Range checks?

[Cralis]

I think I made a novice error again. I needed to get a range check on my Trex, as I got myself a micro antenna for it. The instructions said that I should do a range check before I attached the new micro antenna. So, I did. I gave the heli to my wife, and asked her to carry it away from me, while I shook the rudder, waiting for it to stop.

This is obviously not the right way to do it with a heli. I asked her to walk, as it was raining.

OK, she got to quite a distance.. about... 60/70 meters when it stopped. I then relaised that I nearly killed my wife, as wen she came back, she said it did something strange. I guess the heli never got the throttle signal anymore, and it maybe nearly started up?

Anyway, my question is, how should you do a radio check with a heli? Also, how far should you get before it starts responding in a strange fashion?

[Disc]

Electric make sure your motor cannot start for a start

Sit the model on the ground aerial on tranny down

Walk away from the model but start wiggling the sticks for the head and watch it. Better still have someone stand with the model you should get of 20-30ft its fine.

You dont want to see twitchy servos or no response from the model

60/70 meters aerial down the model is fine

[Cralis]

Mmm.. with the new micro, it's getting to around 10 meters ( 33 feet ). Is that an acceptable distance for a range check? Aeiral down.

[Disc]

yea thats fine for a micro

[Cralis]

OK.. so even though the dangly aerial was double, it's OK that the micro is half? I wouldn't fly the 450 far from me anyways.

[Disc]

if you were getting no glitchs at 30ft with the tranny aerail down its fine

[Nutz]

You need to do a range check with the motor off and the motor running as the results will be different (shorter with motor going). The best thing to do is strap the heli down or take the pinion off the motor so the blades cannot spin or take the blades off, another options when checking the system with the motor armed is undo 1 of the 3 wires, the motor will still try to turn but sill stutter and not have the power to run the motor properly.

[Cralis]

Nutz, thanks. Will try with the blades off, and running just enough but not over-reving.

Thanks.