Latest Activity

Nick Arsov posted a blog post

Getting started with Matrix Pilot is now cheaper

Hi Everyone,AUAV3 is now at a reduced price of $94.95 for a limited time.There are several dedicated developers and most of the cool new features are at least in a beta form. We would like to see more users trying these boards and features. Also recently, 2 AUAV3's flew in the Spark Fun AVC and we have been very happy with their…See More
5 minutes ago
0 Comments
Andreas Breitenstein replied to Craig Elder's discussion APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
"Hi Randy, Please help me out. I have posted this http://www.diydrones.com/forum/topics/please-help-reading-logs?xg_source=activity   a while ago when I had a crash because of Motor nr. 4 stopped momentarily close to the ground.  I…"
11 minutes ago
Andreas Breitenstein replied to Andreas Breitenstein's discussion Please help reading logs.
"Hi Randy, Please help me out. I have posted this a while ago when I had a crash because of Motor nr. 4 stopped momentarily close to the ground.  I took my Copter apart, redid everything and found a rubbing wire on motor nr. 4. All confident I…"
11 minutes ago
Neil Dawson replied to Andrew Tridgell's discussion ArduPlane 2.73 released
"Hi Andrew Firstly thank you for all your work, 2.73 is working very well thank you. I have however found a snag which may be a mission Planner issue and not 2.73 non the less herewith the details: In trying to geo ref the images with mission planner…"
17 minutes ago
Alex O. replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use
"Very glad to ask Randy. I remembered it now that it was exactly the way you said. It is better this way; it makes more sense...For some reason, I didn't remember it correctly.  "
22 minutes ago
Ben Boughton replied to Ben Boughton's discussion Sabertooth 2x60 setup & configuration in the group ArduRover User Group
"I think so. I played around with it for hours trying to figure out why it kept going in circles. Once I changed the bracket that the APM is mounted on it worked flawlessly."
33 minutes ago
Kim Skatun commented on Chris Anderson's blog post VTOL with APM 2.5
"check out  Maverix"
47 minutes ago
Oliver commented on Adam AKAV8R's blog post DJI has officially released the H3-2D Gimbal for $699!
"I guess if the price isn't a problem then the fact that the coating of the non-replaceable lens on the GoPro will soon be shredded if the multicopter is flown off of or onto anything but a very clean surface won't matter either. It's…"
47 minutes ago

DeveloperRandy replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use
"AlexO,      Yes, the rate and stabilize values will not change as you upgrade.       That last bit you quoted is not quite right.  If the *user* has not changed any values from their default then as…"
47 minutes ago

DeveloperRandy replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter 2.9 / 2.9.1 released
"Navrizal,      Looks like a radio issue.  If you graph your throttle you can see that it's dropping to 0 intermittently which is causing the target altitude to fall and down she goes! I've also noticed that…"
52 minutes ago
Lake McGuire replied to Ben Boughton's discussion Sabertooth 2x60 setup & configuration in the group ArduRover User Group
"Ben, do you really think mounting on a steel plate was an issue? I haven't seen anything about mounting on steel interfering with the compass."
52 minutes ago
Alex O. replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use
"Great thanks. I will not bother changing anything then. I never changed loiter rate. I always use the default. When I load the v3.0.0, would my rate and stabilize P values stay the same? Or would I need to go change them back to my 0.1120 and 3.3…"
55 minutes ago
novrizal herdananto replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter 2.9 / 2.9.1 released
"randy, i also had this sudden fall issue with my tricopter during althold.. still haven't figured it out.. "
1 hour ago
Soko posted a status
"Worth a shot. Will try tomorrow. Thanks!"
1 hour ago
0 Comments

DeveloperRandy replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use
"AlexO,      No need to modify any of the stabilize or rate gains (except for the loiter rate) as part of the upgrade."
1 hour ago
Aleck Wu replied to Soko's discussion APM not uploading in Mission Planner
"both were on win7 64bits"
1 hour ago

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3D Robotics

APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released

Started by Craig Elder in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Andreas Breitenstein 11 minutes ago. 1272 Replies

Please help reading logs.

