Soko has done it!!

[yhchoong]

Originally Posted by soko

Hey,

Its about the guys that found their absolute angle value (small number on the right top corner) is out of absolute spirit level.
Until now no one knew how to set the null point of the absolute angle.

So the calibration is about to tell the Soko Gauge which level is shorizontal spirit level and set the absolute value to 0°.

To do this you need in advance a surface that is already in horizontal level. You need to do this with a separate tool - like a carpenters bubble level for example.

Once your "reverantial" surface is level you perform the calibration process as shown in the video to reset the zero point of the Soko Gauge.

Now to your statement: "But in order for the gauge to know that it's not perfectly level, it needs to be already properly calibrated in the first place."

May sound weird but thats not true

Background info: The Soko Gauge is a digital gauge, but the key measurement itsel is still the best and robust one: a weight and gravity. So there are no chips or electronics that are doing the key measurement - so nothing can drift due to temperature and/or age.
Anyway... So the angle of this mechanical rotating weight is measured electronically. Now if you place the Soko Gauge on a surface when "-1-" is showing and press the button, the electronic stores the angle of the mechanic. Keep in mind that its just a value and has nothing to to with an absolute angle. So lets say the value is 3456.
Now you turn the Soko Gauge by 180° and press again.
If the surface is in horizontal level the readed value is still 3456 because the rotating weight has the same angle and position. So all is good an the Soko Gauge knows know, that 3456 is 0.0°.
If it reads a different angle than 3456 it knows that the surface is not horizontal and therefore declines to finish the calibration process.

Sorry, is quite a long explanation, but I hope it helps.
You can open up the Soko Gauge if you like to see how it work

Soko

Thank you so much for your in-depth explanation, I appreciate the little details that make the Soko gauge such a great device!If I remember correctly there's something at the back level that reads permanent spirit level absolute zero or similar, and I always wondered what it was about. Real cool to see that it's to do with a physical rotating mass!

[soko]

No worries man
I'm here to help

[Scottyb410]

I just bought one of these unit on Saturday. Wow, what a great tool.

My Goblin 630 was setup using another digital tool. When I checked it with the SOKO, I found a difference of .75 degrees from full positive to full negative pitch. Ditto for the elevator and aileron .

Guess the swash wasn't high enough initially? (or is it low enough? I can't remember)

Mismatches like this would make a great video for your series SOKO. Something like "What to do when the numbers don't match"

Thanks again for a great tool.
Cheers


Scotty

[soko]

Thx a great lot Scotty.

I'm happy you enjoy the thoroughness we put into the Soko Kit. Thats a positive site of my perfectionism

Great idea as well with the trouble shooting videos.

Soko

[soko]

big news to come guys...
here's a teaser:

[Groucho_]

Duplicate post

[Groucho_]

You either have a US dealer or you've just bought out and taken over USPS.

Which one is it?

[soko]

You are right. We had a meeting about buyin a new heli or USPS - obviously we went for USPS

[georgi UK]

=] that's really good to hear Soko! maybe you can stop having a servo lead shipped in a pizza box??!

[soko]

thx georgi

[JTAnimal]

Soko, I bought one of your units and read through the instructions. I'm setting up a Goblin 700 and I watched your videos on you tube. in the video, after you setup the main blade shaft (made sure the shaft was straight vertical), you said now would be a good time to reset the accelerometer on your FBL controller (if you have that ability). Well I have the SK720 Black, But I was questioning this because I put 2 small bubble levels on the SK and it is not sitting level. The shaft was perfectly vertical, I could move the blade all around and got 76.6mm any place I stopped.

Just like the Goblin, that was being setup in the videos, I had to raise my Goblin in the front and to one side a little.

My first test flight (before I used the Soko tool) the heli was drifting to the rear and right. It seems the way that I would level the accelerometer (with the heli tilted back and to the right) it seems it would make the drift worse. Am I wrong, or over thinking this?? The drift on the first test flight was pretty bad drift.

The Soko is a Nice unit and well made

Thanks

[soko]

Hey JT,

Great that you like the Soko Kit

The easy way is just to give it a try to reset your acc when the main shaft is vertical
If drifting is worse you still can put the heli on the table and try to level the SK720BE itself...

