I broke a little more than a prop yesterday. I went too high and when I realized it I started to panic a little. When bringing it down, I couldn't tell if it was descending or not, and I think I pulled the throttle too low and stalled it. It was falling too fast, tipped over, and went into a spiral, then ended up upside down, which I've never tested before - I doubt my self-leveling code handles that. It hit pavement upside down in free fall. It wasn't pretty. Next time I go that high it'll be with an altimeter and an "auto descend" feature. I have spare parts, and another board built, but need to make a new frame. I finished assembling my elev-8 today though.
Ouch Jason. Thats one mighty crash... reminds me of my rc aeroplane days... I never did get to attempt to land it, but I did perfect crash-proof construction... well almost. Last crash squashed the nose-cone flat and broke the piston. Otherwise the plane was totally intact!
For your cameraman lost off view :
In broadcast recordings of golf, we only look at the red channel of the picture.
In the blue sky you don't use the blue, and in the green grass you don't use the green. both are black, all the rest are grayed
This is the magical trick the cameraman use to follow easy the golf ball .... From close-up tie to wide sky, back close-up on the green.
I've got my ELEV8 almost completely assembled, still need to mount the Hoverfly board and bench test...just waiting for a Li-po charger to arrive from Hobbyking. The batteries I ordered from them arrived within 1 week (shipped from their US warehouse)...still waiting on everything else. S-L-O-W.
But while I'm waiting, I'm double-checking my build and doing some homework before I fly. I've got a few questions and am hoping maybe folks can point me in the right direction.
First some background...I'm an R/C novice...never built an R/C craft before. On a good day, I'd rate myself as "intermediate" relative to mechanical/assembly and electronic know-how. I had no major problems assembling or wiring my ELEV8 (that I know of), which is a testament to how well thought-out and documented this design is. Great job, Ken & Parallax!
As with any project, I did encounter a series of minor obstacles to surmount along the way. I kept a running log of these as I went so I could inquire with more experienced folks...and also in the hopes that an ELEV8 build from a newbie perspective could provide some useful feedback for others attempting same. So, here are some impressions and questions, in general order that I noted them as I progressed through the build:
Black 1/4" shrink tube...I used every bit of it for build and could have used a few inches more.
The assembly doc specifically calls out Loctite on prop adapter parts but doesn't say anything about other threaded joints...could leave impression it isn't needed on all other parts. But I think the intent is that all threaded joints get loctite except the 4-40 self locking nuts (correct me if I'm wrong on this). Should the assembly guide explicitly say this somewhere?
Power harness layout...directions were right, it takes some time to think about (at least I had to). Pic below shows the config I ultimately settled on. My objectives were: keep it tidy, keep everything inside the body plates, minimize wire bends & bend radii, route motor wires straight out of tube end to keep them in center of tube and avoid opportunity for chaffing on edge of boom arm tube. Some questions on this setup: is there any worry about chafing of motor wires on boom arm ends? How tightly should the wires be constrained? I tried to use enough zip ties to just keep them from flopping around or rubbing but no more. Or should the rule be: "you can't use too many zip ties"?
I found the EC3 connectors to be tricky to soldier at first...kept putting too much soldier in the connector cup, which then overflows when a tinned wire is inserted. The solder then adheres to outside of pin and must be removed to enable proper insertion of pin into housing. For anybody that has never soldiered EC3 connectors before, I definitely recommend starting with 16-gague wire connections (on the ESCs) before attempting a connection using 12-gague wire (for battery). Also, watch this video or similar on web: EC3 soldering tutorial...don't try to figure it out on the fly as I did.
Speaking of EC3 solder joints, I used an EC3 connector for the battery-to-harness connection. By this time, I had soldered 4 complete EC3 connector sets using 16 gauge wire and was getting used to it. But trying to solder the 12 gauge wire was a whole new level of challenge. Wire bundle was too big to be inserted into the cup with the iron tip in there at the same time. Suffice it to say, I had considerable difficulty with this connection and don't trust it. Are others using EC3 connectors for the batt-to-harness connection? Feels slightly undersized to me.
