My first custom build and need advice and pointers...

[Jason Carlton]

What is a BEC?

I'm assuming youve placed your battery between the two main plates?

How did you distribtue power to all motors and reciever, I was planning on buying a small power distribution board - http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin...r_Distribution_Board_DIY_8_x_output_PCB_.html

Is this a good idea?

 

[GJH105775]

You might make a post of this in custom frame design.

 

[Herpderpwerp]

Bec is a battery elimination circuit, i t is used to power the reciver and the FC. Usually the reciver got it's power from the built in bec inside the esc, but my esc is an opto esc, it doesn't have a built in bec so i have to use a standalone bec.
Yup, a distribution board is a verybgood idea, it eliminates the wire problem, on my quad it's quite a mess, i put the battery on top of the quad, with a mounting plate

 

[Herpderpwerp]

You might make a post of this in custom frame design.

Heheheh, i'm still gonna tinker with the design, still waiting the result of the next flight, but noted, as soon as the frame take flight, i'm gonna post it there

 

[Jason Carlton]

Oh right I see, my ESC's have a BEC built in so i wouldnt need that. Just a dimension I might want to duplicate that you have, from the outside of the motor to the edge of the mdf... What size is that? trying to draw up the mounting holes is a pain as I dont have the motor yet and I dont know the size of the mounting holes and neither do I know the distance apart they are :s

 

[Herpderpwerp]

If u like, i can email the coreldraw file, feel free to modify it,

 

[Jason Carlton]

if you could do that it would be great, I don't want to copy your whole frame, I just want a few features that i like and intergrate them into mine. jasoncarlton1991@live.co.uk

 

[Herpderpwerp]

Done

 

[Jason Carlton]

Thankyou, I appreciate it what epoxy do you use to coat MDF :/

 

[Herpderpwerp]

It was the same epoxy resin used to make fiberglass composites, i bought it from a local chemical store

 

[Jason Carlton]

Oh right okay, I will have to have a look into doing that, I have directly painted mdf before and the after effect was rough and horrible. I hope I havent bombarded you with too many questions :s

 

[Herpderpwerp]

Hahaha, it's ok, just glad i can help, btw when you connect the esc to the flight controler, just make sure only one esc is supplying power to it, disconect the + cable from the other 3 esc. Only the ground and the signal cable is conected to teh FC

 

[Jackson]

Wow, yes I like that alot, thats sort of the image I have in my head, I was thinking of doing something similar as Im a newbie and if i crash it it wont cost alot to repair. I dont have access to a laser cutter so would have to see if I could find someone to do it for me

You don't need laser cutting to make a simple X quad.

You don't even need fancy motor mounts, many simply zip tie the motors to the booms, which also saves weight (it all adds up). It's a planned point of failure, hopefully the zip ties give before anything else. Many also prefer to use bullets to connect the motors to the ESCs, again in the case of a crash the zip ties go and the motor pulls free of the wiring, instead of potentially yanking off hard soldered wires, ECSs etc.

Note the motor mounting, bullets and the placement of a zip tie that allows the motor to pull free.

Where I live the home centers have poplar square dowels in 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8 inch sizes. Three foot lengths cost about ~$1.60. Cut your booms and cut a few drilled spares and you are good to go and can often make quick repairs right at the flying field. Wood works well for the booms as it tends to lessen motor vibrations that can affect the flight controller.

Lotsa landing gear options on eBay.

Landing Gear

 

[GJH105775]

You don't need laser cutting to make a simple X quad.

You don't even need fancy motor mounts, many simply zip tie the motors to the booms, which also saves weight (it all adds up). It's a planned point of failure, hopefully the zip ties give before anything else. Many also prefer to use bullets to connect the motors to the ESCs, again in the case of a crash the zip ties go and the motor pulls free of the wiring, instead of potentially yanking off hard soldered wires, ECSs etc.

Note the motor mounting, bullets and the placement of a zip tie that allows the motor to pull free.

Where I live the home centers have poplar square dowels in 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8 inch sizes. Three foot lengths cost about ~$1.60. Cut your booms and cut a few drilled spares and you are good to go and can often make quick repairs right at the flying field. Wood works well for the booms as it tends to lessen motor vibrations that can affect the flight controller.

Lotsa landing gear options on eBay.

Landing Gear

I agree on that as I would much rather DIY a frame and most of us don't have many fancy tools that make it nice, but those tools will allow you to get a nicer job out of nicer materials. On the other hand most people don't need it to look pretty and be CF.

 

[Herpderpwerp]

Yup, i agree, it comes back to the builder preferences, i own a company that uses lasercutter to make acrylic products, so my first choice is lasercut, but i totally understand that not everyone have access to fancy tool. My goal was to build a multirotor that can carry heavy camera equipment, that someday i can build a hexa or maybe an octo to carry a dslr rig. So i need it to be sturdy enough

 

[GJH105775]

Yup, i agree, it comes back to the builder preferences, i own a company that uses lasercutter to make acrylic products, so my first choice is lasercut, but i totally understand that not everyone have access to fancy tool. My goal was to build a multirotor that can carry heavy camera equipment, that someday i can build a hexa or maybe an octo to carry a dslr rig. So i need it to be sturdy enough

Haha, you get that cheap $600 DSLR with a cheap $1000 lens you'll like a sturdy platform. A little crash with a DSLR will almost total most equipment as they are heavier.

 

[Herpderpwerp]

Haha, you get that cheap $600 DSLR with a cheap $1000 lens you'll like a sturdy platform. A little crash with a DSLR will almost total most equipment as they are heavier.

Hahahha, yeah i know, thats why it was a long term goal, right now an action cam will have to suffice. So someday i can build a multirotor that can carry those equipment with minimum risk heheheh

 

[GJH105775]

Haha, yes. I may never be that brave.

Take a look at this
http://quadcopterforum.com/threads/think-you-had-a-bad-crash-look-at-this.4562/





.

 

[Jason Carlton]

Hahaha, it's ok, just glad i can help, btw when you connect the esc to the flight controler, just make sure only one esc is supplying power to it, disconect the + cable from the other 3 esc. Only the ground and the signal cable is conected to teh FC

I am now confused :s I thought that all four motors where connected to each of its own ESC, then from each ESC I run them to the power distribution board, then the flight controller has each ESC's signal wire go to the reciever? the battery being connected to the corresponding positive and negative points on the power distribution board. I thought I had it all figured out but now Im confused lol

 

[GJH105775]

He could be refering to just one motor, or to a 4-in-1 ESC.



I am afraid that you thought correct