Post only facts on the News thread and any opinions HERE

[KiloXray]

Originally Posted by BuildFlyCrashRepeat

The new Align looks ugly AF

Looks like an Align.

[Michaelinpr]

Originally Posted by toadiscoil

Can you point to that video?

Just search SoKo Heli tool set up. Should be one of the first videos.

[Michaelinpr]

Don't misunderstand me. The Sokol tool is great and works well. The helical part that fits all blade grips is great. But the tool isn't what makes it work so well. It is the method.

I think this is the video. I don't level the heli. I just re zero the pitch gauge in the orientation I want to check.

Exemplary Soko Kit setup on SAB Goblin: Part 06 - swash plate and zero pitch (7 min 22 sec)

[toadiscoil]

Thanks! I found the whole setup which was like 30 min long, of several steps. My issue is that the pitch gauge changes depending on its orientation. So I would need to ensure the gauge is always at the same orientation relative to the heli which I find impossible and seems like the reason which is causing my issues. But I will take a look at the video.

Odd thing is that my latest method was to level the swash with the SAB swash leveler and just eyeing the grip notches and doing a blade fold. After that with CoG perfect with weight on the nose after a side blade grab test the heli is drifting significantly backwards.

I don't want to get a Soko as you said I need to find out the proper method first then get a better tool. Kind of like learning math before getting a calculator.

Originally Posted by Michaelinpr

Don't misunderstand me. The Sokol tool is great and works well. The helical part that fits all blade grips is great. But the tool isn't what makes it work so well. It is the method.

I think this is the video. I don't level the heli. I just re zero the pitch gauge in the orientation I want to check.

[Michaelinpr]

Careful. The blade fold method can only check for 0 pitch. Not a level swash. Even with a swash way off level, if the blades will still stay together as you rotate the head. There was a good thread on this in the Main.

[toadiscoil]

I assumed level swash with the SAB leveler. I set 90 degrees (or whatever is required per the heli manual) then get the servos up then down one by one until they complain binding and go up a point. Repeat after all three were initially set. So in theory perfectly level swash so that's why I went Blade fold.

I am thinking the only way will be to attempt to get the shaft perpendicular to earth level by moving the heli (maybe get skids off) then doing the three point measurement with blades and regular pitch gauge.

Or so trial-and-error first few packs until heli hovers stable?

Bad setup may be cause of much of my woes need to get it right.

Originally Posted by Michaelinpr

Careful. The blade fold method can only check for 0 pitch. Not a level swash. Even with a swash way off level, if the blades will still stay together as you rotate the head. There was a good thread on this in the Main.

[K2Freak]

IMO, and per the older vstabi documentation, IFF your swash is level then blade folding works fine. I have used that method exclusively (AFTER a swash leveler) and never had to track blades. I also mike my links.

Servos 90 at mid throw (FBL setup finds this servo throw point for me)
swash level - whatever method you want.
zero pitch - whatever method you want.
FBL setup - agility, etc.
test flight

[toadiscoil]

Alright so I re-did my head. Thanks to buddy Ben I have now adjustable turnbuckles which made the job FAR easier.

I started with a folding table in the middle of the room and took a bubble level to the top flat portion of the head. Then adjusted the table until it was level on aileron. Then I adjusted with paper below the front skids until I was level on elevator. Corroborated with the top flat of the motor can. Perfect.

Then I zero'd my pitch gauge. Corroborated zero on all directions of the gauge and on the motor as well.

Then I used the Soko method and lined up each servo with the swash arm to one arm. Beforehand the distance of the pitch linkages matched with the zero pitch notch on the head.

I ensured I had zero on each rotation of the blade for each servo for that blade, adjusting as necessary via the iKon swash setup. Then I moved on to the next blade and adjusted the linkage until I got zero as I had a level swash already.

Then I checked for pitch and I had uneven pitch negative and positive. Adjusted travel of the servos via transmitter until on all rotations of both blades I got 12.5. I corroborated at midstick I still had 0 on all directions.

Hopefully that's it. Was a bit time consuming but I hope it works. I had an almost perfectly level shaft (perpendicular to the ground if my head is not bent hehe), then a level swash, then zero pitch, then even positive and negative pitch. Hope that does it.

I also adjusted CoG with lead weights on the nose as I could not push the batteries farther ahead. I did this with the 380 and the 420. Weather permitting it will be tested this weekend!

[toadiscoil]

Ok so here goes. I downloaded 6.1 but it installs on a separate directory. Now I am re-downloading all models but I had tuned the Goblin 380 pretty well. I have sent an email to support to see if I can recover that model as well as my transmitter settings. I will post here what I get back.

[richardv]

Originally Posted by toadiscoil

Ok so here goes. I downloaded 6.1 but it installs on a separate directory. Now I am re-downloading all models but I had tuned the Goblin 380 pretty well. I have sent an email to support to see if I can recover that model as well as my transmitter settings. I will post here what I get back.

I'd like to hear what they say. I downloaded 6 last week to have a play, so I find it a bit odd that 6.1 requires radio setup again.

[toadiscoil]

Update

I don't have access to my transmitter but will update later today. So far I received the answer from Michael and he told me to merge the contents of the Resource folder. That helped to overwrite the settings changes I had done to the 380 that I have been working on, so that works fine. I just copied the entire contents of that folder and overwrote all files from the 6 version to the 6.1 version install folder.

I could not check if my transmitter mappings were ported over because it doesn't even let you see if you don't have the transmitter connected (No joystick found error). So will update when I get a chance to get to my radio later today.

I left the computer yesterday downloading all models, took a while! You can at least avoid that by copying the resources folder which includes the models.

I did notice a "server" batch file I had not noticed before. Is that for online play, does anyone know? It would be cool to organize some Heli-X online session if that capability is there. I had honestly not dwelled on it. I keep checking every so often on neXt and not many active sessions guess RealFlight and Phoenix are still more popular.

Anyways will keep reporting...

[toadiscoil]

Update 2

Well the transmitter settings were able to be ported over. Got a prompt that my controller was not configured. So guess I have to do that and take on my own recent post how to configure it

Got also a reply back that it is safe to just uninstall version 6 as they are two completely independent installations.