Throw money into this pit

DDM tuning HID's

2010-07-01T13:46:00.001-04:00

I ended up getting the DDM Tuning HID's I got the 35W 6000K versions. The install was easy except I used a drill bit that was one size larger than it needed to be for the grommit to fit in the covers. I ended up using silicone around the grommits anyway so it was no issue. I have no condensation inside the lenses. I could write a how-to but it was really easy to do and there are many install how-to's like this one already written. If you are doing your fog lights you must also purchase the additional wiring kit.

Will add picture later.

Turbo XS Cold Air Intake

2010-05-11T12:58:00.005-04:00

Eric Meinheart at torquedperformance.com has maps for two different brands of Cold Air Intake, he has one for Turbo XS and one for K&N. I asked Eric if there was a difference in performance gained by going with one manufacturer over another and he told me no. I also plan on doing a front mount intercooler in the future and Turbo XS makes the FMIC that I am going to get. The Turbo XS CAI is a requirement for their FMIC kit so the choice was easy. The install was really easy and it looks nice when you are all done. I forgot to mention that the Turbo XS comes with a K&N filter. Beyond the better throttle response and the overall performance gains you get with this mod, you will really hear the turbo spool as well as the blow-off valve purging pressure....it sounds nasty.

I'll add a picture soon.

Exhaust System(s)

2010-05-11T11:03:00.008-04:00

I ran Stage II for a while with the stock exhaust but I felt like it was restricting the potential of the map I am running, so I decided to get an aftermarket exhaust. I had followed many forum threads on 3GWRX.com and listened to many poor quality sound clips on you tube. Now I really have a problem overpaying for things because there is a high demand for them. I know it is a simple economic principal but what the hell, it's a piece bent pipe and and muffler! When I had exhausted (pun intended) my resources I decided to pull the trigger on the TSUDO N1. The sound clips sound mean! and it was inexpensive.

I knew it was going to be loud as N1's are, but it was cheap........ right?
Needless to say my popularity slipped in the Polls with my wife and she refused to ride in my car, let alone drive it[insert female driver joke here]. So, off to buy another exhaust I go. Not so cheap anymore. I chose another inexpensive exhaust from ERZ Performance, it's quieter and still uses 3" pipe. I will get a good one later :(

Kartboy Short Shifter

2010-05-11T10:39:00.007-04:00

I installed a Kartboy short shifter and bushings. This was quite an easy mod and not that expensive. I think it might have been $150 shipped with the bushings. There are many how-to's out there I really just needed it to know how to properly remove the trim around the shifter. The one tricky bit about the shifter install is the snap ring holding it in place. If you do this install, buy yourself the pliers...they will make your life easier. I like this mod, it reduces the shifter throw by 40% and allows for quicker shifts.

Installing the bushings was the real bitch. Some people loosen or remove the tranny mount but I just took my time and worked it in there. Check out this how-to.

Romraider

2010-05-04T18:07:00.010-04:00

Well I have been really busy but I have still been voiding the warranty on my car. I cannot believe it has been 5 months since I updated last. I have done many more mods so I will just update when I can. As I posted earlier, I got the tactrix cable so that I can flash my ECU with custom maps that increase performance. There are a set of tools you need to flash the rom but you also will want to log the data stream to monitor the feedback from your cars computer thus making sure it is running properly. One of the main things you are looking for is a lean Air Fuel Ratio (AFR) and also knock, which is detonation inside the engine. So, Romraider is a program that allows you to edit you factory map with custom values, it is also the program the allows you to log your data. As mentioned in a previous post the tactrix cable plugs into the OBDII port and the other end plugs into your laptop via USB. These programs then send and receive data over USB. I bought my map from a tuner in colorado for $50. This guy is a really great guy and he stands behind his maps and is also a major contributer on one of the WRX forums I belong to, 3gwrx.com The guys name is Erik Meinhart and his website torquedperformance.com The map was $5o and I think he has pushed out 3 if not 4 updates since....So he is always improving his maps and you get free updates. Anyway, I can't say enough about Erik's maps. Back to the programs needed change your maps, you will also need ECUflash, this is the program that actually does the flashing...It's always a trip when you flash the ECU and you wonder if you are going to brick your $30K car. My heart pounds every time.

Walbro fuel pump install video

2009-12-23T08:18:00.006-05:00

Installing a better fuel pump will help with some of the custom ECU maps you install. When you change the factory tune of your car and start making more horsepower, you run the risk of exceeding the fuel systems' capabilities. Some of the open source maps actually require the Walbro 255lph fuel pump. I did much research and determined that I could handle this install. I read this how-to from XPT Tuning. This install requires that you dremel the fuel pump assembly to accommodate the larger fuel pump. The double o-ring trick is also required. This trick is where you stack 2 Viton 203 o-rings to create a better seal. The o-rings are available at Napa. Part number 2-12093 is a box of 2 for $1.98. I originally tried a piece of Viton tubing to see if I could come up with a better "Trick" but my efforts did not work. I knew my Viton tubing trick didn't work because when I would try to start the car it would crank 4-5 times instead of the normal 2-3 times. This is caused by it losing pressure due to a weak seal. So the second time I ripped my car apart I did a video thinking it might help the next person that tries this install.
Disclaimer: I am not a mechanic and am not responsible for you breaking your car, this is a just a video of what I did. There is a risk of fire or even explosion if you are near a flame or electrical spark. Remember to disconnect your battery!