Started by Andreas Breitenstein in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Andreas Breitenstein 11 minutes ago. 7 Replies


Developer

ArduPlane 2.73 released

Started by Andrew Tridgell in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by Neil Dawson 17 minutes ago. 180 Replies


Developer

ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use

Started by Randy in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Alex O. 22 minutes ago. 120 Replies


Developer

ArduCopter 2.9 / 2.9.1 released

Started by Randy in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Randy 52 minutes ago. 3675 Replies

APM not uploading in Mission Planner

Started by Soko in APM Mission Planner. Last reply by Aleck Wu 1 hour ago. 27 Replies

How heavy is APM2.5?

Started by Andrew Rabbitt in ArduPilotMega 2.x hardware. Last reply by Hein du Plessis 1 hour ago. 1 Reply

Weight of Autopilot Avoinics Suite

Started by Raja Sohail in Autopilot hardware 1 hour ago. 0 Replies

USPS shipping option for store purchases please!

Started by Stone1295 in DIY Drones Rants and Raves. Last reply by Stone1295 2 hours ago. 3 Replies

Unable to arm firmware 3.0

Started by Richard Boyhan in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Rich Huhn 3 hours ago. 1 Reply

Digi XTend & APM

Started by Dan Ho in Wireless communications. Last reply by Phil P 3 hours ago. 1 Reply

Arducopter Tuning Guide

Started by Dave C in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Wayne Morris 3 hours ago. 515 Replies

Connecting 3DR Quad Power Distribution Board to APM 2.5+

Started by Chuck Durham in ArduPilotMega 2.x hardware. Last reply by Chuck Durham 4 hours ago. 3 Replies

Advantages to types of frames?

Started by Xander Zoolander in Quad/multicopter frames. Last reply by Xander Zoolander 4 hours ago. 6 Replies

Motors spinning on arming

Started by Steven Tisseyre in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by Randy 4 hours ago. 1 Reply

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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
  • ArduRover, a fully-autonomous ground-based vehicle 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

Getting started with Matrix Pilot is now cheaper

Posted by Nick Arsov on June 18, 2013 at 11:30pm 0 Comments

Hi Everyone,

AUAV3 is now at a reduced price of $94.95 for a limited time.
There are several dedicated developers and most of the cool new features are at least in a beta form. We would like to see more users trying these boards and features. Also recently, 2 AUAV3's flew…
Continue

3D Robotics

Boeing's hydrogen-powered UAV takes first flight (last year)

Posted by Chris Anderson on June 18, 2013 at 8:00pm 6 Comments

Designed for a duration of four days at 65,000 feet. The first flight was just 28 minutes and it sustained damage on landing, but otherwise the mission was a success. ]UPDATE: This was a year ago, sorry for missing that. It's taken several flight since then]

Via…

Continue

DIY Samsung Trigger for APM

Posted by Jeff Taylor on June 18, 2013 at 5:06pm 1 Comment

20130618_153028

In this post I’ll describe how to make your own cable to trigger the Samsung mirrorless cameras NX20, NX210 and NX1000. We’ll be using an ArduPilot Mega 2.5 to do the triggering but you can use any Arduino or even a soldered push button.

What you’ll need:

  • Any 2 or 3 wire cable – I use a 30cm Futaba servo extender which I cut the female end off…
Continue

Moderator

DJI has officially released the H3-2D Gimbal for $699!

