T-Rex 450 se V2 fpv build and set up

[AdamM]

Looks good! The audio might drive me batty, but otherwise that looks like a nice setup

[l14m]

Lols yeh the audio needs a wind sock or something, the mics built into the vtx. This was only a test which is why it's so short, my next vids will hopefully have some editing and a sound track if that helps lols.
Regards Liam

[l14m]

Had a quick flight toay but had a few issues with my tail. I couldnt get any input to turn right a couple of times which is why you see the tail kick round to the left. Its me simply trying it in the other dirrection.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaaDbvG8YCc[/ame]
Regards Liam.

[l14m]

I found out what the tail problem was, it turns out there's a threaded bar on the pitch slider which had un wound itself which stopped the tail from pitching all the way to the right. here's another video from yesterday
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JquEiMtCoQ[/ame]
Regards Liam

[l14m]

Fantastic weather here in the UK at the moment so tomorrow I'm going to try out the antenna tracking.
Liam

[tomcarpenter]

Originally Posted by l14m

It could be high frequency vibes which maybe only visible with your extended landing gear.

I met up with a couple of friends yesterday and had my first proper flight of the year. Took off under goggles and it was so much easier. Flew out to about 700 meters and Rc link was blipping up and down between 99 and 85 so as it was my first flight this year I turned back and did some circuits. I was amazed that she was only pulling 13-14 amps in fff at about 25-35 mph and in a 5 min flight only burned 1000mah from a 4s 2450 lipo, so loads of juice left. Before I took off I had made my mind up to land under the goggles for the first time lols. I came into my approach with a slow forward hover and at 4 foot up hit the throttle hold and gave a slight amount of positive pitch and nearly landed on the Tarmac but just went over to one side by a foot or two and landed upright but in some long grass. No damage and am now fully buzzed up again Lols. Biggest let down after doing all my set up carefully and chatting with friends was that I didnt hit record on my dvr. Oh well at least I live to fly another day.
Regards Liam

I've given up landing FPV. I've had about 3 or 4 landings where the tail just tapped the ground enough to strip the gears. And one where I bounced and flipped (though luckily no damage).
It's fun and convenient to land FPV, but all my 'crashes' have been landing FPV and not at any other time.
So to save down time and repair costs I now land LOS.
I hover to a safe distance. Usually side on. Get the heli steady.
I make a mental note of roughly where it is (you can hear where) and which way it should be pointing.
THen whip off the goggles.
It takes <1sec to locate it, adjust to the brightness, focus and orientate my brain!
BeastX is so steady it hovers on the spot real well

[l14m]

I had exactly the same problems as you say on landing fpv. I hit the tail down early twice and stripped the belt and tail blades and even managed a topple over once. I then moved back to landing line of sight and although I could hover the heli 30 feet in front of me and like you said, you can hear it lols. The transition from fpv to Los, I always gave to much stick and had to recover from over in puts. I now land all my flights fpv and the way I do it is to come into land on a very slow glide rate (5mph) and when I get to approx 5-10 feet of the ground I auto the rest. So far it has been the best way for me, touch wood lols.
My next mission is trying some smoother lift offs with the Beastx. At the moment I build up power hit idle 1 for 90-95% power and give a pitch boost which lifts me 50 foot into the air in about half a second lols. I now want to try more gentle lift offs.
Ive been watching your progress Tom and see you've moved onto the 500 now (brave). Just need to track down those vibrations. Post some pics of your set up.
Regards Liam

[tomcarpenter]

There's nothing brave about moving to 500 (or bigger!)

Just down to how much you want to pay for repairs! 500 isnt much bigger, plus spares are abundant as its a popular size (+I have load from my LOS training days).

I would be happy to fly a 550 FPV, though I will keep my 550 for my basic 3d skills!

I always flick to idle up before releasing Hold. Since once I forgot and tried to invert hover in normal mode!

So my proceedure is;
Hold on. Timer started. Idle up. I check my radio visually (timer counting down etc).
Goggles on. Get comfortable. The release the hold!
I give about 75% throttle.
I give NO cyclic input until the heli is off the ground (as you know FBL controllers dont like input on the ground. I nearly had a tip over once!)
As soon as skids leave the ground gentle forward on the stick so I dont reverse into my face!

