darkfa8
Key Veteran
Location: Eatontown, NJ, USA
| you can get a idea on what you need by downloading and looking at the manual at audacitymodels.com
some of the specialized stuff you should have is a dial indicator and stand with a vise or some means of holding the motor so you can check and adjust the run-out on the clutch hub/clutch/start shaft assembly. Doing this will insure the least amount of vibration from the motor output.
i'm not sure what your's budget it, but when I started in the hobby I tried to get away with cheap tools and starting gear, and well, most of it is crap.
i bought a Sullivan Dynatron, last starter i'll ever have to buy.
A Robbe one-way 6mm starter extension, high quality, doesn't round the tip off.
Century curved ball-link pliers. These are really nice, nice handles, curved duck-bill type pliers that can get into tight places...like on the Tiger, and are inexpensive.
Hudy profiTools allen drivers, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5mm sizes, www.hudy.net These are about the best drivers you can get and have larger handles compaired to the comparable MIP Thorpe drivers. Team Losi also makes a set of allen drivers that appear to be very well made. High quality allen drivers are one of the best invests you can make in this hobby. You will use them A LOT and the cheapo ones will strip the driver and/or the screw you're working with. I have used Bondhus, Whia, Craftsman, Snap-On... The Hudy tools were for me. I do own a set of WHia ball-end drivers, BUT I only use these for quick removal or initial installation of screws and I do final torquing with the Hudys.
A Hone Depot line level for putting on the fly-bar to set it level and then check your pitch readings on your main blade pitch guage.
You'll have to select a battery technology for the receiver. I personally use a Sanyo CP-2400SCR 6vdc pack from cheapbatterypacks.com (i think that's where I got it) and a 2300mAH NiMH transmitter pack. The batteries that come with the 7CHP radio system are worthless in the heli world. You're better off buying higher capacity batteries and selling off the stock Futaba batteries to some plankers on Ebay, that's what I did.
I stuck with the NiCD/NiMH packs because I only use one charger that charges both at the same time, a Sirius Pro. They are durable, can take high charge and discharge rates, are cheap, no really safety concerns to worry about (like Lipos) and the Tiger needs quite a bit of weight up in the nose to properly balance it. So, at 285grams, my pack does a good job of that. 
You'll also want a blade balancer, a good one that is pretty prevalent and reliable is the KSJ balancer, not the new one which is red, but the older one that has clear sides and a black cradle. This will allow you to balance your main blades properly. If you know someone who flies helis, maybe you could borrow it when you build yours. I did that for a while until I eventually bought mine used on Ebay with a bunch of other rc tools that I turned around and sold off.
With the 7CH radio, if you can afford it, get the one with the digital servos (s3151). They will be better suited to the Tiger then the cheaper analog servos. The digitals are more accurate, hold center position better and are better suited to the eCCPM mixing setup on the Tiger.
Get yourself a large hula-hoop and some 1/2" or so wooden dowls (crafts store) and make yourself some training gear if you haven't flown a heli like this before. Once you can land in a controlled and soft manner, every time, then you can ditch the hula-hoop. It is cheap, it provides 360* of roll-over protection and if it's gonna go over it gives you more time to react to correct...also, it won't fold up on you like them stupid sticks and whiffle ball things. The RotoPod is a waste of money. Spend $5 on the hula-hoop setup and the rest of the money you saved on fuel.
A good fuel pump system. I'm not sure what are the good electric pumps, but I hate my manual pump  It's just junk.. but I do like the billet aluminum Slimline M4 cap/fueler system I'm using.. I just need to find a better pump.
Anyhow, I'll guesstimate that I've prolly spent over $400 on tools, batteries, charger and other assorted specialized stuff. It pays to buy quality stuff in the begining, even if it takes longer to get it all together. Good tools and equipment just make other things a lot easier. Also, if you do decide to bail on the hobby, they typically have a high resale value.
- Dan G. - |
