Remote controlled flying things-Quads, Hex, Octo or anything

[Marschy]

Where are you gunna put the motors on them amps?

[GGV8Cruza]

Any comments on these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bumblebee-550-Quadcopter-CF-W-Props-Motor-ESC-NAZA-Controller-DJI-GPS-Module-/151179991672?pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item2333079a78

GG

[Marschy]

Can only comment on what I know. The controller is a goodun', and coupled with GPS will probably have features like altitude hold. 550 size is more stable for FPV than the 450 and you can run large batteries due to good payload capacity. There are probably down sides but haven't looked at 550's that much. This size appears to be the magic size where things start getting very expensive indeed.

[Crisp Image]

Any comments on these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bumblebee-550-Quadcopter-CF-W-Props-Motor-ESC-NAZA-Controller-DJI-GPS-Module-/151179991672?pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item2333079a78

GG

You need to budget for the Tx and then Vtx/Rx and some sort of ground station or goggles for FPV and a camera gimbal not only in cost but in weight.
I have read some good things about the bumblebee.
Being a folding design would make it easy to transport.
Regards
Crispy

[Marschy]

Aw crap, I got impatient doing all the wiring for the KK2.1 board yesterday and I think I may have fried the board when I connected the voltage monitor up the wrong way.

The wiring all the way back to the lipo battery has melted and because the wire was so thin, it burnt out like a fuse. The board still appears to be working, but without the last ESC connected I cannot work out if the board is stuffed or not. If I arm the board and run 3 motors only, motor 1, which does not have a matching motor at position 3 slowly increases speed without any input from the transmitter, all by itself. It is a very slow gradual increase, which suggests to me it's the firmware doing this. I think this may simply be the firmware trying to level the quad but without input from motor 3 it's getting confused.

The ESC's should be here any day so I will be able to tell pretty soon if I need to order another board.

This is the first thing I stuffed up so far, apart from the ESC not flashing. Funny thing with the ESC is that it still works with the original firmware, so I reckon not being able to flash it would indicate that there is a problem with the ESC in the first place and it is probably a good thing that it is not going on the quad. It can't now anyway, the firmware differences between the 3 flashed ESC's and the remaining one without SimonK firmware would most likely cause me issues anyway.

So close to getting this sucker in the air. A bit more patience on my part would have had it in the air this coming weekend. This could still be the case, but I will just have to wait and see.

Cheers, Marschy

[Marschy]

I definitely fried the KK board. Motor one goes into a slow runaway acceleration increase when you apply the smallest amount of throttle with all four new HK ESC's installed. I couldn't flash the new ESC's so they are all using bog standard software. The first ESC makes a crackling noise when I apply the throttle, not good. Motor still spins up, so I haven't stuffed the ESC (touch wood).

Ordered new KK board today. Paid top dollar for postage from the Hobbyking AU warehouse so should (could) be here for the weekend. Also replaced the hexagonal mounting board for the KK with a round one that will fit the canopy from the imitation security camera.

[Marschy]

Fried board or not, the build goes on.

The new canopy fits great, and the Fatshark PilotHD camera on it's tilt servo (runs on channel 6, no more channels  )

[WilSurf]

Will be good to see it flying.

[D4D]

OK roll call, where were you guys yesterday?

http://www.news.com.au/national/man-accused-of-using-drone-to-try-and-drop-off-drugs-into-melbourne-remand-centre/story-e6frfkp9-1226849877220

[Tim - Stratford]

Which one of you blokes got busted??? 

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/arrest-after-drone-with-drugs-nabbed-near-metropolitan-remand-centre-20140310-34g4z.html

Tim

[Marschy]

Twernt me. Has anybody seen my phone, or stash?

[Crisp Image]

I can neither confirm or deny I was in the area.

[WilSurf]

I made a mistake last Saturday: I went into a hobby store.
Those plane are great. I had a chat with one of the guys and had a go at the simulator.
Mmmm, maybe I have to get a Bixler?

[Marschy]

I made a mistake last Saturday: I went into a hobby store.
Those plane are great. I had a chat with one of the guys and had a go at the simulator.
Mmmm, maybe I have to get a Bixler?

