My Next Assembly ..... The Arising Star.

[leccyflyer]

Lightweight, ease of installation and adjustment, low friction, can negotiate bends easily, quality of fitments, no substantial metal content. There are downsides though -if not installed properly you can get excessive play and they can have temperature related trim changes, though not to the same extent here as in other climates. IMO they don't beat a well set up dowel pushrod with bound treaded rod ends.

 

The blue outers make excellent doobers - guards for 4mm gold bullet connectors on batteries, green for charged, blue for used. I always keep an eye out for scrap gold 'n rod to chop up into 1cm lengths for doobers.

[Nick Cripps]

17 minutes ago, toto said:

What's the benefit ?

 

For this model? Absolutely none.

 

I often use the Sullivan golden rods in scratch-built models but that is just my personal preference. There are many similar products that do the same job just as well, including the snakes already installed in the Arising Star.

 

Don't get distracted by well-meaning advice, just concentrate on repairing the the broken bits and fixing the things causing reliability problems. I would be looking closely at the tank setup and testing the engine thoroughly on the ground as a priority.

[toto]

Slowly getting there......... after reading Matt's post ...RE .... range testing, the penny has dropped.

 

The idea here is doing a range test where the RX us tested in isolation of any actual model. ( yes I know ..... I'm slow ).

 

One RX ..... one battery and one servo set up as a " test piece " purely to test the functionality of the RX to ensure that it works prior to installing it into the model.

 

The reason that I am confirming this is because I heed to understand the sequence in what needs to be done from start to finish with the installation of the RX ( in my head ).

 

1.       Take the RX and do a range test ..... as per the above. It will obviously heed to be bound to the TX for this.

 

2.       Assuming the range test returns the desired outcome ....... re-bind the RX in the model and use this binding to set fail safe.

 

3.      Carry out a further range check ( in Model ..... belt and braces ) to ensure correct functioning of all servo's / moving surfaces.

 

I'd say that sounds like a reasonable protocol to follow.

 

Now ..........

 

I'm reasonably comfortable with the above ....... I'll follow the AR 620 destructions and do a quick read up on the range test functions again including how to extract the data from it. ..... that will be the first part of the test and install of the RX procedure. 

 

My second query ....... and I think this is a totally separate thing altogether and it always confuses me ...... but I think I am finally managing to separate these things out ....... is this.......

 

I have set up a new  model in the TX ...... as you do ..... named Frankinstar ( thinking Frankinsteins Monster ). I have only at this point allocated a model and confirmed the type .... plane .... normal surfaces etc. I have not went as far as to inputting the high ... medium and low rates or expo etc as yet.

 

Am I correct in saying that this can be done either before or after any range checks are done ? These settings are usually done as soon as you set up a model nut the settings are of no consequence for the purposes of undertaking a range test etc on the RX.

 

The first exercise..... the range test ks part of the binding process and the second process ..... setting up rates etc ks part of the model settings process ....... two completely separate operations which are not inter related ?

 

Apologies if I am confusing things here but I need to be able to separate out the various elements of setting the electrics and controls up. I think I am beginning to gain a better understanding of the bigger picture ..... correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Thanks again for bearing with me.

 

Toto

[toto]

Hi Nick,

 

I will be adding the brass rod to the clunk line as mentioned before but could do with a further explanation into the grooves in the clunk itself..... I don't get that at all. 

 

Cheers

 

Toto

[toto]

The range test.....

 

As far as I am aware should be done at a distance of a couple of hundred feet. Ideally it should be in the open and relatively clear of major obstruction....... is this correct ?

 

The reason I ask is today I'm stuck to the house and surrounding area ..... ie not at the field. The weather is disgusting so I am a bit li cited to achieving an ideal area to carry this out. There is no point in doing it unless I can achieve realistic conditions in terms of a reasonable test area.

 

I am thinking meanwhile ....... I can conti ue in the shed with setting up the rates settings on the TX and testing the various control surfaces and a few other things still to be done and then take the RX back out the model when conditions suit and set up the test servo / RX and battery for the range test.

 

Does that sound reasonable or is ther any disadvantage in doing this ...... just trying to keep things moving with compromising anything.

 

Toto

[Outrunner]

No harm in doing a range check at home with clutter and all, but the most important thing to do is every time you take it to the flying field do a range test before the first flight of the day. 

