XAircraft XAircraft X650 tuners of the world, UNITE!

[Bartman]

i was just searching through the XAircraft wiki for clues as to how to proceed in changing PID values and I found a procedure called RC Calibration. maybe i overlooked it when i first built my quad but i've certainly never calibrated my RC Tx to the FC-1212. The procedure is pretty simple, run the XA config software, see what values are being registered with your sticks neutral and enter those values into the width column for nick, roll, and yaw. i'm happy to say it actually made a big difference and i'm much happier with how it flies than i've ever been.
i just did an 11 minute flight with the dual 3600 mah batteries and each cell had 42% remaining. i'm thinking a 12 to 13 minute flights may be possible and i'm even considering putting two 5000 mah packs on from my MK Okto just to see how well the quad handles it. with the two 3600 mah packs, the camera mount and a GoPro, there is still plenty of excess power AND THAT'S WITH THE THROTTLE SOFTWARE LIMITED TO 80% AND REDUCED SIZE PROPS!!
the gnats are making it unpleasant to be outside right now so i'm charging the batteries and will head out after dinner for another flight.
cheers,
bart

 

[dckiteboards]

had to change something. not happy with images coming out of the normal setup

 

[brendonvz]

Nice, I've been thinking about doing the same thing... Does it not effect the handling of it ?
can you perhaps post some more pics ?

 

[dckiteboards]

it works perfect, I will post some pics tonight if i can. all i did was took four extra booms zip tied them accordingly , so that its balanced and removed the battery tray and zip tied that to the rear boom and put the velcro back on. and then just make sure everything is balanced . i cant believe the difference in video

 

[brendonvz]

I will defo give it a go I've got 2 meters of Carbon tube I can cut ...
Question : Does anyone else have a problem with the rudder i.e. when I use the rudder the X650 seems to gain altitude pretty quickly, now I've seen some videos on others and they don't all seem to have the same problem ... is it just me ?

 

[brendonvz]

it works perfect, I will post some pics tonight if i can. all i did was took four extra booms zip tied them accordingly , so that its balanced and removed the battery tray and zip tied that to the rear boom and put the velcro back on. and then just make sure everything is balanced . i cant believe the difference in video

Pics Pics ? ... Vids Vids ?

I'm getting restless ....

 

[chris11414]

First Post for me!

Hey Guys! I was surfing the web and found your thread! I would like to work with you guys so we can make these PID tuning more easier then the Trail & Error. I found online how to tune the x650, but its Trail & Error! I dont want to risk crashing and rebuilding my copter just because of some wrong PID values. So I want to do some MATH, work with some formulas and numbers so that I can have the correct values for my X650. So I am wondering how xaircraft on their site where you download the setting, how did they get those PID values? I have surfed online to find a formula for PID tuning, but it so complicated! I wish there was a simpilar to get the correct PID values so that we could calculate the weight, power from the battery and power from the motors, so we can change the values and ready to fly! I like how with the hoverfly boards, you dont have to worry about the PID values. You would just adjust the channel parameters that is associated with the hoverfly feature from your remote then worry about the PID setting on the computer.

SO I join you guys in this thread because im having the same problems as you guys are having. I have recently finally installed my GPS and compass, but I'm having my X650 oscillating, drifting a lot and motors being really HOT! Im guessing the drifting I could fix like what you guys have done, to recalebrate the AHRS on a level surface and make sure the mounting in the x650 is aligned with the motors. But the motors being really HOT, Im worried about. What would be the max take off weight for the x650? Is it really 1400g? I measured my X650 at 1600g with a 4s 5000mah, lights, cam mount, gorpo (everything you see in the pics below). How much does you guys X650 weight at now?

View attachment 349View attachment 351View attachment 348View attachment 350View attachment 352

 

[chris11414]

I have recorded a video with my Gopro on the X650. You can see how im having trouble keeping the copter level and to have the copter keep its altitude. I had the GPS installed, but it wasn't working because it couldn't pick any sats. I need to relocate the GPS antenna because I have it mounted next to my FC like in the pictures that I posted above.
Anyone know how I can get a more steady recording? And get the waves out? I don't want to edit it out all the time, it needs to be recorded raw and editing should be little....

 

[chris11414]

Is this any good for tuning the X650?
I haven't gave it a try yet...

http://code.google.com/p/ardupirates/wiki/PID_Setting_SuperStable_Code

 

[earthman]

Hey Bart......thanks for the great tips but what did you mean by width column? I see Mininum, Netural, and Max.
Should I put what is registering in the Netural? (the default shows 1500 in the Netural) My RC nick, roll, and yaw is about 1520.

