverse the aileron in your Tx in the servo reversing screen. Now they will move together, direction doesn't matter.

Now switch attention to the elevator servo, if this doesn't move in the same direction as the two aileron servos when you move the throttle, change the elevator direction in the servo reversing screen.

Now they all move together the job is all but done. Next go into your swash mix screen. If when you push right aileron, the swash tilts left, change the value of the mix for aileron from +ve to -ve, or vice versa. So +60 would become -60, etc.

Repeat this test for elevator. If when you push the elevator forward the swash tilts backwards, then change the sign of the swash mix for elevator, as above for aileron. If it doesn't then you are fine anyway.

Repeat this test for pitch. If when you push the throttle up the swash goes down, then change the value as above.

With regard to the values, magnitude, start out with 60, and measure the pitches that you get, and tweak from there, for your pitch range, +-9, etc, and for aileron, and elevator, around 6 or 7 degrees perhaps.

Try this, see if it works, and if it does we can come back to your tail issue.

Cheers

Sutty

[ChopperNoob]

Thanks Sutty, I shall give this a try right now, however I'm on limited time before I have go to work so it may be tomorrow before I can attempt this properly and report back.
Many thanks for your help so far

[ChopperNoob]

Ok, I have done what you said and now it's all functioning as it should. You sir, are a genius for explaining that in such a clear, concise way that even I managed to understand!
My only issue is tail wag now. I have the yellow plug off the stock esky gyro in the gear socket and the gyro in the rudder. On initiation the gyro beeps etc as it should when in HH mode so I guess it's just the gain that wants fiddling with? Also is it possible to assign a switch on the dx8 to flick between rate and HH?

[stevec]

Yup you assign the gyro rate as the gear channel on the dx8 but use the gyro switch.and you are hot to trot. Unheralded 50 gain is rate mode over 50 is hh iirc. Got rid of my dx8 a few months back so can't double check...

Hth
Steve

[ChopperNoob]

Many thanks Steve, a great help! Thanks for all your help fellas, you've been a life saver (or at least stopped me from going bald prematurely)! Have a great evening, work beckons for me. Laters chaps

[Luke Warmwater]

The DX6i is rate mode under 50% and HH over 50%, but the DX7s is rate mode -1% to -100% and HH mode +1% to +100%....and I think the DX8 is the same.

[sutty]

+1, the DX8, which you are using, is in 200 steps, from -100 to +100. 0, in the middle, is effectively off. You will almost certainly want to go for HH mode which is all the +ve numbers, and a value of about +35 would be a good starting point. If it wags it is too high, if it doesn't hold properly it is too low. Up the value until the tail develops a fast wag, and then back it off 2 or 3 points and you should be sorted.

Cheers

Sutty

[copterboy]

I once had a weird encounter when swapping gyro's.

Found my CSM gyro was opposite default to the Logitech Gyro pulse width. With switch in pos0, the LTG gyro would be in HH mode, but the CSM would be in Rate mode.

I didn't like having the switch down in pos1 with the CSM. Later found out I could simply reverse the gyro channel and the signal for gain was reversed.

Then I could get my CSM gyro to work in HH mode with switch in pos0

So if you did the same on a DX8, the +ve values would become rate mode and -ve HH mode. All depends on where you want you default switch position to be - up/down or back/forward, depending on what TX/switch it is assigned to.

[jperkosk]

My Belt CP had briefly AR600 on it just before I returned it to stock Rx to sell it. You can try my DX8 setup for it if you wish, just be careful about my preferences for D/R switch allocation. I don't remember if this setup preserves default idle-up switch allocation, I think it does but I can't verify it as I'm separated from my DX8 by about 9000km at the moment...

Edit: yes Andy, we have a new technology now that allows posting and copying the Tx setup, and no, it hasn't been universally adopted yet, it could be because of the influence of all these old PLC guys or a simple fact that it's still not waterproof (sorry, couldn't help myself )

[sutty]

Yeah, yeah, whatever Jerry, I can take it. If I couldn't I would enter into some long defence of my situation, and how it occured. I mean it isn't like it isn't easily done. Spektrum guy said it happens all the time. And, I only did it twice, and the second time it barely got damp, just a bit of morning dew. Sure the battery was toast, since it was a lipo, but the radio was fine. See, I feel no need for justification.

As for transfering by some sort of file. How will he get his pcmcia memory card into the DX8?

I'm not that retro really, I just got one of those new fangled wireless telephony devices, what do they call them cellophane telephone? People can call me now when I'm outside. Anyway, I just got called a genious for my explanation of the set-up, and I for one believe him. Who needs a poxy file!

Only kidding as you know, I deserve it all, tee hee.

Cheers

Sutty

[jperkosk]

Now I think we could still come up with commercial interface from PCMCIA to DX8's SD card slot, but when I was taking my first computer classes at Warsaw Polytechnic this was the non-volatile storage standard of the time:



Now how the heck would I hook THAT up to DX8???

[stevec]

do they do a connector cable for my phone for that cool hard drive?


state of the ark.

/Steve

[ChopperNoob]

You guys had me laughing with this!
Back to topic, Im yet to try flying the belt yet but I'm hoping to get a bit of flight time in at weekend weather provided. I also need to tidy all the wiring up and go through the head set up which I'll do Friday. I'm hoping I'll have a lot more stable heli at the end of all this too.
Would fitting an align gp580 (I think it's this one) make much of a difference without putting a better tail servo on? If its not worth the bother I won't as I'm currently building a trex 450 v2 clone. I have managed to pick up some great components for this new project for great prices by shopping around and haggling, including a spartan quark gyro in the gold case for £60. It's used and I had to wait for it to be shipped from America but its immaculate and came with everything including the box and mounting plates and pads. It's a beautiful little thing. Can't wait to try it out with a quality tail servo.

[jperkosk]

You're good to keep going with a stock gyro in HH mode if there is no or very light wind. If there is any serious gust from the hindquarters stock gyro will break the HH lock and jam up in the extreme, happened to me a few times on both Belts. This leads to out-of-control spin and typically at least minor damage on landing.

[stevec]

remember nose into wind until you are happy.

no point in making things harder for yourself.
another thing to note is for me when I swapped out to DX8 the throttle channel was reversed so it just sat there beeping at me. simply reverse in the tx if that is the case but bear it in mind.

double check everything is moving in the right direction especially the tail and the gyro.

/Steve

[ChopperNoob]

I think I'll probably stick with the stock gyro then, I'm still learning so it's probably overkill to put anything better on it. To be honest the tail seemed to hold quite well for what I'm capable of so until I get better I shall keep it the same. Can't wait to try her with the dx8 though, hopefully tomorrow/Saturday if I haven't frozen to death at work tonite lol