LETUSHELIX JR USER GUIDE
Contents
1. LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE stabilizatio DX Table of Contents Elements OF the Helix i vcscicscensecsviavccsecvsossveceseviedsrssasveeveasecunetenstvetaas 3 Menu Button amp Prafiles necesa coana cea na 5 Power Output Ports nino cit ca caiac aaa aaa dia cadeau aia ai 6 Mounting the Camera sisiccsescsasccasccsccassnasscssovosnsssesusveisenseasenasconsonssanse 7 Attaching the Battery isi c ssicssccissosoesssesssescessscosessesvsvesovenssssvesseesieeees 8 Balancing the Camera secs ciao aia aia dai cala dau 9 Roll Axis Optical Cent ring ss su caise oua aia atm ate auziti 10 Roll Axis Offset non optical center snnu neon eeeceneeeaaeaeeee 11 BMI 2 9 i RER RPR RETETE Ro IRT e INTER e ina ARE CITA RTR A SIN RIA 12 THE AXIS aveati i pi o i li ia a ai 13 Profile Selection and PID s sssivssscsscsscsssssasscasanassnsseassvossoaseossnsecsnssveien 14 installing the GU cete cea cei 300 oi co taia a Olt 15 CSU GSE ANAI ION IRONIE SIRE RN IRON TRI RAR RI RIA 15 Installing the Virtual COM Port Driver PC amp Mac 16 Connecting the GUI oisicsccccsessssscsssssiovssesssssssssssnsupssoassensoossoxesensvonensnss 17 Connecting ate 0 e sessin ens TRI RARA RIAA 17 Connecting to a PC anina ai i i ai ii i ta 18 Connecting to an Android device nisa neatentie ele 19 Adjusting PID Settings sisser canina oma ce a ela deea cae 20 Shooting Mode sm ccenesosaianeeaa ionale sera atata add ind se 21 Joystick VI2. In this configuration motion of the tilt motor will not effect motion of the camera and any com mands by an RC transmitter to move the tilt axis will cause the tilt handle to spin freely PAGE 24 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Updating Firmware The Helix Jr is shipped with The firmware software residing on the Helix Jr itself should match the the recommended firm version of the GUI software The GUI version is printed on the top border ware version You should of the GUI window while the firmware version is printed slightly below not need to update your that and only shows up after connecting the Helix Jr firmware when you first receive it You should be using the latest version of the GUI available via the Down loads tab at letushelix com and match your firmware version to that Do not download newer firmware unless a matching GUI is available as it has not been properly tested by Letus Firmware Upgrade Procedure 1 Open the GUI and connect to the Helix Jr via USB cable Make sure the connection is working properly dials move when you physically rotate an axis by hand Go to the Upgrade tab Make sure your GUI is displaying the Automatic tab within the Up grade tab Click the CHECK button You should get a message telling you that a new firmware version is available for download Click the Go to upgrade button Using the Upgrade to version dropdown menu select a version labeled with the
3. a mini USB cable The USB drivers should install automatically If they do not refer to Installing the Virtual COM Port Driver Open the BaseCam software Choose the correct connection port in the drop down menu in the top left corner this can either be done by trial and error or by look ing at the Devices and Printers screen from the control panel to find the COM port number Click Connect Move the Helix Jr on any axis If the dials show movement then you are connected my N Owu Via Bluetooth In order to connect to and control your Helix from Windows your Helix must have the optional Bluetooth module installed Your Windows computer must also have Bluetooth capability 1 Open your computer s Bluetooth Devices 2 Click on Letus Helix 3 Enter Bluetooth Code 7777 4 Wait for the connection to complete 5 Open the SimpleBGC GUI software Windows 8 users 6 Choose the connection port in the drop down menu in the top left corner this can either be done by trial and error or by looking at 1 Use the search window to the Devices and Printers screen from the control panel to find the find Devices and Printers COM port number Letus Helix should show up under Devices and Printers Right click on this and select Properties and look for 2 Click Add a device select the COM port the Letus Helix and hit Next 7 Click Connect 8 Move the Helix Jr on any axis If the dials