Your Spektrum manual will state the distance required for the range test but no harm in going a bit further out.

 

[leccyflyer]

I think you are on the right track - you;ve said you will be putting a new AR620 in the model anyway,  so range testing can be accomplished on that model with the receiver in place when you go to the field. It's important to range test with the receivier in the configuration that you are testing.

 

The range test of the previous AR620 for the purposes of trouble-shooting is something completely different and aimed at gathering data to see if there is anything wrong with that particular receiver in it's native state. You can do that at the field too, but it won;t hold up you progressing with your work on your model. For myself, I often bind and do the initial set up of a receiver before putting it in the model, just with a battery and a single servo attached.  Once installed it will be rebound again anyway to set the failsafe conditions, typically after I've set up the throws, servo travel, direction, voice alerts, switch assignments etc. 

[EarlyBird]

1 hour ago, toto said:

What's the benefit ?

No benefit with modern equipment as many models fly without them. The Arising Star has been used by many in my club no one changed the control rods and had no problems. 

 

Steve

[toto]

Thanks Leccyflyer ......

 

You've hit the nail bang on the head for me. I also get what you say about the specific range testing of the original AR 620 ...... trying to ascertain if it has taken any damage as opposed to a " normal " range check on the new one ..... as a matter of course.

 

I must admit ...... I did not do range checks on each and every visit to the field before. It makes sense though especially as nearly every visit I have had lately has resulted in dead sticks and the odd few hard landings. 

 

Food for thought. 

 

I shall be hitting the shed later and will be doing a bind to check out servo control surfaces for the first time since reinstalling everything again. I still have to mount a fixing point to take the RX as well.

 

I'll dial in my rate settings at the same time ..... expo can wait.

 

I'm starting to find my way around some of these settings etc now...... not before time.

 

Cheers for now

 

Toto

[Nick Cripps]

29 minutes ago, toto said:

I will be adding the brass rod to the clunk line as mentioned before but could do with a further explanation into the grooves in the clunk itself..... I don't get that at all. 

 

If you make the clunk tube too long there is a risk that the the end face of the clunk can stick to the rear of the tank (by suction from the carb) and stop fuel flowing. The purpose of a groove in the end face of the clunk is to provide a path for the fuel so the clunk doesn't get stuck.

 

I've never used a length of brass tube in the clunk line, I just use fuel tube but make sure that the length is cut correctly so that the clunk clears the end of the tank. Check this by holding the tank vertically with the neck pointing upwards and shine a light from the opposite side of the tank to show how far down the tank the clunk reaches - it needs about 1/4" clearance.

 

The purpose of the brass tube in the clunk line is to prevent the clunk ending up at the front of the tank after, say, a heavy landing which can cause fuel starvation on the next flight. If this happens, just hold the model vertically upwards and give it a shake, you should hear the clunk rattle in the tank showing it is free to move. It's never happened to me (well, the heavy landings have!) so I've never felt the need to include brass tube.

[Kim Taylor]

41 minutes ago, toto said:

Hi Nick,

 

I will be adding the brass rod to the clunk line as mentioned before but could do with a further explanation into the grooves in the clunk itself..... I don't get that at all. 

 

Cheers

 

Toto

Hi Toto

What's being suggested is a 'cross' groove in the clunk to prevent the possibility of the clunk attaching itself to the back or the sides of the tank by suction, preventing the fuel from flowing.

Imagine that you're looking at the clunk from the rear, looking directly up the 'ole, the grooves should form the shape of a cross (or X) across the diameter of the clunk.

Easier and quicker to do than to explain. 

Make sure that you clean any swarf away THOROUGHLY, then clean it again before re-fitting.

Stay well

Kim

 

eta: Beaten to the draw by Nick

Edited September 16, 2023 by Kim Taylor

[toto]

Thanks for the explanation Nick ..... niw understood.

 

Toto

[Kim Taylor]

5 minutes ago, toto said:

I shall be hitting the shed later and will be doing a bind to check out servo control surfaces for the first time since reinstalling everything again. I still have to mount a fixing point to take the RX as well.

 

I'll dial in my rate settings at the same time ..... expo can wait.

 

I'm starting to find my way around some of these settings etc now...... not before time.

 

Cheers for now

 

Toto

I wouldn't be getting too hung up on expo at this time, on this model at least. As long as you don't have excessively large control throws - this isn't an aerobat or 3D model after all, you shouldn't need it on day one.

