Tom Sawyer

Hi, havent flown for a few years now due to some life issues but making a tentative return with a blade 120s.

Seems great so far but doesnt switch on first time when battery is connected and sometimes takes several attempts at plugging and unplugging the battery before the control board will flash.

Is this a common problem or does it suggest a bad board or something?

Thanks

birdDog

Jiggle the connection as well as the other ends those wires to try to narrow it down. Sounds like an intermittent connection.

Tom Sawyer

Thanks, i am convinced it is something like that but once its on you can waggle the leads and it doesnt cut out (fortunately!).

Its got one of those tiny red plugs, will try and mess about with the pins.

Tom Sawyer

Nope, can find no pattern. Seems completely random.

Got 2 batterys and both similar so cant be plug on those.

The only thing that bothers me is the fear that the next time i go to fly it the thing wont switch on at all!

I bought it from an e bay shop at a fair discount as it was described as ex display. Looks unused. Dont really want the hassle of sending it back but dont like the thought that it might be £100 down the drain either!

Tom Sawyer

Fortunately the bird still powers up ok after a few attempts and strangely once it has been successfully initialsed once, subsequent packs plugged in straight after are usually all successfull first time.

Bear in mind this is ex display and has probably been handled and flown around a shop a few times bumping into things and dropping on to hard surfaces so i am not blaming the quality of manufacture.

In fact i have to say that this heli is in my opinion a fantastic product and for an older returning fixed wing flyer like myself choosing to try out heli flying its been nothing short of brilliant!

Its such a complete package. You get a real micro helicopter that flies well with 6 incremental levels of difficulty from fully stabilised to full control with no assistance apart from a decent heading hold - and batteries are dirt cheap too!

The TX is a bit toy like but i realise its to keep the overall cost of this package down in an ever more competetive market but fear not, its actually fully functional and even has a 'panic' recovery switch that will recover the bird to level flight if the pilot has a meltdown!

Suprisingly Its just big about enough too. I fly mine at up to about 40m with no orientation issues and it seems to look bigger in the air than you would think it would.

Yes simulators are a huge help with learning helicopters but with something as docile and easy to fly as this 120s theres no excuse not to get out there on calm days and learn the old fashioned way with genuine stick time.

Is it as stable as a coaxial? Almost yes.

I am late to the party but for me this is nothing short of a miracle; a micro, flybarless helicopter that even a beginner can hover easily.

Flying over grass i have crashed a few times and the bird will just drop out of the sky when the BEC kicks in but even falling from 20m several times it has yet to sustain any damage although no heli is indestructible and i would recommend only flying over grass if you prefer flying things to rebuilding things.

Yes it has limitations. It doesnt like wind and will be lifted up and away pretty quickly in breezy conditions (or pushed into the ground!) but on a warm still evening flying up and down a small field and practicing scale like flying and nose in hovers, landings etc its perfect.

230s will be my next one but will probably buy a DX6 gen3 and continue to learn this model first.

I can honestly say this little bird has got me flying again after a few years out of the hobby

Well done horizon hobbies, thanks for that.

Tom Sawyer

Still flying perfectly well. Have even flown with a Rucam Microswift rigged up and FPV headset. Bit small for this sort of thing but got some short flights and gave me my first taste of flying FPV.

Only niggle is heli just dies when battery too low; would have been better to slow decend. Have dropped from about 60 feet onto crop stubble and only damaged canopy so fortunately being very light means damage is rare.

Everytime i think i have broken it, it just keeps flying.

Have restored back to line of sight and can honestly say this might be my favourite ever rc model simply because its easy to pick up and put down and has been by far the most reliable.

Tom Sawyer

Added a 230s V2 and again, with the stabilisation technology i am able to enjoy my flying in a way that i only dreamed of with my old customised Copter X 450SE.

I realise few visit this forum now which is a shame but for anyone whos interested i really believe that the 120s and 230s are a perfect route into rc heli flying and only wish they had been around years ago.

Both are great but the 230s V2 is just incredible.