GoPro Hero3+ via usb to 3DR 5.8ghz video kit- No VIDEO! Please Help!

Posted by Craig P. on May 17, 2014 at 4:33pm

Hello Folks, 

Just trying to test out my 3dr 5.8ghz fpv setup with a go pro hero 3+ via usb to transmitter.

Issue is no video on monitor.

All less show power and batteries have sufficient power.

Perhaps a Gopro setting I'm missing? Or potentially i've incorrectly setup the channels setting on the monitor receiver?

gopro usb cable is a standard two wire usb to transmitter end cable purchased at greathobbies.com.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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Replies

  • Craig P. May 24, 2014 at 9:50am

    Here's a few images of my Y6.

    IMG_2293.jpeg

    IMG_2735.jpeg

    IMG_5755.jpeg

    https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3701742451?profile=original
    • James A > Craig P. May 26, 2014 at 12:46am

      Nice looking Y6. What flight time are you getting off your 3s 3300mah pack?

    • Craig P. > James A May 27, 2014 at 12:48pm

      Thanks, unfortunately i have yet to get it flying, due to several issues with the tx/rx connections (bypassing pixhawk motors spin, while connected theres no response) and now i can't seem to find the "com" port for telemetry in apm planner (macbook air, I don't seem get to along well with windows).

      Hopefully get it up and running within the next couple weeks and be able to give a definitive response on actually flight time.

      Craig P.

    • Haygood > Craig P. May 27, 2014 at 3:28pm

      I wonder if you might be able to try a different computer?

    • Craig P. > Haygood May 27, 2014 at 6:34pm

      Well upon updating to the new apm planner and restarting my mac with the radio plugged in all the while restoring all default setting, I seem to have got the telemetry working again. Unfortunately I never do well on a windows system, and all my other computers are mac's as well (recording studio is mac, my research comp is also a custom built mac) although I have considered a microsoft surface specifically for this particular use......

      Now on to figuring out why this sbus to pixhawk is giving me troubles...

  • Craig P. May 24, 2014 at 7:57am

    Well i'm currently running my flight video transmitter off a Gens Ace 3s 850mah 30c, and my current flight lipo is a Kypom 3300mah 35c 3s, so would I not be able to just merely connect the video transmitter power cable to the flight battery say by connecting directly to the power distribution board in order to obtain the power for the video? And I do not require power for the Gopro itself as I'm just using its internal battery.

    • Haygood > Craig P. May 24, 2014 at 9:32am

      Your 3S will get down to 3.5*3=10.5 volts in regular service, and could easily come on down to 10v before we are apparently supposed to expect damage to the batteries.  Whether your video transmitter (vTX) will like that or not has yet to be determined.  It wouldn't really suprise me if it did just fine.  I use a 4s, so I'm not supposed to get below 14v at the battery, so I don't need to pull the voltage up.  If you are using the 3S 850 down to 10v and the system is happy, then go ahead and pull 3S from the flight battery.

      Your system must be pretty light if you are using a 3300 3s.   I use a 6000mAh 4s.  

      Like every other thread out there already mentions, be advised the GoPro wants 5v and will roll over and die if you put 12v to it; just in case you ever change your mind and go that route.  I can use 5v from the servo rail to power my GoPro.  I set that up after going out on a job once and finding out I hadn't turned the GoPro off last time I checked the system.  Dead battery, no flight, no video.  I'd haven't bothered to get a dummy battery for it, yet, but I'd like to.

    • Craig P. > Haygood May 24, 2014 at 9:38am

      Well the 3s 3300mah was recommended to me by the canadian retailer i've been dealing with here in Canada, and as for weight well i'm not really sure what a light or heavy weight would consist of as i'm rather new to this. To be honest i'm a biologist working on a masters thesis and think there may be a few applications I would be able to use my Y6 for. Although I have yet to get the tx/rx to work properly (9XR turnigy to be exact) probably due to my inexperience and lack of knowledge to even know where to begin with tx/rx. I do have an electrical engineering background but never in this form of application.

  • Craig P. May 17, 2014 at 9:35pm

    Thanks all!!!

    I took a shot at removing the usb plastic covering and to my dismay the video cable had manage to come loose. Perhaps upon shipping I presume.

    So after a quick solder fix I have managed to obtain some video signal, although at times the coloration is a bit off overall it seems to have worked.

    Now to find a solution for powering the transmitter off the flight lipo as to avoid the extra weight of the designated video transmitter lipo...

    Thanks for all the responses.

    • Haygood > Craig P. May 18, 2014 at 10:05am

      Dimensioneingineering makes switching regulators that can raise or drop voltage to a variety of voltages.  They also make this one, which allows you to set the voltage.  Look to the left of the page for a list labelled "DC to DC" of switching regulators and such.  If you don't find a good stable 12v for the transmitter, you could make one that way.

      http://www.dimensionengineering.com/products/anyvolt-micro

      There are also stand-alone BEC's on eBay for $10 that will drop 4s to 6s down to 12v, but it doesn't say whether they can raise voltage on a 3s system to 12v, whether they use linear or switching regulators (you want switching for efficiency, if the cost is reasonable), or any other details.  

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