4. down through the clamp until the Roll Offset camera will naturally stay oriented with the camera facing directly Ci x sideways top of the camera pointing directly to either the right or ED a a the left See Figure 6 A A 8 Retighten both blue clamp screws 9 Adjust the mounting screw within track 2 so that the camera will Q rotate to any position on the roll axis and stay there 4 68 O Og Use Track 2 Figure 6 Camera adjusted so that it stays oriented with camera sideways step 7 PAGE Il LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Pan controls how the cam Pan Axis era points left and right Balance is adjusted by slid 1 Loosen the left tilt handle adjustment screw and remove the left ing the camera fore and aft handle on the Helix Jr dovetail 2 Balance the Helix Jr on the left upright with the right tilt handle on top see Figure 7 a Ifthe camera lens tends to rise so that it ends up pointing up ward your Helix Jr is back heavy and you will need to slide it forward Set the camera right side up on the table loosen the two blue pan axis adjustment screws and slide the camera forward numbers should get smaller on the pan axis slider Retighten the blue adjustment screws b If the camera lens tends to fall so that it ends up pointing Pan downward your Helix Jr is front heavy and you will need to slide it backward Set the camera right side up on the table loosen the two blue pan
5. fall forward or backward coming to rest upside down then your Helix Jr is top heavy Loosen the tilt handle adjustment screws and raise the handles slightly Retighten the tilt handle adjustment screws Check your work in step 2 by rocking the Helix Jr backwards in the same manner Sometimes in the process of balancing the tilt axis it becomes ap parent the pan axis needs further fine tuning This will be evident if the camera comes to a natural resting point with the camera lens facing downward front heavy or upward back heavy Make any adjustments in the pan axis balance as necessary Figure 8 Rotating the camera forward using a thumb on the inside of the tilt motor step 2 PAGE 13 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Profile Selection amp PID PID adjustments are not Once your camera is properly balanced you will want to try it out to see always necessary The whether it will work well with one of the profiles pre loaded onto the Helix default profiles on Helix Jr Jr or whether it will need some slight adjustment to the PID settings En will work for most setups sure the battery is plugged into the input power port before starting If you are using a DSLR camera press the Menu button twice to switch to profile 1 on the Helix If you are using a heavier camera press the Menu button three times to switch to profile 2 on the Helix Then hit the menu button once to turn the motors on if they aren t already
6. on If your Helix Jr is working perfectly then you are ready to go If there is a bit of vibration or a wobbly feel you may need to make some small adjustments to the PID settings via the GUI software GUI installation is covered in the sections that follow You can then adjust your PID settings through the GUI Instructions on how to make PID adjustments can be found on page 20 WHAT IS PID PID stands for proportional integral derivative controller PID control lers are a control loop feedback mechanism used in industrial control systems A PID controller calculates an error value as the difference between a measured variable and a desired setpoint The controller then attempts to minimize that error Don t worry you do not need to understand complex algorithm calcu lations to use the Helix Jr The default profiles will work for most Do not become overwhelmed by all of the settings Very few of them need to be changed if any We have done all of the hard work for you LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Installing the GUI The SimpleBGC GUI de The SimpleBGC GUI BGC stands for Brushless Gimbal Controller allows signed by BaseCam Elec you to customize settings used in operation of the Helix Jr Helix These tronics is the graphical settings enable the user to eliminate any residual vibration change the user interface that allows function of the menu button switch between joystick and RC control you to interact wi
7. phrase Special version for Letus gimbals at the top of the informational window If the version does not say Di MS YP I amp Attention Mac Users Testing of this firmware upgrade k Special version for Letus gimbals in the informational box process has yielded success with then upgrading to that version will cause your Helix Jr to malfunc newer versions of Mac OS X e g OS tion 10 8 and newer but unsuccessful 7 Click the UPGRADE button attempts with older versions e g 8 Check the box agreeing to the license terms and click OKAY OS 10 7 and older Note that a 9 After about 15 45 seconds you should receive a message saying USB cable should always be used that the firmware has updated successfully Click OK to acknowl when upgrading firmware from a edge the message Mac and preferably when using a PC compatible computer Once the firmware is upgraded there is no problem using the GUI on a Mac PAGE 25 Fie Board Language View Help Connection Profile COM3 Disconnect Profile 7 Rename Load Board version 3 0 Firmware basecamelectronics com Service Follow Monitoring ige Adi Vars N j Manual Device SN 012312aca4af952dee a wW E f e Current version 243 D5 Latest version CHECK _ Check at startup Upgrade to version UPGRADE 4 MOTORS ON OFF Motor is missing steps Current profile successfully whiten to board Figure 9 GUI with Upgrade Options Shown If you r
