Photohigher RSGS Skyline Owners thread

So I thought the RSGS could do with it's own thread for users to discuss software settings.

I'll use this first post to edit together the most usefull infomation once we've had a few replies and ironed out the intial problems.
 

I for one am having problems with this whole set up.

1. Getting it to stay put where I want it. The Roll seems to be fine but the tilt will only stay put if I trim the input from my transmitter. Except it's not trim, it's just slightly to one side.

2. When I use my transmitter to change the tilt angle will neer go as far back as it was to start with. ie, if it's pointing straight down to start with and I use my transmitter to point it forward, It won't be able to point stright down again, it just stops before it gets there.

3. The User manual is woeful! It was a rushed (pretty half hearted) job if you ask me. It has a few short sentances and pictures about the physical installation but then gives absolutely no instructions on the software. What the settings should be to start with, what all of the inputs do etc.

4. The software seems to have a bug where the gimbal will be powered up and working, then when you Click "connect to Com port x" it will wildy lock out on both axes. Until you select "power on"

If anyone could shed any light on their settings that would be much appreciated

I think this software was pushed out too fast. Unless I'm a total noob and am missing something?
 

DucktileMedia

Drone Enthusiast
Are you using it on an AV200? Getting mine monday so i wil be following closely. I still dont understand the logic behind making the gyros fixed on the pitch axis.
 

ATFlyer

Member
I'm glad that there are other guinea pigs out there with the first of the batch! Great idea for a Skyline thread :)
I got mine today & spent a long time getting frustrated with it but I think I like it now.

The tilt pot cable plug had been wired incorrectly from Photohigher which had me fooled for a bit! Whenever I powered it up it would continuously rotate the tray because it wasn't getting a feedback signal.

I agree that it all feels a little rushed out. The "manual" is fairly useless and the software is clearly unfinished given a blank help page!!!

However, I feel it has potential.

Jessestack - Mine was doing exactly what you describe in point 4, when it's connected to the software. I fixed it by firstly levelling the tray in the roll axis and clicking "set level", then "save settings". The tilt axis was a bit more trial and error but I've got it so when I click "power on" the servos don't move. I found a tilt centre tune of 730 did it.

I am using mine on a Photohigher AV200 on a Skyjib 8. I first got it working on the landing gear only and managed to crank the gains up to about 75 percent. All was looking great. When I re attached the rest of the 'jib I can't go much higher than about 45 percent without the gimbal shaking caused by the flexibility of the vibration isolators. I've had a bit of a play with the C of G of the camera (Sony NEX-5N) which does make a difference.

Hopefully the wind will drop enough tomorrow for me to fly & see where my tinkering has got me.
 

swisser

Member
I too have found several frustrations in trying to get it set up and I still haven't got it working at all reliably.

As others have said, it changes position rapidly when going from connected in powered on mode (green light) to powered off but connected (blue light) - it goes to maximum deflection. At various times whilst trying to set it up it has spun wildly until some cable or other has got caught in the mechanism, or it's jammed, or pulled a cable out because of the twisting motion. A bit of programming that tells it not to command continuous rotation at high speed would be a good idea.

Some of the connectors can only be connected by trial and error because they're not keyed and the colours of the wires don't match (this is with an umodified 130 gimbal, so all PH gear). Get the pot connectors the wrong way round and it will go crazy, though seemingly not actually permanently damage anything which is good.

A short time ago it was on my table slowing oscillating from one extreme roll angle to the other, then back again, whilst everything else was perfectly still.

The instructions are woeful which is a shame - I know it's a new product but it would take about 2 hours to turn it in to a useful document that might actually lead to being able to get the best out of this device.

During the time taken to compose this post it has sat on my desk not moving, green LED showing. Just now, with no change in position or anything it just suddenly jumped through about 10 degrees of roll, then back again about 5. So, as yet I am unconvinced, though early on I did try it with a camera on and during that test it seemed to work really well. It hasn't done since though and variously won't move at all and will let the gimbal move freely, or it will lock the gimbal in position but not stabilise motion at all, or it will drive the gimbal around wildly whilst the copter itself is completely still.
 

RTRyder

Merlin of Multirotors
My production version Skyline arrived today, haven't done anything with it yet as I was out flying FPV most of the day. I had one of the prototype Skylines and the setup was completely different than the setup program offered now, it was just a direct serial connection into the unit, I wonder if that still works. If I have time tomorrow I'll pop this one on the same AV130 I had the prototype on and see how the setup goes. if I don't get a chance to do it tomorrow it won't be until Thursday at the earliest, I'll be gone on a business trip Monday through Wednesday.


Ken
 

The tilt pot cable plug had been wired incorrectly from Photohigher which had me fooled for a bit! Whenever I powered it up it would continuously rotate the tray because it wasn't getting a feedback signal.

Could you please expand on this a bit? How have you got it connected now? Maybe just describe which colour cables either side of the connector :)

Jessestack - Mine was doing exactly what you describe in point 4, when it's connected to the software. I fixed it by firstly levelling the tray in the roll axis and clicking "set level", then "save settings". The tilt axis was a bit more trial and error but I've got it so when I click "power on" the servos don't move. I found a tilt centre tune of 730 did it.

