OrangeRX 3-Axis Flight Stabilizer

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

The stabiliser arrived this morning and has replaced the i6AP in my model.

It was a bit bigger than the i6 because of the case so pretty much fills all the sapce available and might even make battery removal harder.

(Please ignore the verry tatty old Ripmax Alliance. I so wish I could get another)

You may be able to see that the three servos now plug in to the three outputs of the stabiliser. And there are three cables (not supplied) with male plugs on both ends that connect the three receiver channels to the unit.

I've installed it this way round as the three corrections seemed to work on the correct channels. I've mounted it as firmly as I can so there's no movement of the unit in the model.

Switching on saw lots of movement of the surfaces, at this point I found that the three gain controls were fully clockwise, so turned them so the slots were in line with the aircracft front to back. Here there was hardly any movement but still a little when the model was rolled pitched or yawed.

Ok at this point I checked that the Tx still operated the surfcaes correctly and in the right directions. (We'll gloss over having to replug ail to ail and ele to ele rather than how I'd first wired it )

Next I noticed that all the surfaces were a little offset but left this till later.

To see which way the correction worked, I turned the gain back up on ailerons first, rolled th emodel from side to side and made sure that when i rolled left, the right aileron came up and the left one went down. Then I reset the aileron gain so it made the surfaces move "a bit" when the model was rocked.

Same process for elevator and rudder and we're nearly done. All three axis worked the right way round for me but I assume that if one is wrong, then the tiny little switches are there to correct that.

Finally I've put the surfaces back to neutral using the transmitter trims, this could probably have been done earlier in the process. Of course the model might need a bit of a trim in the air now.

I'll have a fly today or tomorrow, but it might take sessions in different winds to really know more. I'll be experimenting with increasing the gain of each channel etc to see what difference that makes. But at the moment the response is pretty similar to how the i86AP was so if it steadies the model like that one does, I'll be really happy.

[JayCee]

Firstly sorry for the double posting, didn't know this dedicated thread was active until I had already posted.

Just read the previous posting, unable to get the control services working in the correct direction unless I reverse the unit, any ideas?

OK have installed the HK Axis unit in my SebArt Sokhi and I'm at the testing stage.

The first thing that I noticed was that the stabiliser unit has no indication (arrow) to indicate forward flight. I was told that gain controls to the front and servo contacts to the rear.

However, when I installed it that way the output from the stabiliser in all three outputs Aeliron, Rudder and elevator were the wrong way round. i.e if you held the plane level then tilted it nose up, the elevator which should have moved down moved up! it was the same on the other outputs.

When I reversed the unit everything moved in the correct direction in other words to compensate the movement.

Also noticed that if I used the one Alerion input and two Alerion outputs as marked on the unit the alerions became 'Flaps' very odd.

So used a 'Y' lead with one input and one output and everything appears to work OK but the unit appears to be very senstive, even when the aircraft is stationary on the ground there is a noticble small jitter from all control services.

Would be helpful if HK supplied these units with some instructions, poor show HK! the only manual on their site relates to the old 1st generation unit which is complety different.

If any of you guys can help out I would be greatful

JC

 

Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 13/08/2012 17:12:54

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Hi JC it's hard without instructions.

I've put mine in the way round it is, because it worked that way.

I think we will both be fine, I'm sure it doesn't care which way it's travelling, just what rotational movement there is on each axis. (That's my guess anyway).

If you want to reverse it, then the little switches should put the directions right shouldn't they?

Interesting to hear that the two aileron outputs seem to operate in different directions, I hope we can work that one out. My model already had a Y lead so that is still in use.

I'd love to know what the other connections are, especially as I'd like to switch this on and off from the Tx.

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 11/08/2012 12:41:59

[JayCee]

Hi Chris

<I'd love to know what the other connections are, especially as I'd like to switch this on and off from the Tx.>

Yes me too, would much rather get to altitude and then switch ON!

Do you get a small continuous jitter on the control surfaces when the aircraft is at rest? Have become very attached to my Sokhi don't want to lose it.

JC

[Garbo]

Jay can you put it the right way around and flick the little nor=rer dip switches the right way?

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

JC I had jitter to start with, but when I turned the gain down it went away. I would start with the gain low, and turn it up flight by flight.

By low I mean with the unit doing a little bit to the surfaces when you move the model fast, but not moving them much.

[JayCee]

Hi

Tried that before reversing the unit but it reverses the servo throws from the TX! for some reason

JC

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Really OK, so that needs to go in our instruction book when we write one

We really are ony guessing at how it should be set up then aren't we.

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 11/08/2012 13:28:06

[ericrw]

If it`s of any help !! My FY20A, has three switches for gain adjustment. If you move the gain clockwise; the servo operates in one direction but if you need to reverse the servo, you turn gain anticlockwise.

