my new fpv rig

[kloner]

I've been beating the crap out of my origional frame and decided to pop for a $20 clone frame from rc timer to check it out. The quality as far as stuff lining up wasn't there, but the idea is the same. Got the dragon link, guardian for the OSD to show Artificial Horizon, have problems with the fisheye telling whats level and not....... The only thing i'm not diggin is the lack of model match so i can't try flying the wrong model with the wrong tx settings, but overall pretty stoked. one thing i did different this time is the golden rod for antenna masts so they flex instead of break. The dipole for the LRS seems massive, ready to go rock it out this weekend.

learned alot on the first one, this should keep me busy for a while...... 25km range

 

[RCNut]

25km range

You're gonna need a bigger battery

Looks very good though and I like your flexible antenna masts. Because the mast on mine is stiff, the cloverleaf tends to get out of shape when the F450 tips over so I might find some suitable material to copy your idea.

I'm about to fit an FrSky system with telemetry receiver to my F450 which should extend my range upwards of 1.5 kms and will include RSSi telemetry warnings of range limits long before I hit fail safe. I cant imagine going much further than that on a multicopter due to battery duration and the fact I cant glide home. Anyway, I dont intend to push that limit, its mainly to ensure that I'm always inside the limits of my RC system.

 

[kloner]

yea, rssi on this one too, can't wait. I also built a plane which was the main reason for going so "big" but this will let me get around pretty good. Can move 30 mph using 250-300 watts, gives me 10 minutes of flight so that's what, 5 miles round trip. The desert i fly in is so big, there's no since cruising around, i wanna go and not see that thing till shes coming home.

The plane i built has 45 minutes of gasoline onboard and cruises 50-60mph, all the same gear except the osd pro is fully enabled with guardian stabilization and has RTH....... 70" wing 26cc gasser

Gonna be nice not being stuck to the spektrum leash, finally. Took 7 weeks to get the DL, seemed like forever


that stuff i used is the top one listed, got enough to do 5 of these things for $4, threw the red part away
http://www.sullivanproducts.com/GoldnRodContent.htm

 

[RCNut]

Sounds like fun. Would be good to have plenty of space to cruise around in. By the way, you're brave flying over water. I'm still a bit wary of flying over anything I couldnt recover my quad from if it dropped. I guess Im nervous about the cost if I lost it.

I also have the RangeLink system which is a Chinese equivalent to your DragonLink (made by the designer of ChainLink). Mine is also going on a fixed wing (FPV Raptor 1600mm) with 900 MHz video link. It'll only be used out in the country side - well away from people and other radio systems. Ive had an amateur licence for 30 years so Im covered for the frequency. Im teaming it up with an FY31AP which has stabilisation, OSD and RTH (similar to your OSD Pro). It sounds like we're following along similar paths. Im also currently about to test fly a Twinstar with a second FrSKy receiver and 5.8 GHz system for local park flying. I guess Im hooked on FPV.

Im keen to know how you go with range and beam width using your black cannon. I plan on building a 5 turn helical antenna for use with the Twinstar.

Your antenna shaft is the same as what I use to call 'NyRods' back in the 1980s. Not sure if theyre still available under that brand name. I still have some offcuts here.

 

[kloner]

Not worried about the water bit, that's what i bought it for. The deepest parts of that thing are 10 feet, and it always shelfs up to a sand bar or shallows before dropping off again. if i lost it i lost it, but i've been flying helis and planes over it for years and never lost anything. There always sitting right where they crash. What i am concerned about is i got plans for flying down to where i fly from the boat from camp, and that's 10 miles. if i leave the river and head over the desert, theres a good 5 miles of no way to get it from land if it did quit or go down, but if i hit water, can be there in minutes by boat. Been thinking about making some kind of float on a leash type thing that'd give me a marker if it did get deep. Built the 330 mainly to help find the 450 if it does go down

yea, that sounds like the stuff. when was racing rc cars back in the 80's, this was the stuff to use for antennas. if it gets bent, it usually comes back to straight pretty fast. It takes a ton of pressure to get them into the props so i'm happy there.

 

[leemann]

How are you mounting your GOPRO on your 450?

 

[kloner]

This is my third configuration, second version of this setup........ learned alot along the way and the biggest thing i figured out is for fpv, angled flat to angled up is best for me...... but hard to accomplish between the mount and the size you got to work with the frame. this stock gopro clamp works decent out of the box, except the gap is too big and when you compress it down, it breaks the plastic. This is a broken one modified into a single notch that fits the frame perfectly with a huge angle to get the lens up. still had to notch it with a file to get the case to clear, but it is solid and filming good. I added a piece of dampening foam between the back of the cam and the frame mainly to keep the cam off it to prevent high speed jello. I tend to fly fast

it's got a little "welders" glue between it and the frame just to make it one with the frame

 

[RCNut]

i've been flying helis and planes over it for years and never lost anything.

Aha that's the secret. Once you've done it a few times you'd be more comfortable.

For flotation you can buy small devices that attach to your quad that inflate in water a few seconds after immersion. You might need a couple if your quad is heavy. I think they're designed for boaties to attach to car keys etc in case they get dropped in the water. Once they inflate your quad should float to the surface. I think they're about $20 each (in Aus anyway).

 

[kloner]

If you ever see one online that looks like would work, link it to me. i was thinking bass boat something or rather. it's never deep, but moves 3-4 mile an hour. a quads gonna stick i think, helis do. planes usualy float off but i got a boat, used to duck hunting and chase birds/decoys all over the place.

heres a vid of it, :48 is 630 watts for a few seconds, not even full throttle. it's fast

 

[mailman35]

nice new toy

 

[RCNut]

If you ever see one online that looks like would work, link it to me.

Here is one called Water Buoy and its from the UK but I'm sure there are a number of types available. This will lift up to 1kg so two of them should keep your quad floating. It triggers on immersion in water.

http://www.water-buoy.com/