Hitech HG-5000 Gyro Setup / Review

[towertsk]

Originally Posted by Finless

Rate mode is not a HH mode... Thus you get some drift in rate mode. You set up rate mode as best you can but expect some drift especially if there is wind!

Bob

Bob, first off thanks for the awesome vids!

Let me try to explain this again. The bird starts to drift before I get it off the ground. If I continue to let it drift it will start spinning madly. When I try to stop the spin (with opposite rudder) the bird will spin in the opposite direction madly. Again this is before the bird gets off the ground.

The head does turn in the correct direction of rudder input on my DX7. Do I need to reverse my gyro and or rudder channel? Thanks

[Finless]

You need to reverse your gyro direction in the gyro (do not reverse the rudder channel). Your gyro is trying to compensate for movement in the wrong direction!

Bob

[towertsk]

Originally Posted by Finless

You need to reverse your gyro direction in the gyro (do not reverse the rudder channel). Your gyro is trying to compensate for movement in the wrong direction!

Bob

My only concern if I reverse it, wont the head now turn left when I give right rudder and vise-versa? In any case I'll give it a try.

[j bomb]

To elaborate on what Bob was saying...Reversing the gyro itself will only change how it compensates for tail movement. It will still respond to stick input the same, you have to reverse the rudder channel to change that.

[towertsk]

Originally Posted by Finless

You need to reverse your gyro direction in the gyro (do not reverse the rudder channel). Your gyro is trying to compensate for movement in the wrong direction!

Bob

Bob,
You are the man!!! Switch the direction and I got the tail solid in rate mode. Switched to TL mode and it's solid. I still need to test some collective pumps, but it's working great so far. Thanks again.

[towertsk]

Originally Posted by j bomb

To elaborate on what Bob was saying...Reversing the gyro itself will only change how it compensates for tail movement. It will still respond to stick input the same, you have to reverse the rudder channel to change that.

Thanks for clarifying that! I'm a noon to this hobby and was under the impression the reverse would reverse the pitch direction. I learn something everyday.

[Bob O]

Originally Posted by towertsk

My only concern if I reverse it, wont the head now turn left when I give right rudder and vise-versa? In any case I'll give it a try.

I realize that you've already got the problem resolved. But normally the advice/answers Finless gives can be taken straight to the bank......just for future reference. In other words, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do what he suggests.

[towertsk]

Originally Posted by Bob O

I realize that you've already got the problem resolved. But normally the advice/answers Finless gives can be taken straight to the bank......just for future reference. In other words, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to do what he suggests.

Yeah, I never doubted him. I was just trying to understand how the gyro works. It better to understand how things work, then to just do what others say.

[zackesch]

I just ordered the 2100T and servo combo, and i still have my training wheels on. What should i set the piro rate at to make it new guy friendly? It will be going on a blade 400.

Im sorry, not piro, but rotate rate.

[RMG2]

Originally Posted by zackesch

I just ordered the 2100T and servo combo, and i still have my training wheels on. What should i set the piro rate at to make it new guy friendly? It will be going on a blade 400.

Im sorry, not piro, but rotate rate.

I would set the rotate rate full on and then use your Expo to get the feel you like with the rudder. Especially since the rotate rate is not super fast with this gyro anyway.

That's the way I have my 5000/5083 setup and it has worked well for me during my first year in this hobby.

[SixtyDriver]

I'm running the Logitech 2100T with an Align DS610 on my TREX 500. It seems from what folks are saying here that they are running the gain at around 80-85? Between 45-50 (in HH) is the highest I can get without the tail starting to wag a wee bit. When I punch the collective (positive) the nose swings right 10 degrees and then settles back to where it should be. When I pump the collective, I still get the nose right swing, but little if any nose left when I go negative with collective. When I do stationary nose over tail flips, the nose hunts to the right that 10 degrees but doesn't return so with no rudder correction the nose will keep yawing right 10 degrees with each successive flip. The gyro is great in FFF and hover work.

I am wondering if due to the 12T pinion if my tail just isn't spinning fast enough for the gyro to hold during punchouts?

Do I need to start fiddling with the piro speed on the gyro?

Is the DS610 inappropriate for this application?

Any comments or input appreciated.

[Finless]

Originally Posted by SixtyDriver

I am wondering if due to the 12T pinion if my tail just isn't spinning fast enough for the gyro to hold during punchouts?

That is a factor that can cause exactly what your seeing with any gyro. If your head speed is way down and then you punch out, that can produce much more torque than a heli with a higher head speed. If the torque is too much the gyro moves the slider all the way over to TRY and hold the tail but physically cant compensate for the torque.
12T pinion should work but you don't say what your throttle curves are or what your max pitch is. When running a lower head speed your max pitch should be lower too so you cant put more pitch into the heli than the motor can deliver or the tail can compensate for in torque.

