RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems
Yeah, let the thread die, please, I'm sick of hearing you guy's bullsh*t. I've moved on a long time ago, and I think if you look at the date before you post, then you'll see that, since I obviously haven't responded once for about 2 months now. I don't care...and it should be obvious, so please, let it go. And good luck with this money pit of a hobby.
Posted on: 2/13/2006 9:28 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Electric RC Helis"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3904909

RE: HeliMax MX400 Problems
Heli-Max is hobbico, see here [link]http://www.hobbico.com/[/link] [quote]if you jam the throttle stick to full throttle really fast[/quote] um, I didn't hit full throttle, more like 1/4 throttle, and I do have the ESC in governor mode (ultra soft start). The part is junk. How many people have broken this part already? Respond to this message, thanks.
Posted on: 12/2/2005 12:12 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Electric RC Helis"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3610281

RE: Thecheatscalc's 36 tuning and assy
a little tip for ya. If you have a ball link that is really loose and flopping around, take a tiny (AND I MEAN TINY, like, with a toothpick or something) bit of CA and run it into the ball groove, and immediately push it onto the ball. allow it to sit for a second and then continually move the link until the CA dries. Then, you should have a nice smooth (not floppy) ball link connection.
Posted on: 12/2/2005 9:45 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Electric RC Helis"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3609863

HeliMax MX400 Problems
If you're going to buy the MX 400 helicopter, then here's a couple tips for you. Buy the upgraded (metal) center hub right away. The 'plastic' center hub is so cheap, it breaks if you start the motor too fast. (see my rant at the end of post) Point two, related to above. Buy an ESC with a governor mode to control the rotor spin up and 'under load' rotations. (Castle Creations Phoenix 35 for ex) If you want a cheap solution for servos, but the EFlite S75 servos. No one even comes close to the torque and light weight for $15.00 The HeliMax 6 pole motor is a really powerfull motor. You could easily overpower your heli with it, so start with a lower tooth count pinion and step up from there. About the MX400, problems This is the age we live in, where manufacturers know there are huge problems with things and do nothing to straighten them out. There is no possible way that HeliMax (Hobbico) could NOT know that this center hub problem exists. Oh yeah, there is one way, they never tested any of their helis...but we all know that's impossible. Ok, so I've had this heli for a month, never flown it, but have replaced the center hub already. Why? because I accidentally hit the throttle with my hand when setting up the mixing. Oh, no, the heli didn't hit anything! the torque snapped the center hub. Now, I've flown the heli. I've crashed it, and it was a head crash (tail is fine), so I want to buy a head crash kit. Only problem is, 1/2 the parts in there I don't need. I don't need a main shaft, I don't need a feathering spindle. No, I need all new linkages, a new swashplate (yes, that's right, it ripped the balls right out of it), basically all the plastic parts. (oh this is about $90 US) Why? because the center hub broke, and everything torqued off from there. Believe me, if that part had held together, I would have been able to use the standard crash kit, and been just fine. My advice, either buy the metal center hub for the MX400, or buy a T-Rex, either way, you're paying about the same. Otherwise, I'd stay away from this heli, no matter how well it flies, eventually you WILL crash it, and you know what happens after that.
Posted on: 12/2/2005 8:41 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Electric RC Helis"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3609672

RE: blades getting out of pitch mid-flight?
Check out the blade tracking tutorial here, and read the replies too for additional information. Just make sure you've done all the steps that's all. If you have, then check for binding of linkages. [link]http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3509788/tm.htm[/link] Good Luck!
Posted on: 11/5/2005 9:03 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Electric RC Helis"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3523499

RE: Collective Pitch Blade Tracking Tutorial
Thanks guys for all the input, I'll update the tutorial this weekend. Meantime, feel free to throw out any other suggestions. Thanks!
Posted on: 11/2/2005 7:31 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3515714

RE: HB CP2 LiPo Battery Be Careful...
"shudders", wow!
Posted on: 11/2/2005 12:47 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3513279

