The JR pulse is an old PPM system, as it has a short range and is 35mhz. Due to this I would upgrade the tx one of the new 2.4 Ghz systems. (Spektrum, Futaba, etc)

Sounds as if its been modified to take a NiCad or NiMh pack instead of the original pen-cell tray. Any competent electronics bod should be able to sort it. However, both the radio and the heli are pretty ancient. That's not to say they are unuseable, but spares for the heli may be an issue.

I strongly suggest you contact a local club for specific advice and training! If you have a good local model shop, they should be able to point you in the right direction. The British Model Flying Association (BMFA) should also be able to help locate a nearby club.

Best of Luck!

Cheers Colin,

Thanks for the info,if i upgrade to a 2.4 system,what changes would i have to make to the heli itself,i would,nt ask normally but all my previous helis have been rtf,so i hav,nt messed about with them...cheers Dave..

All that needs to be changed on the helicopter is the receiver, which has to be compatible with the transmitter that you obtain. When you buy a transmitter it normally comes with one receiver.

Please note what Pete said that the Helicopter is old, it was produced from +- 1995 to 2005, so the availability of spares could be an issue.

Well at a minimum you would have to install a 2.4 Receiver and probably worth while changing the battery and switch if the gear is that old. You would then have to setup the servo arms to their new centre positions and genarally setup the heli with this new radio gear. If you havn't done it before I'd get someone to assist you.

I still remember getting my first heli and TX it was a Kyosho Nexus with and mds38 engine that ran fine when I got it checked over but as soon as I ran it on my own it just wouldn't go lol and I think it was a futaba skysport 6 heli radio with a mechanical gyro yuk yuk yuk.

I built it perfect but when it came to the radio setup I was lost but after getting it setup once I done every bit myself. I still remember the guy I was recommended to take it to for a checkover saying it was the best built first time heli he had ever seen :-O I was shocked as I found the build really easy but then I had built a couple of kyosho's rc cars ;-)

If you need any more help just shout matey.

Thanks everyone for the replys,yes i needed help,been flying electric now for a year or so,this was going to be the next step up,looks like i better get some reading done..lol..thanks all...as arnie said."i will be back"....Dave

I can't find the JR Pulse. McGregor do JR and have manuals on their site. I don't remember people having range problems with 35Mhz. Range is more to do with the rx. I'd also expect the tx to be switchable into pcm mode which would give you a proper failsafe. You do need to fully extend the aerial and not just wrap it round the undercarraige. You could learn a lot by playing with the tx and rx. 35Mhz txs ran on eight Nicds or Nimhs. They used to be 500mah. The rxs ran on 4 cells. Again 500mah NiCds. The newer NiMhs don't give as much current as the old NiCds.

As others have said spares are probably difficult, but you might find it possible to pickup another identical heli for next to nothing. Many of the parts can be used in a newer heli.

What sort of rtf helis have you had?

35mhz range is vastly superior to 2.4 ghz - thats why most of the FPV flyers use 35mhz for control systems and 2.4 only for video transmission.

Not saying it is better but pure range isnt an issue - quite the reverse.

Hi CJC,
Started with a few indoor helis,wife then got me a perkins chinook that was great laugh.then purhased a 450 erazor heli from the states about a year or so ago all metal great heli..Just really like helis had 2 other 450's before the erazor though had to get more practice before buying the erazor did'nt want to crash it lol....
Dave....ps wanna build a nice big chinook though at some point..

I spent a lot of time long ago with planks and glow motors. Anyone who wants to go that way must be mental. We are all mental though so that doesn't count. Electric at the moment is ok for 450 and possibly 500 but gets a bit expensive after that and flight times are not as good as nitro or petrol. I think you should use what you have and learn from it. Just learning how to start it, adjust the mixture, make sure it doesn't go too lean in whatever position makes it run lean. You'll get used to the noise and presence of a bigger heli just by starting it up. Basic setup isn't too critical to just get something that works. With a strahight line pitch curve you should have 0 pitch at middle throttle and something like +-10 at each end. I find measuring the control rods with a cheap maplin vernier the easiest way to get things setup. Hopefully someone will know the lengths. Checking each bolt that goes into metal and making sure its loctited is probably a good idea. You'll probably need a club and insurance and a starter, starter battery and glow driver. And some fuel. Taking the engine apart and cleaning it up would probably be a good idea. You'll need a cloth and some detergent to clean up the heli and somewhere to store it.

Hi CJCJ,
Thanks for all the info i'll take it all on board,i'd better start to read up on more tech things though.Thanks for all the help,if i get any probs with the rebuild I'll be right back..cheers Dave

My 1st heli was a Nexus, after a few upgrades it wasnt as bad as some thought but the difference between it and the Raptor 50 I bought a couple of years later to replace it eventually selling the Nexus on about 5 years ago. The Nexus has a large amount of slop in the head and the tail really needs a boom mount servo and carbon pushrod to get the best from it. It uses a cone start although I changed mine back in the day for a hex start - so much better!

It will get you hovering and into circuits and basic loops etc... but its not a full 3D machine by any stretch of the imagination. You will get 15 mins out of a tank with an OS32 engine, about the best engine for this model IMHO and it only needs 10% nitro fuel so keeps the costs low.

I user 35MHz PPM for over 20 years for fixed and rotary wing, range is more than you will ever fly a heli or plane! There is no real reason not to use the Tx, just ensure you range test it - if you can walk 30 meters away with the aerial down without jittery servos and still get response to stick inputs then it will be ok.

Spares will be a big problem if/when you crash, I only crashed mine once back in 2000 and it wasn't the simplest to find parts even when they were still making it! These days rocking horse is a phrase that comes to mind. Use a training X undercarriage to minimise risk of tipping over when taking your first hops to hover. But do lose them once you can hover stably as they will hamper your progression into forward flight and lazy 8's and circuits.

What dedcalm says is about right!

I would *STRONGLY* recommend getting in touch with a local club, and seeking some advice / guidance before flying it. Also make sure you have adequate 3rd party insurance in case it gets away from you (quite likely!)

The Nexus 30 didn't have a great reputation, but its adequate as a basic model. However Kyosho spares are a nightmare these days - even for current models (don't ask how I know!), so any "incidents" are likely to involve a very long wait for spares! (I've just waited 3 months for a replacement main gear for a current Kyosho!)

Hi Pete,
thanks for the info,hope you don't mind me asking could you tell me what size NiCd battery is used which is sat at the nose of the heli under the reciever and gyro,it looks like mine needs replacing and it dos'nt look like the original,any help would be great..cheers dave..