Spektrum DX8 Intructional Videos

[JOHA]

Hello!

I just wonder if it is possible too turn off the sound on the DX8 when programing-
My wife woud lowe it :-)


Cheers

/J

[Fastredrover]

See post # 26

[Fastredrover]

Quote:
Originally Posted by johnahamelv
Throttle Hold can also be considered a flight mode, for a total of 4 flight modes. It certainly would be nice if the F-Mode switch was a 4-way switch with the appropriate firmware to support it. With the Castle governor mode and autorotation bailout option checked, N F-mode is kept at 0%, and TH at the highest % that will not power the electric motor. This leaves only two F-modes that will power the motor, Stunt 1 and Stunt 2, to activate only two of the three possible governor settings (30%, 70%, 100%). If you want to active the 3rd governor setting you would have to manually change the % in the Throttle Curve screen while the helicopter is on the ground.

Like jhheli alluded above, having a Stunt 3 would allow you to use all 3 governor settings (30%, 70% and 100%) at the flip of the switch while in flight.

You don't have to set your normal to 0% flat like Castle says. You can set it to 0-30-30-30-30 which will still give you normal flight mode, but this way you can only arm the ESC with the throttle stick in the bottom position. I have mine set in gov. mode with autorotation bailout enabled and my TH curves are N 0-30-30-30-30, ST1 70 flat and ST2 100 flat. Works like a charm.
__________________

See post # 26

[Kalpazan]

Nice videos. Perhaps it is good to add them to Heli Skills and Setup 101 - LOOK here first! thread?

[johnahamelv]

Originally Posted by Fastredrover

Worked it out and happy with result.
Just swapped the roles of the two switches by adjusting there values.
Rudder D/R "hold" is set to the auto rotation window of the CC controler.
HOLD switch is set to zero, CC arming.

Use Rudder D/R for auto's, flip back out will give fast spool bail out.
HOLD switch will give ESC arming and from there slow spool up.
This frees up normal F-MOD which was zero throttle as per castle's quick tip video
giving a third head speed if I chose to use it.

Wow. Post # 26 is like an epiphany.

Basically, Throttle Cut can be used as a 5th Flight Mode. These are my new DX8 Throttle settings:

Normal FM = 30% flat, FM 3-way switch
IDLE 1 = 70% flat, FM 3-way switch
IDLE 2 = 100% flat, FM 3-way switch
TH = 16% flat (highest throttle % that will not power the motor), TH 2-way switch
Throttle Cut 0%, Trainer toggle button

Castle ESC with "set speed" governor mode with Autorotation box checked.

Just like the DX8 firmware gives Throttle Hold priority over F-Mode, the firmware also gives Throttle Cut priority over Throttle Hold.

I just need to press the Trainer switch (Throttle Cut) to arm the ESC. This makes Normal Flight Mode completely functional without a 0% anywhere in it. Autorotation bailout works as intended.

This is so cool!

Thank you Fastredrover.

[JoeW]

Woah! I totall missed that!

That is awesome! My normal mode was always 0-20-30-30-30. I'm going to have to experiment with the TC/TH like you suggested.

So... let me sound this out... TH gets put on the hold switch at the highest value that won't spin the motor, TC gets on Trainer at 0%.

I plug the pack in and put the bird on the flight line, press Trainer and ESC initializes, release it and I'll get a soft start to my now flat normal/30% then I can use TH to practice autos with (with bail-out checked in the CC)

The only down side I can think of is after the flight, when I have TH on... if that accidently gets bumped... which does happen... you've got a no warning - fast spool-up in your face.

I think for safety's sake I like the idea of TC on Hold, and TH on either a D/R or Gear.

Certainly opens up a lot of possibilities though!

[johnahamelv]

Originally Posted by JoeW

So... let me sound this out... TH gets put on the hold switch at the highest value that won't spin the motor, TC gets on Trainer at 0%.

That's the way I have it set up. One can always reassign the switches.

Originally Posted by JoeW

I plug the pack in and put the bird on the flight line, press Trainer and ESC initializes, release it and I'll get a soft start to my now flat normal/30% then I can use TH to practice autos with (with bail-out checked in the CC)

You can do it like that. My preference is to have TH activated before press the Trainer switch to arm the CC ESC. That way, there is no spool up when I let go of the Trainer switch. It spools when I deactivate TH.

