Announcing our new product listings for mid-summer 2013!
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3D Robotics Y6 and X8 Multicopters - RTF and Kit
We released the Hexa-to-Y6 conversion kit a few weeks back, and now the complete Y6 DIY package and Ready-To-Fly are available. A Y6 design is able to withstand a single motor out scenario, provides a more open and stable view for cameras, and doesn't weigh as much as a traditional Hex (because it uses less parts). It features folding arms to make ground transport a painless affair. This is our new go-to multicopter at 3DR: better performance than a quad at about the same size!
If six motors aren't enough for you, there is now the X8. With the same coaxial motor design as the Y6, but with four arms. This brute is amazingly compact, it's actually smaller than our quads in the front to back dimension, due to the wide angle of the arms. This is the platform to choose for flying your heavy camera and gimbal setups. The redundant nature of this vehicle is a valuable trait when carrying expensive gear or flying over difficult terrain. This vehicle can lose a motor and remain in a stable loiter with almost no disruption . The 3DR X8 is available ready-to-fly only at this time.
APM 2.6 and 3DR uBlox GPS with Compass
APM 2.6 is the same APM 2.5 you know and love, but with one valuable change: this revision of the board has no onboard compass, which is designed for vehicles (especially multicopters and rovers) where the compass should be placed as far from power and motor sources as possible to avoid magnetic interference. (On fixed wing aircraft it's often easier to mount APM far enough away from the motors and ESCs to avoid magnetic interference, so this is not as critical, but APM 2.6 gives more flexibility in that positioning and is a good choice for them, too). This is designed to be used with the new 3DR uBlox GPS with Compass, so that the GPS/Compass unit can be mounted further from noise sources than APM itself.
Note: APM 2.6 requires an external compass for full autonomy. If you are using APM 2.6 with a GPS module that does not have a compass sensor, you must use a stand-alone external compass. We recommend this one with this cable.
New GPS shown as it comes, in a nice enclosure
The board, inside the enclosure
You can also use the new uBlox GPS with on board magnetometer (compass) with your existing APM 2.5, To modify your board, follow the directions here.
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If you have been wanting to add first-person-view (FPV) capability to your vehicle, our new FPV package gives you everything you need in one kit (including batteries). All connectors have been built in the factory and designed to give you an easy plug-and-play experience -- no soldering required! On-screen-display is provided by our MinimOSD board for real time data telemetry. This is an important safety and convenience feature for anyone flying FPV.
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All of these items are available for order immediately.
The FPV kit is ready for shipping today.
The Y6 DIY package and APM 2.6 will ship on July 15th.
Note: RTF Y6 and X8 units will follow the normal 1-2 week turnaround. You'll find those and more on our new RTF store here: http://rtf.3drobotics.com/
Comments
Euan,
This does come with the protective case, I've clarified that in the product description. We do have the GPS cable in 30cm lengths already, we would just need to source a 30cm version of the mag cable. I'll pass on the word that people are interested in this.
...and 2 weeks late the order arrives...WITHOUT THE CASE!!!
Chris...you *really* need to get your order fulfillment department sorted. This is just getting ridiculous.
Tash,
The arms of the X8 do not fold in the same way as the Y6. They can fold parallel to each other, but it is already quite compact and I'm not sure how much of an advantage it is. Let me see if I can find a photo for you, if not I'll take one.
:-)
Tash, what gimbal mount are you thinking about using, how much weight?
Todd, 1.6 km is a good estimate, but as you know there are many variables at work with rf. I recommend you watch Alex Greve's video series, from that you can get a good idea of what a basic system can do and what variables to play with for building up a more advanced system. With our kit as a starting point you can easily add different antenna types and modify the performance to suit your needs.
Leszek, 6 amp/hour 4s is a great choice for the Y6, 8 amp/hour 4s for the X8.
A good rule of thumb is 1 amp/hour of battery capacity per motor, so 6 amp/hours for the Y6. I think that 4s is always the way to go.
DVS Quad, The tricky part with the X8 is the power distribution board, the RTFs are using two of the quad PDBs, but I think we are going to design one just for the X8. Then we will most likely start offering a kit for that configuration.
Tash,
The recommended payload for the Y6 is 600g (conservative), flight time is around 12 minutes, depending on many factors, of course (battery, payload, wind, type of flying, etc)
The difference between 1.2 and 5.8 is more than just range considerations. Lower frequencies do tend to travel farther, but they also require larger antenna. One must consider possible conflicts with other frequencies being broadcast (either on the craft/ground station, or in the environment: wifi, etc).
Alex Greve gives a good overview of the choices here:
How to be successful in FPV - Frequency selection from C. Alex Greve on Vimeo.
Hi Josh,
Yeah, I was referring to the 3DR Video/OSD System. (http://store.3drobotics.com/products/3dr-fpv-osd-kit). My apologies, that makes sense now. I was under the impression that because there was OSD material, that the full telemetry was also being sent back to a computer etc. Obviously, it's just the telemetry being displayed on the camera view. Thanks for clarifying. :)
The enclosures are at the print shop now, that is the last step in the process. We should have them tomorrow!
Steve,
Are you referring to the 3DR Radio shown in the system connections photo on the top of page 2, in this PDF?
Neither the APM or 3DR Radio are included in the list of contents for this kit, described on page 1 of the same PDF. Those two components are shown in order to illustrate how to connect the video kit components with them. The 3DR Radio is a data transceiver (two way radio) used to send and receive telemetry and control signals between the vehicle and the ground station. It is completely separate and on a different frequency from the video transmitter, and requires it's own antenna. You can find more information here and here.
Wow, just looking at the new stuff available. Guys, I was looking at the video kit, and I'm a little confused. The way the PDF instructions read is that 3 antennas are required, but only 2 are included... Obviously 1 is needed for the receiving signal, but it looks like it is wired up at the transmission end for 2. Have a look on page 3, and you'll see what I mean. looks great though! I may have to start saving my money for this! haha.
Eric,
The main idea with this X8 is to pack a lot of power into a small package.
This performs very well in the wind, as it is very nimble and powerful while presenting a small profile.
Payload capacity is 800g in addition to 800g of battery
Flight time is ~10-15minutes depending on payload etc.
The 915Mhz telemetry radios are good out to ~1.6 kilometer
RC range is also ~1.6km, but this is a variable and the user should perform appropriate range checks when using any RC system. Here is the manual for the Spektrum DX7s:http://www.spektrumrc.com/ProdInfo/Files/SPM7800-Manual_EN.pdf
The only difference in firmware setup (PID tuning) for this vehicle would be to unlink the pitch and roll values when tuning, this is due to the asymmetry of the frame. We are working on a tune for the new AC 3.0 firmware, that will be posted on the product listing.
The X8 is available in RTF only, at this time. They ship from our RTF store.
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