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

[CBRK]

Chris, how do I retrieve the dataflash log?

Never mind, my logs were disabled. I will reenable them and try again this weekend. The problem was happening consistently so I'm confident it will happen again.

What should I set the Log bitmask to?

Hi,

You'll need to retrieve them using the USB port, cant do them over the Telemetry link.

To make it comprehensive go for nearlyall or +RCIN:

45054 - Nearlyall
or
894 - Default + RCIN

The nearlyall is preferred but it will be large as it will save everything including the IMU values (which would helpful).

I'm starting to really understand these logs now, it took a while but they are bloody excellent for post flight analysis.

Chris

[Marschy]

Done, I'll get some log data this weekend.

[CBRK]

lol...I get my Aus HK stuff within hours of ordering...of course I live about 12k's from the warehouse who do self collection ... 

Grrr, very jealous.  Lovely area.  12Km's, man that is close.  I think it's a good thing being a bit further away, I'd be broke if I lived that close 

Chris

[Marschy]

Grrr, very jealous.  Lovely area.  12Km's, man that is close.  I think it's a good thing being a bit further away, I'd be broke if I lived that close 

Chris

But think of all the money you'd save on shipping  You'd be able to spend more on actual stuff from HK rather than shipping

[Artie01]

But think of all the money you'd save on shipping  You'd be able to spend more on actual stuff from HK rather than shipping

yep, thats my rationale, although I think items from the Aus warehouse in Moruya are actually dearer than the same item in the home warehouse. It stakes a few hours from the actual order before its available for pick up, works for me!!!

[Marschy]

yep, thats my rationale, although I think items from the Aus warehouse in Moruya are actually dearer than the same item in the home warehouse. It stakes a few hours from the actual order before its available for pick up, works for me!!!

They are definitely more expensive from the Aus warehouse, I paid 0.23c for 2mm heatshrink from international warehouse, Aus warehouse is 1.38.

One way or another they get you though. Although shipping in Australia can be cheaper, and International warehouse stock is cheaper, the shipping costs seem out of all proportion for express shipping from the International warehouse when you compare it to EMS shipping offered on Aliexpress.

[Marschy]

G'day Chris,

Is that LemonRX an 8 channel with CPPM? Can you post a link to where you bought it from please?

Cheers, Mark

[GGV8Cruza]

A little different

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpvIU8i0khs#t=84

GG

[CBRK]

G'day Chris,

Is that LemonRX an 8 channel with CPPM? Can you post a link to where you bought it from please?

Cheers, Mark

Hi Mark,

It's 8 Channel CPPM.

http://www.lemon-rx.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_70&product_id=118

Regards,

Chris

[Marschy]

Thanks for the info Chris, I've put the lemonrx on my wish list.

Just curious what you guys use for a hobby knife. I was given 50 Olfa 9mm snap-off knife blades, well over 10 years ago, by a guy I knew who is a printer. The original 50 blades has been whittled down to the last 3 blades, so I have started looking for a packet of replacements. Nearly fell over when I saw how much original Olfa snap-off blades cost. Some sellers ask $50, plus outrageous postage, sometimes up to $30. But 50 blades for 10 years of use has also been very economical as well, so if they cost a little more, then maybe they are money well spent.

The best price I have found is $14US  and free postage from Japan for 50 blades.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/OLFA-9mm-Standard-Duty-Spare-Black-Blade-BB50K-ABB-50-50-Blades-per-Pack-/301503644625?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

If I can find cheaper blades in comparable quantities I'd be more than interested in hearing what people are using. Just bear in mind though that the Olfa blades actually give you far more than 50 blades in comparison to the good old hobby knife blades. They snap off 12 times, so effectively give you a potential of 600 blades.

[CBRK]

Thanks for the info Chris, I've put the lemonrx on my wish list.

Just curious what you guys use for a hobby knife. I was given 50 Olfa 9mm snap-off knife blades, well over 10 years ago, by a guy I knew who is a printer. The original 50 blades has been whittled down to the last 3 blades, so I have started looking for a packet of replacements. Nearly fell over when I saw how much original Olfa snap-off blades cost. Some sellers ask $50, plus outrageous postage, sometimes up to $30. But 50 blades for 10 years of use has also been very economical as well, so if they cost a little more, then maybe they are money well spent.

The best price I have found is $14US  and free postage from Japan for 50 blades.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/OLFA-9mm-Standard-Duty-Spare-Black-Blade-BB50K-ABB-50-50-Blades-per-Pack-/301503644625?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

If I can find cheaper blades in comparable quantities I'd be more than interested in hearing what people are using. Just bear in mind though that the Olfa blades actually give you far more than 50 blades in comparison to the good old hobby knife blades. They snap off 12 times, so effectively give you a potential of 600 blades.