Originally Posted by JoeW

The only down side I can think of is after the flight, when I have TH on... if that accidently gets bumped... which does happen... you've got a no warning - fast spool-up in your face.

You can always just depress the Trainer switch (Throttle Cut set at 0%). If for some reason you bump the TH switch, at least it would be a soft start spool up.

BTW, another cool thing I recently learned about the Timer of the DX8, if you set the Timer to "Throttle Out" and set to any % that will spool up the head (power the motor), the timer only counts when the motor is being powered. I have mine set to 30%. During autorotations, when the motor is not being powered, the timer stops. If I decide to take a little break and leave the helicopter on the ground after the autorotation, wondering how I managed not to crash, the Timer stays put. The timer starts again automatically when I spool up.

That's pretty cool too.

[JoeW]

Thanks John, I'm going to have to try that out! And yes, I love the throttle out timer option... when it was on a switch, at least 1 out of 5 times I'd either forget to turn the timer off... or back on again. Having it tied to throttle channel position instead of stick position is great

My packs are always coming back in within a few % of each other no matter how often I screw around

[johnahamelv]

Originally Posted by JoeW

Thanks John, I'm going to have to try that out! And yes, I love the throttle out timer option... when it was on a switch, at least 1 out of 5 times I'd either forget to turn the timer off... or back on again. Having it tied to throttle channel position instead of stick position is great

My packs are always coming back in within a few % of each other no matter how often I screw around

Yeah! I am really surprised that Spektrum has not advertised this "Throttle Out" Timer option more fully. It really works well, but only once one understands it.

Equally surprising, with all the the bad rap Castle has been getting about their ESC's burning/flaming/exploding/nuking in biblical proportions, added to the complaints of loosing an F-Mode when in Autorotation bailout governor mode, one would think that Castle would better advertise this simple configuration adjustment.

Makes you wonder what other hidden secrets there are in these systems.

[Fastredrover]

Hi there.

Glad you like the 5th throttle channel value the throttle cut gives.
I find it works really well fo me.

The way I have it configured I think also gives a double safety to TH.
TH 0% and TC 16%, I think the opposite to you John.
Both TH and TC, "throttle cut" (on switch R/DR), have to be down to
get spool up slow.
Either one or both up gives TH. Put both up on power up.
You then have to bump both down to get an unintentional spool up.

Regards John

[bfggamer81]

Just upgraded to 2.04 firmware and that fixed the potentiometer problem. Guess I don't have to send in my dx8 Afterall.

[feitelr]

Are you going to go through the other programing . I really like the vids so far but wish that you would look at the programing for the heli. Like pitch curves and throttle etc.

[Way2evl]

I'm not sure if it was covered because I didn't read all of the post, but when you trim and you want to go back to center, it is not completely centered until the trim square is fiiled in/black. Hope this helps.

[rcjames]

Originally Posted by Finless

I am not done with these yet so I have not covered that stuff yet but I plan to.

Bob

Hello Bob. Since you tried some latest radio. Which one do you like the most?

[bryont]

Hello Bob,
Do you also have the Devo 8 radio? I was wondring if you would be covering upgrading that radio to the Devo 8S with the telemetry chip installation.

When I first read this thread I was thinkng Devo 8 and not DX8.

Thanks

[helicoptermadness311]

Do i have to send my Dx8 in to get a rudd D\R switch? I can't find part anywhere. I just moved and when i pulled it out the box the switch was broke off.

[rcjames]

Originally Posted by helicoptermadness311

Do i have to send my Dx8 in to get a rudd D\R switch? I can't find part anywhere. I just moved and when i pulled it out the box the switch was broke off.

Go to radio shack or any electronic store that sell switches. You can get switches over the internet. A switch is a switch. Is it a 3 way switch? Or 2. You can always call Horizon for replacement switch.


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...All-Categories

[TheMark]

THANK YOU for your hard work on these videos, just picked up a DX8 (my first good radio) and this is an invaluable resource for me.

[OfficialCrashTester]

I wish I found this 3 months ago!! Awesome

[hpilotrc]

Hi Bob,

Just received a new DX8 to supplement my 14mz.

The inactivity timer and vib alert is annoying! Anyway to disable it thru the software???

Thanks,

Michael