First Quadcopter build started - video diary

dtrewren

dtrewren

Well-Known Member
Good evening Quadcopter forum,

My name is Dave, I am based in Bristol South West UK.

I have been into RC models, electronics, software and photography since childhood. My previous RC models have been mainly helicopter based. However, the huge and exciting developments in multi-rotor technology have convinced me to have a go at building my own Quadcopter model. Having done lots of surfing and thread reading I have ordered myself up a box of bits and now intend to try and get something airborne !

By trade I am an electronics engineer, specifically an IC chip designer (ASIC/FPGA) designing digital radio receivers for wireless data communications. I have always been fascinated by radio and communications and so multi-rotor models are a natural area of interest - lots of radio and lots of comms
smile.png


I have to confess not to have sought advice but just acquired the parts I thought would get me off the ground for reasonable cost.

Rather than listing loads of bits I have produced a video of yours truly unboxing said parts - thought this would also serve as an intro, bit more personal.

My poor wife yet again shakes her head and my daughter is waiting for Daddy to get a box of 'stuff' to fly !

Video link : http://youtu.be/-DBPdSDHkso

Any advice or comments much appreciated.

Cheers,

Dave (UK)
 
Evening one and all,

I have made a spot more progress on my Quadcopter this evening and also the Turnigy 9x radio Tx/Rx arrived :)

Ok, I have built up the bottom deck of the airframe, mounted the Q-Brain and built the battery box. All in all quite
pleased so far. The model balance in terms of CG seems good and I think there is room for everything.

I have put together another little video as part of my first build diary.

Bottom deck build video :

Cheers,

Dave
 
Good evening,

Bit tired today, gets addictive this fiddling around with things that can (hopefully) fly - was about 1am before
I packed up and wandered back from my workshop.

Guess what, been doing more videos to add to me little collection.

First video is essentially about configuring the ESCs in my case the Q-Brain using the Turnigy programming card.

Video :

The second video shows all the radio and flight controller installed and goes on to calibrate the throttle
for all four ESCs.

Video :

Sorry about all the ummm (ing) going on .... like I said it was getting a bit late :)

Any problems with the information please let me know.

Cheers,

Dave
 
Evening guys,

Today was a good day, got the Quadcopter finished last night and took her for a maiden flight today :)

Before the first flight I cycled the battery about three times using the charge/discharge cycle on the
charger. Did a few handheld tests just to make sure everything was pulling in the correct direction.
Just as well I did these few basic tests as the elevator needed reversing .... might have been interesting
on a first flight.

I have to say I was very impressed with the stability of the model. It was nice and responsive when
flying manually and really amazing (well I thought so) when in Loiter mode. The Loiter mode is
great to have as in subsequent flights I have got myself into a tricky spot - flicking into Loiter fixes
any problem and gives me a chance to compose myself before taking back control. It was a bit
windy out today but the control system seemed not to be phased and coped perfectly with gusts
and buffeting.

Flight time wise I seem to be getting 10-12 minutes from a Turnigy 3300mA 3S battery - maybe
someone can tell me if that is about right ? Yo be honest ten minutes doesn't sound much but seems
like ages when I am flying and the first few flights I was relieved to get back down on the ground !

I have not performed any tuning, just the stock APM 2.6 with the latest software.

The only thing I am struggling with at the moment is getting the telemetry info off the APM. I was
under the impression it logged flights and I could then download them. I have tried to do this via
the flight planner but always get a message saying it cannot find the files ..... not really sure what the
problem is maybe someone can help out ?

I shot a video (there's a supprise) of the maiden flight with my wife filming. It shows the entire first
flight about 70% in loiter and the rest me attempting to fly.

Cheers,

Dave


 
Thanks for all the info Dave. I'll be watching your posts... as I really would like to build my own.
My wife won't let me spend the $1000+ that I'd like to, but she will let me build my own (it takes longer and the cost is spread out as I periodically buy necessities and less of a singular chunk of cash... that she'll never notice LOL!)
BTW just kidding (she would notice eventually) :-)
 
Hi there,

Yes I know what you mean - I was originally thinking of the new DJI Phantom Vision+ outfit but here in the UK it
comes in at around £930 ($1400) which I thought was a bit+ on the steep side. The more I looked at off the shelf
gear the more I wanted to build my own.

Here is a very rough breakdown of what I spent on the main components :

Frame - £15 (Alien)
APM flight control - £25
Q-Brain 4xESC - £40
Motors + props (EMAX 2216) - £48
Battery (Turnigy 3300 3S) - £20
Power module - £10
Smart charger - £20
Other misc - £15

So that's a total of about £193 ($310)

I also bought the telemetry unit & GPS but these are not required to fly.

I bought my Turnigy 9x Tx/Rx radio gear from HobbyKing and it appeared very well priced - however, the postal
cost was very high and then they stung me for an additional import charge which was also inflated. I won't be using
them again - things may be better over the pond in the US ?

Oh yes, attached is the output from my first proper non hover flight. Data downloaded from the APM internal memory
using the Mission Planner and then loaded up into Google Earth ..... how cool is that !