Going Stage II - Downpipe installed

2009-12-22T17:07:00.006-05:00

I installed the downpipe over two nights as I didn't have enough time to do it in one night because I get home late. The process isn't that hard if you do your research first. I had been reading forum posts on how to install the DP long before I purchased the part. I went with the ERZ performance downpipe because it has a bellmouth design, a wideband o2 sensor bung after the turbo, a catalytic converter, and it's inexpensive. The bellmouth is cast and the welds are good, what else do you need. With the car up on the ramps I removed the turbo heatshield and hit all the bolts with PB blaster. I let the blaster soak for a couple of hours. You will need a breaker bar an a piece of pipe to help break the bolts free. I didn't really have much problem breaking them free, perhaps it's because my car only has 4000 miles on it, or maybe I'm strong like bull. Some people say you should remove the intercooler but I did not have to. It took me some time to remove but I was taking my time. On a scale on 1 to 10 for difficulty I would say this is a 4 if you do your research. There are torque settings and some physical challenges but all in all I think I could do it again in about 2 hours. I only have a before and after picture because I deleted the step by step pics accidentally.
Stock

Aftermarket

Open Source Tuning: It Begins

2009-10-31T18:31:00.008-04:00

I finally received a working Tactrix cable, the first unit I received was broken but Tactrix cross shipped me a new one right away. A little pricey at $178 but the alternative is the Cobb Access port at $700 so by comparison, not so much. The Tactrix cable is the only cable that is supported by Romraider and ECU flash, some of the opensouce tools needed to tune the Subaru. In case you didn't know, the OST software is free.

Direct wire Beltronics\ Escort install 2009 Subaru WRX

2009-10-31T17:47:00.014-04:00

I am bound to get a speeding ticket! so my parents hooked me up with a Beltronics 995 and a direct wire kit for my Birthday. Thank you! I googled a bit and found this excellent How To.
I don't need to rewrite the how to so here are a few pics. I did have the direct wire kit but you could just use a RJ11phone cable and a 2A inline fuse from Radio Shack. I tried to use the "vampire" clip that came with the kit but it did not make a good connection and caused a short. In the end I just stripped the homelink harness and soldered the connections. If you decide to solder the use a tarp or an old blanket to catch any solder that may fall and potentially damage you interior.

2009-10-30T15:04:00.001-04:00

Hey fun now I can post from my phone!

2009 WRX headlights

2009-10-30T12:42:00.019-04:00

One of the first things I noticed was that the low beams of the WRX are hard to get use to. It's a common thing on newer cars that have projectors. There is what is called a "cutoff", a threshold where light is cut off. I guess the cutoff is so that you don't blind oncoming drivers. I did quite a bit of research and weighed my options and have come up with this so far:

Brighter stock type bulbs
HID conversion kit
HIR
HID retrofit

I went for the path of least resistance and bought some Osram "night breakers" they are just brighter bulbs that fit the factory harness. $56 - Ebay

FAIL! much better but I want more.
HIR is a technology that was developed by GE and then Toshiba. HIR produces about 75%the light output of HID at 25% the cost.

These lights will fit in my harnesses with little or no modification. If anything, I think you file off a tab or something.
Here is all the information you will need and also a place that sells them. I may use HIR for my high beams and get some HID ballasts for the lows. I could then use the night breakers bulbs in my foglights.

HID conversion kits is a topic of many wars in the Subaru, and I assume other, online communities. The debate is that the projector lens in the WRX was made for a halogen type bulb with a horizontal filament therefore the focal point and cutoff is not compatible with the vertical filament of the HID bulb, creating bleedoff, hot spots, etc. While I agree, I have seen the results and I don't think it looks that bad. The goal is to have a nice clean cutoff line without much light bleeding over the top. This is an example good cutoff. You can buy Acura TSX or Honda s2000 projectors and do your own retrofit but it is not a direct bolt on and it costs $200 for the used parts.

If I get HID I will be getting a 35W 5000k HID kit from DDMTuning 35W will not overheat my wiring and the 5000k has the most light output. The higher the number the bluer the color but the less output, 4200K to 5000K has the most light output.

For now, I am living with the Osram night breakers but I think I will do an HID conversion kit and HIR high beams. None of these options will change cutoff, which I was originally opposed to, because it is designed that way.

New Hobby: 2009 Subaru WRX

2009-10-30T11:25:00.011-04:00

Ok, I have a new hobby. About three months ago I bought a 2009 Subaru WRX.....Soooo Sweet! It is a huge improvement over my 2003 Hyundai Tiburon. Believe it or not, the wife suggested we look at Subaru, they had a special deal for 0% financing so the rest is history. Note: If the wife suggests the AWD turbo you buy the AWD turbo...Those opportunities are few and far between! How this relates to my Tech obsession is that there is a large community of open source tuners and worlds of information that show you how to access the cars' ECU (computer) and hack and mod the car for performance gains. I will chronicle my foray into making my car go faster!

Here she is

Virtualization Apps for the Mac

2008-02-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

Vmware Fusion is program that I find invaluable. If you are like me and you have created a Bootcamp partition for use with Windows, you will love this program. Instead of rebooting into windows every time I have to use a windows specific app, I fire up Fusion and it runs my bootcamp partition while in the Mac OS. I still have the option to boot windows natively but it isn't necessary. Another feature of Fusion is Unity mode, which allows you to run both OS's at once. It appears as though you are in OS X but you can run windows apps and have them minimize to the dock, pretty fun. Parallels desktop is another application that does most of the same things as Fusion. I have tried both products but I like Fusion for the fact that you can assign multiple processors and you can address more Memory to your VM's. One other thing to mention about these technologies is that you can download pre-built virtual appliances (Disk Images) for testing... for instance you could get the latest beta of windows server 2008 or run the latest distro of Suse linux, already configured and ready to boot.

