Gyro Stabalizers vs Safe

[DonRhone]

Now that there have been a number of gyro units released, some with stabilizers as well as gyro/stabilizers and receiver units as well.

Do any of these compare at all to the Hobby Horizon SAFE receivers in terms of flying aspects?

I see that there have been a lot of flyers who have obtained some of the SAFE receivers from Horizon Hobbies and mounted these receivers in a number of different planes.

By and large, most have not run into too much difficulty, most common problem found so far is having to deal with servos that need to be reinstalled as they are acting in reverse to what the SAFE modes require.

Anyone who has dealt with the SAFE receivers and any of the new gyro/stabilizers I look forward to your comparison comments.

[PLCMAN58]

RE: Gyro Stabalizers vs Safe

I have the Hobby Eagle A3 Super II that I am bench testing, and so far the system seems to be working correctly, but does have some issues that the manufacture is working with.

Pro:

1. Mode Selection is displayed by the different colored LED in the case. This make it extremely easy to verify the setup.
2. Connection to a Futaba S.BUS or S.BUS2 capable receiver will transfer CH1 thru 8 to the S3 Super II with a single connection.
3. The configuration software is easy to understand and provides a debug screen. NOTE: Make sure you get the updated installer.
4. Ability to save a configuration file to your computer.
5. Field Programming Card

Cons:

1. The current firmware version 1.0 does NOT support channels higher than 8 via the Futaba S.BUS or S.BUS2 network. This is suppose to be fixed in a latter release.
2. Reports of a time lag when switching to "Auto-balance mode" on RCGroups.com
3. Manual needs to be improved to explain the proper settings for the Remote Gain adjustments.
4. The USB adapter provided with the kit needs to be insulated. It currently is a bare PCB with USB connectors.
5. Futaba servos connectors need to be modified to work with the A3 Super II. During my initial investigation by reading the manual I did not expect to have to do this, since a Futaba radio is shown in the manual. The A3 Super II use the "Universal" connector.

I have attached my current configuration drawing based on the Futaba R7008SB RX.

[rtwatkins]

RE: Gyro Stabalizers vs Safe

TBH Don, your comparison should be with AS3X & other gyros; SAFE is additional software loaded into an AS3X gyro receiver which provides specific flight modes for the aircraft it was designed for, as well as a "Panic" recovery option (not sure if that's on all SAFE aircraft however?) The SAFE AS3X receiver setup can't be altered, where as a base AS3X receiver can be setup with whatever parameters you desire.

Example being the AR636 SAFE receiver found in the Parkzone Sukhoi (http://www.motionrc.com/parkzone-sukhoi-su-29mm-with-safe-1120mm-44-wingspan-bnf/) versus a standard AR636 AS3X receiver (http://www.motionrc.com/spektrum-ar636-6-channel-as3x-sport-receiver/)

While they are both an AR636, I would not recommend the SAFE version for something that isn't a standard 4 channel aircraft since you wouldn't be able to go into the setup of the receiver to change the config (like go from a standard tail to a V-tail, for example)

one of the biggest CONs I've found with AS3X so far has been the lack of support Horizon has with regard to setting them up... Apple iOS seems to be the only platform they care much about. The application they released for Android was VERY buggy, and doesn't support 5.0. Also, they promised a PC application for Sept. of last year, and as of yet haven't released it.  :@  :@  :@  :@  :@  :@

However, IF you have an iOS device (or an Android phone running JellyBean & a lot of patience) and take the time to set them up, they are actually very responsive. It's also nice to have less wiring, since the gyro & receiver are all within one package.
[hr]
I should also mention: the newer Spektrum radios like the DX18 gen2, DX10, DX9, and probably the new DX6 & DX7 telemetry radios allow you to edit the gains dynamically from the radio. For the DX6 & DX7 this will need to be confirmed as available, but on the DX9 and up it's done by adding "AS3X" as an entry in the radio's telemetry menu, and setting each axis in the receiver to relative

[Tom]

RE: Gyro Stabalizers vs Safe

DonRhone - You have asked a GREAT question.

The answer is Yes, some of our Hobby Eagle Gyros do compare to SAFE. Here is the link to our selection of Gyros. http://www.motionrc.com/airplane-gyros/
We have two models which compare to SAFE. Hobby Eagle calls the feature "Auto Balance".

SAFE is a feature from Horizon. It is in addition to the AS3X flight stabilization. SAFE allows you to push a button when your plane is out of shape and it will automatically right your plane as opposed to letting you crash. AS3X is simple flight stabilization. Again, SAFE is an extra feature. Think of SAFE as a panic button.
Hobby Eagle has "auto balance". This is the same as SAFE. This is include on the A3 and A3 Super II gyros in addition to flight stabilization.
The Hobby Eagle A3-L is flight stabilization without Auto Balance.
All Hobby Eagle gyros feature the ability to remotely control and adjust gain.

Here is a link to the most economical gyro WITH auto balance. Please see the table at the bottom of the page comparing the gyros: http://www.motionrc.com/eagle-a3-6-axis-airplane-gyro-w-auto-balance/