Eachine E160 Review - Impressive Brushless Tail Hold & Performance
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- Опубліковано 17 лип 2024
- Detailed Eachine E160 review including test flight with three different setups (tame, sport, 3D). The E160 is a great flying little collective pitch RC helicopter to suit all flying styles. It's powerful enough for heart pounding 3D, or can be tamed right down for nice gentle scale type flying. Flybarless stabilization performance is impressive with a fluid and precise feel.
If you are torn between the XK K130 vs the Eachine E160, the E160 is not much more money, however, it's a much better value as it improves on the shortcomings of the K130.
The single biggest performance improvement is in tail hold & authority thanks to a proper direct drive brushless tail rotor motor. It's all but impossible to get the tail to blow out on the Eachine E160, even when trying. Brushless tail motors also last much longer than brushed coreless tail motors.
Other E160 improvements include a stronger and better cooled main brushless motor, longer flight times with slightly larger capacity LiPo & better power efficiency, metal geared swashplate servos & stronger landing struts. Some will find the E160's canopy graphics easier to see which is always a welcome feature on any small micro collective pitch RC helicopter.
Out of the box, the Eachine E160 3D RC Helicopter is Futaba S-FHSS protocol ready, but provides receiver compatibility with Spektrum DSM, S-Bus, and PPM.
If you are looking for a reasonably priced, capable little collective pitch RC helicopter to fly & practice with in your yard, the E160 should definitely be on your short list of micro 3D collective pitch RC helicopters to check out.
Radiomaster TX16S Radio Used In Video:
www.banggood.com/custlink/Gv3...
Micro Collective Pitch Setup Video:
• Basics of RC Helicopte...
Setup & Tips For Collective Pitch RC Helicopters eBook:
www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-he...
Radiomaster TX16s Review Video:
• RadioMaster TX16S Revi...
Computerized Charger Recommendations:
www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-ba...
How to build your own XT30 Parallel Charging Harness Video:
• LiPo Parallel Charge H...
How to bind the E160 to Spektrum DSM:
• How To Bind Eachine E1...
Video Chapter Time Index:
- Intro 0:00
- Unboxing & What You Get 1:35
- Design & Components 4:35
- LiPo Discussion 11:59
- Setup Overview 14:16
- Test Flight 17:52
- Final Thoughts: 22:57
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting RCHelicopterFun.com & my channel which helps me keep creating content.
Please consider giving a thumbs up & subscribe if you enjoy my content - thank you. - Авто та транспорт
I thought I had a few questions but I kept watching your review, then I had no questions you answered them all. Probably the best review I have seen in eons. Thank you my fellow Canadian.
Glad you enjoyed it
An excellent review!
It's nicer to hear and see you.
Thanks for all the videos. Learnt a ton from you much appreciated
Thanks for the review. I received mine from BG (to east coast of Canada) in less than 3 weeks. Very pleased so far.
Good to know.
Great review John!
Awesome little heli - can't wait to get one!
Thanks John that’s really awesome review, much appreciate it I will give this a shot
Thanks for the review John, be safe out there
Thanks, you too!
I usually don’t like videos like this, but this was different. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for all the helpful information. Happy flyin!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great review! I've always wanted to do helicopters and thanks to your books and videos decision finally made👍 Really appreciate the educational content
Glad you like them
That would be a nice addition to my hanger , ! Nice review brother thank you 😎👍
Thank you so much for this video I have been following you. I absolutely love how you explain things. Every time I watch a video of yours I learned something I actually really enjoy watching your videos and learning, for. I am fairly new to the hobby.
You are very welcome & thanks for watching 🙂
I just got one of these, but haven't set it up yet. I really appreciate what you said at 15:14 about not using self-stabilized mode. Will try to set up mine the same way, since I'm learning to fly. Thanks for your great video !
Very welcome - Enjoy your new bird.
Thank you for the review, beautiful property BTW.
Glad you enjoyed it
I've literally just got into flying helicopters and found this video great and very informative
Many thanks
Tony.
Glad you enjoyed it - happy flights 👍
Loving it... Great vid:)
Great information!! Thank You!!!
Thanks for the info with the USB charcher. I becomme soon a 160er.
Hi John, you're right. I had a major brand USB charger that caught a new micro battery on fire. If I can't use my iCharger, I don't want to use the USB. You can find the refurbished iChargers for less than $100 US, and I like that someone went through and verified them. On an aside, of all my flying machines, I do tend to grab the 230s. If it takes a tumble, I've learned what parts tend to need replaced, it's very responsive and I can go a little nuts without breaking the bank. Thanks for all you do for the very best RC hobby in the biz. I love that I can fly for a few right in my back yard!
Nice review E160 thank u
Glad you liked it
nice review - thanks John for putting this together. I like your gesture at 11:57. Over here in Germany we also sometimes have a hard time understanding what the administration had on their mind when putting up those restrictions (if anything)
Cheers
Ruedi
Yep, critical thinking is not part of their process; of course when was critical thinking & science ever part of any politician's decision making process... 😄
😂 right.
John,
I always like your videos. Thanks for doing this. It seems you’re becoming a bangood fan...? Hey, a decade plus ago your web site taught me to fly cp helps. I haven’t really gotten into hardcore 3D, but love anything that flys. Keep it up! Nice place too.
Thanks 🙂
As always John, a wonderful review and video. OMG... that little Heli is fast. lol. I'm with you my friend, maybe we're getting old? I hope not but even with my Trex 150 DFC, I find it moves so fast it's hard for me to track it. I prefer my 230S or 450 DFC. Easier on the eyes! Cheers John, I hope that all is well with you and your Family and everyone is staying Safe and Healthy! Stay well.
