Y6 + Tarot2D = No Room for Battery?

Posted by Amos Olson on June 13, 2014 at 8:42pm

I've upgraded my 2013 Y6 with the 2014 Frame Kit and also got 3DR's Tarot-2D kit.  When attached, there is only 14CM (5.5") of space between the Gimbal and the Rear Leg... even my 3S battery is 15CM, and my 4S is 16CM...

Does the 4S battery sold by 3DR fit into the space?  Their website had wrong info about it's sizing and when I called them yesterday a tech measured one of their batteries and said it was 16CM (which obviously wouldn't fit in the 14CM space left when their gimbal is installed).

Is there an alternate way to install the battery? (perhaps rotated 90 degrees and sticking out the sides) If so, would that cause any weight distribution issues?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious here... if so, please let me know :)

I'm excited to get this up in the air and filming!

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Replies

  • Jason R August 30, 2014 at 2:34am

    Yup, turn battery 90 degrees.  Works fine.

  • Haygood August 30, 2014 at 1:57am
    Just turn the battery sideways. That's what the additional slots in the Body plates are for. Turned sideways and slid all the way back the copter with gimbal and GoPro and a 4000 LiPo balances spot on with the bat at the rearmost pair of slots. For bigger batteries, there is a slot a little further forward but still well behind the gimbal. The downside is you can't
    Fold the machine as nicely as you can with a longitudinal battery, but I don't see anything else balancing as well. Your new holes for the gimbal confuses me because the gimbal is only 1cm from the front on mine, but
    I guess you found a way. I'd like the camera a bit more forward and up a bit higher, personally. A redesign of the crooked arm the gimbal motors mount to would be nice.
  • Daniel DiBona August 29, 2014 at 11:27pm
    Yes, tbis issue is an example of what an easy opportunity fix looks like. Using the Tarot 2D gimbal requires mounting it forward a few centimeters. I drilled holes, sealed edges with cyanoacrylate and then mounted the gimbals. Made wire routing easier, center of gravity balanced and overall a favorable and easy modification.
  • Philipp Walker July 2, 2014 at 2:18pm

    I did the same and now have about the same problem...

    I've (partly) updated my 2013 Y6 with the 2014 Frame Kit and now, one of my LiPos (3S 6200 mAh) doesn't fit anymore.

    There are some batteries which fit, e.g. I've just purchased a 8500mAh 3S2P monster which (nearly) fits.

    Next thing I'm propably going to do is changing the bottom motors to 10'' and drill some extra holes into the arms as proposed by Haygood .

    But I would really like to see the Tarot holder being pushed a bit forward, too.

  • Doug Walmsley July 2, 2014 at 6:18am

    Have two suggestions to make 6000 mAh 4S batteries fit.  The easiest method for me was to drill another hole in aft arm equal to the two screw holes in the landing gear and move the rear landing gear back.  Still clears the lower prop.

    Second option is a bit more to do but worked for me.  Purchase landing stuts from goodluckbuy.com (FPV T-shape Carbon Fiber Landing Gear Skid for RC Mulitcopter X650 S550 Compatible (SKU: 105883).  I posted this in Y6 section titles "Modified Y6).

     

    Hope this was of some help.

     

    • Haygood > Doug Walmsley July 2, 2014 at 1:21pm
      Have you checked where the balance point is with the battery that far back? It balances right at the center with the battery turned sideways. I would imagine those rear motors are doing more than their fair share with the batt further back.
  • Haygood June 13, 2014 at 9:25pm

    I would have liked to see them push the Tarot forward just a bit so we never saw the landing gear in the shot, and so the battery could fit lengthwise.  However, there is plenty of room for it sideways, and some slots there for one battery strap to hold it.  Mine balances very well with the 4s 6000mAh lipo scooted back against the rear slot for the battery strap.  I use one strap and some velcro on the frame and battery to hold it.  It sticks out each side slightly, and you have to remove the battery to fold the arms back more than a couple of inches.  

    While you are at it, you might consider some other changes I made.  I drilled a single new hole in each arm to hold the landing gear 1/2" further out on the arms.  That gives you a paltry 8% improvement in stability on landing, but the thing needs it.  I'm also considering shortening the landing gear slightly.  I moved the the two ESC's on the rear sides of the body backward slightly.  They are still connected by the same zipties, just scooted back a bit.  This allows me to fold the front arms back a lot further, which makes more room in my case for the radio transmitter and video monitor.  I also flipped the video transmitter over (face down) and rotated it so its antenna is to the rear of the frame.  This puts more distance between it and the 3DR radio antenna and exposes the heat sink to more air.  I secured it with a zip tie and got rid of the bulky velcro'ish stuff.  The GPS antenna doesn't care the video TX is so close to it.  Lastly, I ran a spektrum satellite extension cable inside the rear arm and mounted the sat receiver right between the two rear motors.  It is much happier being far away from all of the electronics and transmitters.  It doesn't seem to have any trouble with EMFs from the motors at all. i added a video switcher, too.  

    • Amos Olson > Haygood June 13, 2014 at 10:00pm

      Thank you for the info, it seems like you've really got this beast figured out!  If you happen to have any on hand, I would LOVE to see a bunch of detailed photos of your setup... 

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