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Heli-Max 230Si


PHOTO: COURTESY OF HOBBICO


One last very nice feature is the failsafe. If for any reason the 230Si loses the transmit- ter signal, it will establish a stable hover and then auto-land itself. Once stabilized in a hover, it reduces the throttle slightly, maintaining that power level until it senses contact with the ground. It then reduces the throttle setting to zero.


An eye in the sky


The 230Si has so many unique features that it would be easy to forget to talk about its camera. Weighing just a few grams, the onboard camera allows you to capture both 720p HD AVI video or 1280×720 pixel jpg still images while flying. A 2 GB microSD card is included with the 230Si, along with a USB micro card reader. The camera will also recognize microSD cards up to 32GB. You can start and stop the video camera as well as switch to the still photography mode and trigger the shutter while flying. I found my best imaging results come when


flying outdoors in zero wind. I also had the low rates selected as well as the altitude-hold mode. You won’t often find such calm condi- tions in the middle of the day, but the lighting is usually much more interesting early in the morning or late in the afternoon anyway.


Hobby-grade excitement The 230Si is quite durable. The sample seen in the photographs has easily survived a normal array of training bumps and bruis- es without a scratch. The most common damage with most small quads is a broken propeller caused by hitting something with a hard corner such as a chair leg. If that does happen, you won’t be grounded for long. The 230Si comes with a set of replacement rotor blades as well as the small Phillips head screwdriver needed for most maintenance. Our spare blades are still in the original packaging.


This is a true “hobby-grade” product, with replacement parts readily available through your local hobby shop, innumerable online vendors and direct from Hobbico. The list of available parts is extensive. Not only can you get spare batteries, replacement rotor blades and motors, all of the molded body pieces are available, as are bearing sets and individual electronic components.


42 All in one The 230Si includes everything you will


need to fly it, all neatly contained in its durable cardboard box. The clamshell-style box opens to reveal the 230Si, transmitter, battery, charger and spare parts all neatly protected by a plastic insert. Do take a mo- ment to lift out this insert as the manual is in the box underneath it.


The 230Si uses a single-cell 1200mAh Li- Po battery and comes with a variable rate charger that is very simple to use. There are three buttons on the charger which allow you to start the charge, as well as increase and decrease the charge rate. You can select one of five charge rates from 1.0 to 1.8 amps in 0.2a increments. The default rate is 1.4 amps, giving a full charge in less than an hour.


In the air With its dual rates, flight control sensitiv-


ity, beginner and expert flight modes, and altitude control management options, the 230Si can be customized to suit any skill level and control preferences you might have. The default configuration right out of the box is ideally suited for beginners and first time quad pilots, as well as flying in- doors. You should find it easy to control and well-suited for your first aerial photography experiments. Even with these settings, the 230Si can handle a light breeze in your yard. Increasing the control response when flying outside may be desirable but remember that this will also make it more challenging to fly smoothly with the camera on.


The 230Si’s slow hovering flight is ideally suited for in close, intimate flight profiles. My son and I have been having a great time flying in the driveway and around our gar- den shrubs and landing on the car hood or garage roof whenever the wind is calm out- side. When the wind kicks up we move in- side, entertaining ourselves with informal spot landing competitions on the coffee table. The 230Si has an extensive array of lights on it. Not only do these look great, they also help maintain orientation. They are so effec- tive that the stock 230Si is an effective night flying machine, right out of the box. This makes it ideal for touring the yard on lazy summer evenings, even well past sunset.


The onboard camera (at left) shoots both 720P AVI video and 1280x720 pixel jpg still images. The adjustable lens can be manually aimed anywhere between horizontal and near-vertical views. The 230Si offers a unique view of your yard, or the condition of your roof. This bad news (above) is some of last winter’s ice damage to our gutters.


Safety Like any flying machine, there are some “common-sense” factors you will want to re- member. Most obviously, you have four spin- ning propellers. Even small props can hurt, so handle the 230Si with care at all times, and especially whenever you have the battery con- nected. The transmitter does have a safety feature that prevents the model from jumping to life as you plug it in. The motors will not re- spond until you bring the throttle stick all the way back to zero after powering up. Always turn on your transmitter first and put the 230Si on a flat surface while plug- ging in the battery. Fortunately the cables are long enough that you can install the bat- tery after plugging it in. This allows it to re- main perfectly still during those critical few seconds while the onboard stability systems come to life.


As mentioned above, the return home fea- ture brings the 230Si back to you but does not reestablish hover. It is especially impor- tant to remain vigilant when using this fea- ture and to regain control as soon as possi- ble. You do not want to accidentally hit yourself or others nearby.


Finally, please pay attention to the wind conditions and others around you. While you can fly the 230Si outdoors in a light breeze, it simply doesn’t have the power or mass to deal with actual wind. Do not attempt to fly it in stronger breezes, or in an area where it could drift toward other people or traffic. It also gets hard to see at a distance, so do not attempt to fly too high or far from yourself. Also, as tempting as night flying might be, make sure you are fully familiar with its control options and the local environment before you venture out after dark. The on- board lighting is quite effective, but will not illuminate objects in your peripheral vision.


The sky is the limit You should feel comfortable flying this unique little craft very quickly. Even the first-time pilots who have tried my 230Si were doing well after only a couple of flights. At that point, the sky truly does become the limit, making the 230Si a per- fect introduction to RC fun, or an ideal dis- traction from the current project on your workbench.


JUNE 2014


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