Help me choose a new FBL unit

[helidude71]

For my Gaui X5 i want to try a new FBL unit.
The BeastX works fine but I would like to try something more up-to-date, with an active governor as well.

I'm between a Mini VBar and a Skookum SK-540 and can't decide.

It should work with my YGE100LV (VBar ready) ESC.
And a better locked in feel compared to my BeastX.

Any help is much appreciated.

[CaptHal8HS]

I too am flying BeastX and would like to try a FBL unit with an active governor. A couple guys down at the field swear by VBar but it feels too esoteric to me.
The Skookum appears to be more modern and straight-forward to configure. So I'm am interested in hearing what others have to say as well.
Thanks for starting this thread.

[helidude71]

Did some more reading and is it already possible to read your own logs?
Or do you still need to send them to SK?

Also for the Mini VBar I need to solder some wiring for the governor to work.
Is this needed as well on the SK-540?
Or just plug in my rpm wire from the YGE and go fly?

[Slyster]

I switched from 3 vbars last year to 3 SK540's this year and I am not dissapointed! For my style.. the SK540s feel better to me... big flying, mild 3D, smooooth type stuff. I love having the little LCD field terminal too.. no more laptop to the field.

The 720 you can read your own logs, 540 only skookum can read them.

[tomd27858]

I sold my BeastX's once I tried the SK540. I have been very satisfied. The difference in feel is hard to explain. I feel more connected to the heli if that makes sense. My son tells me that it feels like flying the simulator to him. The heli responds exactly to the inputs.

[DaveHolland]

I also am selling or not looking for a BeastX anymore. The SK540 has been great and the Gov has worked well. It works better than the CC governor but I can bog it a little when I go hard on cull collective and I dont have the "manage collective" box checked. As far as between the two I feel the BeastX is a solid unit and no one can say other wise with its proven track record. The SK540 takes it up to the next level, my heli still feels locked in just like the BeastX but not as heavy and feels more floaty in the air. The BeastX gives you that really good locked in feeling if set up correctly but the SK540 will feel like a perfectly dialed in flybar with the benefits of an FBL in the wind.

[Rockarruda]

I recently helped a friend setup the AR7200BX BeastX controller and being a computer person I prefer a setup through usb. I can see how it is convenient without the PC, but the Skookum setup wizards makes it easier in my opinion to setup the unit than the BeastX menus. It makes it easier to setup when you have some visuals along with values that can be displayed.

That is just my opinion. What is great about the skookum units is that you can have a Sk540 and then upgrade to the SK720 by just loading the config file, done.

[helidude71]

Good info, thx.

Anyone on the YGE rpm wire?
Does this directly connect without soldering wires?

[helidude71]

Nobody using a YGE VBar ready SK-540 combi?

[CaptHal8HS]

Just visited the VBar website to learn that the VBar software is available for OS X! Being a Mac guy, this is very appealing to me as I am desperate to dump my VM software and be rid of all PC software for good. I also see a lot of guys on the Goblin configuration thread running VBar, so this unit is becoming a big contender for me.

[Dsss]

I have both the the 540 and the mini vb you really cant go wrong with them. Both have pros and cons.

[CaptHal8HS]

Originally Posted by Dsss

I have both the the 540 and the mini vb you really cant go wrong with them. Both have pros and cons.

How did you like the setup and the software for the Skookum 540?

[DaveHolland]

Originally Posted by CaptHal8HS

How did you like the setup and the software for the Skookum 540?

The setup is very easy. I watched the youtube skookum set up videos while I was waiting for delivery and it was simple to set up. You just click on the setup wizard and it will guide you step by step. I have now set up 3 systems and still use the wizard because it helps me not overlook steps or settings. A dialog box will open and describe what you need to do for that specific step, it will also circle the setting you are working on in the software. The only real thing that is left up to you entirely with the set up is your mechanical FBL set up and swash level. If you can do those two things then you will be fine.

[CaptHal8HS]

Originally Posted by destroyerbmx

The setup is very easy. I watched the youtube skookum set up videos while I was waiting for delivery and it was simple to set up. You just click on the setup wizard and it will guide you step by step. I have now set up 3 systems and still use the wizard because it helps me not overlook steps or settings. A dialog box will open and describe what you need to do for that specific step, it will also circle the setting you are working on in the software. The only real thing that is left up to you entirely with the set up is your mechanical FBL set up and swash level. If you can do those two things then you will be fine.

That's awesome! How is the governor on the Skookum?
Some of the guys in my club fly the VBar. The governor looks like a pain to set up on that thing, but they all say that the VBar is easy too and best in class - especially when it comes to the governor. I admit that the software for the Skookum appears a bit hokey; the VBar software is very polished and will run under OS X (since I'm a Mac guy, that's awesome because I'd be one step closer to ditching Windows completely and my VM software as well).
The VBar requires a "calibration" flight in calm winds. That will be difficult for me considering where I live. Does the Skookum require that as well? .

