Can anyone point me in the right direction to purchase a modest tether system for multi-rotor aircraft (or instructions for building one) to aid in safely testing code while airborne? I need a system that will eliminate the need for batteries (powered tether), have significant length (50 meters?), and have a mechanism to keep the tether from getting tangled up (such a retraction system that puts a slight tension on the tether). Apologies in advance if a system meeting these specs has already been posted and is available, but I didn't come across one.
I noticed this conversation (http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/auto-retrating-tether-for-testing-large-octocopter), and other DIY projects on the web, but didn't find a system readily available (for purchase, a kit, or plans) that meets the requirements above.
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Hiya, just seen your post and put up a post in the my projects section. We've just built exactly this.
http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/successful-tethered-flight
We're hoping to some day soon finish our development and sell the system so would love to know what you plan to do with it as we might be able to tweak the design for you.
All the best.