Kopilot Lite: The Complete Configuration Guide
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ย. 2020
- The Kopilot Lite is a flight computer with return to home and stabilized mode found in the FPV versions of the ZOHD Drift and Dart.
In this video, I'll walk through wiring, setting gains, reversing servos, selecting airframe, and setting failsafe for the ZOHD Kopilot Lite.
UPDATE: After shooting, and rendering the video, I did additional testing with the Kopilot settings board and it turns out you can set the gains with the card and just disconnect the card. Make sure to disconnect the card BEFORE unplugging the battery and the gain settings will be applied. I would recommend testing gains to make sure any changes you make stick.
PRODUCT LINKS
► ZOHD Kopilot Lite www.banggood.com/custlink/3GK...
► ZOHD Dart www.banggood.com/custlink/mvD...
► ZOHD Drift www.banggood.com/custlink/GGD...
RCVR CHANNEL LINKS
► Support the work I do here on Patreon: / rcvideoreviews
► RC Video Reviews Website: rcvideoreviews.com
► Discord - Hang out with the RCVR Crew: / discord
► RC Pilot T-Shirts! teespring.com/stores/rcvideor...
AFFILIATE LINKS
► Amazon Affiliate: amzn.to/3lEz5ZL
► Banggood Affiliate: www.banggood.com/custlink/3DD... - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Hello over there, John! I saw 3 different vids regarding this topic and my conclusion is yours by far the best in making all the connections clear to the viewer. In my humble opinion you are a natural in transvering information to others in a very clear and logical way.. You should do this for a living..
Thank you. Such a kind comment. I'm grateful for the acknowledgement of the work I put into this material to help out. Very generous.
PS Tell your friends, share the videos ;)
@@RCVideoReviews will do both ..
Yes , I agree with you on that , painless360 talks too fast for me in his tutorials and I had to keep backing up over and over and over , finally I found @RC Video Reviews, I can’t believe this guy doesn’t have more subscribers....
This guy has a production quality and a clarity exposing stuff that is top notch, Americans are usually very good with this haha
Thanks for the video, you've explained the intricacies of ZOHD Kopilot so well. If we simply relied on the product brochure, the Kopilot would be useless.
Good job!!!
Your YT channel is the most comprehensive RC tutorial channel among all the other vloggers. Great job sir!!
I appreciate that. Thank you. Glad to help.
This popped up in recommendations, but hadn't come up in searches,... THANK YOU! This is just the video I needed to get fully set up with a drift on a TX16S. There's a couple of items I missed do setup, but can now make sure work properly.
Fantastic. Best explanation by far on YT. I will echo comments below.. WAY better than other well know YT channels. Thank you for taking the time to explain it in full with a very comprehensive demo. Well done!
You're very welcome!
I flew my ZOHD Dart XL Extreme for the first time yesterday, with the Kopilot controller, and it worked great. I flew it with the settings board still attached, and I'm glad I did, because I just discovered that the settings do not get locked in unless you disconnect the settings board before cutting the power. If you press the button for 4 seconds and it does it's servo dance, then turn off the power, THEN unplug the settings board, the settings don't stick. You HAVE to unplug the settings board before cutting power.
Also, if you're using Crossfire, you have to go into the RX configuration and set the failsafe to "Cut" for return to launch to kick in when signal is lost.
Excellent video. Finally makes setting up the kopilot understandable. Particularly the calibration steps and setting gains. Kudoes
You are welcome!
Very clear walkthrough, thanks for focusing on just the Kopilot. With the price, small size and simplicity of the Kopilot system I could see installing this on most any small plane. Hmm, like my old Parkzone T-28 just for fun and for taming it a bit on breezy days
You are all over it. These are very good stabilizer systems and they absolutely would be effective for LOS/Park Flying. At my squadron a few weeks ago, we had a fun fly and the wind was terrible. I took the Dart out and our club prez said, "are you sure...?" I winked and flew while all the big planes were parked. :)
Good video. I wanted to add a couple things I learned from setting up Kopilot. First, you can leave the GPS unplugged when doing your setup. You can even leave it unplugged for flying. With the GPS unplugged the RTH function turns into altitude hold. The other tip is if you're having issues with the RTH autolaunch increase your gain on the elevator. I find either 10:00 or 2:00 is about right for most small planes like the Dart250g. And the Dart250g needs a healthy throw in autolaunch.
Good tips..thanks for sharing. That's about where I have my elevator, and yes, the Dart requires what I call a 15 yard football throw.
Hi John,
Thank you for your clear explanation of the Kopilot. Your videos help me a lot.
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Casper
Thanks for leaving a comment. I’m happy the videos are helping you.
J
This was very helpful. Just got a dart 250g for Christmas. I'm a fpv freestyle kwad flyer who's interested in trying out fpv wings. So glad I found this tutorial. 🤓
The Dart is a GREAT little airplane. Make sure you keep your stabilizer gains real real low on it to start. You can add later, but it doesn't need much before it oscillates. Just a touch. Have fun with it. I love that little plane.
