Crab, I've never beeped the rotor above 100% (our "normal" range) for a takeoff, but it sounds like it might not be a bad habit to get into. I'm assuming you just mean to start out at a bit higher so you lose less in case of a failure?
That's definitely some good advice about the beeps. One instructor that I had in particular had a compressor stall and always said that the beeps were the difference between him flying out of it and hitting the ground.
I've considered trying it out a bit lighter weight on a training sortie just by decreasing power to single available, but was a bit worried about getting into VRS which I've never even approached before to my knowledge. I would imagine you'd get some decent vibration before it went full bore but the risk/reward hasn't been worth it for me to try yet.
Krypton, it does get a bit squirrely at times. It's not uncommon for the wind to shift somewhere in about a 90° range while on approach. I would compare it somewhat to mountainous flying, with some valley winds between the buildings and demarcation lines off some of the taller ones. With the exception that I haven't seen significant downdrafts.
There are a few flags and other wind indicators nearby, and there is a wind sock on a building just a bit above the pad itself, so you can get a pretty decent idea of what the winds are trying to do. It definitely makes me feel like a bad pilot some days though, makes me work too hard!
Thanks all for the replies!