8. IDE Connecting the GUI Connecting via a Mac Via USB 1 Connect the Helix Jr to a USB port on your computer using a mini USB cable Make sure you have installed the virtual COM port adapter covered in previous section Open the SimpleBGC GUI Choose the connection port in the dropdown menu in the top left corner The USB port will have the letters SLAB in the name Click Connect Move the Helix Jr on any axis If the graphics show movement then it is connected oy ew N Via Bluetooth In order to connect to and control your Helix Jr from a Mac it must have the optional Bluetooth module installed Power on the Helix Jr Open your computer s Bluetooth Assistant and turn on Bluetooth if it is not already on Click on the Letus Helix and hit the Continue or Pair button If it gives a pairing failed message then click on the Options button Enter Bluetooth Code 7777 Wait for the connection to complete Open the BaseCam GUI software jar file Choose the correct connection port in the drop down menu in the top left corner The Bluetooth port will have tty and Letus Helix in the name given in the connection box Click Connect Move the Helix Jr on any axis If the GUI interface dials show move ment then you are connected ore n PaA 19 po PAGE 17 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Connecting via a PC a Via USB 1 Connect the Helix Jr to a USB port on your computer using
9. O CS teaca io an ea taia ia i cap ar ii poi 21 Second Operator Mode se ninsoarea daia a 22 Handheld vs Suitcase Mode nica saca aaa ineaca ana aaa eve 23 Aerial MIO CS sam pna ua ai eg ga Rae 24 MOUTON erei i URII seimeni evo osia a dn i cel 24 Updating Fir Marea c tin it nasii aa ce dai aie 25 Firmware Upgrade Procedure isssssssisesiscansesssssonsensancecconsensasssas 25 Additional RESOULCEG cccccscesscserescercesscceessccesssscceresccerenees 27 Specifications 2 ste i severe rim treet ewe eae ee 28 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Elements of the Helix Jr O 00 Tilt motor 13 Right tilt handle 12 4 10 Tilt handle adjustment screw Battery Battery life indicator Input power port Expansion port Joystick port Pan motor 10 Serial number 11 USB port 12 Menu button 13 Left handle detachment screws for flight mode 14 Battery cage 15 Battery cage screw for flight mode PAGE 3 1D 00 NIO UTA WS LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE 16 Roll Motor 17 Additional power ports 18 14 20 screw for attaching camera 19 Helix Jr baseplate 20 Fore Aft adjustment screw 21 Touch and Go dovetail plate 22 On off switch 23 Helix Jr on board battery indicator PAGE 4 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Menu Button amp Profiles There are 5 profiles pre loaded onto your Helix Jr when it is manufactured You can switch profiles by clicking the Menu button a specific num
10. The Helix Jr has an optional Spektrum 2 4 GHz RC receiver This receiver model AR6100e is compatible with any of the Spektrum brand air radios using DSM2 technology Pa Na DSM Disconnect all power from the Helix Jr including the USB cable Place the two wires of the supplied bind plug into the top and bot tom pins of the joystick port 12 o clock and 6 o clock locations Plug in the battery power you can turn off the motor if you wish Turn off the RC remote controller if it is on Get the antenna of the RC remote controller touching the right side of the controller box when binding the signal working distance is significantly shorter than during operation Press and hold the bind train button BEFORE AND DURING AND AFTER switching on the power on the RC remote controller If you have the DX 6 7 or 8 it should say DSM2 1024 This is your indication that the Helix Jr is bound Let go of your bind train but ton Disconnect power to the Helix Jr Remove the binding pin Connect power back to the Helix Jr Change to the RC profile of your choice You can tell which profiles use RC control in the GUI by going to the RC tab of the Helix GUI see Helix GUI manual for details You should be able to use the controller If the camera drifts left or right or if it rolls use the trim buttons on the remote controller to trim the drifting until it stops Binding the RC transmitter PAGE 22 LETUS HELIX JR USER G