I've done a couple of videos with it:
th-cam.com/video/9XrPfXdVl_g/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/dtWSzYyulJw/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/dGSWIfTseJ8/w-d-xo.html
@@RCVideoReviews thanks, will do. That whole business with gains and mixers, failsafe, I was confused about from watching others videos. Excited to go fly it. 🤓
If you have any questions, come look us up on Discord. We've got quite a few new Kopilot pilots on the channel who can help you out: discord.gg/jSFTASU
@@RCVideoReviews thanks 🤓
I’m SO new to this modern rc-stuff, transmitter and all, so I much appreciated your vid.👍
Glad I could help
Thanks John!!
Happy flying--
You're welcome. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the explanation, really useful, I just got a zohd drift, can't wait, thanks
You’re welcome.
Great video...just got my ZOHD Dart and this Kopilot. Should be easy to setup now...THANKS!
Should be. Good luck with the Dart. It's a fun little plane.
Best tutorial I've seen on Kopilot - 👍
Thank you. Appreciate that.
I just received my ZOHD Drift with Kopilot. Waiting on my s-bus receiver to come in. I'll be watching this vid and I'm sure others to get it up and flying.
Watch you CG and have fun flying that plane. I've posted a couple of videos on this airframe: th-cam.com/video/7-fw2O1Ntb4/w-d-xo.html
One of the best tutorial very clear thanks a lot
You’re welcome.
Thanks John. Very well presented.
Glad it was helpful!
Another great one John....
Thank you. Hope it helps.
Brilliant tutorial. Thanks. 👍
You're welcome!
A really good and easy video to follow⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you!
Thanks so much for this! Gonna install one of these tonight 🤙
No problem 👍
Thanks for the tutorial, It's better than most. If you make any changes in the setup once you install the Kopilot in your Drift, please update us in the upcoming drift video.
Roger that.
Most? ;)
Thanks I will give it a try.
Thanks for the concise video. Another great tutorial. Was able to get my Zohd nano Talon going with the Kopilot. Keep up the great work, although it seems, I'm always watching year old ones. Lol. Just can't keep up with all the cool RC stuff nowadays.
You gotta be dedicated :)
Thanks. This helped me fix whatever was not right and got my ZHOD Dart 250 setup. Btw, easy thing to miss - in rth and stability mode there will be no throttle control without GPS lock to prevent flyaways. I kept debugging and thinking my radio levels are messed up somehow.
Glad you're up and running. The Kopilot is really very good when it's setup correctly. Have fun.
John:
Just like an excellent teacher, you gave us a good overview of the key parts in the begining, thorough step by step directions in the main body, and summarized in the end. Great video composition, sharpness, exposure, volume, and voice clarity. Well done.
I must confess that I am confused about the difference between the definitions of V-tail and Flying wing. Can you clarify this? Thanks.
- Jim
Thanks for the comment. Glad you liked the video. V-tails generally refer to planes that share rudder and elevator where a wing shares aileron and elevator.
Here are examples of v-tails: bit.ly/2S0NogC
Here are examples of flying wings: bit.ly/3wddjkk
Great Video!
Thanks!
Very good, Even though you only speak Spanish, I have signed up for your channel because you explain very well.
Welcome to the channel. Glad to help.
Thanks your info is the best.
My pleasure!
Awesome video
Thanks!
Nice video good work
Thanks for the visit
A needed tutorial John. Just a couple of points that could have been mentioned for completeness.
The GPS unit(shown lying upside down at the end) needs to be positioned label down as well as out in the clear for best satellite acquisition. Also it can take quite some time to get the first lock (and charge up the little back-up battery on board.) You can fire up the motor in Manual but not a good idea to take off before satellite lock is acquired or the RTH Home Point might be somewhere you really don't want it to be!
If using the PWM cables the receiver output must be AETRMode - if using say a Spectrum the TAER will have to be re-mapped or the pins in the wiring cables re-arranged to suit.
You pointedly pulled the setting board before powering off the Kopilot but didn't mention that some folks have asserted that powering off before pulling the board can negate the settings. A test would have proved/disproved this theory.
Kopilot works well with ZOHD ESCs but can be intolerant of some ESCs which don't like its long boot up time and shut down from an assumed loss of signal.
Because of the long boot up, doing an ESC calibration (and you really need it done first) can be fraught with all sorts of traps if the ESC supports multiple programming possibilities from the sticks!
Heck I sound like a whinging Old Fart but I've lost a lot of thatch in making all the possible mistakes in setting these up! 😜 😁
After all that you are right. They do work well when set up correctly (and certainly seem tolerant of dumb mistakes!) 😀
hey whinging Old Fart...lol good points. I have two Kopilots and both are excellent and work well if setup right. Ive subbed you so now you need to fly and upload some videos.
Thanks for the tips. I have to put fences around what I cover in videos. If I covered everything to NOT do, I'd never finish these things up. The raw footage for this was an hour--I cut a LOT. Instead I focus on and during post keep what does work.
Yes, GPS puck mounted with dot facing up.
Yes, removing battery before removing settings card is wrong (I've done it).
Yes, ESCs can struggle with flight computers due to the boot time.
Yes, Channel mapping must match the PWM pins on output (common with all flight computers).
Thanks for sharing your tips. The best way to learn with these is to put hands on and test.
