"SAFE" help

[Lead Balloon]

I'm getting back into RC flying. Can someone explain how SAFE works. I purchased a plane from Motion RC and a TX radio from Horizon Hobby. I also purchased Realflight simulator to help me get back into flying again. I've used SAFE in the simulator and it has saved me from crashing many times. My question is is SAFE part of the transmitter/receiver combo, the airplane or a combination of the two? Can I add it to my Motion RC plane?

 

[dap35]

SAFE is a feature built into some Spectrum RX. So your plane MAY already have the feature. If you aren't using Spectrum, there are other RX options that give you that experience.

What plane and TX did you buy?

 

[sprzout]

SAFE is essentially a form of a gyro that will help keep the plane level and flying straight, and if you let off on the sticks, it will help right the plane. It also limits the plane from rolling too far in one direction or another, so you can't tweak it too far in a bank or up/down. My dad lost a plane in a tree because he was flying with SAFE on, a gust of wind came up, and he couldn't bank it enough to get the plane away from the branches. Our club instructors don't like it because it causes too many students to get used to it, and then they can't recover when the plane is getting out of control.

Now, if you want it, you can buy something like an Aura to put into your plane, which you should be able to use regardless of the receiver; just understand 1) how to set it up, 2) what it does, and 3) how to disable it in case you need it off. I know there are good reasons for it, but it's one of those things that can really be a detriment to you in the long run, so the sooner you can start flying WITHOUT it, the better. You'll find it'll make you a much better pilot, especially if you start flying faster planes like warbirds and jets, helicopters, or racing quads...

 

[Lead Balloon]

SAFE is a feature built into some Spectrum RX. So your plane MAY already have the feature. If you aren't using Spectrum, there are other RX options that give you that experience.

What plane and TX did you buy?

I got the beginner Pandora 4 in one. It looked like a good way to go from a high wing to a low wing plane. For the Tx I got the Spektrum DX6e with an AR620 Rx

 

[Merv]

SAFE is a brand name of a gyro, that is built into a receiver. I've not seen a standalone SAFE gyro that can be added it to a receiver.
There are several other standalone gyros, Hobby Eagle is my current favorite, that offers features similar to SAFE. That is, a bank limiting feature and if the plane is out of control, an auto level system to recover control. These are useful features for a beginning pilot. As Sprzout mentioned the downside is you can become dependent on the gyro. I would encourage you to move away from the safety features of a gyro as soon as you can.

Apart form the safety features, there is stability. That is a correction for a gust of wind or other outside force. In the SAFE, system this is called advance mode. You can fly the plane in any way you want but if there is a movement you did not command, the gyro will make a correction. There are many receivers with built in stabilization and many stabilizers that can be added to an existing receiver. They will correct for an outside force but don't have any recovery systems. Stability is a matter of personal choice. I will fly without stability until the wind gets over 15 mph, then turn it on to smooth things out.

If you chose to buy a standalone gyro, make sure is compatible with your receiver. If in doubt ask.

 

[tesseract]

I'm getting back into RC flying. Can someone explain how SAFE works. I purchased a plane from Motion RC and a TX radio from Horizon Hobby. I also purchased Realflight simulator to help me get back into flying again. I've used SAFE in the simulator and it has saved me from crashing many times. My question is is SAFE part of the transmitter/receiver combo, the airplane or a combination of the two? Can I add it to my Motion RC plane?

BAsically, SAFE is a form of gyro that limits the amounts of controls you can give, and stabilises the plane in flight.
An example is that one plane I have has SAFE.
It can be switched onto 3 levels:
-Beginner
-Intermediate
-Expert/off
What Beginner does:
- Limits bank angle to about 30 degrees
- Limits pitch angle to 30 degrees
-Stabilises plane in wind
What Intermediate does:
- Limits bank to 50 degrees
-limits pitc to 50 degrees
-Stabilises in wind
What Experd does:
-Stabilises plane in wind
The SAFE gyro is built in to some Spektrum recievers and transmitters for beginner flyers. You can also, to some extent at bgeinner mode, use it as an autopilot for short amounts of time if you need to stretch.

I hope this helped!
-Planesandthings

 

[Robert S]

(Edit: I didn't see the post above before I asked the below question. The information might still be good to know though in case you feel the need to change out your control board/RX in the future to something with a Gyro.)

