Co-Pilot II - How To, Made Simple!

[nightflyr]

Make sure you do not have any D/R or expo set up on your Tx when you do quick set up ..that will interfere with it

[Finskeeper]

Originally Posted by Finskeeper

In teaching elevator and aileron limits by "slowly pulling back..." or "slowly pulling to the left..." in quick setup, the most I could get on the readout of my computer was 71% both directions. (Tried it 3-4 times.) Now before you rag on my TX (DX6i) setups... Travels = 100%, EXPO and D/R = 100% / INH, Linear Pitch and Throttle Curves.

Well, OK... I figured out why I was only getting 71% in both directions during calibration. Note that this pertains to the DX6i. Not sure if it holds true with other TXs. Everything has always been correctly "zeroed" on the TX for CPII setup. However, I fly with a swash mix of 55/55/55 which gives me a nice 11/6 degree mix. I changed my swash mix to 70/70/70 and now I can get 99% calibration on both directions for the CPII setup.

So now the question becomes which do I use? Do I calibrate using a 55/55/55 swash and settle for 71% CPII calibration or do I temporarily set my swash mix to 70/70/70 then calibrate CPII to get 99% and then back off to 55/55/55?

[nightflyr]

You have a 3rd choice....
setup normally,
Then use D/R and expo to detune your cyclic and use your pitch curves to reduce your collective

[Finskeeper]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

You have a 3rd choice....
setup normally,
Then use D/R and expo to detune your cyclic and use your pitch curves to reduce your collective

Nightflyr,

Sure,,, two ways of achieving the same results to get a mild sport flyer.

No governor, but I'm getting pretty consistent headspeed using the following:

PN: 42/46/50/75/100 P1: 0/25/50/75/100
TN: 0/50/80/90/100 T1: 100/90/80/90/100

I'm using KBDD paddles (which as you know are a bit faster than stock) so I increased my expo to 25/25/17. (I normally fly 17/17/0 with stock paddles.) I like the "linear" feel from the servos, so I really don't want to go higher on the expo.

D/R and Pitch softening is certainly an option, but isn't softening Swash easier? (It's pretty darn responsive currently at 11/6 degrees.) More importantly (and back to the original question, do you think it's OK to calibrate at a higher swash then back it off?

Thanks for your ongoing help... as I appreciate and value your expertise.

[nightflyr]

I've never done it the way your describing..

I setup my collective + / - 10 - 12, adjust my cyclic so there is no binding, then adjust with D/R & expo.
This way when going into IDLE up the limits can be raised, by your method you've basically lock your limits across the board

[Finskeeper]

Yep, you're right. Just never done it that way before as I've always kept D/R at 100% on both and manipulated swash for overall adjustments on collective and cyclic. (Simple... but it does limit options.) Thx.

[Flyby1000]

I'm new to this forum and just installed the Pilotll to my blade 400. I turned on the programmer then the 400. It searches but only gets to IRNet router V1.7. I keep entering Dec & Enter and keeps coming back to the same screen. If I touch enter I get Rec 5.02v and no brown outs. If I turn off the 400 It says Data Link Lost. I checked my wiring. Can anyone help me? thanks

[Flyby1000]

I have a cpll on my b 400 when I use DEC & ENTER it searches and comes up with router version and I can't get pass this no mater how many times I press DEC and ENTER together. I checked my wiring.. when I move programmer away it says data lost so I know it sees something. How can I get into the main menu? anyone have any ideas? THX

[nightflyr]

Might try pressing INC /DEC and see what happens

[Flyby1000]

I've tried everything...rewired twice, called blade 400 people to make sure the AR6001e bottom is neg, took it outside. The only thing that changes is when I hit enter and that's when it gives me rec voltage and no brownouts.

[Howard Matos]

Originally Posted by Flyby1000

I have a cpll on my b 400 when I use DEC & ENTER it searches and comes up with router version and I can't get pass this no mater how many times I press DEC and ENTER together. I checked my wiring.. when I move programmer away it says data lost so I know it sees something. How can I get into the main menu? anyone have any ideas? THX

Hi,

For some reason you are not linking to the CPII, just to the router. How many pigtails does your router have? We have two versions, one with one pigtail and one with 3 pigtails . If your router is the 3 pigtail version, make sure you are connecting the pigtail with 3 wires to the CPII computer module and not the one with 2 wires. Let me know, thanks.

CPII Manual Addendum
NOTE: PLEASE BE ADVISED OF THE FOLLOWING
PRODUCT VARIATION THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE
INCLUDED IN YOUR NEW CPII SYSTEM
Neither the original Quick Start Manual, nor the full Reference Manual
(available on line at FMA Direct) include information about the
following:
Your IRNet Router may come equipped with either one 3 wire pigtail (as
detailed in the manuals), or it may come equipped with two 3 wire
pigtails as well as a third 2 wire pigtail. In the case of the latter, follow
the instructions in the manual for connecting either one of the 3 wire
pigtails and ignore the other two pigtails. These pigtails are wired in
parallel and may be used to interconnect other future IRNet devices to
the network. The single 2 wire pigtail carries only battery power which
may prove useful in future applications.
We recommend that you do not remove the additional pigtails as it will
void the product warranty for the IRNet Router. However, in the event
that you choose to disregard this recommendation, please be certain that
any wire cuts you choose to make are carefully insulated from each
other. Any stray conductors that could short together as a result of
cutting the additional wire pigtails would result in total failure of the

CPII system as well as your airborne radio equipment.

