Setting flight control limits

[dscottj]

I'm trying to understand & ensure my flight control limits are correct. If I'm understanding what they're for, this is one area I'd expect to need to alter due to me having a different radio than the previous owner. My swash is eyeball level when I have all my radio's sticks centered and the Total-G finishes booting up, and all the servos are going in the correct directions. I have a digital pitch gauge. Per the video, my DX7 radio has L&R Aileron set to 150%, and D&U elevator set to 150%. The chopper is sitting on a surface with .01 degree of positive pitch. I am using mode 1 on the radio, which has a linear pitch curve to 100%

When I use my hands to top and bottom the servos, I get + 18 and -30, so I think I have plenty of mechanical travel. I use the radio to control an MCPX and things seem to work fine.

When I move the elevator back and forth with the blades perpendicular to the body, I get +4.8 and - 11.7 of pitch. When I move the aileron with the blades parallel to the body I get +5 and -10 of pitch. This is definitely less than the +/- 14 shown in the video.

What am I doing wrong that's preventing me from getting the +/- 14?

[CF_Machete]

zero your digi gauge on your tail boom or some where on your frame, also a swash level tool is recommended, but not necessary. at mid throttle and max cyclic, if you cannot achieve +/- 11 degrees, up the travel adjust in the total-g. Then adjust your travel adjusts in your tx until they are between 6-8 degrees... or to what ever deflection that you are comfortable with on a flybarred head. if you want more or less cyclic deflection in you idol up modes, then you can adjust your D/R instead of your travel adjust. They do the same thing, but straight travel adjust will set your cyclic deflection across all of your idol up modes.

[MarshallB]

Originally Posted by dscottj

I'm trying to understand & ensure my flight control limits are correct. If I'm understanding what they're for, this is one area I'd expect to need to alter due to me having a different radio than the previous owner. My swash is eyeball level when I have all my radio's sticks centered and the Total-G finishes booting up, and all the servos are going in the correct directions. I have a digital pitch gauge. Per the video, my DX7 radio has L&R Aileron set to 150%, and D&U elevator set to 150%. The chopper is sitting on a surface with .01 degree of positive pitch. I am using mode 1 on the radio, which has a linear pitch curve to 100%

When I use my hands to top and bottom the servos, I get + 18 and -30, so I think I have plenty of mechanical travel. I use the radio to control an MCPX and things seem to work fine.

When I move the elevator back and forth with the blades perpendicular to the body, I get +4.8 and - 11.7 of pitch. When I move the aileron with the blades parallel to the body I get +5 and -10 of pitch. This is definitely less than the +/- 14 shown in the video.

What am I doing wrong that's preventing me from getting the +/- 14?

I noticed you said previous owner. If this unit did come from someone else all the parameters should have been set to default. I'm not sure whether you did that but it's a good idea because you never know how far off they may have changed the settings.

[dscottj]

You mentioned a reset program earlier, but I don't see anything explicitly marked reset in the folder under program files. I can't find the install folder on the hard drive. There's something called "totalG Repair." Is that what you're talking about?

[dscottj]

Went ahead and tried the repair program. After asking me to power cycle the unit several times, I get a "could not download firmware" error. I've power cycled everything, including the computer, and still (eventually) get that message.

[dscottj]

Update 2: went into "advanced" and found a reset button. Hit that and got the same notice to power cycle, but no error. Didn't seem to change much. *SHRUG*?

However, when I put BOTH sticks full up, or full down, I get the amount of travel I'm expecting?

Unfortunately the videos are down right now

[dscottj]

Ah-ha... reset the unit, then reconnect resulted in a new set of values on everything. No obvious response from the gyros to movement. I will go through the detailed instruction manual now.

[dscottj]

Gyros are not responding to main body movement after the settings reset. Gah!

[MarshallB]

If you don't have the FC on, meaning values set to the aux channel (aux2, gear) for FC to turn on, then the swash will not counter act. Also the reset values I was talking about is in the TotalG interface software I believe under the advanced menu. It says Reset parameters. That's what needs to be done if you have something other than a brand new unit you are installing.

[dscottj]

Yes, I finally figured out where the reset was & fired it off. Apologies, I don't quite understand what you mean in your first sentence?

[CF_Machete]

you can set the flight control gain assigned to a channel theat has proper travel adjust it will essentially turn your gain off.the FC gain is for your aileron and elevator gyros. i have my gain set to aux 2, which is a 3 position switch on my jr 9303. When my 3 position switch is centered, the FC gain is off and my swash plate will not respond to movement. I use the center setting when leveling my swashplate, setting pitch and my cyclic deflection. When your unit is connected, check the fc gsin value... it should be around 48 to start with. also, when your unit is plugged in, the cyclic gyros will have a reduced response.

[j bomb]

As someone has said already, the gyros won't react to movement of the heli unless there is some FC gain, but the mechanical setup must be done w/ the FC gain set at zero or else you will have some wierd things going on.

[memini]

Originally Posted by CF_Machete

zero your digi gauge on your tail boom or some where on your frame, also a swash level tool is recommended, but not necessary. at mid throttle and max cyclic, if you cannot achieve +/- 11 degrees, up the travel adjust in the total-g. Then adjust your travel adjusts in your tx until they are between 6-8 degrees... or to what ever deflection that you are comfortable with on a flybarred head. if you want more or less cyclic deflection in you idol up modes, then you can adjust your D/R instead of your travel adjust. They do the same thing, but straight travel adjust will set your cyclic deflection across all of your idol up modes.

How do you view the 11 degrees? From which angle? When the menu says right, left etc, from which angle to view?

[mystar60]

You set your Collective stick to 0 and then view from the either side for Forward/Backward Flip adjustment and then view from Front/Rear for Left/Right roll. This is to tell the Total G the maximum cyclic to give. Then you lower your Aileron/Elevator endpoints to about 80 and test fly it.
If it is too slow/fast in any in of the Cyclic inputs you adjust each to your liking.

Kevin

[vboy55]

Make sure You set them to 11 degrees
when you're in the total g menu you will use the travel adjustments run them up to 150 in all four directions then bring the travel adjust down till the pitch gauge reads 11 degrees with the stick in full positions front back left and right you have hit the set button with the stick in that position. Make sure you have the cursor on whatever direction you are adjusting

Remember when done and your out of the software that you set the aileron and elevator to 80 then like Kevin said higher is faster

This does not apply for the pitch travel adjustment this you will set to whatever pitch you prefer 11 degrees 12 degrees of collective

[memini]

Thank you for all your help.

Will try them tomorrow.