Posted by Adam AKAV8R on June 18, 2013 at 3:00pm 12 Comments

Well the price has finally been released for the new DJI Phantom gimbal @ $699.00 and comes complete as shown below. The nice features are the ability to charge the GoPro while flying and the ability to output video to your video Tx all contained inside the arms of the gimbal.  Full details …

Continue

3D Robotics

Parrot releases GPS module for AR.Drone 2.0

Posted by Chris Anderson on June 18, 2013 at 1:20pm 6 Comments

MAVLink-compatible, which means it works with QGroundControl. All details here. Coverage from Engadget:

Starting next week, Parrot will be…

Continue

3D Robotics

Engadget covers AVC 2013

Posted by Joshua Ott on June 18, 2013 at 1:00pm 1 Comment

From Engadget. This last paragraph really sums it up nicely:

And really, for all the prize money and ominous warning signs at the entrance, the AVC is ultimately a meeting space for hobbyists in what may some day become a much larger movement. It's a place to experiment, talk shop and occasionally crash along the way.

Man whose RC drone was shot down over Turkey protest returns to the skies

Posted by Matthew Schroyer on June 18, 2013 at 7:44am 2 Comments

Many of you might be aware of the situation in Turkey, where protests have been going on for longer than two weeks. Some of you on DIYDrones might also be aware that a man was flying a small RC drone above these protests, that is, until his aircraft was shot down by riot police.

I originally wrote about this on sUASNews,…

Continue

PX4FLOW Position Hold Beta and Source Code Release

Posted by PX4 on June 18, 2013 at 7:30am 3 Comments

Our new video shows position hold (the position can be moved on the fly, so its actually full position control) using the PX4FMU autopilot plus …

Continue

3D Robotics

$250 disposable drones could monitor hurricanes

Posted by Chris Anderson on June 18, 2013 at 6:52am 8 Comments

From the University of Florida (via…

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ASME Podcast - How Drones Can Help Predict Tornadoes

Posted by S.G. Sutter on June 18, 2013 at 6:30am 1 Comment

ASME presents a podcast on the application of small UAVs in the study of severe weather, especially tornadoes.

Here is the link to the ASME…

Continue
 
 
 

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Top Content 

1 APM Project vs DJI NAZA and WOOKONG

APM Project vs DJI NAZA and WOOKONG
2 APM 2.5 with NEO-6M ublox gps (not 3DR LEA-6)

APM 2.5 with NEO-6M ublox gps (not 3DR LEA-6)
3 APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released

APM Copter 2.9.1.b has been released
4 Flying 3D Spline Curves between Waypoints with ArduCopter 3.0

Flying 3D Spline Curves between Waypoints with ArduCopter 3.0
5 ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use

ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use
6 10k autonomous flight - telemetry guided flight, and other APM tests!

10k autonomous flight - telemetry guided flight, and other APM tests!
7 Drone shot down by police

Drone shot down by police
8 MAAT final version is being tested

MAAT final version is being tested
9 Help Tuning Arduplane 2.73 With A Large Slow Airframe

Help Tuning Arduplane 2.73 With A Large Slow Airframe
10 Thirty Days (#28): McMaster-116 lift

Thirty Days (#28): McMaster-116 lift

Contests

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

Bill Seeks to Restrict Drones

Bill Seeks to Restrict Drones

JIM PROVANCE SOURCE: THE BLADE, TOLEDO, OHIO June 18–COLUMBUS — If unmanned drones are going to hover over Ohioans’ heads, state law has to catch up with them, a lawmaker argues. State Rep. Rex Damschroder, the Fremont Republican and pilot, has introduced a bill that would, except in certain emergencies, prohibit any law enforcement agency from using unmanned aircraft for surveillance without first obtaining a search warrant. Absent that warrant, any evidence obtained from the use of a wide array of small, lightweight, camera-equipped drones could not be used in court. “It’s a new industry, and we want to be on the leading edge of it, but I don’t want government infringing on our Fourth Amendment rights,” Mr. Damschroder said. “Government can’t come into your house (without a warrant), but they can come into your backyard, even if you have a high privacy fence. “I don’t want the camel to get its nose under the tent,” he said. “It’s easier to restrict its use before it starts. With texting and e-mailing, the government is on notice that a lot of Americans aren’t happy with the way government is snooping and digging into their privacy.” Mention drones and most people think of [...]