If, later on you increase the throws to make things more 'interesting', then maybe that's the time to think about damping the response around the centre stick position.

Just my opinion, ymmv.

Km

[Rich Griff]

The "rapid deaccelloration effect" on the clunk happened to me once resulting in poor/unreliable engine runs due to kinked Flexi pipe.

 

The tank was well hidden in situe and the clunk did  "rattle". I removed the tank to find the clunk well forward and pipe kinked. So I fitted a short length of brass pipe between clunk and fuel union, never had that problem again.

 

The Sullivan golden rods are better quality compared to the slec versions in my opinion. Slec ones seem to have more "slop", play between inner and outer, but work ok with no issue experienced.

[GrumpyGnome]

I'm not sure I'd bother with multiple rates tbh. I'd just set the throws to what you were previously comfortable with.

 

Re expo, if you previously DID have it, I'd put that in - again at the level you felt comfortable with.

[EarlyBird]

7 minutes ago, Rich Griff said:

The Sullivan golden rods are better quality compared to the slec versions in my opinion. Slec ones seem to have more "slop", play between inner and outer, but work ok with no issue experienced.

Why change them at all?

[GrumpyGnome]

No reason at all....

[aidan mcatamney]

2 hours ago, toto said:

I have seen these golden rods in my travels over the internet but didn't take the time to really read into them. 

 

What's the benefit ?

Toto

Toto, there is really no benefit whatsoever using those in your plane.  I've flown all kinds of trainers over the years and I've never had a problem with any of the rods that came with the model.   The Seagull Boomerang Trainer is very similar to the Arising Star . I've had the Boomerang for a few years now as I always liked having a Trainer in my hangar for relaxed flying.  Everything is stock in that plane, just as it came out of the box including the rods and it flys flawlessly everytime I take it to the field.  The rods you have in your Arising Star are more than sufficient for that model and will do what they're meant to do.   Good luck with getting the Arising Star back in the skies again.  You will succeed,  that I have no doubt, as you have both the passion and determination to become a great pilot.  If its of any consultation to you, when I first started out back in 1986, 37 years ago aged 22, I was crashing on a regular basis as I was teaching myself to fly as there was no instructor available at the time.  Everytime I crashed I learned something new and this made me even more determined to succeed.   In the end I got there and you will get there too just given time.  Plus the fact you have an instructor and that's a big advantage to have at your disposal whenever you are learning.  I didn't have that luxury and it was an expensive way to learn,  bringing my Trainer home in a bin liner bag at weekends.  😂.   Anyway Toto, when you make that first solo flight on your own, it will be the greatest feeling you've ever had.  Good luck and I will be as always following your progress.   Aidan.    P.S Photo enclosed of my Seagull Boomerang Trainer with all stock rods installed .  

[leccyflyer]

FWIW Toto I don't know anyone who does a range check on every visit to the field. Typically a range check is done with a new model, or if you make a significant change to teh model, such as a repair or modification. In normal operation you might do a range check if you suspect a problem. The provision of fly-by telemetry on your AR620 opens up a handy possibility of including checking your flight log as part of your post flight checks at the end of each flight and one which I'll seriously consider adopting, though I don;t currently do that.

[Rich Griff]

Range check for me prior to first fligh of the day every time, a good habit to have.

 

Golden rods or slec version have much reduced/minimum metal, reduced risk etc..

 

I ran out of Sullivan's, made up spec order so tried slec version...

Edited September 16, 2023 by Rich Griff
Pt

[leccyflyer]

3 minutes ago, Rich Griff said:

Range check for me prior to first flight, a good habit to have.

 

Golden rods or slec version have much reduced/minimum metal, reduced risk etc..

Do you mean that you range check before the first flight of a new model, or that you range check before the first flight of every flying session?

[Rich Griff]

Yes, both.

[leccyflyer]

Just now, Rich Griff said:

Yes, both.

So when was your last range check?

[GrumpyGnome]

I'm with Leccyflier - before a maiden, and before a 'remaiden' followinv anything significant (crash, radio layout change etc.).

 

I don't know anyone who range checks each model before the first flight of a day....

[Outrunner]

We have a club rule for a range and failsafe check at the beginning of each session.

It's saved me before when I had an apparently  perfectly good model went into failsafe during range check.

It only take a couple on minutes to do.