Where are your pots?

[ToddMcF2002]

Can't say I'm happy with how my v120 is flying. It drifts, flips are anemic and the tail is bit crazy. Before I go changing the pots again I wanted to see where other people are at?

Mine:

[SkyKraken]

Sounds more like you need to tweak radio settings and not the pots.

The pots control the ext or end points, which should be fine factory assuming the factory servos and arms.

And the gyro gain aileron/Ele which would be for wobble.

If you aren't getting crisp 3d, go to your radio not the pots.

If you have a "crazy" tail, I'd assume you have the Tx Gains wrong or you have messed up the end points on the tail.

Assuming the 6 axis isn't messing up the 3d, which it should make smoother but not lethargic, err umm anemic. T

The 6 axis might require certain settings to be within a range for best results.

I have never had to mess with my pots from the factory, just saying.

[ChitownMatt]

I adjust my pots quite a bit on both my V1 and V2. I am always trying to find the perfect balance between tipsy and stable. The DR/Expo and travel all come into play in the formula as well.
Somewhere between 9-12 o'clock is the right spot, I guess 10:30 is the right place to start.
But as Skykracken said, the gyro on the Rx is Ele/alieron only. The tail is controlled by the TX's tail gyro setting, start at 75%.

It sound like you need to turn the RX gyro down and the TX gyro up.

[ToddMcF2002]

I love this little guy but I think I'm just going to sell it. I've got a few 130's and 180's so this is just sitting in the case. Everything in the TX is on defaults.

[ChitownMatt]

If you already have 2 130s and a 180cfx, it's sound like you already have the bases covered for the "park flyer".

I am going to fly Walkis till they die a and then get a 180cfx.

[ToddMcF2002]

Originally Posted by ChitownMatt

I adjust my pots quite a bit on both my V1 and V2. I am always trying to find the perfect balance between tipsy and stable. The DR/Expo and travel all come into play in the formula as well.
Somewhere between 9-12 o'clock is the right spot, I guess 10:30 is the right place to start.
But as Skykracken said, the gyro on the Rx is Ele/alieron only. The tail is controlled by the TX's tail gyro setting, start at 75%.

It sound like you need to turn the RX gyro down and the TX gyro up.

I'll try it. Not getting any bites on selling it so I might as well mess with it.

[SkyKraken]

When my 120s don't handle perfectly it is usually due to inconsistencies in the trim of the swash plate.

Because of the small size of the disk any out of trim exacerbates the issue of stability.

Unfortunately Walkera allows for adjust-ability in the upper links, (the links from grips to swash), which makes it harder to get the helicopter dialed in. The idea is/was to allow adjustment of tracking, yet if those two links aren't exactly the same length, nothing done during leveling and trimming is worth a damn. And if you haven't got a level and trimmed swash, you can't adjust tracking.
Basically, if these links aren't dead nuts equal, you are a bit screwed before you even get started when dialing in the cyck.

Assuring the feathering shaft, and main shaft are not bent.
And the upper links are exactly the same length (I'd prefer molded plastic links here, sniff).
Ninety the arms, level the swash and then painstakingly trim the swash.

done and I never had to touched a pot, except to pi..... never mind.


If the 120 isn't damn near hands free, check that it doesn't have vibrations in IU, the cheezy transmission can wreck the ride if its buzzing.

And if the heli is not twisting fast enough on the sticks, adjust the radio to quicken the commands, the servos will keep up, hell its a 120, flipping and rolling doesn't take much.

[ToddMcF2002]

Thanks for the advise Sky. I'll see what I can do with the swash. I pulled the listing and auction and I think I'd like to try the GY280RX with my DX9. The English manual is hilarious but I think I get the bind procedure.

I'm guessing I have to do the following:

1. Connect the FBL to my pc and link to VStabi and change the RX type to "normal".
2. Plug in the ESC, wait for 12 slow blinks, recycle the lipo connection to get in bind mode
3. Bind
4. Fly

Sound right?

[SkyKraken]

Binding the gy is easy enough. (normal is the correct type in v-bar)

leave your radio off.
add power to the gy for a second unplug.
add power to the gy and the red light flashes really fast, its in bind mode.
do the radio/bind button trick, red light responds.. done.

anytime you are plugging in the gy, if the red light flashes fast its in bind mode.
Usually because of the power cycle on the gy and it hadn't seen radio prior.

solid red = normal bound
slow red = normal bound after the gy had a bind and lost it. (between batteries if you change them fast)
fast red = bind.

I think the gy completely resets after 10sec of no power.
it also doesn't effect the gy if you connect with a slow flashy red and fly. (not talking bind mode, after in normal connect and fly stuff)

Blue, not touchy until its solid then fly away.

hope that helps..
somewhere in the 130 forum, i wrote a big thing on the flashy lights on the gy, because i had a gy RX part die..

[ToddMcF2002]

Excellent. Was that a bind to Spektrum in your case? Did you need to set the sat/rx type in VStabi? Any gains adjustment necessary?

[SkyKraken]

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002

Excellent. Was that a bind to Spektrum in your case? Did you need to set the sat/rx type in VStabi? Any gains adjustment necessary?

I don't want to spoil it for ya.
Going with a 2S GY voodoo, the build is the best part. Learning and discovery.

[ToddMcF2002]

LOL thanks. I'm going to assume less than the 250 gain numbers at 40. 30's? But yeah don't ruin the suspense. Are you saying you are in the midst of a 2S build on a V120? I'm wondering if these bearings can take the higher headspeeds...

[ToddMcF2002]

Install was painless. DX9 binding was strait forward. Had to select "separate channels (stardard RX hookup)" before it would connect to VStabi but That was the only drama.

Gains had to be in the low 30's to get the shakes out. Make sense if 40 is meant for a 250. It was unnerving to have to set my DX9 Gyro at -60 to get a gain reading of 30 but it works.

Raining out so I could only do basic upright stuff in the living room but everything feels real good. Feels more like my 130's now which is a great thing. Cyclic is snappy, tail has authority. Its clearly better than the stock Walkera 6-axis FBL. And to be able to fly this little guy with my DX9 - priceless.

[SkyKraken]

Looks good.

Just a thought, I notice the factory 1S motor in that pic are you are flying that 1S or is that what you are running 2s on?

I only ask because I don't see the boost circuit and without that booster, you will brown out the gy on 1S and crash once the voltage drops below 4.

I am not sure if the factory motor can handle 2S, I never thought to try. Nor do I know if the factory ESC will handle 2S or do the work of a BEC.

Ignore me if you have already worked all that out. I thought I'd throw in $.02 if it can save you from a crash.

[ToddMcF2002]

Thanks for the heads up. No boost circuit provided but I saw a reference to it on the ebay ad. What is it and how can I source it? Is it a voltage step up?

EDIT 1:
Looks like working voltage is 4-6.5v. So a 5v step up on the red/black wire off the ESC should work no?

EDIT 2:
OK I bought the Pololu unit. .4 grams. I'll wire it on the throttle cable off the ESC which provides power. Simple!
https://www.pololu.com/product/2115

[SkyKraken]

Great solution, I'd say.