Self-locking nuts: directions appear to show that a total of 12 are needed: 4 for assy dwg pg 2, pt 10; 4 for assy dwg pg 4, pt 7, and 4 for assy dwg, pg6, pt 6. My kit had 8. Others have this issue...or am I reading it wrong?
Assy dwg page 4 shows 1.75" screws, part #5 on dwg, fastening directly into landing gear with no nut. The holes in my landing gear were large enough that there was no interference between the 4-40 screw and the gear, so I could easily push the screw through the hole. I am assuming that there is supposed to be an interference fit so the screw will "bite" into the gear to clamp the parts together (the outboard holes in my landing gear were an interference fit and the screws self-threaded into them nicely). Anyway, I ended up putting a nut on the bottom of the screw to clamp it together. Others run into this?
Prop balancing: never done this before and could use some advice in this area. I found some good videos out on the net showing how to do this...but I don't have proper tools/fixtures to do it. Instead, I rigged up some primitive tools and got it close (I think), but I'm sure it isn't perfect. How critical is the balance? Super-finnicky, or reasonably forgiving? I noticed in Rich's time-lapse video, he doesn't appear to spend a huge amount of time balancing his props...by the way, that video is great for giving one a general sense of the order of things and how an experienced builder would go about it. Thanks for that!
How to mount the prop. Never dunnit before. I was surprised at the apparent lack of "how to" material on the web (that I could find). I used the plastic centering collar that comes with the prop, even though it isn't explicitly shown in the assembly document. The collar is an interference fit on the shaft, so I had to use my collar press tool (aka plastic ballpoint pen body tube) to manually push the collar onto the shaft. The last 1/4" to bottom has a small shoulder, so couldn't drive it home by pushing it on ( I don't have a press). I ended up gently tapping it down, supporting the motor shaft from underneath so as to not take the force through the motor bearings. I tried to be careful about this, but really wasn't comfortable with it. If I had it to do over again, I'd try seating the collar by putting the prop on and tightening the prop nut to drive the collar home. How are others doing this?
Prop tracking: I can tell that my mounted prop tips aren't tracking perfectly...maybe ~1/8" delta between tips. How critical is the tracking?
Directions call out 11/32 wrench, but I never needed this. Was this supposed to be for the prop nut? If so, mine was 5/16".
Directions say to program ESCs in step 4. I elected to wait until step 5 found out why...when all ESCs connected to batt harness, they're all beeping at you and it is hard to tell which one is which. Speaking of which, I find that ESC high-pitch noise to be amazingly omni-directional...is it just me?
Anyway, those are my R/C newby impressions/questions. Any advice appreciated. And thanks again for the kit, its been fun and I haven't even gotten to the "fun" part yet. Can't wait to try flying.
If you dont have used ESC before note that you need first to program this ESC one by one and then to calibrate this ESC with you radio one by one.
* to program the ESC buy a small programming card (Hobbyking net store) it costs about 7 $ and it is great help . You connect one ESC 1) to the quad battery 2) to the card with the 3 cables connector) then on the card you select(brake=off,battery =Ni (not lipo!), cut off type =soft,cut off voltage :=low, start mode=normal, timing mode =middle,governor:=off) and click OK.
* to calibrate the ESC one at a time (better with no propellers installed) :
* connect one ESC to one motor (with the 3 red cables)
* connect the ESC 3-cable-connector to the throttle connector of the radio receiver
* put the radio transmitter ON and push the throttle all the way up
* then connect the ESC to the quadcopter battery
* you hear a little music and the 2 short beeps
* then without delay after this 2 beeps push the throttle all the way down
* then you hear 3 beeps : calibration is ok : disconnect
After calibration the ESC knows where are the minimum and maximum signals comming from your radio.
Note that for calibration you need the ESC connector with the 3 cables (black, red and white) after that you disconnect the red cable from 3 out of 4 connectors.
(dont cut the red cable : it is usefull if you need to recalibrate)
BR I too messed up with the ESC programming/wiring. How I got around it was to use a Propeller chip to output 3 seperate throttle down signals (1100ms) to 3 of the ESC's. Then plug the 4th ESC into the throttle channel of your receiver so you can program it without having to listen to the 3 other ESC's continueing to beep.
