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The Dude. · 03-13-2015, 09:13 PM

I was given a Blade 400 helicopter recently. I've never had anything this big and everytime I plug in the battery I'm concerned the motor may spin up as soon as power is applied. Is there a correct way to plug the heli in to minimize potential injury should the blades start spinning instantly? I do use throttle hold but not sure if that's enough protection.

Russell Harding · 03-13-2015, 09:48 PM

You're on the right track.

Make sure your TX is always on.
Make sure throttle hold is on.

That is about it. Most modern ESCs will not arm or spool until they see zero throttle. I'm not sure or the blade 400 esc is modern enough, but it should be.

Also make sure your fail safe is set properly (zero throttle at bind for Spektrum, usually.)

To test this 100%, tape the heli down, remove ALL blades and plug it in with full throttle and the TX off. If all is well, nothing will happen. When doing tests like this, be careful! Keep the battery 'loose' and not in the battery straps, and plug it in just enough to make a connection, so it can be pulled easily.

03-13-2015, 09:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
The Dude. Registered Users Join Date: Dec 2014	Battery connection safety I was given a Blade 400 helicopter recently. I've never had anything this big and everytime I plug in the battery I'm concerned the motor may spin up as soon as power is applied. Is there a correct way to plug the heli in to minimize potential injury should the blades start spinning instantly? I do use throttle hold but not sure if that's enough protection. __________________ Blade 120 SR, Blade 200 SRX, Blade Nano cpx, Trex 150 DFC

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03-13-2015, 09:48 PM	#2 (permalink)
Russell Harding Registered Users Join Date: Jan 2013	You're on the right track. Make sure your TX is always on. Make sure throttle hold is on. That is about it. Most modern ESCs will not arm or spool until they see zero throttle. I'm not sure or the blade 400 esc is modern enough, but it should be. Also make sure your fail safe is set properly (zero throttle at bind for Spektrum, usually.) To test this 100%, tape the heli down, remove ALL blades and plug it in with full throttle and the TX off. If all is well, nothing will happen. When doing tests like this, be careful! Keep the battery 'loose' and not in the battery straps, and plug it in just enough to make a connection, so it can be pulled easily.

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