Converting My Hoverly V2 Elev-8 To APM 2.6

GlassKNees

I already built an Elev-8 and put an APM autopilot on it and it works great! My first Elev-8 with it's Hoverfly controller has been languishing in the closet because I've been flying the APM ship exclusively. I recently took the Hoverfly quad out for a flight and it was yawing during takeoff - the #3 boom was vibrating a lot, so I took the aircraft in the house and discovered that the #3 motor isn't turning smoothly - I suspect worn bearings. So I decided to replace the motors. Since I'm going through that effort, which will require removing the booms anyway, why not upgrade to an APM controller? Here is a picture of both aircraft:



I will have to remove the ESC's and re-order then as the APM controller assumes a different ordering. Also, I will have to remove the arrow markings on the motor mounts as the spin directions will also change. I ordered the following items for the upgrade:

1. APM 2.6 - had to buy a clone (at 1/3 the cost of one from 3D Robotics - 3DR is out of stock) $40
2. GPS/Magnetometer - I could buy a clone, but got one from 3DR which was about twice the cost of clones. - $90
3. GPS mast - need a long one to get the magnetometer away from spurious noise from the ESCs - $8
4. Servo Extensions - the ESC command lines won't reach all the way to the outputs rail on the APM - $10
5. APM Vibration Dampener - a base that has rubber standoffs. The APM is mounted on this and dampens vibrations from the copter - $7

Other needed stuff that I already had:

APM Power Module - splice into the power distribution harness - this produces filtered 5V which powers the APM plus telemetry and GPS/compass Cost around $25
915 Mhz Telemetry Transceiver - cost around $50

Misc. Stuff unique to my project:

New motors - decided to replace all four so I'm sure that I have a new baseline
New motor mount - #3 mount scuffed and scratched. Originally is probably okay, but want aircraft to look new (I'm into vanity)...

Here are most the items I've ordered - I just ordered the servo extensions today, and I'm still waiting on the motors...



I seriously thinking of adding a Tarot 2 axis gimbal with a GoPro camera and video transmitter. If I do, I'll fabricate an aluminum mount to get the gimbal forward in order to eliminate the propellers from the field of view. Tarot gimbals are around $90 and GoPro cameras can be had for less than $200 on Craigslist.

GlassKNees

I just removed the Hoverfly board from it's base (pictured above). The flight controller works fine - if anyone needs one, let me know! Anyway, the APM vibration dampener will mount directly on the base - the screw holes line up perfectly.

The ESC extensions arrived, so now all I'm waiting for is a motor to replace the one with the bent shaft (#3). Oh, and the GPS/compass arrived as well. I pretty much have all the stuff I need to complete the upgrade.

GlassKNees

I just finished mounting the base of the GPS mast and the vibration dampener onto the top chassis:



The arrow indicates the front of the quadcopter. The GPS mast will be on the right side, towards the front. I chose to mount the GPS mast on the chassis plate where I think it will be more stable.

The new motor arrived, so I will be busy soldering the bullet connectors and mounting the motor onto the boom. Tomorrow, I will install the ESC's in their new locations consistent with the new ordering that the APM assumes.

GlassKNees

I installed the new motor using a new motor mount, rubbed off the arrows I drew on the other mounts to indicate motor spin direction, and re-installed the mounts onto the top chassis:



All screws were visually inspected and any that were bent, no matter how slightly, were replaced. Note that left rear boom has red mylar on it (it used to be in front); I will have to remove the mylar and cover the two front booms with fresh sheets.

GlassKNees

I completed the overhaul and build. But let me take you through some of the steps. I installed the ESCs and spliced the APM power module into the power distribution harness. I accomplished this by cutting the harness ahead of the battery connector and put on bullet connectors. I then installed the power harness"



I buttoned up the central body by mounting the bottom chassis, and replacing the skids with new ones. Oh, and I removed the old red mylar, cleaned the booms and put on fresh mylar on the two front booms, and I installed the 6 channel Spektrum receiver:



Next, I installed the electronics - the telemetry transceiver and the GPS/magnetometer. I performed the initial APM configuration - installed the firmware and completed the accel configuration. There was a problem with the clone APM I bought - the cover was loose and I discovered that two of the four screws that hold the plastic case together were loose. It turned out that the threaded holes were stripped - probably the screws were over-tightened. Chinese quality control is wanting. Anyway, I managed to glue the casing together, after putting a piece of cotton over the air pressure sensor (make it less susceptible to wind), and glued the screws in place.