Wii can play backups

2008-02-04T11:48:00.003-05:00

After cracking one of the DVD's for the Nintendo Wii, I wanted to find a way to create and play backups as to not damage other disks (uh yeah).

I did some research and picked up a Wiikey modchip.

I am not going to go into detailed steps but I will link to some resources in the event you want do mod your own wii. A quick overview just to describe the pictures. First you crack open the case, a special tri-wing screwdriver is needed. Once you have the wii dissected, identify the solder points on the underside of the DVD drive and solder in your wires.

Once you have the wires soldered to the DVD drive you slide in the chip, bend and cut the wires to length, then solder those snipped ends to the wiikey.

It really isn't that hard to do but let me emphasize how small the solder points are. I had to look through a magnifying glass just to make sure things were attached. There isn't alot of room for error. The key is to tin your wires and only apply the iron for a split second, if you do not you will damage your wii.

All the info you need can be found here
enjoy!

New Notebook - Enter the MacBook Pro

2008-02-01T16:18:00.000-05:00

I changed jobs a few months back and I had to return my laptop, so It was a perfect opportunity for me to buy a new piece of equipment (the 13 other laptops I own weren't good enough). With the adoption of the Intel chipset for the Apple platform the Apples had been looking more and more appealing. Let me state that I am no stranger to the mac. I have 2 older G4's and iMac G5 and a PowerBook, but I was never ready to make the switch while living and working in a windows world.
So once Apple moved to Intel and once I was able to run Windows natively, I knew I had to have one. I bought the laptop and voided the warranty the same week. I cracked it open and loaded it with 4GB of DDR2 PC 5400 RAM and threw in a Seagate Momentus 200GB 7200 rpm SATA Drive......It's blazing! BTW, I bought the 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo in a 15" wide with the back-lit LED display. The Display is gorgeous, HD movies look unreal!

New hobbies - Sony Alpha Digital SLR

2008-02-01T16:05:00.001-05:00

OK, The hobbies have changed, I still like the R/C stuff but I have shifted focus for the time being Hopfully I will keep up with my posts and update more frequently.

It's been about a year now since I got this "Bad Boy", I was taking photos of my Orchids (another hobby) with my Olympus c40-40 and I was not able to get the effect I was looking for with the old point and shoot. I convinced my wife the I "had" to have this Sony so we bought it. Not knowing much about photography in general, I surely didn't know what I was getting into. Anyway this camera is probably why I don't do much R?C anymore.. Too much time spent learning Photography. I have since purchased a bunch of lenses and tripods, a flash, bags and backpacks, a light tent, a bounce reflector, and the list goes on.

It's been a while

2007-02-24T18:51:00.000-05:00

I kinda let the blog stagnate for a while. But I'm giving it a little love now.

As for the Hellfire I dumped alot more money into it. I pulled the stock engine out of it and installed a Racers Edge Surefire32 engine and I am really pleased.

Here is a list of some of the other things.

Changed out the 13t clutchbell and installed a 16t clutchbell to add a little more top end.
After adding the new items I ended up chewing up the center differential due to the added torque of the new engine and new clutchbell.
Replaced the bent shock towers
Replaced the center diff cup, which was originally plastic, with a machined aluminum one.
Rebuilt all of the differentials and changed out the diff oils. I went for a 7K, 3K, 10K oil setup.
Changed the shock oil weight for better handling.
Airbrushed a new body as the stock body was trashed.

That is all I can think of right now. I will add some more pictures when I get home.

Money into the Hellfire:
$300 for the various parts mentioned above.

Total so far
$940

Hellfire - Bashed

2006-12-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

I had the bright idea that I would take my shiny new Hellfire down to the local BMX track, what a blast!!! I had a great time! I ended up beating the shit out of it... but it was so much fun.

I ended up bending the rear shock tower ( note the aluminum piece between the rear tires) I also scratched the body up pretty well, but that always happens when you land upside down!. I finally got the hang of how the Hellfire jumps and was able to get it to fly and land perfectly.

I have started modding the Hellfire, not that it needed it, but that's just what I do. In the picture the exhaust pipe is an aftermarket OFNA jammin JP1, it rules, it adds alot of torque.

Money into the Hellfire:

$40 Jammin exhaust from of EBAY

Total so far

$640

HPI Hellfire

2006-12-18T00:02:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I have posted to the blog and a lot has happened with regards to my hobby habit. I found myself wanting a little more out of an R/C truck. The Jato was great for it's speed and durability, but I was limited in where I could drive it. I wanted a 4 wheel drive truck and had a ton of choices. Most of the guys that I run with have Traxxas Revo's or HPI Savages. I,being me, wanted something different,so I started my search and to make a long story short I settled on the HPI Hellfire. I love this "Truggy". Yes that's right it is called a Truggy, I guess it is a cross between a truck and a buggy. The RTR version was kind of steep at $600, but I wanted it. Here is a pic in it's pristine state.

