Tricopters for beginners

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- - - - Duncan J > David Ko May 18, 2014 at 8:34pm
        
        upload the latest tricopter APM software using the mission planner and plug your tail servo into #7 on the output rail. keep in mind, the servo will not move until the tricopter is armed, so that is how you'll have to test it out. movement should be reverse of your stick input. left stick = right tail movement and vise versa (have you created a tail servo tilt mechanism to hold the motor?). make sure you have a servo connector going from your channel #7 in addition to 1-5 inputs so you can have a switch for your autotune, different commands.
        
        David Ko > Duncan J May 19, 2014 at 6:46am
        
        where the servo get power from ? from the APM Out put rail #7 ?
        
        also is it suppose the CH 1 in RX is plug to Input 1 in APM Input rail and so on for rest of the CH? but in my casue if i do so , when i go to Radio Calibration in the Mission planner, when i move the Throttle stick at my radio , the Roll bar in the mission planner will move, so end up i need to change the wire like this
        
        Reciver end APM Input end
        CH 1 CH 3
        CH 2 CH 1
        CH 3 CH 2
        CH 4 CH 4
        
        in order to match all the Bar at mission planner work normally and move to the the stick they suppose to control .... am i doing the right thing?
        
        Duncan J > David Ko May 19, 2014 at 10:12am
        
        the tricopter tail servo can get power from the output rail. If you had multiple servos, this wouldn't be the case.. however with only one servo it will work out well.
        
        Use this link for reference:
        
        http://copter.ardupilot.com/wiki/connecting-your-rc-input-and-motors/
        
        And this extracted piece, <<THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR SERVO POWER>>>
        
        "
        
        No Power Module and using Servos with BEC power from two ESCs
        
        If you do not have a power module and you are using servos remove JP1.
        
        Provide APM and receiver power via 1 pair of ESC-BEC power wires connected to the APM INPUT connector power pins.
        
        Also connect another of the ESCs power wire pair to the OUTPUT connector.
        
        The BEC of a single ESC must provide sufficient power for all your servos.
        
        Clip the signal power leads on your remaining ESC’s.
        
        Connect all ESC signal wires to the appropriate OUTPUT connector pins."
        
        You will only one if your inputs are correct when you check them in the radio calibration tab on mission planner. Also, for user convenience, the APMplanner software allows you *through the adv params tab* to reprogram the input signals so you don't have to unplug the wires, you can just plug them in however you'd like. personally, this takes a bit more time than just plugging them in correctly.
        
        You're going through the process correct. make sure you have your inputs correct as they need to be correct for a reason :) otherwise you're going to have a real bad takeoff experience. ;-)
        
        David Ko > Duncan J May 18, 2014 at 9:18pm
        
        i recorded a video
        
        is that means my power module is not working ?
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke3qT-36Qr0
        
        the power moudel should be notting to set and just plug and play right? it should power up my APM board once i plug it in ? even i didnt plug any esc or anything but the APM alone , the power module should able to jsut plug and turn my board on right ?
        
        YouTube
Steven Taylor February 25, 2013 at 9:19pm

Check out rcexplorer.se. That's what I used for my first tricopter. You make the frame out of wood so when you crash it's really easy to repair. Just go with a kk2 for a flight controller.
T3

Richard Boyhan February 25, 2013 at 7:20pm

Why tricoptee? Why not a Quadcopter? I've also seen v shaped hex or octo copters do some amazing acrobatic flying.

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Tricopters for beginners

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No Power Module and using Servos with BEC power from two ESCs

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