Quadcopter Build

millzy555 said:

nechaus said:

Awesome what mode is the transmitter ? Throttle on left or right ?

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Currently in mode 2 so throttle on the left.

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i ordered a mode1 transmitter. thought it would be easier for a left-handed guy. but after trying it i'm not sure. i guess it's just a matter of personal liking than anything else, right?

izeman said:

millzy555 said:

nechaus said:

Awesome what mode is the transmitter ? Throttle on left or right ?

Click to expand...

Currently in mode 2 so throttle on the left.

Click to expand...

i ordered a mode1 transmitter. thought it would be easier for a left-handed guy. but after trying it i'm not sure. i guess it's just a matter of personal liking than anything else, right?

Click to expand...

This one you can switch between modes...quite handy for a cheap controller. Will try mode one. Flight time is pretty average

I recommend mode 1 because most of the controllers in Australia, hobbyking aus warehouse are all mode 1 which can be later changed to mode 3 which is the same as mode 2 but opposite side..

I like mode 3, but I have always wondered if people using mode 1 have a better control of flight

nechaus said:

I recommend mode 1 because most of the controllers in Australia, hobbyking aus warehouse are all mode 1 which can be later changed to mode 3 which is the same as mode 2 but opposite side..

I like mode 3, but I have always wondered if people using mode 1 have a better control of flight

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Im confused...eBay bloke said mode 2 for aussies, just checked hobby king aus which have mode 2 aswell.

haha he just wants to sell his stock, mode 1 is def the most commmon mode sold in AUS
but many people are use to mode 2

I wonder if there is a mode that gives you the most control of a multirotor?

okay So today I upgraded and changed my software from multiwii to APM

I am using something called megapirateng which is a ported version of the arducopter software which allows you to run it on different boards, typically cheaper ones like the hobbyking multiwiipro red board.

So instead of running the multiwii software, I am now running Arducopter software on my multiwii pro controller
It was very easy to do, First time I uploaded it I used arduino, takes some reading first time doing it via arduino, However they have a easy flash tool now, So you just plug in the board via usb, open up the flash tool, select a few parameters, flash it and your done in about 3 minutes, and you have arducopter installed on your flight controller and ready to connect to mission planner to setup your multirotor.


http://www.megapirateng.com


And check out this, very useful feature for fpv racing
http://plane.ardupilot.com/wiki/geofencing-3/

i read about that firmware as well, but i haven't found out what the advantages over multiwii are?!
and how can it be configured in the field? there are apps for ios/android thatn communiate over bluetooth - but i guess they require a special fw (namely multiwii 2.x) running. correct?

Multiwii is very easy, at the moment i believe its slow in development but its a rock solid platform and easy to setup with some basic features and if you can program you can do heaps with it. con, no fail safe on the official versions except an uncontrolled land
has return to launch, but you need to activate it and its not a fail safe. has follow me, has heaps of features, but ardupilot is way more comprehensive and more autonomous features.

Ardupilot platform is way more developed in every aspect in terms of software.
They also have it running on 32 bit controllers as well now, it wont be long before you can just plug and play sonar modules and have collision avoidance stuff setup with a whole range of other sensors, who knows... its turning very robotic

People have made multi-rotors with Geiger counters that will smell out radiation.
Only in russia

nechaus said:

... con, no fail safe on the official versions except an uncontrolled land has return to launch, but you need to activate it and its not a fail safe. has follow me, has heaps of features, but ardupilot is way more comprehensive and more autonomous features ...

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what do you call fail safe? some return2home feature if battery is empty? or something that prevents your fingers being cut off by the rotors? maybe you could be more precise. this is all totally new to me, and at the moment i'm looking in every direction and am a bit confused. if there is something better/more preferable to install then multiwii, then i'll go for it.

As a newbie, I still like the kk2.1 board. It is the easiest thing to setup, but doesn't have all the advanced features. It will get you flying. Flash it with the Steveis firmware though. I'm not doing GPS or anything, just flying line of sight.

nechaus-
You said you liked the DIY googles for FPV, but didn't say what camera, video tx and rx you were using. Also antennas. I'm trying to find something better than the fatshark setup they have on HK for $200. The reviews of that weren't great. I do have a sj4000 camera that is coming. Just saw the wifi enabled cams are out, but they run 2.4ghz which wouldn't work very well.

-Multiwii Fail safe is this, When battery is almost flat is can beep and then it will land it self in an uncontrolled fashion, Same goes with loss of signal
many use an OSD to give you similar information like the cycle analyst

Yep Well all fpv right, its all an analogue connection... doesnt matter if you use a gopro or a CCTV camera pal 720 or something like that... The pictures is somewhat very much the same.
However, This is the big difference I have found.

-my 520 line camera handles low light very very well compared to my gopro for FPV, I can fly at dusk, looking through the fpv gear its very bright...
Bad thing, I find during midday its saturated with light and the ground is very bright even if you turn brightness on monitor down...

Overall I prefer the cheap cctv camera because its great with low light and I typically fly @ the end of the day in low light conditions... I still use it in the middle of the day and still fully useable but if a bright day, its going to be bright on the monitor, perhaps a daytime lenses would be a solution

Hope this makes sense...




Antenna setup, I have just purchased a new receiver, well 3 of them actually.
My new receivers will actually run off 4 antennas, find the best signal and doing a millisecond switch,
So right now I just use a clover leaf antenna on my Transmitter and a reciever works well and is omni directioninal and Circular polarised ( worth looking up and reading into)

My next setup is using this new receiver, Use one omni directional circular polarised combined with a Directional Hi Gain circular polarised

Will give me plenty of range around the base station but yet I can point the directional antenna to do distant flying, or point it where i am loosing signal from something like tress or building to try and gain more transmission.

