My first quadcopter build.

Chris Anagniou

Chris Anagniou

Member
Hello my name is Chris and I'm from Greece.
I'm studying at Technological Institute of Piraeus in Computer Systems and Engineering Dep.
I'm building a quadcopter for my undergraduate thesis and i want to consult me.
Here is my catalog with the parts i'm thinking to build it.
I want it for FPV and aerial photography.

Frame - S500 quadcopter (ebay)
Motors - SUNNYSKY X2212-13 980KV
Props - 1045 or 1047
ESC - emax simonk 30A opto
Flight Controller - APM kit from ebay with gps, telemetry, mini osd
2.4 Ghz RX/TX - FlySky TH9X
Battery- 5000mAh 50c
Video RX/TX - 5.8Ghz 200mW with Circular Polarized Mushroom Antenna
Camera - HD 700 TVL SONY

Thank you very much in advance and sorry for my English if you find a mistake :)
 
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GJH105775

GJH105775

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Ok, first thing I noticed is that you are getting (OPTO) ESCs, this means that it will have no BEC. If you get ESCs that don't say OPTO beside them you won't have to buy an external BEC (Battery Eliminator Circuit). The Simon K is a good firmware to run, here is an ESC that has SimonK and a BEC

Take a look at the prop test, skip to 2:21 for results.

 
Chris Anagniou

Chris Anagniou

Member
Thank you very much for your quick response!
I think bec is not nessesary becauce the apm kit contains the apm power module that supports 5V-3Amps.
Am i wrong?
Also, does it matter if my props are just plastic or nylon/carbon or any other material?
I have chosen the cheapest 1045 props from ebay.
Thank you again!
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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For the props, you might get a couple pairs of plastic props to do testing on, but you really want to fly with CF on bigger props. Plastic can get stress points and what not, and even explode in air if they are stressed. CF props are a little costly, so I did my testing on plastic (went through a couple pairs before getting it right). But for flying I use CF.
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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No problem there. APM draws a lot of current, so they had to include the power module because not too many BECs will supply the amperage needed.
 
Chris Anagniou

Chris Anagniou

Member
I was wrong.
The power module is designed to power apm, a RC receiver and accessories (GPS, Radio telemetry) only. It's not designed to power servos. So do you suggest to use the ESC's internal BEC or use an external ubec?
i don't have any servos to power, but i plan to use a camera gimbal if everything goes right.
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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30 amp ESCs for 15amp motors is great, you could get 20 amp ESCs, but 30 may last longer of normal wear and tear. (no crashes or shorts). You could just grab a uBEC, it probably means more weight though. How much current do the servos draw?
 
Chris Anagniou

Chris Anagniou

Member
The gimbal i'm planning to use has got two 2208 90kv motors which draw 300mA each.
So 3A ubec is good.
What is the difference between using ESC with BEC and a UBEC?
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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ESC (Electronic speed controller) this is what turns DC power into AC for the motors and takes the digital signal from the flight controller to fade that power on the motor.

BEC (Battery Eliminator Circuit), originally when engines were gas powered you'd have servos on planes to control the flaps and whatnot. When battery powered motors came along they used highre voltage than the analoug servos at the time. To avoid having a low voltage battery and a higher voltage one you use a BEC to act as a stepdown transformer. BEC is used when refering to one that is integrated.

UBEC (Universal Battery Eliminator Circuit) Same thing as a BEC except these are switching instead of a linear regulator. Switching can cause a little RFI in you are using a lower frequency, but don't get as hot and are more reliable.
 
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GJH105775

GJH105775

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They can, it depends on a lot of other factors also, but I am using an ESC with UBEC built in and it does not get a bit warm. A UBEC or S-BEC would be better than a linear BEC.
 
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