Tips and Tricks

Maybe we could use this thread as a place to put any little tips, tricks or ideas that you may have or know about that you use to make the hobby work better for you. I'll start with one of mine.

As a woodworker I use a little trick that woodworkers use when building a project that makes it easier to repeat or remember accurate measurements. It's called a story pole. For my Rc Helicopters I call it a story stick. I use it to make quick work of reinstalling my flybar and paddles accurately without having to measure every time. Once you have your flybar installed, simply take a small piece of wood or cardboard about 14" wide by whatever length you need and mark and then cut it to the length from your fly weight or link to the end of the flybar. Then after your paddles are installed, make another for the length from the weight or link to the root of the paddle. Next time you have to remove and replace your flybar you wont have to fiddle with all the measuring. Just use the story stick. They will be perfect every time. Saves a bit of time.

Donnie D

I've noticed that almost every time I install a new center hub on my HBFP that the hole in the center hub that the flybar goes through is very tight around the flybar.

TIP: Before you install the new center hub onto the shaft, insert your flybar through the hole in the center hub to test the fit. If the fit is not loose, use a small rat tail file or drill bit to ream the hole out enough so that the flybar fits through the hole loosly. This must be a loose fit or your flybar and rotor head will bind and cause all types of flight problems.

Donnie D

Donnie D wrote:

I've noticed that almost every time I install a new center hub on my HBFP

that`s the great thing about this hobby,it`s not all about flying but also about improving our craft/diy skills
great tips donnie,keep `em coming

I have this info in another thread but thought it might be needed here as well.

TIP:
Want to give your heli a great look with a more agressive, nice looking stance and at the same time get that tail rotor out of the dirt?

Simply insert a shim(thickness of shim will depend on the size helicopter you have) between the main frame and the rear skid mount at the two mounting bolts or screws. On my HBFP and my Belt CP I used a two nylon washers aboit 1/8" thick, (experiment with different thicknesses to get it like you want it) one at each mounting screw. This lifted the tail rotor up about 3/4" to 1". I haven't noticed any negative effects at all and it looks really great and helps keep the tail rotor from striking the ground.
I liked this modification so much that I have done something similar to my ES 600 build using coil springs. More on that later along with some pictures.

Donnie D

Two quick, and very simple tips that you may not have thought of:

Tip 1:
Label all of your batterys with a letter or number or whatever. This will make it easier to rotate the use and keep up with the age of your batts.

Tip 2:
You probably have, or soon will have several batts for each of your helis. On the days when you go thru more than one batt in a flying session, it can be hard to keep up with which batts have been recharged and which haven't. I simply use rubber bands around the batts to help with this. The charged batts have a rubber band around them width wise. When I fly, I remove the rubber band while I'm flying, and when I remove the batt, I reinstall the rubberband around the batt length wise. Then after I recharge that particular batt I change the rubberband back to width wise. (Width wise=charged, length wise=discharged.)
The band also helps keep the batt wires from hanging loose and on the belt CP it helps hold the batt in the holder.

Donnie D

Great idea for a thread Donnie D.

One tip I can share is if you like to get upgraded batteries, don't be shy about marking the relative voltage and mAh ratings of the batteries, even the C rating as well. When you get multiple modles with multipe batteries and different capacities, this will save you a lot of headaches.

Since even permanent marker will rub off on a battery, mark the battery per above and the use some clear tape over the marking, that way they don't rub off.

Happy charging,

Tristar

This is a variation on an idea I got from Donne D.

If you have white or yellow blades, use a black magic marker to put symetrical markings on the top of the rotor blades. That way when your flying you will have that contrast when the top of the blade is facing you. And from examples I've seen, can give you a different look also. If you have black blades, just use white paint.

I recommend symetrical (meaning that you put the same # and width on each blade, espcially with paint, to make sure the blades are kept in balance. And if you do use paint, not a bad idea to check your blade balancing after your done.

For blade tracking purposes, my CP Pro 2 came marked with a thin pice of tape on each blade, one was black, the other was red. Again they were symetrical, placed on the same relative part of each blade. This made checking the tracking of the blades easier.

Tristar

Here is a quote from Nuttcaze on the same topic RC General section

Nuttcaze wrote:

you can also find holographics stickers for the main blades, or if your main blades are black, paint the tips white and get white flybar paddles, if your blades are white, try to find colored flybar paddles, you could always paint/color the entire blades too, all that will help make your rotors more visible which will really help you while learning, when you can see the blades, when they're spinning they'll make a disc, when that disc moves, the heli will move after, its almost like being able to read what your heli is gonna do before it does it.

Thanks Nuttcaze

You're right, I've noticed my permanent marker rubs off after awhile, and I've had to remark them several times. I'll try the tape. Sometimes the simplest tips are the best.

Donnie D

For those starting out, give yourself a visible indicator for your kill switch (the one that will disable the throttle on your Tx). E.g. on the Exceed Tx that comes with the Blue Ray 450, the top right switch serves this function. So I put some red tape on it to remind myself to only arm the throttle while flying, and disarm it before you approach the heli.

Just a tip for saftey sake.

