Latest Activity

Alex Snyder replied to Alex Snyder's discussion First time build and not sure why one motor won't spin
"Thanks! I did use the setup then motors command in the terminal window and then looked at the connections but found nothing unusual. I ended up de-soldering then re-soldering the connections until I was sure they were solid... Can the esc still not…"
31 seconds ago
OG replied to OG's discussion RTF UAS QUAD APM1 400MHZ TELEMETRY RADIO SPECTRUM 5E RTF
"its the craft in my pic & the quad on my home page."
7 minutes ago
OG replied to OG's discussion RTF UAS QUAD APM1 400MHZ TELEMETRY RADIO SPECTRUM 5E RTF
10 minutes ago
WileyESurveyor left a comment for Todd Hill
"Todd If U would be So Kind as to Share some of  UR Knowledge, Relative Constructing  an EBEE DIY Unit, I would be most appreciative. Life Long Photo Analysts and Mapper. University of Colorado. Surveying Since the Age of 10. Was Scheduled…"
11 minutes ago
OG replied to OG's discussion RTF UAS QUAD APM1 400MHZ TELEMETRY RADIO SPECTRUM 5E RTF
11 minutes ago
walthero replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"Follow the leader... "
11 minutes ago

3D Robotics
Chris Anderson commented on Hooks's blog post APM 2.5 from hobbyking
"Gary, could you tell me a bit more about the shipping options you're seeing? In the US, for a standard board, the options I get are these, which includes a $5 shipping option. What are you seeing? "
13 minutes ago
Joe commented on Hooks's blog post APM 2.5 from hobbyking
"Hobby King with the AIO PRO episode clearly demonstrated that they have no ethics nor any shame when they continued to sell their faulty board after it was made clear by many that it had serious confirmed issues. They just kept selling it until all…"
17 minutes ago
Dennis Spanogle posted a discussion

MP 1.2.51 Log Browse Column Headers Wrong (different PCs same log file)

Did a flight with my quad copter apm 2.5+ Arducopter firmware 2.9.1bDownloaded dataflash   .log file from Arducopter and saved the log file in two PCsPC1 Running Vista,  MP 1.2.51  (updated a few minites ago)PC2 Running Windows 7 Professional   MP 1.2.51  (updated a few minutes ago)The column headers in the Log Browse window are different. Get to window by open MP without usb or telemetry connected.  Click on Terminal, Click on Log Browse and select the .log file. in the Vista pc the column…See More
20 minutes ago
walthero replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"Thanks for that info"
21 minutes ago

Wiki Ninja
Gary McCray commented on Hooks's blog post APM 2.5 from hobbyking
"Definitely one of the challenges of working in a Open source, open hardware world. For the most part, I think we know who supports us and who we support. Just a thought for 3DR, you do have to compete with these copycats, it might be worth trying to…"
25 minutes ago
Joe replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"Has anyone else noticed that Mission Planner 1.2.51 has a serious bug displaying barometer readings, the readings quickly rise to +30m and down to -130m in less than a minute with the board sitting on the bench. uninstalled 1.2.51 and installed…"
26 minutes ago
Jajuba posted a discussion

Sonar setup

Hello, any help would be greatly appreciated.I have been trying to get the sonar to work on my quad. It has an APM 2.0 and the LV-MaxSonar-EZ0.  When reading the test data in mission planner's terminal, the sonar starts at 464 cm while the quad is on the table (about 6 inches), if I point the sonar across the room (40 ft) it reads 476 cm. I have tried removing the sonar from the quad keeping it and all wires away from everything with the same results. I have also tried a second brand new sonar…See More
38 minutes ago
R. D. Starwalt replied to Tony K.'s discussion APM 2.0 wont power up from ESC's, only USB.
"The diode should be checked with no other wiring connected. This ensures (usually) there is no feedback from another path to skew your readings. On the diode scale/setting, you should be reading ohms, not volts. If you have power to the system and…"
40 minutes ago
Alex commented on Hooks's blog post APM 2.5 from hobbyking
49 minutes ago
Angus Allen commented on JB's group Queensland
"Sorry my post was too long so I had to cut it into sections. Also I found this Calculator which you might find useful if you haven't already found it yourself. "
51 minutes ago

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Forum

Sonar setup

Started by Jajuba in Sensors & IMUs 38 minutes ago. 0 Replies

APM 2.0 wont power up from ESC's, only USB.

Started by Tony K. in Unassigned category. Last reply by R. D. Starwalt 40 minutes ago. 3 Replies

APM 2.5 Install Guide...

Started by Scott Green in Unassigned category. Last reply by Gary McCray 1 hour ago. 4 Replies

Mission planner 1.2.51 problems?