After installing the APM, I completed the configurations - compass, radio and flight modes. Then I went into the settings to enter my magnetic deviation, RTL descent speed, Circle radius and speed, etc. After writing the parameters out, disconnected from Mission Planner and declared the aircraft ready for a test flight:



Yes, I know - the orange propellers clash with the red mylar, but I wanted to use cheap props for initial test flights.

Then, I discovered two problems: In my haste, I forgot to replace the battery "seat belts" the two velcro harnesses that hold the battery in place. Also, I pushed the ESC command wires in the back of the chassis, blocking the opening for inserting/removing the battery - DOH!. Despite these mistakes, I charged up a battery and managed to slide it in from the front and secure it so I could try a hover test in my driveway.

I powered up the aircraft, got GPS lock and armed the motors. But when I throttled up for takeoff the motors would not spin up enough to left off.... So, I've got to figure out what's going on there... Maybe I changed a parameter that I should have left alone - will go back into Mission Planner.

But I'm really close - I hope to get it up in the air tomorrow.

P.S. There's a problem with Photobucket, where I store my photos - seems that they are disappearing and reappearing....

BB

Publison

Persevere! You will get it. I'm rebuilding my V1 now.

GlassKNees

I think I found the problem - an internet search uncovered someone else who had the same problem - turns out that in Advanced Settings, the "Throttle Max" setting was set to the minimum value - 80. I reset it to 100. It should work now, but I'm going to first reroute the ESC command wires, which will require removing the bottom chassis plate. I will then be able to put on the velcro straps as well.

Publison, I'd like to see pics when you're done!

BB

GlassKNees

I've completed the job of re-routing the ESC command lines and adding the velcro straps. I also cut and glued a piece of foam cushion that one sticks in a shoe. I just test flew it in my driveway - had to reverse aileron, elevator and rudder on the transmitter, but it flies - tested Stabilize and Loiter modes. The only problem I found is it still tends to yaw clockwise and I had to keep applying left rudder to compensate. I had this problem before the upgrade and I had hoped that replacing the #3 motor would solve it. I did not replace all motors like I originally intended, but I do have one more spare motor - will do some more troubleshooting.

Anyway, here is a picture of the final product - front view:



Not a real clear picture, but you can see that I secured the extra power, ground leads on the power harness - secured with zip ties to keep them inside the chassis but still be accessible in case I decide to add any electronic payload.

Here is the rear view:



I secured the APM power module so that it doesn't stick out like it did before. You can see the ESC Lines are moved out of the way so I can easily insert/remove the battery. I also stuck on a mailing label with my name, address and phone number on the left rear boom.

GlassKNees

I tried another hover test - it was windless in my neighborhood so I hovered in my front yard, and the aircraft flew just fine. So, filled with confidence, I uploaded into the aircraft a waypoint mission I created earlier this month - a flight along Berry Creek, where I crashed into a tree because I descended from 20 meters to 10.

I took the aircraft out to The Pit with my laptop - attached a video camera to the bottom of the quadcopter, got Mission Planner running and sent the aircraft on its way. Total distance was 1.65 kilometers and the flight lasted around 7 minutes. I got nervous when I lost visual sight of the aircraft while watching the telemetry on the laptop, but I never lost telemetry and Mission Planner said it was moving, even though I could see or hear it. Then, a few minutes later, I heard it off in the distance..

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Efwhjx8RGlU

GlassKNees

I just completed the built of my Tarot FY680 Pro. It has some teething issues - no power to the video transmitter and I need to make some gimbal adjustments. Also #6 motor spins slowly, erratically when power is applied and when I arm the motors and throttle up, the $6 motor spins very slowly - I suspect I need to calibrate the #4, 6 ESC's....

