Hello,
I build a drone for my french school, it's based on a PL2Q frame. The goal is to do FPV ( commanded by me throught a camera) and telemetry.
So, I have two plan:
Common things :
- Frame printed by my 3D printer : 0$
- Motors, ESV and propellers: 120$
- LIPO battery and charger: 40$
- Magnetometer: 45$
- Camera: 15$
- RC Gear: 60$
Plan A: The simple way
- Ardupilot Mega (with GPS): 250$
- Xbee telemetry: 150$
Plan B: The Hard Way
- Multiwii board: 48$
- Gyro: Wii nunchuck + wii motion plus: 30$
- GPS: 37$
- FrSky Telemetry (receiver/module): 40$
So my questions:
- It is possible to send video via Xbee/FrSky telemetry ? (to do FPV)
- Should I take plan A or plan B ?
- Any other advice?
Replies
The Xbee/Frsky are just data links. In either case, for FPV, you'll need a wireless video link - for example:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__15295__5_8g_200mw_FPV_Wi...
I don't know much about the MultiWii so can't really comment. I run an APM1 and with the latest release of the APM software, the quad flies very nicely.
If cost is an issue with the APM approach, the new APM2 is only $200. Plus you could try this telemetry option which is about 1/3 the cost of the Xbee and works well for me:
http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/this-might-be-another-cheap-solut...
You might want to check the legality of the 900 MHz frequency in your region.