SETUP MENU K - Collective pitch
At SETUP MENU point K you set the maximum negative and positive collective pitch for your helicopter. Additionaly you have to make sure that MICROBEAST PLUS is detecting the direction of movement correctly. This especially is important when using the rescue bailout function but also has effect on the normal flying!
Don‘t modify the pitch curves in your transmitter when doing the collective adjustments, let everything at default (i.e. -100 0 +100) so the stick is moving the pitch channel over the full range.
When finished you can adjust your pitch curves as you like and as you are used to. But for now we need to set the working range which is necessary to gain optimum performance. This also includes that it is more important to define the mechanical possible range of your helicopter than adjusting the pitch to your flying style. When using a 3D trainer helicopter frame for example this usually will have a symmetric pitch range, i.e. reaching from +12 to -12 degrees. Now when you are a beginner or scale pilot you would not need that high amount of pitch, especially not in the negative section. Anyhow, it is not recommended to set the pitch range of MICROBEAST PLUS asymmetrical to -4 to +12 degrees for example, as this would not represent the helicopters capability. Better is to set the endpoints to -12 and +12 degrees and later use the pitch curve setting in your transmitter to adjust the lower end to your preferred flying style. Have a look in your helicopters manual to find out what is the optimum pitch range.
Adjustment on the device
1. Move the thrust stick up and down and check whether the pitch is changing direction correctly. If not already done at SETUP MENU point I, use the reverse function for the pitch channel in the transmitter to reverse direction of pitch movement in case it is wrong.
2. Afterwards check the Status LED color: on positive pitch it must be blue, on negative pitch it must light in red color. In case the display is inverted (red = positive and blue = negative), tap the aileron stick once to reverse the internal pitch direction of MICROBEAST PLUS.
3. When you move thrust stick to full deflection the Status LED should light solid, not just flash. If this is not the case increase the servo throw/endpoint of the thrust channel in the transmitter for each direction just as far so that the Status LED changes from flashing to solid when the stick reaches the end positions. (Note: Do not increase the endpoints too much in the transmitter. We need an exact match of full stick position and stick end position. So the Status LED should just change from flashing to solid when reaching the end position.)
4. Finally adjust the maximum collective pitch when the thrust stick is at full deflection. Increase or decrease the maximum amount of collective pitch with the rudder stick (left = decrease, right = increase). Then move the thrust to full negative and again adjust the pitch using the rudder.
Always set the servo direction in the transmitter first, then check the display on the MICROBEAST PLUS and change the internal control direction if it does not match the real direction. Do not change the internal direction in order to change the servo direction! This is only used for telling the system in which direction is up and down. Be very conscientious when doing this setup step as wrong direction will cause loss of control during rescue bailout and poor performance in general!
Setup with StudioXm
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1. When you see the adjustment screen for the collective pitch move the thrust stick up and down and check whether the pitch is changing direction correctly. If not already done at SETUP MENU point I, use the reverse function for the pitch channel in the transmitter to reverse direction of pitch movement in case it is wrong.
2. Afterwards check the Status LED color and display in the app: on positive pitch the Status LED must be blue, on negative pitch it must light in red color. In case the display is inverted (red = positive and blue = negative), reverse the internal pitch direction of MICROBEAST PLUS by changing the direction in the app.
3. If the stick is not moving far enough, you will see the message "Increase!". In this case increase the servo throw/endpoint of the thrust channel in the transmitter for each direction just as far so that the Status LED changes from flashing to solid and the label changes to "OK" in the software when the stick reaches the end positions. (Note: Do not increase the endpoints too much in the transmitter. We need an exact match of full stick position and stick end position. So the Status LED should just change from flashing to solid when reaching the end position.)
4. Finally adjust the maximum collective pitch when the thrust stick is at full deflection for each direction using the + and - buttons in the app.
Always set the servo direction in the transmitter first, then check the display on the MICROBEAST PLUS and change the internal control direction if it does not match the real direction. Do not change the internal direction in order to change the servo direction! This is only used for telling the system in which direction is up and down. Be very conscientious when doing this setup step as wrong direction will cause loss of control during rescue bailout and poor performance in general!
What pitch is useful for my helicopter?
In general you can say "the smaller the helicopter, the more pitch you have to set". But it also depends on how much motor power you helicopter has, the type of rotorblades you use and finally in what you expect to do with the helicopter. So beginner or scale pilots will not need as much pitch as a 3D aerobatics pilot or high speed flyer. Anyhow, as already mentioned above set the pitch range in MICROBEAST PLUS so that it roughly fits to your helicopter mechanics and its capabilities.
| Heli size (electric) | Maximum pitch |
|---|---|
| 250 | 13.0 - 13.5 degrees |
| 450 | 13.0 - 13.5 degrees |
| 500 | 13.0 degrees |
| 550 | 12.5 degrees |
| 600 | 12.0 - 12.5 degrees |
| 700 | 11.5 - 12.0 degrees |
| 800 | 11.5 degrees |
| Heli size (nitro) | Maximum pitch |
|---|---|
| .37 - .40 | 12.0 degrees |
| .50 - .55 | 11.5 - 12.0 degrees |
| .90 - .105 | 11.5 - 12.0 degrees |
| Gasser | 10.5 - 11.0 degrees |
Messen des Pitchwinkels ohne Pitchlehre
Wenn Dein Helikopter zu klein ist, um eine Pitchlehre daran zu befestigen oder Du schlicht und einfach keine Pitchlehre hast, dann kannst Du den Winkel auch mit einem Lineal oder Massband ermitteln. Das ist zwar aufgrund der Ungenauigkeit der Messung nicht so zuverlässig, wie eine digitale Pitchlehre, aber immerhin besser wie Nichts. Alles was Du dazu brauchst ist ein Massband und ein gutes Auge. Zuerst ermittelst Du die Rotorblattlänge von der Bohrung in der Blattwurzel bis zur Aussenkante. Das entspricht im Normalfall auch der Rotorblattlänge die vom Hersteller angegeben ist. Dann richtest Du den Rotorkopf in einer Linie zur Flugrichtung des Helis aus und klappst die Rotorblätter zur Seite (da dadurch die Servos stark belastet werden, empfehlen wir diese Methode ausdrücklich nicht bei größeren Helis mit schweren Rotorblättern!). Lege jetzt das Massband an der Aussenkante der Rotorblätter an und messe die Distanz bis zum Boden bzw. makiere Dir diesen Nullpunkt. Wenn Du jetzt Pitch auf oder ab steuerst, wandern die Rotorblätter auseinander. Mit Hilfe der Sinusberechnung kann aus der Distanz der Rotorblätter zueinander der Pitchwinkel ermittelt werden. Oder anders herum kannst Du mit der gegeben Blattlänge berechnen, wie weit die Rotorblätter entfernt sein müssen, damit Du ein bestimmter Pitchwinkel anliegt.
Rotorblattlänge in Millimeter
Gewünschter Pitchwinkel