Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 2, 2012 at 4:06pm

I've lost count of how many times I've checked the motor rotation, prop direction, and calibrated the ESCs.  I finally did the reversing in the transmitter so I didn't have to remember which ones to reverse during the radio config.

I tried the CH6 tuning until I broke the legs on my hex (the gaui-sized design didn't scale too well to the 11lb monster design).  It was taking slightly longer (2 or 3 seconds instead of 1 or 2) before the oscillations got wild enough I had to cut the throttle to kill it.

I think the CH6 tuning code is slightly broken.  Even though I set range limits of 0.01 to 0.09, I had the AUX pot down to about 20%, refreshed the parameters, and RATE_P was at 0.

I'm getting a bit closer, but it is nowhere near flyable.

thanks,

-j

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 2, 2012 at 6:16pm

OK, dumb question: which mode is a basic "fly with the stick like a Gaui" mode?  My interpretation of the documentation is that I should be in stable mode.  Is that correct?  Should I be in acro or some other mode?

Stable worked OK when I had the APM on the Gaui, so that's what I'm using to try and tune my hex.

-j

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Aerhead on May 2, 2012 at 7:35pm

Jason

I'm sorry your having so much trouble.  I made a mistake, the rate P=.7 should have been P=.07.

Stable mode is quite a bit easer to fly because you can let go of the stick and the multicopter should fly level.  Rate or Acro mode PID settings are use along with stabilised  PIDs when flying is stabilised mode.

If you get your Hex flying in rate mode first then it's a lot easer to tune your stabilise PIDs. 

If you were able to fly with the APM1 in your Gaui quad you should be able to get your Hex flying also.

  My guess is that your ESC don't like the 490 Hz update rate that APM1 uses.  There is a list of ESC that will work somewhere in the manual.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 3, 2012 at 3:38am

The Scorpion Commander definitely doesn't like 490Hz - I have it at 50Hz.  I can adjust that one back up, but I'm pretty sure it didn't like 100Hz so I dropped it to 50.

There's a manual?  Where? The only "manual" I've found is a PDF that someone created by printing sections of the wiki.

I just ordered Hobbyking SS speed controllers based on a post in the rcgroups forum. They were the only speed controllers I found that a) were large enoguh, b) someone said worked for multicopters, c) were in stock, and d) were within budget (since I blew $$$ on the Scorpion ESC).

thanks,

-j

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Aerhead on May 3, 2012 at 5:39am

Jason

I found this link in a Google search.

http://wiki.openpilot.org/display/Doc/TurboPWM+ESC's

I've used Super Simple ESC and they do work but they were over rated compared to other ESC.  Turnigy plush ESC are considered the best by many people and are hard to find because there out of stock often.  Exceed ESCs have worked well for me.

If your looking for good info on multicopers start hear.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1097355#post12906859

This is a from the above link.

--TIP 10: ESC recommendations for standard PWM: Bidproduct HW25a (www.bidproduct.com), eRC (http://www.hobby-lobby.com/erc_speed...ls_470_ctg.htm), DYS ESCs, Castle Creations Phoenix with upgraded v4.01 or greater multicopter firmware, ExceedRC Volcano/Proton series, HKSuperSimple (the programmable type not the basic), HK Blue Series, HobbyWing, Mystery Blue series, www.quadroufo.com 30a, Maytech Harrier-Supreme Series(these are the same as HW Blue series at 3x the cost) http://montorc.com/MT30ABEC.aspx, RCTimer (www.rctimer.com), Towerpro, Turnigy Plush, YGE, ZTW. *Note: The following ESCs are known to be poor performers when used on multicopter's due to some or all of the following issues: the lack of manual endpoint calibration and the use of automatic endpoint calibration, timing lags due to throttle smoothing, firmware that is optimized for helicopter use is not compatible with multicopter flight controllers, low update rates, non-linear throttle curves. The ESC's with those features will cause multicopters to have drifting and oscillation issues. Again the following have been tested and will not perform well on multicopters and are therefore not recommended for multicopter use: Castle Creations versions except for the Phoenix modified with the v401 or greater firmware,, Dynam Denton. Hercules, Scorpion Commander, Thunderbird.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Jason W on May 3, 2012 at 7:15am

If your looking for good info on multicopers start hear.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1097355#post12906859

That's the list I was using to locate some replacements for the Scorpion (and where I found out the Scorpion is not recommended).

Finding half a dozen large ESCs was problematic, and I have a short time frame to get this thing in the air, so I ordered the HK SS.

-j

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Aerhead on May 3, 2012 at 7:39am

Jason

Exceed are available here. 

http://www.hobbypartz.com/07e09-proton-80a-opto.html

They're higher quality ESCs and hobbypartz usually ship fast. I've had good luck with exceed ESCs.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul on May 1, 2012 at 11:59pm

hi fellas. ive got 2.5.4 on my quad. i still cant get rid of the yaw issue. meaning, i yaw and yaw locks/holds, therefore spinning around and around.

i have done the live calibrations, spun it around my body up down left right but still yaw locks. guys i know its a really annoying question, but is there any fix for this?

cheers

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rick F on May 2, 2012 at 11:50am

Paul:  I had a similar problem two weeks ago and someone pointed out that I should check motor rotations.  I did and one was going the wrong way,  I had checked before, twice, but was only seeing what I wanted to see and not what was there.  Anyway, try that first. 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul on May 2, 2012 at 3:38pm

Ok wha? If you had different motor rotation the thing wouldnt lift right?
Well I've checked mine as per arducopter prop/motor direction diagram. I am a little perplexed as to what it could be. I've got the right motor direction and right prop directions. Esc fire at same time too... Has it something to do with my compass being soldered directly onto apm1 board you think?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rick F on May 3, 2012 at 2:41pm

 Has the compass been calibrated using one of the methods in the wiki?  Does the compass appear to give correct readings when you are connected to Mission Planner and turn the machine around? 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul on May 3, 2012 at 9:21pm

ok yes i have, however i will try again. update, i did notice that when i switch to acro mode the problem doesn't seem to exist. something to do with heading hold stablise maybe?

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 80
• 81
• 82
• 83
• 84
• …
• 141
• Next ›
• Page