Align 3gx setup

[mmjl_]

What's up all!

I'm in the process of my first 3gx build. I just wanted to know about setting up the 3gx. I installed the program on my computer and I'm about to go through that process. Does this program basically do everything for me? Also, I installed the servos and I put the arms at 90, but they seem to be sitting in different spots after powering up. Will this all be corrected through the program setup? I'm just hoping that I don't have to pull all the servos back out AGAIN to reset the arms. I hope someone can explain this to me and I really hope flying is easier than building this thing. Haha

Just a note. I mounted the 3gx under the Heli. I read that I need to make a setting adjustment for that. Confirm?

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[Maxists The Baddist]

I'm trying the 3GX for the first time too. I bought it more then a month ago and when I have free time I do what I can. I might not be flying with it until summer.


So far for me setup goes like this: (1) Use the dir mode to do mechanical setup(to get servo arms at 90 degrees and set pitch and cyclic throws and get swashplate level). (2) is to set the gyro correction for cyclic and the swashplate travel.


That's as far as I have gotten. This really doesn't do any setup for you. It electronically adjusts how the helicopter flys rather then you having to do mechanical adjustments for your preferences.

[mmjl_]

Ok, thank you. Does the software explain that or do I have to refer to the horrible directions that came with the Heli?


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[Colorado_Scott]

I, too, am setting up the 3GX for the first time. Entering DIR mode allows you to set up the swash travel, calibrate the aileron and elevator, but I'm having a heck of a time trying to calibrate the rudder - and you don't do this in DIR mode. You push the set button again and toggle over to the Limit light, then push the rudder left to the limit of the rudder, then back to center, red light blinks, then to the right, back to center, red light blinks then the set button again.. and 'it's all done'.. but my rudder stick is so sensitive then within 1/4 stick, right or left, my rudder is at full throw - the programmed throw, which is good, but from 1/4 stick to full, there is not change in the ruder servo - it's at the limit of programmed throw.

On the software, I just played with this last night. I was hoping to set the rudder throw limits through this, but could not. I have not spent much time, but it does not seem you can set the servo limits and then 'write' the the 3GX. But this could be wrong.

Would like to hear if others have seen this issue.

Thanks

Scott

[Colorado_Scott]

Please review this Youtube video.. it shows, what I thought was an issue, but don't think so now. The Gyro is in HH mode, and working as it should. My concern here is the 3GX reset, shown in the first 10 seconds or so.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrhO8TnBPI0[/ame]


Scott

[bad007]

Originally Posted by mmjl_

Ok, thank you. Does the software explain that or do I have to refer to the horrible directions that came with the Heli?


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No the software doesn't teach you how to setup the helli, just the 3GX. You should have some understanding about basic setup procedures reguardless of what FBL system you have, none teach you how to set it up.
Look for setup vids.
With no servo horns on, enter dir setup, collective at mid stick, IU, TC and PC 50, then set the horns on as close to 90deg. as poss and then level with sub trim, level the swash with the rods and go from there setting the main blades to 0 deg.
NOTE: if you use TH make sure go set TH to 0, by default it's usually around -5

[bad007]

Originally Posted by Colorado_Scott

Please review this Youtube video.. it shows clearly (I hope) what my issue is.. which is, once programmed for the limits the rudder moves almost instantly to the limits with very little stick movement.

http://youtu.be/vjDu90Riatw

Thanks for reviewing, and any comments to correct are appreciated. I'm using V1.2 for the 3GX. Just got the Heli last week and the 3GX which came with the Heli.

Scott

Your tail should been have setup with the rudder gyro mode normal, red led while installing the servo horn at 90 and centering the slider and then perform setup.
NO, you set your right and left limits makeing sure the leds flash red at both and then hit the set button to continue to the delay setting. You don't go back to center again, it goes back all by itself. Yes the rudder will go full travel on the bench with little stick movement. If you think it's to sensitive lower the ridder limits a bit and add a small amount of expo till you get it up in the air and then set the ridder limits to suit your feel. The limits also determine how fast it piros

[Colorado_Scott]

I appreciate your time writing. I have all servo arms set up, the concern I have now, is that my rudder connection point on the servo arm is 13mm from the servo center. This easily overdrives the the mechanical limits in the tail section. I just double checked to make sure I have the ball link in the correct hole, and I do (on the servo). If I set up the ATV at 100%, I'll break something if I push the stick hard over. Using the LIMIT program, I stop before there is an mechanical issue in the tail, the do the same for the other direction. When calibrated, the servo / rudder stop before there is a mechanical issue - as programmed, but the other 1/2 stick rudder movement does nothing.. I have reduced the throw to 55% (or so) and now have full stick deflection for full tail movement. Others have shown me this is not correct - so I'll keep looking at it and try to find out what is wrong.. but it's working now as it is.

Scott

[bad007]

Originally Posted by Colorado_Scott

I appreciate your time writing. I have all servo arms set up, the concern I have now, is that my rudder connection point on the servo arm is 13mm from the servo center. This easily overdrives the the mechanical limits in the tail section. I just double checked to make sure I have the ball link in the correct hole, and I do (on the servo). If I set up the ATV at 100%, I'll break something if I push the stick hard over. Using the LIMIT program, I stop before there is an mechanical issue in the tail, the do the same for the other direction. When calibrated, the servo / rudder stop before there is a mechanical issue - as programmed, but the other 1/2 stick rudder movement does nothing.. I have reduced the throw to 55% (or so) and now have full stick deflection for full tail movement. Others have shown me this is not correct - so I'll keep looking at it and try to find out what is wrong.. but it's working now as it is.

