Cypher 3D - Love this Heli!

[blvdbuzzard]

James, check the bottom of the main shaft. It may have some rough spots in it They will catch the on way bearing and not let go. Also, when you lubed the one way bearing, did you use a lite weight oil? Grease will not let it work.

Speaking of the belt, look for missing teeth, build up of dirt, stretched parts, also check the teeth on the drive gear and the tail shaft. If they have any build up, it will change the tension of the belt as they spin. I had that on a nitro helicopter. Drove me crazy for almost a month.

Check for any binding of the push rod, ball links and make sure that the tail shaft is oiled. Check to see if the tail blades have even tension on them.

What is the gear mesh from the motor to the main gear like? If it is to tight it can cause binding.

Dru.

[Vechlor]

irjamesm,

Does the motor spin when you turn the rotor head clock wise? If so, something is catching on the main gear, maybe the main belt gear or auto rotation sleeve inside the auto rotation bearing.

As for belt tension, test it by holding the tail and rotating the head, it should feel snug while almost wanting to slip. Another way would be to push on the belt at the mid point between the main belt gear and two tail pulleys above the main gear, it should flex about 2-3mm.
Also, the belt will shrink and expand depending on the weather. If it was tight in warm weather, in cold weather it will be much tighter and can put more wear on the motor, esc and batts.

[irjamesm]

It had just started doing it a week or so ago, after it spools down, i turn the blades and i can feel it still wanting to turn the motor, then it stops and spins freely.
How long do the belts last? I know it depends on many factors, but it;s the orignal one, little over a year old. On the inside, with the grooves, its looking a little "fuzzy"

I did put grease on the one way, then last night when i took it apart to check, i used oil.

[Vechlor]

I still have my original belt from Nov '08. Look for rounding of the teeth, deterioration of the rubber, splintering on the edges etc. It never hurts to replace the belt after a couple dozen flights. Maintenance and regular checkups FTW!

I'm putting together another heli for my bro, he finally decided to bite the bullet. Here's some pics with the same changes I made to mine. I've mounted the esc on the side with the heat shrink removed for better cooling. Added 2x10mm screws and nut on the mixer arm (the original 2x6 screws would spin in place..) and doubled up some double side tape to mount a piece of foam for the batt tray. I'm using a bigger strap with a plastic buckle to keep the batt from sliding out. No more yanking on velcro to get my batts out!

[kevinbattista]

Just wanted to say Thanks again for all the info.
but .. i still have a question= i'm not really sure what to do, i have the Blade cpp2, got a good hover today in my kitchen.. *till i hit the table i'm not sure if i want to sell it or not.. i could use the $ for a better heli .. and i'm still not sure what heli i want= Trex or cypher.. what i DO know is i NEED a new tx.. do they all work together? I kinda want one that will/would work with ALL the helis since i dont know what one i want, also would like to still be able to "buddy" with Mike's (trainer) i think he has a futaba... AND need it to work with Phoenix..
so do you guys have any opinions on what i should do or where i should look?
oh one more thing.. are parts interchangable? like servos gyro's , main blades , thing's that i'll break.. cuz my local hobby shops only carry E~Flight and Trex stuff. I dont like waiting for parts (* have to wait 2 weeks for a tail boom ) GGGRRRR.
Thanx again

[blvdbuzzard]

To buddy box, you will have to get a Futaba Tx. You will find once you start to fly, you will out grow the buddy box real fast, so I would not use that s a basis for buying a Tx.

I like Airtroincs, so I am biased about that. Futaba makes good stuff. I do like the Airtronics stuff better. This is what I am flying.

http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/751700.asp

If you watch them, it goes on sale for $140.00

Servo are not brand specific any more so you can use them in almost any helicopter. Same with the Gyros. They will work with every radio out there.

A lot of parts will work with what ever helicopter you get. A Trex 450 uses the same main and tail blades as the Cypher, EXI, and a lot more. The servo should be able to be moved to the same sized helicopter as well as the batteries and gyro.

The parts like gears, shafts, guides will be for the make and model of helicopter.


Dru.

[blvdbuzzard]

Vechlor, how do you have the antennas routed? It looks like you have one pointed forward and the other pointed backwards? For best performance, they need to be 90 degrees to each other.

I would hate to have that bring it down.

Dru.

[irjamesm]

Im gonna give my cypher a fly to see if the wag is gone and auto spin is working again (not that i can do or have tried an auto rotation)

Be back in about 8 min

Well i lowered the gain to about 20 seems alot better, but the auto still is doing its thing, i wonder if the motor is easier to turn, maybe getting worn out??dint do it after 15 sec but after about a min it did??