Started by Euan Ramsay in APM Mission Planner. Last reply by Michael Oborne 1 hour ago. 1 Reply

APM2 loiter twitch

Started by Peter in Quadcopters. Last reply by Peter 2 hours ago. 3 Replies

ArduPlane 2.73 released

Started by Andrew Tridgell in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by T0nimas 3 hours ago. 65 Replies

Alt_hold and loiter acting crazy

Started by Frank Thingelstad in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Andrew Sommer 3 hours ago. 10 Replies

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Welcome to DIY Drones!


This is the home for everything about amateur Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Use the tabs and drop-down menus above to navigate the site. (About us/Site rules)

This community created the Arduino-based ArduPilot, the world's first universal autopilot (planes, multicopters of all sorts and ground rovers). The APM 2.5 autopilot hardware runs a variety of powerful free UAV software systems, including:

  • ArduPlane, a pro-level UAV system for planes of all types.
  • ArduCopter, a fully-autonomous multicopter and heli UAV system.

I'm new to all this--where do I start?                    Are amateur UAVs legal? (yes)

Examples of civilian uses of drones                   Glossary of confusing terms

Blog Posts

Data Bus mbed baseboards: Tindie Fundraiser

Posted by Bot Thoughts on May 21, 2013 at 2:30pm 0 Comments

Data Bus mbed baseboards are now available on Tindie as a fundraiser! I figured maybe some folks wanted to experiment with their own algorithms and want a head start on their 2014 AVC ground vehicle entry.…

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The Ardupilot controlled transducer boat part 2

Posted by Burkhard rieck on May 21, 2013 at 12:00pm 2 Comments

As I already mentioned on the first page, mygoal was to construct a boat that could drive for at least 4 hours without charging while I could catch some fish :-). To reach that goal, my boat should weigh around 4 kg and the capacity of the batteries should be quite high. After a lot of searching in the internet, I…

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The Ardupilot controlled transducer boat part 1

Posted by Burkhard rieck on May 21, 2013 at 12:00pm 1 Comment

In this blog I would like to share my experiences with my new project, an autonomous transducer boat, controlled by an Ardupilot. 

After a long time of reading blogs, searching parts online and planning, I started my project. My plans are to…

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APM 2.5 from hobbyking

Posted by Hooks on May 21, 2013 at 11:33am 12 Comments

Hmmm Now hobbyking is selling:

ArduPilot Mega V2.5 Flight Controller USB/GYRO/ACC/MAG/BARO

 

72 USD for the hobbyking APM 2.5…

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"Super Capacitor" to charge phones in 30 seconds

Posted by Sentinel on May 21, 2013 at 8:58am 1 Comment

Solid-state capacitor uses nano engineering for greater energy storage density and lasts for 10,000 cycles.

Big names interested, as it appears they should be?…

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Video and Datalink Antenna for airborne and ground tracking systems

Posted by Gisela & Joe Noci on May 21, 2013 at 8:52am 6 Comments

Some developments on 2.4GHz video link and 868MHz datalink antenna systems:

          Measuring the 2.4GHz Antenna SWR

                         The Ground Tracking Antenna…

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ROS, APM and the Kinect

Posted by David Gitz on May 20, 2013 at 10:00pm 3 Comments

For a University Robotics class I completed a project that integrates ROS (Fuerte), an APM and a Kinect Sensor.

For some reason all the text that I had written was lost when I posted this.  I didn't really say anything besides what I didn't already say here:  …

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How to program Expo on the Throttle channel for Open9x

Posted by Bill Bonney on May 20, 2013 at 9:00pm 3 Comments

A member the other day asked how to program expo on the throttle channel to help with hover in stabilize mode. So I made this short video on how to do it.

How to Improve Throttle Response by adding Expo to your RC Transmitter Control from Bill Bonney on Vimeo.

or…

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Season Two of the Trust Time Trial (T3) Contest has now begun. The fourth round is an accuracy round for multicopters, which requires contestants to fly a cube. The deadline is April 14th.

A list of all T3 contests is here

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UAV news from sUAS News

OSU Students Design Storm-Penetrating Drones

OSU Students Design Storm-Penetrating Drones

STILLWATER, Oklahoma - Engineering students at Oklahoma State University have designed storm-penetrating unmanned aircraft. School officials say the drones are designed to fly into thunderstorms, including the super cells that spawn tornadoes and obtain meteorological data vital for weather forecasting. “Oklahoma, along with many regions in the U.S., has to deal with severe weather year-round, but the often violent thunderstorms witnessed in the springtime are particularly worrisome,” said Jamey Jacob, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor who supervised the project. “Better prediction methods can save lives, but this also requires more data about how storms form.” The aircraft were designed by students in the school’s MAE department. The drones will collect information about weather systems that can be used for both immediate forecasts of the storm’s path and strength and for predictive models. Three teams of students, the Barnstormers, the Flying Honey Badgers and the Stormtroopers designed an aircraft with corresponding onboard sensors, ground control, launch and recovery systems that could be deployed from a catapult or unimproved surface, such as a dirt road. The drones are controlled by a pilot on the ground and relay data back to a ground crew. Bookmark It Hide Sites