I'm looking at something similar, the FPVRaptor. Look at some example footage on YouTube of both the bixler and the raptor. Most often the nose of the bixler is in the field of view of the camera, but not with the stumpy, wide nosed raptor. Both excellent value though.

[Crisp Image]

A couple of photos from the weekend

We are on the beach and we are looking over our camps at Rosebud
A little image and a Firefox cub enjoying a swim


However no photos over the remand centre (that I am going to admit to at least)

Regards
Crispy

[WilSurf]

Looking good Marchy, but where do you buy them?
Of Hobbyking?
They don't have a RTF in Australia.

[Marschy]

Looking good Marchy, but where do you buy them?
Of Hobbyking?
They don't have a RTF in Australia.

Get it from the Hobbyking international warehouse FPV Raptor Composite 1600mm

[WilSurf]

Can't:
"Due to recent changes in Air Transport safety, we cannot ship orders from Hong Kong containing a box length of more than 1 meter with Lithium batteries of more than 1,000mAh
Please kindly order your batteries and large planes separately.
Orders from our regional warehouses (DE,US,AU,UK) are not affected by this restriction."

What is the best mode to use for the transmittor if you can only use your left hand? Mode 1

[Marschy]

There is an example of what could be a suitable transmitter to be seen on the flite test YouTube channel. A guy and his father make a rudder control that is a potentiometer that rotates on the end of the rudder/elevator gimbal, effectively giving 3 axis control on one transmitter stick. I'll see if I can find a link for you.

[Marschy]

I just reread the message you received from hobbyking. What this means is you will need to raise the order for the batteries in one order, and you should be able to get whatever battery you need from the Australian warehouse. Then raise another order for the plane from the international warehouse. It means you'll pay a bit more for shipping with two orders but until the Australian warehouse receives stock that the quickest way to order it. The international listing site states that stock is in transit to Australia, but I don't know how long that has been the case.

[WilSurf]

You can't see how much shipping/transport is.
The table they provide goes to 1.5 kg, while these planes are over that weight.

Another thing.
How much open space would you need to learn to fly?

[Marschy]

I'll find out how much shipping is as I have an account. Football field size space, then multiply that by two or more times that space. Honestly, my best advice if you haven't flown fixed wing before is to join a rc model club and get trained on a buddy radio system where they hook your radio up by cable to an instructors radio and they take over control if you loose control

[Marschy]

Shipping is $42.52, total including shipping is $118.28. But you will need a radio as well. Suggest the turnigy 9xr plus orange Tx module and 9 channel receiver (this is what I'm looking at getting). Cheap as chips for a nine channel radio. Also look into the multiwii or similar (cyclops storm) flight stabiliser board and gps. The cyclops has lots of excellent reviews and gives you things like altitude hold, pilot assist, which correct the aircraft due to wind buffet, return to home.

[Marschy]

What is the best mode to use for the transmittor if you can only use your left hand? Mode 1

Howdy Wilsurf,

Mode 2 may be more suitable, as you can still steer a plane using a techique called bank and yank (search youtube). A mode 2 radio could prove to be even more suitable if you can get a hold of one of the rudder controls mentioned in this video Flite Test - Stingray 500 - REVIEW.
Then with a plane, the throttle would be mostly set and forget and then all control provided by the right stick (aileron/elevator and possibly rudder). Most times when I'm flying, I've got time to take my hand off one of the controls and scratch my arse or shoe a fly away and still only have one hand flying a plane or quad for a short period of time with mode 1. So if you are flying mode 2, then once the throttle is set at takeoff and you are flying straight and level, you can remove your hand from the right stick, set the throttle on the left stick to a comfortable speed, then move your hand back to the right stick to control the attitude of the plane again.

Mode 2 is

right gimbal = up/down - elevator (yank), right/left - aileron (bank)
left gimbal = up/down - throttle (which is friction controlled meaning it stays where you leave it, i.e. set and forget), right/left - rudder.

[WilSurf]

Thanks.
It would be easier to have the steering controls on the left stick as I am left handed.
So $118.28 for the Raptor delivered? Not bad.