❤🙏❤ Oh yes, the Box was a laugh. Looks like it went through a washer & dryer before it arrived at your door.
Talk to you later my friend.
🚁😉👍🚁
Great info.
@11:57 best part of the review!!!
Getting this today
Thanks for the review
Enjoy and feel free to pass my one finger salute Mark Garneau's way as you are flying yours as well.
Loving the videos. Torn between starting with this or the xk110. New flyer with very little sim experience but def would like the option for more advanced 3d in the future.
K110 IMO to start with.
Hello John ;)
Thanks for this review... Very complete !
A question : it's possible that you you give us your setup for Radiomaster tx16s ? Thanks from France ;)
Thanks so much for the video, very helpful. I have an E119, I control it really well it is not 3D. I want to move to a 3D helicopter. What do you recommend E160?
This is the Yu Xiang F01 (Eachine E160 & RotorScale F1 180 all the same). When its in 6G, its smooth as butter and you really have to move the sticks to get movement. When its in 3D, too crazy for me. Goes from stable to simply all over the place. I have the RTF so I'm sure some settings could be fine tuned to make 3D more enjoyable, but I have been having fun in 6G mode and leaving as-is for now. Nice review John!
Tame your setup (pitch & throttle curve, dual & expo rates) & it will be as easy to fly in 3D mode as self level mode: ua-cam.com/video/LouYitd7jak/v-deo.html
@@Rchelicopterfun thank you John!!!!!!
I know this is a really late comment, but I've had this heli since they came out, and it's a great little flyer; I've gotten several direct drive helis, but I still keep this one in rotation..
Thank you for the nice review! Helped me a lot to get the E160 set-up with my DX6i transmitter. Especially your tip in the other video how to bind when using the satellite receiver saved me a headache. As you noted, the minimum/maximum pitch is way too much when using recommended factory settings. There's even a yellow leaflet included with the E160 manual that warns for servo damage due to too much pitch. There's two ways to reduce the pitch, via the pitch curve menu on the transmitter or via the travel adjust menu on the transmitter. Are both methods interchangeable? Or does one have an advantage over the other? You do make a remark about travel adjustment in your video, but I didn't quite grasp it. Thanks!
You should always try to set your min/max collective range (ie +/- 12 degrees) with channel output adjustment. That is the only way to then interpolate the pitch curve values to achieve your desired collective ranges for your different flight modes.
18:51 I’ve wondered the same thing too! There are so many other colors! bright colors that would make the heli much easier to see
Nice video John.
I charged with the usb charging cable came with the package. I got 4.21 and 4.22 volts on the 2 cells. Still over charged but not as bad as yours.
I don't have a fancy lipo charger, but I dig out an old toy grade Walkera charger and got 4.19 on both cells. Slightly lower but perfectly balanced. Much better than the usb cable.
Thanks for sharing your USB charger findings and glad you were able to get them correctly charged with a different 2S charger.
I don’t even fly captors. I just like Jon’s knowledge and expertise.
Nice review) Please, can you tell the info about camera: can I install it here or copter doesn't have any place for it?
Great video like all of them. What charger do you recommend? Your lawn looks amazing btw lol.
I go over my computerized RC charger recommendations for different power & budget requirements on this page of my website:
www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-battery-chargers.html
@@Rchelicopterfun sweet thanks
Awesome with the finger! I agree with the nonsensical regulations.
Yes indeed
thank you
Right on John I’m expecting this bird this week.
Enjoy! 👍
@@Rchelicopterfun Man John I could learn so much from you I went down to get a charger because I noticed from your video you consider the Lipo overcharged at 4.2 I believe. I’m reading a chart that says normal Max charge is 4.2 are you suggesting a 3.9 or so is better? In this case maybe I better keep an eye on it maybe? I did buy a voltage reader and I’m using a nice little Spektrum S1 50 charger but it does seem to charge them all to about 4.16. Also on my maiden I just about stripped a gear.I understand this is par for the course but I can’t believe how cheap the gear is considering the quality build of the Heli. I take it it’s not much to change do I simply loosen the shaft collar and pull up a little bit? Finally any suggestions as to upgrade gears there must be a better alternative than these cheap plastic gears. Well John I’m headlong into the madness around a year now. Sometimes I wonder why. I’m sure you understand us heli enthusiasts are a unique bunch and maybe suckers for punishment, certainly during the learning curve anyway. Hope I can come to you for advice as I can’t think of a better source. Cheers.
Sorry John I submitted my comment in a little early.
I said in the video a LiPo cell should never get over 4.2 volts. In the video, the USB charger charged to 4.22 & 4.25 - definitely overcharged and will shorten the life of the cells (especially that 4.25 one) 4.16 is fine. I cover all this and much more important LiPo info on my LiPo page on my website: www.rchelicopterfun.com/lipo-batteries.html
Stripped main gear on micros are certainly not uncommon as they are pretty much the weakest link in the drive system (it's the one big advantage of direct drive micro helis such as the OMP M1, M2, Mikado Logo 200, SAB Fireball & Mini-Comet, and the Eachine E180). I don't know of any other stronger gears for the E160, but I've never looked either as I have yet to have any issue with mine. I've also never crashed it while powered up. Plastic gears that easily strip can also be a good thing. They act as mechanical fuses and save other more costly components from possible damage during an impact induced energy spike. Changing the main gear is as per the exploded parts diagram (screw out of lower gear hub, slide gear off shaft).
For technical advice, always best to contact me through my website as I often don't see every single UA-cam comment, especially follow up comments.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks a ton John.Definitely will follow up. One last thing while have your attention my Guru 😉. Any idea why my blade 230 seems like the rotors are stuck sometime, gear slipping or something and fine others. There doesn't seem to be any real apparent damage to the gear. Appreciate any help John. You are appreciated sir. Awesome tranquil looking place you fly at too. Cheers. Love flying at night. Will definitely consult your resources. Thank you.
