Flymentor wireing and setting up useing Helibal Trex and clones

[helican]

I encountered the same problem, once I swapped ports 1 and 2 the problem was solved.....I wish I had this great forum a few months ago. It would have saved me a few hours of troubleshooting.

[rhuber40]

I have everything working with the external programmer, when I try to hook up with Helibal, It just sits there with the "connecting" prompt . I have tried three computers running windows xp.

[doideplao3000]

Originally Posted by Ivor Hill

Set Tx swash type to 1 servo, aileron,elevator subtrims and trims to 0, end point to 100% and servo reverses to normal,exept the throttle channel leave that at it is. Set a linear pitch curve 0-25-50-75-100.
The plug with 3 wires from the FM module connects to the aileron porton the reciever, Yellow connects to elevator port, orange connects to pitch port. if you are useing the FM tail gyro the grey wire connects to the rudder port and the green connects to the gyro gain port.

If you are useing a seperate gyro leave it connected as it is and leave the grey and green wires disconnected.
The blue wire controls stabilization gain and is best left disconnected dueing set up.
If the elevator servo is rear mounted, looking at the heli from the rear the left hand servo connects to port 1 on FM,right hand servo to port 2 and elevator to port 3. The black negative wire on the servo leads are closest to the usb port and line up with the usb sign.
If the elevator servo is front mounted the it's left servo to port 2 and right servo to port 1. Leave the blue wire from the FM gyro disconnected for now. If you are useing he FM tail gyro connect tail servo to port 5 on FM.

Disconnect motor, power up TX and Heli, Led on FM should be flashing green, and connect to Helibal programme.
Check that swash type,blade direction and gyro camera directions are set correctley under the Helibal mounting tab.
Tip the heli and under the servo tab set the servo directions and send to FM so that when the heli is tipped the swash moves in the opposit direction to correct.
If you can get aileron to operate ok but not elevator the swop servo connections on FM ports 1 and 2 and start again.
Check stick directions and any that are incorrect reverse under the control tab and send to FM.
The next step is to re-level and centre the swash. First go to advance page and set balancer gain to 0 this will switch FM off and set stick midway 50%. Looking at the heli from the side use the elevator neutral slider under the servo tab to level the swash, looking at the heli from the front use aileron slider to level the swash. Then use pitch slider to set servo arms at 90 degrees. You will not get all servo at exactly at 90 degrees just get them as close as possible.
Now fit a pitch gauge and under the control tab use pitch slider to set pitch range.
Set balancer gain back to + 70.

Because the blue wire is disconnected FM gain it controlled by Helibal, I recommend you test fly and adjust the gain in Helibal for your first flights before connecting the blue wire and attempting to control gain with your TX, unless you are 100% shure you know what you are doing.
With the heli in position mode ( green light ) if the heli rocks side to side and fore and aft ( dancing ) in a hover reduce the gain just enough to stop it.
If the heli is not dancing increase the gain untill it does and then reduce just enough to stop it. Just like setting the gain on a tail gyro.
You may also need to use a little TX trim to stop the heli drifting.

If you are useing the FM tail gyro you will first need to switch it to normal mode with a gain value of about 25, either with your TX if the green wire is connected or by useing the slider on the tail page in Helibal if the green wire is disconnected.
Once in normal mode the tail servo will move to centre, set he tail slider so that it is a little off centre towards the boom. Test fly and slide the servo along the boom untill the heli will hover without stick input or trim.
Set the travel so that the tail slider does not bottom out,switch back to HH and set the best gain. You may need to use a little TX trim for best performance.
Note, when you switch to HH the tail servo will drift to one end, this is normal and it will sort itself out when you lift off into a hover, help it a little with the rudder stick.
Note, If the blue wire is connected stabilization gain is controled and adjusted in the TX and adjusting it in Helibal will have no effect, if it is disconnected stabilization gain is adjusted in Helibal.
The green wire for gyro gain works in the same way. Connected,controlled by TX disconnected controlled in Helibal.

hi ivor
i have a trex450 pro , dx6i Tx and 6100e Rx , i just got the 3d flymentor and did following your instruction but had no way to make it work , the software just say kdslinkline not found , can you please help me how to make it work .thank you very much .i want to you my stock tail gyro instead of the ccd , so if you tell me how to bypass would deeply appreciate .Once again thank you very much .
bao

[Ivor Hill]

Originally Posted by doideplao3000

hi ivor
i have a trex450 pro , dx6i Tx and 6100e Rx , i just got the 3d flymentor and did following your instruction but had no way to make it work , the software just say kdslinkline not found , can you please help me how to make it work .thank you very much .i want to you my stock tail gyro instead of the ccd , so if you tell me how to bypass would deeply appreciate .Once again thank you very much .
bao

Not sure what you mean by stock gyro instead of ccd but just leave your stock gyro and servo connected to your reciever as it is and leave the grey and green fm wires disconnected. It does mean that you need to find space for both gyros.
If you are useing xp connection should not be a problem,you may need to go into device manager and change the port to a low number port try 1 or 2. The software will not work with vista or windows 7.
Flymentor needs to be powered up, green led flashing, to connect. It does not take power from the usb port.