[Flyby1000]

My Router has just one pigtail. I called the place where I bought the blade 400 and made sure that the bottom term. of the rec is neg. AR6100e. I've taken it out in the field, in the house in different rooms. no change. I know it see the Router because when I connect the battery to the heli it Immediately gets the router info. all other combination s have produced nothing except when I press enter alone I get 5.02v...no brown outs.
I called FM DIRECT this morning and I left a message to call me. I did everything by the book...taking off one servo at a time and putting the computer wire opposite into the receiver. 3 servos plus the one wire for on and off. And yes I left the RCV4 unconnected.

[Flyby1000]

Howard, Thanks for the info on the phone. I mailed the package to FM Direct this morning. Thanks again!

[Finskeeper]

What are the limitations with respect to the surroundings that adversely affect the CPII sensors? For instance, I've got a fairly large backyard that I can fly small circuits with my 250 or 450. However, my fly area is bordered by large trees and (of course) homes and I can't/won't fly above them. (My altitude ceiling is about 15 ft. for safety reasons.)

I know I'll be fine at the flying field, but do I NEVER engage CPII when I want to get a little stick time in the backyard or a sheltered opening in a small park down the street?

I'd like to try, but I don't know I've I'll be able turn off CPII and recover fast enough if CPII freaks out my swash when engaged. My Pitch and Roll Gains are both 40%. By manipulating these numbers, am I effectly reducing the distance that the sensors see?

[bmclaurin]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

I setup my collective + / - 10 - 12, adjust my cyclic so there is no binding, then adjust with D/R & expo.

I want to make sure I understand what you're saying here. You setup your collective by adjusting the pitch% in the swash mix menu. You then adjust the elev% and ail% in the swash mix menu just to the point where you get no binding in the servos while applying full cyclic deflection in all directions. You then use the D/R menu to tame the cyclic pitch values to whatever you want.

Do I have it correct? Previously, I had been using the same method as Finskeeper (i.e., simply using the swash menu to limit collective to +/-11 and cyclic to +/-6). Doing it that way requires my swash mix values for elev% and ail% to be fairly low--don't recall the exact numbers offhand, but they are below 50%. I'm using a DX7 btw.

[bmclaurin]

Sorry, one other question. I adjust the travel for aileron and elevator to eliminate CCPM interactions at max/min collective (i.e., to keep the swash level at the top, middle, and bottom of its configured range). As a result, my travels are not all at 100%. If I'm supposed to put everything at 100% for setup purposes, can I then set it back once setup is complete? Hope I'm making sense...I'm new to all of this.

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by bmclaurin

I want to make sure I understand what you're saying here. You setup your collective by adjusting the pitch% in the swash mix menu. You then adjust the elev% and ail% in the swash mix menu just to the point where you get no binding in the servos while applying full cyclic deflection in all directions. You then use the D/R menu to tame the cyclic pitch values to whatever you want.

Do I have it correct? Previously, I had been using the same method as Finskeeper (i.e., simply using the swash menu to limit collective to +/-11 and cyclic to +/-6). Doing it that way requires my swash mix values for elev% and ail% to be fairly low--don't recall the exact numbers offhand, but they are below 50%. I'm using a DX7 btw.

Correct..this way you get even deflective in both directions

[nightflyr]

Originally Posted by bmclaurin

Sorry, one other question. I adjust the travel for aileron and elevator to eliminate CCPM interactions at max/min collective (i.e., to keep the swash level at the top, middle, and bottom of its configured range). As a result, my travels are not all at 100%. If I'm supposed to put everything at 100% for setup purposes, can I then set it back once setup is complete? Hope I'm making sense...I'm new to all of this.

I always setup cyclic starting with the default values in the swash mix, from there you can tweak it to what ever suits your flying style.

If your not getting a level swash @ low mid and high stick you need to isolate the trouble,

[bmclaurin]

Originally Posted by nightflyr

If your not getting a level swash @ low mid and high stick you need to isolate the trouble,

Thanks, but unless I'm misunderstanding your response, that doesn't really answer my question. I check for level swash at low and high stick at the paddles and use slight ATV adjustments for elevator and aileron to eliminate the very slight CCPM interactions revealed by the paddles. The adjustments are modest (e.g., changing travel from 100% to 104% or something like that), not massive. My question is whether I"m supposed to temporarily set my ATV's back to 100% during setup. And once setup is complete, can I move them back to the way I had them?

Sorry if I'm missing the point of your last reply. I'm still new to all of this.

[nightflyr]

I've not had the issue your describing, are you having geometry issues or is it due to the servo's your using?.

As long as your close to 100% travel(s) you should be fine for setup