11. UIDE Bluetooth remote control The SimpleBGC Mobile app for Android available in the Google Play store can be used to remotely control the Helix Jr via Bluetooth Control may be done by tilting the Android device or by moving a finger across the Android device s screen This provides a creative option for control but is not anticipated to provide sufficient control for most applications in film making Handheld vs Suitcase Mode Suitcase mode is when you swing the right handle of the Helix Jr upward for use as a top handle This can be done on the fly and is by far the easi est way to transition between low and high shots Positioning the handle If you plan to use the Helix Jr in suitcase mode for extended periods of time you may want to rotate the handle so that it is horizontal when sit ting on the table so that it is parallel to the camera oriented in the same direction the camera is facing when positioned as a top handle This will enable you to tilt the camera up and down in suitcase mode Helix Jr hand off methodology Handing off the Helix to another operator is easiest in suitcase mode Position the handle above the camera in suitcase mode Move your hand toward the back of the handle Pass the Helix to the secondary operator and have them grab the front of the handle Remove your hand as they take the weight of the Helix The secondary operator can re adjust their grip as necessary VP SYS Suit
12. an use the App for control and setup NADI O N A aul dea PAGE 19 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Adjusting PID Settings PID tuning is the process of determining the best P and D values for your cam era and accessories so that the Helix Jr reacts to motion smoothly Guidelines Experience at Letus has shown that many cameras have mini mal vibration when power is set between 80 200 with smaller cameras using less power when D is between 60 and 150 of the P value and I is no greater than 0 1 05 is often good P values may vary widely but usually tend to end up in the range from 12 to 50 You may need to play with your individual system to see what works best for your camera configuration If you change the overall weight or configuration of your setup significant ly you may need to retune your PID settings The steps to adjusting your PID settings are 1 2 Connect to the GUI using Bluetooth or USB cable Bluetooth is more convenient if you have that option Turn the motors on by pressing the Menu button once if motors are not already on Pick up the Helix Jr and try it out If you get vibration determine which axis pan roll or tilt is vibrating If it is not immediately obvi ous you can touch each motor very gently to determine this Determine what type of vibration you have Usually this will fall into one of two catego ries either rapid regular vibration
13. axis adjustment screws and slide the camera backward numbers should get larger on the pan axis slider Retighten the blue adjustment screws 3 Continue doing this until the camera lens no longer has a tendency to move upward or downward when the Helix Jr is resting on the left upright 4 Replace the left handle and tighten the left tilt handle adjustment screw iy ty lig Figure 7 Resting the Helix Jr on the left upright to balance the pan axis step 2 PAGE 12 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Tilt controls how the cam Tilt Axis era points up and down Balance is adjusted by 1 changing handle positions up and down Tilt Check the height of both tilt handles by looking at the numbered markings on the side of the upright Loosen one of the blue tilt handle adjustment screws and adjust the height of the handle so the height on both handles is the same Retighten the blue adjustment screws and pick up the Helix Jr by the handles Using your right thumb along the inside of the tilt motor rotate the camera forward 30 degrees and then release the motor with your thumb see Figure 8 a If the Helix Jr swings back and forth tending to come to rest with the base of the Helix Jr facing downward then your Helix Jr is bottom heavy Loosen the tilt handle adjustment screws and lower the handles slightly Retighten the tilt handle adjustment screws b ifthe Helix Jr has a tendency to
14. ber of times 4 z e O Here are the default profiles and corresponding clicks at the time of this writing Note that these Menu button assignments do change from time to time as modifications in manufacturing warrant The commands as signed to various clicks of the Menu button can be viewed and changed by going to the Service tab in the SimpleBGC GUI Default Menu Button Functions e One click Toggle motors ON and OFF e Two clicks Profile 1 Small camera with without joystick e Three clicks Profile 2 Large camera with without joystick e Four clicks Profile 3 Small camera RC with follow mode e Five clicks Set tilt angles by hand turns motor off for a few seconds and allows the user to set the home position for the roll angle e Long press 5 seconds or until the second beep is heard Reset the controller Accessing profiles 4 and 5 is done via the RC transmitter Flaps Gyro switch on Spektrum DX8 since those are both profiles designed for RC second operator use Resetting the Helix is a good idea anytime the Helix goes into a confused state Resetting your controller will NOT erase your pre loaded profiles The only way to erase a profile is to write a new profile over the old one via the GUI PAGE 5 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Power Output Ports Two power ports are avail able on the Helix Jr for connection to provide power for your camera or accessories Th
