"Well, a helo costs around $2000 per hour plus something like $2M-$5M buying. If a helo circles over my house or city block, everybody hears it. But you don't hear a quad hovering 150ft over your house. And it's hourly costs are much lower,…"
Latest Activity
Stefan Gofferje commented on Bill Bonney's blog post FBI admits to using surveillance drones over US soilModeratorGary Mortimer commented on Bill Bonney's blog post FBI admits to using surveillance drones over US soil
"A FLIR of the right type on a police helicopter can stand off at 15km and observe. Just saying. I'm with Wayne its been happening and should not come as a surprise. "
Ted Weerts replied to Ted Weerts's discussion flight data HUD jumps around, shows jitter when gps is plugged in"i can see that the parameter in the parameter list is changing, but i see no effect in the flight data screen.
and my mag field reads 550 when the board is outside the copter, just hooked up w/ usb, is the usb connection causing some…"
wayne garris commented on Bill Bonney's blog post FBI admits to using surveillance drones over US soil"What amazes me is that this is news at all. Did you guys know the authorities in all our countrys use manned aircraft routinely to spy on there own citizens? They do it quite openly, most major cities and counties have fleets of aircraft this is all…"
Aaron Serafinowicz commented on keeyen pang's blog post Techpod review"any updates? Where did you get your stand?"
Ted Weerts replied to ws_Alex's discussion APM 2.5 cannot maintain altitude?!"it should have had a piece of foam on top of it from 3dr. and you should leave it there. the baro is very sensitive, and can be affected by wind and sun"
ws_Alex replied to ws_Alex's discussion APM 2.5 cannot maintain altitude?!"Do you cover the barometer with some tissue? If yes, did you try removing it?"
Ted Weerts replied to Ted Weerts's discussion 2.9.1b flight data HUD jumps around, shows jitter when gps is plugged in"Well i guess the rotation option is only available to arducopter 3.0
...but it seems to do nothing to the compass orientation"
palo sestak replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use"Thanks Randy for you analysis.
These throttle drops weren't definitelly my input.Had no reason do that. They caused mentioned hight drops
And these can't be even interference between RC Tx-Rx because FrSKY didn't do any beeps during…"
Xander Zoolander posted a discussionHelp with choosing motors and props and esc
My copter all in all will not be over 3 pounds.The motor size I need is 28mm diameter (whole motor) The "recommended" prop is 8x4.5, but I will need larger, since I will be extending the 10 inch booms to be 2 or 3 feet (I like to experiment possibilities)I would prefer Turnigy, or any good, quality to cost ratio, products.I'm planning on using this as an aerobatic tricopter.I don't know how to figure amps for the motor and prop combo.See More
Hein du Plessis replied to Andrew Rabbitt's discussion How heavy is APM2.5?"Correct, just the APM board."
mikel-ange Adelson commented on Steve Monro's blog post A beginner's experience to the Copter world"its not in their system yet it takes a while to register steve.i like HK but the shipping can be a bit slow at times."
Ted Weerts replied to ws_Alex's discussion APM 2.5 cannot maintain altitude?!"I am having the same, along with a couple other problems. others have recommended that I try reducing the Alt hold P value. However, this didnt seem to help my copter maintain altitude."
Waladi replied to Randy's discussion ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use"Hi Randy,
What is the vibration tolerance for each axis ?
Thanks in advance."
ws_Alex posted a discussionAPM 2.5 cannot maintain altitude?!
My tricopter has APM2.5.2 on it. The firmware is 2.91b.It flies super well on Stab mode. When hovering, the throttle stick is around the center position.Then switch to Loit mode, it suddenly reduces the height a little bit and immediately increase the throttle to regain the altitude. I didn't tune any P.I.D, so I'm satisfied with it. This is the most case, about 50%.However, on other 50% case, it will increase or decrease altitude rapidly! The decrease is scary - It almost hit the ground some…See More
adriano nocenzi replied to u4eake's discussion APM 2.5 with NEO-6M ublox gps (not 3DR LEA-6)"Thanks for the info about the lights code, as for the connection I use win xp and I made a ftdi from a USB cable I change the USB port with female pins. Could be that?"
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flight data HUD jumps around, shows jitter when gps is plugged in
Started by Ted Weerts in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Ted Weerts 20 minutes ago. 2 Replies 0 Likes
APM 2.5 cannot maintain altitude?!
Started by ws_Alex in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Ted Weerts 41 minutes ago. 3 Replies 0 Likes
ArduCopter-3.0 ready for wider use
Started by Randy in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by palo sestak 57 minutes ago. 200 Replies 18 Likes
Help with choosing motors and props and esc
Started by Xander Zoolander in Unassigned category 57 minutes ago. 0 Replies 0 Likes
How heavy is APM2.5?
