A HUGE THANK YOU to all my friends at Helifreak

[copterboy]

Realised I'm best waiting to get the clutch back on the 600 engine till I put it back in.

So I went to have a look over the 450 again

Looks like I managed to strip 2 servo's!! Had a look at the crash frame by frame on the original file, and it does show a blade hitting the ground first, making the heli do a sort of quarter cartwheel onto the landing skids. I thought I had got it level enough for the blades to clear the ground and skids hit first, but I cannot argue with the video evidence. Happened so fast!

Took a couple of pics today to share. I managed to get a picture of the heli and TX before I flew it today, just to show the setup and record the occasion before I put her into proper flight duties The first flight I landed a couple of times, but the second pack I flew from start to end. I flew for exactly 5m20s, and I wanted to check the pack as soon as it come off the heli, as I had started to push it a little. Made me smile anyway, so I took a pic of it (and a nice close up of the DX8 gimbals ).

Think I will have to be careful if I fly a full pack in idel 2 mode, will definately need to bring it down sooner.

[copterboy]

I'm in a stew about these servo's. Can't beleive I stripped 2 on the first crash. They are the stock 450 PRO servo's DS415M's, and yes, allegedly the M stands for metal gears!

New Gear Sets are £10 each, new matching servo's are £17.50. Think I'd probably get 2 new servo's, rather than fiddle about changing gears. Then keep the old as donors in future.

Had flawless service for approximately 3yrs with my Hi-Tec65MG's, so I wondering if I should upgrade to HS5065MG's at a cost of £27 each

Whats your opinion on the align servo's? From what I've read they can be a bit hit and miss.

[Tomstoy2]

Damn shame about those gears!
Personally, I like Align servos. Though, I will admit that every time I stripped a gear it was on an Align servo. In there defense I'll also admit that they were on fbl.
Me, I think I would just get the gears.But, I do hear you about the Hitec's, they are hard to beat, but for the price there are better servo's now. Savox and MKS come to mind, might be a few bucks more.

[copterboy]

Yeah, been looking at the MKS as the LHS stock them. Could bolt down there tomorrow, but think I'm going to hold out.

Decided I will get my job done Monday and get refunded for the materials. Then I can order the Hi-Tec's servo's and an upgraded fan for the 600N.

[ragge1]

Denis , you might not have damaged the gears , I've had the same type servo 410M now for along time with many crashed but never stripped the gears but the top pastic cover - HSP41051T , not sure if they will fit the 415 but I think so

edit : you might need this: link

[copterboy]

Cheers Ragge, you might be onto something there. One of the servo's feels completely stripped, so it maybe one servo has a broken case. I've got all the other 450 spares now, so just started re-building it.

Figure I can get it all done, then go back and remove the head and main bearing block assembly, which has the servo's attached. Will pull that after I get all the shafts and gears replaced, and take a closer look.

The LHS don't list DS415M spares on the website yet, so I got to call them in the morning to see what they do have. Probably still grounded for the weekend then

[copterboy]

Fallen a little behind on this re-build

Seems Avant Girl has popped back up on my radar this week, and she came round last night just as I was getting stuck into the 450. Seems she needs a good friend to talk to at the moment, so I'm feeling a little pleased with myself that she chosen me. And we are having another night together tonight

Will get it done as and when over the coming week, as I got to do a little more work at my bro's tomorrow too. The spares order will defo go in Tuesday, so next weekend is a cert

[Tomstoy2]

Don'r do anything I wouldn't do with her,,,, probably best off NOT doing most things I would do, come to think of it!

[jperkosk]

The age giveth the desire but taketh the ability, Tom, creating a huge gap between the words would and could

[copterboy]

Originally Posted by jperkosk

The age giveth the desire but taketh the ability, Tom, creating a huge gap between the words would and could

Anyway, I'm taking it slow and playing it cool, things haven't got that far (yet?). She's not got kids, but comes with as much baggage as an A380, and possibly high maintenance. So I'm not planning on another relationship just yet, and neither is she.

As another winter project, were gonna try and support each other and give up smoking. Starting tomorrow....so wish me luck with that

[dauste]

Denis, good luck with that! I know you can do it mate and you will feel so much better for it afterwards, financially and health wise. (more money for beer!) lol

[copterboy]

Well, the last cigarette has been ceremoniously stubbed out, and the patch is on.

This is really gonna test me, as I have tried many times before and failed. At least I have lots of things to do and keep me busy, and I'm feeling kinda positive about things generally. I've been thinking about it more and more recently, so this seems like a good time to give it a try.

