Review - FMA's new Co-Pilot II

[bopshi]

night flyer I too live on long island Love to see copilot 2 in action . where do u fly? Dave Mann Bopshi@optonline.net

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by bopshi

night flyer I too live on long island Love to see copilot 2 in action . where do u fly? Dave Mann Bopshi@optonline.net

Due to working 7 days a week ...on those rare occasions I get up REALLY early on the weekends I run over to the empty mall parking lot cause it's only a block away

[neavissa]

Quick question:

I am about to hook up the co-pilot II to my trex450 and it says in the manual that once I setup my gyro, I can use that channel to hook up the cpII in order to turn it off remotely?! Since I am a noob, I'd like to make sure that that's what it is?!

thanks,
G

p.s. I have a 6 channel FASST receiver! Do I even need to unplug the Gyro???

[nightflyr]

First thing is to remove the sense line (single wire) from the Rx and install it into SVO4 of the CPII.

Second thing go into your Tx and set the end point that you were using for gyro gain back to +/- 100%

Third....
when you do the quick setup you will input a gain value (28 - 37%) for your gyro that will be a fixed number for the gyro

Your on off lead out of the CPII will now be plugged into the Rx where you had the gyro gain lead.

[neavissa]

First thing is to remove the sense line (single wire) from the Rx and install it into SVO4 of the CPII.

Got it!

Second thing go into your Tx and set the end point that you were using for gyro gain back to +/- 100%

Not getting it?! I am not sure about the "end points". I only messed with the gain and no end points, unless its the same? :o

Third....
when you do the quick setup you will input a gain value (28 - 37%) for your gyro that will be a fixed number for the gyro

somewhat getting it. It looks like i am setting the gain to 100% on the radio and then set the gain again with the cpII?

Your on off lead out of the CPII will now be plugged into the Rx where you had the gyro gain lead.

Got it...

now is all of that because i only have 6 channels. to be honest, i have to sit down and look at everything again...just looked at it and got confused...:o
one more thing: when it says on the control unit svo1,svo2 and so on, does that mean whatever was channel 1 of my receiver has to go now into svo1??? i know its a silly question...

thanks,
G

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by neavissa

Got it!

Not getting it?! I am not sure about the "end points". I only messed with the gain and no end points, unless its the same? :o

somewhat getting it. It looks like i am setting the gain to 100% on the radio and then set the gain again with the cpII?

Got it...

now is all of that because i only have 6 channels. to be honest, i have to sit down and look at everything again...just looked at it and got confused...:o
one more thing: when it says on the control unit svo1,svo2 and so on, does that mean whatever was channel 1 of my receiver has to go now into svo1??? i know its a silly question...

thanks,
G

ok what Tx are you using? My luck it will be a DX6i

[Locitur]

Originally Posted by neavissa

Quick question:

I am about to hook up the co-pilot II to my trex450 and it says in the manual that once I setup my gyro, I can use that channel to hook up the cpII in order to turn it off remotely?! Since I am a noob, I'd like to make sure that that's what it is?!

thanks,
G

p.s. I have a 6 channel FASST receiver! Do I even need to unplug the Gyro???

I think he must have a Futaba Tx, since he refers to a FASST rx. Now it's all in your hands.

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by Locitur

I think he must have a Futaba Tx, since he refers to a FASST rx. Now it's all in your hands.

good catch..I missed that

[neavissa]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

ok what Tx are you using? My luck it will be a DX6i

Brand New 14MZ with a bubble under the screen and a broken handle!!! (somehow came off the neck-strap when i picked it up. Luckily it fell not to far and landed on carpet!)

[nightflyr]

Ok you'll need to go into the menus and turn off the gyro sense, then with the monitor feature see which switch is controlling that channel

[neavissa]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

Ok you'll need to go into the menus and turn off the gyro sense, then with the monitor feature see which switch is controlling that channel

I am not sure what you mean by turning the gyro sense off? do you mean switching it from heading hold to normal mode?
I have the gyro assigned to a dial right now, so i can adjust the gyro rate on the fly, the tail was drifting a bit...
I can assign any switch i want, to whatever function i want...

thanks,
G

p.s. sorry but the most obvious things to you make no sense to me! bare with me! :o

[nightflyr]

no worries, you need to inhibit the gyro sense,and decide if you want to use a 2 way switch or 3 way or if you prefer keep the slider

[neavissa]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

no worries, you need to inhibit the gyro sense,and decide if you want to use a 2 way switch or 3 way or if you prefer keep the slider

i would like to put it on a switch. if there is only on/off; a 2 way switch will be fine.