Anyway, here it is next to my upgraded Elev-8:

GlassKNees

I've started repairing my other Elev-8 - the one I crashed into a tree while flying a waypoint mission (altitude was set too low):
https://youtube.com/watch?v=GYaiXOEngHw

Anyway, I ran into a problem last night - accidentally connected the power leads to an ESC backwards and when I plugged a battery into the aircraft to test a motor's spin direction, I burned up the ESC and damaged the APM Power Module. Fortunately, I had a spare ESC and I went online to order a new APM Power Module - chose to buy a clone which is cheaper; it should arrive in a couple of days.

I have fabricated a boom out of aluminum U-channel stock and will mount a Tarot 2D gimbal with a GoPro camera on this aircraft.

I got to thinking about the availability of clone parts that are much cheaper, the current sale of the Elev-8 V2 kit and decided to total up the cost of building a new Elev-8 outfitted with an APM 2.6 autopilot, GPS, telemetry, receiver, transmitter, gimbal and a used GoPro camera (purchased from, say Craigslist)... Here's what I came up with - everything can be found on Amazon except the Elev-8 kit and the camera:

Hobby Ace APM 2.6 40.99
DShot APM Power Module 13.98
Anti-Vibration Dampener Plate 7.99
915 Telemetry transceivers 22.99
Tall GPS Mast 7.44

---

Cost to upgrade an existing Elev-8: $93.39

FlySky 6 chan Rec. 11.50
Flysky Transmitter 53.35
Elev-8 V2 Kit 269.99
Tarot 2D Gimbal 90.52
Used Hero3 Camera 225.00

---

Total Cost For a New APM ship: $743.75

Of course, the above does not include shipping costs nor any extra things like zip ties, etc... But the point is, for less than $750 you can have a nice stable flying video platform with all the advanced flight modes that the APM provides (including autonomous flight). Compare that with what's currently available in RTF form with similar capabilities.

GlassKNees

I'm repairing the Elev-8 that I crashed in a tree. Right now the repairs are on hold while I wait for new Lipo batteries to be delivered - I have no battery to plug into the aircraft so I can check the wiring to the motors to insure correct spin direction. Here's a photo of the damaged aircraft:



Besides repairing the quadcopter, I've decided to add a Tarot 2D gimbal with a GoPro camera and video transmitter. So, following a tutorial, I fashioned a boom out of a piece of aluminum U-channel stock.



It's hard to see from the picture, but I've got the boom resting where it will be installed. Also, I've positioned the Spektrum 6 channel receiver to the right where it will be installed. The APM autopilot is also resting on top of the vibration dampener - I still have to put on the little rubber dampeners.

The TX-5D video transmitter is on the left below the telemetry transceiver - I may mount it underneath the aircraft.

I had to solder longer power/ground leads to the APM power module because the lipo battery will be mounted at a right angle behind the chassis.

I received an email yesterday indicating that the batteries, due to be delivered today from Parallax will be delayed a day. I'm hoping to have the repairs completed and do a test flight by Saturday.

GlassKNees

The batteries arrived today and I was able to confirm correct motor spin direction. I secured the bottom chassis and installed the electronics - reflashed the APM memory with firmware and completed the APM configurations. But there's a couple of problems:

The boom is 1/4" too short - the gimbal bumps up against the chassis. I have no choice but to fabricate a new boom...

The leads from the gimbal to the APM are too short - I will have to fabricate longer wires with servo connectors.

Both of these are not major problems - more of an annoyance. Here's a pic of the aircraft is it's current state:

GlassKNees

I've completed the build. I had to fabricate another boom - made it 1/2" longer. The gimbal mounted okay. Everything is hooked up and ready to test. I will configure the gimbal tonight and test to see if I'm broadcasting video. Will also test the tilt control. If everything goes well, I'll put the props on and do a test fly tomorrow.

xanadu

Nice, and right on time copter pics make great gifts.

Publison

Do you have any problem trimming for the extra weight on the boom?

My V1 is almost rebuilt. Got busy with leaves.

GlassKNees

I haven't flown it yet. After powering it up, I saw that the gimbal is working as well as the video transmitter - I can receive video on my monitor. But I can't get the trim control to work. I'm hoping to figure it out tonight.

Here are my two Elev-8's:



I expect little/no trim issues, if by mounting the battery behind the chassis, I can keep the C/G near the center. We'll see...