@@RCVideoReviews Yo, point taken as your concise videos are much appreciated! And thanks for the confirmation on the setting board removal. :-)
@@theoztreecrasher2647 Anytime. It's always a balancing act between keeping attention and providing detail. Very difficult to understand viewer behavior. If everybody watched every video start to finish, I'd know what to do.
Thanks!
You're welcome. Thanks for hitting the tip jar!
thanks for clarifying that kopilot actually does go into RTH on radio signall loss (with no pulses). everybody else keeps saying you need to set the RTH switch for failsafe.
PWM set-ups generally need Fail-safe set differently. Use Custom and set ch 5 to go to -100. Always check how your combo will react before flying.
@@theoztreecrasher2647 ah, so it's the difference in PWM and SBUS. thanks. I just set up my kopilot, to tell the truth, I kept on thinking I forgot to do something. to test the failsafe ofc ;)
Very good. Looking forward to your next upload.
Thank you very much!
New subscriber here hello from Australia.
Welcome to the channel. Greetings from Florida USA.
Very thorough and easy to follow . As are your other topics . I do like the Toolkitrc 8s ... on my bucket list for the bench . Not quite sure who the folks are that give you a thumbs down . Usually without explaining why . Haters Everywhere ........ have you ever reviewed Detrum Istone pro stabilizers ..
I've never understood the thumbs down thing if the video is on topic either. There's an amazing sense of self entitlement in the world these days. It doesn't matter much though, because even a thumbs down is a reaction to the video and that's what TH-cam measures. I'd rather get a thumbs down than nothing at all. Appreciate the sentiment though, thanks for the moral support.
Here are a few vids I've done on iStone stabs:
th-cam.com/video/qUNfAXoYsuw/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/JW7juYzu7iY/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/QFRy8l16kp8/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for your response . I had a chance to watch the associated videos . In the future I will check out your playlists before asking . Enjoyed those video’s & look forward to watching previous as well as future video’s . That was some great flying as was the landings in all that wind . Can tell a person enjoys what they’re doing by the loudness & length of their laughter . Until the next one Sir ...
@@Jake-mm1cz I love flying--always have. Hope the videos helped you out.
Hi great video. I use these in all my plane. They work in gas planes aswell. Just so you know, you can bind your new reciever in the kopilot when setting it all up. It makes no difference.
Thanks for sharing
i should of watched your video before trying to figure it out and spending hours lol....super great video...know i got it down pat.
How did your install work out?
Good 👍 going to put my wing together on my fixed wing I have a fx79 ..this is my winter plane ...and in the summer I get back to my giant scale warbirds.. I will let you know how it turns out this week .🙂
"Should HAVE" not "should OF"--What's the matter with you people?!
What does it mean if the settings control board is not reversing the signals ? Also when i power up the CoPilot beeps for a min what is it doing thanks
I’m late to the kopilot party. But thank you very much for this great instructional video👍
You're very welcome.
@@RCVideoReviews
I had my gains set at max, glad I watched your video. It probably would have gone badly on the maiden. I appreciate the insight👍
Glad to help :)
Hi John, Thanks for a detailed video about the Kopilot....
Just wished you had given more detailed info on “reducing” control travel when in Manual mode.
I have the Kopilot set up in a T-28 Park flyer using the PWM setup and a Spektrum DX8(gen 1).
The combo flys fine other than it has too much control surface movement when switched to manual because the throws are set to Kopilot ‘s 100%. I tried using the elevator Rate switch, setting it to 50% in position 2.
That worked fine in manual mode. However, leaving the rate switch at the 50% position, when switched to Stabilize mode, the plane went crazy in pitch. Oscillating rapidly. Quickly switching back to manual allowed me to safely land. My assumption is the 50% rate setting completely modified how the kopilot computed its response. I want to reduce the control surface movement in manual mode, but not have the Kopilot freak out because of the rate switch setting. I am missing how this can be done on my Spektrum Tx. Hopefully you have suggestions... Thanks
On my Dart, rates and mode use the same switch.
When in manual mode, my rates are 100% with a ton of expo.
When in stabilized mode, my rates are 100% with no expo.
I can't tell you the first thing about Spektrum. Don't use them.
Rates really shouldn't cause oscillations. It seems to me your gains are too high. The Kopilot doesn't know anything about rates. It simply sees what the radio sends as a pulse width. With low rates you're sending low pulse width. Kopilot doesn't interpret that outside of considering it less than 100% of movement.
Great video. You explain it well. I'm using PWM because my rx doesn't support SBus. Also default config channel 5 on my Hitec Optic sport 6 uses a 2 way physical switch, while channel 6 uses the 3 way. I have yet to find out how to configure 5 to use the 3 way. I have to admit the using this with PWM has been a struggle and I'm not there yet.
s.bus is a very convenient option when you start getting into stabilizers. I'd highly recommend it if possible. If not, the pwm option should work, but I've no experience with it since I went immediately to s.bus.
Simply plug the 3-pin connector into the channel 6 PWM output from your receiver (rather than the channel 5 outlet) and set your 3-way for -100, 0, +100 to get the 3 modes. Then set the receiver failsafe for channel 6 to -100 to get loss-of-signal RTH. Done.
@@theoztreecrasher2647 yes I did try using C6 but I think my receiver fail safe is on or off.
