what versions of what software do i need to download to get started

[Brad Smith]

Hello all

i was wondering what version of the APM and Aurduino and mission planner are compatible with the traditional heli ?

[Brad Smith]

thanks guys

some good idea,s too try... the Belt CP has been a pain, every time ive had to go into the code and and change so much ! but i was trying to help the community by making it work but in the end i,d have so many changes i couldn't explain how i did it . i,m debating getting a HK T-REX clone or switching to a plane ( i have 2 already ones a 40 gas trainer scary the other a foamy pusher jet not so scary) maybe after i,m comfortable with the new programing i could go back and try again .great job by the way on the MP ! i made more progress in an hour than i did in a week with the old way,s usually i would have switched to manual control but i had it unplugged DUhh the servo,s on the Belt Cp are crap and ive yet to find a replacement that fits the linkages so its not really worth wasting my time on it but i had it flying pretty stable before i goofed up the wiring . just so you,ll know where i,m coming from my visions failing so i thought i,d get into fpv but i didn't want my heli to fly off with my cam so i needed something with  RTL and i ran across DIYD and loved the concept but because the CP is so propitiatory and the servo's are so weak it's not worth the head aches so its decision time ...again thanks for all the help

[Brad Smith]

if they fit the T-REX they wont fit the Belt cp,s linkages if you seen me fly you wouldn't recommend a 600 lol . if i get a T-rex 450 to work right i probably will upgrade to the 500 or 600 but the extra cost per crash and danger has me on hold on that i live in a wooded community on lake gaston so an amphibious or sea plane has been on my mind for awhile i,m just scared to risk my apm have you heard of anyone water proofing the apm ?

[malcolm churn]

Hi brad, you'll find a 500/600 way more stable than a 450 or a belt cp, more room for everything to fit. Easy to setup. I dont really know why everyone goes for smaller heli's. 

You can even get a set of floats, although i wouldn't recommend flying off of water if your new to helis. 

A reasonable set of hitec servos, wouldn't cost a fortune and you dont need a gyro anymore. 

The code is so close to being on the money Randy and Robert are nearly there, my 2 heli's are ready to go, just need some time now to fly. 

Well i'm all up for you having another go but i'm biased :)

Theres a fair bit of reading here.

[Randy]

I've never heard of anyone trying to waterproof their APM but it'd be interesting to see how it would turn out! :-).  the sonar and/or barometer would be the big problems.  waterproof them and you'll get no altitude control.

[Brad Smith]

that's where i got stumped the last time randy dang baro ,,,i was looking at some waterproof boxes big enough too hold a servo header when i thought about the baro best i could come up with was a nitrogen filled condom so i gave up

[Francois Sabourin]

I fly a Seawind EP amphibious plane exclusively off water.  I waterproofed the eIectronics by housing the APM, Xbee and r/c receivers inside the canopy. The advantage is no additional weight was required. The disadvantage is the solution is model specific and can not  be transfered to another model.

The barometric altimeter works by feeding ambient pressure into the enclosure from a tap in the static line that is used for the airspeed pressure differential sensor, mounted behind the canopy. The equipment outside the enclosure is waterproofed using PlastiDip for the most part.

[Brad Smith]

thanks francois I've love the seawind since the real plane came out and have looked into the model but I've crashed every plane i ever flew not every time but often and have become a big fan of the foamy's  for their ease of repair and safety . most likely the electronics will survive a splash. maybe after i get back into planes and get some airtime i might look into one of them.

  about the collective I've tried this with the stock radio ,a cheap spektrum  and now i,m on a turnigy 9x same problem every time i get them setup to fly and install APM and the collectives reversed i think the main problem lies in the way the servo,s are mounted on the heli . i have made this work with changes to the code just could,nt tell you what i changed

i think when i get a better handle on the new MP i,ll go back and make it work just to beat the beast but for now i,m just deciding on getting a HK clone or mounting on a plane .but my heart couldn't take crashing a seawind and losing my APM too ! i dont know what my wife will think about finding condom rappers in the trash but them and a rubber band will keep out a little of the water .

[R_Lefebvre]

Hey Mark, you like those Blue Arrow servos?  I need to replace mine as I'm using Turnigy MG958's.  They're beasts but real clunkers.  I need something faster and more precise.  I was going to go with a set of the HV HK-MI servos, which are just relabelled Blue Arrows. 

[R_Lefebvre]

Brad, if you had a problem where the cyclic servos were operating in the right direction, but the collective was backwards, the problem is probably the radio output for collective needs to be reversed.  It seems to be backwards, especially if you're using a Futaba radio.  I think Futaba outputs this channel backwards as standard for some reason.  IIRC, I have mine reversed in the radio.

[Brad Smith]

this heli was hard to set up in all the radio's and has so many points of friction with all the levers it uses and i can't find a replacement servo that fits its not worth all the trouble .maybe if someone else tries i might go back too it but for now i,m shelving it !

[R_Lefebvre]

Waterproofing could be done.  Use a Goretex valve on the case which allows air exchange but blocks water:

http://www.gore.com/en_xx/products/venting/protective/index.html

[Brad Smith]

it been my experience that if you seal something up without purging with nitrogen you get condensation. maybe i would work with a desiccant pack in the bottom to absorb the excess moisture .i,m gonna do some test on that in the future . maybe i should start a new thread on cases to see what others have found .or is there already one out there?i got stumped the last time trying to find one small enough to fit my frame and large enough to give some isolation from the I/O pins .