I wish the manual (either for the heli or for the radio) would explain the settings. With default settings, the negative pitch of pulling the throttle down for landing slammed mine into the ground. Parts ordered and now replaced, settings adjusted.
Do you have any idea why my E6 radio doesn't work the same as the others in videos I watched? When I flip the throttle hold switch, the motor stops.
seems to be a nice thing. once i manage to fly my blade nano in 3d mode and feel comfortable while doing it i might get one of these as a small upgrade in size :D
I can see that you are very passionate about rc helis
Yep, they have been a big part of my life for over 30 years now.
HI, thanks for this video. I had a problem with my e160; can you cofirm me that is there just one a conic washer between roto head set and main blade clip? Thank you in advance!
Due to your review, in purchased this helicopter with 1 battery (will get a couple more). Bound it to RTF controller that came with the XK K130, works excellent ( the K130 was crashed many times, with stability, thought it was the controller, hahaha.) Even though I have gotten better ( your review again ) I PURCHASED another K130.
But this E160 is perfect out the box. I still use stability. Upping the head speed fixes the tail issue. I will soon disable the stability....wish me luck.
I'll wish you good success because in this hobby, we make our own luck; commonly known as patience, practice & perseverance. 😄
@@Rchelicopterfun I am learning. I have a K100, (2) K130's and now the Eachine E160. All on the XK X6. Should be enough, but any recommended controller *you* like for under 200.00 USD?
I have 2 Nano S3's and a 230s SMART on a Spektrum DX6E. (big jump from the RTF controllers). So I am addicted in a bad way. Wife doesn't mind yet, its way cheaper than Drag Racing (legally, at a track)...
@eric coker - I presume by what you are currently flying, you want to stick with Futaba S-FHSS protocol - yes? If so that means Futaba or OpenTX/Multi-Protocol. In my opinion in the $200 price range, you can't go wrong with an OpenTX RadioMaster or Eachine TX16S; but only if you are ready for the OpenTX leaning curve. Otherwise, best to stick with a pre-configured computerized Futaba radio but I don't think they have any in that price range. I believe the least expensive S-FHSS Futaba radio is their 8J ($360 USD). I by the way have a number of videos on OpenTX & the TX16S so if you are not sure what OpenTX is all about or the TX16s, this OpenTX basics video might help: ua-cam.com/video/w33syhcWsHM/v-deo.html
My website also has a page on computerized radios which might help: www.rchelicopterfun.com/futaba-radios.html
By the way, I rarely see follow up questions in the UA-cam comments section, so if you want to contact me in the future, best to use the contact page on my website. 🙂
@@Rchelicopterfun thank you!
Update: I now fly everything in agility mode. Every Blade is goes straight goes into agility. I was tired of doing trim flights, though in the beginning, it was kinda fun. All of my S-FHSS protocol birds are in agility too. But I find stability mode 10x better than Blade Stuff. Thanks again for all the reviews and technical advice! NOBODY does it better.
Great review John. Quick question - did you Loctite the main blade bolts?
Yes.
@@Rchelicopterfun would it be fine if I dont loctite the blade screws?
how can I get ahold of your Radiomaster TX16smodel set up settings? Just got the TX16s ..,thanks
Thanks for the review much appreciated.
How hard is it to bind this to a Spektrum transmitter? I have the DX7.
You would need a DSM satellite RX, plug the 3 conductor harness into the main board's DSM plug, and bind as you would any model.
Thanks for the review, John. You mention buying a computerised charger. Which one do you recommend for beginners to the hobby?
I have recommendations based on budget and power requirements on my RC charger page on my website: www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-battery-chargers.html
@@Rchelicopterfun Thank you, John.
I want one but really don't want to order overseas ugh, good review though.
John are you going to be useing the radiomaster more now?
I'll be using it for all my smaller helis. I'll be using my beloved Horus however for all my big machines.
In the transmitter manual that comes with the E160, They are showing throttle curve 1/0 2/40 3/70 4/80. 5/100 What do you recommend for a beginner for throttle curve and picture of settings ? I'm waiting 2 weeks for parts again dam it !
Do you think I should get e160 after an XK K130? so is it worth giving money?
Hi John.Great review video. Question, how do I set the switch for 6G/3D on Radiomaster TX16S?
Stabilization selection on the E160, like most (if not all) micro CP helicopters is controlled by CH5, so you would create a CH5 mix to whatever toggle switch on your radio you wish to control channel 5 with. Covered in my OpenTX for collective pitch RC helicopters video: ua-cam.com/video/XdFOndPG7xo/v-deo.html
I appreciate a lot your work here and on your site, I make a lot of my learning using the xk k110 very tolerant to beginners :) a question about the charging of the battery of this one, no replacement of the delivered charger, an other solution exist?
I have other more robust solutions for the battery of my omp m2 for sure... but does not work with the xk k110 battery.
I just use the cheap little dual port XK USB chargers with my tiny XK 1S packs that came with the K110, K123, & K124. Not like they have to balance and none overcharge that I have tested. I suppose you could make a parallel charge harness to charge them through a proper computerized charger (if you can find the correct plugs).
If you are referencing the 2S 700mAh packs for the E160 however... as shown in the video, I use the same XT-30 parallel charge harness I built for my OMP M2 packs and charge them on one of my computerized chargers.
Can you plz tell me we’re the servo should be set nthought 90% at zero pitch i had a bolt come out of my swash plate an now the Serbia are all going up when I pitch right or left
What are your pitch curves if you don’t mind John. Sure it relates to the degrees of negative and positive you stated but if you could provide your five point curves it would be appreciated.