@@Mister0String Failsafe setting in your Tx/Rx system is covered in this.
hitecrcd.com/files/Manual_Optic6Sport2.4.pdf
Simply set your 3position switch on channel 6 to the RTH position during failsafe set-up.
Great video. Thanks. None of the videos for the Kopilot Lite explain how to set up a throttle arm (or disarm). I occasionally accidentally bump my throttle when setting up, which isn’t fun. Any tips?
Here are a couple of options if you use OpenTx
th-cam.com/video/jbi75XxePuI/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/TIi-eFpNXwk/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Y0eKFAFNeX8/w-d-xo.html
Hey john love this video of the copilot good job, i have 1 question, will the copilot work with cross fire?
You have to tell Crossfire to output SBUS and it will. It does not understand native CRSF from Crossfire.
Hey, John! Love your channel. I got a Dart 250 awhile back, still haven't put it together yet (mainly lack of a workbench or any work area in this tiny house). I'm not sure when I'll get around to it, I've been busy with other things that have priority.
Anyway, this is my first RC model that I (will have) built, so this video was really helpful. I am very familiar with electronics, computers, microcontrollers, etc, but even I have been feeling like the documentation for just about everything RC related is lacking.
BTW, what was that device you had hooked up that had the LCD screen? (I'm watching this on my phone, so I couldn't see any markings to ID it.) It looked like a power source, but I thought you said your were going to use a battery pack.
Thanks again for all the deets! Keep on! 👍
If you're referring to the device at this time: th-cam.com/video/NqKFKvMlaV4/w-d-xo.html
That is a ToolkitRC M8S. It's a multifunction device which has a power supply output capability. Very handy on the bench.
I've got lots of videos. Over 900. So have fun watching the channel :)
Hi John,
Got my Kopilot set up according to your video, couldn't be explained clearer! I have one issue: my ESC arms fine when connected directly to the receiver, but will not arm via the Kopilot. It's not a ZOHD/Flycolor ESC.
And thank you for showing how to have Rates & Expo switched off when in stabilized mode.
I've had issues with certain ESCs and Flight Controllers in the past where if there wasn't an instant arming, the ESC would timeout. If you have a different ESC (even to just test with) I would try that first. Also, make sure your ESC is calibrated without the Kopilot.
Glad the video helped.
@@RCVideoReviews I tried four calibrated ESC's which worked fine directly from the receiver, but failed to arm via the Kopilot. I think I need a ZOHD ESC (re-branded Flycolor FlyDragon).
i saw one video where if you have a 10 chan rx/tx you don't need the settings board and you can do all the settings board on your radio. i can't remember where i saw this though.
Hi John i would like to know if you can set up on a spektrum radio the knob to adjust gain in flight like some other gyros on the market. Thank you great video also.
I'm sorry, I don't know the first thing about Spektrum.
Tnx for that vidéo, What about flysky rc?
Newbie here. This video made it seem simple, thanks. Going to use DJI Air Unit. Is that compatable? If so, would that plug into the PWM connection, or SBUS? Once connected, the system is set up like you video explains here?-Thanks
I haven't used DJI air yet, so I can't offer any information on its operation. Sorry.
Thanks for this great instructional video, John! Great stuff! Just one question for you: you’ve stated in this video that all one needs to do for failsafe is to set the model to no pulses on the radio. However, other commentators have suggested one needs to set failsafe to custom and then configure it on channel 5, with a setting of -100 and the 3-position switch in the RTH position. Can you please clarify? FYI I’ll be using a Frsky XM+ rx with a Taranis QX7 or a Radiomaster TX16S. Many thanks :-)
KoPilot enters RTH with no pulses. It's in the book.
@@RCVideoReviewsThanks :-)
Mine will not work with " no pulses ", only with ch5 set to custom and -100
Very good video explains everything .I have a question , if i am using T tail how can i use 2 servos for ailerons? There is another possibility not to use Y cable for ailerons? Thank You
Use channel 1 Kopilot outlet for 1 aileron and put the other on the Kopilot aux channel (S-bus) or a spare receiver channel (PWM) with a suitable mix.. Only 1 aileron will be stabilized but I have been assured by more expert folks that it works quite well.
@@theoztreecrasher2647 Thanks , i thought that is possible, but i was not sure if the stabilization will be ok. .
Nice video. Can kopilot support flaps on a 4 channel fixed wing?
There are a couple of aux channels not controlled by stabilization on the Kopilot.
Good Kopilot vid
All set up and working thanks to your video except 2 items.
The GPS never connects even out doors and the motor only runs in manual mode and never in RTL or Stability mode.
Any help or thoughts?
Thanks!
Remove the gps and see if your motor issues persist. I'm assuming you followed the video and completed the calibration of Kopilot as discussed.
If that solves your issue, it boils down to your GPS. Make sure you're somewhere with clear view of the sky. May remove/reinsert GPS. Or get another one from Amazon and see if that does it.
This was incredibly useful. I've been subbed to your channel for a while trying to decide on FC vs gyro vs SAFE and this looks like a great option for the price. Would this work with elevons?
Yes. The Kopilot manual shows how to setup different types of planes. It will even do the mixing for you. You just set up your radio as a 4 channel. I fly my ZOHD Dart 250 with a Kopilot.