Money in the Hellfire pit

$600 Hellfire RTR

Jato - Updates

2006-11-16T17:01:00.000-05:00

Well it's been a while since I last posted. I have bought many parts and the Jato has changed quite a bit since the last blog entry. As I mentioned in the last post I bought the Proline Moab tires. I was having a heck of a time keeping the tires glued to the rims, I guess too much torque. Due to the glue problem I bought 2 new Proline rims and two new Moabs for the rears as well as some new tire glue. The tire glue was what did the trick!! My other tire glue sucked! this new tire glue also from Proline came with a really small piece of tubing that fits under the bead of the tire and aids in getting the glue right where you need it, also the fact that the CA is so thin capillary action helps getting the perfect fit. The tires are perfectly glued and not budging now.

I felt it necessary to buy some new "street" tires as well, I think each type of tire has it's purpose and the Moabs are definitely for the dirt. I bought the Proline Agitator rims and the Road Rage II tires. The Agitator rims give me many more choices for tire patterns than the Traxxas rims, with the Traxxas rims you are limited to about four different tread patterns. Anyhoo that is enough about tires.

My stock body has been totally thrashed from all of the jumping and bashing I have been doing so I grabbed a Proline Crowd Pleazer clear lexan body that I had to paint myself. I was really psyched for task of painting the body. I have an airbrush and also had some left over Spazstix paints from my T-Rex canopy painting project. I decided on the red and chrome fade. Spazstix paints are really cool. The paints spray on semi-transparent and require quite a few coats to get the full effect, but after you spray a solid backer over the topcoat the effect is really neat, almost like a candy coating. If you use the chrome as a backer it gives an anodized look.

Broken parts...
I broke the front A-Arm this time and replaced them with the blue RPM parts. I also picked up some shock towers and body mounts knowing that I will break them soon. I also had to replace a broken spur gear and I also grabbed an extra.

The truck was having some steering binding issues so I bought an aluminum drag link that has bearings, this fixed the issue.

I will estimate what I spent on the parts to keep with the theme of this blog and that is wasting money.

4x Proline Road Rage II tires
6X Proline Agitator rims
2x Proline Moab tires
Proline tire glue
$98 from amainhobbies.com

RPM A Arms
$12 from Danbury Hobby Center
Drag link
$16 from Ebay
F and R shock towers
$12 from Ebay
4x glow plugs
$20 from Danbury Hobby Center
1/2 glallon fuel 25%
$22 from Danbury Hobby Center
1 gallon fuel 20%
$36 from Danbury Hobby Center
2x spur gears
$10 from Ebay
Lexan body
$25 from Ebay

Money into the Jato
Sub Total
$226

Total so far:
$892

Jato - New Tires

2006-10-09T14:28:00.000-04:00

Here is the Jato with new shoes, as I mentioned in my previous post I got the ProLine Moabs. I was limited to the street as the stock tires were useless on grass due to the horse power this thing puts out, now I am free to go almost anywhere. These shots are from a construction site in my town.

I love this thing! I am going to upgrade a couple of things. First I have buggered up the steering servo so I will be replacing it soon.

I also want a K & N air filter and an aftermarket tuned exaust. I will also be upgrading my suspension and maybe swapping out my A- Arms for CNC'd aluminum.

That's it for now.

JATO- Crash

2006-10-04T11:58:00.000-04:00

Ok, so, I have got the JATO all broken in and it's running great. Once again it is fast! I had my first bad crash with a broken part. I destroyed the rear "A" arm. I ran doen to the LHS and grabbed an aftermarket replacement from a company called "RPM" this "A" arm is made of better material than the stock part. The RPM part cost $12 for a pair. The install process was a real pain. I had to remove everything from the motor back to get at the shafts that hold "A" arm to the frame. (see pic) I had to buy more nitro fuel which was pretty pricey $34 a gallon sheesh! I bought an exaust deflector so that the unburnt fuel doesn't blow all over the rear wheel and rear axel, it really gets messy without it. I also orddered a new set of rims and tires. The stock rim for the JATO is a 2.8" rim which looks really good, but we are limited to only a handful of different tires and tread patterns. I opted for a 2.2" rim that allows me to choose from at least 30 different tire patterns. I went with the ProLine agitator rim and the ProLine MOAB tires. The MOAB tires have a more aggressive tread and have a larger total diameter (5") this will give me more clearance and a better traction in grass. One of the tricks of the tire mounting process is to wrap the inside of the tire with duct tape. Wrapping the inside of the tire prevents the tires from "Ballooning" at high RPM. Ballooning is when the centrifugal force stretches the rubber of the tire making it 2x it's original size, it can also cause the tire to explode. I will post more pics when I mount the new tires.

Money In the Jato Pit:

$42 Fuel and exaust deflector from LHS
$50 tires and Rims from amainhobbies.com

Total so far:
$641

More RC

2006-09-28T00:49:00.000-04:00

Well I bought something to keep me going while I fix my heli. I bought a Nitro stadium truck and it's sick!! I got the Traxxas Jato 3.3. This truck screams. I does 0-60 in about 4 seconds and tops out at 65 MPH. I am really lovin' this on my lunch break. I had previously tried to fly the T-Rex during lunch at the RC airfield near my work but I found it too windy(near the beach). So now I can rip around the parking lots with the Jato instead. Did I forget to mention that it will do a wheelie @ 40MPH while throwing a rooster tail of dirt. Smokin!