[maddog57]

James, I had the OWB on one of my Cyphers do the hang-up thing once. Took a while to find that the sleeve that goes into the brg. was cracked on one side, thru one of the bolt holes and the edge of the crack was causing it to catch the rollers in the brg. and hang up. Something to look for. It's hard to see a crack in the sleeve so take a hard look at it.

Chris

[irjamesm]

Yea i guess ill take it apart again, it doesnt affect amything, just kinda bugging me,
I have been flying mostly in normal mode, but Dru was right, its kinda windy here, and in idle up, it is so much easier to control...what was i thinking

[Vechlor]

I know someone who started with a Blade CPP with training gear for a year or two, practicing on and off. He didn't own a sim to practice on, but the blade cpp is very durable even from hard crashes, which is a good way to learn in the real world... until you try 3D .
Long story short, he bought a Cypher 3d heli last year. After it was put together and trimmed out, I handed over the controls and he hovered it pretty well for a few minutes then landed it softly. I was like WOOT!

As for Cypher parts, I get them in 2-3 days from HP. I also buy bulk parts from hobbyking.com located in Hong Kong, a 2 week wait or 3-6 day wait for $18~ shipping (I think they are changing this so it's cheaper, also helps to split the cost with someone else who needs parts). It's a good place to save money if you need to buy in bulk, batt plugs, lipos, tools, tape, foam, wires etc.

Here's a few other places to save money:
xheli.com (trex clone kits and parts, tools, chargers, blades etc.)
helidirect.com
amainhobbies.com

For servos, gyro, blades, Rx, you can use just about anything you want in the cypher, as long as the specs fit. Most main blades 315-325mm will work, a few Airtronics/HiTec micro servos will fit that I've looked at. It really depends on how much you want to spend, like digital vs analog servos if you want to be the enthusiast or budget minded. Personally it doesn't matter until after you get into 3D, then you might want that extra edge.

To buddy box with your trainer, you might have to get a Futaba system, one that is compatible with his radio and the simulator (see FAQ). Also, Futaba 2.4ghz systems only work with Futaba receivers, Airtronics Tx & Rx, Spektrum / JR? Tx & Rx etc. You can however mix most brand servos or gyros you want with these systems.

For more step by step info about R/C helis, check out www.rchelicopterfun.com. Now get going!

[maddog57]

James...another thing... have you lubed the oneway? I use a light weight oil designed for high speed pump brgs. Two drops, then I insert the sleeve and spin it a bunch of times. Also oil the main shaft thru the swash and the two phasing pins that go thru the mixer block. Oh yeah, don't forget the motor brgs., main shaft brgs. and the tail shaft and tail shaft brgs.

Chris

[irjamesm]

Originally Posted by maddog57

Another thing... have you lubed the oneway? I use a light weight oil designed for high speed pump brgs. Two drops, then I insert the sleeve and spin it a bunch of times. Also oil the main shaft thru the swash and the two phasing pins that go thru the mixer block. Oh yeah, don't forget the motor brgs., main shaft brgs. and the tail shaft and tail shaft brgs.

Chris

Yea ive kept things oiled pretty good, guess it could be better. Motor bearings????

[maddog57]

Yeah, just a very small drop on each. The bottom one is a little tough to get at as it's kinda up inside the motors end bell. My oil bottle has a long, skinny tube in the nozzle that allows me to get to that brg.

Chris

[Vechlor]

Already there's 4 posts before I get mine out...

Originally Posted by blvdbuzzard

Vechlor, how do you have the antennas routed? It looks like you have one pointed forward and the other pointed backwards? For best performance, they need to be 90 degrees to each other.

I would hate to have that bring it down.

Dru.

I used the antenna tube that came with the cypher, mounted on top of the frames pointing in opposite directions. You're right, for best performance they should be 90 degrees, but with a 400 size heli, I don't fly that far out. I haven't notice any problems at all, range checks are fine in both side and front facing directions from about 100 feet away in low power mode. I could heat one end of the tube and curve it 90 degrees facing down, just might do that...

[blvdbuzzard]

James, have you cleaned the one way? If you have over tightened the Jesus bolt, it can distort the one way bearing and cause it to bind. Take the main gear out, try a loose main shaft and see if it locks then unlocks.

Also, when flying in the wind, you NEED idle up. I was in normal mode, got a long gust at the ridge of my runway, ballooned up and I start dropping throttle, I almost stalled the blade before it started to come down. I then slammed the throttle to keep it from falling out of the sky like a rock.

Dru.

[irjamesm]

Originally Posted by blvdbuzzard

James, have you cleaned the one way? If you have over tightened the Jesus bolt, it can distort the one way bearing and cause it to bind. Take the main gear out, try a loose main shaft and see if it locks then unlocks.