15. case Mode PAGE 23 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE The Helix Jr was specifical Aerial Mode ly designed to work well in situations requiring aerial In redesigning the Helix for aerial video footage work the weight was significantly dropped by producing it with mag nesium rather than aluminum by decreasing the size and by allow ing the removal of the left upright and handle the detachment screws are shown on p 3 Securing the Helix Jr to an aerial carrier vehicle is done through use of the optional aerial mount Figure ll Helix Jr with aerial mounting ing bracket sold separately and bracket installed shown in Figure 11 Attaching the Helix Jr to this bracket is done by removing the right handle using a 3 16 Allen wrench to remove the screws in the handle itself inserting the cylinder coming out of the motor into the center clamp and securing the clamp A screw and screw hole is provided in the upper left corner of the battery cage to allow the cage to be locked down during flight If height is a concern the mounting bracket may also be directly screwed to the tilt motor To do this simply unscrew the cylinder coming out of the tilt motor remove the clamp on the mounting bracket and screw the Helix Jr aerial mounting bracket bracket directly to the motor Mounting to a Tripod The Helix Jr may also be used in a two axis mode by attaching the Touch and Go dovetail plate show on p 4 to a tripod
16. d clamps to one rod and adjust the number of weights and their position on the rod When B a finished you should be able to rotate the camera to any angle on the roll axis and have it stay there after letting go of it see Figure 5 O OD Use Track lor 3 NOTE Optical centering on the roll axis is optional If you do not need optical centering we recommend offset balancing of the roll axis as outlined in the next section Figure 4 Inserting baseplate rods into the Figure 5 Adjusting weights on the antenna clamps step 4 step 10 PAGE 10 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Roll controls the horizon Roll Axis Offset non optical center of the camera In offset mode balance is adjusted by sliding the camera left and right on the Helix Jr camera plate 1 Turn the motor off by pressing the Menu button if it is currently on 2 Take the baseplate off of the Helix Jr and mount the camera using track 2 per the previous instructions 3 Rotate the roll axis upside down so that the 2 pin LEMO ports are facing downward 4 Rotate the mounted camera and baseplate upside down and insert the baseplate posts into the clamps on the roll axis 5 Rotate the roll axis upright so that the 2 pin LEMO ports and the camera are both facing right side up 6 Tighten at least one of the blue clamp screws 7 Allow the roll axis to spin freely to find its natural position Then adjust the baseplate posts up or
17. e ports are oriented in agreement with the U S standard so that the red dot is aligned with the positive pole on the port It is critical that ac cessories with a different orientation for these poles e g Teradek and Paralinx accessories not be plugged into these power ports without an appropriate conversion to the U S standard Failure to do this will cause serious harm to your Helix Jr and void your warranty Power Port Wiring Diagram Helix US Standard Wiring Diagram CAUTION Pin 2 Ground Helix Jr uses U S Standard straight polarity in all power connections Do not mix re versed polarity accessories Pin 1 Power PAGE 6 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Mounting the Camera A baseplate is provided with your Helix Jr for mounting your camera Default baseplate shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 Alternate baseplates The Helix Jr baseplate is optimized for use with most DSLR cameras If you are using a larger DSLR or other camera you may find that you require a baseplate with longer vertical rods or a baseplate that extends further out from the Helix The Helix Jr is designed to accept other baseplates from the normal Helix and you may find this necessary for these larger cameras Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Figure 2 Top view of Helix Jr baseplate Figure 3 Bottom of Helix Jr baseplate Use the included screw to attach your camera to the camera pla
