New member from the DC area

[howaboutme]

Hello,

New member. I am not only new to heli's but pretty (sort of) new to rc in general. I was heavily into it as a kid in the 80s and just came back into it a few months ago by building what I originally had (Tamiya Hotshot). Now I am moving on to another nostalgic build, the RC10 Worlds re-re....which leads me to helifreak.

I guess I spent enough $$$ from Amain when I bought the RC10, they sent me a free Ares FP 75 to play around with. I've always been intrigued with helis so I was excited to play around with it indoors. Seeing the retail price of it made me understand why Amain did this. It's a cheap way to get new customers involved in a seemingly more expensive hobby..

Well...after a few weeks of playing and getting comfortable w/ tail end flying indoors, I finally broke it. The tail motor won't stay in the frame. I'm not sure exactly how to fix it. I guess I can try to glue it on but now it leads me to what's next? (The exact thing Amain wants, I am sure!) Will probably post another "What should I get" thread later.

Thanks all!

[Wargamer]

Welcome to HF, and a very addictive hobby -

I checked the ARES site and it looks like they only sell the boom and tail mount as a single package with the whole airframe. Given that, and the fact that it's a cheap fixed pitch, my suggestion would be that you use the opportunity to move up to a collective pitch (cp) micro. The XK K110 is a great heli to get started in cp. You can get one RTF with a decent Tx for around $100. Main sources are in China: BangGood, GearBest and TomTop. They occasionally have them in their US warehouses, but not always.

The K110 is flyable indoors, but I'd recommend staying outdoors with it until you gain some proficiency. It's virtually indestructible when flown on grass (or snow). If you try to learn in the house, you'll be making a lot of repairs.

Do a little research on it and come back with more questions if you want.

[howaboutme]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

Welcome to HF, and a very addictive hobby -

I checked the ARES site and it looks like they only sell the boom and tail mount as a single package with the whole airframe. Given that, and the fact that it's a cheap fixed pitch, my suggestion would be that you use the opportunity to move up to a collective pitch (cp) micro. The XK K110 is a great heli to get started in cp. You can get one RTF with a decent Tx for around $100. Main sources are in China: BangGood, GearBest and TomTop. They occasionally have them in their US warehouses, but not always.

The K110 is flyable indoors, but I'd recommend staying outdoors with it until you gain some proficiency. It's virtually indestructible when flown on grass (or snow). If you try to learn in the house, you'll be making a lot of repairs.

Do a little research on it and come back with more questions if you want.

Thanks!

I agree that it's not worth putting any more (albeit minor) money into the Ares. I may try to improvise so I can get my fix on while I decide on next steps. I have started some research and am in the boat of going directly to CP models w/ beginner modes (whether it's Blades SAFE or others). I will look at the K110. It is in the ballpark of what I want to spend ($100). The Blade CP Nano is a bit higher for the RTF so I am hesitant on that since I am learning. Support for parts is important. At $100, I'd probably not consider it disposable so I'd want to fix as much as economically possible.

Appreciate the welcome!

[Wargamer]

I have both helis. The Nano has the advantage if you really must spend most of your time flying in a tight, indoor space; it's also better if you want to be able to buy repair parts at your LHS. Unfortunately, the Nano also has a history of many issues and can take hours of tweaking to get it to fly properly. Even then, it will randomly do stupid things that are really annoying. I was also never able to find a battery for the Nano that would last more than 25-30 flights. The K110 flies great out of the box; very few folks have had issues with it. Being slightly larger and heavier, and running a BL motor, it's also a better outdoor heli.

[howaboutme]

Thanks for the heads up about the Blade. I do think being able to fly indoors is a huge perk as we get unpredictable weather here and indoors in the winter is a nice luxury. But then I see you're from NE so I shouldn't be complaining!

I'll have fun researching different options for sure and just saw Blade introduce a new model the mSR S but I am too new to know what the differences are from the previous model...Ahh..nevermind, it's FP...

[Wargamer]

If you want to learn to fly cp in the house, the nano is definitely one way to go. That's what I did so I know it's possible. You do need to have patience to research and work through the typical issues that come up with it.

Another option would be the K100 instead of the K110. It's still a little bigger than the nano, but it doesn't have the BL motor of the K110, so it's a little easier to manage in a tight space.

[howaboutme]

Well...had to stop by my LHS for something for my buggy so.....



I did get a couple of 180 mAh extra batteries and am hoping that the extra 30 mAh won't mess w/ the balancing as I learn...Originally thought about buying some 300 mAh but was talked out of it by my LHS who said if I am learning CP, the extra weight and adjustments needed won't help.

Excited to start!

[Wargamer]

Grats!

