I’m consistently seeing 0.07–0.09 IPS residual on a 206B with a Vibrex 2000, but the ACES 2020 drops it to 0.03–0.04 with identical pitch-link moves and tab bias. Is that better phase fidelity under asymmetric inflow (10–12 kt quartering) or are we masking a small track split, and where are you mounting the phototach — mast tape or blade-tip reflector — when lead-lag sensitivity makes phase jitter matter?
Cleaner 1/rev with mast tape; tip reflector adds ‘quartering’ jitter… Do a quick chalk pass for track.
Sounds like phase lock more than a hidden track split. “Do a quick chalk pass for track.” — and check the mast tape isn’t giving a second glint; a thin matte border and single‑edge tach on the 2020 took my 206B from 0.08 on the V2k to 0.03–0.04 in 10–12 kt quartering — are you on mast tape or a tip reflector?
And @juliaH90 I’ve had the 2020 get steadier 1/rev by bumping the optical tach threshold up and adding a touch of hysteresis (about 10%); that alone pulled quartering-wind jitter down to 0.03–0.04… Small caveat: I’ll still hit it with a quick strobe in the hover to make sure it’s not glossing over a tiny split — worth 30 seconds.
In ‘quartering’ 10–12 kt, yaw nose-in about 20°; 2020 steadies — usually phase, not a hidden track.
On my 206L, the 2020 read a few hundredths lower than the Vibrex until I shortened the averaging and forced manual 1/rev lock — the 2020 is a bit like image stabilization — then the numbers aligned and the track was fine. I mount the phototach to a small hub sticker instead of a tip target when chasing lead/lag; running at 30–40 ft AGL keeps it out of recirculation and avoids cowl heat shimmer jitter, @ivan_marks12.
On my 206B, the 2020 only read lower after I moved the optical off the blade tip to a reflective marker on the mast and added a small hood; after that the Vibrex and ACES agreed within a few hundredths, so it was pickup stability not a hidden track. If it still wanders, kill the beacon and try @ivan_marks12’s ‘manual 1/rev lock’.
@OP I’ve seen the 2020 show ‘better phase fidelity’ only after moving the phototach to mast tape with a matte‑black base and a small hood; the blade‑tip mount let sun and lead/lag smear the pulse. Quick check: do a gentle collective sweep at 100% NR — if the vector walks, it’s tach contamination, not a hidden track. If you’re still uneasy, hit the strobe for a hover track verify; otherwise the lower residual is probably real, the 2020 just needed sunglasses.
Double-check the 2020’s auto‑filtering; when I disabled it, my ‘0.03–0.04’ matched Vibrex. Quartering wind was triggering it.
Same scenario here with 10–12 kt quartering: I only got the Vibrex 2000 and ACES 2020 to match after narrowing the reflective mark to about 3/8" and bumping the phototach trigger level to about 65% — the wide mark was smearing phase. @vcarson45 is on the scent, but if you can’t relocate the sensor, do a quick nose‑into‑wind hover; if the residual drops it’s inflow, if it holds you’re probably masking a tiny track split.