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A nifty autopilot/pan-tilt pod for the Skywalker

Posted by Chris Anderson on February 4, 2011 at 11:07pm

3689388272?profile=originalI installed the ReadyMadeRC pan/tilt pod for the Skywalker this evening, and was delighted to find that it's also a perfect fit for ArduPilotMega. The autopilot and GPS fit very neatly right into the back of the pod, as shown above.

 

The whole thing is custom made for the foam Skywalker and fits like a glove, all secured with a little thumb screw in the front. And it keeps APM out in the open, so you can see the LEDs. Sweet!

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Comments

  • SciFly March 7, 2011 at 1:31pm
    Anyone have the dims for the cabin??
  • Rana February 6, 2011 at 2:09pm

    We kept slightly beyond that;3692165468?profile=original

  • Developer
    John Arne Birkeland February 5, 2011 at 3:19pm
    Rana: ...and found the best location of the transmitter where least interference to the GPS is there, comes around 1 feet away from the prop, toward tail.
    You mean the flat area on the Skywalker tail, that looks like it is made for some kind of equipment? One could even begin to wonder if they put it there for a reason.. :)
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson February 5, 2011 at 10:40am

    These guys make a fiberglass belly pan, too, but they're always out of stock :-(

     

    3692164640?profile=original

  • Greg Fletcher February 5, 2011 at 9:23am
    Chris, One thing you might want to consider. The IMU chips and pressure sensor could be in direct sunlight and could be warmer sitting on the ground during start up and cooling once in flight from airflow. It could change the offsets.
  • Moderator
    Robert Krogh (hooks) February 5, 2011 at 8:05am

    Some of these ebay 12 v cameras will give you RF noise and will reduce the range of the wireless video setup.

    If you power the camera and VTx from the same battery you can make a filter to reduce the noice. I have good experience with 5v camera, they seems to have less RF noice.

     

    To get most out of these Video systems there are alot of info on RCG about how to tune antenna, Vtx/Rtx.

    LC filter

    3692164714?profile=original

    A way to make a DIY LC filter

    3692164788?profile=original

     

    3692164594?profile=original

    Best DIY antenna

     

    The Vtx antenna is very close to the GPS - consider move the antenna out on the wing tip.

  • Rana February 5, 2011 at 7:57am

    We have done lots of field trials on various video transmitters on different frequency bands and found the best location of the transmitter where least interference to the GPS is there, comes around 1 feet away from the prop, toward tail.

     

    So present pan-tilt pod may really look very sexy but from intereference point of view, one can not put the video transmitter in the pocket provide in it. 

  • Rana February 5, 2011 at 7:50am

    46US$ price is very high;

    Two 9gm servos does not cost more than 6US$, This type of Camera pan tilt does not cost more than 5US$

    Furthermore servo streatcher  not included in this, so 36US$ for the balsa frame is really very very high price.  

  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson February 5, 2011 at 7:46am
    @Johann: Unfortunately, those fiberglass protectors were prototypes that were not put into production, so they're not available.

    @Tycinis: That's just the standard HobbyKing FPV gear: http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=13440
  • tycinis February 5, 2011 at 5:16am
    Chris : have you the spec of your Tx show in the picture ? ( the blue/green one )
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