Batteries are always a trade-off. 180 is fine for the nano and you really don't need more; it's hard to stay focused for more than 5 minutes until you get more experienced.

You should drop down to the nano forum for any specific questions you have.

[jrman83]

Welcome to HF. I am close to where you are. I'm guessing you went to Hobby Works?

Anyway, the CPS isn't a bad start for a CP heli. Indoor flight with it is pretty nice.

Getting started with a sim may be helpful and it will stay with you as long as you continue to grow in this hobby of flying R/C helis. I would suggest Heli-x, Phoenix or RF.

Have fun!

[howaboutme]

Originally Posted by Wargamer

Grats!

Batteries are always a trade-off. 180 is fine for the nano and you really don't need more; it's hard to stay focused for more than 5 minutes until you get more experienced.

You should drop down to the nano forum for any specific questions you have.

Thank you! I'm sure I'll be full of new questions. I have started to research some of the issues you've hinted at too. I'm hoping that the latest versions off the line have fixed some of them? Only one way to find out.

Originally Posted by jrman83

Welcome to HF. I am close to where you are. I'm guessing you went to Hobby Works?

Anyway, the CPS isn't a bad start for a CP heli. Indoor flight with it is pretty nice.

Getting started with a sim may be helpful and it will stay with you as long as you continue to grow in this hobby of flying R/C helis. I would suggest Heli-x, Phoenix or RF.

Have fun!

Went to hobby hangar....only been to hobby works once. I don't mind supporting both if they're good.

I know a simulator is a must to learn CP flying but I am going to ask a question that will get some eye rolls...

Has anyone learned to fly CPs w/o a simulator? I'm not talking about 3D, but at least to a point where scaled flying is comfortable? I'll be perfectly honest, I think I am jumping the gun w/ this heli. I've had some good experiences w/ the Ares 75 FP and picked it up kind of fast and perhaps think I'm king of the world? I know I have no illusions with the CP though. I'll be a game of patience. I love the challenge but sitting in front of a computer may not be...Reason I went w/ Blade is because of the awesome support the brand gets from LHS for the inevitable breaks.

Thanks all!

[Samsdad]

Welcome! Enjoy your new heli, and come check out Virginia Flyers in the spring. There are some great pilots with some cool machines that fly there. Our field is in Gainesville.

[howaboutme]

Originally Posted by Samsdad

Welcome! Enjoy your new heli, and come check out Virginia Flyers in the spring. There are some great pilots with some cool machines that fly there. Our field is in Gainesville.

Thank you! Glad to hear there's a club around here. I've only known about NVRC but don't believe they do heli's. I'll look you all up.

[yakky]

Originally Posted by howaboutme

Went to hobby hangar....only been to hobby works once. I don't mind supporting both if they're good.

I know a simulator is a must to learn CP flying but I am going to ask a question that will get some eye rolls...

Has anyone learned to fly CPs w/o a simulator? I'm not talking about 3D, but at least to a point where scaled flying is comfortable?

Hobby Hangar is a cool place to visit, but the help there is ummm... interesting. Not really a heli place, one guy is OK with the Blade line but they seem happy to sell planks and quads.

You can learn to fly helis without a SIM, the problem is crashes in the SIM are free! When you break a heli and rebuilt it only to find out that something is still broken can take some of the fun out of the hobby. The helis in the SIM always fly perfect.

[jrman83]

Yes, you can learn to fly CP without a sim. Problem there is obviously crashes that possibly could have been avoided with more time on the sim. Use of a sim is a personal choice and I learned to fly CP without it. But, it wasn't until I got one and started using it to do structured training that I accelerated how well I flew. Great thing about the sim I crash, I reset and try again. Can't do that flying, not without possibly needing repair. Another thing is how far you intend to take your heli flying? If you would like to learn inverted flight or some more advanced flying then use of a sim almost becomes a necessity, if you don't want to suffer bigger crashes. Crashes and the cost to repair can seriously hurt how you feel about flying. Multiple trips to the hobby store and shelling out hundreds of dollars a month to keep flying can make you stop and evaluate if this is what you want. I don't like sitting at pc doing it that much either, but some of the things I am working on and then trying on more costly larger models that I can't afford to crash often, I know it just makes better sense for what I want out of the hobby. Up to you.

[howaboutme]

Originally Posted by yakky

Hobby Hangar is a cool place to visit, but the help there is ummm... interesting. Not really a heli place, one guy is OK with the Blade line but they seem happy to sell planks and quads.

You can learn to fly helis without a SIM, the problem is crashes in the SIM are free! When you break a heli and rebuilt it only to find out that something is still broken can take some of the fun out of the hobby. The helis in the SIM always fly perfect.