Edit: yes the propeller nut is 5/16 and I don't have mine in the air yet either.
Edit2: Those beeps you hear are comming from the motors.
I made up a 6 way servo cable adapter (starting @ 6:10 in the time lapse) so that I could program all ESCs at the same time. 6 way because I plan to build a hex.
I found the APC props to need very little adjustment to be in balance. I would just bolt them on and not worry about it. Sometimes there is some flashing on the bottom that needs to be filed or sanded smooth.
When wiring up the harness I joined two wires into one, then two into one again. Not four into one.
I experienced the exact same issues as you describe in # 1, 6 and 7.
1) I ran out of shrink tube too - I had a bunch of my own I used to finish the job. Didn't use the really large tube supplied though.
2) Loctite should only be used where metal hits metal. In plastic, because you create the threads by screwing into the plastic, it tends to hold the screws pretty tight as is. This is how the nylon locking nuts work. So it's not necessary to use loctite on these joints.
6) My kit only had 8, but needed 12. I was also missing the 1/2" screws, the 5/8" standoffs, and the 1" standoffs. I got my kit together by either making my own parts or having them here already. Ken is sending them via FedEx, I'm just impatient.
7) I had the same issue with the landing gear not holding the screws to the body, so I used locking nuts too. It seems like this was almost intended, given the screws have the extra length to accommodate this, whereas nowhere else did.
8) Balancing - I do this by using an exacto knife to remove material from the front side of the prop on the heavy blade. I have a prop balancing tool that suspends the props on a spindle with magnets so there's minimal friction. The heavy side falls low, you shave a little off and check it again. It'll fly decently well without it, as the APC props are pretty good, but it'll fly better if you do this. It'll also help if you plan to mount a video camera - cheaper CMOS cameras have a rolling shutter, and get a "jello" effect if they're subject to vibration.
9) I use the prop itself to thread onto the collet as far as it will go, then hold the motor body and use the nut to press the prop the rest of the way. Twist it on (like a screwdriver) instead of using side force (like a wrench) and you won't bend anything.
10) Tracking isn't ultra critical, though it seems odd they'd be off by that much on such a small prop. Balancing the blades may help this.
12) ESCs - the ESC isn't making the noise - they use the motor as a speaker, so you'll see the motor twitch a little as the sound is made. Watch the motors and you can tell which one is beeping as long as they're not all in sync.
When you get to the flying part, use a soccer field, not a driveway, and set dual rates on the radio for about 60% to 70% on aileron and elevator. Start with that enabled or you'll find it REALLY sensitive. I disagree with their manual telling you to use 100% from the start, as I found it really easy to overdo it on the controls, and I'm used to this. Also, start with about 30% exponential on your low rates, and about 40 to 50 on the high rates, as that will help a lot too.
@W9 - I followed your video for most of the build, particularly when it came to doing the wiring harness, and found it really helpful.
The only thing I changed was that I used EC3 connectors to connect each pair of of ESCs to the final single battery connector. This meant I could unplug one pair from the battery when programming, making it easier to discern which one was beeping, and also allows easier movement of the harness because I could disconnect half of it and move just that half around.
@all: thanks for the replies and feedback...it is good to know that I'm on the right track.
@cats: thanks for the advice on ESC programming...I did order the programming card, but it will take a while to get here. In the mean time, I went ahead and programed my ESCs using the radio. Also went through the throttle calibration. I will go back and check this again though, just to be sure. Regarding the red cables, I am just plugging all into the Hoverfly board without disconnecting 3 of the 4 red cables. Is there any particular reason that the Hoverfly should only be supplied from a single +5v in line? I didn't notice anything about this in the Hoverfly manual.
@rat: I was considering wiring up my harness like W9GFO did (no connectors between ESCand batt). After I discovered the error of my ways regarding ESC programming in step 4, I was glad I elected to use the connectors...so I could easily unplug the ECSs from the harness one at a time to program.
@Jason: thanks for the tips on balancing and installing. I will find a nice open area for first flight and will try the rates as you suggest.