Cheers,

Dave
 

Attachments

  • First proper flight.jpg
    First proper flight.jpg
    297.4 KB · Views: 4
Good evening guys,

Well .... this evening in my book made the whole Quadcopter project worthwhile on every level !

Ok, so I know you 'old hands' have been flying flight plans/missions for ages but this evening was my first
and it was a complete success and was the most techie fun I have had in ages - call me sad but I'm still
buzzin even now !

I programmed a four way point mission with automatic take off and landing. The Quad took off perfectly and
climbed to 50m. Then proceeded to four waypoints with a 10s loiter at each one before returning to the take
off point and landing. It was perfect and such an amazing thing to watch. My wife was on the camera, she did
a great job considering the camera struggled with focus for a while.

So here is the video of the mission plus my plan in Mission planner and finally the actual flight plan output
from the APM flight controller mapped to Google Earth.

If you are thinking of building one ...... do it, it's such fun !

Cheers,

Dave


Video of flight plan/mission :



My flight plan :
Flight plan ukai.jpg


My flight planActual data from APM flight controller :
Flight plan actual ukai.jpg
 
Thx Dave, very nice videos.
I'm still deciding whether i build a quadcopter or just buy an RTF model.
Please add a description to ur videos on YouTube so you can get more views.
Regards
 
Good evening everyone,

Tonight I flew the mission detailed in the last post again but this time I fitted a Boscam TR1 camera to the model. The camera was not on any type of gimbal but just on a platform with rubber supports. I have now balanced the props which made a big difference to vibration although there is still a bit of jello on the video. The camera records HD onto a micro SD and also has a 200mW integrated 5.8GHz transmitter.

The conditions were far from ideal with quite of bit of wind gusting and low sunlight. The camera didn't do a bad job considering the conditions. I will probably use the Boscam as an FPV camera and fit something higher spec on an active gimbal. I have the gimbal, just haven't decided on the camera :)

Thanks for the tip Tarek - I have added descriptions to the YouTube videos.

Cheers,

Dave

Flight video :


Quad front with camera.jpg
 
Hey Dave,
I think the Boscam camera is good for FPV, for filming the best camera is the Gopro, it have a very good quality and i think its worth the investment coz u can use it not only for the quadcopter

Regards
 
Hi Tarek,

Yes, the GoPro (especially the black addition) is an excellent camera with impressive spec. At this point I couldn't
really justify the expense of the GoPro. In the UK they are around £250 which I think is very overpriced - but it
is the market leader so can demand a premium price tag. Other than the Quad I don't really have another use
for the camera hence needing a more reasonably priced option.

So weighing things up I have gone for the Boscam Sports camera. This is similar in look, weight and form factor
to the GpPro. Ok, it has a slightly lower spec for 1080p at 30fps. The lens FOV specification is the same and it
has the advantage of being able to carry two micro cards. Also spare batteries are very cheap.

Link to an image : http://www.amazon.com/Boscam-HD08A-Sports-Camera-Multicopter/dp/B00IZYDBUY

It came in at about 25% the cost of the GoPro. It clearly will not be better than the GoPro but I am hoping
for the Quadcopter application truly comparable.

I do have access to a GpPro Black addition so when the Boscam arrives I will do a short review and fly them
together and post the results.

Cheers,

Dave
 
Hi Dave,
I check the camera on Amazon and it seems very good for what you want to use it for, i will be waiting for your review.
I have a question how do you compare your quadcopter to a DJI phantom 2 ? i'm hesitating on buying the Phantom 2 or just build something similar to your quadcopter (i will building RCs), i'm in video production business and i need a quadcopter to start learning aerial videography, i already learn how to fly a quadcopter with the hubsan and another chinese brand quadcopter and i think i'm ready for the big boys :P
Any input from your side will be appreciated.
PS : Please add tags to your YouTube videos coz they deserve more views.

Regards
 
Hi Tarek,

I am hoping the camera will be comparable with the GoPro, at least when fitted to a Quad. I think the DJU Phantom looks
like a very nice model but I have no experience other than with my own build. I think in terms of price the DJI will be
a similar price to an own build, maybe even a little cheaper as the Vision+ version is driving down the cost of the standard
version 2. There also might be quite a bit of activity on the second hand market as Phantom owners upgrade. Certainly
the Vision+ version seems to produce amazing results from it's three axis gimbal - amazingly stable from what I have seen.

At the end of the day it comes down to whether you want to build your own and have future flexibility or just buy something
and fly tomorrow. One thing to consider with the Phantom is that the batteries appear custom and are also very expensive.
So if you save a bit on the model you might be into £100+ for more batteries. I have three 3300mAh batteries now and they
are about £18/pack so not too bad.

For me I wanted the fun of building and learning how to achieve something as good as an off the self model, the cost was secondary.

Cheers,

Dave
 
Hi Dave,
As i'm planning to do payed video work on the quadcopter i think its worth it to invest on a phantom 2 with 3 axis gimbal and a gopro but the batteries for the phantom are very expensive (i need 3 at least) and there is the hexacopter F550 witch i can build more stable in the air but less flying time. Still thinking and reading a lot of reviews.
Thanks Dave for the answer and i enjoy all ur videos.