18. eceive an error that includes the words CreateProcess error 14001 it usually means that required libraries are missing on your computer You will need to install the Microsoft Visual C 2008 x86 redistributable You can find it at http Avww microsoft com en us download details aspx id 5582 and install it if your computer does not already have it installed LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Additional Resources We want to make sure you If you are unable to find the answers to your questions here or your are fully equipped to use questions are oriented to other aspects of Helix Jr use e g calibration and understand your Helix hardware issues etc there are additional resources available online Jr We are always here to These can all be found by going to http letushelix com help Training Events A calendar describing when online webinars are being given Most of these are for beginners but occasionally other webinars are presented Training Videos LetusDirect produces training videos and posts them to LetusHelix com If there is a specific subject you would like covered please feel free to contact them at help letusdirect com with your request Downloads Users can download the GUI the Helix GUI manual applies to the Helix Jr as well and default shipping profiles for each new version that comes out Starting with version 2 43 versions of the GUI found at this site have corrected directional labels rol
19. f OS X one of two methods is required to run this unsigned application Either you must a Allow the computer to run all non signed applications This will mean you can run the program normally but your com puter will have reduced security To allow all unsigned ap plications to run go to System Preferences gt Security amp Privacy gt General gt allow application downloaded from Anywhere or b Use a special procedure to run the application each time This can be done by right clicking on the application selecting Open and then selecting Open again at the prompt 4 Ifthe Mac alerts you to the need to install Java download Java for Mac and install it per the instructions given on the screen Before connecting the Helix e am Installing the Virtual COM Port Driver r via USB be sure to first PC amp Mac install the Virtual COM Port Driver from Silicon Labs In order for the GUI to work via USB cable on either PC or Mac a virtual COM port must be established This requires a USB to UART bridge virtual COM port driver which can be downloaded from Silicon Labs at http www silabs com products mcu pages usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers aspx Install the appropriate driver for your operating system before at tempting to connect the computer to the Helix Jr When connecting to the Helix Jr covered in the next section you will use the COM port that is created by this driver PAGE 16 LETUS HELIX JR USER GU
20. he back of the Helix Jr 2 Choose a profile supporting joystick control Profile 1 or 2 by de fault 3 Move the joystick to control the Helix Jr If it does not respond try toggling the motors on off depressing the Menu button once paus ing then depressing it again Depressing the joystick knob has the same effect as pressing he menu button Be careful not to press it by accident Mounting the joystick The joystick can be mounted to the top of either the right or left handle Attach to the handle with the included bracket and 4 20 screw Adjusting joystick trim On occasion the joystick may require trimming This will be evident by very slow motion in the pan or roll axes when the joystick is connected and the joystick is in the neutral position Joystick trimming can be accom plished via the GUI See the Helix GUI manual RC tab section for details PAGE 21 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE The Helixcanbeusedasa Second Operator Mode remote pan tilt head and controlled via an optional Setting up RC Mode plug in joystick or via the optional 2 4 GHz receiver Bind plug inserted into joystick port step 2 p OTE Occasionally the N Spektrum radio transmitter E will not give an indication of 10 being bound to the receiver 11 h in the Helix Jr so if you ave completed all steps es correctly you should try out the operation to see if it is actually bound Supported transmitters