Hey John - another great video thanks! 👍🏻 With a lot of Chinese products, I keep hearing the term “coreless” or even “cupless” motor 😳 What is it??? I thought they were either brushed or brushless? 🤪.
On the subject of visibility, you hit the nail on the head! I chose the same colour as you & it’s a long standing gripe of mine. You might be interested in my quick fix, some say it ruins the look but I go for function over form. Like you say, these helis get small quick! So I stick high viz reflective tape on my dull canopies, best colour for me is pink as it’s so distinctive outdoors & also yellow. This combination really pops, esp with the mottled mackerel skin effect lol ! Scrutinising the paint job is the last thing on my mind when flying non scale.
Also, I Tipp-Ex/Wite-Out the black booms. It stands out against dark trees, bushes etc but when flying overhead, still looks like a normal silhouette.
The overall effect is transformative 👍🏻Here’s a link to some high viz stuff in Canada & the mottled one I get here in UK🇬🇧 Bound to be others too.
Let me know what you think 🤩🚁
www.ebay.ca/itm/234194149067
www.ebay.com/itm/192417159622
No idea what "cupless" is, but coreless is a type of brushed motor. It has nothing to do with China; it's the way the core of the armature (or lack there of) is designed. I go over and show the 3 primary motor types on my RC servo page (lots of servos use coreless motors). The motor topic on that page is about half way down the page under the heading RC servo motor types.
www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-servos.html
@@Rchelicopterfun Cool, sounds interesting. I think “cupless” is probably Chinglish for coreless 😆
What did you think of the high viz tape idea?? The sun really catches it from all angles 👍🏻
Hey John, Martyn here again - I’m trying to get my head around the myriad of micro connectors these days 🙄.
I think the E160 is a good example of JST connectors - of which there are many! Extremely common since the advent of 250g rules etc.
They include ZH, SM, XH, PH, EL, SYP just to mention a few 😫 Then we have mm of “pitch”, which I believe is distance between pins, another one is 1.0, 1.25, 1.5, 2.54mm, SOMETIMES refers to the diameter of wire, not to mention overall plug dimensions!
All I need right now is a bunch of wired 3 pin plugs (which are found on the E160 SBUS & servos). Nearest measurements I can make out: 5 x 2 x 4mm deep. Adjacent to those is a slightly larger socket for DSM, a few plugs that size would also be handy, but not essential right now.
PLEASE do you know exactly what I should order? A simple bag of servo plugs which I use in all sorts of applications 😭 how hard can it be?!
Sorry for rambling and thank you again for your great knowledge! 👍🏻
Yes pitch on the plugs is center to center distance of the pins. Sorry, I don't know if the servo plugs on the E160 are JST SH (1.0mm pitch) or Molex PicoBlade (1.25mm pitch). It's one of those two however (95% sure - not 100%) and if I was guessing by just looking at the plug, I would say it's more likely the Molex Picoblade, but the Picoblade and JST SH look almost identical. I've never had to change mine, so I've never dived into the deep end.
DSM2/X sat RX plugs are JST ZH so it's not that one.
How hard can it be? Very hard as there is no standardization with micro servo plugs.
@@Rchelicopterfun Thanks for bearing with me on that John, you’ve helped immensely! 👍🏻 You can see what a nightmare these plugs are. Saying that, I’m not trying to change my servos. It’s just an incredibly common plug/socket with most micro helicopters and I find them extremely useful in all sorts of modifications 🚁✅
@@Rchelicopterfun Hey John, I’m loving the E160. Sorted out a few wiring issues and she flies like a dream ✅
So much so, I bought a second one. This one’s not so good, firstly I noticed the pinion gear is very low from the motor base, causing it to not mesh properly with the main gear. I don’t see how I can adjust it either. Secondly, one of the blade grips was a bit sloppy against the rotor head. After removing the blade, I tightened it up. This in turn loosened the other side, so I had to do both simultaneously with 2 screwdrivers. There’s a lot of resonance at low head speed, which smooths out with higher rpm.
Any ideas on these 2 issues would be greatly appreciated - thanks again John! 🚁🤩
Thanks for the review John. Many, including me, have experienced the tail twitch which is such a disappointment on an otherwise great heli for the price. When you've spent a bit more time with it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, given your extensive experience in this hobbit, on how we might be able to rid the tail annoying twitch. Some have suggested replacing the tail motor ESC. If you think the same, then perhaps a video on the replacement would be great.
Thanks again for this review. I'm looking forward to your OMP M2 V2!
Hi im really enjoying your videos, im learning, a lot more than with others, thanks. I have an 4 years old wltoys v977 brushless, that i didnt fly long time ago because im very afraid to broke it, very nervous fligth but now with your videos i start to fly it again, i have the problem that the big gear looses very easy, becaus is only press fit, how i can fit it in a better way? the shaft is holow and have a flat part, i try to glue it with cian and soda but didnt work. Thanks for share
If you affix the main gear to the mast with glue/similar, it will break easier and transmit higher impact torque loads during a blade strike. Having the main gear "cam out" on the shaft is absorbing torque energy - acting as a mechanical fuse. Once the main gear cams out on a shaft, it will start camming out easier & easier until it's slipping or coming off the shaft constantly. Short of keeping a set of main gears on hand to replace them as they loosen up (or crashing less and/or powering down before crashing to minimize the torque spike), I have no other ideas of how to improve it while still having the same level of drive system energy absorption.
