Questions About my APS Install

[jhamlinjr]

I know a few of you guys have had good experiences so far with your APS systems. I am installing mine and know that sharing info is very helpful. I have a few questions about mine.

Mine has been mounted and there is a good link between the 2 systems. I get the proper corresponding lights for different flight modes. Setup failsafe but don't get the full row of flashing LEDS when I induce failsafe. Throttle percentage for failsafe set to 62% and gyro to-38%. Thats on a Futaba Tx.

Also, when I switch from 3gx mode to APS, my swash jumps up to a new position. Is this a normal swash reaction for this system? Doing the 2 sec button press setup check where you do the different sequences of switch changes seems to yield inconsistent results. Sometimes I get solid green LEDS and sometimes they continue to flash.

Any advice from the early adopters would be very helpful.

[jhamlinjr]

Passed the vibe test and calibrated the GPS. A little nervous about flipping the switch to APS with the swash jumping up. When I go into GPS on the bench, the swash tilts hard too. Can anyone that's flying this system confirm whether this is normal?

[HedgeHeli]

Does not sound right, yes when you switch to GPS the awash moves - at an angle generally, but not with APS and also your failsafe should work as in all the lights flash green. In APS on the bench does it pass all the pre-flights checks? If your unsure get it checked or flown by a competent pilot first.

[jhamlinjr]

Been flying for like.... 8 yrs heavy so I'm pretty competent. Just a handful installing the 3gx and APS back to back. Want so compare my results with some people who have already flown their units.

After calibrating the gps and completing the vibe test, I do get the row of flashing green lights so I assume failsafe is working correctly now.

Swash is fine in 3gx mode. Of course I flew it that way for the vibe test. When I go into APS on the bench my swash lifts slightly. In GPS... yes I get an angular throw to the left or right.

Just wondering if its normal for the swash to move up when going into APS mode. Seems like it would cause the heli to climb out. Does yours react that way on the bench when going from 3gx mode to APS?

[SharonNoelle]

Yes. Mine does the same thing. When I switch into APS while on the bench the swash starts moving slowly. If I switch into GPS it tilts hard to the left.

SN

[jhamlinjr]

Perfect. Thanks for the response!! Guess there is nothing left to do but go fly. If it wasn't on a cameraship I wouldn't be so nervous.

[SharonNoelle]

My only other advice it to reiterate what HedgeHeli said. Do all of the tests and make sure you get the specified responses from the 3GX and the APS. Then, you must obey the rules, like switching to 3GX from APS immediately after landing, 30sec cycle between emergency bail-outs and the others. If not, there could be trouble!

Hope all goes well!

SN

[jhamlinjr]

This is going going on my cameraship so no inverted stuff... hopefully. Lol

Everything checks out on the bench. I do have a hard time getting the switch positions remembered and input correctly. That will come in time and just crossing that bridge when I get there. First just want to see it holding position and altitude.

[HedgeHeli]

Originally Posted by jhamlinjr

Everything checks out on the bench.

Hey jhamlinjr, you say it all checks out on the bench yet in the first post you say you get inconsistent results with the lights when switching between 3GX, APS and GPS plus you say you don't get any failsafe lights. Does not sound all that hopeful at this stage. The only error I am aware of in the manual is the calibration, they state that after 3 secs of pressing the set button the first red light will flash. This is not correct the light is solid, not flashing. That aside every other light combination should work as written.

Your first post talks about setting the throttle at 62 and the gyro at -38. There is no throttle failsafe the failsafe is done only on the gyro settings. From memory with Futaba it's 3GX set at whatever you like your tail gyro set, APS set at 0 and GPS set at -30 then failsafe is -100.

Last point I would make is how heavy is your camera ship, this unit is not a DJI Ace One (yet) I had hours of testing to get mine right so it would hold my AP platform. If its a heavy weight +7kg then from stock don't expect it to work. Personally I would not - and did not - install this straight on a camera ship, far too much money to risk. Fly it on a standard heli to start then when your comfortable put it on the larger heli. Note if you've not done the 3GX set up right the first thing that will happen is the heli will invert and head for the ground at full
Speed.

Get the lights working, double check the bench set up and then fly very very high and switch to APS - good luck.

[jhamlinjr]

Im sorry. Thought I updated but failsafe lights work now and yes, I did insert the proper numbers to achieve that after not having the correct ones in. Heli flies like a dream when I had the 3gx only installed and now in 3gx mode running through the APS. Tilt test, rudder test, vibe test and lifting to feel the swash compensate for altitude changes all checked out. Is there anything else I'm missing?

[HedgeHeli]

Nope your good to go. Get it high and flick the switch. Good luck :-)

[SharonNoelle]

Heck yeah!!! Hit It!! (be prepared to switch it back to 3GX just in case!)

[chavanel]

Originally Posted by HedgeHeli

The only error I am aware of in the manual is the calibration, they state that after 3 secs of pressing the set button the first red light will flash. This is not correct the light is solid, not flashing. That aside every other light combination should work as written.

Yup, LED is solid, not flashing during all the steps of the calibration (red and green LEDs).

However, I found another one that made me struggle a couple of hours setting up mine.

Page 26, GPS Flight Mode Command Check. This could save someone some time, so I share my experiences.

Align manual translations are too literal, hard to figure out what they meant if you are not so in Align helis. But after almost 4 years being an Align fan, again this one had me like this

Well, first it says you should press the SET button twice. That's false, pressing it twice only gets you into vibration test mode with the first press, and then saving the vibration test results with the second press. I don't know how that translates into trouble saving that kind of vibration test results, but don't do that.

Actually, you must press the SET button for two seconds (only two, more will engage the calibration mode. First LED will flash green indeed. Perform the fancy switch changes as indicated in the manual for the first LED (A->3->A). The LED will stop flashing and lit steady if the command was accepted. But that happens after a second or two. DO NOT change the switch again and wait for the LED to lit steady or go off (indicating the command was not successful).

Then, the magic occurs. Nowhere (at least not in English language) in that section or the manual in its whole, explains how to move from command test 1 (LED 1) to next command (LED 2). So after some time switching the transmitter switch up and down, trying to figure it out, I finally found that you must push your rudder stick right to advance to the next LED (to be able to perform the next command test). Rudder stick in this mode, moves tests forward and backwards (right, left rudder input) with the corresponding LEDs going on depending on the test you are performing.

I hope this is helpful to somebody.

Good luck!

[mmarmouz]

Originally Posted by SharonNoelle

Yes. Mine does the same thing. When I switch into APS while on the bench the swash starts moving slowly. If I switch into GPS it tilts hard to the left.

SN

Mine in Aps tilt slowly to the left or right, it does it faster in gps and it still tilt in Aps but slowly

Is this normal or not ? Of course this is with the heli on the ground when doing preflights check

Thanks