Flight mode settings for electrics

[Barry Tilson]

Does anyone run three flat flight mode settings for there throttle curves?

Seems like normal mode could go away and become a flat throttle setting.
I have never tried it and maybe the speed controllers aren't designed to spool up that way?

Or is the major hazards with not having two ways to shut down the motor?

[curmudgeon]

After loosing motor power and engaging soft start on more than one occasion, by forgetting to switch out of Normal FM and going inverted and giving full negative pitch, I now leave the Normal curve as 0-0-0-0-0.  I also use Throttle Cut and leave at 0% to engage soft start via the Trainer toggle button without needing to switch to Normal FM.

That is one neat aspect of the DX18 transmitter.  It has a 4-way FM switch, so you can leave Normal as 0-0-0-0-0 and still have 3 flying flight modes.

[Chris Sexton]

I have all three flights setup as full 3d ready. I run a gov of some sort on all my birds. With soft start no reason to not just spool up at mid stick.

Castle speed controllers won't arm until the see 0 throttle. If i forget hold i know when the esc doesn't arm.

[Barry Tilson]

I think your right the Kontronik won't start up with out seeing 0. I do think it has a soft start also. May have to try 0,0,0,0 for normal mode.

[curmudgeon]

To clarify what I mentioned earlier, some folks like to have Normal Throttle curves of 0-30-30-30-30, 0-15-30-30-30 or some variation with 0 at the bottom.  The theory is that one can arm the ESC at 0 (low stick) and fly using the rest of the range.  I have not had good results with such curves, because I tend to forget to switch out of Normal, and loose motor power when climbing inverted.  Even with auto-rotation bailout enabled, climbing inverted with this Normal throttle curve may engage soft start.  I rather leave the whole Normal throttle curve as 0-0-0-0-0.  That way, I know that whenever the blades are spinning (IDLE 1 or 2), I will not loose motor power or engage soft start by mistake.  I do give up the Normal FM as a flying curve, but this way is safer for me and my helis.

[Barry Tilson]

Agreed, I understand I will try normal mode 0,0,0,0. That way I have two offs, one on throttle hold and the on normal at zero which will work with the ESC.
Just hope the spool up isn't crazy if so I will just hit normal mode.

[bmclaurin]

You should clarify/edit your original post to indicate that you're talking only about electrics. With electrics, assuming your ESC has a proper soft start, you don't need a traditional normal mode. Instead, just flip out of TH in any of your flight modes and away you go. However, you generally need a traditional normal mode for a nitro.

[Barry Tilson]

Thanks I did modify the post to be electric specific.  I believe the Kontronik HV120 has a soft start as it seem to spool up nicely. I do know that it wont enable the ECS when in throttle hold. I think it need to see a 0 throttle setting. However I may be wrong as I am new to this. I am now set up for a 0,0,0,0 setting in normal mode.  Unfortunately i didn't get to try it with my schedule today.