@all: any comments on batt-to-harness connection? Others using EC3 for that purpose? Is the EC3 up to it? Better alternatives?
The instructions to remove three of the red cables is in the HoverFly manual. Page 37, Fig. 9.
4.5.7 Power Filtering
The HoverflySPORT does not have a separate power connection port. Instead, power is received directly from the output of the ESCs batteyelimination circuit (BEC). On board filtering eliminates the need to use any type of external power filtering. When connecting the ESCs to theHoverflySPORT the user should remove all but one of the power connections on the 3 pin hobby connector as shown in Fig. 9.
Tiger: the battery type setting is to allow the motor controller to cut power to the motor before you damage the battery. Lipo batteries will be damaged if discharged too low. That said, hitting the low power cutoff in flight would cost you much more than the price of a battery, which is probably why they advise you to set it for nicad, as they usually allow for much deeper discharge. Lipos should not go below 3.3 volts per cell, 3.0 at the lowest, so a 3 cell pack is done when you hit 10 volts.
You should time your flights, and check your batteries often during your first few flights until you know how much flight time you get from a pack. Set a timer on your transmitter for about 30 seconds less than that, and land early if you're flying aggressively.
My quad is home brew. I used two largish electrical screw connectors open at both ends.
1. I first joined the esc wires to the motors (soldered and heatshrink) - need a largish iron.
2. I next extended the esc power wires (twist and solder and heatshrink).
3. I then tinned the ends, and screwed into the electrical connectors (one for +ve, one for -ve). I put 2 esc wires in one end, and 2 esc wires in the other end with the battery wire. Repeat for the other polarity set.
What I didn't do, and I need to, is put a power switch in the circuit. I disable the prop and receiver (I have shunts on my pcb to do this) while I plug or unplug the LiPo battery. I get sparks plugging the deans plug in and this is an accident waiting to happen with the escs.
Those sparks are normal - the ESCs have large-ish capacitors on them and that spark is them charging. Some people use a double battery lead - you plug in a small one with inline resistors first, allowing the caps to charge at a controlled rate instead of surging. After a few seconds you then plug in the unconstrained lead, and you don't get the spark. I've never done this, and never had a problem.
Hey Guys,
I just wanted to give you all a look at something I have been working on; the ELEV-8 Hex. It is very stable and has a max payload with good flight of 4 lbs. The Hex itself tips the scales at 4.7 lbs with a 4400 mAh battery attached. It has been made in the same manner as the Quad, in that it is easily repaired in the field, and breaks down quickly and easiily. It utilizes the same booms and motors as the quad, so parts for either one are easy to come by! Here are some pics and a video from the Hex. I need to change the position of my camera, but the video is still pretty good!
I see that the Spektrum DX8 is recommended for the ELEV-8 kit but what is the advantage of having an 8 channel radio with a quadcopter that only requires 5 or 6 channels? Is there any reason to believe that the Spektrum DX6i would be a bad choice for the ELEV-8 kit?
David,
I fly the ELEV-8 HEX with a DX6i and have no issues with a 6 channel transmitter. I have a HoverFly Pro board, and have access and control of all the features on the board. I believe that it really comes down to how much you want to spend on your transmitter, as some are more user friendly than others. I have seen some models that are very hard to understand how to configure and set the end points and change gain values, and most of your time is spent with your nose in the manual trying to understand how to use it. I have also seen those that are very easy to use like the Spektrum line, and get you up and flying quickly. In the case of transmitters, you really get what you pay for.
I have the DX6i, but currently I am only using 4 channels. One will be used later for an emergency levelling switch. I have seen modifications to expand a DX7 to 12 channels (thanks to ??? who gave me a link - IIRC the quad thread in the Prop forum). Quite likely this could be done with the DX6i too.
Nick, nice flight but there is a bit of vibration coming through. Great to see a hex out there too.
Cluso99,
Yeah, the mount that I have was not as steady and wiggle proof as I would have liked. The mount does not hold the Camera very tightly so it moves and has the vibration whenever the motor speed was increased. I am looking to fix the vibration and view angle in a mount that I will be making for the camera to attach to the HEX with more securely.