Also, when flying in the wind, you NEED idle up. I was in normal mode, got a long gust at the ridge of my runway, ballooned up and I start dropping throttle, I almost stalled the blade before it started to come down. I then slammed the throttle to keep it from falling out of the sky like a rock.

Dru.

It was a new one i just put in, and the sleeve was a new one also, spins fine when it was out...
Yea i was just flying and its kinda windy cause of this rain we were suppose to have today. and a gust came along and threw it towards the ground.
I said im going to try idle up, and man what a difference

[kevinbattista]

Originally Posted by Vechlor

I know someone who started with a Blade CPP with training gear for a year or two, practicing on and off. He didn't own a sim to practice on, but the blade cpp is very durable even from hard crashes, which is a good way to learn in the real world... until you try 3D .
Long story short, he bought a Cypher 3d heli last year. After it was put together and trimmed out, I handed over the controls and he hovered it pretty well for a few minutes then landed it softly. I was like WOOT!

As for Cypher parts, I get them in 2-3 days from HP. I also buy bulk parts from hobbyking.com located in Hong Kong, a 2 week wait or 3-6 day wait for $18~ shipping (I think they are changing this so it's cheaper, also helps to split the cost with someone else who needs parts). It's a good place to save money if you need to buy in bulk, batt plugs, lipos, tools, tape, foam, wires etc.

Here's a few other places to save money:
xheli.com (trex clone kits and parts, tools, chargers, blades etc.)
helidirect.com
amainhobbies.com

For servos, gyro, blades, Rx, you can use just about anything you want in the cypher, as long as the specs fit. Most main blades 315-325mm will work, a few Airtronics/HiTec micro servos will fit that I've looked at. It really depends on how much you want to spend, like digital vs analog servos if you want to be the enthusiast or budget minded. Personally it doesn't matter until after you get into 3D, then you might want that extra edge.

To buddy box with your trainer, you might have to get a Futaba system, one that is compatible with his radio and the simulator (see FAQ). Also, Futaba 2.4ghz systems only work with Futaba receivers, Airtronics Tx & Rx, Spektrum / JR? Tx & Rx etc. You can however mix most brand servos or gyros you want with these systems.

For more step by step info about R/C helis, check out www.rchelicopterfun.com. Now get going!

Thanx rchelicopterfun.com is what got me realy started in this hobby ! i saw it and went out the next day and bought my Blade cpp2
ok.. last question cuz i'm on the edge of TREX and CYPHER whats the REAL difference OTHER then $150 ?? same gyros and servos can fit both, futaba Tx&Rx fit both ( i hear SPEKTRUM has "binding issues") .. now i know you said blades should fit but what about other parts... like swash and blade grips.? ..any 450 size fits or is HP parts only for HP Helis, E~Flight for Blade and Align for TREX?? please remember i'm very new and stupid oh does the CYPHER come with a parts list? so when i break stuff i know what to order?
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR WISDOME and PATIENCE


OH, Dru, i checked out that link to the Tx... 8ch? what do I NEED 8 for? the one i have now( HP6DSM) has 6 and i only use 5 ? i only plan on ONE Heli.. (i may keep my Blade cpp2, but i have a Tx for that) so should i be looking for a cheaper 6 ch, do they make a cheaper 6? the price of the 8 is pretty unbeatable huh? ...i still need to research Futaba better also..
Thanx Again,
"it's takin longer to buy than fly"

[blvdbuzzard]

With the Tx, you can mix different channels with other channels. that is the benefit of the 8 channels. Plus the Airtronics RDS8000, costs less then other 6 channel radios. The Tx will be with you for many years so spend some time and research all of them and get the most you can get, with in a reasonable budget. No reason for you to get a 24 channel $5,000.00 Tx.

parts such as swash plates, blade grips, feathering shafts, fly bars for the most part are for the make and model of helicopter. So the TREX swash, as I understand it, will not fit the Cypher and the swash for the Cypher will not fit the TREX. All of the electronics, Rx, servos, gyros, batteries, ESC's can be used in other helicopters.

Yes there is a manual in the box with the cypher and you can also see it online at hobbypeople.net.

Kevin, it should take you longer to research the helicopter then put it together. I spent a long time learning about the Cypher. All I ever heard at the store and field was bad. Jumped online and read some reviews and they loved it. I am not one to just run with the heard, so I started flying the Cypher and have loved every minute.

Vechlor, just checking. I did not think it would be a problem, just thought I would say something. I have heard that the park flyer Rx still has 2000 plus feet of range.

Dru.

[kevinbattista]

i've been doin my home work , whats up with the esc and motor running hot? anyone had a problem with this? is it some thing that is common and ez to fix?