Radio Control Hobbies

[SecretSquirrel]

that's a lot of controls for a helicopter... any easy way to explain how it all works SecretSquirrel?

Left stick: up/down, rotate left/right
Right stick: pitch forward/back, pitch left/right

Thats the real simple version. Not all the switches and channels are used on such a small heli. Even on big setups, I usually have a switch or two unassigned. Most of the switch are not set up to directly control functions of the model, but to modify how the radio processes your inputs before sending it to the model.

--SS

[JohnC]

Back into helicopters...



Yes, it's a DX8 -- for flying a micro, indoor bird.



I sold off all my Spektrum gear some time ago. Not because I didn't like it, but I needed more channels and the Hitec Aurora 9 fit the bill. Well, now I'm buying Spektrum gear again. I've been drooling over several park fliers and while I can get them receiver ready, the micro indoor stuff is all bind-n-fly Spektrum. So, I'll just be a two radio house I suppose.

The mCPx is amazing. I certainly am not up to utilizing its capabilities for 3d flight yet, but it hovers better than my old CX2 or Blade 400 ever did.

--SS

Good stuff! I used to play with more simple model, Blade mCX2 (coax rotors) and different controller, DX5e (less channels, no LCD display)... Until I got bored of it and kind of abandoned it

[SecretSquirrel]

Good stuff! I used to play with more simple model, Blade mCX2 (coax rotors) and different controller, DX5e (less channels, no LCD display)... Until I got bored of it and kind of abandoned it

That's where I started. Actually the mCX2 didn't exist the, it was just the CX2. But, I started with the DX5e and moved up from there. I definitely got bit by the bug.

--SS

[JohnC]

B.t.w, how's mCPX - is it easy to trim properly? Is it more "responsive" than the CX2 (for some reason my mCX2 always felt "laggy", regardless of DX5e's settings)? How long do the "stock" batteries last?

[SecretSquirrel]

B.t.w, how's mCPX - is it easy to trim properly? Is it more "responsive" than the CX2 (for some reason my mCX2 always felt "laggy", regardless of DX5e's settings)? How long do the "stock" batteries last?

I took it out of the box, charged the batteries and went flying. No trim needed to hover hands off. Way, way, way more responsive than the CX2, or any coax bird. This one will get away from you really quick. It is capable of full 3-D flight and is fast for it's size. If you can hover a single rotor fixed pitch heli, you can hover the mCPX, but it is not a "first helicopter" at all. I fly with a full up computer radio so I can customize sensitivity and such. Supposedly it has some built in settings for flying with a non-computer radio, but I don't know how much that changes its feel.

I did have the opportunity to crash it twice tonight. My club holds indoor flying sessions in the gym of a local church once or twice a month and I got to let it "stretch its wings", so to speak. Smacked the wall about 30 feet up the first time and tagged a set of folded up tables at a fair rate of speed the second time. It gets rave reviews from me on survivability. One broken ball link and a scuffed blade was the total damage.

--SS

[FroBozz_Inc]

I received a Traxxas Stampede VXL 4x4 for Christmas
It's a blast. I added a light kit for night driving last night.

Electric R/C has come a ways since the early 90's when I last had an Associated RC10T.
Brushless motors, Lipo batteries, 2.4Ghz radios, waterproof electronics, better ESC's.

Already ordered a complete stainless steel screw set as a few stock screw heads are already rusting from all the snow.
Electronics may be "waterproof" but the stock fasteners sure aren't.

[SecretSquirrel]

I received a Traxxas Stampede VXL 4x4 for Christmas
It's a blast. I added a light kit for night driving last night.

Electric R/C has come a ways since the early 90's when I last had an Associated RC10T.
Brushless motors, Lipo batteries, 2.4Ghz radios, waterproof electronics, better ESC's.

Already ordered a complete stainless steel screw set as a few stock screw heads are already rusting from all the snow.
Electronics may be "waterproof" but the stock fasteners sure aren't.

Electric RC has come a very long way indeed. My Chistmas present: UMX Sbach 342 3D. I don't have any pictures of mine yet. 17" wingspan, fully aerobatic.

You can go from that to a 100cc equivelent electric on what is effectively the same technology. Pretty crazy stuff. On the car side, you've got 100+mph cars that would win a 1/4 mile drag against all but the top full scale supercars. My first RC car was a Porsche 925 made by someone or another. It took 8, D cell NiCad batters and ran through them in about 5 minutes. I thought it was the best thing in the world.... It might have hit 15mph

--SS

[SuperSpy]

My new plaything.

[liquidsquid]

Got an RC speedboat for Christmas... now to wait for the pond to melt a bit!

[Buub]

SuperSpy, what is that? It looks like fun!

[SuperSpy]

SuperSpy, what is that? It looks like fun!

It's a Traxxas QR-1.

I guess it's actually a rebrand of another quad-copter 'with Traxxas enhancements', but it sure is one heck of handful. I've gone through almost all of the included spare blades in the few dozen flights I've been able to get in so far, and replacement blades are still on backorder

[FireGryphon]

Just found this and figured I'd share: a video of a guy making his plane dance to the Blue Danube! The pilot has awesome control of that plane.

[SecretSquirrel]

My club holds a spring youth event for a local group of underprivledged/at risk youth. This weekend was sunny, 75 deg, and beautiful. Got a couple of nice shots from the event.















--SS

[SecretSquirrel]

Time to pull out the check book.... Yesterday I re-kitted my beautiful WildHare MX2. I was doing a knife edge pass across the field at about 30-40 feet up and "dumb thumbed" the exit. It went in nose first, a speed.









The airframe is a complete loss. The elevator and rudder servos seem to be ok as they still rotate smoothly. The canister exhaust is trashed. I know at least one of the batter packs is toast as it had one of the main power leads ripped out. Those are just things I noted either while bagging up the bits or when taking them out of the car. The pile is on the floor in the garage. I'll probably go strip it and see what is salvagable later today.

--SS