21. i e buzzing or a slower jittery vi bration The latter is more common Change your P and or D setting in Figure 10 Section of GUI used in PID tuning the appropriate row see Figure 10 to eliminate the vibration For buzzing faster vibration you must lower the D value by 3 or 4 units at a time and then hit the WRITE button on the GUI to com municate this change to the Helix Jr Note P and D often work well in a certain ratio so if lowering the D value causes jittery behavior you may need to lower the P value as well For jittery slower vibration raise the D value 4 units at a time until it goes away Be sure to hit the WRITE button in the GUI after each change in order to communicate these changes to the Helix Jr Note that P and D often work well in a certain ratio so if raising the D value causes buzzing you may need to lower the P value rather than raising the D value PAGE 20 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Shooting Modes An optional analog joystick Joystick Mode is available for the Helix Jr The joystick can be used to control any two axes of the Helix By de fault profile 1 and profile 2 are set up to be able to use joystick input These profiles are set up so that up and down motion on the joystick down side on which cable is attached controls the roll axis and side to side motion on the joystick controls the pan axis Using the joystick 1 Plug the joystick into the joystick port on t
22. is method avoids using counterweights and should be considered the normal mode of operation due to its speed of balancing and lower total weight To use this mode attach the camera using mounting track 2 Centered Offset LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Roll controls the horizon Roll Axis Optical Centering of the camera In centered mode balance is adjusted 1 Turn the motor off by pressing the Menu button if it is currently on by adding counterweights 2 Take the baseplate off of the Helix Jr and mount the camera using to the Helix Jr weight an track 1 or track 3 per the instructions above tennas 3 Rotate the roll axis upside down so that the 2 pin LEMO ports are facing downward 4 Rotate the mounted camera and baseplate upside down and insert the baseplate posts into the clamps on the roll axis see Figure 4 5 Rotate the roll axis upright so that the 2 pin LEMO ports and the camera are both facing right side up 6 Tighten at least one of the blue clamp screws Roll Centered 7 While holding the pan axis steady with one hand rotate the camera _ on the roll axis watching the end of the camera lens 8 Adjust the baseplate posts up or down through the clamp until the II eS camera lens rotates smoothly along the optical center When rotat LA o ing the end of the lens should not move up or down 4 p 9 Retighten both blue clamp screws O O 10 Attach the antennae posts with weights an
23. l tilt pan Versions of the GUI found at BaseCam Electronics website do not have these corrected labels Forums This is an area where users can ask questions or share their discoveries with the Letus community of users Letus staff watch these forums and provide assistance where needed Support Site LetusDirect has created a number of support articles on various aspects of Helix and Helix Jr use such as balancing eliminating vibration fixing any home position problems etc Some of these support articles are ac companied by videos or pictures and most will apply equally to either the Helix or the Helix Jr PAGE 27 Specifications Wow You made it to the end of the manual Now treat yourself to these specifications and a cup cake LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Weight without battery 4 25 Ibs 1 9 kg Weight with battery 4 75 Ibs 2 2 kg Weight aerial mode Length handle to handle 3 65 Ibs 1 6 kg 17 25 44 cm Payload capacity 7 Ibs 3 2 kg Battery capacity 2600 mAh Structural material Magnesium Ports 2 2 pin LEMO power out Joystick Input power 8 18 V in through 2 pin LEMO U S Standard Red dot positive Shooting modes Handheld normal aerial joystick 2nd operator with RC transmitter PAGE 28 helix electronic stabilization INJ letushelix com
24. show movement you are connected PAGE 18 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Connecting via an Android device Installing the BaseCam App A GUI Graphical User Interface is also available for Android devices The free app entitled SimpleBGC Mobile can be downloaded from the Google Play store An apk file is also available at www basecamelectronics com It provides similar functionality to the SimpleBGC GUI provided for Windows and OSX but is missing a few features and has the ability to remotely control the Helix Jr After installing the app you can connect to and control your Helix Jr from an Android device by following the steps below Connecting Via Bluetooth In order to connect to and control your Helix Jr from an Android device it must have the optional Bluetooth module installed _ Disconnecting and reconnecting the power on the Helix Jr just be fore attempting to connect often helps in the connection process Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your Android device Open SimpleBGC Mobile on your Android device Tap the three lines in the upper left Tap on the white button next to Connect The Helix Jr should connect and request a passcode Enter Bluetooth code 7777 Wait for the connection to complete Tap the three lines icon again to collapse the menu Tap on the dashed circle icon in the upper right Move the Helix Jr The dials should reflect this motion You are now connected and c
