Really stuck after first club visit!

[Mart61]

So, lots of advice here. You any closer to making a decision?

[Mart61]

lipos about 30ish each depending on type.

For a 500? Crikey, where did you find those?

[cotti]

So, lots of advice here. You any closer to making a decision?

Just running the figures now

[cotti]

OK Ive looked at the Trex500 and Trex600n here, Im going to also check the Raptor 30.
Prices are from same place where possible.

TREX500
500 ESP Superior Combo inc Kit,Blades,Motor,Esc and 3 servos(DS510) £399.99
GP 750 Gyro with DS520 Servo £124.15
DX6i TX with 6200RX £99.99
Cellpro 10S Charger £124.99
Outrage 6S1P 2500mah (x2) £177.26

Total=£926.38


TREX 600N
600N Superior Combo inc Kit,Blades,Align(OS) 50 engine,Pipe,Regulator and RCG600 Governor £589.99
GP 750 Gyro with DS520 Servo £124.15
DX7i TX with AR7000RX £249.99
Align DS620 Servo(x4) £174.56
Optifuel 30% (5L) £29.99
Glow Starter £17.60
Fuel pump £9.99
Irvine Starter (12v) £29.99

Total=£1226.26

Ok Im not exactly sure I have everything that I need here (Ive not read up about regulators and Governors yet so could not use a cheaper combo to try and get the price down. I have to say once again thankyou to everyone for contributing the time and effort to this thread and I only hop it proves usefull to other people to. Im going to look at a Raptor 30 prices now but I have a sneaking suspision its going to come in around the same as the 500e.

[Mart61]

If you go the Cellpro route for the 500, you need to add a stabilised power supply that may cost between £40-80.

I think the price for the Outrage 6S1P is a bit high too - I think the 2500Mah is nearer £100.

It is maybe worth waiting for used kit to come up. I got the following used for mine:

DX6i = £40
3x HS-5245MG servos = £45
GY401 gyro = £60

Most of these were bought from guys on here.

[cotti]

Im heavily leaning towards a 500 electric because I know the charger will come in usefull as I plan to buy a couple of electric foam planks to fly when the wind gets to bad to fly the heli. As long as I can dumb the settings down to a suitable level to learn on I think this solution would suit me better.

[Mart61]

The 500 is the route I took. If ya wanna chat about my findings so far in my beginnings into the heli world, let me know and I'll PM you my number - we can chat in detail.

[cotti]

If you go the Cellpro route for the 500, you need to add a stabilised power supply that may cost between £40-80.

I think the price for the Outrage 6S1P is a bit high too - I think the 2500Mah is nearer £100.

It is maybe worth waiting for used kit to come up. I got the following used for mine:

DX6i = £40
3x HS-5245MG servos = £45
GY401 gyro = £60

Most of these were bought from guys on here.

Thanks M8 The battery price was for 2 but I put x1 by mistake (corrected now) and yes Ill be keeping my eye out for bargains to! Oh I have a 20amp ripmax psu already and a car battery too

[Sao]

Just bear in mind time in air relative to time spent in field
T500 two flights then an hours charging, nitro land and fly all day until you run out of fuel or need to charge the RX pack.
Wind wise a 50 nitro will handle more wind than the T500 and probably still be flying when your foamy planks are grounded

[Si Goodchild]

OK Ive looked at the Trex500 and Trex600n here, Im going to also check the Raptor 30.
Prices are from same place where possible.

TREX500
500 ESP Superior Combo inc Kit,Blades,Motor,Esc and 3 servos(DS510) £399.99
GP 750 Gyro with DS520 Servo £124.15
DX6i TX with 6200RX £99.99
Cellpro 10S Charger £124.99
Outrage 6S1P 2500mah (x2) £177.26

Total=£926.38


TREX 600N
600N Superior Combo inc Kit,Blades,Align(OS) 50 engine,Pipe,Regulator and RCG600 Governor £589.99
GP 750 Gyro with DS520 Servo £124.15
DX7i TX with AR7000RX £249.99
Align DS620 Servo(x4) £174.56
Optifuel 30% (5L) £29.99
Glow Starter £17.60
Fuel pump £9.99
Irvine Starter (12v) £29.99

Total=£1226.26

Ok Im not exactly sure I have everything that I need here (Ive not read up about regulators and Governors yet so could not use a cheaper combo to try and get the price down. I have to say once again thankyou to everyone for contributing the time and effort to this thread and I only hop it proves usefull to other people to. Im going to look at a Raptor 30 prices now but I have a sneaking suspision its going to come in around the same as the 500e.