RE: Walkera Dragonfly #4 Help
Sounds to me like you're doing fine...if you can hover a DF #4 for 3 seconds in one place, you are. The tendency to slide left is normal, and since the heli doesn't have digital servos, you will constantly find yourself having to trim the heli. One thing you could look for if you want to is slop in the linkages, control rod ends and binding. All of these could cause erratic behavior. Also, the gyro keeps the tail of the gyro where you put it (or the nose, whichever way you choose to look at it). So if a wind comes along and whacks the side of the helicopter, it's not supposed to turn easily. You can simulate this by holding the skids with one hand while the prop is spinning and trying to move the tail. If you feel resistance, then your gyro is working.
Posted on: 11/2/2005 12:24 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3513247

RE: Transmitter setup etc, etc, etc...
I have the same heli, so I hope I can help you out. [quote]PLT appears to set the servo range whilst the PZT sets the pitch maximum achievable. Please correct that if wrong[/quote] The PLT pot stands for Pitch Length Trim, meaning the amount maximum amount of pitch you get. The PZT pot stands for Pitch Zero Trim, meaning where on the throttle stick your blades start to pitch. This also affects throttle. Sounds like you need to do this. 1. Switch the #8 DIP switch to the 'unlock' position. 2. Turn on the transmitter 3. Set the PLT and PZT knobs to 0 (centered) 4. Switch the #8 DIP switch to the 'lock' position. The #8 switch is for these two knobs only, so you cannot accidentally change them in flight. Sounds to me like your radio was either not set properly from the factory, or you accidentally changed it. Just doing the above, you will notice that at 1/8 to 1/3 stick, your motor starts to spin. At 50% throttle you will be at 75% of your rotor's max RPM and any higher up to 65% you will reach 100% rpm and pitch should start to increase. You should then have the full 7 degrees pitch at full stick (hold onto that sucker). Let me know if this doesn't help and I'll look into more solutions. Thanks!
Posted on: 11/2/2005 12:03 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3513198

RE: Collective Pitch Blade Tracking Tutorial
[quote]How do they do the big nitro machines?[/quote] Many people at my field have large nitro helis. Most of the time they just set it down and spool it up while watching the blades (on the runway of course).
Posted on: 11/1/2005 11:38 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3513130

RE: desperated help
If you're looking for a heli that is that big, you'll be lucky to find one that's assembled. It also depends on what you're lifting, and for what purpose. If you're taking pictures with it, for instance. There's a Draganflyer which is very expensive, do a search on the web. It's basically a flying platform. Or if you don't care about smoke, buy a Raptor 90 or something big that's Glow powered. If you're trying to move a load, good luck! Unless you have a lot of money to spend when it crashes (notice I didn't say IF). Either way, if you buy a standard heli, you're talking about separate components. You can always hire someone to build one for you, but not me.
Posted on: 11/1/2005 4:22 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3511557

RE: New heli
only you can decide that. on the one hand you have a collective pitch heli with some cool stuff, and on the other hand you have a fixed pitch heli with some cool stuff. you're back to your old decision between fixed pitch and collective pitch. good luck!
Posted on: 11/1/2005 3:48 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3511443

RE: Gain Settings HB CP2
Set the gain so that the tail starts to wobble a little bit back and forth, then turn the gain back 1/8 turn. The spin to the left may be a trim problem. The gyro is not going to correct trim problems, it will only correct effects from outside forces (wind, etc). It's perfectly normal for a helicopter with a clockwise rotating main blade to slide left. You can adjust the trim on your aileron stick to compensate, but, you will lose some ability to compensate left when you really need it. Hope that helps a bit.
Posted on: 11/1/2005 3:44 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3511429

RE: New heli
Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this. The biggest difference (besides being able to change the blade pitch) between a fixed pitch and a collective pitch helicopter is the fact that the rotor on a collective pitch heli is usually spinning at 100%, and the heli can sit there and not lift off the ground. You then advance the throttle stick more to raise the pitch angle to lift the helicopter. On a fixed pitch helicopter, not so. You increase the rotor speed to gain altitude (the motor spins faster and faster until it lifts off). Now the important part, landing. With a FP heli, you are slowing the motor down to land already. Landing is easier. With a CP heli, you are still spinning at full speed when landing, more likely to tip over and flip off into the sunset. Also, the design of the FP blades make it inherantly stable. Washout and blade pitch angles combined with lower rotor speeds, etc make it a good starter. Basically, you will be bored eventually, and you will need to buy a CP heli eventually unless you stop flying a heli altogether. Just FYI, my first heli was/is a Dragonfly #36 (TRex Sized). collective pitch, and as stable as I've seen in an electric heli. I only tipped over twice (because I was new), and no other incidents. It's a nice heli, and I'm not planning any more e-heli purchases before going to glow engine heli. Good Luck!
Posted on: 11/1/2005 1:00 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3510973

