Logictech 2100T Gyro
| Reviewer | Ashley Davis |
|---|---|
| Review Date | 22nd February 2007 |
| Manufacturer | LogicTech |
| Supplier | Climb Out |
| Model | 2100T |
| Unit Cost | TBA |
Before I go any further here are some pictures of the gyro:
Packaged gyro
Packaged gyro
Gyro control panel
Gyro and leads
Technical Review
The first thing that strikes you when opening the box is the physical dimensions of this gyro. This is a very small gyro, certainly smaller than the usual 401 from Futaba.
Weight : 10g
Size : 22x22x11 (mm)
Additionally all of the programming interface is built into the top of the gyro. As can be seen from the pictures above there are options to configure the servo speed, rotation rate, gyro direction and servo limits. Also along the top of the casing is a little light showing whether you are in "tail lock" mode and alongside that a scale of lights which is used to indicate your settings when you are in programming mode. These lights also show you an indication of your gyro gain outside of programming mode.
The gyro has an automatic receiver selection function which selects what receiver type you are using with the gyro. The options here are Futaba, JR and Logictech. I couldn't work out from the instructions what this setting actually does but whatever it is it seems to do it automatically.
The other settings on the gyro are relatively self explanatory. Servo speed allows to you to select what type of servo you are using with the gyro. There are three choices here which are logictech, digital servo or nondigital servo. As I am using a Futaba digital micro servo I chose the second option. The next option is rotation rate and this controls how quickly the model will pirouette at full stick. The direction setting is to set the direction that the gyro will initialise when powering up, generally this is set once and then left alone. The last option is servo limit which allows you to set the limit of movement of your tail servo. Unlike the 401 this gyro allows you to set a limit for each stick direction (left and right).
The gyro gain is controlled in the normal fashion using endpoints in the radio itself. I set my gain to be 55% in tail lock mode. It is also worth noting that the instructions supplied with the gyro are not the easiest to understand. However, a quick search on the Internet and various hits explaining exactly how to program the gyro and can be found.
The gyro has two plugs on it, one goes into the normal Channel 4 for the gyro itself. The other plug goes into a spare channel and can control the gain of the gyro remotely.
For this test I matched the Logictech gyro to a Futaba 3154 micro digital servo. I chose the servo because firstly I am testing it for a review but secondly because Jason Krause has been overheard saying that this servo actually does a better job than the Futaba 9650.
Flight Review
Initially I set the gain of this gyro to only 35%. I did this based on some information I found on the Internet, which subsequently proved to be a load of rubbish. Also the instructions tell you to set the end points to 140% in both directions when setting up the gyro. These should not be left at this value as the end points control the pirouette speed. With 140% my pirouette rate was a little bit insane, I lowered them to 90% (insanity avoided). The big question is how does this gyro perform in 3-D flight?
In forward flight and sport flying the gyro performed faultlessly. The hold on the tail was solid, predictable and felt just like I had a 401 sitting on the back of the machine. Moving into basic 3-D manoeuvres, again the gyro did a superb job with the tail held nicely in position with no creeping to one side or the other. Certainly there were no issues at all with manoeuvres like flips and funnels.
Of course the big test for gyros is backwards and inverted backwards flight. Here again the gyro was very predictable and as before I felt very much like I had a 401 on the machine.
As part of the testing I did push the gyro to the point that it would let go to see how it would behave. In order to do this I flew in some windy weather going into wind fast and backwards. In this situation the tail would break away. Whilst I wouldn't describe the way the gyro lets go as being slow it is not the fast whip that I have experienced with other cheaper gyros. With this gyro you can see it still fighting to maintain hold as it lets go. The result is a slightly slower and more predictable blowout rather than a sudden and fast whip round of the tail.
Lastly I tried doing some pirouetting flips to have a look at the gyros consistency whilst pirouetting. I was quite surprised at how consistent this gyro was able to pirouette, even in windy conditions. Of course a large part of this is down to the quality of the servo and the quality of the tail blades, a weak servo and poor blades would certainly not give a consistent pirouette rate.
| Pros |
|---|
| Small size |
| Nice user interface on the gyro |
| Separate setting of endpoints |
| Equals the 401 for performance |
| Cons |
|---|
| Difficult to understand instructions |
Conclusion
Logictech have done a superb job with their entry into the gyro market. Obviously the most popular gyro for micro helicopters is the Futaba 401 and Logictech have clearly designed their gyro to emulate the superb Futaba. In this regard they couldn't have done a better job. The Logictech gyro feels exactly like a 401 in flight and provides a similar if not better hold on the tail. Coupled to this the Logictech as options to set end points for both left and right stick, which the 401 does not allow with its single "limit pot".
I have a 401 which I could fit to the Dragonus used for this review but I will not be swapping it off of the machine and I think this in itself says everything you need to know about this gyro. What remains to be seen is whether this gyro can steal market share from the Futaba. Of this I am not sure as the price difference would need to be attractive in order to lure people away from the trusty 401. This gyro is highly recommended for micro helicopters.
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