Trex 500 flybarless conversion, Beast X question

[ianmat]

Hi all,

I've decided to upgrade my trex 500e to flybarless, I can get the head for £40, I've been advised that the existing swashplate is fine to use. I know I'll need new main shaft and a 3gx / beast X unit, but what else?
Will I need satellites for the receiver and will spektrum ones plug into a beast x? I already have one one the 500, but will I need another? Do I need a programming unit for the Beast x?

HELP...!!!!


Cheers

[Dan22]

Hi mate,
I have just converted my 500 ESP to DFC with a Beast X, i needed the following parts:
500DFC Main Rotor Head Upgrade Set H50181 - Align T-Rex Spares align trex 500E Pro - ALIGN-TREX.co.uk

As my blade grips were the original ESP ones i had to upgrade them to the PRO.
I fitted a Beast X with built in receiver. you will need to use a sat.
The Beast x comes with every thing required for set up and the instructions are pretty straight forward.
A swash plate leveller is a must and also a digital pitch gauge would be handy as there is no flybar> i made my own out of an old pitch gauge and an ipod!
The balls on the swash need to be taken off and be replaced by the slightly larger ones (only two required)

All the best,
Dan.

[ianmat]

Did you get the USB interface for the Beast X? I'm not sure which is the right Beast X to get? Does the £148 unit have a built in receiver?

[jimmyhorns]

From what I read, dont get the 3gx, I understand a lot of people swap these out

[ianmat]

Jimmy, That's what a lot of people have said, so I plan on going Beast X, only problem is, I don't really know anything about them... I understand that they replace the gyro, but what about the receiver etc????

[Dan22]

Jimmy, That's what a lot of people have said, so I plan on going Beast X, only problem is, I don't really know anything about them... I understand that they replace the gyro, but what about the receiver etc????

Yes mate, get the Beast x with built in receiver. i don't have a usb interface as the beast x is easy to set up using the menu functions on top of the unit.
Feel free to pm me at any stage and i can guide you through it.

Dan.

[jimmyhorns]

This:

AR7200BX 7-Cb DSMX Flybarless Control System (SPMAR7200BX): Spektrum - The Leader in Spread Spectrum Technology

has both the receiver and the beastX combined.

you can run a seperate beastx unit if you wish, with an appropriate receiver.

I think you can plug a satelite receiver into the 7200BX too, to give you more signal diversity, but perhaps someone else can confirm that.

Have you thought about a second hand v-bar?...

[Dan22]

Did you get the USB interface for the Beast X? I'm not sure which is the right Beast X to get? Does the £148 unit have a built in receiver?

This is the one i have.
Spektrum AR7200BX 7CH DSMX Flybarless Control System (SPMAR7200BX)

[ianmat]

Dan, do you happen to know the model number of the Beast X with inbuilt receiver... the one I'm looking at, in fact the only unit Align-trex.co.uk is the BXM76000 and It's not clear whether it has built in receiver... sorry for being so thick!!

[ianmat]

D'oh... you posted that while I was replying!!! That's actually cheaper than the unit I'm looking at... bonus!!

[Dan22]

This:

AR7200BX 7-Cb DSMX Flybarless Control System (SPMAR7200BX): Spektrum - The Leader in Spread Spectrum Technology

has both the receiver and the beastX combined.

you can run a seperate beastx unit if you wish, with an appropriate receiver.

I think you can plug a satelite receiver into the 7200BX too, to give you more signal diversity, but perhaps someone else can confirm that.

Have you thought about a second hand v-bar?...

Yes Jimmy, you can and need to plug and additional sat in on anything larger than a 450 size model.
V bars are obviously great, but i think sometimes people can get carried away with costly equipment when the Beast x is fantastic value for money.
As you say though, a second hand v bar would be good, but hard to find for the price of a new Beast x.

Dan.

[jimmyhorns]

but hard to find for the price of a new Beast x.

Dan.

They are out there. I paid £130 for one last week (fullsize, black)

[Dan22]

They are out there. I paid £130 for one last week (fullsize, black)

You got a good deal there mate.

[ianmat]

Thanks guys, I know what to order now... It's a shame I can't get all the bits from the same place!!!

[ianmat]

Is it worth swapping out the straight cut main gear for the helical version, and matching pinion? My trex 450 has this and it's much quieter... I'm just concerned because the helical main gear available for the 500 has 134 teeth, whereas the straight cut has 162 teeth... surely that will mean a much higher head speed if using a 12 tooth pinion, which I already run??