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Other things you'll need to complete your BlimpDuino kit

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 30, 2009 at 10:30pm
Your Blimpduino kit comes with most of what you need to compete the blimp, and all the hard-to-find and unique parts. Here's what else you'll need:

  • A soldering iron and solder
  • A FTDI cable (DIY Drones cable recommended) to program the board.
  • Helium (Available in the balloon kits available for $18 at Target, or a larger tank from Amazon)
  • A 7.4v LiPo battery (any other one of that approximate size and capacity will do, as long as it's under about 35-40 grams)
  • A balancing charger (This one, with this power supply, will do the trick and is inexpensvie)
  • If you want to use RC mode, you'll need an RC system with at least three channels. Any will work, starting with simple systems such as this one. You''ll also need two female-to-female RC cables.
  • A 9v battery for the ground beacon
  • Double-stick tape to attach the board to the gondola
  • Velcro tape to attach the gondola to the envelope
  • Superglue
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Comments

  • Cesar Agustin June 23, 2009 at 10:44am
    :( Sparkfun is backordered on the 3.3V and 5V. DIYdrones is backordered on the cables.

    I looked at moderndevice and they have stock, but seems that I solder a few jumpers to get it to 3.3V.
    http://moderndevice.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=166
  • Cesar Agustin June 22, 2009 at 2:27pm
    Thanks. I start ordering the Sparkfun first then.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 22, 2009 at 2:07pm
    1) The 3.3v board is better.
    2) Not sure; mine hasn't arrived yet.
  • Cesar Agustin June 22, 2009 at 1:52pm
    Drone newbie, picked it up at Maker Faire.

    Couple of questions:
    1) For the Sparkfun board, should I order 3.3V or 5V?
    2) You referenced that Zippy battery which needs a different connector. Which connector does it need? Just want to make sure my online order is complete when I do this shortly. Thanks.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 20, 2009 at 8:22pm
    Unbalanced cells are fine. They've got slightly shorter life but it's not a big deal.
  • Mitch Patenaude June 20, 2009 at 7:32pm
    I hope you'll excuse all the questions. I'm somewhat new at this. The 300mAh 2S lipoly packs I can find in local hobby stores aren't balanced, but I'm not sure how much difference it really makes.

    Should I hold out for the online pack and charger, or is it doubtful that I will ever drain the packs far enough to make unbalanced cells a problem?
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 20, 2009 at 3:40pm
    The regulator can handle up 11v (3C). There's really no reason to use anything higher and 2C (7.4v) is better.
  • Mitch Patenaude June 20, 2009 at 3:12pm
    What about the voltage? Will the switching regulator on the board handle 11 or 14 volts? will the motor controller?
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 20, 2009 at 2:40pm
    Mitch: Just a quick update. I happen to have one of the batteries you linked to. It will fit in a pinch, but it's a bit tight. It has a different connector, so you'll have to solder your own.
  • 3D Robotics
    Chris Anderson June 20, 2009 at 1:24pm
    I think this one would be better (it's flatter and higher capacity). The flatter the better.

    The lifting capacity of the envelope is around 130-140 grams. The gondola with recommended battery is around 90 grams, so you've got a bit of extra lifting capacity if you want to add stuff, like higher-capacity batteries or video cameras.
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