David,
I fly the ELEV-8 HEX with a DX6i and have no issues with a 6 channel transmitter. I have a HoverFly Pro board, and have access and control of all the features on the board. I believe that it really comes down to how much you want to spend on your transmitter, as some are more user friendly than others. I have seen some models that are very hard to understand how to configure and set the end points and change gain values, and most of your time is spent with your nose in the manual trying to understand how to use it. I have also seen those that are very easy to use like the Spektrum line, and get you up and flying quickly. In the case of transmitters, you really get what you pay for.
-Nick
Is there any advantage to having extra channels? Can you use them to control a camera or something like that?
If the remote has extra controls, like potentiometers on the side, then yes you could. I have a JR 9303 which has these, and I got it specifically for them. Higher channel radios usually have more features, like larger model memories, better mixing capability, more points in curves, extra switches, and so on.
I use a Futaba 12MZ for my helicopter with camera mount. I use the side potentiometer to control tilt, one of the toggles to trigger the shutter and one of the knobs on the front to adjust the gain of the IR stabilization. Another toggle "sets" the stabilizer to level and another pot adjusts the tail rotor gyro gain. The last of the three pots on the front I have set up to adjust the hover pitch. Then there's the toggles for dual rates, idle up, throttle cut and something else....
The downside of radios like this is that if you don't use them regularly you forget what all the knobs and switches do.
@Jason
Very good stability - pretty sure that's a GoPro camera. Looks like you have the rotation figured out. I imagine that was the least of your worries.
Jason, can I send you a Hoverfly SPORT for programming? The SPORT is very similar to the OPEN and I'd really like to get some firmware underway before the OPEN board arrives. I'm pretty sure it uses the same gyro (at least Roy says so but I haven't read all of your posts to know for certain). As Hoverfly won't be sharing the firmware, with your effort we could then open up the entire ELEV-8 effort. Let me know if you are interested, or if you even have the time.
Thanks,
Ken Gracey
What ever happened to writing alternative software for the HoverFly Sport? Is it in progress? Any idea when it will be available? Also, where can I find a schematic for the Sport or at least a description of what's on each pin?
Our ELEV-8 crew (Nick and Kevin) are working closely with Jason Dorie - he's got everything he needs at this point. Jason can reply about what he plans on doing, but we're shooting for having fully open code for the SPORT (and OPEN, same board basically). This work in progress shall grow quickly and become a very complete product line at Parallax. We've sold everything we've made, quickly.
Comments
Me: "I broke a prop and don't have any spares."
My son: "So can you still fly?"
Me:
For your cameraman lost off view :
In broadcast recordings of golf, we only look at the red channel of the picture.
In the blue sky you don't use the blue, and in the green grass you don't use the green. both are black, all the rest are grayed
This is the magical trick the cameraman use to follow easy the golf ball .... From close-up tie to wide sky, back close-up on the green.
But while I'm waiting, I'm double-checking my build and doing some homework before I fly. I've got a few questions and am hoping maybe folks can point me in the right direction.
First some background...I'm an R/C novice...never built an R/C craft before. On a good day, I'd rate myself as "intermediate" relative to mechanical/assembly and electronic know-how. I had no major problems assembling or wiring my ELEV8 (that I know of), which is a testament to how well thought-out and documented this design is. Great job, Ken & Parallax!
As with any project, I did encounter a series of minor obstacles to surmount along the way. I kept a running log of these as I went so I could inquire with more experienced folks...and also in the hopes that an ELEV8 build from a newbie perspective could provide some useful feedback for others attempting same. So, here are some impressions and questions, in general order that I noted them as I progressed through the build:
- Black 1/4" shrink tube...I used every bit of it for build and could have used a few inches more.
- The assembly doc specifically calls out Loctite on prop adapter parts but doesn't say anything about other threaded joints...could leave impression it isn't needed on all other parts. But I think the intent is that all threaded joints get loctite except the 4-40 self locking nuts (correct me if I'm wrong on this). Should the assembly guide explicitly say this somewhere?