Hi Mark,

No probs on the lemonrx, note I'm yet to use it yet so maybe hold off till I've put it in something first.  It looks promising though.  Thinking I might just do a quick test next week, point the Tricopters camera at a servo and the receiver and do a range test from one side of the oval to the other.

Funny you should mention the blades issue, I use three knives....

1. An old hobby knife which I've also just run out of blades (and was looking for replacement blades too - last blade went in on Monday)
2. Cheap plastic body sliding knife (the blades that snap off several times)
3. A metal bodied Stanley knife (with normal replacement blades)

I use one of the three depending on the task, for fine work I use the hobby knife and then for the other stuff it depends on the size of the material and the firmness of it.  My field box just has the cheap plastic job in it.

My challenge is I've had the hobby knife for donkeys years (since I was 14 I think) and I have no idea what type of blades it takes, I'll do a google tomorrow and find out what it's called and their prices.  The spare blades where just in a plastic tube and no markings on it, I think it's just a standard hobby knife blade type.....

Chris

[Crisp Image]

This is what we use in our house. Wife for craft son for modles and me for anything.
Crispy

[Marschy]

I have several of the sliding snap-off blade knives. But none of them are as good as my Olfa Type A. This one is well over 10 years old and still going strong. Funny how you get attached to inanimate objects.

[CBRK]

This is what we use in our house. Wife for craft son for modles and me for anything.
Crispy

Thats what mine looks like, I think the blade number is the same too....  I presume that is a size or style?

Chris

[CBRK]

Thats what mine looks like, I think the blade number is the same too....  I presume that is a size or style?

Chris

Looks like bunnings sells them in small quantities.  I think I'll pick up a 5pk and then organise a cheaper bulk pack.

Chris

[Mandrake]

Mot much wind today so far so I went down the local park and attempted the Alien flight ...

Pretty much sick of this thing now - It flips on takeoff to the left .. its never been up in the air ...

So I'm stuffed if I know how to fix it ... Everything is working and calibrated - GPS , OSD , IMU etc etc .. but there's
just not the same amount of power going to the left motors on thrust up...

Going back to the Phantom and put OSD on it with FPV camera and leave the Alien for another time ...

Any offers for $1400 worth of Alien with Multistar 2212 , QBrain 4in1,bandy legs ,gimbal , Naza Lite ,Remzibi , 5.8Mhz tx, Many props , Radiolink 10ch and Devo 7 Ch
will be considered at this time ....
Cheers
Steve

[Crisp Image]

That is not good Steve. If you want to box it up and send it to  me for a look that would be good. Having a NAZA v2 the naza light should be similar.
Let me know. Cant buy it from you because of my trips in April ang July.
Regards
Crispy

[Artie01]

Mandrake, Im hearing you mate, when I first started this journey, we had to make our own flight controller using parts from  WII nunchucka system etc.... it didn't work very well until dedicated components started hitting the market. To build a really REALLY stable simple system right now costs bugger all.

If anyone's interested, I'm about to assemble one from individual components, id do a write up from unpacking the bits and where I bought them, to flying the thing?

Google the Australian made Scarab, but ignore the cost, I buy some parts from the manufacturer and some generic bits and assemble a complete chassis for around $200, add a flight controller (I use the Naze32) and a battery and go.

Cheers Rob

[CBRK]

Mot much wind today so far so I went down the local park and attempted the Alien flight ...

Pretty much sick of this thing now - It flips on takeoff to the left .. its never been up in the air ...

So I'm stuffed if I know how to fix it ... Everything is working and calibrated - GPS , OSD , IMU etc etc .. but there's
just not the same amount of power going to the left motors on thrust up...

Going back to the Phantom and put OSD on it with FPV camera and leave the Alien for another time ...

Any offers for $1400 worth of Alien with Multistar 2212 , QBrain 4in1,bandy legs ,gimbal , Naza Lite ,Remzibi , 5.8Mhz tx, Many props , Radiolink 10ch and Devo 7 Ch
will be considered at this time ....
Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve,

Have you tried swapping components around?  It would help to determine which thing is having trouble.  So if it's always the left side underpowered, if you move the motors to the other side and it still the left having trouble then it is either ESC's or the FC.  If you can swap out the 4 in 1 for 4 individual ESC's then you can rule out the ESC's, then it must be a FC issue.