Thanks for the heads up. I talked to one person there when I purchased the heli, mostly questions I knew answers to but he seemed informed. Agreed that it's mostly a fixed wing and multi-rotor shop. But I go there because my main RC time is spent on buggies/cars and they are super w/ that.

Is Hobby Works much better for helis? Is Blade fully supported w/ parts there?

Originally Posted by jrman83

Yes, you can learn to fly CP without a sim. Problem there is obviously crashes that possibly could have been avoided with more time on the sim. Use of a sim is a personal choice and I learned to fly CP without it. But, it wasn't until I got one and started using it to do structured training that I accelerated how well I flew. Great thing about the sim I crash, I reset and try again. Can't do that flying, not without possibly needing repair. Another thing is how far you intend to take your heli flying? If you would like to learn inverted flight or some more advanced flying then use of a sim almost becomes a necessity, if you don't want to suffer bigger crashes. Crashes and the cost to repair can seriously hurt how you feel about flying. Multiple trips to the hobby store and shelling out hundreds of dollars a month to keep flying can make you stop and evaluate if this is what you want. I don't like sitting at pc doing it that much either, but some of the things I am working on and then trying on more costly larger models that I can't afford to crash often, I know it just makes better sense for what I want out of the hobby. Up to you.

Thanks all for your thoughts on needing a SIM. I just wanted to pick a few people's thoughts on it. To be honest, I am pretty apprehensive about starting up my new CP, doing a lot of research first. After my first crash into my basement ceiling trying to figure out pitch, I will probably look into a SIM.

[yakky]

Originally Posted by howaboutme

Thanks for the heads up. I talked to one person there when I purchased the heli, mostly questions I knew answers to but he seemed informed. Agreed that it's mostly a fixed wing and multi-rotor shop. But I go there because my main RC time is spent on buggies/cars and they are super w/ that.

Is Hobby Works much better for helis? Is Blade fully supported w/ parts there?



Thanks all for your thoughts on needing a SIM. I just wanted to pick a few people's thoughts on it. To be honest, I am pretty apprehensive about starting up my new CP, doing a lot of research first. After my first crash into my basement ceiling trying to figure out pitch, I will probably look into a SIM.

Grab one of these

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/usb-simu...rofly-fms.html

And heli-x and you are up and running for $10. The demo version is good enough for basic practice. It even runs on crusty hardware.

[howaboutme]

Originally Posted by yakky

Grab one of these

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/usb-simu...rofly-fms.html

And heli-x and you are up and running for $10. The demo version is good enough for basic practice. It even runs on crusty hardware.

Thanks! Will this work w/ the Tx that came w/ the Nano RTF? I know eventually I will need to purchase a Tx to advance...Just trying to economize.

Soo...I decided to just dive right in! I did 2 packs on stability mode just now and surprised myself a bit. I did some forward/back and side sliding on my floor and was able to hover for a few seconds at 12 to 24" with mostly tail-in and some rudder movement. I had some hard landings and some minor crashes into the couch and floor but nothing that seemed to affect the heli.

Trim (all of them) are off but I can't hover long enough to trim so I decided to just work the sticks and familiarize myself with the CP feeling. And yes, it's different from a FP, even in beginner mode. I need a lot of pitch (is that the right term?) to get in the air but once in the air, I need to quickly correct or it will fly right into my ceiling....

Hooked so far! But what else is new?

[yakky]

If it has a 3.5mm trainer port, it should work just fine. Otherwise you might consider something like a Devo 10, a fantastic 10 channel radio that costs about half of what it should. Check out the Deviation project, super cool stuff you can go with those radio. Essentially you can fly most of the major radio protocols with just one radio. Does all sorts of other cool stuff too.

[howaboutme]

Originally Posted by yakky

If it has a 3.5mm trainer port, it should work just fine. Otherwise you might consider something like a Devo 10, a fantastic 10 channel radio that costs about half of what it should. Check out the Deviation project, super cool stuff you can go with those radio. Essentially you can fly most of the major radio protocols with just one radio. Does all sorts of other cool stuff too.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look.

Also..for the NOVA people..Is Hobby Works the preferred place for heli support in our area?

[jrman83]

Originally Posted by howaboutme

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look.

Also..for the NOVA people..Is Hobby Works the preferred place for heli support in our area?

Been there once. Just depends on where you are and what you need. For specific stuff for helis, pretty much only means Blade. Once you get away from Blade they may have other useful R/C stuff(mono-kote, paint, etc), but not much else. TBH, I wasn't overly impressed. I actually order all of my stuff online now. Prices are actually better. I would probably support them more if not 30min away.