Scott

Rudder servo limits are set threw the FBL unit and it learns how far to travel the slider. The TX limits determine how fast the tail reacts in flight and piro rate. When you hold the set button down and go threw rudder setup you set your limits just at the point where the slider is about ready to binde and stop, wait for the led to turn red indicating that point has been learned and the FBL unit will stop the travel at that point no matter how fast it travels with stick input. Don't let the travel on the bench bother you, in flight is what matters. Your in HH mode in your vid and that's how it works, with any input the slider will continue to ravel to it's learned limits. In normal mode / red led the slider will stay centered and travels with the stick instead if traveing to it's learned limits. Your TX setup for gyro determines how you gyro mode is switched, either with flight mode or manually switched. You should have the initial mechanical tail setup in normal mode (red led) that holds the slider centered.
I just built a velocity 50 and on the bench I thought for sure the tail slider was moving to fast and lowered the limits till it seemed to travel at a reasonable speed and ended up going back to 100 for limits and will go higher.

[Colorado_Scott]

I sent my 3GX to Assurance RC today (Align) per their request. They will test it and fly it. I referenced the above 'reset' - which has happened several times. We'll see how this goes.

Scott

[Zaneman007]

can anyone explain how to set up the governor?

[Colorado_Scott]

I found this interesting..

http://align-trex-parts.com/reviews/...ex-500-review/

This web says at the bottom: 2007-2011 Align-Trex-Parts.com | Powered by Align Trex

and the article states : "However there are a few reports of the TREX 500 Radio Controlled Helicopter crashing due to static build up and discharge"

I do not know when this was published or who wrote it..

[Colorado_Scott]

Just got my 3GX back from Align. No issues found. I will be setting up and testing with the 'static touch' with video running to see if there has been any change. I do not expect any change and for static to still reset the unit, but I'll know soon.

[Steemo]

I'm interested to see what's going on there Scott, I bet your dying to get her up in the air.

[Colorado_Scott]

I just saw a new video where the 3GX does a reset with static, every time, like mine. Then the chrome was removed and this stopped the reset under the same conditions. I am mounting my 3GX today and running the same test. If mine resets I'm removing the chrome also.

I have decided to remove some plating from the 3GX in an effort to eliminate static.. so far, several tests, it's doing fine.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4DEHNhVKPo[/ame]

[Colorado_Scott]

Just got the 500EFL off the ground - all working fine and tail seems stable - but only a few minutes of hovering due to weather conditions. Man it this thing powerful.. 3300 Sky Lipo, CG is very good with this pack. It seemed touchy to aileron / elevator (as compared to my flybar Blade 400), but perhaps too much Expo - I'll be reducing this a bit. Ran gyro gain at 72 and 35 - both seemed fine (DX8) but I was not in forward flight, but tail tracked well hovering. Hey, my heart is settling down a bit now.. need to go back out..

[Steemo]

good to hear you got her up.

I posted a few tips on taming the EFL in this thread I too found it to be twitchy at first but now she flies like a dream. And yes if you have a good 45c pack on the EFL she kicks hard when you pump the collective, not so much with 20c packs though

[Colorado_Scott]

Three months ago I was new to all this, now I'm just a confused new-bee.. but my heli is flying pretty good - still a bit of backward drift, but "OK".. I've replaced the swash with a much smoother one, cranked up the head speed with a throttle curve in Normal flight of 0/60/80/80/85 with throws producing 7 degree pitch in Normal fight, and IU 1 (Stunt 1) going 85/80/80/80/85 with 10 degree pitch, and IU 2 at 12 degree pitch.

I still have one thing bugging me.. it's the rudder set up on the 3GX. I can explain better now that I've got more time on this unit.

- First, my rudder slider is not centered - but it's close, and it's off center to keep the heli from turning to the right (required left rudder to get it back straight) due to torque. If I center the slider the heli slowly turns to the right as there is not enough pitch in the tail blades to keep it from rotating. So this has been adjusted a bit.

- Rudder calibration: When I power up the heli / 3GX and get into rudder calibration mode, I have Tx throws set at 100% for rudder. I push the rudder stick full one way, and stop it just before it limits out on the slider, wait for the red light to blink on the 3Gx, the push the rudder stick full the other way, wait for the slider to get close to the max limit, and stop - wait for the red light to flash on the 3GX then push the set button and move to the next step.

- when complete, and in Standard mode, I push the rudder stick either way to the limit, the slider stops where I have it programmed to,.. BUT I have 1/4-1/3 stick of no rudder movement as the limit has been reached (so full deflection of the rudder occurs at about 60% of the rudder stick). So I go into my D/R and take the rudder from 100% down to 41%, which is where the slider starts to move back toward center, and on the other side, 58% (as it's not symmetrical - on the slider arm - see bullet point 1 above).

This works fine, I get full throw each way - full mechanical throw - but early on several thought this was wrong as I should be able to leave the Rudder throws at 100%. There is no way and still get full stick movement corresponding to full slider throw -

Is this how others have it set up, or am I still missing something?

[Dino Spadaccini]

just a note if you leave the 3gx in DIR mode to long it will bring its self back to normal operation mode.

[Dino Spadaccini]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnOOYc3eZqU[/ame]

the setup is the same for spk and futaba the only differance is that the gov channel needs to show red on spk jr and green for futaba