I hope this makes sense because its quite interesting playing with your FPV gear.

Have a look at these two images below.

Its important to understand your antenna polarisation, its easy and will greatly enable you to get good results with your gear
Look at the first image, see the two lines, the transmitter and receiver must be able to meet up and make a good connection is one way to explain it.

So if you have Vertical polarisation ( rubber ducky antenna sitting vertical on your multirotor and sitting vertical on your receiver ) When you pitch or roll, you will noticed the image will drop out or go fuzzy.
This is because of the polarisation is actually changing because of your multi copter antenna moving orientation and your receiver is not moving with it..

this is why people mostly use a circular polarised antenna as a minimum on the receiver, To make it have a more consistent connection from the tx and rx when the vehicle is moving.
Because its circular its a better connection if you look at the other picture.. if you can visualise it. The transmission will meet up more on different orientations

You can use a skew planar antenna on just your receiver which is circular P and use the rubber ducky antennas on your multirotor which would be far better than using two rubber ducky antennas... but most people will use a clover leaf circular P on their craft as well, you can easily make these type of antennas as well. they can also be purchased for a cheap price. local antenna man would probably be able to make you one and tune it to your specific frequency

I hope this makes sense, im not the best at explaining it.

Thanks as always for the info.

No thoughts on a video tx or rx? That is the main area where I am clueless. There are pages of those things, some hugely expensive and some dirt cheap. The Boscam seems to be the main brand - but they also have huge swings in pricing. Just needs something that works for .5k/half mile or so.

yeah I have a boscam..

Also immersion is good to...

just get 5.8ghz,600mw, and circular polarised antennas/ clover leaf

I did some research and ended up getting the ImmersionRC Uno5800, the 600mW transmitter, and cloverleaf antennas. I found some tests online that measured the actual power output at around 750mW. I was stuck between that and the Boscam TS352 or TS353 with the RC832 receiver. Those both tested around 600-750mW also. The TS832 is rated at 600mW but tested much lower than the other two. I think I read that the other two are just plain better for other reasons as well. I haven't had a chance to fly with it yet, but they work, so that's a start.

yesterday the q450 frame was in the mail. everything ready to start building. motors, controllers, multiwii board, extra wires, battery, radio. yes. radio. i ordered a 9xr w/o "module" and thought the module would be the receiver. no it isn't. now i had to order a FrSky DF 2.4Ghz Combo Pack for JR w/ Module & RX as well. another $60 gone, and another week or two to wait.
those turnigy d3530 motor DON'T fit on the frame. the holes in the frame don't match the threads of the motor. so i had to take my dremel and transform those holes into slots. maybe those motors are too big and not intended to be installed on that frame. how do ppl normally solve that?

Two of the 4 holes will work for the big motors with no problems

nechaus said:

Two of the 4 holes will work for the big motors with no problems

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just to be sure: you're saying that i should mount it with TWO screws only? or that i should use the 2 holes and only drill 2 new ones and no mod all four?

so i may have ordered the wrong propellers.

ordered those: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__53943__MultiStar_10_4_5_CW_Rotation_Multi_Rotor_Prop_slot_DJI_Style_Hub_pack_of_two_EU_EU_Warehou.html


and these motors:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__34224__Turnigy_D3530_14_1100KV_Brushless_Outrunner_Motor_EU_Warehouse_.html


but HTF*** would i install the props to the motor? the hole of the propeller is 5.x mm and the thread on the motor is 8mm.
i know have 4 pairs of propellers and they are worth a sh*t now i guess.
can someone tell me if i ordered the wrong ones and which ones would be the right ones and what to take care of?

thanks!

ps. i guess if i bore the hole to 8mm it will be totally out of balance, right?

@nechaus: you recommend those props: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__63702__10x4_5_SF_Props_2pc_Standard_Rotation_2_pc_RH_Rotation_Red_EU_Warehouse_.html
but they are 6mm at the top as well, and 9mm at the bottom. a spacer ring to make this fit the 8mm shaft is ok, but how would the 6mm go over the shaft? drill it?
and i don't get it: are those 2 props or 4? are those CW and CCW in one pack? 2pc Standard Rotation/2 pc RH Rotation means nothing to me as i don't know what standard or RH means in regards to propellers
and are those the same ones except for the color? http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__52209__10x4_5_SF_Props_Black_CW_2pc_CCW_2pc_EU_Warehouse_.html

The props work but you need to ream out the center.
Alternatively you can buy another props adaptor or machine down the prop adaptors with a thinner diameter

nechaus said:

The props work but you need to ream out the center.
Alternatively you can buy another props adaptor or machine down the prop adaptors with a thinner diameter

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which ones work? the ones i bought (black ones) or the ones from my last post (red ones)
and how do you ream them out? with a drill press? there is so much talk about balancing them and then you just drill them? they could be out of center very easily.

sorry nechaus. i can't see which questions you answered, or what propellers you are referring to in your reply to my post.
i can't ream out the center as i don't have the tool. i need a prop which can 'just be installed' w/o modifying anything. can you point me out a link to the right ones please? thanks

OKok..

sorry guys, I didnt think this to be a big deal But can see I should of mentioned it, just slipped my mind.


Propellers,

Reaming will keep the propeller balanced.
Drilling will ruin the balance and need re balancing.... ( laser works ok)

You can drill your first set.. should last a long time, I have drilled props heaps and they last quite some time, The biggest thing is after drilling, to not over tighten the bolt on the top, otherwise it will crack the propeller hub, So if you can,use lock nuts and only tighten as much as you need.


( learning to fly, drilling is fine. For Acrobatic/aerial video you want to balance your props as much as possible after reaming)



Alternatively you can buy 5mm to 5mm adaptor to change the OD of the shaft, you can do this later when you get some new props/expensive ones...