@@RCVideoReviews thank you! I meant Flaperons. I'm gonna Patreon now. You've been awesome with the help!
I've never tried to mix flaperons when using a gyro but I can't think of why it wouldn't work with some experimentation.
Good video, helps me a lot.
Question: When you calibrate it, position it and level it with the two sticks in and down, do you press the setting control board along with pulling the sticks?
Glad the video helped. Just do what's in the video to calibrate. Here are the instructions from the manual:
1) Put your plane level, power the plane;
2) Wait for Kopilot to complete the start-up, set flight mode to the stabilized mode;
3) Move the sticks of the radio to match the right figure state, waiting for 5s, until the mode indicators 1 and 2 and GPS indicators flash at the same time;
4) Wait until the flashing stops, re-power the plane, calibration completed.
@@RCVideoReviews Thank you very much, you helped me a lot.
I calibrated everything, now just need to fly it in the field. I'm flying a helicopter. The DRIFT is my first plane.
@@oded_10 You're welcome. Have fun flying. Beware of the CG location.
@@RCVideoReviews The cg in the wings is inaccurate?
Dumb question:
Had thought about plugging one into my Phoenix 2400 glider and was wondering if I could leave the flaps on Channel 6 on the Rx (G-Rx8).
That way, in manual mode I would still have the use of the flaps.
Is that a starter of an idea?
Looking to use the Phoenix as an FPV platform
Yup. Very common to run hybrid as long as your RX supports both. i.e. If it sends ALL channels via s.bus that won't work, but if it sends them s.bus and PWM it works perfectly.
hello good video
Thanks for the visit
Where can I get the r-xsr to sbus cable that you used in your video?
I made it. I cut off one end of a servo extension and soldered +/-/S to the Rx wires.
Hi John, I am trying to install this pilot in a twin engine plane, I am using a Y lead on the Throttle output of the Co-pilot with one motor positive lead disconnected as only one 5v line is needed for power. In this configuration I can only get one motor to spin up. If I use the same Y lead direct into a receiver all works ok. Any ideas ?? Regards, Pete
If you have signal from Kopilot split to two ESCs, they have to both run. Something is missing. Signal is signal. One ESC isn't aware of the other on a Y-cable. At the risk of sounding pendantic, have you verified them individually with the Kopilot on the Y? i.e. Use your Y-cable, attach one, spool=up, disconnect one, attach two, spool-up. When you've confirmed that operation, attach one again and you should be done.
I've used Kopilot on two twin motors: Reptile Dragon II and now T-1 Ranger. It's worked exactly as expected on both using a Y.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks John, you have just confirmed my own thoughts. I have verified the Y cable using the receiver but I haven't done that through the co-pilot. I will do that tomorrow and let you know how it turns out. Cheers for now, Pete
Hi, does the GPS need to be calibrated like you would do on a drone or just plug and play?
The GPS itself doesn't require calibration. There is a radio calibration and a level calibration, that's it. GPS never require calibration, it's the compass on the GPS that requires it. This doesn't have a compass.
Hi brother first of all I love your videos, I'm trying to install the same co-pilot on my plane but for some reason the servos they just keep moving back and forth really fast and I can't get them to stop, can you please give me some input on how to fix that
If by "servos" you mean just the aileron servos then that is quite normal when you have GPS lock and RTH selected on your channel 5 Mode Switch. As soon as the plane starts moving forward the twitching will stop. Try it.
I just connected my FlySky A8S to the KoPilot via SBUS (black, red, white). My receiver is bound, solid red light, and I have checked on the channel monitor that I'm getting a -100,0,100 output on Channel 5, but the KoPilot won't go into manual mode and no green lights are showing. Do you have any thoughts on where I might have gone wrong?
When your RX and servos are connected to the Kopilot can your radio move the servos?
@@RCVideoReviews No it did not. I switched out the A8S for an FS-X6B and it works perfectly, so I think there is something up with the A8S (or how I'm using it).
@@timtheplaneman Answered elsewhere but I'll add this for the benefit of others. A8S V2 comes set for i-bus output by default. You need to switch it to S-bus. And we initially made the same mistake! 😁
When did you assign the switch for rth and gyro mode? You go right to setting and no info on this item.
You sure about that? th-cam.com/video/NqKFKvMlaV4/w-d-xo.html
Hi John, Another thank you for this tutorial. The Chinglish in the manual was driving me crazy but you have cleared the fog for me! One question if I may: In OpenTX, Is there a way to reset the Mode switch (SC in your case) so that I can get Manual on SC (Up/Away), Stabilized mode on SC- and RTL on SC (Down)? Appreciate all you're doing and I try and join your Euro Jam here in the UK if I can! Many Thanks. AlanC
Yes, In special functions:
SC Up = OVERRIDE CH5 = 0
SC Mid = OVERRIDE CH5 = -100
SC Down = OVERRIDE CH5 = 100
That should do it.
@@RCVideoReviews Wow, excellent, thank you! Using your building-blocks approach (last Euro PilotJam) I currently have a small wing (Wingwing Z84) with a Lemon StabPlus rx on board awaiting maiden, and wanted to keep the mode switching the same, hence my query! I have my Dart250 under the Xmas tree, but already started a setup in Companion using your video. Loving this whole OpenTX, TX16s, FPV journey! Thank you, again!