I'm about to go out and try it again and hope it doesn't flip over this time.

George

 

[earthman]

Never mind. I found my answer here: http://www.xaircraft.com/wiki/X650_RC_Settings .............Thanks anyway.

RC settings help to map the RC channels to corresponding functions, and tell Input Module how to process the signals from channels.

• On the left of the interface, real-time output every RC channel signal. Poke the control lever, knob or switch can see signal changes in corresponding channel and display signal pulse width and period at the same time.
• Mapping. Map channels to corresponding functions according to personal habits. Different RC may have varied channel orders. Some have throttle on the left, some on the right. Poke the control lever (pitch for example) to check out signal from which channel before setting.
• Reverse. Green signal mast will change after selected. The former minimum signal will change to full signal and the maximum signal to the former minimum signal. See "When to select 'Reverse'?" below.
• Maximum and Minimum. First poke the control lever to observe signal pulse width value. Take the slight less than maximum as maximum and the slight lager than minimum as minimum.
• Neutral Point. Only effective to control lever with directivity and switch character. Generally, control lever rebounds automatically under directional signal. Pitch for example, the pulse width of pitch channel signal will be the neutral point when release the pitch control lever. Switch control like landing gear retracting, regarding as “on” when pulse width beyond neutral point and “off” when below neutral point.Put control lever in the middle and pulse width shall be set at neutral value. Neutral point is ineffective to throttle since it doesn’t have negative throttle.

 

[earthman]

TX Heli vs Acro mode

Any comments on which mode is the better to work with, (gear / gyro)?

 

[Bartman]

George,
Every reference I've seen to transmitter modes says to choose Airplane/Acro.
Sorry I didn't get to your posts before you found the answers yourself. I've been away and haven't spent much time here for the last week or so.
I've got a couple of projects nearly done so I'll be back lurking the forums very soon.
Regards,
Bart

 

[earthman]

Hey Bart,
Hope you had an enjoyable week away. I tried a liftoff this morning in Heli TX but I backed the gyro setting down to the middle and entered that into the neutral in flight mode. The take off was surprisingly smooth and level but had drift on the port side. I did hit the broad side the barn however.
Had no stick control other than throttle for some reason. Ended up breaking a prop. I should be thinking about getting away too!
Thanks for the reply.

George.

 

[moslow]

I have had mine put away since I crashed it after installing gps and compass only to find out it WILL NOT WORK they way it was built!! Doesn't matter how much you tune it, You might get close but the fixes cause other problems flying. I just received an e-mail from jeff at cnc heli. and he said the new antennas and firmware should be in on the 19th of july and would be sending me 1 free of charge. I sure hope they have got it right this time. It was a costly crash because of there faulty equipment and alot of hrs thinking I had set it up wrong and as we know I do enough crash testing without there help....lol... It will be a great quad if this all comes together.

 

[Bartman]

you mean you found your after it flew away? Wasn't that you that watched the X650 disappear into the sunset?
I would have liked to see XAircraft spend more time making the flight control perform flawlessly before they started branching out into other airframes and add-ons. Chasing it around just wasn't that much fun after a while and I couldn't put a camera on it and fly it around people because it tended to have a mind of its own (other than the FC of course ).
I think Jingchen knows what he's doing but they've got to do better given the competition out there. I've invited him multiple times to join us here but he just can't give up the monster thread at RCG which, IMHO, is a complete nightmare to navigate when you have to find anything. Mine is not to wonder why, as they say.
Regards,
Bart

 

[dckiteboards]

So im going back to the multirotors, ive been flying a 450 size heli for the last month and i have a trex 700e with a photoshipone 2xpt sitting in my living roomthe whole time, the goal was to get this in the air right around now and i am just done , so selling it, and starting my upgrade to the x650 to a x8, trading the 2xpt in for the mktr, and just going t2i route. no need to send my 7d or 5d up! we will see how this all goes, wish me luck! ill post everything on here!

 

[moslow]

New Landing gear for X650

No Bart I bought another....right before my pre ordered gps/compass came.
I had an extra set of landing gear off my hexa that got shocked had to do a little straightening and paint but the 4 main screws lined right up with boom blocks and wallha got me some new shoes.....lol

 

[dckiteboards]

got everything setup except im getting one motor spinning randomly and the rest respond normally

any solutions?

is it a bad esc? thats what i have read thus far!

 

[Bartman]

you've swapped the motor wires to another ESC to see if the problem is specific to the motor pads and not the motor itself?
what do you do if it's an ESC? can individual ESC boards be swapped out or do you just send for a whole new board?