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Thread: Quadcopter build

  1. #1
    Insider Curt's Avatar
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    Quadcopter build

    Not sure where to put this, or if it goes anywhere here at all.

    I wanna build a quadcopter, surprised it took this long for me to decide to. I have a couple other project going right now but I have started to lay down the plans for it and maybe spec some parts. Its only in my head so far, but here is the basic high points of my plan:

    - Medium-lift quad-something, probably start with some basic Chinese chassis and mod it, 4S power pack int he 5000+ mAh range

    - 3-axis brushless gimbal with a high-def camera, depending on weight budget, but this is a deal-breaker so might need to go to hex

    - flight controller board like a CC3D, BUT driven by ..

    - Rasberry-Pi based. Not the smallest or lightest but it is small and light and has a HUGE array of well-polished support and library apps, plust the I/O bus is perfect for my layout

    - FASST reciever will input to the Rasberry Pi, as will a high power WiFi base-station, I was thinking of stripping down a Ubiquity bullet and mounting it with an omni.

    - GPS module input as well

    - Ground station will have an Occulus for FPV with a custom implementation of software for head-tracking to the gimbal and HUD

    Ambitious? Yeah, but I have a history

    More + pics when I start the build.

    -Curt

  2. #2
    Count me in for one too!

    Have you seen how they are racing them through forests? Looks like way too much fun!

  3. #3
    Don't worry about it being in French, read the subtitles, but get to the FPV footage of the racing...


  4. #4
    CAD Monkey skibbo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon View Post
    Don't worry about it being in French, read the subtitles, but get to the FPV footage of the racing...

    That's awesome. Non paintball applications would probably work better due to video quality, unless you're just using if to scout and not record

  5. #5
    Wayne
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    So freaking cool! Having that blazing red light on the back is a great effect. I'd go with this color though, for obvious reasons.


  6. #6
    Insider Curt's Avatar
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    Doing a bunch more research. I am definitly going with 1.2Ghz for visual telemetry, good news the gear is not THAT expensive.. bad news is I need an amatuer radio licence to use it.

    Good thing I have one KF4OTK is back on the air!

    With the gear I'm looking at I should be able to transmit video out to around 30km. like.. curvature-of-earth-matters kind of stuff.

    Can't run a quadcopter out that far.. but a glider.. now maybe that would be possible. I am brainstorming a VTOL glider that has four folding/semi-folding motors so it can hover like a quad but cruise like a glider. 50/50 chance I'll actually try to pull THAT off.

    I'll have a GPS on whatever I end up building that will send back positional information to feed into an antenna-pointing device, probably going to go with a flat-panel type directional antenna.

    still brainstorming. Pics when I have time to actually BUILD something, right now I am full time on the DNA board.

  7. #7
    Insider Davros's Avatar
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    Curt, how much weight could this carry?

  8. #8
    Insider Curt's Avatar
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    I think my maximum takeoff weight will be around 1.7kg, I am hoping a useful payload of at least half that, but will have to see what the efficiencies are. I need to tune motors and props in hover and FFF.

  9. #9
    Posting to subscribe to this build thread.

    Did a music video shoot recently which had a pyro tech on set. He also does drone media & hopefully will get to join him on a project to do some flying.
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  10. #10
    Insider Curt's Avatar
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    So its pretty clear that whatever I end up doing I'm going to need some automated antenna-pointing. Since directional antennas are the only way to fly any kind of long distance.

    Just about everything I've planned comes back to needing to point things at the vehicle constantly, usually many things. There is at least one commercial thing that does this: http://www.fpvhobby.com/116-an.html but for $350? I think I can do better.

    The idea is to recieve constant stream of GPS coordinates, then knowing the exact location of the base-station, track a point in the air. Doesn't have to be perfect I guess, the antenna I plan to mount has like a 30-degree cone of directional sensitivity.

    I plan to mount multiple antennas on it, though, which means I need some beefy actuation hardware, luckily it will not typically need to slew very fast, since the most interesting case (when the vehicle is far away) is also when the smallest, slowest adjustments are necessary.

    Time to look into some stepper motors

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