Awesome Alan. Have fun with it, and just take it one step at a time and try to enjoy it. It adds layers to the hobby that's for sure.
I setup my kopilot lite from your video. Then added differential thrust. Only one problem; when I try to perform the level calibration it won't do it. Any help would be much appreciated.. bytheby fantastic tutorials. Thank you!!!
Glad to help. You should pop on our discord and ask this question there. It will probably require more Q&A that YT for which YT comments is not well suited.
help, the gps leds do not turn on, the card does work, the return to desoegue does not, previously it did work.
Can I extend the PWN & Mode wires--I have a Radian Pro where RX is underneath middle & ZOHD at top front[with battery & ESC]--Using a Lemon LM0052 RX-Spektrum-No SBUS--thanks
Sure you can.
With my Kopilot in manual mode the elevons on my wing move as expected. When I go to stability mode it stops responding to the aileron/roll stick. Port wing servo is plugged into AEL, starboard wing servo to ELE. Two solid green lights for stability mode on a wing. Pots on control board both about 3 o'clock. What am I missing? 🤷🏻♂️
I'm not sure. You might need to hit-up ZOHD support for this one. They do respond to help requessts.
Hi John, Sorry to trouble you but I have followed your zohd setup and all is fine until I get to failsafe. I have set it to no pulses and when I turn off the radio master t16 transmitter I get the flashing green light ok but my flaps go up and stay there and the airalons go to a left turn and stay there. I can’t make this out. Every thing else works fine. It stabilises the right way and the direction is correct in manual mode.
Any ideas will be gratefully received. Many thanks Mike Button.
It sounds like your Rx has an opinion about channel positions during failsafe. What RX are you using? If it supports custom failsafe I would use that instead. Set the flaps where you want them. Set throttle to 50%, put mode switch in RTH, all other surfaces neutral.
Thanks for your nice video and explanation do you think that I can use ZOHD KOPILOT LITE on gas airplane or is only made for electric plane i would like use it on trainer Superstar 40
I haven't flown a nitro plane for 30 years, so I don't really know. I think if you can isolate the board it should be fine.
Ok i will disconnect everything and start from scratch .i was even thinking of going for a test flight saturday. I will try this tomorrow and let you know what happens with a mini video 🙂
Good luck. If that were mine I would rebuild and test step-by-step. All of those odd behaviors you saw are definitely odd and shouldn't happen. I would definitely not fly that plane in the state it's in.
Can anybody help? I've been given a zohd 250g for xmas with a kopilot, I can't get my servo's to set correctly, i've tried adjusting the gains but it throws the other one off sink, eg elev's working correct but ails arn't, just can't figger this out, ant help welcome, thanks
great vid. do the gains affect autolaunch?
The gains take effect the moment the stabilizer works. So yes.
@@RCVideoReviews thanks. I mean will more pitch gain increase the pitch in auto launch?
Great video. A question for you on GPS's, the ZHOD kopilot GPS is a Beitian BN-220 , Will any BN-220 work with it or does the number under the barcode need to match. See lots with the same number but are they all the same and will work Ya had a mishap with my plane and did not fine the GPS and need to order another one.
Thanks in advance
I can't answer because I've never tried with any GPS other than the one that came with the Kopilot. That said, I don't think they're getting custom units. There's one way to find out for sure...
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks for the response I’m presuming it wouldn’t hurt the kopilot,it’s just a matter of it wouldn’t work.
And since I need to buy one I’m wondering if I should buy one with compass so that if it doesn’t work I can use it with a different system in the future. Unless they’re a lot more expensive
Jeff
Hi I’m new to RC but built a Multiplex Heron with a FrSky x18. I like the idea of this RTH function. If I plug the servos into the Kopilot then does that mean I loose all the mixing and deflections I took ages to setup when the servos were plugged directly into the receiver?
Yes. When you use a stab they usually provide the mixing.
@@RCVideoReviews so is it then possible to switch back to a mode where you have all the settings manually? For me that’s half the enjoyment controlling the plane manually. But I would like to be able to switch on a RTH function when I wish or have it turn on as a failsafe.
Can i set the rates at stabilized mode or are they pre-fixed ? Thank you!
If you're referring to changing your rates: hi/med/low, yes, after you've setup the Kopilot you can set rates to whatever you want. Just be aware, if you ever have to calibrate it again, you'll need to ensure you have full rates set.
outstanding video, best ZOHD vid. I'm getting my first Kopilot soon in mail, noob. . what you mean no pulses no pulses ? sorry. I will buy you coffee when I can ! )
The Kopilot will enter return to home mode when it detects no pulses from the ground radio. i.e. If you turn the radio off, it should go to RTH. So you should set No Pulses as your failsafe option on the RX if you can.
@@RCVideoReviews pulse meaning a signal RX to TX Ok I,m with you now and thank you ! cant wait to try it. But other kicker is my plane is a Volantex TrainStar Ascent 747, have no idea where I can even mount it in that little control hatch lol God bless . stay safe my friend .
@@BrainDeadEngineering Good luck with it.
Can you change the direction of the Auto Launch? Mine only goes Clockwise.
Sadly, no.
