Using Sub-Trim on the 130x

[dogcow]

I have 2 x 130x's, one is stock and apart from a sloppy tail fly's pretty well and needs NO trim whatsoever, which is how it should be.
The other 130x (Stiffy) has always had a mind of it's own from day one and is the one I am experimenting on with different parts and setups to get it right. Resolved the tail wag by turning down the gyro gain -2 and fitting the RKH slider and a CF rod on the tail fin. Gave it a little more Negative Pitch by adjusting the Pitch Travel in the Servo Setup, which makes inverted flying alot less stressful. The only minor issue I have is a slow clockwise rotation when gently hovering and a slight pull to the left. As I couldn't fix this mechanically, I resorted to tweaking the sub-trim. I put 6L on the rudder to counter the rotation and 10R on the Aileron to counter the left drift. Re-calibrated and all seems absolutely spot on and tuned in perfectly, the tail is also rock solid.
I have read that you should NOT use any Trim on this bird, but if you have to certain trims are ok and some are not? Huh, Confused?
I think Rudder is ok to play with just like the Pitch Sub-Trim is OK to play with, but should I really be changing the Aileron Sub-Trim to 10R? Other advice says not to, HH say not to, I did and it seems ok and has corrected the drifts, so am I OK or is there another way to correct it mechanically that i have missed.
Thoughts on 130x Sub-Trim greatly appreciated.

[Mike00top]

I have 2 x 130x's, one is stock and apart from a sloppy tail fly's pretty well and needs NO trim whatsoever, which is how it should be.
The other 130x (Stiffy) has always had a mind of it's own from day one and is the one I am experimenting on with different parts and setups to get it right. Resolved the tail wag by turning down the gyro gain -2 and fitting the RKH slider and a CF rod on the tail fin. Gave it a little more Negative Pitch by adjusting the Pitch Travel in the Servo Setup, which makes inverted flying alot less stressful. The only minor issue I have is a slow clockwise rotation when gently hovering and a slight pull to the left. As I couldn't fix this mechanically, I resorted to tweaking the sub-trim. I put 6L on the rudder to counter the rotation and 10R on the Aileron to counter the left drift. Re-calibrated and all seems absolutely spot on and tuned in perfectly, the tail is also rock solid.
I have read that you should NOT use any Trim on this bird, but if you have to certain trims are ok and some are not? Huh, Confused?
I think Rudder is ok to play with just like the Pitch Sub-Trim is OK to play with, but should I really be changing the Aileron Sub-Trim to 10R? Other advice says not to, HH say not to, I did and it seems ok and has corrected the drifts, so am I OK or is there another way to correct it mechanically that i have missed.
Thoughts on 130x Sub-Trim greatly appreciated.

Now this is a really good point, cos all the guff written always says dont use any trims of any sorts, then something else says subs are ok but tx trims arent, some say the heli will readjust the next time you fly it, so after each flight before switching off tx you must re-centre the trims, so i am confused as well, i had a little play on mine and subs seem to work but tx ones do appear to need adding again on the next flight, ( i must hasten to add, that mine does trim hands off at zero all trims, but i just tried to trim it off centre to see if it worked )

[dogcow]

From what i understand, Sub-Trims remain in the Tx memory and the Gyro resets to zero on the next calibration, so technically the Gyro is still centred at zero using the sub-trim settings used and does not need any resetting each time i plug it in, and does not appear to cause any ill effects. I don't use Main Trim as this does reset and apparently causes issues too.

[Mike00top]

That sounds right

[horneteer]

According to HH it is acceptable to use sub-trim on this particular fbl controller. Is the model that needs subtrim older than the one that doesn't?

[dogcow]

According to HH it is acceptable to use sub-trim on this particular fbl controller. Is the model that needs subtrim older than the one that doesn't?

Now that is interesting... Where and when did HH say it was OK? and Yes the model that needs sub-trim is older than the one that doesn't, curious why you ask?
N.B. I have replaced the tail shaft, bearings, tail blades and put an RKH tail slider on it before i gave in and used sub-trim. No Vibes at all, just a gentle drift.

[horneteer]

In my experience of flying old and new 130x's the newer ones are better calibrated from the factory. Older versions are none the worst because of this though - subtrim only moves the control range and does not cause loss of throw or squiffy tendencies on AS3X.

See here (post 15) 130 X Troubleshooting from HH - HeliFreak

[dogcow]

Found it: "Using sub trim and trim is perfectly acceptable on AS3X."__________________
Horizon Hobby Product Development

and trim!!! Great Info, thanks for that horneteer, feeling better now