- Power harness layout...directions were right, it takes some time to think about (at least I had to). Pic below shows the config I ultimately settled on. My objectives were: keep it tidy, keep everything inside the body plates, minimize wire bends & bend radii, route motor wires straight out of tube end to keep them in center of tube and avoid opportunity for chaffing on edge of boom arm tube. Some questions on this setup: is there any worry about chafing of motor wires on boom arm ends? How tightly should the wires be constrained? I tried to use enough zip ties to just keep them from flopping around or rubbing but no more. Or should the rule be: "you can't use too many zip ties"?
- I found the EC3 connectors to be tricky to soldier at first...kept putting too much soldier in the connector cup, which then overflows when a tinned wire is inserted. The solder then adheres to outside of pin and must be removed to enable proper insertion of pin into housing. For anybody that has never soldiered EC3 connectors before, I definitely recommend starting with 16-gague wire connections (on the ESCs) before attempting a connection using 12-gague wire (for battery). Also, watch this video or similar on web: EC3 soldering tutorial...don't try to figure it out on the fly as I did.
- Speaking of EC3 solder joints, I used an EC3 connector for the battery-to-harness connection. By this time, I had soldered 4 complete EC3 connector sets using 16 gauge wire and was getting used to it. But trying to solder the 12 gauge wire was a whole new level of challenge. Wire bundle was too big to be inserted into the cup with the iron tip in there at the same time. Suffice it to say, I had considerable difficulty with this connection and don't trust it. Are others using EC3 connectors for the batt-to-harness connection? Feels slightly undersized to me.
- Self-locking nuts: directions appear to show that a total of 12 are needed: 4 for assy dwg pg 2, pt 10; 4 for assy dwg pg 4, pt 7, and 4 for assy dwg, pg6, pt 6. My kit had 8. Others have this issue...or am I reading it wrong?
- Assy dwg page 4 shows 1.75" screws, part #5 on dwg, fastening directly into landing gear with no nut. The holes in my landing gear were large enough that there was no interference between the 4-40 screw and the gear, so I could easily push the screw through the hole. I am assuming that there is supposed to be an interference fit so the screw will "bite" into the gear to clamp the parts together (the outboard holes in my landing gear were an interference fit and the screws self-threaded into them nicely). Anyway, I ended up putting a nut on the bottom of the screw to clamp it together. Others run into this?
- Prop balancing: never done this before and could use some advice in this area. I found some good videos out on the net showing how to do this...but I don't have proper tools/fixtures to do it. Instead, I rigged up some primitive tools and got it close (I think), but I'm sure it isn't perfect. How critical is the balance? Super-finnicky, or reasonably forgiving? I noticed in Rich's time-lapse video, he doesn't appear to spend a huge amount of time balancing his props...by the way, that video is great for giving one a general sense of the order of things and how an experienced builder would go about it. Thanks for that!
- How to mount the prop. Never dunnit before. I was surprised at the apparent lack of "how to" material on the web (that I could find). I used the plastic centering collar that comes with the prop, even though it isn't explicitly shown in the assembly document. The collar is an interference fit on the shaft, so I had to use my collar press tool (aka plastic ballpoint pen body tube) to manually push the collar onto the shaft. The last 1/4" to bottom has a small shoulder, so couldn't drive it home by pushing it on ( I don't have a press). I ended up gently tapping it down, supporting the motor shaft from underneath so as to not take the force through the motor bearings. I tried to be careful about this, but really wasn't comfortable with it. If I had it to do over again, I'd try seating the collar by putting the prop on and tightening the prop nut to drive the collar home. How are others doing this?
- Prop tracking: I can tell that my mounted prop tips aren't tracking perfectly...maybe ~1/8" delta between tips. How critical is the tracking?
- Directions call out 11/32 wrench, but I never needed this. Was this supposed to be for the prop nut? If so, mine was 5/16".
- Directions say to program ESCs in step 4. I elected to wait until step 5 found out why...when all ESCs connected to batt harness, they're all beeping at you and it is hard to tell which one is which. Speaking of which, I find that ESC high-pitch noise to be amazingly omni-directional...is it just me?