Id love to be able to learn to fly with confidence like this. Scares me trying to hover my 500 scale, i do have an XK110 to practice with but only so far been able to hover i havnt mastered movebility yet
Four primary things that help. 1. A ground up lesson plan to teach the fundamentals of collective pitch RC heli flying. 2. A good learning to fly collective pitch setup. 3. A good rc heli flight sim. 4. Practice & more practice.
@@Rchelicopterfun thanks John, which is the best heli simulator? Im in the Uk also do i need to link my controller to it? I currently have a Fatuna T8J 8 channel transmitter and an Align trex 500 flybarless with Cobra ah1-w scale fuse never flown.. really want to fly it or start to hover it at least
This page on my site may help: www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-helicopter-simulator.html
Hi John, contemplating getting one of the 160s or a E180. Is there a lot of difference between the two? I guess size is the key one. Anything else on spec differences to be aware of? Could I bind this to a spektrum radio with a SPM9645 remote receiver connected to the heli?
The biggest difference between the two is the main rotor drive technology; gear driven on the 160, direct on the 180. Direct has many advantages over gear on these small little helis. Frame material would be the next biggest difference (160 plastic, 180 carbon). Size wise they are actually fairly close, but when you calculate rotor disc area (what matters), no question the 180 is has a bit more area. If your budget allows, the 180 is a better heli, but then you are very close to the cost of an OMP M2 EXP which is a better heli yet.
Yes, all will work with a small DSM2/X remote RX (Speky or aftermarket).
I got a USB charger with my OMP hobby M1. It failed on me within like a week. It left the mess of two battery packs with one cell fully charged and the other completely depleted for my Spektrum s155 balance charger to clean up. It took a good probably 2 hours of running the charger on the packs at a relatively low current to properly re-balance the packs.
Yep, a good computerized charger/s is a wise investment in this hobby 👍
Thanks John - appreciate the review. Did you use the stock throttle and pitch curves?
I never use stock settings & I do mention my 3 flight mode settings during the test flight portion of the review.
Anyone able to measure the upper linkage for me. want to see if they will fit on my xk k130 as they look stronger need overall length and the ball size if possible
John, nice video. I have a problem with this heli that it goes up and down very fast with very limited pitch on the sticks. What could it be? I have made the pitch curve as flat as possible
I would have to see the behavior in person to have any hope of diagnosing what the issue might be.
Just a quick thanks. I watched your set up videos multiple times and set up my K110 based on them in OpenTX. After a couple of weeks of flying a "dumbed down" set up I can fly with the suggested stock setup, although I do prefer -10->10 pitch curve. I am from an rc plane & quad background and the biggest stumbling block was and still is idle up. It feels so wrong to basically let the throttle go. Going to try an E160 next. I hope it crashes "well".
What do you mean by let the throttle go? On collective pitch helicopter the head speed should be constant. You just control the collective.
@@zmanphx What I was clumsily trying to write was after flying planes & quads, mentally, I found idle up unsettling. Basically, "letting go" of control the throttle with the typical throttle stick & relying only on pitch. I am ok with it now but even still I prefer to land in a mode where I greatly limit pitch of the blades and regain control of the throttle, much like a fixed pitch heli. Easy to do with OpenTx. A 3 way switch controlling idle up & the pitch curve. ( Pos1: very mild pitch curve & linear throttle curve. Pos2: mild pitch curve & constant head speed. Pos 3: larger pitch curve & even higher constant head speed )
@@TakeItToTheGround Before landing I just hit the throttle cut a few feet off the ground and let the natural slow down of the rotor land the helicopter. Fixed pitch helis experience you have to unlearn throttle control. On collective pitch the center stick is zero pitch no lift not stick down and zero lift like fixed as in fixed pitch. On collective pitch the heli should hover slightly above center. I had to relearn proper transmitter settings when I transition to collective 12 years ago .
What would be your pick for a beginner to intermediate heli? I'm looking for something that'll be well supported into the future. Thanks again.
@Rob May That really depends on your budget, your experience level, amount of free time you have to devote to the hobby, if you are self learning or will be going to an RC heli club/similar and getting one on one instruction, kit vs pre-built, the area you want to fly it (how much room you have), if you want a specific RF protocol over another, is local hobby shop support important etc. Lots of considerations. My Best RC helicopter page on my website covers all these in detail and I give a few recommendations based on answers to those above variables. www.rchelicopterfun.com/best-rc-helicopter.html
@@Rchelicopterfun thank you. These are excellent resources. I have an E160.. after watching your videos the learning curve is frankly a bit daunting, but also fascinating. I'm not looking forward to smashing it though, that's unfortunately, I imagine, a requirement for learning 3D.. hence my question about parts availability into the future.
Hi John great video E160 you mention tame setting, sport, and 3D. I would like to set mine up as tame -2 to +9 on a Jumper T18 Pro which is similar to the Radiomaster in setting up. Could you do a video showing how to set up the pitch and throttle curves, rates ECT would be grateful. Thanks John.
Already have: ua-cam.com/video/O1L0wxzoqOU/v-deo.html
Sir after taking a k 110 s (black and red version) I fell in love with these micro helicopters and I'm delighted because I was curious to know if my X6 radio could bind it (how could I bind it with an Omp M1 or m2 because my dream would be an omp m1 which is for me the number 1 microphone heli thank you for your videos I'm from France 🇫🇷and not a lot of video in French thank you sir.
you can bind x6 to e160
hi just a noob question what is your gyro settings for normal and for 3d?
The gyro PID settings are factory set - not adjustable.
They seem to have discontinued the e160. I’ll fly mine till I can no longer source parts and then look at getting a e150 I think.
nice introduction to the E-160. Would you please post your otx file from the tx16s for this model? thanks.
