Eco 7 and Lipos

[spooky]

Hi, all, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I would like to know if anybody is using 3 Lipos on the Eco 7.
Do you need to change pinion?
Do you need to change something on the programmation of the Gigatronic???
And, last, anybody knows a link to the English manual of this Gigatronic?
Thankssssss /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[AlphaPapa]

Hi spooky,

I have some experience with Eco7 and Lipos. 3S is similar to 9 Cells, except the Lipos have less weight. This influences the flight behaviour a bit. The Eco7 flies more dynamic with the Lipos. There is no need to change anything, neither pinion nor Gigatronic programming.
I have no English version of the Gigatronic manual. May be I can help if you post your questions here in the forum.

Andreas

[spooky]

Thanks so much, AlphaPapa, for your reply and help /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif, you just arrive on time, as i have to send the Eco 7 back to his proud owner, now equiped with its 3 lipo pack, Lipo discharge alarm light, and position lights as well.
ALso I found out the cause of the bad vibration while flying, it was the front of the motor frame cracked from side to side (easy).
So, I will try now the Lipo pack in flight without so much fear. Very good news indeed that I don´t need to change pinion or Gigatronic setup, as I am recommending the owner to fly, at the beginning, with the original 7 cel. nimh pack, and change to the Lipos when he is more familiar with the heli.
This way both packs can be used without setup changes.
The only problem I found was the Cg, with the Lipo 5000mah 11.1 pack it was absolutely out of place.
The only solution I found for not adding weight to the heli was elonging the battery compartment hole to the front.
A bit difficult to cut with the glued body, using a cutter, but it will be a lot easier when both parts of the body are still separated, new.
I removed one of the transparent panels of the front, like in the attachment.

Taking the opportunity you offer me, one more question, please: We are using a Futaba FF9 to control the Eco 7. Can I use the exponential function on the transmitter without interfering with the normal gigatronic functioning? I guess a -30 in both aileron and elevator channels will give a much softer hovering...
Thanks a lot /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[AlphaPapa]

Hi spooky,

the Lipo 5000mAh pack is not much less weight than a 9 cell NiMh I guess ;-) Anyhow, the more voltage (compared to 7 cells) gives more rpm's and that makes the Eco7 much more stable in hovering. On the other hand, the more rotor head speed may cause more damage as well :-(
My strong recommendation is to fly the Eco7 with 8 or 9 cell or 3S Lipo. 7 cells is OK if the battery is still warm from charging.

When I tried the Lipos on my Eco7, I tied them with a tape to the landing gear ;-) With the new Eco7 Sport it will be much easier to change to Lipo.

Expo should be no problem. I would recommend to set the curves (nick and roll for hover and acro) linear. Otherwise you have two curves "added". If you programme expo curves in the Gigatronic, it is important to store the model trimming in the Gigatronic (trim model, land, tail stick left until tail rotor quitts second time (about 6 seconds), than all trimmers to middle position).
As the factory curves are almost linear, you don't need to reprogram the Gigatronic. Just test it.

Andreas

[spooky]

Thanks, Andreas,
if I understood well, first I´ll set some exponential in the Futaba,to "soften" the stick in the mid positions, then, I´ll follow the trim procedure in the Gigatronic following your instructions. I cannot make anything via the computer cable, as the man did not send it to me. So I hope the curves set in the Gig. are linear, as you say.
Is that allright?
thanks again, you´re helping me a lot! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[AlphaPapa]

Hi spooky,

the nick and roll curves in the Gigatronic (GT) are almost linear. No need to worry about.

The procedure setting the expo should be:
- set all trimmers to middle
- fly the Eco7 and adjust the trimmers so that the Eco7 flies stable
- before switching OFF, press tail stick to the left and watch the tail rotor. After about 1sec. it quitts (runs for a short moment) the first time. That's the quitting of the Gyro adjustment (= drift compensation), after an other about 5 sec. it quitts again and this time the middle position of the sticks (including trimming) is measured and calculated new (= model trimming). The servos move a bit and they come back to the previous position, if you now put the trimmers in the middle position again. From now on, the GT "knows" the model trimming and the Eco7 flies with all trimmers in the middle.
- now set an expo at the Futaba

If you set the expo first, you may be have to trimm very far, because the trimming does only very small steps.

Good success,
Andreas

[spooky]

Wow! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
This is a clear explanation, indeed.
Thanks really, really very much.
I have taken a look at the spanish translation that the importer prints for their customers, and says nothing about this.
Thanks indeed for taking the time to write this instructions, now I know where to go from.
I´ll keep you posted with my progress!
Hehe /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I "owe you one"!

[spooky]

Ok! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif done!
I followed your "instructions manual" step by step. Really a very good flight system, this Gigatronic. I love the "throttle cut" function, and the security of the device. I even tried disconnecting the trasmitter- the fail safe really works.
First I flied the Eco, then I made and store the trimmings (just a bit of elevator needed, also some rudder), and after the second flight I put some exponential.
To be honest, I prefer the sticks without it. The control is progressive enough, even too slow for my taste, though very adequate for the owner of this Eco7, who is learning to hover, so I deleted stored data and begun again.
You are right: with the 7 cells, you can just fly for some minutes out of GE.
I feel silly of being scared of testing the 3 Lipos: it´s another heli, only you have to be more progressive when starting to spin the rotor, but I´m sure this is something you can change if you have the Pc cable.
It was a bit windy, and the Eco 7 had no problem keeping the tail steady, the Heading lock works well and no tail wagging.
After balancing the blades the tracking is very good, and now with the Cg on place is easy, very easy to hover in a fixed point.
I only missed some lift... I guess a bath with Wd40 would clean that motor, possibly this is the prob., as the revs and the pitch was Ok for me.
Take off, and landing, very easy too, I got rid of the training gear I had put after the first battery.
I hope tomorrow morning, before sending the heli, I can test the Carbon blades (6077003), then maybe there is a better lift...
Thanks again for the help! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[guido_wagner]

Hi !

My Eco7 came with an german/englich manual for the Gigatrinic. I would scan it for you, if you still need it.

CU Guido

[spooky]

Hello, Guido! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Thanks so much for offering to scan the manual! , and sorry for not answering before, these days I have been a bit too busy and did not used the Pc.
A friend from this forum just sent me a copy of the English manual, but I really want to thank your help, please count on me for anything I can help with.
About the lack of lift, after seen the videos of AlphaPapa with the stock Eco 7 and Nimhs, it is clear that I´ve missed something on the setup of this heli, due to my lack of knowledge with this heli and Gigatronic system.
links to the videos, I guess most of you have seen them, but if not, take a look, it is really worth to see what can be done with an Eco 7:

http://www.joerg-ehrhardt.de/eco7/eco7_rundflug_ap2004.wmv
http://www.joerg-ehrhardt.de/eco7/eco7_capriolen_ap2004.wmv


Pity, I had to send the heli back to his owner, he says lift is enough at the moment for what he wants, just hovering.
Anyway, the motor gets hot with the Lipos, so I am recommending to make a bath with Wd40 to the motor, and if lift is still the same, I´ll ask him to send back to me the Eco and the pc cable, and check everything again.
The fact that with the carbon blades the lift was so much better indicates, maybe, the motor was not able to give enough revs. with the bigger wood blades.
With the small Piccolos we clean the motors in Wd40 often. I guess it would not make any harm to clean the Eco 7 motor, being a brushed motor.