Help with maiden flight...?

[Jim (Chairman)]

My Seagull Arising Star IC to Electric conversion is now complete.

The model is balanced on CofG and as trimmed as it can be on the bench.

Would there be anyone available to help me with any of the following this coming weekend (25th / 27th July):

• Final pre-flight checks
• Build checkover
• C of G check
• Prop / motor power tuning - I have about 5 different props.
• Maiden flight - Bound to a Mode 2 FrSky Taranis TX / RX with battery voltage telemetry - ChrisB...?

Any help would be appreciated. I hope to use this aircraft as a trainer and eventually do my A Cert with it so I'm not keen to loose it first flight out...

Thanks!

Jim

[Chairman]

Hi Jim

I should be able to help at some point over the weekend. (Sunday less likely, maybe try for Fri evening first?)
Forecast looks good at the moment.

Do you have a watt meter or are you asking me to bring one? If so which connectors do you have on Battery/ESC?

If we can tie up a time, I'm sure we can do a maiden and get you some stick time on it.
How do you intend to proceed with an instructor? I'm thinking buddy leads here. I can help instruct but just can't get there very often.
If you want to buddy to a mode 1 instructor, then the instructors Tx has to be bound to the model.

Cheers
Chris

[Jim (Chairman)]

Chris,

Great offers, thanks for those.

I have a Wattmeter with correct connectors (Deans types).

Do you have a buddy lead for Taranis (stereo 3.5mm plug - plug I think)...?

You could have my Taranis as a master TX, or we could copy the model to your TX... I would have a laptop with companion9x available.

I will monitor the weather running up to the weekend. Friday night sounds good, weather permitting.

I would greatly appreciate your input on prop sizing etc...

Cheers

Jim

[Chairman]

Great Ok

Yes I have a buddy lead.

I wonder if you could attach the eepe file here? I could then pre load it into my Taranis.
(I'll try here, if this works it's a nonesense model, don't use it.)
I've changed the .eepe file extension to .jpg to see if it will attach.

P.S.
I'm on OpenTXCompanion now, with V2.0.7 on the Tx. I expect you probably are too? Although I don't think it matters to buddy.

[Jim (Chairman)]

ChrisB,

Righty, I've never upgraded my Taranis. My Taranis is from late last year. Thankfully you are an expert I hear... 

I saved the eepe file out as "test.eepe" and tried to open it directly in companion9x but it wasn't having any of it. Basically shouted "bad file" at me and loaded a Taranis profile with no models.

Questions:

1) Is there any danger that I could loose my models / settings if I upgrade? If so, how to avoid disaster?

2) Where do I find OpenTXCompanion? Here: http://www.open-tx.org/downloads.html ....?

3) Is there a way of saving individual models out as single files? I have two (2) Arising Star models, one for 3S and one for 4S flying...

If no danger from upgrade, I will perform at work tomorrow....

Thanks again!

Jim

[Chairman]

OK First of all copy your models to the PC and save the file somewhere safe.
It's very unlikely anything will go wrong but you never know.

If you've not connected to PC, follow the blue section.

Usually, out of the box, you switch on Taranis, then plug the USB cable into PC and Tx.
This ought to cause the install USB driver on PC for you. (or you already did this).
If not, getting the USB drivers working is the hardest bit of this. If USB install fails, then use your link, and download Zadig from there. This is designed to fix any USB issues.


Once USB is working, two extra drives will appear. Only ever bother with "Removable Disk" Don't touch "Taranis"

You can also connect now with companion. Set companion to "check for updates on startup" and to £"check for selected firmware updates"
While you're in settings, set your "default stick mode" and "default channel order" This helps with every new model you set up.

From now on, companion should automatically update, and prompt you to update the Tx. Keep doing it until yr on 2.0.7

The way you connect Taranis to PC changes at one of the updates.
At some point, switch on Tx and plug in USB doesn't connect as usual.
Now, you need to press both rudd and ail trim towards the on off switch, while you switch on, then plug in USB.

Also at some point, the eepe format changes. The Tx will automatically update it. When this happens, save a new backup copy.

Let me know how you get on. I may well do a Taranis workshop at clubnight. You might be able to help.

[Jim (Chairman)]

ChrisB,

Thanks for all the information on this.

One last one: How do I find the current firmware version on my Taranis TX....?

Thanks!

Jim

[Chairman]

I'm just in a hurry Jim

But I think it's a long press on the top left button, then page through until you find it.

[Jim (Chairman)]

ChrisB,

All sorted! Firmware etc all upgraded to the latest versions and all models restored.

Hopefully we can try it on Friday...

Cheers!

Jim

[Chairman]

Excellent.

Do you want to send me the model memory? Might save us a little time on Fri.

Copy it to a new eepe if you like, you can have two eepe windows (set of 60 model mems) open at the same time and drag and drop between them.

Change the file extension to jpg, and attach it here.

[Jim (Chairman)]

Chris,

Here's the whole model memory.

We will be flying the "Arising 3S" model (the "Arising 4S" model is a higher performance setup for later with a 4 cell LiPo) and the other models are just me messing around in the past.

The 3S and 4S versions have different A1 analog input scales and alarm voltages but no other differences.

There is a rates switch for all models on the SD switch, up for high rates, centre for mid rates and down for low rates. Low rates are VERY low.

The rate selection for test flight will have to be chosen on the day based on your experience of control surface travels. The high and mid rates roughly correspond to the manufacturers travels.

The "Simulator" model doesn't enable either RF module to save battery for long sim sessions!

Hope this helps and thanks a lot...

Jim

[Chairman]

Right, Arising 3S is in my Tx ready to go.

It all makes sense and works well.
The way you've done rates is perfectly valid, but a little unusual. We can talk about that on Friday.

We should be able to set your Tx up as master pretty quickly I think.
New territory for me though. Try this if you would.
In Model setup Page2, set your Trainer port mode to master. (Mine will be slave).
Then, in Radio setup (long press of MENU from home page) Page3 set up the 4 channels with :=  and select the appropriate Source.
In Model setup Page10 Special Functions, set SF1 to SH(down) Trainer ---  and check the checkbox.

[Jim (Chairman)]

Chris,

I reran my battery / motor / power / prop tests last night. Results are attached.

Think I should have gone for the 1100kV motor not the 1400kV motor currently fitted. That's my old multi-rotor head kicking in!

Please take a look, but the 11x5.5 prop with a 3S LiPo will be fine for test flights.

See you Friday....

Cheers!

Jim

[Chairman]

Hi Jim

Are all the tests on the 1400kv?

The 11x5 on 3S looks fine, it will take a little less current in the air. We'll check motor temperature after a minute or two flying.

The 10x7 will be a good alternative to have on hand, that would give more speed at the expense of some acceleration if we need that.

Just thinking about the 1100kv, that would limit the current we could use to 32A.
I expect that this is because they had to use thinner wire to get more windings on it.

For 4S, you may have to think about a larger motor, and less Pb.

[Jim (Chairman)]

Chris,

I agree with all that you have said here...

Yes all these test are from the 1400kV motor as I don't have the 1100kV version in-hand yet.

I will bring all the props with me. We may even get enough thrust off the 9x5 wooden Master Airscrew prop(?).

I may even be able to rig up a thrust measurement arrangement....

Cheers!

Jim