Prince William Panel Talks Use of Unmanned Drone Aircraft

Prince William Panel Talks Use of Unmanned Drone Aircraft

By CONNIE MOSER For Potomac Local News LAKE RIDGE, Va. – A recent Prince William Committee of 100 meeting on Wednesday addressed the topic of small, unmanned aircraft. You may refer to them as drones, but according to a one member on a panel of experts, moderated by Ben Wolfgang, from the Washington Times that term; “drone” is equivalent to a four letter word. Carl Schaefer, Director, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Products, Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., Manassas, VA prefers the acronym; “UAS”. Most residents who at expressed concerns regarding privacy when the FAA declared UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) are ready for prime time. The Federal Government is not running rampant, without oversight regarding UAS, as there are many watchdogs ensuring that no one tramples the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, according to those who spoke at the meeting. Ben Cline, R-Lexington, a sixth term representative to the Virginia House of Delegates, is one of those watchdogs. Cline is concerned the government not overstep the boundaries set forth in the Constitution. Cline showed a healthy skepticism when an audience member asked, “Why should we trust the government?” Delegate Cline’s response was, “You shouldn’t!” Additional concerns about privacy were addressed by Amie Stepanovich, Director, Domestic Surveillance [...]

Ar.Drone 2.0 joins the Royal Air Force

Ar.Drone 2.0 joins the Royal Air Force

Parrot is supporting the RAF Rally Championship for 2013 with a Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Quadcopter. As serving members of the Royal Air Force the team know a thing or two about aviation, aircraft and drones and they think the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 Quadcopter is a magnificent flying machine and perfect for capturing the unique action from the RAF Rally Championship. This started recently when the RAF Rally Team has its pre-season training camp in Rorbacksnas, Sweden. They spent 5 days driving rally cars at full speed around a purposely designed ice stage — the Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 was used in the sub-zero conditions to capture unique footage from angles that other cameras just don’t allow. Bookmark It Hide Sites

QuadH2o

QuadH2o

The QuadH2o is a new design in Quadcopter, offering professionals the ability to safely capture aerial and video photography whilst flying over water with peace of mind knowing that the system is safe in the event of a flyaway or power failure. It’s lightweight, streamlined hull enables 10+ minute flight times and great maneuverability, whilst its water resistant, strong and well thought out design delivers a professional ‘over water’ quadcopter suitable for FPV flight and capturing Video/Photography. http://www.quadh2o.com/ Bookmark It Hide Sites

Drones & Agriculture: Unmanned Aircraft May Revolutionize Farming, Experts Say

Drones & Agriculture: Unmanned Aircraft May Revolutionize Farming, Experts Say

By: Tia Ghose, LiveScience Staff Writer SAN MATEO, Calif. — The word “drone” tends to conjure up images of planes that kill terrorists or of creepy surveillance tools. But tiny drone airplanes made of foam may be more useful in rural environments, one researcher says. There, the fliers could revolutionize agriculture, reducing the need for pesticides and improving crop production. Because drones can fly cheaply at a low altitude, they can get highly detailed images of cropland, said Chris Anderson, the CEO of 3D Robotics and former editor-in-chief of Wired, here on Saturday (May 18) at this year’s Maker Faire Bay Area, a two-day celebration of DIY science, technology and engineering. Drone-captured close-ups of fields could help farmers tailor their pesticide treatment and identify subtle differences in soil productivity. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/drones-agriculture-unmanned-aircraft-farming_n_3308164.html Bookmark It Hide Sites

UAV news from Flight Global

Maritime Heron UAV supports European airspace trial

Europe has advanced a project to prove the feasibility of using satellite communications to enable UAS operations in non-segregated airspace ...

Brazilian navy begins UAS evaluation

The Brazilian navy has begun to evaluate two Israeli-made unmanned air systems for maritime surveillance missions ...

Indian air force to launch micro UAS evaluation

The Indian air force is to evaluate several micro unmanned air systems from around 10 companies in early May ...

VIDEO: Eurocopter demonstrates unmanned EC145

Eurocopter has unveiled an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV), based on its EC145 light twin, which has been in development since September 2011.

Israeli F-16 downs another Hezbollah UAV

An Israeli air force Lockheed Martin F-16 has shot down an unmanned air vehicle launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah militants ...

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