[nightflyr]

Unless you plan on inverted flight a 2 way will do fine

[neavissa]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

Unless you plan on inverted flight a 2 way will do fine

i'll take inverted! 3-way it is!

G

[nightflyr]

As you please...

you'll need to assign the channel to a 3 way switch in that case

[neavissa]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

As you please...

you'll need to assign the channel to a 3 way switch in that case

i am still not sure on how to hook it up correctly?! it seems like it doesn't matter what servo goes where on the RCV side, as long it matches the assignment on the RCV side?! Correct? I can see where the gyro is being plugged in but i am not sure on what to do with the gyro before i start using the cpII??? the whole end point/gain thing makes no sense to me...there is nothing in the manual about the gain of the gyro???

the way i would do it is, take my heli the way it is, plug the controller in between the receiver and servos and start programming it. it seems to also matter how many channels i have?! if i only have 6, they show you how to use the gyro channel to turn the cpII on and off. if you have 8 channels, it seems like you can leave everything the way it is and start hooking everything up and program the controller?!

thanks,
G

[nightflyr]

i am still not sure on how to hook it up correctly?! it seems like it doesn't matter what servo goes where on the RCV side, as long it matches the assignment on the RCV side?! Correct?....

It is a one to one plug in..which ever servo you disconnect from the Rx and plug into the CPII SVO 1, the RCV1 lead of the CPII get plugged back into that port of your Rx


I can see where the gyro is being plugged in but i am not sure on what to do with the gyro before i start using the cpII???

As far as the CPII you will set up the gyro gain through the programmer box as you go through the Quick Setup

the whole end point/gain thing makes no sense to me...there is nothing in the manual about the gain of the gyro???

The gain input to the gyro, once it is plugged into the CPII and setup in Quick Setup will be controlled by the CPII.
Your Tx will no longer be sending the gain signal to the gyro.

the way i would do it is, take my heli the way it is, plug the controller in between the receiver and servos and start programming it. it seems to also matter how many channels i have?! if i only have 6, they show you how to use the gyro channel to turn the cpII on and off. if you have 8 channels, it seems like you can leave everything the way it is and start hooking everything up and program the controller?!

Correct...the 4th channel Gyro option on the CPII is so that a 6 channel Rx can have the gyro gain channel freed up on the Rx in order to use the On/Off function of the CPII

[neavissa]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

i am still not sure on how to hook it up correctly?! it seems like it doesn't matter what servo goes where on the RCV side, as long it matches the assignment on the RCV side?! Correct?....

It is a one to one plug in..which ever servo you disconnect from the Rx and plug into the CPII SVO 1, the RCV1 lead of the CPII get plugged back into that port of your Rx


I can see where the gyro is being plugged in but i am not sure on what to do with the gyro before i start using the cpII???

As far as the CPII you will set up the gyro gain through the programmer box as you go through the Quick Setup

the whole end point/gain thing makes no sense to me...there is nothing in the manual about the gain of the gyro???

The gain input to the gyro, once it is plugged into the CPII and setup in Quick Setup will be controlled by the CPII.
Your Tx will no longer be sending the gain signal to the gyro.

the way i would do it is, take my heli the way it is, plug the controller in between the receiver and servos and start programming it. it seems to also matter how many channels i have?! if i only have 6, they show you how to use the gyro channel to turn the cpII on and off. if you have 8 channels, it seems like you can leave everything the way it is and start hooking everything up and program the controller?!

Correct...the 4th channel Gyro option on the CPII is so that a 6 channel Rx can have the gyro gain channel freed up on the Rx in order to use the On/Off function of the CPII

Thanks For the detailed reply!!! I tried to hook up my 8 channel receiver yesterday and it screwed up all my settings on the radio?!?!? no idea why? whatever, that's a different story...i hooked my 6 channel up again but want to go and fly one more time before i install the copilot II...i have one more question but i am gonna try to figure it out on my own...i keep you posted!

thanks again,
G

[nightflyr]

Can't understand how installing the CPII could change your Tx......
As to your question if you don't find the answer just post it