Unfortunately trying the radio the next day and the chatter was back again - unfortunately my quick fix had limited remedial abilities. It was too much of a risk as the random movement could put the Phoenix absolutely anywhere and I didn't feel like that sort of a risk!
After having scratched my head and swapped everything in sight I finally bit the bullet and decided I needed to get another transmitter. Not that I really wanted one, in fact I didn't want to have to get another, but as far as I could see there wasn't any other option. Everything pointed to the aileron gimble on my unit as the culprit.
Thinking back, the ailerons on the Phoenix had actually chattered from the very first time I powered it up. Of course I didn't know then that it was actually the radio and not my crappy assembly effort.
So, after doing a little research I bought a programmable Spektrum DX6i 6-channel unit, the same make as my DX5e so as to be compatible with the receivers I already have. Now what I have found very interesting is that the programming abilities address two of the main issues I've experienced.
Firstly, it has two modes, flying and landing, allowing you to customise settings (flaps, elevator) to suit each regime and switch between them. In my case I want to use it for powered flight (reflex the flaps and a maybe a touch of negative elevator) and for gliding with everything neutral.
Secondly it has programmable travel, exactly what I want to make the Phoenix flaps manageable instead the source of mirth they are at the moment.
Anyway I have bound the radio and, after wondering why I was getting weird mixing between elevator and ailerons, switched from helicopter to aircraft mode.
I still need to do the servo-reversing for rudder, program mode settings and flaps. So the manual is getting studied well and truly as i don't want to fail this exam...
No comments:
Post a Comment