I'm still having problems with this. When I click "save settings" it now say "command not executed" or something along those lines?
 

ATFlyer

Member
The "Tilt pot" and "Roll pot" cables from the Skyline should be wired so that the black wire from the Skyline mates with the black wire on the Savox servo and the white wire from Skyline mates with the red one on the servo.
(When you hold the Skyline plug so that the metal contacts are facing you and the wires are exiting downwards, the black is on the right & the white in the centre.)

As for the 2nd issue, I've found that you can't save any settings when "Power On" is ticked (green light on the Skyline). I too get a "Failed to execute command" warning.
If you de-select "Power On" then save the settings it should work. (you can make your adjustments with power on - just not save the settings.)

I'm feeling a bit guilty knocking the manual now - describing a process clearly isn't that easy!!!!!

Good luck!

I'm off to see what mine is like in the air now the rain has stopped.
 

WayneMann

Member
Hey guys,

Those that have programed your units. Are you able to select slew for the roll axis. Mine is grayed out and will not let me select it. You can't trim out the drift with the transmitter with being able to control the slew.

Thanks.


Wayne Mann
 


Hello,
one more owner here. Flown yesterday and i can see a huge potential for the system. I have knocked the sticks quite heavily and the system responded wonderfully!:nevreness:
Said that i must admit it took some time to set it up in an acceptable way, on mine installation it looks like there is some indecision on the references as every single switching on can sort slightly different results on the roll...sometimes moving one way, sometimes movig to the opposite. So far tilt is good, if only i could manage to control the roll to compensate for the offset i'd be quite happier, the problem is that i can't activate the roll input, slew or traditional so it is a matter of switching on and crossing the fingers....
The philosophy behind the control of the servos is absolutely brilliant, i just can't figure out how nobody thought about it until now. One thing i found interesting is that i tried to put it on two different gimbals and was surprised to see that the one with better servos was much more difficult to set up than the one with old analog servos...
C
 
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B

Bengit

Guest
Re: AV130.... Now there is no requirement for the Roll/Tilt pots, are people removing them from their gimbals. Specifically the Roll Pot, as the pot gear is in constant contact with the drive gear.
 

Re: AV130.... Now there is no requirement for the Roll/Tilt pots, are people removing them from their gimbals. Specifically the Roll Pot, as the pot gear is in constant contact with the drive gear.

If you lossen the nut, it can slide upwards to disengage from the roll gear. That's all I did :)
 

cropter

Member
I got two skylines, and none is working... Servos are getting warm but NO servo movement AT ALL. I know about the pot problem but this seems even worse...
 

ATFlyer

Member
Hopefully I can offer a glimmer of light at the end of the very dark Skyline tunnel!!

I've spent hours and hours now trying to get my Skyline working well. I don't need to tell you guys how frustrating and disappointing it has been but I think I'm nearly happy with it!! (Nearly!!!!!)

I'm running firmware 1.1.3 and powering it with 6v. I tried 6.8 but 6 seems better (although it might just be coincidence).
My "Tilt Position Gain" is about 38% (just before the 8th ' ), "Tilt Velocity Gain" about 8%, "Roll Position Gain" about 47% and "Roll Velocity Gain" about 30%.

The tilt performance is pretty good now but I just can't get enough gain to stop the horizon rocking ever so slightly. I think I need another 10% but if I dial that in the whole gimbal assembly starts uncontrollably oscillating. I'm pretty sure this is because the mounting is too flexible. I've tightly tie-wrapped the AV200 to the Droidworx mounting bracket because the AV200 is wider than the bracket and I could see movement there even with the allen bolts tight. This has helped but not enough.

I used velcro straps to brace the gimbal mount to one of the Skyjib booms on either side. This helped a lot and I could get the gain up to about 70% but when I applied power you could see airframe shake in the image.

I'd like to know how PH managed to get those great results that they put up on Vimeo. That was a Skyjib 8 if I'm not mistaken.

Finally a message to Photohigher - instead of posting bits of information here there and everywhere on this forum for us to search for could you put the useful stuff on your website please?
 

DennyR

Active Member
With regard to the roll being greyed out that would make sense because you only would need slew mode in tilt. Roll would be proportional.
 

thijmen5

Member
I also receiver the skyline yesterday but I'm getting unlimited tilt rotating. It just won't stop rotating.
I placed mine on the side where there is no servo (AV130). Is this ok? I got a mail (from my webshop) that it need to be placed at the other side (potmeter side), but at a AV130 there is no space?

Does the tiltpot meter needs to be removed at all? On the av200 it says that the potmeter needs to be removed, but didnt see it on the AV130.

Anyone?
 

ATFlyer

Member
As I understand it the Skyline on the AV130 fits the same way as on the AV200. The potentiometers are not used. You can either remove the roll pot or just leave it disconnected. The tilt pot is removed and that is where the Skyline fits.

Also check the wiring on the pot plugs from the skyline. On mine they were wired differently. I got it working with both plugs black on the outside & white in the middle
 
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thijmen5

Member
The wireing is both the same on the pot cables (white in the middle, black on the right). What else can be wrong?

I don't understand why I need to remove the pot meter and fit the skyline on that side?
On this video it seems that the skyline is on the side I have it. http://vimeo.com/39091397
 
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