By the way, I did a hover test on my Elev-8 on the left using a new battery I just received from Parallax - under calm conditions and a cold morning, the copter hovered for 9:30 before running out of juice. The quad is equipped with a Drift Stealth video cam and a TX-5D 600mW video transmitter. Later, I recharged the battery and flew it again, this time with the transmitter unplugged; it was a little breezy and the copter was making lots of adjustments to hold it's position. The flight duration was about the same - 9:30. This is disappointing in that I had hoped to get at least 10 minutes endurance.

As you can see from the pics, I've just installed new carbon fiber props: 11x4.7. I will be interested to see if there's any difference in performance.

GlassKNees

The copter with the gimbal crashed last night. I suspect that I didn't have the wight and balance correct - it took off okay and was hovering for a few seconds before flipping over backwards and crashing on the driveway upside down, breaking the GPS mast as well as the antenna on the telemetry transceiver. There doesn't appear to be any other damage - a couple of the props are scuffed.

I will order a new mast and in the meantime, will try to figure out why the tilt function isn't working.

Meanwhile, I flew the other Elev-8 with it's new carbon fiber props - conditions were about the same as yesterday thought a little bit warmer. At any rate it hovered for 9:45 before landing. So, there was no appreciable difference in performance and still, I'm getting less than 10 min endurance with the new batteries.

Publison

Are you using the new the new 5300 mAh batteries? :
https://www.parallax.com/product/752-00017

Publison

GlassKNees wrote: »

Meanwhile, I flew the other Elev-8 with it's new carbon fiber props - conditions were about the same as yesterday thought a little bit warmer.

I would suspect the props may last longer with an impact.

GlassKNees

Yes, I'm using the new batteries from Parallax.

I lost my one working Elev-8 ship (the one to the left in the picture above) this evening. Our neighborhood has luminarias in the front yards and I wanted to shoot video of the lights. I created a mission where I would take off from my house, fly over a couple of houses and then descend to 5 meters and fly down the middle of the street:



When I initially powered up the ship, it wouldn't arm, so I unplugged it and plugged the battery back in - got GPS lock and it armed, so I took off. When I switched to Auto mode, it took off across the street and flew off in a south easterly direction. I switched to loiter mode but because of the darkness I couldn't see it. I switched back to auto but it did not come back towards the waypoints. I didn't have RTL as one of my three flight modes, so I turned off the transmitter, hoping that it would return to home upon loss of signal. No joy.

I can only hope that it will be found and someone will call me.

xanadu

You should always maintain line of sight with your copter

GlassKNees

Found it! It landed on a fairway, probably landed when I turned off the radio - it's okay other than covered in dew. I'm letting it dry thoroughly. More details later.

GlassKNees

Based on it's expected speed (6 m/sec), I estimated max endurance based on earlier endurance test (9:45). This gave me a limit on the search area:



I walked into the tree area - very thick and depressing.... I was thinking if it went down in the trees, I'll never find it. I worked my way onto the fairway and immediately found it:



I suspect that when I turned off the transmitter it landed...

Publison

Sweet!

GlassKNees

I've used a blow dryer to get the dew off the aircraft, motors, etc. I't plugged into Mission Planner - I'm going to create a simple mission and test it at The Pit. The on board battery is dead - only casualty of the flight. I'm charging up a new one...

Publison

Dead as in non chargeable? That's a bummer.

GlassKNees

Yeah. If the battery is discharged below a certain point it becomes damaged and the charger will not recharge it. Given that the aircraft sat on the ground all night, I expected that....

GlassKNees

Test flew the copter earlier - it works okay. I hovered it over the driveway to check out the controls, then put it in Auto to start the mission that I wanted to fly last night - it started fine. After it flew past my house, I interrupted it by taking over manually and landed it back on my driveway. I will fly the course tonight - hopefully will get some good video of the neighborhood lights.

GlassKNees

I wanted to shoot this video using my other Elev-8 with the gimbal and GoPro camera, but it's not flight ready, so I had to use the copter with the fixed camera. It didn't help that I also had a couple of martinis earlier in the evening!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eXeylArM-jM

Publison

Te martoonies!
A Lot of luminaries going on there! A good shoot overall.