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Thread: Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

  1. #1

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    Default Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

    Has anyone installed a Trio ProPilot into a Kitfox? What did you use for the servo gains and other tuning parameters? Rather than re-invent the wheel I thought I would ask.

    The Trio ProPilot was fun to install and very straightforward, especially if you buy the pre-wired harness which I strongly recommend. The most time consuming part is installing the servos which would have been a lot easier had I done the install when I built the plane rather than having to fit it around my ELT and other obstacles. Although there are probably better places to install the servos in a clean install, the only place I had free was under the cargo floor.

    Although I really like the Trio AutoPilot, I have to say that I am not sure I would recommend it because I have found their customer support for homebuilders to be non-existent.
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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

    Dan , I have a trio EZpilot (roll control) and EZ-1 (pitch control) autopilot in my Series 5 that I installed about 8 years ago. I have to start by offering a dissenting opinion about Trios customer support. Their market is the experimental crowd, so we butter their bread so to speak. I have found throughout the years that there customer support was great. Chuck Busch is the president of the company and has a wealth of knowledge about their A/P's. and is the guy that would take my tech calls 90 % of the time. As a matter of fact , last year my Pitch control was getting glitchy so after consultation with Chuck he recommended i send my A/P back to them , which I did. He went through the whole thing and gave it a good going over. Its been flawless since reinstall and all at at decent price for their services.
    Now to your original question about settings, I see you have the Propilot which is way more sophisticated to my version and I don't know if your tuning settings are will be the same . Initially I started with roll neutral upon activation which will be specific to every airplane. Then on to "pull in" which is correction outside of 5 degrees of course , then to "fine course quality" which is inside 5 deg of course. For my pitch control there are basically 2 settings -system gain and servo deadband. As far as values for all these settings , next time I fly I will write them down and post them back on this thread. As a suggestion on setting your up - follow the manual and work thru each parameter as its spelled out. it takes a while to get everything tweaked just right but its well worth it in the end. On cross country flights an A/P is a fantastic tool in your bag. Bruce N199CL

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

    Thanks for this. First, I have to admit that I am an engineer and hate telephones so all my attempts to get help were via their email and its entirely possible that they are more responsive via telephone. Its also possible they are having email issues or are short staffed as everyone seems to be these days. Next time I have an issue I will try via telephone.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

    Quote Originally Posted by airlina View Post
    Now to your original question about settings, I see you have the Propilot which is way more sophisticated to my version and I don't know if your tuning settings are will be the same . Initially I started with roll neutral upon activation which will be specific to every airplane. Then on to "pull in" which is correction outside of 5 degrees of course , then to "fine course quality" which is inside 5 deg of course. For my pitch control there are basically 2 settings -system gain and servo deadband. As far as values for all these settings , next time I fly I will write them down and post them back on this thread.
    It sounds like the algorithm used is the same so its possible the parameters will be the same also. If you fly before I do, it would be great to start with your parameters, otherwise, I will just tune with the well documented procedure Trio provides.

    What I found is that using the factory default settings, the pitch control was fairly good but the ailerons seem to be optimized for a twitchy aerobatic plane like a RV-8 so that on my Series 6, it was being under-controlled in turbulence.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

    Dan,You are right in that all my tech support where via phone calls and I would call at 9 am west coast time before they head into the shop . It is my impression that they don't employ a lot of folks at TRIO so you have to get them at the right time. Hope to fly within the next few days, so I'll get you my numbers then. Bruce N199CL

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Tuning parameters for Trio ProPilot?

    Dan , here are my numbers. Roll: Pull in- 12, Fine course correction- 1, Pitch: Gain- 75, Dead Band- 3 . Note that I don't have the ability for tracking a flight plan because i run off of a standalone non programable GPS , so course is all I can control. Hope this helps you get started, Bruce N199CL
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