Tristar

Just started building my EXI V2 and one of the first things I noticed is there is no threadlocker at all on the bird and most of the screws were loose. Always check all the screws on any new heli you get, be it used or new. Don't take it for granted that it was assembled properly.
NEVER use RED threadtock. You will never get your heli apart again.
BLUE for metal. Medium strength.
PURPLE for plastic. Low strength. Would not advise for delicate parts.

Darrel

Here is something that will help if you encounter a frame screw that won't loosen. On the frames like the Blue Ray, where you have two opposing frame bolts (one on each side), gently tighten both screws. Tighten the one you are trying to loosen, then try loosening it, holding the other still. That will help you secure the shaft or collar your trying to loosen the screw from.

When trying to assemble complex parts like a CNC tail unit, use some silly putty or tack to hold them together while your putting them together. See thread under CNC head upgrade walkthrough, CNC tail upgrade tips.

I've noticed with my HBFP that I have only needed to adjust my 4 in 1 gyro gain pot once since I've had it, but I need to touch up the proportion adjustment quite often. A properly adjusted proportion makes a BIG differance in how well the HBFP flys.

However, I found myself putting off adjusting it because I had to remove the canopy to make the adjustment. Shows how lazy I am.

So the other day to solve the problem and get around my lazyness, I simply drilled a 1/8" hole thru the wind screen (windshield) at the gyro and proportion adjustment pots. You don't even notice the hole, and now anytime I feel a need to make the adjustment, I can do it right thru the hole without removing the canopy. Just remember to unplug the batt each time you make the adjustment. The heli flys SO much better when that is in proper adjustment.

I also have a small screwdriver that I think came with one of my Lamas that clips to my tail boom just behind the canopy so I allways have it handy to make the adjustment.

Makes life much simpler and the heli flys much better.

Donnie D

Thought I would include my swash leveling video here...

Donnie D wrote:

I've noticed with my HBFP that I have only needed to adjust my 4 in 1 gyro gain pot once since I've had it, but I need to touch up the proportion adjustment quite often. A properly adjusted proportion makes a BIG differance in how well the HBFP flys

this is probably just my backward thinking/flying but sometimes i actually enjoy the challenge of an un-properly trimmed `Bee`

247rememberme wrote:

this is probably just my backward thinking/flying but sometimes i actually enjoy the challenge of an un-properly trimmed `Bee`

I did the same exact thing, I believe it was a great thing to do as now I can fly my helis the same now matter how out of trim/tune they are, all because I spent more time flying my old HBFP then I did trying to tune it

But it REALLY did help my skills

When the day comes that you go to a bigger CP, it won't even be a challenge

2 things I usually do to my batteries:

Tip 1:
Everytime I charge my battery, I use a tag usually found in grocery store or bread. So I know which battery is full




Tip 2:
I stick a masking tape on the battery. Everytime I charge the battery, I put a mark on the tape, so I know how many charge I done already. Every 20 charges, I balance the battery.

Great idea.

Donnie D

im new to all this but I've got a lil tip for newbees on CP helis i find it easyier if you put the Pitch on the Tx all the way to neg or to your liking and you get better control when it comes to the senceativity of your movements this give you more time to react only done side to this is battery dies quicker since you need alot of throttle to get it off the ground

This is an easy way to mount a lipo battery in an HBFP.I've been using it for allmost 2 months and it works great. It works with any type of skids. Also you don't have to remove the canopy to install or remove the battery. Super simple.

First this is the HBFP with extreme skids.

By d148521 at 2009-08-27

Install a piece of velcro to the floor of the canopy

By d148521 at 2009-08-27

Also install a piece of velcro on battery. Take note which side of the battery the velcro in on.


Insert battery into canopy onto the velcro with the batt lead to the rear port side as shown

By d148521 at 2009-08-27

Now plug in and fly

By d148521 at 2009-08-27

As I said the battery can be installed and removed without removing the canopy.

Donnie D

I may have hit on something good, don't know for sure yet.

We all use small zip ties to tie up and route all the wires on out heli's. They work great, but no matter how hard we try, they still show up because of the "knot" that the connection point for the two ends leaves.

I am installing navigation lights on my Bell 47, and needed to run the wiring, and a couple of the wires needed to run the length of the tail truss. With this being a scale heli, I wanted the wiring to be a inconspicuous as possable.

I decided to use pinstriping to "tape" the wires to the frame. Use it the same as you would zip ties but it doesn't show nearly as bad.

It comes in a lot of differant widths, colors and it is cheap.

I recommend useing zip ties to initally route the wires, as it is quicker, but when you are satisfied, replace the zip ties with pinstriping tape.

I'll keep you posted as to how it really works out.

Donnie D

building Exi450 plastic, can i use EXI digital 9g 113f as a tail servo? What exi servo would be better. Anyone know about Topband ,Topstar heli motors bought 450-02A 3450KV from Topband rep from China at the hobby show in Rosemont , suburb of Chicago, bought for $20, plus Demart 48v gyro for $15 ,sold out for ever at Xheli. Trying to built at budget, use Exceed 2.4 TX, nutt, did an Exi built using 9g 113F all 4, no 3d flying, I do plan to upgrade the plastic tail though. Plan to use Volcano 30 esc, what size battery? Any other ideas much appreciated. Been flying HBFP in my basement everyday for 7-8 months, good advise nuttcaze.