Anyway, those are my R/C newby impressions/questions. Any advice appreciated. And thanks again for the kit, its been fun and I haven't even gotten to the "fun" part yet. Can't wait to try flying.BR
* to program the ESC buy a small programming card (Hobbyking net store) it costs about 7 $ and it is great help . You connect one ESC 1) to the quad battery 2) to the card with the 3 cables connector) then on the card you select(brake=off,battery =Ni (not lipo!), cut off type =soft,cut off voltage :=low, start mode=normal, timing mode =middle,governor:=off) and click OK.
* to calibrate the ESC one at a time (better with no propellers installed) :
* connect one ESC to one motor (with the 3 red cables)
* connect the ESC 3-cable-connector to the throttle connector of the radio receiver
* put the radio transmitter ON and push the throttle all the way up
* then connect the ESC to the quadcopter battery
* you hear a little music and the 2 short beeps
* then without delay after this 2 beeps push the throttle all the way down
* then you hear 3 beeps : calibration is ok : disconnect
After calibration the ESC knows where are the minimum and maximum signals comming from your radio.
Note that for calibration you need the ESC connector with the 3 cables (black, red and white) after that you disconnect the red cable from 3 out of 4 connectors.
(dont cut the red cable : it is usefull if you need to recalibrate)
Edit: yes the propeller nut is 5/16 and I don't have mine in the air yet either.
Edit2: Those beeps you hear are comming from the motors.
I made up a 6 way servo cable adapter (starting @ 6:10 in the time lapse) so that I could program all ESCs at the same time. 6 way because I plan to build a hex.
I found the APC props to need very little adjustment to be in balance. I would just bolt them on and not worry about it. Sometimes there is some flashing on the bottom that needs to be filed or sanded smooth.
When wiring up the harness I joined two wires into one, then two into one again. Not four into one.
I experienced the exact same issues as you describe in # 1, 6 and 7.
1) I ran out of shrink tube too - I had a bunch of my own I used to finish the job. Didn't use the really large tube supplied though.
2) Loctite should only be used where metal hits metal. In plastic, because you create the threads by screwing into the plastic, it tends to hold the screws pretty tight as is. This is how the nylon locking nuts work. So it's not necessary to use loctite on these joints.
6) My kit only had 8, but needed 12. I was also missing the 1/2" screws, the 5/8" standoffs, and the 1" standoffs. I got my kit together by either making my own parts or having them here already. Ken is sending them via FedEx, I'm just impatient.
7) I had the same issue with the landing gear not holding the screws to the body, so I used locking nuts too. It seems like this was almost intended, given the screws have the extra length to accommodate this, whereas nowhere else did.
8) Balancing - I do this by using an exacto knife to remove material from the front side of the prop on the heavy blade. I have a prop balancing tool that suspends the props on a spindle with magnets so there's minimal friction. The heavy side falls low, you shave a little off and check it again. It'll fly decently well without it, as the APC props are pretty good, but it'll fly better if you do this. It'll also help if you plan to mount a video camera - cheaper CMOS cameras have a rolling shutter, and get a "jello" effect if they're subject to vibration.
9) I use the prop itself to thread onto the collet as far as it will go, then hold the motor body and use the nut to press the prop the rest of the way. Twist it on (like a screwdriver) instead of using side force (like a wrench) and you won't bend anything.
10) Tracking isn't ultra critical, though it seems odd they'd be off by that much on such a small prop. Balancing the blades may help this.
12) ESCs - the ESC isn't making the noise - they use the motor as a speaker, so you'll see the motor twitch a little as the sound is made. Watch the motors and you can tell which one is beeping as long as they're not all in sync.
When you get to the flying part, use a soccer field, not a driveway, and set dual rates on the radio for about 60% to 70% on aileron and elevator. Start with that enabled or you'll find it REALLY sensitive. I disagree with their manual telling you to use 100% from the start, as I found it really easy to overdo it on the controls, and I'm used to this. Also, start with about 30% exponential on your low rates, and about 40 to 50 on the high rates, as that will help a lot too.
The only thing I changed was that I used EC3 connectors to connect each pair of of ESCs to the final single battery connector. This meant I could unplug one pair from the battery when programming, making it easier to discern which one was beeping, and also allows easier movement of the harness because I could disconnect half of it and move just that half around.
