I own a Hexa-C.
My entire goal is to mount a high-megapixel camera on it, to take aerial photos.
However, my attempts so far to attach the camera mount have not succeeded.
I bought the 3DR "Pitch stabilized fiber glass camera mount, w/ metal gear servo" for $150.
I looked for instructions on how to install it.
I found this page on the new documentation: http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/camera-mount/
It is missing a lot.
I don't care about pitch stabilization (I only need the camera to point down. normal aerial photos are the goal) so thankfully, that rules out having to figure out all the confusing stuff about attaching the cable to some pins on the APM. (I can't even get to the APM because the APM is buried inside the Hexa-C housing).
I only need to attach the mount to the frame.
There is no picture showing how to do that.
In fact, the documentation doesn't even show which way on the camera mount is "up" or what part of the mount is meant to attach to a camera.
There is some more info in the older docs: https://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Camera
It at least has an image (titled "Example physical set-up of a gimbal on a jDrones frame") which shows which way is "up". However, the example frame shown is not the normal 3DR RTF Hexa-C frame. So, there's no indication of how to attach the 3DR mount to the 3DR frame.
I could guess that it somehow goes between the battery and the frame? There are two threaded bolts sticking down .. perhaps that's what the camera mount attaches with? With some kind of fastening hardware - what is it? And the frame comes with mysterious little black circular objects around the threaded bolts (shown in image) - what are those for?
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Hey Gents,
Any chance you gents might know where to get a replacement one? I crashed hard, and would like to replace it with something.
I've checked the wiki above, on how to mount a new one, but it is for the quad/y6/y8 only. Don't think it would fit my Hexa-C frame?
Cheers
Mark
I can tell you how to mount it. The 'mysterious little black circular objects' are the key here.
In one of your images you have these black circular things fastened to your frame. The idea is that you place the camera mount on top of the bolts, THEN on top of the base of the mount, you place the circular things and THEN you put the nut on the bolt, so ON TOP of then black circular things.
They are there because the bolt and nut are too small in diameter compared to the space in the base if the camera mount, so the black things sit in between as kind of spacers and to bridge the space gap if that makes sense.
Let me know if this helps.
I'll attach a pic from my earlier Quad-C with the 3DR mount as it was originally as well as my current modified hex as it is now.
image.jpg