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
File:SetupK.PNG
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 |
Measuring pitch without pitch gauge
If your helicopter is too small for attaching a digital pitch gauge or simply in case you haven't got one you can use a little trick to measure the pitch anyway. You can calculate the angle from the distance the rotor blades move from zero position. Actually this is not as accurate as measuring the pitch with a digital pitch gauge, but it's better than nothing. All you need for this is a ruler and and a good eye. First you need to know the length of the rotorblades from the bolt hole to the outer edge. Usually this matches the specified rotor blade length of the manufacturer. Then you align the rotorhead with the longitudinal axis of the helicopter and fold both rotorblades to one side (as this will put heavy load on the servos it is not recommended use this method on large helicopters with heavy blades!). Now hold your ruler to the blades and mark the zero position. Then when you add positive or negative pitch you can measure the distance between the outer edge of one blade to the other. This distance can be transfered into degrees of blade pitch using the mathematical formula of sinus. Or the other way round you can calculate how far you rotorblades must move away from each other in order to get a specific blade pitch.
Enter blade length in millimeters
Enter blade pitch in degrees