Hi, again...I have setup my Kopilote as described. But, something strange is happening. When I have it in manual mode, everything is ok. But, when I set the switch either to RTH or Stab., the ESC starts to beep? Is this something you can help me out with? And, what settings in the radio would you use on a 1m wing, a Sonic Model AR Wing Pro?
For any plane I would start with the gains low and gradually turn them up. There is no remote gain option for this controller. Regarding the ESC, I’m not sure why it would beep going into stab or rth. Have you tried calibrating the ESC and have you performed the Kopilot radio calibration?
@@RCVideoReviews Thank you, will check this out👍🏼...
Hi John I followed your setup but when I go to RTH mode the surfaces twitch like crazy. What am I doing wrong?
Try flying it.
FYI something else to try...failsafe....Mine will not work with " no pulses ", only with ch5 set to custom and -100
I have a question. if I install ZOHD Kopilot upside down (facing arrow forward anyway), will it work correctly? I understand, that will I need to turn ELE and AIL knobs to opposite. I just want to know if such installation (upside down) will work as expected (RTH, stabilization). Such installation would allow me better to access SBUS, servo, throttle connectors, settings port.
Btw., thanks for the detailed instructions. It helped to understand manufacturer's instructions more easy.
It probably would. If you can get the stabilizer to respond correctly to roll/pitch using the reverse feature, it would probably work. Try it. Just do a good preflight and make sure the correction goes the way it's supposed to go and make sure RTH works. i.e. Keep a hand on the switch and be ready to turn it off. I don't see why it wouldn't work though.
Info for other - I tried to install the Kopilot upside down, but in stabilization mode, it tries to flip plane upside down. Do not install Kopilot upside down :)
@@shelbygt83 Thanks for reporting back. Good to know.
I have my radio setup exactly how you do, but how do I set up dual rates so it only works in manual. Thanks
You'd have to use some logic. i.e.
L01 AND ModeSwitch RateSwitch
Then in your Inputs, set dual rates with L01 as the switch.
@@RCVideoReviews I think I'm just doing it wrong, I'll try and keep messing with it
HI Great vid, I follow you on a lot of your other vids. Can you help please, when I did a test flight today and switched into RTH I had a throttle cut. I landed and checked all the wiring (all good) now I am at home and have set up everything again. now I can't get RTH or the green LED to work. the other 2 modes work fine I am using a Radio master TX16.. any suggestions, please
It's very tough without seeing your radio and the Kopilot to advise. What I'll suggest is:
1) Make sure you have all four channels enabled: Aileron, Throttle, Rudder, and Elevator
2) Make sure you have all four channels set to use 100% weights.
3) Make sure the airframe type selected is correct.
4) Make sure all four channels are being seen on your receiver. If you have a rudderless plane, plug an aileron servo in to check the rudder channel.
Turn off all logic configurations you may have setup.
Clicking RTH should not turn off your throttle. Hearing that makes me think you have something else going on with your configuration.
If in doubt, create a brand new model, bind your RX, and do nothing else to the configuration until you have the Kopilot doing what you expect it to do.
First off. it's a great video EXCEPT for a couple of points. That being said, Point 1 , It would have been nice
had you explained the hookups for PWM not just SBUS. Some of us don't have SBUS on our receivers.
Point 2, I also notice that most of your videos are all based on FRSKY receivers and there's a lot of us who
oddly enough fly with Spektrum DMSX receivers and Fail-safe does NOT show up in the TX16S Model Menu
when DSM protocol is selected. Any ideas on that one?
For DSM, power on Rx with a bind plug, hold tx commands to fail-safe values, then power Tx in bind mode. DSMx can set failsafe through forward programming.
I don't buy Spektrum and I don't own any Spektrum gear so I'm not an authority on this. I got this information from a google search. If you don't see a failsafe option in the MPM firmware, that means the receiver doesn't support it.
Thanks again, I am using a radio master 161 receiver .
Do you still recommend the settings you mentioned earlier?
I will be joining your ground crew when my pension comes in next month.
Thanks again Mike.
If you can zero out the failsafe settings on the Rx, then you can do no pulses. No pulses isn't strictly required though as long as you set RTH when you set failsafe.
Hi,
I have bought a sonicmodel skyhunter racing, and because its a twin boom aileron and elevator only aircraft, would it still be compatible with the kopilot? If so would i not have to plug a servo into the rudder pins on the kopilot (as there is no rudder)
Cheers
The Drift is a ZOHD product that ships with the Kopilot. It has no rudder, just ailerons and elevator. It flies great with the Kopilot. You don't need to plug in a servo, but make sure you add a rudder in your radio because even without the control surface, the Kopilot uses the rudder input for calibration and setup.
@@RCVideoReviews thanks mate 👍👍
Andrzej Zielinski
Hello John!
I am a long-time (84) modeler from Poland.