25. te of the Helix Jr Insert the screw into the threaded end of one of the three mounting holes and thread it all the way into the hole Once fully in serted the screw will turn freely and can be slid to the most appropriate location on the mounting track Selecting screw location for mounting your camera Installing the camera with the screw located in mounting track 1 or 3 will allow your camera to be mounted such that the lens is optically centered This option is important if you plan to use the Helix with a joystick to do continuous roll motion Since most cameras have more weight either to the left or to the right of the lens additional balancing weights will be needed to achieve proper balance Installing the camera with the screw located in the mounting track 2 will allow your camera to be installed so that no balancing weights are need ed This does not have the advantage of optical centering but in many applications optical centering is not important and the elimination of balancing weights will be a real advantage LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Attaching the Battery The Helix Jr JuiceBox bat tery is held in place with a magnetically mounted battery cage Input 6 18V To plug in the battery align the red dot on the 2 pin LEMO plug of the Juice Box to the red dot on the power input of the Helix Jr Gently insert the aligned plug and push until it locks into place To remove the power plug pull the metal sleeve of
26. th the change the follow speed and adjust many other settings A GUI applica Helix Jr tion for Android devices described below is also available GUI Installation The latest software and manual are located on the Letus Helix download page at http letushelix com helix downloads Always download the lat est version available on this site Do NOT use GUI versions provided at the BaseCam Electronics website as they are likely to have mislabeled axes in the GUI because of the discrepancies between normal firmware and the Helix Jr firmware _ Si To install the GUI on PC Windows systems Download the latest GUI application from LetusHelix com Save the zip file to a folder of your choice Extract the downloaded zip file to a location of your choice Double click the SimpleBGC_GUI exe file a all ala If you do not have Java installed you may be prompted to install it Click ing OK in response to this message should automatically lead to a web page for downloading the Java Runtime Environment If this does not happen automatically you can download Java Runtime Environment JRE for free at www java com Note that most computers will already have JRE installed PAGE 15 LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE To install the GUI on Mac OS X systems 1 Download the latest GUI application from the LetusHelix com 2 Unzip the file 3 Double click the SimpleBGC_GUL jar file Due to the security pro tocols o
27. the LEMO plug back to release the locking pin Other 4S batteries e g V mount may be used with your Helix as desired A screw is provided for those purchasing the Helix Jr fly mode package This screw can be used to further secure the battery cage at the upper left hand post ZAC E LETUS HELIX JR USER GUIDE Balancing the Camera Balancing your camera well is a critical part of setting up the Helix Jr Once prac ticed the balancing pro cess is quick and straight forward PAGE 9 Pan Roll Tilt Spend a good amount of time on this when you are first starting out so that you understand the effects of a properly balanced setup The better your camera is balanced the better the Helix Jr will perform for you Decide whether optical centering is important As discussed previsouly the Helix Jr is designed to allow optically cen tered use when the center of the lens corresponds with the axis of rota tion or non optically centered use e Optically centered This is desirable when you plan to do continuous roll motion via joystick or RC unit or if you want the option to change lenses quickly since optical centering allows a lens change without rebalancing the roll axis Optically centering the camera generally requires using weights as counterbalances Use mounting tracks 1 or 3 for this mode Offset No Optical Centering The Helix Jr can also be used in a non optically centered manner Th
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