What sim are you using?

 

A good sim is a must

 

I haven't ventured the investment yet. I'm using one called HeliSimRC and a trial version of Heli-X6. I might subscribe to Clear View. I can't run out and drop $150 to $200 on a quality sim at the moment.

 

SIM adapter received, installed, calibrated....... Aaaah! Much better! So I played around with the settings on the free-ware SIM I'm running, tuned the 450 so it flys like a Nano..... It may be free, but it is versatile, with a full range of SIM and model settings to manipulate. Sim works great with an actual radio. I should have bought this usb adapter last year!

 

Now armed with oscilloscope. This should be fun!

 

Blade re-issues Nano CPx: Rx board upgraded to 3-mode flight system with S.A.F.E. recovery system. New main motor, frame, servos, tail assy, stabilizer plate (whatever that is), new canopy graphics. Sadly: No integrated BL system or piro-comp.

 

Nothing unusual to report. Both Blade birds still fully functional and in use. I haven't been able to fly as much as I'd like due to either work or weather, or unavoidable circumstances of female origin (not a bad thing). I've been experimenting with ESCs and MOSFETs and related things lately on a side project....successfully hot-rodding a 40A dual ESC to more like 150 to 200A by the MOSFET ratings (UTT150N03 /TO-220 style). SO-8 style surface mount mosfets (IRF7413z) are such wimpy little things- hard to believe they're rated for 10A each.

 

It was time for a new tail motor on my 120SR, but while I was at it, I decided to go back to stock tail boom instead of the 56mm stretch boom.... and also upgraded the tail LED from the blue one to a good bright red one to properly compliment the red/green NAV lights up front. LED is mounted through a zip-tie, which is tricky to get the leads through, but works out great otherwise. I ran separate wire for the LED instead of running on the motor leads.
Another stock skid broke, so I tried yet another attempt at steel wire skids, but this time I used small aluminum tube for the actual skid part.
All this done tonight, just in time for a nice calm-winded night-flying session.

 

They say necessity is the mother of invention... and why buy something I can make for free? Since I keep hearing the phrase "I can't wait to see...", and I never seem to have anyone with a steady hand around to hold the camera for me, I decided to remedy the problem and make a "hat mount" for one of my smart-phones that has the best resolution. It's a piece of wire coat-hanger strategically bent to fit.

Of course, I had to go test it immediately, so outside I went despite that it was a somewhat breezy night:

Now I'm a bit better equipped to get video of my future misadventures.

 

Okay..... did someone declare this "Airframe Rebuild Week" or something?? I'm not quite finished rebuilding my "overgrown eggbeater coax", and tonight I noticed my 120sr has a cracked frame where the tail boom socket meets the main shaft tube. It's nothing obviously bad and the bird still flys good, but who knows if @Crash Heligod might take advantage of the opportunity. Fortunately, @smakmeharder Heligod blessed me with a spare frame some months ago. No big deal, the bird is easy enough to rebuild. Speaking of frames, I need to get things done before the Gt450 arrives, hopefully next week. I won't want any distractions once I get into that.

 

SIM is definitely helping me. I spent a few hours on it last night, then fired up the Nano CPx today- I can feel the difference. It's much easier flying head-in than before. I like being able to adjust the servo rates on the SIM... I can make a 500 feel twitchy like the little Nano.

 

Well....... here's something you don't see everyday.... ....... beating up the Nano today. @Crash Heligod would be proud I bet. The 120sr took a beating as well, going nose in to a garage door and effectively crumpling the nose of the canopy. I need to tear it down and replace the battery lead to the Rx board, getting tail blow-out on throttle bumps now. I just replaced motors recently, so the lead is all that's left to replace. At any rate, both birds survive a rough day.

 

Shiz. I overhauled the 120sr with a good frame, new connectors and leads with bigger wire. All went well when I flew the first pack. On the second pack, I had no ailieron response! Volt meter check shows good voltage output in response to stick movement, so I've either nicked a motor lead or servo motor has gone bad. Good thing I have spares.
(Wow. I've written almost 9 pages of this Shiz now! )

 

I seem to have settled on Heli-X. It has the best response out of the ones I've tried so far.

 

Yep..... bad servo motor. I installed one from the parts imported from Austrailia awhile back..... Works fine now.

 

The HAT CAM clip is pretty darn good, man i wish i thought of that before i brought the mobius cam...

 

I find myself already preparing the garage for winter, removing clutter, moving uprightly protruding objects to out of the way places, and otherwise trying to "crashproof" the room. My two Blade birds will get a workout there this winter. I can even fly the big coaxial eggbeater there if I want to scare the heck out of kids and small animals, but movement is a bit limited on 560mm rotors in a two car garage...... never mind trying to hover a 450 clone there when the thing is built. There is however, plenty of room for spool-ups and pre-flight testing.

 

hahah when I got my Mini protos all back and running.. its was 2 am.. raining outside side.. and went stuff it.. I work on the heli's in the garage.. and hovered it.. in there.. was an interesting experience..

 

Did you fly like this @Manyc ? Here is something to aspire to @Beaver

 

Awesome, his skill knows no bounds
Simon