Clicky throttle stick

[G.K.]

Hi all, my name's Gary and I'm new here and new to rc helicopters.

I've jumped straight into the hobby with a Honey Bee CP3. I'm getting on quite well, practising on a sim + hovering in the garage with the heli tethered on 4 bits of loose string. Been at it about a week and thoroughly enjoying the learning.

Today I took it outside without the string, just training gear. managed some crisis free although not sweat free hovering on a lawn.

One of the problems I have found both in the garage and outside is a "Clicky" throttle stick. I assume this is some sort of friction device on the throttle axis inside the transmitter. On one click the heli is hovering 3 inches above the grass, on the next click it climbs at about 1 foot per second, no happy medium. As the battery declines I can briefly find a groove but it is brief...any suggestions?

[Sheldrake]

Hi Gary welcome to the forum. Sorry I am too new myself to be able to help with your throttle question but there will be someone who can help along soon. We are a friendly bunch and there is some really good help and advice available on here.

You look to have made a good start that is an impressive first hover (imho!).

Happy landings.

[JoeBailey]

There's a ratchet plate on the throttle stick. You need to open the tx and remove or loosen it to remove the ratchet action. There should be a smooth setting somewhere on the tx

[jimmyhorns]

you could certainly open up the back of the old esky transmitters and do away with the ratchet.

Thats not the only problem though, or at least certainly not with the honeybee cp2. For a nice stable hover on a cyclic pitch heli, you really need a constant head speed. Mine was always still increasing the headspeed with collective around the hover, which is a double problem, one click up and the head speeds up as well as more pitch so you go up, one click down and it slows down and drops to earth...

you can fix this when you are a bit more confident by learning to use idle up (constant headspeed) combined with throttle hold for landing, but thats a little way from where you are tbh.

Take the back of the transmitter (if you are willing to risk the warranty of course) and take a photo, we will show you the bit to remove, though its probably going to be pretty obvious once you open it.

Nice hovering btw... I remember those days, and not so long ago either
James

[SamS]

What I did was I opened the back of the tx, took the small metal plate off which rubs against the notchy bit, and then just get some sand paper and sand off the notches so it becomes nice and smooth. Then screw the metal bit back on, and off you go

[nobbycopter]

Hi Gary, welcome to the forum and the hobby!!

See below pic of a typical TX insides, the silver spring is what you need to either bend or sand under. The plastic on the back of the gimbal (stick) will have teeth like a gear and you can either bend the metal so it is flat or as Sams says sand off the teeth. If the stick is not too loose when you take off the metal spring you could even leave it off.

Ratchet mod.jpg

p.s. I'd put the canopy on when you're learning as it will help with your orientastion, never a good idea to fly without the canopy as a rule.

[G.K.]

Thanks all

Ratchet sorted. I took out the spring and flattened the tooth and put a gentle curve on the friction part. It still gives some friction but without the clicky feel.

Flying without the canopy is laziness on my part, point taken and it makes sense.

I did inadvertently flick the idle up switch the other day whilst changing batteries. The heli was fortunately tethered at the time....it took me a while to figure out what I'd done.

Thanks all.