You guys have all played a part in that, so thank you all once again

[jperkosk]

Good luck with both winter projects (Avant girl and the cigarettes), both are potentially very important

[copterboy]

New servo's ordered - 3 x HS5065MG are en-route guranteed for tomorrow. Paid the extra postage to make sure I'm ready for the weekend

Also ordered the new fan assembly for the 600. Can't wait to get them both back together and ready for the weekend

[copterboy]

Just popped home to drop my parcel off. Just thought I'd do a couple of posts as it's very quiet here recently, and there's not been much to read! End of season is fast approaching!!

The stopping smoking is going well so far, hence why I decided to splash out on these new servo's as a reward. Have gone from 20 a day, to just wearing a patch. Had a weak moment at work yesterday, when I had a few drags, but I gave it back after 3 tokes. I just don't want to do it any more, so my will power is very strong. My main reason for doing it is probably money first, time second, and health third....but all are as important as each other. The patches help keep the craving to a minimum, but you have to want to do it and stay focused on your goal!! Don't wanna start sounding all preachy about it, so going to shut up about it.

Can't wait to get the 450 finished. Got the usual shafts and gears replaced. Relocated the ESC on the frame side, so it get's a nice cool airflow around it. Had to turn the motor round on it's frame mount, so I could re-route the wires from front to back. And I got to drop the servo's in later. Has almost been a full re-build on it's first crash

Anyway, better get back to work for a bit, then back to the workbench later Think I'll do another pic for the album once finished.

[jperkosk]

Originally Posted by copterboy

Have gone from 20 a day, to just wearing a patch. Had a weak moment at work yesterday, when I had a few drags, but I gave it back after 3 tokes. I just don't want to do it any more, so my will power is very strong.

[copterboy]

Thanks Jerry. It's still going well for me, but it seems my giving up buddy has fallen off the wagon. Hoping she'll get back on it, but I remain determined. She had a seriously ill friend in hospital who sadly passed away 2 days ago. I didn't know her friend personally, but it is sad as she was only 32 and has left a young daughter on her own.

Seems I have hit a snag in the re-build and stripped a hex screw head on the ELEV servo fixing screw. Just couldn't get it back out, and ran out of time last night trying.

I'll have a look around later and see if there are any tips for fitting the 5065's or servo's to the PRO generally. From what I done so far, it seems the stock servo's maybe a better fit anyway, as the Hi-Tec's fixing holes are slightly thinner I'll have to bring my drill bit's home from work and do a little mod, if I have one the right size.

Ah, well time for work again now. B back later....

[Luke Warmwater]

Originally Posted by copterboy

I'll have a look around later and see if there are any tips for fitting the 5065's or servo's to the PRO generally.

The best tip I found when helping a buddy on some repairs on his, was the obvious one that had escaped us until we found it on a thread....split the frame to fit the servos. It seemed like a real PITA when we first read it, but made life sooooo simple, well worth the effort! In the end, one of the very last jobs we did was put the frame back together; we left it apart for routing wiring and everything. All that fiddley messing around in narrow confines just disappeared! Glaringly obvious and you may already be there....but we followed the usual pattern of rebuilding and installing mechanics followed by electrics and then setup. Installing electrics as you go seems to almost be a must on the Pro.

Like I said, you may already have come to that conclusion, but until it was pointe dout to us, we just struggled along the tried and tested route, despite failures. Maybe we're just stooopid. After all, a definition of failure is repeatedly doing the same thing and expecting a different result!

[copterboy]

Well I managed to get the screw out using the old hacksaw trick, to make a groove to fit a flathead screwdriver.

I was stuck on getting the new screw in, as I couldn't use my decent hex driver to fully tighten it, because of the slight angle. Eventually found my old 1.5mm hex key after about 2hrs of searching (the one that fits through the opposite hole), so I finally got it tightened up properly, and it's all back together now.

After searching for some tips yesterday, I feel a bit stupid having bought these servo's. I don't have time to fully elaborate now, but I will return to it later this evening or after the FFFD.

I really the design of the PRO frame, yes it's a bit fiddly, but it is a 450, so that is to be expected. I agree Luke, it just require's a certain way/correct order to put things back together. I hadn't worked out about splitting the frame, and I'm not exactly sure what you mean? Do you mean just remove one of the frame side's and expose everything? Or just loosen the screws, so that everything has a little play?

I'm sure once I do a few more re-builds and get used to the new design, I will grow to like it even more. As you say, you just seem to put things together and then screw it all in at the end. It will just taking a bit of getting used to I suppose, but I like it alot

[Luke Warmwater]

Yeah...just take one side off.

It seems like a major hassle when you first think about it, but once we did it, it made life soooooo much easier compared to all the hassle of trying to get big fingers into little spaces, trying to line things up with screws.....argh.....the memory of it makes me cringe!