Hi DIY guys, I would like to show you my almost finished Tarot FY680 setup.

I saw different approaches for ESC mounting. I choose bottom because a couple of reasons:

1-My motors wires were long enough to reach central frame, they came with 3.5mm male gold connectors.
2-I like ESC free arms, and I don't think hot dissipation will be an issue for this setup. 

So the frame remains being foldable even with ESC out of the arms. 

I decided not to use standard payload bars to fix my ASP Brushless Gimbal. Instead I 3D printed 4 plastic adapters to fix gimbal using M3 screws and Tarot originals plate holes.

Flight controller mount was more easier I printed out a case from Thingiverse.com APM 2.5 Case. I just made some changes to fit horizontal pin out. 

Landing gear was a more complicated. I took 2 standard electric landing gears for planes and replace the rotary plastic piece for a custom 3D printed. Also I printed out a wrapper in order to fix the leg to the fixed middle arm. 

The leg is wrapped by another 3D printed part which is the weakest part of the assembly so I'm working in different way to handle the leg without exposing an-isotropic weaknesses of ABS FDM printed parts. 

System looks weak for rude landings, but It handles vertical hard landings easily. I didn't try yet landings with horizontal velocity or over irregular ground, and I wont. It works well considering it only cost $ 70 while a prof. solution can cost more than $ 800. Now I'm waiting for a new 3-axis gimbal.

Some tests here:

GPS and radio goes to a pretty case which I made my self. You can get it from http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:148552

This case was meant to hold CRIUS GPS module not a 3DR GPS. If you have a 3DR take a look to this one http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:91847.

Resume: 

Motors HP2814 - 810kv

Props Carbon fiber 13x6.5

APM 2.5

ESC 30A

CRIUS GPS v2

3DR 433Mhz radio.

The last post I show you pictures of my 3D printed quad. It took me more than thought to test it in flight.  The climate and labor, plotted.

Test flight was successful. It flew solid, pretty stable, less noisy than my other models (May be I'm getting deft). 
3s 4000mah LiPo = 10 min.

I have to work on it lighter. I have some ideas. But for now I'll finish the gimbal G3.

For more info please visit: https://www.facebook.com/Argfly

I have been working on this model for almost two months. The idea was to create a mid/heavy-lift 3D printed folding/detachable quadcopter. this is the first prototype that I have printed out.

Hope you guys helps me to improve the design. There is a lot of things to do before it's done. For example battery holder, in different alternative positions, under, top, sides, it depends on what kind of load do you have: fixed camera, sensors, stab gimbal etc.

In order to provide a good system to wrap load/battery modules I'm testing Rotite joints. I know it's has Intellectual Property restrictions... but is such a nice way to keep thing fixed when you have a 3D printer.http://www.rotite.com/ 
Even it could be a good system for detachable arms, like this one which is no-plane.

Specs:
- 3536-11 motors from RCTimer: 102gr
- 30A ESCs simonK
- APM2.5
- 3DR radio 433Mhz
- Turnigy 9x Radio
- poor man but very effective FC vibration isolated system
- GPS CRIUS board V2.0 with u-blox CN06

Weights:
- Full quad without battery: 1.3 Kg.
- Weight single arm, with cables but without motor: 95 gr
- Weight single arm, fully assembled: 197 gr.
- Main body box without electronics: 173gr
- Dampening plate: 53gr

Dampening system is quite simple, but I didn't toke pictures, I will upload a Solidworks render soon.

Assembling: I toke the easy way, I use a home made ABS solution in acetone 100% pure. This solution is pretty hard and I got a solid union. 3D Printer use thermal plastic fusion between layers, so this is a chemical union, even harder. I'm still waiting for brass fastener and screw M3 to improve this assembly. 

For more info here is the FB page https://www.facebook.com/Argfly
Please I would like to hear critics, helps me a lot.

ESC are in the basement, on top the FC dampening plate suspended with 10 mm padding on the 3-axis by elastic bands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZLZJC6_Vfg

Last post I presented this homemade hexacopter. This is primarily a mechanical steadycam style motion compensation/smoothing system, the 2 servos (roll, pitch) engage and act as dampers to reduce oscillation and alter the "home" position to compensate for hexacopter pitch and roll. Then that whole system is rubber band isolated from the motors/airframe to reduce high frequency vibration. (Thanks George for this definition).

Main flight controller is APM2.5. Servos are controlled by other FC, CRIUS SE v1.0 running Multiwii. I did program a new FC mode named STEADYCAM which is different from GIMBAL mode. This new mode uses the PID loop + delta angle to alter the "home position" in order to compensate both non-desired gimbal movements and hexacopter pitch/roll. Note that the STEADYCAM mode is not for regular gimbals. I will upload my code to Multiwii repo soon.

There is no way I can use a bigger FC for this purpose. Why? because the FC goes attached to the Steadycam arm, not the hexaframe, so It has to be an independent FC (I recommend CRIUS Lite which is even cheaper, because no barometer is needed here) 

Here are a couple of videos (One moved up by mod.):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Zr1axUutk

More work has to be done. I have to play a bit more with Steadycam PID values and delta angle proportionals. But so far I have a smooth video after some post edition stab. 

The concept of this design is based on ECILOP, but with Argentinian flavour. Also this Steadycam don't have GYROs just a cheap FC with a PID loop, which is more configurable and extensible.

Next: Outdoor footage, Add Rx pitch/roll input to Steadycam, Improve stab.

This is my project, I have been working on it for a couple of months. Is not ready yet and certainly it's not good looking, need more work but here is a video of some features.

Note this is a Steadycam design based on ECILOP ideas. But with a Multiwii board instead of gyros. Multiwii is fixed to the steadycam arm and acts as stab controller. I did a couple of changes in multiwii firmware to add a new mode "STEADYCAM" couse "GIMBAL" mode is just delta angle stab, and I need a PID loop stab + delta angle.

I use high speed servos and rubber bands as actuators couse direct drive is a mess.

The inner frame is connected to main frame by rubber band, so vibration cant pass trough to the FC and Steadycam system.

Here are the arms and main frame:

Fully assembled, note that no camera is attached bellow, instead a use a dead lipo battery as ballast and my bike back light which has a laser similar to a laser level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y77qXdy_l1E

Bluetooth <-> RS232 adapter allows connection from any device that supports RS232 to PC or other device that supports Bluetooth. This walkthrough demonstrates how to configure some parameters such as name and internal Baud rate.

Read more...

http://apirola.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/setup-jy-mcu-bt-board-v1-2/