UAS demonstrates potential of unmanned aircraft for wildfire use

UAS demonstrates potential of unmanned aircraft for wildfire use

Mark Engebretson Owners of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, based in Oklahoma City, were at Possum Kingdom Lake Saturday demonstrating unmanned aircraft that can be used over wildfires. Held at the Possum Kingdom East Volunteer Fire Department, representatives from the Brazos River Authority, Graham Fire Department, Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Office and Caddo VFD attended. Greg Ward, who has extensive experience with Channel 9 in Oklahoma City with video and audio reporting from aircraft, explained some of the capabilities. “The flexibility is endless, you can configure it a number of ways,” he said. The 4.4-pound aircraft can be equipped with forward looking video with a variety of possible lenses, infrared and thermal imaging among the options. He also said there are a number of options for flying the aircraft, from line of sight, to first person with a computer monitor, much like a video game to programming it to specific coordinates. “Flight time is generally two hours,” Ward added. “We’re putting auto pilots in all of these. It can return to the GPS location where it was launched, circles and waits to land.” Jerry Stuckey, the company’s CEO, said the aircraft is made on composite Styrofoam. “If something happens, if it runs [...]

NASA Tests Radio for Unmanned Aircraft Operations

NASA Tests Radio for Unmanned Aircraft Operations

NASA’s communications experts have begun flight testing a prototype radio as part of the agency’s contributions toward fully integrating civil and commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). This particular radio is one of the first steps to provide the critical communications link for UAS pilots on the ground to safely and securely operate their remotely piloted vehicles in flight even though they are many miles — if not continents or oceans — apart. “So far the tests are going well and we’re learning a lot about how this prototype radio operates under various conditions, but we still have much more testing to do on this radio and others that will come,” said Jim Griner, a project engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. Currently there is not a great deal of freedom for civilian uses of UAS over our nation’s skies. Police and firefighters, for example, must use off-the-shelf systems and fly under special Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approvals that restrict where and when remotely piloted vehicles can fly. “There are some pretty good limitations on those operations, but the work we’re doing to develop a new command and control radio for the UAS [...]

PSNI on G8 drones: ‘They actually look like big model aircraft’

PSNI on G8 drones: ‘They actually look like big model aircraft’

THE POLICE SERVICE of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have revealed details about the unmanned aerial vehicles or drones they will be using during the G8 summit, which gets under way in Fermanagh tomorrow. As part of an unprecedented security operation at the Lough Erne golf resort near Enniskillen, the PSNI will be operating three of the unmanned aircraft over the next two days to give them an “eye in the sky” view of their operation. The drones will be used primarily for surveillance purposes during the summit and will deliver high quality images to police commanders. The PSNI will have 8,000 officers in the field over a 24-hour period with the existing force supplemented by over 3,600 officers brought in from police forces in England, Scotland and Wales. http://www.thejournal.ie/psni-g8-drones-953869-Jun2013/ Bookmark It Hide Sites

Trimble’s new UAS targets big survey, geospatial projects

Trimble’s new UAS targets big survey, geospatial projects

Holding thumbs that the FAA will come through for them in 2015, Trimble unveils its latest wing. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based, publicly traded (Nasdaq: TRMB) Trimble, with $2 billion in 2012 revenue, uses positioning technologies – GPS, lasers and optics – to focus on applications requiring position or location, including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. Like the X100 but better  Just like its predecessor, the Gatewing X100 – the market’s first commercial aerial imaging rover – incorporates mission planning, automatic field image acquisition and fully digital and automated image processing software. Trimble acquired privately-held Gatewing, a Belgium-based manufacturer of lightweight UAVs for photogrammetry and rapid terrain mapping, in April 2012. The UX5 carries a Sony NEX-5R mirrorless, 16.1-megapixel camera with a fixed focal-length external lens, which has a surface area nearly nine times that of the Ricoh camera carried on the X100, which was already 1.5 times larger than the biggest on the market at the time. The large field of view from the camera allows the rover to cover 50-75 percent more area to enhance efficiency and reduce operational costs. In addition to the increase in flight efficiency, the Trimble UX5 is capable of producing [...]

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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