Spirit System

Hello Support

I am very interested in buying one of your uSpirit FBL units for my TRex 150 but as it very much looks like this is not going to be as straight forward an install as normal, I could really use a kind of a tutorial for the unique things pertaining to it.

Also if any others are reading this who have worked out any of these issues I would be happy to hear from you as well.

To let you know what I have been able to find...I have read a one thread here on one setup issue, and a few posts on thread on Helifreak for the announcement of the unit where some people asked some questions of its install to the 150, but while that gave me some info, some of that ended without fully explaining.

But from that thread it was interesting to read that you guys have tested one of these on the 150, and also from downloading the setup software that I can see there is a preset in it for the 150, so I am guessing you guys have done this and perhaps already worked out any of the things I am wondering about.


Currently for the info I have questions on right now are:

(1): Can this be used (and probably best used with) with the second version where the ESC, FBL unit and Receiver are all separate units?

IE, I am guessing I would still use the Align ESC PN: HEG15003?

But then with that if I understood the Helifreak thread correctly, it stated taking the two motors plugs (main rotor and tail rotor) and plugging them into the Aux and Ch4 plugs of the uSpirit unit?

If so and that is the case, then do I put the motor output lines of the Align ESC to some inputs of the uSpirit unit?

If not and this works another way, please let me know how this is done. With things also such as how do I get the BEC level power from the ESC to the FBL unit?


(2): If I am to remove and discard the Align FBL unit PN: HEG15002, from what I can see it looks like that part also contains the Rx Receiver, so how did you resolve that issue?

In looking it almost looks like it might be possible to separate the Futaba Rx part from the Align FBL unit, so is this how you did this?

If so could you please explain how this all was done to get both the power to the unit, and then the signal out of it?

From what I see, one side of this part has three pins going to/from it, and then the other side has the same, so are these the input and output for that?

All in all as I am using a Futaba Tx, I don't think I could find the room, or want to add the weight of any currently Futaba Rec and have that work out, so am hoping someone has a solution for this.


(3): From what I have read, the servo connections of the TRex unit are something called "Micro PicoBlade" and that the plugs on the uSpirit unit are JST-ZH, with both being a three wire for this.

So how did you guys resolve this, did you just redo the plugs on the Align servos or find or make up some adapters? If you found some, I would very grateful for a link to where I could buy them.


(4): I would very grateful for any pics you or anyone else could provide as to where and how the uSpirit unit was mounted, and also how the other parts either old or new were either connected and or mounted as well.

Am thinking maybe even a few pics could really help a lot with many of my above questions.


(5): Just to get this out of the way, I noticed in the units documentation it can be used with the BlueTooth connection plug, but it did not mention anything about a WiFi connection...so does this not work for any parts of a connection as well with your WiFi connector?

In a related question, I read in your instructions about connecting the unit to a PC for the setup, but I don't see an adapter for sale that goes from one of the plugs to a USB...so is this something I have to get or makeup myself?

If so could you give me the wiring parameters for doing that?


I guess for now that is all I have and am sorry to ask so many questions and I know you guys are probably very busy with many things, but as you can tell there are many things I haven't been able to find out by any other means, which if you guys have already done all this to one of these helo is also why I wondered if it might just even be easer to do a tutorial on the whole process of a install to one of these helos?

At any rate, I would be very grateful for any help anyone can provide.

Thank you

Hello!

1) Yes, you can use it but you have to desolder all units and then it is still not too easy. We have also encountered some issues with Rudder ESC part.
For this reason we recommend to get dedicated ESC with similar specs. You can get one with BEC and other without BEC. or 2in1.
You have to solder two cables where one will go to the AUX port (main rotor ESC) and other to the RUD port (rudder ESC)
2) You can simply add an external receiver of any brand - anything lightweight will work. There are some very light receivers. Without a cover it is even lighter.
3) We can supply you cables with JST connectors - you can unsolder original and put it there.
4) I can try to get some from friend.
5) The unit can work with all peripherals that we offer - we have Bluetooth modules and Wifi-Link modules. It depends what you wish. Both will work and all is described in the manual. For example here:
http://manual.spirit-system.com/index.p ... =Wifi-Link
You can get JST-Servo adapter to connect it without any modification.