@cats: thanks for the advice on ESC programming...I did order the programming card, but it will take a while to get here. In the mean time, I went ahead and programed my ESCs using the radio. Also went through the throttle calibration. I will go back and check this again though, just to be sure. Regarding the red cables, I am just plugging all into the Hoverfly board without disconnecting 3 of the 4 red cables. Is there any particular reason that the Hoverfly should only be supplied from a single +5v in line? I didn't notice anything about this in the Hoverfly manual.
@rat: I was considering wiring up my harness like W9GFO did (no connectors between ESCand batt). After I discovered the error of my ways regarding ESC programming in step 4, I was glad I elected to use the connectors...so I could easily unplug the ECSs from the harness one at a time to program.
@Jason: thanks for the tips on balancing and installing. I will find a nice open area for first flight and will try the rates as you suggest.
@all: any comments on batt-to-harness connection? Others using EC3 for that purpose? Is the EC3 up to it? Better alternatives?
...Tiger
You should time your flights, and check your batteries often during your first few flights until you know how much flight time you get from a pack. Set a timer on your transmitter for about 30 seconds less than that, and land early if you're flying aggressively.
1. I first joined the esc wires to the motors (soldered and heatshrink) - need a largish iron.
2. I next extended the esc power wires (twist and solder and heatshrink).
3. I then tinned the ends, and screwed into the electrical connectors (one for +ve, one for -ve). I put 2 esc wires in one end, and 2 esc wires in the other end with the battery wire. Repeat for the other polarity set.
What I didn't do, and I need to, is put a power switch in the circuit. I disable the prop and receiver (I have shunts on my pcb to do this) while I plug or unplug the LiPo battery. I get sparks plugging the deans plug in and this is an accident waiting to happen with the escs.
I just wanted to give you all a look at something I have been working on; the ELEV-8 Hex. It is very stable and has a max payload with good flight of 4 lbs. The Hex itself tips the scales at 4.7 lbs with a 4400 mAh battery attached. It has been made in the same manner as the Quad, in that it is easily repaired in the field, and breaks down quickly and easiily. It utilizes the same booms and motors as the quad, so parts for either one are easy to come by! Here are some pics and a video from the Hex. I need to change the position of my camera, but the video is still pretty good!
-Nick
I fly the ELEV-8 HEX with a DX6i and have no issues with a 6 channel transmitter. I have a HoverFly Pro board, and have access and control of all the features on the board. I believe that it really comes down to how much you want to spend on your transmitter, as some are more user friendly than others. I have seen some models that are very hard to understand how to configure and set the end points and change gain values, and most of your time is spent with your nose in the manual trying to understand how to use it. I have also seen those that are very easy to use like the Spektrum line, and get you up and flying quickly. In the case of transmitters, you really get what you pay for.
-Nick
Welcome to the Quad (and now hex) "gang".
I have the DX6i, but currently I am only using 4 channels. One will be used later for an emergency levelling switch. I have seen modifications to expand a DX7 to 12 channels (thanks to ??? who gave me a link - IIRC the quad thread in the Prop forum). Quite likely this could be done with the DX6i too.
Nick, nice flight but there is a bit of vibration coming through. Great to see a hex out there too.
Yeah, the mount that I have was not as steady and wiggle proof as I would have liked. The mount does not hold the Camera very tightly so it moves and has the vibration whenever the motor speed was increased. I am looking to fix the vibration and view angle in a mount that I will be making for the camera to attach to the HEX with more securely.
-Nick
The downside of radios like this is that if you don't use them regularly you forget what all the knobs and switches do.
What ever happened to writing alternative software for the HoverFly Sport? Is it in progress? Any idea when it will be available? Also, where can I find a schematic for the Sport or at least a description of what's on each pin?
Thanks,
David
Our ELEV-8 crew (Nick and Kevin) are working closely with Jason Dorie - he's got everything he needs at this point. Jason can reply about what he plans on doing, but we're shooting for having fully open code for the SPORT (and OPEN, same board basically). This work in progress shall grow quickly and become a very complete product line at Parallax. We've sold everything we've made, quickly.
Ken Gracey