[ericrw]

I`ve also sent for the Orange flight stabiliser as it`s a lot cheaper than my FY20A.

[JayCee]

Well I've checked, checked and checked again to try and find out why I'm the only one with the stabiliser back to front. I have two of these so swapped them over but the second one was the same.

Obviously a bit concerned...just love my Sokhi!

Unfortunately although I have other planes this was the easiest for access.

Have kept the gain relatively low so hopefully shouldn't get into to much trouble.

If anybody has any further news, please post it here!

JC

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

JC I can now confirm that the reversing switches do indeed reverse both the action of the stabiliser and the signal from the transmitter. (They reverse the stabiliser outputs)

So if and when we have to reverse one channel. (It will hapen in one model or another) The process will be to reverse the channel on the stabiliser and reverse the channel on the Tx to put that back where it started.

These complications are probably one very good reason that they don't give us the option to switch them in and out. This also allows us to buy them incredibly cheap I guess?

[JayCee]

Ahh, OK trying to get my head around that, on checking the model settings the Aileron servo is the only one reversed the Elevator and Rudder are normal.

I would have thought (in my very old mind) that all three servos would need to be reversed at the Tx for me to need to instal the unit the other way around.........or am I missing something?

JC

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

No it's probably my words not your mind JC.

In your case, I think if you turn it around, then:-

Ailerons, left of the unit would become right etc. and reversing would have to be done.
Elevator, front of the unit would become rear etc and reversing would have to be done.
Rudder, turning the unit clockwise would still be turning the unit clockwise, so no change needed.

That's what I think, but it would probably be far easier not to think and just try it.

Having said that, we have no info to say which way round it is designed to go.

[Sparks]

HK's website shows a picture of the internal PCB, which shows a silkscreened arrow adjacent to the gyro chip (U1). If the arrow is meant to indicate flight direction, then its pots to the front and connectors to the rear.

Just guessing!

 

 

Edited By Sparks on 11/08/2012 18:29:55

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Good spot Sparks

That's how mine is but I really don't think it matters. As long as each axis controls the correct servos and controls them in the right direction.

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Looking at the letters by the extra connections, I suspect that they are for the manufacturer to program the Atmel AVR microcontroller.

[JayCee]

Yes well spotted.

There are two Aileron outputs L & R, As I said before if i put aileron input from Ch 1 Rx to aileron input and connect L and R servos to L & R output the ailerons then act as Flaps! seem to remember reading this somewhere on another forum but can't find it now

There is something strange going on! a Y lead into aileron R seems to cure the problem.

Anyway will put the second unit in a Great Planes Katana just to see if I have the same issues before I send my Sokhi skywards

JC

[JayCee]

Ah well if anybody is interested and has been following the previous posts I have now been able to put the Axis in the correct way round.

You need to reverse the servo at the Tx and at the the stabilisation unit to reverse the the movement, what initially threw me was that ALL surfaces were the wrong way round. When I put a second unit in another aircraft only one surface was incorrect and the penny dropped!

Would be so much easier if HK Supplied some instructions.

JC

[Pete B]

Posted by JayCee on 12/08/2012 12:48:15:

Would be so much easier if HK Supplied some instructions.

Nah, 'twould double the price - besides, we modellers thrive on challenges, don't we?.......

Pete

[Terry Walters]

So........ what would be the difference between top mounting the stabiliser under the canopy (pins pointing skyward) as opposed to mounting it 'upside down' i.e accessed from a bottom hatch (pins to the ground)?

Would the rudder work normally, elev reverse and ailerons reverse?

If I hadn't stayed up to the end of the closing ceremony last night (we are an hour in front) my head wouldn't be so tired and I could probably work it out on paper!

Terry

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Hi Terry I think suck it and see is easier than trying to think about it. Yep, I was up 'till the end last night too.

For what it's worth, I'm sure turning it over by rolling it 180 deg will do one thing, and turning it over end for end will do another.

In my head, rolling it 180deg will change elevator and rudde, but not aileron. Flipping end over end will change rudder and aileron but not elevator. I could well be wrong though.

Chris

[Terry Walters]

Thanks Chris - got one a couple of days ago but no chance to play with it yet!

Will see what happens unless Pete B beats me to it!

Terry

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Mine's in the model ready to go. I went to test fly, leaving the house in nice sunshine. 10 minutes away at the flying field it was raining. So that was that chance gone.. I'll keep trying.

[Fun Flyer]

I read a comment on another forum that this device will work only on a convential, rudder, elevator and aileron configuation. i.e. no elevons etc. Does anyone know if this is true? The bare board version covers a number of different options I think. Still waiting for mine to arrive.