Package with unit contain 1x JST-Servo cable that will allow easy connection of the USB interface that is compatible with all our units. At the same time you will not need to work with small JST connector but just connect/disconnect normal servo cable.
USB interface is also in the package so you do not have to buy it. With the same adapter cable you can connect Wifi-Link or BT module. It can be powered from the receiver.
For Futaba receiver there is JST-RX (also in the package) so that you can connect it through SBUS.

So what I recommend is to rather not use Align units and instead to get external parts such as receiver and ESCs. This must work as with any other helicopter.

wow ZaXx86, thanks for such a quick reply

If you don't mind I will go over them one by one.

ZeXx86 wrote:1) Yes, you can use it but you have to desolder all units and then it is still not too easy. We have also encountered some issues with Rudder ESC part.
For this reason we recommend to get dedicated ESC with similar specs. You can get one with BEC and other without BEC. or 2in1.

Sounds like this would be the better way to go (although a little more on that later), but for now would you by any chance or someone else, have a ESC w/BEC you could recommend?

ZeXx86 wrote:You have to solder two cables where one will go to the AUX port (main rotor ESC) and other to the RUD port (rudder ESC)

Thanks for the parts of this you have provided but I think I am still confused.

I am guessing the reason the power to the two motors are coming out of the uSpirit unit is because of the governor system it can provide to those (?), with along I am guessing to Gyro control the tail motor, but then for one question...where then does from the main output power of the ESC go into? An for a second question, am I still looking to use any parts of the ESC to control the power levels to these motors? An if so how does that work (?), do I need to run a control wire from the Rx to both the ESC and the uSpirit unit so the uSpirit unit knows what that signal level is? Guess for a side question to that if in fact they both are working, how do they not conflict? An for one last one on that, should I shut off any form of Gov system if my ESC happens to have one?

ZeXx86 wrote:2) You can simply add an external receiver of any brand - anything lightweight will work. There are some very light receivers. Without a cover it is even lighter.

Yeah I don't see that Futaba itself has anything small enough but via Hobby King I see there are some pretty small one and even with the sBus. Just have to hope they will work.

The only other thing to come back around to is I just wonder how much all this will add? Your unit is 9g, the smallest Rx I can find is 3-4g, and then with say a Talon ESC we are at about 5g. So just to be on the safe side we are 20g? For this I just weighed a replacement full Rec, FBL & ESC unit I have an it only came in a 8g total.

Anyway, guess there's no way to see the effect what ever extra weight could have in the end without trying it, but I have learned the hard way in the past that even very small amounts with things this tiny can have a big effect once airborne.

ZeXx86 wrote:3) We can supply you cables with JST connectors - you can unsolder original and put it there.

Thanks, or perhaps see what you friend did?

Basically I have learned that for me to try to convert these kinds of connections just does not work. I neither have the patience, the eyes, or the time to do this to each connection and get them good or right and what would make it even worse is these servos in these things go often, so I think the only practical solution would be to find some adapters.
For this I have yet to find one, but there are dedicated places that make a lot of these types of things so perhaps they can make something up for me.

ZeXx86 wrote:4) I can try to get some from friend.

That would be extremely helpful I think if you could, thank you very much.

ZeXx86 wrote:5) The unit can work with all peripherals that we offer - we have Bluetooth modules and Wifi-Link modules. It depends what you wish. Both will work and all is described in the manual. For example here:
http://manual.spirit-system.com/index.p ... =Wifi-Link
You can get JST-Servo adapter to connect it without any modification.

Package with unit contain 1x JST-Servo cable that will allow easy connection of the USB interface that is compatible with all our units. At the same time you will not need to work with small JST connector but just connect/disconnect normal servo cable.
USB interface is also in the package so you do not have to buy it. With the same adapter cable you can connect Wifi-Link or BT module. It can be powered from the receiver.
For Futaba receiver there is JST-RX (also in the package) so that you can connect it through SBUS.

Sounds like everything comes in the package and is good it does Wifi would probably be better as typically has better range and connection strength.

ZeXx86 wrote:So what I recommend is to rather not use Align units and instead to get external parts such as receiver and ESCs. This must work as with any other helicopter.

All sounds good, and thank you for all the help you can provide.