Money into the Jato pit:

$549 for kit batteries fuel and tools @ LHS

T-Rex - Crashed again

2006-09-28T00:21:00.000-04:00

So I went to my personal field, the cemetary, to get in a couple of flights and was surprised to find a bunch of people burying someone in my field...bummer. I decided to go to a different location to fly. The other location was different in that there was no flat surface to take off from. I tried it anyway and you can guess the rest. I think I got some grass caught up in the tail rotor or something. Needless to say I crashed again. The crash wasn't that bad I had all of the parts to fix the problem but I am still re-setting up my head. I am still struggling with getting equal positive and negative pitch on the blades. Anyway the saga continues.

Crash analysis:

2 dented blades but still useable
bent flybar
bent feathering shaft
bent main shaft
main gear shredded

T-Rex - Still tweaking

2006-09-21T18:22:00.000-04:00

The T-Rex is still kicking. I have been flying as much as I can which isn't much due to how late I get home from work and how early it has been getting dark. I made some changes to the setup: First off I moved up to the 13 tooth pinion gear (the gear on the motor) this gives me more head speed, and creates more stable flight characteristics. I also bought some more batteries and 2 sets of "Gorilla Gear" landing gear, the stock landing gear is a joke and is very brittle. I also bought a digital caliper and a new Align hex wrench.

Money In the Pit

$138 batteries and Gear from RcHover
$10 Calipers from Harbor freight

Total so far: $1826.20

T-Rex - First crash

2006-09-15T13:21:00.000-04:00

I finally crashed it! I m not a virgin any more. I totally dumb thumbed it right into the ground. With all the time I put into the build I didn't have time to fly on the sim and it shows. I have since made it a policy to fly every night regardless! I am about ready to get rid of the training gear, I know I can fly without them, I was just trying to protect my investment.

Crash Analysis:
Feathering shaft
Fly bar
Main Shaft
Main gear,
Landing gear
Pro Wood blades

I had most of the parts except for the landing gear, main shaft, and main gear. My LHS had everything I needed. The actual cost of the crash wasn't that bad... maybe $25, but I bought some extra parts that I know I will need for future crashes.

Here is a video of the crash http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1279739640755098434&hl=en

I will be adding more pictures soon, my friggin server is not liking my usb 2.0 card and I am too impatient to transfer pictures @ usb 1.1 speeds.

Money in the pit:

$89.00 various parts from Hobbytown USA

Total so far:
$1678.20

T-Rex - First flight

2006-09-10T23:18:00.000-04:00

Well I got the heli in the air. The first flight was unremarkable in that it was just to see if everything was trimmed just right. I had to adjust a few of the links so that the heli wouldn't drift in any particular direction. I also found out that I had the rudder servo reversed...that means that the rudder input was backwards. Servo reversing is very easy to fix, you just go into the reverse settings on the radio and reverse that channel. Problem solved. I also decreased the negative pitch to -1 degree at low stick. The negative pitch set to -1 allows for a beginner (me) to have some room for error in the event of a panic low stick and prevents the pilot from slamming the heli into the ground. I have a video of my second flight. It is just another test flight.

My server crashed, therefore I had to rebuild my OS partition. I lost all of my heli pics as they were in my www root directory. I am getting good at installing and configuring exchange server... which is a good thing.

Here is the video link.....more to follow.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2517156347215222977&hl=en

T-Rex - Final Steps

2006-09-07T13:40:00.000-04:00

The last steps involve programming the ESC, Setting up the gyro for heading hold, and creating throttle and pitch curves in the radio. To setup the ESC you must have the throttle stick in low position before you power the heli, once you do this you hear a series of beeps that indicate to the user which settings they have. I will not go into what all mean. One of the coolest things about this setup is the Gyroscope. The Gyro automatically adjusts the pitch of the tail rotors to compensate for the change in heading. So, whithout any stick input from me, if I move the tail to the right the tail pitch compensated by itself, and then when the movement stops the pitch returns to center. Is cooler than it sounds. I am not going to try and explain throttle curves.

Here is a quick little vid of my bird.

Money in the pit:
$56.85 Parts and tools from Readyheli.com

Total so far $1589.20

T-Rex - Tuning the head

2006-09-07T12:36:00.000-04:00

Well after waiting around for that receiver crystal (no not Dilithium)to show up in the mail and driving all over Connecticut looking for one, I had the brilliant idea to try the crystals from my other copter and guess what! they worked!! yeah so All in all it was a good thing because it gave me time to paint the canopies.

Ok, so the next step in the build process is to setup the servos, control arms and links to make the head operate properly and to allow the bird to fly smoothly. What a frigging pain in the Ass! It took me 2+ days to do this and I am still not completely satisfied. I will try to explain this process but I may not make sense. Ok the servo moves the linkages to the swashplate and that in turn changes the attitude of the helicopter. The linkages also control the pitch of the blades ot either increase or decrease the rate of climb. The trick to this head setup is to get all of the links to work together and control the heli. Lets just say it sounds easier than it is. I was cooked after this step, but I trudged on.

T-Rex - Canopy painting

2006-09-01T23:45:00.000-04:00

Well I am waiting for the crystal for my receiver, it still didn't come in the mail. I was impatient so I drove up to 2 of my local hobby stores looking for that crystal..no luck. I did however buy some supplies to paint my canopy. I grabbed some primer and couple of bottles of airbrush paint and some datail masking tape 1/8" in width.

