Helicommand HC3SX a few questions please

[Stanley Speel]

Hi,

I have a Helicommand HC3SX that should be arriving from Germany (Robbe) somtime next week. I would like to be able to take advantage of its bailout mode / horizontal stabilisation, and have a few questions about the tx/rx:

- Will is work with a DX6i and AR6200e (with satelite), or does it need 7 channels for the bailout to work?

-There are two satellite ports on the HC3SX - if I buy a DX7, will I just need to buy a single 7 channel satellite or do I still need a receiver? If it can be a receiver too then do I need two satellites?

-Has anyone got any opinions on it / comparison to a beastx / Skookum SK720 (I have used a beastX before).

Hopefully it will be worth the £300 investment - I have just got a CF Protos 500 FBL that I can't wait to try out - I hope the belt will be forgiving compared to the tt gears on the trex 500.

I will try to do a review / setup guide on this too as I did with the HC3D

Thanks

Stanley

[Stu girdler]

Hi there
Okay questions, if it is new it will have the spectrum sat ports enabled. You can run it with only one sat, just check the manual I'm sure from memory that with one sat you plug it into the side closest to the programming slot.

The bail out is great, it can save you from all sorts of problems. I will go look and check if you can run it on a 6 channel.

Stu

[Stu girdler]

Ok
Just looked here is an extract:
The system can also be used as a pure tail gyro, without the need of any additional accessories. Especially if a new heli project is planned, first using a flybar, later on switching to a flybarless head, the purchase of an external tail gyro is not necessary. Simply set the Rigid gains in the PC software to "0", so the Rigid mode is disabled. The swash mixing is done by the HC3-SX, so even a simple transmitter can be used.

I left the whole paragraph as it may help folk thinking about using it on FB Heli, it looks like a DX6 would be ok.
It does say a simple transmitter can be used.

Stu

[Stanley Speel]

Thanks Stu - I already have a 6 channel satellite that I can use. I am sure that you can use a 6 channel tx to use it, but I'm not sure if 6 channel will work if I want to toggle between the stabilisation off and hor mode ('rescue mode') while flying.

I was considering getting a better tx anyway - I'll probably just sell my 450 se v2, mcpx and dx6i together and get a dsx9 or something

[Scooby1doo1]

I have just fitted a H3A with DC7 and AR7000, pain to set up right first time. First make sure all wires are plumbed as instructions, and make sure the main wire going into the HC is in firm. I ended up gluing mine in, because it came out while I was landing. Ended up having to buy mains, boom and tail drive. So best be safe and glue it.




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[Stanley Speel]

I have just fitted a H3A with DC7 and AR7000, pain to set up right first time. First make sure all wires are plumbed as instructions, and make sure the main wire going into the HC is in firm. I ended up gluing mine in, because it came out while I was landing. Ended up having to buy mains, boom and tail drive. So best be safe and glue it.

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I know quite a bit about HC3Ds The HC3SX is completely different to the HC3D, and has no positional stabilisation so is only one unit like a beastx, and I believe the wiring is also quite different.

[Stu girdler]

@Stanley
Your comment about 6 channel satellite got me wondering... Is there a separate satellite unit for 6,7,9,12 receivers. On looking at fastlads site the spectrum sat listed is for 6,7 and 9 channel receivers, so... The one you have is fine. Just buy a transmitter as this will be cheaper than buying a 7 channel receiver to just get the same sat. As you say though you will get more for your Heli as bind and fly. The next best thing to do is get DSX9 version 2 (back lit screen) and just a sat £20ish against £60 ish for the full receiver.

Stu

[Scooby1doo1]

I know quite a bit about HC3Ds The HC3SX is completely different to the HC3D, and has no positional stabilisation so is only one unit like a beastx, and I believe the wiring is also quite different.

Yes sorry I remember now, you was one of a few giving advice.
Cheers


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[Zeeflyboy]

@Stanley
Your comment about 6 channel satellite got me wondering... Is there a separate satellite unit for 6,7,9,12 receivers. On looking at fastlads site the spectrum sat listed is for 6,7 and 9 channel receivers, so...

Stu

As you probably gathered, there is no different satellite... The sat is just a receiver for the signal - the number of channels depend on what it is plugged into. There are however dsmx and dsm sats - the dsmx will work both in dsmx and dsm2 but the dsm sats will only work in dsm2.

Can't help with the questions regarding the heli command, but on a 500 it'd be wise to use two sats. You could get away with one, but two is always better for signal diversity, to avoid shadowing, and for good old plain redundancy.... When using sats plugged directly into a FBL receiver, you no longer need a separate receiver - save weight, money, wiring mess etc - very neat solution!

[Stanley Speel]

Thanks so I guess that my satellite will work then - I'll probably sell my ar6200 and get another as well to be on the safe side.

With your skookum did you need 7 channels for the bailout or does it only use 6? Wiring mess wont be a problem with the protos as it was you that did it

[Stu girdler]

@zoo'
Hi there, yes I get that, having built around twenty to thirty aircraft it was never something I considered, but, I wonder why the sat on fastlads site says 6,7 and 9 channel receivers but not 12. The onset of the new generation dsmx receivers certainly adds extra thoughts into the pot. My main point of thought was if you had a two year old AR6200 and like we have here a brand new state of the art HC3sx would newer sats (receiver module) benefit through new components against the older sats? In all my vBars I have sats from 9000 or 12000 receivers.

Just wanted to give the best advice possible to Stanley.

[Zeeflyboy]

Not sure why they say that, all the same sats (dsmx vs dsm not withstanding).... Look here at the sats included with the ar12000 since you mention it - Al's Hobbies - Spektrum AR12000 12 Channel Receiver part number For the sats is SPM9545 which are the same that fast-lad say are suitable for the 6/7/9 rx's

So, can't tell you why fast-lads only mention the 3 rx's, but can tell you there is no channel differentiation between sats.

Stanley - with the skookum, when i was still using the dx6i, I was able to use the gear switch for bailout. I wired up a small pushbutton switch to the gear switch as well and placed it near the trainer switch - much easier to hit in a panic than the gear switch. Don't know how the heli command is setup but I assume a similar method would be possible,