But to get more serious here - let me do some thinkin:
I don't know how the SL exactly works in the SK720 or any other FBL but I'm quite sure it trys to keep "itself" perfectly horizontal. With the reset you tell your SK720 what level "perfectly horizontal" is.
In conclusion you will get the least drift, if "perfectly horizontal" is when the main shaft is in vertical.
This won't be 100% perfect though cause you have wind that pushes the heli and of course you need some tilt during hover to counteract the tail rotor drag.
In addition the SL gets confused during flight and looses the orientation. See my sticky post to counteract that behaviour.

I thought about your question if the drift will get worse in your case - quite a brain teaser

It depends how your SK720 virtual plane of "perfectly horizontal" was reseted before your first test flight! Did you do it yourself or did you never touched the reset - which means it was done by Skookum?
I reckon you never touched it and due to the imperfections in parts and assembling the virtual plane is tilted to the front-left, in comarison to the main shaft...

But you can do an experiment:
Level your table so its a perfect horizontal plane. Put your Goblin on it, ready to fly and with no paper beneath the skids. Reset the accelerometers...
Go out and try the SL. My guess is that you will get a drift to the front - if its a calm day and you try it immedately after lift off and out of a stable hover.
Now go back and bring the main shaft into vertical, reset the SK720 and do the same flying test again. The drift should be better...

But as I said in the beginning: Its easier just to reset it when the main shaft is in vertical level and go out and try it.
We never thought much about it and it was always an improvement - so it's been for the customers we know of...

Last thing: depending on a lot of variables (blades, headspeed, etc) you will never get a stable hover in SL - even on a perfectly calm day. Mainly caused by the tail rotor drag: You might have noticed that you have to tilt to the right to keep the heli in one spot during hover...

Now you can spend a day with try and error to set the virtual plane so it hovers with the same tilting. But I found out its not worth the effort...
- You use SL during flight so you will get a drift all the time due to ground speed.
- The orientation of the virtual plane changes in flight caused by the manovuers you are flying and other factors like temperature.
- And how often do you get a calm day? Depending on the orientation and wind direction when you switch to SL the virtual plane tilt can worsen the drift.

Hope I could help
Soko

[JTAnimal]

I never reset the acc before the first test flight, the SK software says you don't need to. The drift I was getting was not just a calm drift, it was more like the tail dropped and if I had left it at center stick it would have picked up so big speed. That's not drift to me, that's moving

What you say makes seance to me, I'm not looking for a solid SL, I know it can drift for a few reasons. And your correct, most days I am flying in some wind.

I have reset the acc with the shaft vertical, so I will give it a try in the morning and see if it looks good.

Thanks for the help, and the great tool

[soko]

No worries,

let me know how it went.

Soko

[JTAnimal]

Well, the first 2 flights with this SK Black (before using the Soko tool) the vibe on the playback only went to 3 maybe 4 max and I was getting a heavy drift to the tail and to the right. after setup with the Soko tool and relevel the Acc, the drift was to the front and left. not as bad as the first 2 tests but still not right.

the problem was when I landed I had a red flashing. HIGH Vibe warning

So back to the drawing board. I have a playback but not a data log. at least the drift did not get worse like I was thinking it could. so I think you were right. I just need to see what changed. It get frustrating when all you want to do is fly

I will keep trying. Thanks for the help!!!

[soko]

Sorry to hear 'bout your vibes JT
I've been there... Especially if you can't get holf of the cause its frustrating.
But I'm sure georgi will be of great help analysing your vibes

[Roberthas]

This tool is a great tool. I HIGHLY recommend it!!!!

Thanks SOKO! for great product,

[soko]

You're most certainly welcome Robert
Go and tell all your friends about it

Soko

[soko]

Hey,

Groucho was almost right! We don't have a US dealer - its even better

We have now our own US warehouse in Maryland and ship all our products for free and tracked using USPS Priority Mail.

So if you live in the United States just go to us-store.soko-heli-tools.com to take advantage of all above and even special opening prices.

Soko

[nuroo]

I just pulled the trigger on US warehouse deal, I'm a sucker for gadgets. Did my original setup with rc logger, on a goblin 700 w/black 720. Can't wait to try this. I already luv how you support your product and the videos are great.