[tomcarpenter]

I think my vibes could be lack of power/wrong pinion.
My lipos are old, so I will try newer, higher C ones (on order)
Also possibly headspeed too low. Sounds wrong and I am already at 100% throttle!
I have loads of pinions except the 1 or 2 I need to try (now on order).

I normally use a boom mounted tacho to check HS but it's packed in a box somewhere (Imove house v soon!)

So wrong HS/too low could add vibes.

Plus my landing gear are HUGE! that can be a problem I will replace and stick on some 600 gorilla skidz (I might return to landing FPV again!)

I will get round to pics soon

[l14m]

It was far to windy to fly yesterday but as I had driven miles with some fellow fpv'ers we decided to any way. They were flying wings so went affected by the wind as much. The vid is shot at White Horse Hills in Oxfordshire UK and I only remembered to get someone to hit record half way throughout the flight lols. Landing was tricky to say the least in high winds.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPiDzyFbfAM[/ame]
Regards Liam

[jeremy cooksey]

hey got a quick question. im thinking of doing another camera mount on my 450.Has any one seen one mounted inside the canopy ? Like you are realy setting in the cockpit?

[l14m]

I've seen it done on a 250 and a bigger heli and as long as you can get a good hard fixing you should be fine. One downfall from mounting there is over exsposureroom from the sky and sun, where as if mounted under Neath the frame your cam is shaded. Also you are limited where you mount your lipo.
Regards Liam

[tarro]

Nice work Liam.

Excellent work you done with your trex 450.
In your videos I've seen that still do not pass beyond 600 meters away.
Have you tried the full range of your system? I ask because I want to go from 2.4GHz to LRS to fly farther and I'd like to read your comments.

Best regards.

[l14m]

Hi Tarro I've been keeping an eye on the rssi lols. As I haven't had much time in the air over the last year, I've been getting used to flying with the goggles again. Also been enjoying not fixing her back up every two minutes lols. I have got some fields lined up over the next month so will try some more distance then. I need to re calibrate the rssi as soon as possible as I don't think I have it set up perfectly yet, which is why it's been fluctuating a little. One thing I'm not keen on the near range rx is the single antenna just hanging down but Thomas has told me it will be fine as long as my other electrical equipment isn't interfering. I recon once I have it 100% it should be good for 2-3 miles. I was looking into the long range rx but it's more sensitive. Might get one any way shortly.
Regards Liam

[tomcarpenter]

I got to 2Km using my standard spektrum systems.

AR9000, 3 satellites. All vertical polarised. spaced all around the Quad.

I have a data logger too, and no fades or holds.

But maybe I have been lucky. I wouldnt want to push beyond about 1.5Km normally!

[l14m]

I had 1.5 miles a couple of times on futaba 2.4 fast system but on each attemp I crashed on return at about 500 meters out. This was why I switched UHF although I must say it still doesn't garentee reception. You need to do lots of testing to make sure each bit of your electrical system doesn't affect the rx. I range tested mine with just one servo attached and with no anttena on the Rc tx. I managed 25 meters and slowly worked back from that by adding the other servos and esc to it, which had no affect on range. I then put my osd on and added fpv gear. The range dropped down to 6 meters so I extended the vtx antenna to the tail which improved it a bit. I turned off the cam and got back up to 22 meters so added a few ferrite rings and now have it at 25 meters.
Regards Liam

[tomcarpenter]

I've got a UHF now, but what puts me off is having to use a horrible old Futaba transmitter instead of my new(ish) JR DSX9.

[l14m]

Which UHF system did you get and is there no way of getting ppm signal out of your newer tx?

[tomcarpenter]

I got ezuhf.

works fine with a 7 channel old fm futaba I got,

I dont thing the modern DSM futabas work with EZUHF, but could be wrong. pretty sure immersion said they dont

I tried to make a cable to hook up my JR DSX9 but didnt work, and despite lots of web searches couldnt fine any success.

just want a nice modern radio with big graphics LCD that will work with it.

I cant bare going back in time and using a clunky old radio with cryptic LCD panel!

I just need to do some more research

[pr0ject42]

I got a 10chp with the 72 MHz module. Works with my TS long range uhf unit and is nice and modern and compatible with the FASST system if you get that module too. I'll never need another tx again, I don't think.

If you get the 10c as 2.4 from the factory, you can't use modules so make sure you get one that is 72mhz.