RE: New heli
If you're that worried about being bored, then you SHOULD get a collective pitch heli. That will keep you busy! But...you'd better play around with FMS Simulator for a while. Get a simulator cable for your controller because a joystick just isn't the same. The smaller the helicopter, the more sensitive the controls. Keep that in mind. Simulator, Simulator, Simulator. Training Gear, Training Gear, etc...you get the point...
Posted on: 11/1/2005 1:18 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3509812

Collective Pitch Blade Tracking Tutorial
I've made a blade tracking tutorial (It's an MS Word 2003 document right now), since there's not a really complete one that I've found on the web, and the manuals for most of these helicopters are horrible when it comes to telling you how to do it. Feedback is welcome as long as it's constructive (i.e.; provides information to make the tutorial better). [link=http://home.comcast.net/~jmemo/How_to_Track_your_helicopter_blades.doc]Main Blade Tracking Tutorial[/link] I will make it into a web page and edit this post when it's done. Enjoy!
Posted on: 11/1/2005 1:02 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "RC Helicopter Beginners Forum"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3509788

RE: Hummingbird Hovering Question
You'll lose a lot of power if your blades don't track properly too (one blade's pitch is a different angle than the other blade's). If you spin it up (hold onto the heli) and your blades look fuzzy (like their not really running at the same height), then you're losing power. Since it's probably fixed pitch, either get new blades or try to twist them (use tracking tape to see which blade is higher/lower and twist in the right direction). (you may have to search on techniques for blade twisting)
Posted on: 10/10/2005 12:41 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Electric RC Helis"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3441273

RE: Something Extra ARF C.G.???
Awesome! Thanks!
Posted on: 8/5/2005 12:35 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3234218

Something Extra ARF C.G.???
Help! I just bought a Something Extra ARF on eBay and I want to check the balance. Unfortunately, I have no manual for the plane, so I have no idea what the measurements are for the C.G. control surface throws, etc! If anyone can tell me this info, or send me a link to a manual (besides buying it from Sig), then please help me out! Thank You!
Posted on: 8/5/2005 12:48 AM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3233075

RE: post pics of your trainer planes!
Here's mine...Black Horse Excel 2000...nice starter plane. Engine is a SuperTigre .40 Ringed/BB, straight and smooth at 1/3 throttle. [image]http://home.comcast.net/~jmemo/myplanesm.jpg[/image]
Posted on: 7/18/2005 11:10 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3179370

RE: The most common beginner flying mistakes
I have a link to post with a 'trainer's guide'. I found it on the internet, and it's been a great help with the flight simulator, and, it also helps me prepare for when I finally get some training, or solo without training out of frustration... [link=http://www.palosrc.com/instructors/teachrc.htm]Instructor's Training Guide[/link] OK, so I'm a newbie, and I've never flown yet, outside of RC Plane Master, but I've spent so much time on the sim that I feel like I've been doing it for years. I haven't had the joy of 'the shakes' yet, but I'm ready for it. Now if only I could get someone at the local club to show some interest in training me. It's ok, cause once I get my AMA info, I'm going, and if no one is there to help me, I'm soloing the first time out. It costs a lot less to buy a new plane ARF, than to buy all that radio gear and engine (which may survive a crash while landing). I know how to control a plane really well thanks to the link above. Call me crazy, but I have $500 sitting on a stand in my house doing nothing, and it's not moved for a month and a half. I got so frustrated I was taxiing in my 30 x 30 back yard yesterday!
Posted on: 7/10/2005 10:45 PM by Author "mimeauja" in the forum "Beginners"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=3154648