[Moosejam]

Hello everyone – Being a novice I’m still struggle to hover with confidence between minor pileups and repairs – hence my interest in Flymentor. The wisdom you guys have amassed in thousands of postings is taking time to wade through!
Your help has enabled me to integrate FM into an old Belt–CP without too much pain until it turned turtle about 6 inches after the first lift off. As Ivor often warns, I should have watched the rotor disc more closely and aborted the take off sooner. I’ve yet to distinguish between an unstable bird and my inept piloting – I saw no tendency to dance, it just gently lifted off, rolled left on its training legs and flipped over.
Having righted the damage, rechecked the control linkage geometry and ensured the Tx and FM settings agree with the ‘Sticky’, I will now do tied down bench whirling tests to seek vibration and other disturbing inputs.
A couple of points do niggle:
• Whenever I connect FM to Helibal and down load FM data, all sorts of apparently random settings appear in Helibal. To correct this I invariably have to reset FM from the config file. So, what software settings exist in FM when I next power up pre flight?
• After sending a software change to FM, the modify flag (Fig 2.2.3 on page 8 of manual) that is displayed most of the time, vanishes, then reappears within a second or so. This seems illogical since Helibal and FM settings should now be the identical or have I missed something?
• Because the Elevator servo is ahead of my rotor mast, I swapped the Pitch and Aileron servo connections to FM. Am I right in assuming this also swaps the neutral labels in Helibal servo tab?
• Among his many postings, Ivor suggested some pitch, throttle and expo curve settings to help novice flyers – would a kind sole please remind what this posting page and number is?

I intend dumping the CP far a more modern 450 size in the near future and would welcome all suggestions for a technically sound and economic solution to goal.

Part of my career involved flight–testing full size helicopters and my son has recently rekindled my enthusiasm for these machines by donating a discarded Esky Belt CP and a Raptor. Needless to say, I intend staying well clear of the latter bird until I have ‘safer hands’.

Best regards to all,
Derek

[Neppon]

Hello,

I have a Futaba 7c now and programming it for flymentor.
Green wire to 5 channel and green wire to 7 channel.
Used TX "A" key to control gyro, 40% up and 45% down (some windy time) and it´s locking tail good.
Used the "E" (tree points) key to have three values, using governator config and set: 50% (down) led red / 10% (middle) led red+green / 90% (up) led green, to have flymentor off at down, flymentor horizontal at middle and flymentor positional at up.

Make a short hover at my garage with three positions "E" switch and everything looks like ok.

Please confirm that I´m at correct way, and at this post about gains: http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=178401 was talked about use endpoints to manipulate correct gain value, it applyes to Futaba 7c too?

My channel 7 with flat 100% original endpoints at 0% it´s same of 100% horizontal mode, 50% it´s off and 100% it´s same 100% position mode, right?

Will try position mode at grass and other floors when it be possibe.

Regards,
Neppon

[sweggy94]

im new to flying and i have a kds 450s and i just bought a flymentor to install and i dont know what channels the flymentor cables plug into on my kds k-8x. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[HELIDIPP]

apperciate all this info///

[Neppon]

Originally Posted by Neppon

Please confirm that I´m at correct way, and at this post about gains: http://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=178401 was talked about use endpoints to manipulate correct gain value, it applyes to Futaba 7c too?
Neppon

Will coment about my own question:
After exchange some messagens with Ivor I figure out about to use endpoints or use percentual at governator (my personal option with futaba 7c).

The original governator (channel 7) config are: 0%, 50% and 100%
If you use endpoint to channel 7 to limit lower and upper values like Ivor say you still using default 0%, 50% and 100% for governator but will have teorically balance -42 with governator 0% and position for +62 with governator +70%.
In my case I use 100% endpoints the need lower (or up) less governator values to get same gain and have more easy control over flymentor off point (aways is 50%) but need to calculate double % to get real gain like governator 35% it´s equal -30 gain and governator 65% it´s equal to +30 gain.

Will try demonstrate...