Mate,

You're not comparing like with like here. The tx/rx is different (you could use the dx6i and 6200 on the nitro) and you've only factored in 2 batteries. Also, take a look at fuel - 20% will be fine and Optifuel only costs about £22 for 5 litres. Glow starter is £10, and you can use a cordless drill as a starter with an 6mm extension shaft for £5 (pm me for details). You also don't need a regulator if you use NiCd or NiMH rx batteries, and at this stage a governor is unnecessary too.

Take a good look at the deals available on a Raptor and do yourself a favour - walk straight past the 30 and get a 50V2 or a Titan. Get the shop to swap out the wooden blades for some carbon ones or carbon/glass (no need to pay more than £40-45).

Seriously, dude, whilst I'm sure that the 500 is a super flyer, the Raptor just rocks. I love mine more and more each time I fly it and generally put 4x 8min tanks through in a 60-90 minute visit to the field. You'll get less than half that flying time with the batteries you propose to buy and you must be aware that they will need replacing one day. And soon, if you crash it good style!

just my $0.02

Si G

[cambs flyer]

The Trex 450's handle quite well in 15 MPH winds or a bit faster, I've flown my 450's in quite strong winds with a Throttle FL of 95% and they just sit there.

The 450's are cheap as chips to fly, and a piece of cake to control, you can always lower the swash mix % to make them more docile to begin with, the batts, blades, shafts, booms are dirt cheap, example, £8 for a pair of 325 Pro's compared to £35 for a pair of standard carbon blades for my T500, take batterys, you can get them as cheap as £26 delivered when in stock from budget-rc, cheapest for the T500 £90+

Buying a Trex 450 class machine, 3x2100mah batts, GY401, Cellpro 4S charger, DX6I inc RX, and a few spares, and keep buying a few packs of spares each week to build up your collection would be the cheapest route, and one I'd recommend.

[Si Goodchild]

...The 450's are cheap as chips to fly, and a piece of cake to control...

Agree and sort of disagree. My 450 really is super cheap to fly (just got 2 2200mah batteries from Honk Kong for £25 delivered and they work just perfectly, but a properly sorted TREX 450 SE V2 (ie one with really good servos and gyro) will cost about the same to build as a similarly appointed 500. It's really the battery costs that make the biggest difference.

I'm not sold on easy to control though. In slight to zero wind conditions the 450 size helis are fairly easy to get to grips with but any real wind and your concentration needs to be at max. Having just today flown my 450 and Raptor 50 back to back I have to say that there is a gulf of difference between them: not just a few percent, but a few orders of magnitude: The Raptor just shrugs off the wind.

By all means, learn with a 450 (I did and don't regret it), but be aware of the limitations and recognise that for most of us a 50 size nitro is where we will mostly end up. And you can learn on them very easily.

Si

[cambs flyer]

I guess I just love a challenge in windy conditions, when I have one I'll let you know.

[cotti]

Well with all the good coments about the size of 30 and 50 size nitros and the versitility of the 450 class Im leaning heavily towards a 500e as the one I saw at the field looked just about smack in the middle size wise.

The cost of the batterys does look initially alarming but a guy over on the Trex forums worked out it was still cheaper that his nitro.

I dont mind so much the downtime bettween flights as learning does take alot of you initially and its good to have chance to get to chat with your club mates and enjoy banter in the pitts.

I can always add more batterys (and chargers) as I get better anyway!

Once again id like to thank everyone who has taken the time to post in this thread I very much appreciate and value all of your opinions!

Many many thanks!

Cotti

[liambaker996]

get a raptor 30 can not beet them for learning