I used the base heli format from OpenTX University and collective pitch setup procedures from my Setup & Tips ebook.
recommended for novice heli pilots? I own and fly DJI drones extensively; great review ... thanks for your time.
With the correct setup, any collective pitch RC helicopter can be tamed into a good trainer heli. Fit training gear, ground up learning approach, etc. They are all much harder however than flying an easy to fly GPS enabled quad copter. In contrast it takes most people many months to learn how to become proficient at flying collective pitch RC helicopters (amount of practice time and natural skills dependent of course). This page on my site may help you determine if collective pitch is for you - it's not everyone's cup of tea as it represents the pinnacle of RC flight for most: www.rchelicopterfun.com/radio-controlled-helicopters.html
thanks ... will look into it
Man I wish I had you here local. I am trying to learn on my M1 and I just keep crashing. I in fact busted the canopy today. I would like to run it tame like you said till I am better at it. It is OMP protocol so I am not sure what I should adjust. I use the M2 Internal XR model to fly. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Here's the best help I can give... Set it up for learning on, fit training gear, learn from the ground up, never fly beyond your skill level and you'll bring it home in one piece every time. Doesn't matter what collective pitch heli you have or the size; these are the same proven fundamental collective pitch RC helicopter instruction basics and steps of progression that have been followed for years and what you would get from any certified club instructor. These basics are as important today as when I first learned to fly collective pitch over 30 years ago and how I & most instructors still instruct. Basically exactly what I show in the flight school section on my website. www.rchelicopterfun.com/
I have the xk k110 rtf and can use that for the160 bnf, but I have no idea how to set up the radio for the 160. Do you have a video on that? Which charger are you using? Hopefully one with an internal power source.
I cover collective pitch RC heli setup (for all sizes) in my setup & tips ebook: www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-helicopter-tips.html
I cover RC chargers, what to look for in one, and recommendations based on power needs (including internal PS), on my RC battery charger page: www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-battery-chargers.html
I use neon red and yellow ORACAL on the canopy !
Well.. took the e160 out for the first hover after owning it for well over year. Very stable hover. Something was off when I tried to drop back into idle 1(my setup issue forsure glad I ordered some spares lol. Oh boy
Could have been wore forsure. Ripped up into a tree in my yard. Hit tried to save it. Throttle cut too late. Main rotor gear lost a few teeth, servo arm and a couple links are no beauno. Everything else seems good. Should be an easy fix
🤞
Damage aside which is maybe $4 and some time. I feel as though it was a great learning experience. The feel of actually flying over a 2d simulator was worth every bit
Well bummer. Didn't order the right links for the swash plate. Most likely for the best for today at least. I do agree stabilization mode isn't helpful. It flew much more intuitively with the gyro in 3g or whatever. Idle mode/my setting screwed me. Amazing how fast so much damage is done. Love it.
Excellent review, as always, John! Thank you for taking the time! Out of curiosity, WHAT is written on your batteries (IR=20,19)? I use those USB chargers (no other choice) for my K110 and Nano S2 and I EXPECT them to charge beyond 4.2V! I didn't know beyond 4.2 was BAD for them ... ??? Maybe that's WHY my batteries seem to DIE SO QUICKLY?! What's this 80% discharge business? I run my batteries down to 3.7, 3.8V. Is THAT 20% left? I have NO IDEA about these things. I've heard that batteries can go down to around 3.2V (?) and still NOT be DAMAGED? Like EVERYTHING in life, 10 people, 10 opinions, and NO WAY of knowing WHOM to believe!
IR is internal resistance; one of the best ways I know of to monitor LiPo cell condition: I have a full write up on my site about it: www.rchelicopterfun.com/lipo-internal-resistance.html
80% is the maximum discharged capacity of the pack (80% discharged capacity. LiPo's should never be discharged below 80% capacity if you want them to live long & happy lives. I go over lipo care in detail, including over discharging on my LiPo battery page: www.rchelicopterfun.com/lipo-batteries.html
You will see 10 different opinions from 10 different people on LiPo care due to the fact, there are so many variables. It's not black and white in other words, there are infinite shades of grey.
Max discharge voltage 3.2V is a generalized number , but that is an under load number (ie. in use). If you were to be reading that voltage unloaded (open circuit) after flying, battery removed from model, a 3.2V reading would be massively over-discharged. I personally never want to see open cell voltage of under 3.7V on any LiPo cell right after a flight; however for best LiPo life, I strive to keep it above 3.74V (again open circuit voltage) which on a healthy packs translates to around an 80% discharged state.
Some of the variables that can wildly affect that 3.2V under load voltage number include: load placed on the pack (how many amps you are drawing at time of measurement), condition of the pack, internal resistance/ion exchange efficiency of the pack, temperature of the pack, and overall capacity of the pack.
@@Rchelicopterfun Very helpful info! Thk u! I'll definitely check out the links! Cheers!
@@TechNoPhobiaGirl just to elaborate on the 3.2 volt thing, when I am flying FPV with goggles that have an on screen display that shows the real time voltage I try to land before it hits 3.2v.
You can then see the voltage rise after the motor(s) stop.
@@learningtocrash4030 OK. Thx!
I have the RTF version and very disapointed cz 3servo arms are down , and when gradualy lifting the gimbal from full down position, the rotor start to spin with full negative colective pitch
What is faulty ? Tr, FC motherboard or myself ?
I specify that the 6G/3D button has no impact.
Thanks for any clue .
I consider buying a new BNF e160 and your exact same TX ...
If you are running a 3D collective pitch curve in whatever flight mode you are in, that is exactly what will be happening (negative pitch at low collective). That's a radio programming function and its totally dependent on the pitch curve you are using with the throttle curve in that specific flight mode. I have no idea how Eachine set's up their RTF radio settings, so have no idea what pitch and throttle curves they are using in the two flight modes. And no, stabilization selection type (3D or 6G) has no impact on pitch & throttle output, as I said, it's a function of the pitch and throttle curve in whatever flight mode you are in.
