Ritchie's Blog (17)

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"Hyperspectral" GoPro HD

GIF of my close with filter options

As you all know I've been bashing away to create code for cameras whether that be tracking a GPS point or stabilising the camera platform or just clicking the camera button. The code is currently adolescent in nature,…

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Added by Ritchie on June 22, 2011 at 6:00am — 18 Comments

In development...

I have not posted up anything in a month so thought I should give an overview of what I've designed. Unfortunately I have hit a LARGE snag in that BatchPCB is basically broken for international orders as no shipping options appear and so you cannot buy anything (its been like this since January). 5 months of waiting to produce…

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Added by Ritchie on June 15, 2011 at 7:00am — 19 Comments

Camera tracking, stabilisation, triggering and waypoint activity updated to APM2.1

Hi guys this is another late night post but I'll try to lay it out right.

I have updated the:

  • Camera tracking code to use the new DCM maths
  • Camera control code to use the APM_RC stuff instead of the outdated servo_out (ashame to be honest as that was very easy to use but the new one is more…
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Added by Ritchie on May 17, 2011 at 5:00am — 69 Comments

Futaba toggles

This is just a quickie before I go to bed.

Those with a Futaba 6EX will know the toggle don't always feel right when you are flying a plane well as I use both my extra channels for mode switching I figured enough was enough and put them together. I took off the back and traced the wires back to a PCB point.…

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Added by Ritchie on May 12, 2011 at 5:04pm — 1 Comment

Choosing an airframe

The entire community runs off the knowledge of others, recommending things for each other, building things for each other, coding things for each other. As I am trying to get some code together for later release it came to me that the maths I'd been using to help an RC Groups thread would be spot on for us. I of…

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Added by Ritchie on March 21, 2011 at 5:18pm — 18 Comments

Camera triggering

 

As I am immersed in my coding for the pan and tilt it occurs to me that I have not posted code for just normal camera work yet. Having updated the wiki to include this post as well as writing the servo install…

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Added by Ritchie on February 12, 2011 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

Camera Tracking

Pan & Tilt with retraction running on Arduino 2560 (not APM) with some quick test code - 480i version



 …

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Added by Ritchie on February 2, 2011 at 1:00pm — 24 Comments

In physics we trust...

With my first flight (brief as it was) successful. I set about playing with the beta release and by the time I had modified nobbles and bobbles the new beta has been released. Going through the check list as usual I setup rc stuff put in a flight plan for auto mode and checked everything with the CLI.
Snow had fallen so I decided I'd give the it a mini flight instead of the huge…
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Added by Ritchie on December 2, 2010 at 12:30pm — 16 Comments

Aileron modification

Fitting ailerons is not exactly new to the EasyStar so here is my rendition.

Using 1" masking tape I laid out a strip across the entire straight part of the wing…























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Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 9:00am — 7 Comments

Wing magnets

Having heard the EasyStar puzzle fit wings come loose (but not fall out or anything wierd) being the cause for magnet help I figured getting it done now would be easier. The same technique for the chassis was used to fit the magnets in each wing.

10mm drill bit pushed into foam

Scapel cut along marked line

Poke out foam inside line

CA glue magnet in place

NOTE.. CA glue is fast drying so make sure you get your magnets the right way round before glueing…
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Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Servo line install (in chassis)



Coming from a JP Zagi I wanted dual channel ailerons (achieved via elevons) but I wanted to still be able to remove my wings easily. Having seen lots of aileron mods I decided I knew where the leads would come out on mine and began my grooving. Grooved for the wires soon revealed the connector to be 3x thicker than the wire so a bigger groove was fashioned for the side for a snug fit. Now although pushing in a connector meant it did not move…
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Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 7:00am — No Comments

Measure twice, cut once. Or just take the scapel to it.

Now the major bodgery has been done I added the propeller (7x4 from previous) and noticed I was 5mm to big for the plane but as it has work my me so well in the passed I though I'd just mod it in. Using the poke and trim method I created a groove for the blade to fit… Continue

Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

Receiver install

The R617FS receiver is for the 2.4GHz Futaba 6EX transmitter and so "requires" a 90° position to function. So with the elevator channel being used for elevons (in the wings) the servo hole on the side of the chassis is redundant, that hole shall take my receiver. After… Continue

Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 5:00am — 3 Comments

EasyStar Upgrade 3: ESC and LiPO fitment

Cramming the ESC, LiPO and motor in the back compartment space isn't easy given the short space so I gave it a look, placed everything where it could go and the problem became apparent. Leads would have to be cut as if they were not the LiPO could be in the nose so I decided to trim back the leads on the cheapest bit, the eTronix. Trimmed to a sensible length I found the battery leads were still too long so trimmed them again. I used gold connectors and heat shrink to connect and…
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Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 4:00am — 3 Comments

EasyStar Upgrade 2: Motor Mount

The Hacker A30-16M is 38mm in diameter and so does not fit in the tiny hole for the Permax400. The idea was simple enough, make room and make it stable. Looking at the hole I would need to enlarge made me realise that enlarging it would need the kind of delicacy that I simply couldn't achieve with any sort of implement (machine or otherwise). So I carefully trimmed of sections to try and make it look nice as well as fit but that did not work until I got right down. I followed the…
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Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 3:00am — 5 Comments

EasyStar Upgrade 1: Chassis modifications

Having previous kit I want to use the EasyStar in standard trim was not gonna cut it so modifications were needed. I will document each modification in single posts (hopefully) so others know what not to do.



The chassis/airframe holds the majority of the parts so… Continue

Added by Ritchie on September 2, 2010 at 2:00am — 10 Comments

The journey begins

For my first post I thought I'd give back to the community (and edit later to add anything else I can do).



Viability spreadsheet



I'm pretty new to RC planes although I have had a JP Zagi for years but with it being unpowered I'm at the mercy of the wind and I'm still pretty jittery. Seeing the DIY Drones setup I thought it would help me become a bit more competent but instead I bought an EasyStar… Continue

Added by Ritchie on August 28, 2010 at 12:00pm — 2 Comments

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