Hi from Dublin, Ireland

[CopterCam]

I'm Sid Baldwin...........into AP for some time using different platforms (SkyCam Ireland) Gaui 330X got me hooked on Multicopters, now using UAVX Quad and want to go Y6 or X8 for AV.

Thanks for the informative posts....need to decide on a FCB, Frame, mount etc. without breaking the bank ?

 

[Bartman]

Hi Sid!
Welcome to the party. There are a lot of flight control boards to choose from, is it for hobby or pro use? I'm partial to Mikrokopter's FCB but not so much their other components anymore. Mix and match seems to be the theme these days.
Good luck and welcome,
Bart

 

[RTRyder]

I'm Sid Baldwin...........into AP for some time using different platforms (SkyCam Ireland) Gaui 330X got me hooked on Multicopters, now using UAVX Quad and want to go Y6 or X8 for AV.

Thanks for the informative posts....need to decide on a FCB, Frame, mount etc. without breaking the bank ?

Welcome Sid, good to hear you're finding useful information here.

I think for A/P use there are only a few flight controller systems currently on the market that are well suited to professional quality work. Obviously MikroKopter has been around for a while and is the gold standard at the moment though rather pricey as you're probably aware. I've heard (and seen) good things from from folks using the UAVX platform but I've never tried it myself. Another up and coming contender is the Hoverfly Pro aimed at mainly A/P work, it comes with auto leveling and altitude hold out of the box and will hopefully have GPS and postion hold soon. Hoverfly is similar to the UAVX project in that it's only a controller board although with a very state of the art architecture, unlike Mikrokopter which can be bought as a kit but is older technology.

In the almost RTF and kit category there are a couple quads from China that show promise, the Xaircraft 650 and the Lotus 580 are two that are trying to crack the A/P market, still relatively new and like Hoverfly the software is still being refined.

As for frames, well, things are changing so rapidly it's hard to keep up. Just in the last few months I've seen several new offerings come to market all across the price spectrum. My take is to buy something you will easily be able to get replacement parts for or buy two if cheap enough so if you need parts you won't be waiting for critical bits to arrive via parcel post.

Almost the same thing can be said about camera mounts though if you're doing A/P for profit, it's the one area where I wouldn't try to save a penny or two, it's just not worth it in the long run. I've been through several and by far the best one I've used so far is made by Photohigher and sold by the folks that make the Droidworx frames. Very high entry price but not so bad when compared to some of the other "high end" mounts on the market that cost nearly as much but don't perform nearly as well.

Glad to have you on board and if you have questions, just ask, that's why we're here!

Ken

 

[Bartman]

In the almost RTF and kit category there are a couple quads from China that show promise, the Xaircraft 650 and the Lotus 580 are two that are trying to crack the A/P market, still relatively new and like Hoverfly the software is still being refined.

yah, with a little luck one of us might have a Lotus RC quad to make the subject of a build thread soon. i recognized a few names in the thread, maybe we've got a better chance of hosting a build thread than I thought?
we'll see
bart

 

[RTRyder]

yah, with a little luck one of us might have a Lotus RC quad to make the subject of a build thread soon. i recognized a few names in the thread, maybe we've got a better chance of hosting a build thread than I thought?
we'll see
bart

Yeah, like I need another project...

I would very much like to do an eval on one of the Chinese offerings to compare it to the best that Germany and the US have to offer. I don't think Holger and Co. have much to worry about yet, but there appears to be a lot of competition ramping up around the world and it may not be long before one of those companies equals Mikrokopter's capabilities at a far lower price point.

Ken

 

[CopterCam]

Bart, Ken............thanks for your welcome and prompt replies. It's nice to be on a Forum where a novice to Multicopters feels at home. In the past I got the feeling that some unanswered questions was an indication of my intrusion.

I want to put this RCAP hobby on a commercial footing and specialize in AV so I am aware that a stabilized camera mount is a must. The suggested mount certainly caught my attention but it appears to have supply and support issues at present. I have been very pleased with my UAVX board but I have to confess that it was built and programmed by a friend who has since emigrated. The Hoverfly Pro would certainly overcome this build and program need. The GPS add on looks good but is it mature enough for pro use, have the bugs been ironed out ?