I have a K130 and yeah, it's pretty fragile. For an upgrade how does the E160 compare to the OMP Hobby M2 ? I know its double the price, weight and power but still small and durable enough to be a (large) backyard flyer?
Hi Ryan, I did a review of the M2 last year: ua-cam.com/video/rSQPMPPGoYc/v-deo.html
It's a much better heli, but as you said, it's double the cost. However, for yard flying and robustness??? I find the OMP M2 too large and too hot for yard fun. I have to take it out to the field to have any fun, at least if I want to toss it about. More crash damage will also likely result on the M2 in most crashes. There is more heli mass, more spinning rotor mass, and it's way more powerful so much more energy is released when the ground interferes. It's been my experience that if you want a CP heli that survives most ground impacts, you have to stay below 150 size (150mm long rotors). There are rumors OMP is coming out with a smaller M1 heli later this year but with the same direct drive main rotor technology as the M2. If those rumors holds true, it will likely be one of the best & robust CP yard fliers to hit the market.
What's your opinion on this vs the omphobby m2? The m2 is double the cost but idk if it's worth paying that much more.
Fairly different helicopters in both size and quality so they are not really comparable. The M2 is a higher end and better helicopter with a direct drive main shaft, but as you point out, it costs twice as much so we should expect no less. I do have a review on the M2 as well if you want to make your own comparisons: ua-cam.com/video/3oH7LddAd98/v-deo.html
John, what is your battery ID markings I'm seeing on the batteries? Thanks'.
IR (internal resistance) values of the cells in the pack. www.rchelicopterfun.com/lipo-internal-resistance.html
Tarek should fly this.
Hi, im waiting this to arrive, I have the XK X7, radio transmiter that come with a xk brushless dron and algo have the radiomaster tx 16s, first which transmitir you suggest and if you can make a vídeo of binding it to any of Two transmiters. Thanks great content
The TX16s is a far superior radio over an entry level X7 radio, but you have to be up for the OpenTX learning curve of course & know how how to setup & configure a collective pitch heli in OpenTX; perhaps you've already climbed that hill. If not, I've got a full video on OpenTX for helicopters: ua-cam.com/video/XdFOndPG7xo/v-deo.html
As for binding any Futaba SFHSS protocol receiver (what the E160 uses), it's about as easy as it gets since SFHSS auto binds. Put the heli in to bind mode by pressing the bind button on the circuit board while you have your radio turned on and in the correct model and you're done. A little more involved in an OpenTX radio using a multi-protocol module as you may also have to first select the SFHSS protocol in the multi-module programming field and perhaps adjust the frequency fine tune. I've already got a couple videos showing that process with couple other SFHSS protocol helicopters. Here is one: ua-cam.com/video/VVhgjAvYK20/v-deo.html
The binding process is listed in the video chapters.
@@Rchelicopterfun Got it... thanks really thanks i'll keep you post it
I'm getting this as my first CP helicopter so I don't have any necessary equipment such as loctite.
Do I have to loctite the blade's?
Only if you don't want them to fly off in flight. Loctite & RC helicopters go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other 😀
Hey John, I have a question. I am not sure if you have mentioned in your videos the difference between throttle hold and throttle cut, but it is very important if you are setting a nitro helicopter (hold for autorotation for instance). And of course a functional pitch hold curve (nitro or electric) to be able to change from positive to negative and then to positive pitch in autorotations. Regards
The basic difference is throttle cut only affects throttle channel output; throttle hold activation however is attached to a both a separate throttle curve and pitch curve. I fly nitro, gas & turbine as well as electric - I have my throttle hold curve on electric naturally set to shut off the motor. On all the fuel powered heli's, I set my throttle hold throttle curve to only powers down enough to put the engine into idle so the centrifugal clutch will disengage (engine stays running). To turn the engine off in those cases (at least with openTX) I then have used the add multiplex feature to control the carburetor or Fedec to either close the carb and kill the engine or tell the fadec to turn off the turbine fuel flow. I've got separate videos on those:
Nitro/Gas: ua-cam.com/video/-cK6DZfu86s/v-deo.html
Turbine: ua-cam.com/video/R77obpPpyDQ/v-deo.html
@@Rchelicopterfun John, very illustrative both videos, thanks again
Hi. Just wondering, how do you know you aren’t running the batteries down below, or near below, 80%?
Time my flights and check battery after run open circuit voltage and total recharge capacity. Go over this on my RC LiPo Battery page on my website: www.rchelicopterfun.com/lipo-batteries.html
John Salt, thanks!
...here's to you Mike......ha ha ha ha ha...love it.
Does it do pirouette optimization? I know some of the micro blade heli dont .
Most micros don't have that feature - including this one.
hi john, question could you bind xk k130 heli to eachine E160 transmitter .
Basically the same radio using the same protocol = yes.
thanks, will try to bind it to xk k130
I just getting into Helicopters.. What Transmitter would you recommend?
Before John recommend, I would recommend radiomaster tx16s used by John in the video. I am also using it, if you are a beginner buy omphobby m2 V2. Do not buy these heli. East to crash and got to repair alot. I started with xk 130 when I started learning heli and crashed alot spent alot of money and times fixing heli rather than flying.
My page on RC radio brands might help you decide: www.rchelicopterfun.com/futaba-radios.html
@@aungbonaing Thanks
Passando para reforçar o canal !!! Like garantido 🇧🇷
Hi 👋,
How can I reduce the twichyness of the swash plate ? I found it too sensitive to the cyclic. I used this heli for a scale model , needs to be tame. Thanks
Use dual rates on your two cyclic channels.
