Heli-Max’s
1SQ Micro quad flying fun inside and out! PHOTOGRAPHY: KATHY LLOYD BOEHM I
t is official, the Editor of this fine peri- odical is certifiably off his rocker. I consider myself an old-school balsa cruncher. Some of my favorite things are balsa wood, yellow glue, fine Japanese tissue, and nitrate dope. When Mr. Fanelli asked me to review a new product I envi- sioned a cool new laser-cut kit of my favorite old-timer. Instead, he hands me a ready to fly micro-quadcopter. This is like a caveman being handed a cell phone.
I’m game for anything so I rushed home and opened the box. My first impression was that this object is a little jewel. How can something so small live up to the hype print- ed on the box? “Hovers effortlessly” and “No experience needed” seem inviting but could it live up to these claims and even more im- portantly, could this dyed-in-the-wool old timer be converted into a heli pilot? Well let’s get into this thing and find out. My sample did not come with a transmitter, designated by the “Tx-R” logo on the box; I would have to use my own. I have been play- ing around with installing lightweight radio control in my built-up balsa models for the past few years. I purchased a Futaba 6EX 2.4GHz system for these airplanes and it has given me nothing but outstanding serv- ice on these simple airplanes.
My radio accepts up to six models in the built-in memory and to date, I have five air- planes programmed in. So I had an avail- able spot for the 1SQ and, by taking a quick look at the Futaba owners manual, I discov- ered that I can fly helicopters with it. Who knew!?
First off, get the included flight battery charged. The set included a nifty little Li-Po
60
charger that plugs into any USB port. I was sitting in my living room reading the in- structions and noticed that my cable TV box has a convenient USB port right on the front face. Take the usual Li-Po charging precau- tions of course. Never leave it unattended and place the battery in a fire proof charging bag.
The next step was to get the radio talking to the quadcopter. Here is where the Tactic AnyLink radio adapter comes into play. Sold separately, this little module comes with a plug-in cable to attach to your transmitter. It also provides a length of hook and loop material to attach the module firmly to the back of your transmitter.
The unit comes with two cables that pro-
vide instant connection to many common ra- dios. The back of the box has a handy guide to determine which adapter cable you will need. Make sure you reference this before leaving the hobby shop. Luckily, I was able use one of the included cables with my transmitter, so I was ready to go. You can get the 1SQ with an included transmitter and this will likely simplify the entire process. A few nice things about being able to use your existing transmitter is that you can work with familiar equipment, avoid having more stuff cluttering up the workshop, and most importantly save a few bucks. The drawback for me was that I’m en- tirely ignorant as to how helicopters func- tion and my experience with programming my transmitter consisted of nothing more advanced than servo reversing. This was go- ing to be interesting to say the least. Let’s get flying. There is no binding button to press so once you charge up the little
flight battery and plug it into the copter you simply turn on the transmitter. A couple of beeps from the AnyLink and a pulsing light on the copter told me they were talking to each other. I really did not know what to ex- pect as the included instructions only out- line the setup of the ready-to-fly version that comes with its own transmitter. It makes sense that Heli-Max cannot in- clude instructions for every brand and type of transmitter that is out there, so you are sort of on your own. My transmitter’s own-
AT A GLANCE Type:
Length:
Blade length: Height: Weight: Battery: Radio:
Manufacturer: By Eric Boehm
R/C quadcopter
Construction: plastic and carbon fiber Width:
5.7 inches 5.7 inches 2.16 inches 1.37 inches 1.1 ounce
1S 150 mAh Li-Po 4-channel Heli-Max
Dist. by: Hobbico P.O. Box 9021, Champaign, IL 61826 217-398-3630
www.helimax-rc.com MARCH 2013
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