Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by mc_don on August 14, 2011 at 1:41pm

you have your loiter video?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Boyle on August 14, 2011 at 1:49pm

No. I usually fly alone and so have no one to help with the recording. I will try to get the wife to stand in as a camera person.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mc_don on August 15, 2011 at 8:55am

can you sharing your motor+prop&frame ?

just using default PID right?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Boyle on August 15, 2011 at 2:53pm

Sure thing. the electronics, motors and props are "stock" from the DIYdrones store and the frame i built myself from 3/4 inch aluminum square tubing i bought at home depot. i will post a picture later when i get home tonight!

 

and yes i have not changed anything at all in the PID section. to be honest i am afraid to since it flies fairly well.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Boyle on August 15, 2011 at 4:39pm

Here are some photos. I have learned some things from this design that I will apply to either this model or V2.0. Things like, pointy landing gear is not a good idea. When your learning, taking off from the grass can be scary if the pointy gear get caught like it can easily do.

 

It is made from .75 inch square aluminum tubing with some 16th inch plate in the middle for the electronics to mount to. Above the plate is two 4 inch square pieces of lexan bought at Home Depot and " routed on my drill press to have groves in it for straps. This is another thing I may not do next time. the IMU and the APM are strapped to the middle plate with Velcro straps. I have not yet seated the ESC's but it flies great. I will at some point.

 

Perhaps this too much detail I am not sure how much you wanted to know but I can tell you more if you are interested.

 

Cheers.

 

B.

Attachments:

• copter 1.JPG, 1.2 MB
• copter 3.JPG, 1.2 MB
• copter 4.JPG, 1.4 MB

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mc_don on August 16, 2011 at 12:07pm

thank's for sharing brian :)

btw are you using manual level (from amp) or from remote?

have you tried auto level setting by arming 20sec and fly?

 

i got bad level if i using auto level setting :(

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Boyle on August 16, 2011 at 12:27pm

I did a fairly intense manual level with a two foot level and some shims in my garage and have not done anything other than that. To be honest, I am afraid to mess with it since it is flying so well right now. I am one of those folks that thinks "if it aint broke dont fix it"

 

Cheers.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by u4eake on August 16, 2011 at 12:36pm

I have today tried autlevel in flight with 2.0.39.  First attempt did not give a very good level.  Second attempt was much better though.  I got the impression that you have to take off quickly when the leds start flashing in sequence and that there shouldn't be any wind at all.  Also keep the copter at its place with short corrections, rather then keeping it balancing on the stick.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Boyle on August 16, 2011 at 1:22pm

do you find that with the "nice auto level" that it flies "on its own" without lots of input from you in a hover? more so then with a manual level?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by u4eake on August 16, 2011 at 2:11pm

I first did manual level, just with copter on the ground and flat to the naked eye. When hoovering without stick input and no wind, it wanted to go a little forward and left. I have heli experience, so I instinctively balance the copter on the stick, meaning I put the stick so that it stays level, without really realising I'm not holding the stick in the middle. I have to force myself to let the stick go, to check out what it does.
I then did auto level (for the first time ever), but on takeoff it tilted forward and took a nose stand instead of taking off. I put it straight again and took off, but no good auto level resulted of this flight. It wanted to go forward even more then before.
So I tried again, and this time was ready to take off quickly and already pulled back on the stick slightly when taking off. This way I could quickly get it in stable hoover and keep it there with short corrections. (not keeping it balanced on the stick)
After a minute or so, I landed, disarmed and armed and took off again. Copter stayed in a 5x5m square with minor stick input (sometimes maybe 5 sec without stick input), all in no wind ofcourse. Actually in stabilise it stayed in its place at least as good as in loiter mode.

 

But it didn't stay that way.  With the next battery it wanted to go slightly forward again.  Maybe I had put that battery a little more forward ?  4 clicks of trim got it stable again, but later during the flight I had to remove those again. Looks like "level" drifts a bit during flight.  Only slightly though.  Might also have been a very slow wind.  Leaves weren't moving, but 1 beaufort won't move leaves.

DistributorPermalink Reply by Dany Thivierge on August 16, 2011 at 12:55pm

wow I hope you did apply some heat to those heat shrink tubes on the ESCs... you might/will get shorts with what we see on pictures!!

 

Otherwise, nice frame! :) 

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Brian Boyle on August 16, 2011 at 1:20pm

I am very cautious of that. It is still just for testing. I want to clean everything up and dress the ESC's in. I think that is the plan for this coming weekend.

 

Thanks!

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page