@@Rchelicopterfun ,
U teaches us Duel Rate is to do with servo travel , how it will slow down the servos , could u kindly explain more thanks.
By reducing channel output, you increase stick resolution. Also remember you are not in direct control of the swash servos, the FBL system is. The less cyclic command the FBL unit sees, the slower it pitches or rolls the helicopter (to an extent and is based on FBL agility programming which is not accessible on these tiny low cost micros). The largest component however with tame dual rates is increased cyclic & tail rotor stick resolution - just the way it is with a tame pitch curve to improve collective stick resolution.
@@Rchelicopterfun ,
Yes 👍 u are right abt agility not controllable frm ths low cost FC.
If u ever fly Blade 130 S or Blade Apache , u wld see th SWASH is tame , soft & smooth like a THICK OIL . U can also make it twichy in 3rd flight mode though.
Then why I am not using Spectrum FC ? Coz XK has better tail locking…. I hate when tail drifts slightly.
Never interested in 3D flying or upside down 🙃, thinking 🤔 a real heli can never be flown tht way. All my helis are scale type.
Enough rambling!! Now tell me how abt m1 , m2 FC. Are they twichy too ? Thanks
Throttle curve? And pitch curve for beginner ?? Thank you
All covered in my eBook: www.rchelicopterfun.com/rc-helicopter-tips.html
A copy of your OpenTX e160 .bin file would be awesome :)
Sorry, I don't share my files. Why?
#1 & main reason... It would not be fair to all my customers who paid for my collective pitch setup & tips ebook & my setup help over the years. They are the reason this channel even exists.
2. It doesn't teach people a thing about how to properly setup a collective pitch RC helicopter or use OpenTX.
3. It's a huge hassle then trying to explain how my specific settings work and why I configure my radios the way I do.
4. I know exactly what happens because I have tried it for a few people just to see how it would play out. People just used the settings unaltered even though I warned them about that. Not a single one confirmed the mechanical setup of their heli and then adjusted the outputs according so the collective range and the symmetry of their collective range would then be correct for proper pitch angle. These are not mechanically simplistic quad copters after all; every single collective pitch RC helicopter has mechanical variation - even the exact same RTF models.
The result of all this... A crash on first spool up, and I get blamed for it because they didn't understand the basics of collective pitch setup. Never again.
inyour opion which e160 or e180 would you suggest for a beginner?
Really depends on your budget. The E180 is a better helicopter so if your budget allows, that would be my recommendation. Both can be setup as good trainers so problem there with either.
Budget allows for the E160 for now, Thank you for the reply.
good morning , could you do a video on how to add a model to this new eachine transmitter .
I don't have an Eachine TX, nor do I know what "this new eachine transmitter" even is, so no I can't do that. Regardless, it would be the same as adding a model to any computerized TX and setting it up.
I do however show the basic heli menu layout on the XK X6 radio which is essentially the same radio as the little 6 channel Eachine one if that's the TX are referencing? You never gave a model number and I can't read minds. Here's a link to that X6 review video: ua-cam.com/video/lzW9m8899Tk/v-deo.html
@@Rchelicopterfun THANKS FROM ORLEANS.
In normal / tame mode what maximum throttle do you have configured please? Thanks.
I show it right in the video - white text on the screen.
@@Rchelicopterfun Sorry John I saw the 63% but what I meant to ask is whether it was 63% throughout the throttle range. I thought typically you only use a constant head speed in idle up / stunt modes and not in normal / tame modes. Cheers.
@Nigel Benton - The goal of all collective pitch helicopter setups is to produce as consistent a head speed as possible, regardless of flight mode or flying style. This not only keeps cyclic & collective response consistent, it also reduces torque variation the tail rotor would have to work harder to correct for. If you have my Collective Pitch RC Heli Setup & Tips ebook, I cover more advanced throttle curves (such as the one I'm using in the tame/normal mode here) in detail in Chapter 7. 🙂
@@Rchelicopterfun Yes I have your book but had not got to chapter 7. Now read. 🙂
HELP PLEASE! I have the RTF version of this, when it arrived the stock transmitter wasn’t bound to the heli, I bound it fine, but when I’m going to take off the pitch is reversed.... I can’t see any setting to reverse the pitch on the transmitter, has anyone else had this, any ideas how to fix, please.... thanks
This video on the XK X6 radio (has the same menu layout as the Eachine TX by all accounts) I did will show how to access the reverse menu: ua-cam.com/video/lzW9m8899Tk/v-deo.html
John Salt thanks so much for your replyJohn, watched the video and I am slightly RC heil savvy, but not expert...., but what channel to I reverse to switch the pitch though? Surely If I switch the throttle channel, which also controls the pitch, surely that will mean the throttle will change too?
Or does that only change the servo movement and keeps the throttle stick like normal?
No, you change the collective pitch channel - it's almost always channel 6. My video on collective pitch/TX setup might help a bit if you've never setup a CP heli before: ua-cam.com/video/O1L0wxzoqOU/v-deo.html
John Salt , again, cannot thank you enough for your reply.... REALLY appreciated, if it’s as simple as swapping channel 6 I will be chuffed!!! will try that ASAP in the morning.... fingers crossed I’ll be airborne with it 2mo.... thanks for all your help. :-))
Have you ever flown the WLtoys V950
It sucks dont buy it mines the ads came out flying qst flight the rod the holds the blades broke in half fixed it and the collective is very unresponsive and tail kicks all over the place servos sucks they strip every crash my t rex 450 crashed it multiple times havent yet broken a servp only blades and because carbon fiber and tail rotor