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The Drift HD-170 POV camera as an on-board HD video camera?

Posted by Andrew Rabbitt on March 12, 2011 at 11:00am

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As part of my plans to make a balloon-launched, return-to-launch UAV glider, I was looking out for a HD video camera that I could use in a typical fuselage installation.  I chose to invest my hard-earned into the Drift HD170 mostly because I figured the rotating lens meant that it was probably separate from the main processor board.  Only purchase and disassembly would find out...!

 

So, here's the full teardown and inspection of the device

 

The basic unit weighs 138g according the Drift, but stripped to this level it comes in at 58-60g, SD card included. The standard battery weighs 26g, but I intend to power the device from a central on-board battery pack, noise notwithstanding.

 

I plan on using the Skyfun as my airframe, so keeping the centre-of-gravity under control is my main priority.  This will be mounted in the nose of the airframe, so losing every possible gram is important to me, but damn that lens is still pretty weighty! (about 30g of the 58g total!)

 

 

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Comments

  • Steve August 24, 2011 at 2:27pm

    The Drift HD170 has a HD output via component cables. How are you doing composite output to a video transmitter?

     

    The GoPro has composite output, but what about the Drift HD170?

  • Darren March 14, 2011 at 6:41am
    will it output standard composite video? looked to me like its component video out
  • Doug Connell March 14, 2011 at 6:38am

    Robert -

    I took that picture with the Drift HD170 but I did not have it set up for transmitting video. We have been doing some testing with output though and as I learn more I will certainly share. We have thought about interrupting

    the signal to the display as a possibility. How do you like the ImmersionRC transmitter?

     

  • Cliff Dearden March 14, 2011 at 5:18am
    @Marco, "Collision avoidance" Brilliant!
  • Matthew M March 13, 2011 at 11:49am
    Andrew you are so lucky not to be living in the United States, the regulations do not allow a guided return vehicle of any sort. A para-sail as an alternative but with out guidance it's no better than a parachute. I have had a similar project in mine using the guided glider to return a payload that would be to expensive to just launch on a balloon and hope for recovery. I'll be following your progress here with everyone else.
  • Andrew Rabbitt March 12, 2011 at 11:49pm

    Thanks for all the responses so far.  I hope you find the teardown useful for your projects.

    @Mike, I'll have to do another blog post to describe what I want to do -  much theory and digital paper at the moment though, with baby steps.

     

    @Hamish - thanks for the links!  I think I've visited them before in my web-trawl. Art Vanden Berg's work is as impressive as it is inspirational.  I'm slightly awed by the date that he did this - truly a pioneer!

     

    @Robert Beatty - No, I haven't got it running as an FPV camera.  I probably caused confusion by describing it as a POV camera in this context, which is how the camera industry seem to label it.  I guess it must be possible to use it as a webcam-over-USB, but currently the firmware doesn't support it.  Perhaps we can suggest to Drift that it develop this as a future firmware update?  My plans don't include any FPV requirement though

     

     

  • T.D. Gonzales March 12, 2011 at 9:49pm
    One idea for controlling the CG on the skyfun might be to cut the nose off to reduce the leverage that the front of the plane has. Although I'm not sure how it will fly after you do that. I was thinking about doing that to mine when I add a nose mounted cam.
  • hamish March 12, 2011 at 6:10pm

    Thats brilliant quality!

     

    And Andrew, I'm hoping to do exactly what you are!  You should check out the http://ukhas.org.uk/ community if you haven't already,  it's UK based but there was a canadian on the IRC who has already done this a few years ago.  He had a pretty simple autopilot and a 35mm camera on board! Old skool.  Looks like hes making a new one too.

  • Doug Connell March 12, 2011 at 4:34pm
    I have been using the camera for almost a year and the quality is awesome. It will be fun to follow your progress, good luck.3692181761?profile=original
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