I had already trimmed the canopy flashing that is left over from the molding process. The next step is to scuff the surface with steel wool, or scotchbrite. Once the surface was scuffed I wiped it down with alcohol to remove the dust, I applied 2 coats of grey primer and let dry. I then wet sanded with 600 grit sandpaper. Now for the fun stuff. I happen to have an air brush and compressor so that was money I didn't have to spend. I applied a basr coat of yellow/green pearl and let that dry. I then followed up with a teal pearl fade from the nose forward and up the center. I am no pro with the airbrush but I am pleased with the result. Tomorrow I will be sealing it with multiple coats of clear so that it shines. I might try some accents with the airbrush prior to the clear if I can get the airbrush tuned properly.

Money in the pit

$38.75 Paints and supplies from Hobbytown
$39.69 color shift paints from Countdown Hobbies

sub total: $78.44

Total so far: $1532.39

T-Rex - Tail servo and boom install

2006-09-01T22:46:00.000-04:00

I finally received my Futaba 7CHP radio in the mail on Wednesday. In a previous post I mentioned that I am a dumbass, well would you believe that the only thing that I need is that receiver crystal that I ordered before I ordered my Radio....Grrrrr. A $12 part is preventing me from trimming this bad boy and getting it in the air. Oh well it's in the mail on it's way. Lesson learned.

As the title of this post states I will show you some pics and and a brief summary of how my tail servo install went. Well as I have stated before the instruction manual sucks. It never makes mention of how to install the tail servo, so I had to call on the experts at helifreaks.com. My tail servo is the Futaba s9650, it works great with the futaba GY401 Gyro and both are the best for the tail setup for the T-Rex.

The general idea for the proper setup of the tail servo is to have servo arm, in this case the servo disc, be in line with the pushrod race that is built into the horizontal tail fin mount and the tail pitch ball link. (I know that was a mouthfull) In order to do this the servo needs to be on an angle. The orientation of the servo mounts themselves is very important as if you have them upside down the servo horn is too far away from the boom. It took me quite a few tries to get it right. One more note, I used the supplied rubber grommits and metal sleeves with the mount screws that came with the kit.

T-Rex - Install receiver/gyro and dressing up the wires

2006-08-29T14:05:00.000-04:00

After I was done soldering my charger and batteries, I had time to add wire loom to the wires and plug things into the receiver, the receiver is mounted inside the frame. I also connected the gyro, but I need to figure out how to best manage the wires. The gyro attaches to an aftermarket mount the fits beneath the boom. If you mount the gyro above the boom like the manual states you run the risk of destroying your gyro in a crash as the flybar or blades can come in contact woth it. As you can see from the pictures there is a lot of extra wire on the gyro that I will have to loom and manage, some people shorten the servo lead but I am going to leave the extra wire on it in the event that I want to use it on anothe Heli in the future. I am eagerly awaiting my transmitter so that I can trim the servos and get the head set up and leveled.

T-Rex - Charger modifications

2006-08-29T12:32:00.000-04:00

Ok some new developments, I got the parts I ordered in the mail, woohoo.

The DN Power charger I bought is a field charger, that’s fine but I may want to have the ability to charge in an outlet. Well being the geek that I am I have a smalex 13.8V 23A power supply that I used to use to power my peltier device when I was water-cooling and overclocking my PC. I posted the question to the HeliFreak forum "will this PSU work?" and sure enough someone is using that PSU to power their charger…Sweet! actually he is powering 4 chargers with it.
It was also suggested that I get rid of the banana clips on the field charger and use something else as they are dangerous. Well the PSU terminals take stripped wires, so I attached the stripped ends of a molex connector to the PSU. I then snipped off the banana clips and added a molex to the bare leads. Now I can make any kind of cable work with my battery charger, by adding a molex connector. At some point I may change to a more robust connector like the powerpoles suggested by z11355 on the freak forum. http://www.powerwerx.com/category.asp?CtgID=1001

I also soldered my Deans connectors on my Lipo batteries while I had the iron hot.

T-Rex - ordered Transmitter

2006-08-27T09:56:00.000-04:00

I am such a dumbass. I, when I ordered my servos and receiver, ordered a crystal for the receiver, and requested a random channel (49) If I think about it now I did it backwards, I should have ordered the crystal when I ordered the Radio, not when I ordered the receiver because it is very unlikely that I will find a radio in stock that happens to have the right channel. Lesson learned.

I ordered a Futaba 7CHP Transmitter, it seems to be a versatile radio, and good enough to meet my needs down the road when I get the T-Rex 600 or even an airplane.

Money in the pit:

I ordered this from modefosheli.com

$161.95 Futaba 7CHP

Total so far $1453.95

T-Rex - More parts ordered

2006-08-27T08:54:00.000-04:00

Alright, more parts ordered. I have chosen the Futaba 9650 and GY401 gyro for my tail servo and gyro, this combination is the best for the Rex. The 9650 is a fast digital servo and the GY401 can be adjusted from the radio. There are plenty of other reasons why but that would be too much information.

I opted for a cheaper charger and battery combo. I will be learning how to fly this bird on these packs and won't really need the burst rates the some of the better packs offer when flying 3D. I chose the DN Power Combo that has a charger and balancer and comes with (2) 3S 2150mAh 15C Lipos.

I also ordered a bunch of odds and ends: velcro, wire loom for the servo wires, fun reflective tape for the rotor blades, more Deans connectors for the new battery's, and adapter for my charger to charge Thunder Power Battery, Deans solder, and a GY401 under the frame adapter.