Original:
GOVERNATOR
0% ------------------------------ 50% -----------------------------------100%
ENDPOINT
100%----------------------------------------------------------------------100%
FLYMENTOR GAIN
-100--------------------------------OFF---------------------------------+100

Ivor suggestion:
GOVERNATOR
0% ------------------------------- 50% ----------------------------------100%
ENDPOINT
42%-------------------------------------------------------------------------70%
FLYMENTOR GAIN
-16----------------------------------OFF--------------------------------+62
* aproximated values and 100% endpoint it´s not +100 because scale come from 42% to 70% limited by endpoint, it´s a fast way but not so precise

My suggestion:
GOVERNATOR
35% ------------------------------ 50% -----------------------------------65%
ENDPOINT
100%---------------------------------------------------------------------100%
FLYMENTOR GAIN
-30----------------------------------OFF---------------------------------+30



Neppon

[Ivor Hill]

I dont use governor mode at all on the C7 it does not come into it , I dont have it set to channel 7 or the 3 way switch, in fact it is inhibited. I simply control FM gains useing end points only.
I simply set the 3 way switch to channel 7 and before test flying for the first time I select channel 7 endpoints. The 3 way switch selects the value to be adjusted so you can just turn the dial while hovering to select the best gain, CW is higher CCW is lower You dont even have to look at the TX to do it, just select the mode you want useing the 3 way switch and turn the dail to set the best gain. Switch centre is always FM off no values to adjust. Once set you do not need to touch it again.
But if you prefere to use governor mode that's fine but then forget endpoints just leave them at the factory defaults, 100%. It is only necassary to use one or the other.
Useing governor 3 values to set, using endpoints 2 values to adjust.

[Ivor Hill]

I dont use governor mode at all, it does not come into it and is not set to the same 3 way switch. I use endpoints only. Useing governor 3 value to set,useing end points 2 values to set because 3 way switch centre is always FM off.
This is the normal way to control Flymentor or Helicommand with the Futaba C7.
Also the governor range is 0-100 and the endpoint range is 0-140 so I would think the gain can be more precisely useing endpoints because the increments are smaller.
But if you prefer to use governor thats fine it will work just the same but more to set in the TX and we try to keep things as simple as possible especialy when we are writing instructions for somebody.

[Jerry Campbell]

Hello Friends,
I'm setting up FM on an EXI 450. I'm using Helibal and Windows 7. The swash moves correctly, all the sticks move correctly except the throttle. It moves in the opposite direction. I've tried to change the direction under the servo tab, the control tab and in the transmitter. Everything seems to make things worse. I'm sure it must be something simple but I can't seem to get it.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Jerry

[Jerry Campbell]

Well, I have no idea what I did but it now appears to be functioning properly.
With the servos squared and the pitch set it's on to the gyro.
Thanks for being here
Jerry

[Ivor Hill]

It should have been as simple as reversing pitch under the control tab.

[Jerry Campbell]

Originally Posted by Ivor Hill

It should have been as simple as reversing pitch under the control tab.

Thanks Ivor,
That was it but it wasn't that simple to me.
You will be hearing more from me I'm sure
Thanks again
Jerry

[Jerry Campbell]

Well, The motor is turning backwards.
Everything else seems to be working great.
I've tried everything but the right thing.
Jerry

Also I'm wondering, When I hook everything up and load Helibal and load the settings from the device, all the settings are screwed up. Everything seems to work as it did before but it seems to me if I load the settings from FM then the settings ought to be correct and I should not have to get them from the config file.
I wonder if Windows 7 is messing with me?

[Ivor Hill]

Yes helibal will not work properly with Windows7 or vista, it will only work with XP. If you load the setting from FM it will scamble them. The way around this is, once you have everything set correctly save the file so you can reload it. So every time you connect you reload the file. Keep it updated.
If your motor is running in reverse swop any 2 of the 3 wires on the motor.

[Jerry Campbell]

Thanks Ivor,
I'll give her a try in the morning.
Thats ok about Windows 7 as long as I know what to do.
Jerry

[Ivor Hill]

Jerry before you test hover test for vibration, pin the heli down so it cannot fly and in position mode spin it up to speed. The blades should stay level, if they tip there is to much vibration and it will cause the heli to tip over and crash when you try to fly. Good luck.

[Jerry Campbell]

I changed the motor wires and spooled her up slowly. FM is in the position mode. The tail was wagging pretty good so I stopped and lowered the gain on the gyro. The tail stopped wagging. When the heli started to lift I could see the blades dancing slightly back and forth so I lowered the position gain and she lifted off smoothly. I also added more foam tape under the gyro just in case it was the vibration. I don't have a very good place to fly and the wind was blowing pretty good so it was impossible to fine tune what I think is a slight drift to the left. She lands so smooth I took off the training gear. I have a friend who has a big field where he has mowed an airstrip for his RC planes so I'll go over there and fine tune things. It is a pain to have to have the computer to make changes. I'll have to get the programmer if it takes long to fine tune FM.
I'm also using a new transmitter, the Turnigy 9X. I don't know yet how to set the switches so I cannot turn off FM which I want to do sooner or later.
So far so good.
Thanks again to HF and Ivor for being here.
Onward and Upward
Jerry