Help! Trimming Quadcopter

onlyJESUS

New member
I recently picked back up a quadcopter I got in 2017, and can't figure out the trim controls. Does anybody have any advice? The buttons don't exactly do what I think they should, and I'd like to be able to fly it without it drifting majorly.
 

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Timmy

Legendary member
You should just experiment with it and figure out what each trim control does. If you know what the quad is called, you might be able to search for the manual online to find out what each control does that way too.
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
For a quad like that, you need to find the owners manual and find out what the manufacturers calibration procedure is.
 

NickRehm

Member
If it is rolling to the left, push the right trim button a few times; if it is pitching back, push the forward trim buttom a few times. That looks like a really cheap quad, so chances are those buttons might not even be wired to anything lol

Even simpler solution is to tape pennies in the opposite side that it is drifting to help balance it out. Ultimately, something like that will never hover perfectly in place because it does not have any velocity sensing--just IMU attitude estimate--and will require pilot input to keep stationary
 

LitterBug

Techno Nut
Moderator
If it is rolling to the left, push the right trim button a few times; if it is pitching back, push the forward trim buttom a few times. That looks like a really cheap quad, so chances are those buttons might not even be wired to anything lol

Even simpler solution is to tape pennies in the opposite side that it is drifting to help balance it out. Ultimately, something like that will never hover perfectly in place because it does not have any velocity sensing--just IMU attitude estimate--and will require pilot input to keep stationary

Adding weight will not fix an improperly calibrated gyro/accelerometer and may actually make it less stable. The PIDs are not going to be adjusted to the new weight and imbalance....
 

NickRehm

Member
On cheapo toys like this, you'd be surprised. A very small mass to correct in the right direction will cause the integral term in the controller to settle on a slightly different attitude (try it with a tiny whoop). Mass that small won't have any effect on overall controller stability; plenty of bandwidth for even relatively large changes in inertia
 

dahacker

Member
I recently picked back up a quadcopter I got in 2017, and can't figure out the trim controls. Does anybody have any advice? The buttons don't exactly do what I think they should, and I'd like to be able to fly it without it drifting majorly.

Manufacturer name? Model number?
 

Merv

Site Moderator
Staff member
Try to hover the quad manually. Then move the trim tabs the same direction you are pushing the stick to hover. If you are pushing left, then trim left. The first thing I would trim is the yaw, try to keep the nose facing away from you.

My first quad was a bear to fly until I got it trimmed. Then it flew great.
 
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