I still need to buy a Transmitter (Radio)

Money in the pit:

purchased at ReadyHeli.com

$59.95 Futaba S9650 Digital Servo
$129.95 Futaba GY401 Heading Hold Gyro
$1.95 1" Velcro Hook & Loop Fastener - 1 Ft. Section
$0.95 Reflective Prismatic Blade Tape 1"x3" Purple Rainbow Mirror
$0.95 Reflective Prismatic Blade Tape 1"x3" Silver Rainbow
$4.95 Servo Wire Sleeving Kit - 1/4"
$3.95 Servo Wire Sleeving Kit - 1/8"
$2.95 Deans Solder
$3.95 One-Way Bearing Removal Tool
$129.95 DN Power Combo - Charger/Balancer & 2 Lipo Batteries
$2.95 DN Balance Charger to TP Battery Adapter
$3.95 Deans Ultra Pack (Male/Female Pair)
$1.95 Deans Female Plug
$18.65 RDLohr's SE Gyro Mount

Sub Total $367

Total so far $1292

T-Rex - Pinion issue

2006-08-27T08:21:00.000-04:00

When I was routing my wires for the ESC, I noticed that the main gear was too low on the pinion and was in danger of getting chewed up by the shoulder on the pinion. So I removed the servos and removed the motor. My T-Rex kit came with a motor and ESC also in the kit were two sets of motor mounting screws and washers, as there are two sets of different diameter mounting holes on the motor itself, I used the smaller washers as a shim between the motor and the mount to moved the main gear off of the pinion shoulder.

(pinion shoulder)

After re-installing the motor with the washers I clearly have a enough room and my main gear isn't in danger of getting chewed up. I set my gear mesh using the paper method, where you slip a piece of paper between the pinion and the main gear.

T-Rex - Soldering Motor/ESC and Deans connectors

2006-08-26T15:47:00.000-04:00

The next step is to solder the conectors on the motor and the ESC, the kit that I have came with the motor and ESC as well as the bullet connectors and heat shrink tubing. I started to re-tin the wires and noticed that my solder wasn't flowing well and realized that the iron I was using was only a 23 watt iron, so off to Radio Shack I went. I bought a 45 watt iron and an additional tip...more money in the pit. It is also good to have desildering braid on hand if your solder gets messy. The solder job went as planned and I also did the ESC with a Deans connector that I ordered when I ordered the servos and such.

I am now able to plan my wiring route so that all of my wires are neat and tidy. It took quite a while to figure out how I was going to route the wires but I did it and this is how it looks.

Money in the pit

$ 10.00 Soldering iron and tip
$ 4.00 long handled allen keys

Total so far $925

T-Rex - Parts arrived

2006-08-26T15:26:00.000-04:00

I love getting packages in the mail! My servos and receiver are here so I can start installing some electrics and keep progress moving on this build. Here is a pic of my unopened parts.

I watched the finless "installing servos" video on HeliFreaks forum in preparation for this step as the servo placement in the frame is important. My HS65MG's didn't just slide right into the frame such as Bob's did in the videos, but I managed. Instead of using shoe goop on the back of the servo to hold the servo mounting tab, I used a drop of CA, the cure was faster. I also had to remove a frame support in order to install my servos.

T-Rex - Tail assembly

2006-08-24T13:02:00.000-04:00

These steps were easy, I installed the blades on the tail hub and attached it to the boom. In order to get the belt down the boom I snaked a piece of dental floss down the tube and attached it to the belt then pulled it through. I attached the fins to the boom and fitted the boom into the frame to see what it looked like, I also slipped the belt over the tail gear to test the movement. I am not going to secure the boom to the frame yet as I will need to remove the tail to install the servos, rx, ESC, etc. Hopefully I will be getting my servos and rx in the mail today.

T-Rex - New parts ordered

2006-08-23T09:11:00.000-04:00

I ordered some electronics for the Rex as they are needed to move forward with the build. I will say that my choices were based on extensive research, and I will briefly discuss why I have chosen the parts that I did. Servos are what control the heads angle and also the blade pitch. There are many different kinds, sizes, and brands of servo. The T-Rex being a smaller heli requires a "micro servo" I have chosen the Hitec HS65 MG, this servo has metal gears which is why it is the best for my heli. When you crash your heli (you will crash) your servos will most likely get stripped if you are using the standard plastic gears.

The next component that I bought was the Futaba 146ip receiver and crystal. The receiver (rx) is the device in the heli the receives the radio stick inputs (up, down, left, right, etc.) The 146ip is just a very popular rx for my model, I will also be buying a Futaba radio when my wallet permits me to.

I needed a few other miscellaneous tools and parts. I bought a blade balancer, a pitch gauge, some Deans connectors, a swash leveler.