Started by Andrew Rabbitt in ArduPilotMega 2.x hardware. Last reply by Hein du Plessis 1 hour ago. 3 Replies 0 Likes
APM 2.5 with NEO-6M ublox gps (not 3DR LEA-6)
Started by u4eake in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by adriano nocenzi 2 hours ago. 151 Replies 3 Likes
APM not uploading in Mission Planner
Started by Soko in APM Mission Planner. Last reply by Soko 2 hours ago. 32 Replies 0 Likes
ArduCopter 2.9 / 2.9.1 released
Started by Randy in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Crashpilot1000 2 hours ago. 3690 Replies 34 Likes
upload succeeded but verify failed, MP 1.2.53
Started by Sayan Andriyanov in APM Mission Planner 2 hours ago. 0 Replies 0 Likes
ArduPlane 2.73 released
Started by Andrew Tridgell in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by spagoziak 2 hours ago. 181 Replies 12 Likes
Issue with Arducopter 2.5 and RTL
Started by Zachary Rackovan in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Ted Weerts 2 hours ago. 23 Replies 2 Likes
Skywalker 1900 Parameters
Started by spagoziak in ArduPlane 2.x software. Last reply by spagoziak 2 hours ago. 2 Replies 0 Likes
APM USB connection issues and Mission Planner
Started by Monroe Lee King Jr. in Unassigned category. Last reply by Jon 3 hours ago. 7 Replies 0 Likes
CCW motors getting hotter than CW motors on Quad
Started by Jonathan Hair in ArduCopter 2.x (multicopter). Last reply by Jonathan Hair 3 hours ago. 7 Replies 0 Likes
USPS shipping option for store purchases please!
Started by Stone1295 in DIY Drones Rants and Raves. Last reply by Stone1295 4 hours ago. 4 Replies 0 Likes
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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
FBI admits to using surveillance drones over US soil
Posted by Bill Bonney on June 19, 2013 at 2:59pm 8 Comments 0 Likes
UAS demonstrates potential of unmanned aircraft for wildfire use
Posted by Thomas J Coyle III on June 19, 2013 at 12:07pm 5 Comments 5 Likes
RVJET with autopilot APM 2.5
Posted by jim C. on June 19, 2013 at 8:30am 5 Comments 3 Likes
hello everyone, after two weeks of settings and adjustments, the achievement RVJET fly with APM 2.5 in auto mode
Flying weight: 2750 grams
autopilot: APM 2.5
Motor: 3020 1110kv scorpion
prop: 10x6
Battery: 1 x 5000 + 1 x 3000
firmware : arduplane 2.73
How to succeed without really trying
Posted by Glenn Anderson on June 19, 2013 at 6:00am 25 Comments 7 Likes
My quad is flying better than it should. I almost feel guilty.
I slapped together a frame in a few hours. I use cheap props mounted on long shafts with cheap collets. The motors are not precisely aligned to the frame. The props are not balanced perfectly. Motor centers form a rectangle not a square. APM is strapped to the frame. I never bothered to calibrate compassmot. CG is not in the center of the…
Continue Printing (tiny) batteries
Posted by CrashingDutchman on June 19, 2013 at 4:33am 0 Comments 5 Likes
Novel application of 3D printing could enable the development of miniaturized medical implants, compact electronics, tiny robots, and more. It will probably take a while before this will be used for the hobby markt, but I though the story is nice enough to blog about it.
Continue3D printing can now be used to print lithium-ion microbatteries the…
Getting started with Matrix Pilot is now cheaper
Posted by Nick Arsov on June 18, 2013 at 11:30pm 22 Comments 3 Likes
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 
Boeing's hydrogen-powered UAV takes first flight (last year)
Posted by Chris Anderson on June 18, 2013 at 8:00pm 6 Comments 2 Likes
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 3 Comments 8 Likes
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…
DJI has officially released the H3-2D Gimbal for $699!
Posted by Adam AKAV8R on June 18, 2013 at 3:00pm 16 Comments 1 Like
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 …
ContinueParrot releases GPS module for AR.Drone 2.0
Posted by Chris Anderson on June 18, 2013 at 1:20pm 11 Comments 3 Likes
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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
Unmanned aircraft training goes on the road
By HEATHER R. SMITH AMRDEC Public Affairs To train operators of the unmanned aircraft Shadow, Hunter and Gray Eagle, the Army uses Institutional Mission Simulators, which are mockups of the ground control stations from which aircraft are operated in the…
GA-ASI and Fokker Team to Offer Predator B to the Netherlands PAS13
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fokker Technologies, a leading specialist in advanced components…
ETURNAS UAV at PAS 13
LE BOURGET, FRANCE: June 19, 2013 - Design Intelligence Incorporated, LLC (DII) and MicroLink Devices, Inc. (MLD) today announced the development of a new solar-optimized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called ETURNAS. The ETURNAS UAV weighs less than nine pounds and uses a reconfigurable solar wing…
Piaggio Hammerhead at PAS13
Visiting Paris airshow for the first time the Piaggio Hammerhead is certainly the most dashing UA entrant. Based on its existing manned platform the Hammerhead is a fast high performance machine as one might expect from the Italians. The Piaggio…
New Pix4DPartner‐ and Sponsorships
While Pix4D’s currentDesktop software Pix4uav isthe perfectsolution to convertUAV imagery into geo‐referenced 2Dmosaics and 3Dmodels, Pix4D’s goal isto keep on innovating and developing technology that can push the limits of 3Dmodeling even further. The current version of Pix4uav is used…
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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