Bob

[SixtyDriver]

Much appreciated Bob! I'm running a linear throttle at 90 in mode 1 and 100 in mode 2. My pitch is +/- 13. I'm running the stock align motor and ESC, if I change to a 13t pinion should I change my max pitch and or throtlle curve? Thanks again for your response!

[Finless]

You mean your running a flat 90 and flat 100 right?
13 pitch is a lot if your using all of it to punch out. With higher pitch like that it is used by the pro's to do those quick pitch pumps and stuff. They are never on 13 for long and it's all about collective management when running that high. I would go to a 13T yes and make sure you have strong batteries for 13 pitch. In my flight test video you see me punch out hard. I was probably hitting 12 pitch but you see that the head doesn't bog hard and I don't get a bad kick (I do get a little one). Thats the batteries. If your head speed drops bad in punch outs, it could be batteries, etc or just too much pitch. You might also try reducing pitch to 12 or 11 and see. To do that don't mess with the pitch curves, you drop the pitch percent in the swash menu.

Bob

[SixtyDriver]

Yes I'm running a flat 90 and flat 100 throttle curve. I'm using 2, 3S 25C Fussion packs (always balanced and they stay matched), I believe they should be fine with the 13T, they are hardly warmer than ambient temps here when I finish flying and I don't exceed 5 minutes of sport flying per flight. I'll drop my pitch down to +/-12 and see if that with the 13T pinion doesn't improve tail hold. Thanks again!!

[SixtyDriver]

As a follow up I changed my pinion to 13T and reduced collective to +/-12 and have had no luck. Moderate collective input from a hover still results in a 10-15 degree right yaw that corrects itself with reduction of collective. I've lowered gain to the point where this goes away but then get the left yaw and just can't seem to find the sweet spot. At this point I'm thinking this gyro is too fiddly for me or not ideal for the 500.

[RMG2]

Originally Posted by SixtyDriver

As a follow up I changed my pinion to 13T and reduced collective to +/-12 and have had no luck. Moderate collective input from a hover still results in a 10-15 degree right yaw that corrects itself with reduction of collective. I've lowered gain to the point where this goes away but then get the left yaw and just can't seem to find the sweet spot. At this point I'm thinking this gyro is too fiddly for me or not ideal for the 500.

Sixty, I didn't see where you ever wrote that you set the gyro mechanically to hold steady yaw in Rate Mode initially??? This gyro will hold well in HH with a small amount of error in Rate Mode hold but will not compensate for a large amount of improper mechanical (Rate Mode) setup.

You MUST setup THIS (not a 401, Spartan, etc) gyro to hold perfectly, or darn close in Rate Mode with mechanical adjustment before you can expect it to hold really well in HH.

So yes, it is a little bit "fiddly" to get the exact "sweet spot" mechanically in Rate Mode but it is achievabale. It helps to find a place you can take measuement from with a caliper. I use the gap between the tail box and center hub. Some make a mark where the pushrod passes through a support along the length of the tail boom.

In my adjustment (fiddle) experience with this gyro I have found that a mechanical change as small as .005"-.010" can make the diffeerence between a minor yaw and a perfect hold in Rate Mode. Really, no B.S.

I fly very high gain settings in both Rate & HH with this gyro.

I'm just a relative beginner flying just the basic aerobatics (loops, rolls, flips, stalls, etc) but this gyro works perfectly for me. It never drifts, bounces, wags, or blows out in tail slides etc. I never have to readjust anything on it month after month of use!

[SixtyDriver]

I appreciate the info RMG2!!! You know I set this up very carefully, and I used a set of Starrett digital calipers to get the tail rotor hub as perfectly centered as I could, and made sure my servo arm was at a perfect 90 from the servo case. Your post did prompt me to recheck for center and I think and hope I found my self induced problem. My ball link connectors were twisted on the balls enough to bind against the servo arm, and the bellcrank on the tail rotor gearbox. I made sure they were centered properly BEFORE I actually finallized my tail servo position and locked the mounts down. I guess I was too hung up on getting the pushrod guides aligned perfectly. Too late for a test flight now, I'll report back with the results as soon as the weather here in sunny Michigan cooperates. I'm actually shocked that the tail was working as good as it was considering the friction the servo had to overcome. Thanks for the help!!!

[beerdeor]

Has anybody had any drifting issues with this gyro combo
I have and am stumped where to start any ideas chaps
Many thanks jim

[alanu]

SixtyDriver:

Could you clarify: do your tail blades have any pitch when the heli is on the bench and the gyro is switched to rate mode? They should have if your rate-mode mechanical set-up is correct.