Money in the pit

All of these parts are from ReadyHeli

$3.95 Deans connectors
$11.99 Pitch guage
$74.95 Futaba 146ip receiver
$12.95 Receiver frequency crystal
$107.85 (3) Hitec HS 65MG micro servos
$4.95 Blade balancer
$13.95 Swash plate leveler

Sub total $230.59

Total so far $911

T-Rex - Electronic speed controller mod

2006-08-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Ok Align has done something really strange with the latest version of their Electronic Speed Controller (ESC). It seems that someone over on R&D decided that it was alright to mount the heatsink on the outside of the heatshrink tubing! not a great idea. I found this nifty little tidbit in the HeliFreak forum, and followed the directions layed out by Finless.
I will remove the heatshrink tubing and heatsink and thermal epoxy it to the appropriate spot on the controller, then I will re-apply the heatshrink tubing. Here is a "before" picture of the ESC

Here are a couple of shots of the process and the after.
I am happy with the way it turned out. I made sure that I didn't bridge the connections on the MOSFETS

Money in the pit
$11.00Artic Silver epoxy from newegg.com

Total so far $681

T-Rex - more progress

2006-08-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

I was able to get some more work done on the Rex last night. I installed the motor which proved to be a real pain. I need to buy better allen keys, the ones I have are the standard "L" shaped ones and they make it really hard to fit in tight areas. I will be picking up some of the ones with handles like a standard screwdriver. Installing the motor and getting the gears to mesh took quite a while as they need to be just right. The next step was to assemble the landing gear and install on the frame. This step was easy yet a pain in the butt as the screws to secure the gear to the frame are the smallest allen screws you have ever seen and I think the plating on the allen head had filled in the screw head preventing my allen key from seating properly. I did get it installed.

BBQ meets technology

2006-08-22T19:36:00.000-04:00

Ok a quick break from my helicopter project. I for the last month or two (prior to the heli proj) have been learning the backyard art of BBQ. Yep I was given a Weber Smoky Mountain(WSM) smoker, and I love it. There is quite a group of enthusiasts on the web over at http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/ anyway I have had great success smoking all sorts of meats from pork butts to turkey and chicken, I have done sausage, brisket, buffalo wings, and even pot roast. A good friend once said to me "It's all in the rub" which is mostly true, another key ingredient is temperature which brings me to the point of this post. During my research for BBQ methods I found this killer device and I think it is germane to this blog.
The Stoker is a logic controlled blower that mounts to the smoker. It monitors and regulates the temperature. There are temperature probes connected that tell the controller to turn on the blower if your temps are too low thus keeping your smoker at an even 225 deg, or whatever temperature you set it for...pretty neat right? Well that is only the half of it. The stoker has an ethernet port and a built in web server that allows you to monitor your temps remotely from any web enabled device!! How cool is that! So I can monitor my meat from my phone, or even from work. Heh heh I said "monitor my meat"...sorry sounded funny. Anyway I need one of these!

T-Rex Kit - progress

2006-08-22T14:33:00.000-04:00

Here is a picture of the progress that I have made thus far. I will state that the instruction manual leaves something to be desired. Most of the instructions are just an exploded view of the section you are trying to build with very little text detailing the most logical path to take in completing the section. Trial and error is part of the fun...I guess.

I also purchase more tools for this project. The kit comes with 2 small screw drivers and some allen keys but they are kinda whimpy so I bought some new ones. The kit also has two small containers of threadlock of different strengths, mine happened to leak thus requiring me to buy more. I also bought some Teflon/Silicone lube and some CA super glue and Zip Kicker. Oh yeah and I also bought some Calipers for measurements.

Knowing that this project was going to take a long time to complete and quite a significant sum of $, I had to prioritize what parts I bought and when. I decided to buy a flight simulator so that I can hone my flying skills while I build and buy and save for the parts for this Heli.

Money in the pit:
$400 for the kit
$200 for the flight simulator
$7.00 red threadlock
$4.00 blue threadlock
$10.00 CA and Zip Kicker
$12.00 calipers
$15.00 screw drivers and torx
$4.00 flybars
$17.00 325mm Pro Wood blades
$5.00 Teflon/Silicone Lube

Total so far $674

T-Rex Parts - The Heli Kit

2006-08-22T12:55:00.000-04:00

The first item I bought was the helicopter kit itself. There are many versions of the kit as there are many different iterations of the T-Rex. I opted for the "Superior Edition" version which comes with the carbon fiber frame, CNC aluminum Head, CF paddles, etc. This kit also came with the 450L motor and 35G electronic speed controller.

I was fortunate enough to find this kit on ebay for $400 instead of the current market price of around $489.oo. There are some better pictures on rchover.
It is not a good idea to buy already built kits on Ebay as you don't know what you are getting. Mine was just a kit and I also looked at the pictures of the packaging from the seller and comapared it to a legitimate SE V2 kit. (there are counterfeits out of Hong Kong all over Ebay)

Money in the pit:
T-Rex kit from Ebay $400.00

Total so far $400

Building my T-Rex 450 SE V2 R/C Helicopter

2006-08-22T09:06:00.000-04:00

Well after realizing I needed more out of my entry level fixed pitch r/c heli I started researching more advanced kits with better performance... so out on the net I went.
I cannot remember where I first was exposed to the AlignT-Rex 450 SE V2 but the more I searched and the more I read the more I knew this was the bird for me. The T-Rex is a very popular heli, therefore there are many forums and/or discussions on the net regarding it's assembly, setup and just about anything else related. I have settled on www.helifreaks.com as my forum of choice. One of the reasons that helifreks is my forum of choice is the atmosphere there, everyone is very helpful to people of all skill levels. I have rarely seen negative comments. The next reason is Bob White aka. "Finless". Bob has a forum area that has "build" and "setup" videos, as well as others, that I find invaluable. Bob is a real credit to the hobby.
Anyway this is the intro to this blog, I will go into my parts selection process, where I purchased my goods, my stumbling points, and other points of interest on this latest of my obsessions.

Other posts soon to follow.