Do you have SAFE or SAFE Select with AS3X? When I was asking the same question earlier this year, I was getting confused based on how old the information was on the web site I was reading. Apparently SAFE has evolved over time and they are not all the same. To make it more confusing, Spektrum still makes receivers that use the older version ( or at least they are still out there being sold) as well as making ones that do the newer version so you have to know which one you have to make sure the information you are getting is correct for you.

The regular version of SAFE has the three settings as previously described. Safe Select is slightly different. It only has two settings. The "On" setting corresponds to something similar to the "intermediate" setting described above. The "off" setting is more like what expert is described as all though, on my E-Flite 1.2M P-51D, I really don't think there is even any gyro at all in "off" mode.

I'm still a newbie so I have SAFE Select programmed to a switch. I try and fly as much as I can with out it but, its there for me if (when) I need it.

On a related side note, if you think you are going to want to program it to a switch (the easy way), make sure you choose a TX that has at least one more channel than you need for your controls and control surfaces. Other wise you have to 1) choose ahead of time if you want it always "on" or always "off" for a flight, or, 2) you have to give up a channel that you are using for Gear or Flaps, or, 3) Do like I did and tie your Gear and Flaps together on one channel, bind it to a three way switch so that you can cycle through the various combinations of Flaps and Gear being in up and/or down positions. You can then use the now free channel for SAFE.

I have a DX6 but if I could do it again, I would have gotten a DX8 or 9 to allow for growth.

 

[tesseract]

(Edit: I didn't see the post above before I asked the below question. The information might still be good to know though in case you feel the need to change out your control board/RX in the future to something with a Gyro.)

Do you have SAFE or SAFE Select with AS3X? When I was asking the same question earlier this year, I was getting confused based on how old the information was on the web site I was reading. Apparently SAFE has evolved over time and they are not all the same. To make it more confusing, Spektrum still makes receivers that use the older version ( or at least they are still out there being sold) as well as making ones that do the newer version so you have to know which one you have to make sure the information you are getting is correct for you.

The regular version of SAFE has the three settings as previously described. Safe Select is slightly different. It only has two settings. The "On" setting corresponds to something similar to the "intermediate" setting described above. The "off" setting is more like what expert is described as all though, on my E-Flite 1.2M P-51D, I really don't think there is even any gyro at all in "off" mode.

I'm still a newbie so I have SAFE Select programmed to a switch. I try and fly as much as I can with out it but, its there for me if (when) I need it.

On a related side note, if you think you are going to want to program it to a switch (the easy way), make sure you choose a TX that has at least one more channel than you need for your controls and control surfaces. Other wise you have to 1) choose ahead of time if you want it always "on" or always "off" for a flight, or, 2) you have to give up a channel that you are using for Gear or Flaps, or, 3) Do like I did and tie your Gear and Flaps together on one channel, bind it to a three way switch so that you can cycle through the various combinations of Flaps and Gear being in up and/or down positions. You can then use the now free channel for SAFE.

I have a DX6 but if I could do it again, I would have gotten a DX8 or 9 to allow for growth.

I think I have SAFE select. You might have the gyro callibrated differently.

 

[Robert S]

I think I have SAFE select. You might have the gyro callibrated differently.

Maybe. Or I could just be such a bad pilot that even the gyro has given up on trying help me. Lol. Just kidding. I fly in a very large public park and so I tend to fly very conservatively and at times when no sports are going on,, so as to keep away from people and give me some room for error. I do an occasional loop or role but that's it.

I did plug my computer into the receiver and noticed a user can change things if they wanted. I didn't change it, but a person could if they wanted to.

 

[Bricks]

Most of the AS3X receivers can be reprogramed to fit another model or change any parameters in any flight mode. Just say that when in SAFE mode instead of only 30 degree throws you want 50 or 75% it can be changed with the programing offered by Spektrum and now with forward programing it can all be done thru the transmitter no PC or laptop needed.

 

[Robert S]

... now with forward programing it can all be done thru the transmitter no PC or laptop needed.

That's a cool feature. I sent a email to Flex Innovations to ask them if they could make a android version of their Aura Configuration Tool so that I didn't have to bring my Windows Tablet out to tweak settings in the field (Mini Arrow has a Aura in it). In a prefect world, I thought just using my phone would be more convenient and easier. They said they are working on it but that it would not be ready anytime soon.

That being said, just configuring it through the TX wirelessly is even better. I'll keep an eye out for that feature next time I buy a Spektrum Receiver.