Mounted the ServoCity.com SPT50 Sub-Micro Pan & Tilt with two Hitec HS-55 servos and a SuperCircuits.com board camera (one of their inexpensive B/W models) to the underside of the Easy Star wing, directly under the wing spar in the removable block of foam. The camera is secured using hot glue which does a surprisingly fine job of holding it in there, yet making removable possible without lasting effects to the board or pan/tilt mounting plate. Also, I'm using Servo Stretchers (also from Servocity.com) to adjust the limits and extend the travel of the servos.Could improve the design by using shorter servos (so the camera is closer to the wing), and by covering the camera board but remember not to add too much weight. I didn't find it difficult to balance out the wings with the added weight on the left wing, but I can only imagine how an unbalanced plane would do if you got it up in the air.Cost:$19.99 SPT50 Sub-Micro Pan & Tilt2x $13.99 HS-55 Sub-Micro ServoOptional: 2x $19.99 180* Servo StretcherTotal: $88 w/ Servo Stretchers, $48 without.Enjoy!-Mike W
Alan, thats a good point you brought up with the transmission of the callsign. I believe the regulations state it has to be transmitted every so often (much like normal voice operations, where you state your call every few minutes). I am using an extremely cheap work-around. I sharpied my callsign to the side of the model in such a way that the camera can see when I pan up and am looking foward along the fusalage. I am fairly certain this meets the regulations.
If anyone knows anything about how to boost the signal strength of a Futaba 7C 2.4 GHz transmitter, let me know please!
has anyone considered using a pair of continuous rotation servos? i think it would be a preferable camera control method when the aircraft is under autopilot control and you don't need that quick hands-off-return-to-center-so-i-can-see-where-i'm-going ability. this one (http://www.robotshop.us/hitec-hsr-1425cr-continuous-rotation-servo-...) for example, could deflect your camera to the eventual point of wiring constriction. they're slightly heavier, but one could be secured directly to the other without the need for a venerable arrangement of gears.
Jason,
Like Mike said , being HAM opens lot of possibilities or at least lets you use some decent power levels ( being a HAM would also know how to use it best too) cheers. 500mW is not much into 3 dBi antenna but stick the same inplace of driven element in a parabola antenna and watch the range quadruple almost) cheers.
500mW, wow! I'd probably have to see if that's legal first here in Australia before I start looking at something like that. It's good to know that you can get such high power systems like that in such a small platform though, definitely something to keep in mind for my own project!
Jason, I'm using a RangeVideo.com 900 MHz 500mW AV Transmitter with a 1/2 wave dipole antenna sticking out the front canopy.
On the ground I'm receiving the live feed through a dual output receiver, using a 8 dBi patch antenna (although for under a mile I believe a 3dBi whip antenna should do fine. The patch antenna needs to be pointed at the plane, whereas a whip can be left pointing straight up. I use a friend as a rudimentary antenna tracker at the moment.
To capture video to my computer and display it live on screen I use a USB Video Capture dongle from Diamond (picked it up at a computer store in town). The second output on the reciever I usually have hooked up to video goggles and I have successfully used the TrackR2 gyro system from ImmersionRc.com to pan and tilt the setup using my head (great results with this, little bit tricky setting up the first time).
I believe this is a fairly standard first person video setup for RC caliber stuff. I would recommend purchasing the products seperately and searching online for better prices on antennas (www.L-com.com) instead of buying a package deal from a vendor. I place a premium on distance, power output and reciever sensitivity.
Also, to use the RangeVideo transmitter, technically you need a Ham Radio license from the FCC to use in the USA (uses one of the Amateur Radio Bands). I got one a few years back, its very easy, and inexpensive (~$12.) and opens the door to a lot of education in the fields of RF design, circuits, and just all-round radio "stuff." Plus you get legal rights to use tons of RF bands depending on your license level. Check it out.
I did do it in Solid Works, which is a terrific program. I've been planning a new pan tilt, but I can never find the time to do it right.
When you do your print, if it's ABS, be sure to use some styrene glue to melt the layers together. It's stronger and won't delaminate in a crash.
Jason, I was checking out your camera setup you prototyped. Did you design that in Solid Works? We just got a new 3D printer in my department and I'm dying to give it a shot.
Comments
Great post!
If anyone knows anything about how to boost the signal strength of a Futaba 7C 2.4 GHz transmitter, let me know please!
Like Mike said , being HAM opens lot of possibilities or at least lets you use some decent power levels ( being a HAM would also know how to use it best too) cheers. 500mW is not much into 3 dBi antenna but stick the same inplace of driven element in a parabola antenna and watch the range quadruple almost) cheers.
On the ground I'm receiving the live feed through a dual output receiver, using a 8 dBi patch antenna (although for under a mile I believe a 3dBi whip antenna should do fine. The patch antenna needs to be pointed at the plane, whereas a whip can be left pointing straight up. I use a friend as a rudimentary antenna tracker at the moment.
To capture video to my computer and display it live on screen I use a USB Video Capture dongle from Diamond (picked it up at a computer store in town). The second output on the reciever I usually have hooked up to video goggles and I have successfully used the TrackR2 gyro system from ImmersionRc.com to pan and tilt the setup using my head (great results with this, little bit tricky setting up the first time).
I believe this is a fairly standard first person video setup for RC caliber stuff. I would recommend purchasing the products seperately and searching online for better prices on antennas (www.L-com.com) instead of buying a package deal from a vendor. I place a premium on distance, power output and reciever sensitivity.
Also, to use the RangeVideo transmitter, technically you need a Ham Radio license from the FCC to use in the USA (uses one of the Amateur Radio Bands). I got one a few years back, its very easy, and inexpensive (~$12.) and opens the door to a lot of education in the fields of RF design, circuits, and just all-round radio "stuff." Plus you get legal rights to use tons of RF bands depending on your license level. Check it out.
-KB3PDB
When you do your print, if it's ABS, be sure to use some styrene glue to melt the layers together. It's stronger and won't delaminate in a crash.
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