[DaveHolland]

Originally Posted by CaptHal8HS

That's awesome! How is the governor on the Skookum?
Some of the guys in my club fly the VBar. The governor looks like a pain to set up on that thing, but they all say that the VBar is easy too and best in class - especially when it comes to the governor. I admit that the software for the Skookum appears a bit hokey; the VBar software is very polished and will run under OS X (since I'm a Mac guy, that's awesome because I'd be one step closer to ditching Windows completely and my VM software as well).
The VBar requires a "calibration" flight in calm winds. That will be difficult for me considering where I live. Does the Skookum require that as well? .

As far as I know it does not require a calibration in calm wind. The only calibration flight is with the bell gains and you just set it to "auto" and fly normally and it will adjust according to your flying style. Its like the V-Bar flying style slider from stable to aggressive. If you fly aggressively the sk540 will auto adjust to how aggressive you are flying. The Governor was fairly easy and I hear a lot of people say that the V-Bar has more steps to setting the gov. You hook a phase sensor up, plug it in, configure your ratio and set your idle and max throttle. From there you just plug in your head speed numbers and adjust gain as needed. I have not flown the V-Bar but I do hear its the best active gov. I have no complaints on Skookums gov, it is better than the CC gov and it does a good job for my 700 @ 2050 w/ 750mx. On a stable hover to full collective punch out the headspeed only dipped 10 RPM with an optical tach. I am sure I am losing RPM with hard full collective tic tocs or rainbows because I hear it dip, but it controls it better than the CC gov.

Back to the trim flight, a lot of people suggest that you set your hiller (I believe it was) to 200% and if it drifts you adjust the linkage. I have not done this with my latest 500 and there is a slight drift but nothing I cant fly. I only have this drift because I eyeball my swash level. If I had a tool it would be perfect level and I would not have drift.

[CaptHal8HS]

Originally Posted by destroyerbmx

As far as I know it does not require a calibration in calm wind. The only calibration flight is with the bell gains and you just set it to "auto" and fly normally and it will adjust according to your flying style. Its like the V-Bar flying style slider from stable to aggressive. If you fly aggressively the sk540 will auto adjust to how aggressive you are flying. The Governor was fairly easy and I hear a lot of people say that the V-Bar has more steps to setting the gov. You hook a phase sensor up, plug it in, configure your ratio and set your idle and max throttle. From there you just plug in your head speed numbers and adjust gain as needed. I have not flown the V-Bar but I do hear its the best active gov. I have no complaints on Skookums gov, it is better than the CC gov and it does a good job for my 700 @ 2050 w/ 750mx. On a stable hover to full collective punch out the headspeed only dipped 10 RPM with an optical tach. I am sure I am losing RPM with hard full collective tic tocs or rainbows because I hear it dip, but it controls it better than the CC gov.

Back to the trim flight, a lot of people suggest that you set your hiller (I believe it was) to 200% and if it drifts you adjust the linkage. I have not done this with my latest 500 and there is a slight drift but nothing I cant fly. I only have this drift because I eyeball my swash level. If I had a tool it would be perfect level and I would not have drift.

Interesting. I see that the new Phoenix Edge ESC's from CC have an RPM output now. Can that be plugged in to the Skookum for the governor?

[DaveHolland]

Originally Posted by CaptHal8HS

Interesting. I see that the new Phoenix Edge ESC's from CC have an RPM output now. Can that be plugged in to the Skookum for the governor?

As far as I know it can be. I am actually very interested in getting one of the new Edge ESCs because of this too. I am running sk540 gov on my 700 and YGE gov on my 500. I would like to get the Edge 100 for my 500 and try it all out.

[CaptHal8HS]

Yup. Seems like the way to go.
One of the things that I don't like about this hobby is some of the "witchcraft" that's involved in getting some of this stuff to work. I'm always interested in using the best equipment i can afford but if the software sucks and the configuration is arduous then it's not going to work for me.
So overall, do you believe the Skookum to be relatively easy to configure?

[Digger1973]

I found the sk540 extremely easy to configure.

Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2

[DaveHolland]

Originally Posted by CaptHal8HS

Yup. Seems like the way to go.
One of the things that I don't like about this hobby is some of the "witchcraft" that's involved in getting some of this stuff to work. I'm always interested in using the best equipment i can afford but if the software sucks and the configuration is arduous then it's not going to work for me.
So overall, do you believe the Skookum to be relatively easy to configure?

Yep, I have set up the 3G, 3GX, BeastX, and Skookum. Skookum was the easiest with the software wizard. Guides you step by step, however tweaking the skookum is not as easy as the BeastX. There are a lot of variables and an infinite number of configurations you can run. Though, most setups are flying close enough to perfect with the standard settings. I only have to tweak a few variables to get everything flying with no fuss. The BeastX is the easiest to tune, you just have 3 different selections on 3 different variables, makes it fairly easy. If you spend the time to tweak the sk540 in and set all your values to fly your specific model how you like it, it will go farther than the BeastX could. If you have ever used the 3GX, the SK540 gives you access to some of the same variables so you will be familiar with them such as bell/hiller gain, stop gains, accel gains...