I flew RC gliders about 3m. Due to the age, I bought a ZOHD Drift with Kopilot, in the Flisky i6 set, a 7.4v 3500ma battery, a Flysky i6A PWM receiver. I made over 10 flights, very pleased with its parameters. However, in great thermal weather, it disappeared from my sight, at a height of & 60m and a distance of & 500m with the throttle turned off. I turned on the RTH procedure, but after 30 seconds of the model I can't see, I turned off the transmitter - the model disappeared. It was the second flight that day, the first 20 minutes, on the same battery. The transmitter received an Error 99% feedback. Unaware of what it meant, I searched for a model for three hours, after which the signal disappeared. Later I found out from the Internet that this is approximately the RSSI, proving the range of the signal. If I had this knowledge, I would have found Drift for sure. I described it because I bought the second Drift and I would not like to lose it, not knowing what mistake I made.
Basic information both the first and the second Drift set based on your video. With one condition unrelated, that both the first lost model and the second do not accept "Natural Calibration". after withdrawing the sticks towards each other in a stable position, the D2 diode (on), only both ailerons deflect significantly to the right turn. Transmitter set Ch.1-80/80 Ch.2-60/50.
I am asking you to help me figure out the cause, possibly some mistake I made. greetings Andrzej
Can you tell me what size the 4 pin connector is for the gps on the Kopilot? The original gps & cable were lost in a crash, and the replacement Beitian BN-220 I got has a different size connector, which is too small for the Kopilot. So I need to know what the correct size connector is called. Thanks
I am highly confident you'll get a more accurate answer from ZOHD support on this than me. I'm not sure how they measure these things. Total hit and miss for me on mm pitch.
@@RCVideoReviews Thanks a million for getting back to me. I'll give them a try
Just can't get it to work with my spektrum receiver
Thank you for a great video. I have mine flying fine on the ZOHD 250. My only problem is upon landing. When I cut throttle, the nose drops significantly. I was trying to get it into level set mode by pulling the sticks in and down, but it does not seem to work. I'm in stabilize mode and my throws are set to 100%, including rudder. Any ideas what might be wrong?
Look in your channel monitor and make sure all four channels are sending output. I made the mistake of configuring a rudder input, but didn't add it in the mixer. Took me a minute to figure out why I couldn't get it to calibrate. Also make sure you don't have any trim or subtrim. All 4 primary controls need to show 100% on the OUTPUT not just the mixer.
@@RCVideoReviews Thank you for your quick reply. That prompted me to recheck my setup and I discovered the issue. Actually I did have a mixer setting for the rudder. The problem was that I have set my yaw stick (left) to control the ailerons as well as my aileron stick (right). Its just what I do with some of my wings. That of course did not send the right signals to the Kopilot. So in my case, I put the left stick down and inward, but the right stick just down. That is when the magic happened and I was able to set my level. Thank you!
You could put both setups in the mixer and assign them to a calibration switch. So when you want to calibrate, flick a switch and the 'standard' mix applies and when the switch is off, your rudder/aileron mix is in effect. You could even use that calibration switch to override your channels for a few seconds to get the kopilot into calibration mode without even fiddling in the mixer. i.e. The whole thing could be done with a single switch and no touching of the sticks.
@@RCVideoReviews Excellent idea. Thank you!
Tried again the copilot 2 servos and receiver ...I check my radio for mixed ..0 mixes ..changed receivers did the same thing now I'm going to change radios and c .. but its not normal that it glitches only when its in return to home ..when itd in stable mode its quiet .when its in off mode same ..rth glitches
Does it glitch when you have a gps lock? Take it outside and check.
Hi, sorry to bother you, but what do you do if you want to use flaps.?
There is an aux channel. It uses Channel 6 in sbus mode.
PS - No bother. Thanks for watching.
Hi just a question. When the kopilot locks onto the satellite the blinking light on the main board goes to solid but does the blinking light on the on the GPS on top of the plane does it stop flashing or does it go solid.
Wally
I don't believe the gps led stops blinking. As long as the Kopilot goes solid, you should be ok.
@@RCVideoReviews thanks for your help
Hi John,
It's taken me a couple of nights to figure out how to set this up - especially rewiring the pwm cable. However, everything is exactly as it should be.... except...!
My - for reasons I can't figure out, the elevator has moved from neutral to slightly down.
I don't want to manually fix this by changing the length of the control rod because this isn't the cause of the change.
The obvious thing to do is to change the trim in the Tx, but I believe that one shouldn't have any trims when using a flight controller...
So, somewhere there seems to be a setting that has caused the elevator to drop - so much, that it doesn't rise into an up elevator position when I tilt the model into a dive. That won't end well!!
I'd be grateful for any thoughts.
Cheers
👍🍺
I would start by ensuring all trims (including subtrims) are zero. Turn stab off. The elevator should be mechanically centered at that point, if not, mechanically center it. Build from there. If you turn stab on and the elevator moves, recalibrate for level.
@@RCVideoReviews Many thanks. This is my first dabbling with a f/c so very keen to calibrate it, and try it out in the blue...
Flying weather tomorrow!!
Would you Adam n Eve it? She auto-launched like an ICBM and flew beautifully. I had to use RTH a couple of times, but the gains were so low that the circle back was huge, indeed, she went out of sight!
Then, as if by magic, she appeared right over me! Fabulous wee machine!
I've turned up the gains, got the hang of how this thing operates, and am having an aeronautical ball!
Many thanks for posting these videos, they are a great help.
Chocks away!
my spectrum radio does not have a no pulse set for fail safe what do i do to fix the failsafe RTH
Sorry, I really don't know the first thing about Spektrum.