On the choice of frame....there is certainly plenty to choose from now, I prefer the Y6 and X8 config. for orientation although LED's would assist other configs as well. I have a GoPro HD so prop intrusion is a consideration when choosing LG and Mount. Given the accepted loss of efficiency with coaxials has the Y6 proven its redundancy ability under load ?

Sid

 

[RTRyder]

Bart, Ken............thanks for your welcome and prompt replies. It's nice to be on a Forum where a novice to Multicopters feels at home. In the past I got the feeling that some unanswered questions was an indication of my intrusion.

I want to put this RCAP hobby on a commercial footing and specialize in AV so I am aware that a stabilized camera mount is a must. The suggested mount certainly caught my attention but it appears to have supply and support issues at present. I have been very pleased with my UAVX board but I have to confess that it was built and programmed by a friend who has since emigrated. The Hoverfly Pro would certainly overcome this build and program need. The GPS add on looks good but is it mature enough for pro use, have the bugs been ironed out ?

On the choice of frame....there is certainly plenty to choose from now, I prefer the Y6 and X8 config. for orientation although LED's would assist other configs as well. I have a GoPro HD so prop intrusion is a consideration when choosing LG and Mount. Given the accepted loss of efficiency with coaxials has the Y6 proven its redundancy ability under load ?

Sid

Sid, the Hoverfly works well but it is still very much a work in progress, the GPS board has not been released yet though they expect to soon. I've been able to get some good results with mine that actually exceeded expectations considering the entire airframe and mount was put together from spare and leftover bits I had sitting around. George at Hoverfly is still working to refine the firmware though the basics are working fairly well now, but there's still a long way to go before it will be a finished product with similar capabilities to what Mikrokpter already has available.

I've heard at least a couple folks mention that they've had a motor fail on a coaxial X8 or Y6 and been able to bring it in safely so it appears that the designs work well if redundancy is what you're after. There are problems with loss of efficiency due to the stacked motors and I've also heard of vibration issues in some cases but that may be related to other things and not anything to do with the layout.

Ken

 

[Droider]

Just to chip in.. I have a ADX3 and have filmed with a gopro bolted to the landing legs and it there was no vibration. The reason I went with the ADX3 was because it is easier to transport on my back on a bike than a quad or worse hexa/octo and to reduce the affect of wind on the craft. When I tried it in the yard at the weekend with it blowing a hooley it was remarkably stable. I tried to fly my Gaui Quad and was lucky to get it back down on the ground. There is a video of a hexa getting a flag caught up in the props and still staying airborne.

I am going to try taking one prop of each arm to see how it handles it but am waiting for better weather. In the real world if you do your checks and know how your craft flies then its only a pure unpredictable component failure that will bring it down.

 

[CopterCam]

Ken,.....Been checking out the Hoverfly Pro development history on a video forum. They have come a long way since those early attempts at flight with the Quadpowered board.
I dont intend to lift a 5Dmk11 and glass in fact the GoPro HD gives a remarkable image most of the time, notwithstanding the fisheye effect and exposure issues, so I will probably go with this but I have been impressed with the Sony NEX 5. The level of support from George and his team at Hoverfly Technologies appears to be good and they are forging ahead with further improvements. I wonder if anyone is using it professionally having used an MK? My understanding is that there is a licence fee payable to MK for pro use ? That's an additional cost too...

Dave,..........the Y6 certainly has a lot going for it, if redundancy is proved that would be a clincher for me at this point. Really interested to hear of your test flights with props removed and what affect a payload and wind has on its ability to land safely ?
Do the bottom props encroach on the 170*FOV with a fairly standard mount position or does it need a slight forward position ?

 

[Droider]

Ill let you know after testing.. so far I am really impressed. New props arrived today expecting new Hisight II mount and stuff 2morrow.. Worked 14hr days this week so got done and home tonight. Got loads of goodies to look at, props, mounts, Camera.. Just need to get paperwork done for this week 2morrow then have three days off!! Oh aye.. Got loads planned so testing everything and reporting back as I go!..

 

[CopterCam]

Dave,.......Great, nothing like a few days off after long days. Flying conditions are good for tomorrow and Sat. Hope all your expected bits arrive.