I had a faulty motor and it wasn't until I was able to determine 3 or 4 flights where the left side would suddenly drop that I was able to work out the issue (that and the FPV footage from it).  I knew it wasn't the FC from the logs, it tried to respond correctly, so it was either motor or ESC that was faulty.  I changed the motor first because it was the easiest to do (couple of cable ties).  ESC was next, lucky I didnt need to do that as it would have required some desoldering, and soldering etc.....

When buying parts, if I need 4 motors, I buy 5 or 6.  For the tri i bought twice the number of motors and lucky I did because I stuffed up a full set of 3 with some dodgy epoxying - I then bought 3 more spares for on the shelf.  I'm down to two now.  FC's I dont buy spares of, but I seem to have spares now :-)  One day I'll break one and it will be nice to get on the bike quickly.

You'll need to pick up a tricopter, how about a home built one based upon David's design (rcexplorer.se).  Its done me well.

Chris

[CBRK]

Thank you HK, both my orders are in!!!!

Now just waiting for the 3rd axis gimbal parts.  I thought I was up to day 16 but I missed counted, I'm only at day 11, so about a week or so to go.....  Sometimes buying from elsewhere because it's cheaper kills me......

So I have a dilemma, since my CF and FR4 has arrived, do I:

a) build the new frame and mount everything and start flying without the gimbal mount or;
b) build the new frame, mount as much as I can and wait (so no tricopter flying for a week or more)
c) build the new frame, mount only what I have spares of and continue flying the old tricopter and only switch the critical stuff over when the 3rd axis components arrive.
d) build the new frame, mount the existing two axis gimbal on another custom mount (so only stabilised on 2 axis) and fly, then when third gimbal arrives change it over.

I'm leaning towards option D at present.  I'll make a mount out of the FR4 instead of the CF, the CF mount would wait until I have the new gimbal and controller board.

What would you do?

Chris

[Mandrake]

I am going to strip the Alien down and swap the motors around --

At the moment I am going to fix up the Phantom and get it flying with OSD and FPV - I've decided to use the GPS module from the Alien so I can fit the OSD board under the top shell
where the GPS board normally sits - It flies OK like that so now all I have to do is mount camera , tx , osd board and remove the old compass ...

The Alien will have to wait now for a little bit - I may bite the bullet and get the APM FC and GPS stuff for it and see how that goes ... But motor swap is first on the agenda on a cooler day --
Need a beer now ...

[Crisp Image]

The OTG cable and bluetooth module turned up today while I was at work.
Now I am at home I have tried the OTG cable with out samsung tab for droid planner and it works. So now need to find time to do some real word testing. That is not going to happen as I am working again. Might have to see what Sunday brings.

Steve,
I have a kk2.1 fc here which is very basic that you could replace the naza with for some trials if you wish.
Let me know and I'll send it to you.
Regards
Crispy

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk

[Marschy]

There is a guy on rcgroups who has hacked the Naza V2 firmware, enabling it to run on the Naza Lite. Apparently the results have been outstanding as far as the difference in flight characteristics. I will find out where to get the firmware for you Steve. This may make the world of difference.

Cheers, Mark

[CBRK]

Thank you HK, both my orders are in!!!!

Now just waiting for the 3rd axis gimbal parts.  I thought I was up to day 16 but I missed counted, I'm only at day 11, so about a week or so to go.....  Sometimes buying from elsewhere because it's cheaper kills me......

So I have a dilemma, since my CF and FR4 has arrived, do I:

a) build the new frame and mount everything and start flying without the gimbal mount or;
b) build the new frame, mount as much as I can and wait (so no tricopter flying for a week or more)
c) build the new frame, mount only what I have spares of and continue flying the old tricopter and only switch the critical stuff over when the 3rd axis components arrive.
d) build the new frame, mount the existing two axis gimbal on another custom mount (so only stabilised on 2 axis) and fly, then when third gimbal arrives change it over.

I'm leaning towards option D at present.  I'll make a mount out of the FR4 instead of the CF, the CF mount would wait until I have the new gimbal and controller board.

What would you do?

Chris

I've decided option D is the right choice, it gets me back in the air quickly on the new frame and able to use the 2 axis gimbal, with minimal effort.

Now if I manage to get a few hours tomorrow I can get the frame largely done, fingers crossed.

Chris

[Mandrake]

Well I have now finished all the conversions / addons / upgrades to my Phantom FC40 ... It now has FPV , OSD , 2D Gimbal , HD camera , 2.4Ghz controls and 5.8 Ghz Video and Telemetry ... Only one thing left to do is some shrinktube for the video tx ... I don't have any big enough yet ..
But everything works and its ready to fly .....

This makes up for the disappointment in the Alien build ....



Steve