Freefly Movi M5 Brushless Gimbal, Official Users' Thread

[flitelab]

Thanks again for the info.

Does anyone know the weight of the M5 with the handle removed and mounted setup for multicopter?
I know it's heavier than the zenmuse so just trying to get an idea.

 

[Bartman]

the one I'm flying is just under 5 lbs but my mounting bracket is custom and a bit heavier than the stock CInestar adapter.

 

[flitelab]

Thanks. I would be doing a custom mount as well if we go with the M5. This is going on a custom X8 system.

How high is the M5 from where it connects to the bottom in terms of required clearance needed for landing gear?

What are you using for your vibration mount?

 

[Bartman]

I'm not home at the moment so I can't give specific measurements. Freefly makes a landing gear set that is very lightweight, strong, and priced competitively compared to most retract systems.

For vibrations I have eight rubber isolators from McMaster.com. This set-up is still relatively low-time so I can't say for sure how we'll it is going to work for others. What little video we've shot has been very good though and I haven't even balanced the props yet.

Bart

 

[henrysj]

Thanks. I would be doing a custom mount as well if we go with the M5. This is going on a custom X8 system.

How high is the M5 from where it connects to the bottom in terms of required clearance needed for landing gear?

What are you using for your vibration mount?

On my current setup its 300mm from top of M5 plate to bottom, this is with a small Canon powershot I've stuck on there while I've been setting up and testing it. I'm sure a Canon 5D would add at least another couple of cm's to it when balanced.

I've got 340mm clearance between my Skyjib camera plate and ground which is the absolute minimum I think possible with the M5 - I've even used some pipe lagging to achieve this which added another 15mm

Luckily with the Skyjib the camera plate is already vibration isolated and easily removable as I wasn't able to fit the Toad with it. If I didn't already have the landing gear I would have gone for Freeflys knowing what I do now.

 

[Bartman]

Just added to the review thread

 

[yeehaanow]

Here's some of our first footage. All without post-stab. We're really loving the M5!

https://vimeo.com/97607559

 

[Quinton]

Is anyone using the movi with a Futaba Tx

I just got my M5 today, and it is certainly great, however I am not trying to work out how map a 14SG to it, so far all I can get working correctly is the tilt, when plugged into the SBUS of a 6208SB receiver.
I have no idea what this means in the manual for Futaba receivers.

Radio Type

Map Pan Rate Clamp

Map RC Mode
Map RC Pan
Map RC Roll Trim
Map RC Tilt
Map RC Tilt rate Clamp
S. Bus
-7
-2
1
-3
-7
-4

 

[Quinton]

Is anyone using the movi with a Futaba Tx

I just got my M5 today, and it is certainly great, however I am not trying to work out how map a 14SG to it, so far all I can get working correctly is the tilt, when plugged into the SBUS of a 6208SB receiver.
I have no idea what this means in the manual for Futaba receivers.

Radio Type

Map Pan Rate Clamp

Map RC Mode
Map RC Pan
Map RC Roll Trim
Map RC Tilt
Map RC Tilt rate Clamp
S. Bus
-7
-2
1
-3
-7
-4

Just changed my Tx over to Multi, and things are starting to look better I can see exactly what's going on now in the Radio Chart.

 

[ghaynes]

Yes you need to pick Multi with the 14SG and that RX.

 

[Quinton]

Just changed my Tx over to Multi, and things are starting to look better I can see exactly what's going on now in the Radio Chart.

Thanks for that, I see you are a mod at freefly forums, one thing that really confuses me is what exactly are all those numbers for, why minus and plus?
I must say that the M5 is a brilliant piece of kit, so easy to balance right out of the box, and setting the gains is so simple.
How do users know however when you are sitting completely horizontal, or straight down, do you just set the tx endpoints so it wont go beyond them, would be nice to set a switch for this.

I have my GH4 set up on it right now, but for some reason I can not get the GH4 IR to take a picture using camremote, It works really well on the Canon 5D but not on the gh4, just wondering if I have missed something.

 

[ghaynes]

Quinton the numbers are the mapping to the radio channels. The + and - simply allow you to reverse control direction quickly using the MoVI GUI rather than doing it on the radio. MoVI owners that are coming from the film world don't typically have any experience with RC radios so Freefly kept it simple.

 

[Quinton]

Quinton the numbers are the mapping to the radio channels. The + and - simply allow you to reverse control direction quickly using the MoVI GUI rather than doing it on the radio. MoVI owners that are coming from the film world don't typically have any experience with RC radios so Freefly kept it simple.

I thought it was something like that, however in the manual for mapping the Futaba it shows the Map Pan Rate Clamp as -7 and Map Tilt also as -7
Must admit I am well impressed with it so far just hand held, have never came across a gimbal so simple to balance and set up.
Just changed from a GH4 to a 5D in under 10 mins, and setting the gains took less than 2 mins

One thing I did notice though when I put the 4s Lipos on my main charger (not the one that came with it, as it did not seem to be doing much) 1 of them was reading 10V the lowest cell being 2.3V so it may be a goner, just charging it now to see how it is.

 

[SMP]

Any reports from anyone flying the M5? have an RCtimer legacy performing stunningly well handheld but haven't finished the mount to get it under the jib where I expect it to fall apart.

 

[econfly]

Any reports from anyone flying the M5? have an RCtimer legacy performing stunningly well handheld but haven't finished the mount to get it under the jib where I expect it to fall apart.

I don't have anything yet. I initially thought I would use a DJI S1000, but then decided it was too much weight for it (still in spec, but pushing it). My current plan is to build a new multi to carry the M5. Still thinking about components...

 

[Quinton]

I don't have anything yet. I initially thought I would use a DJI S1000, but then decided it was too much weight for it (still in spec, but pushing it). My current plan is to build a new multi to carry the M5. Still thinking about components...

It is a heavy gimbal, without a camera and handle, just with a toad in the hole and battery its 2036 grams without any fpv/tx for controller.

 

[econfly]

It is a heavy gimbal, without a camera and handle, just with a toad in the hole and battery its 2036 grams without any fpv/tx for controller.

I'm interested in Bart's experience with the rig he built. I want to get this one right. The M5 is so nice on the ground -- just about perfect, really, and I don't want to make any compromises on the air side.

 

[Bartman]

I'm interested in Bart's experience with the rig he built. I want to get this one right. The M5 is so nice on the ground -- just about perfect, really, and I don't want to make any compromises on the air side.

Rob,

I've been swamped trying to get our house sold. We've got about another two weeks and then the market shuts down for the summer.

I'll try to get something together for you guys this week. The 6S Mikrokopter stuff is working great and the M5 is worth its weight in gold. OK, maybe that's an overstatement but it's definitely doing what it's supposed to do and doing it well.

 

[stevemaller]

Mine is kicking ***. It's an amazing piece of kit.
Latest video: https://vimeo.com/99431837

 

[ZAxis]

Hi
Has anyone mounted A M5 under a S1000 yet? Just curious. As mentioned in a previous post it looks like it will work on paper but just interested if there are real test to see if it is viable.
Lec