Regards
 
BIRD DOWN ..... WE HAVE A BIRD DOWN IN THE CITY (black hawk down) :)

I have lost my cherry and had my first crash !

BE WARNED - SIMPLE MODE & ROOKIE PILOT BAD COMBINATION.

Ok, I was doing a spot of hover practice in the garden near my workshop. I was flying in stabilized mode with simple mode checked. Simple mode
means that which ever direction the model is facing is irrelevant. The model takes its point of reference from when it was armed as the model
rotates (using yaw) the flight controller remaps the 'virtual flight surfaces' so forward remains forward, back remains back and so on. So no matter
which way the model nose is pointing pulling the pitch back pulls the model home towards you.

I was doing fine until a call from the house - "I know", I thought I'll fly the bird home and show the wife how good my flying has become (NOT).

Then the fatal error ..... I turned around to follow the Quad ! Simple mode only works if you don't move and keep facing the way you were facing
when the Quad was armed. Of course the Quad has no knowledge of your position only its own. When I turned around all the control surfaces
reversed and in helicopter terms I was now trying to fly a kinda inverted nose in hover - but without preparing for it ! I instantly lost control and the
beast went shooting off down the garden aa I tried to pull it home. It veered right and vanished over the fence into a shop car park next door.
A big bang was heard and lots of thrashing around. How on Earth it missed two cars the other side of the fence and a brand new £45k camper
van I can only but wonder.

The only damage was two broken props and a near heart failure !

But the cool thing is the whole accident was captured by the flight controller. I didn't have the camera on but the APM flight controller recorded
the whole horrible episode ..... almost worth the crash :)

Attached the flight recorder data, you can see me playing at one end of the garden and then the fatal turn around and the Quad shooting
off over the fence landing in the car park. It actually came to rest at the front near side wheel of the new camper van parked up.

This is the big advantage of a build your own solution - easy and relatively cheap to fix.

Don't think I'll be using simple mode anymore .....

Cheers,

Dave


Crash ukai.jpg
 
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Good evening one and all,

OK, I have been acquiring some more parts for my quadcopter development and as promised making a few more videos
to add to the diary :)

After much reading and thinking I have purchased the camera for the Quad. Quite a number of people of gone for the
GoPro offering, normally the black addition which is a very fine bit of kit. However, personally I think it is rather overpriced.
So I decided to go for the Boscam HD08A which has similar specs to the GoPro - no it's not as feature rich and one or two
of the spec points are short of the GoPro but then it is £60 and not £260. Ok, enough of expenditure - it's vulgar ....

I have also acquired a two axis active gimbal. This is a Chinese import and did require a little bit of tweaking to get it
to work correctly. However, once setup is seems to work really well and I think is going to make the video output
from the Boscam super stable in flight.

So what did I video this time :)

I shot a quick video of the camera on the gimbal on the desk and my mad ramblings.

I then did a video of the camera and gimbal in action. So the Boscam output from the gimbal with me pitching and
rolling plus a view of me doing said above. The video output from the Boscam has a bit of a colour cast but that is
because I was shooting in my workshop (man cave) under less than ideal florescent lighting.

Lastly a screen video of the software output when actually connected to the gimbal as I am throwing it about.

Hope you like !

All comments very welcome (please nothing about my shirt or shorts .... )

Dave


Desk top quick review :


Boscam & gimbal output :


PC based software output :
 
It's just as well you decided to abandon simple mode. If you got into FPV, it would have to go anyway. Did you not configure RTL functionality? That might have saved you.
Bear in mind that FPV is difficult with a gimbal because you cannot see your quad's attitude until it exceeds the gimbal's ability to correct it, so if you decide to do FPV, you'll want a second dedicated camera for it.
 
Hi Hugh,

Yes indeed I did have RTL setup on a hot switch programmed up on the APM flight controller and had even tested it. However, I don't
have a great deal of Quad flying experience and the loss of control took me completely by surprise. Had I been flying in a more responsible
area with more thinking time I might have had the presence of mind to hit the RTL or Loiter .... but alas panic set in and it was game over
before the brain engaged :)

Next time I will choose more sensible geography to afford me more thinking time !
 
Hello everyone,

Guess what - I have generated another video :)

Having taken delivery of my imported two axis gimbal I subsequently realized these gimbals are cheap for a reason. The firmware
they are running (well the gimbal I have) is a hacked version of the official firmware. The physical board is based around an Arduino
platform which has been specifically tailored as a gimbal in that it has some motor drivers and an interface to an accelerometer. All
my personal experience is based around custom PIC 18F hardware/firmware design rather than Arduino. However, there seem to
be lots of cases whereby guys unfortunately attempt a firmware upgrade of said imported gimbal and kill/brick/doorstop the gimbal.

So I decided to deliberately destroy my gimbal and then recover it. I am not suggesting this is a good or sane idea as the gimbal as
delivered worked really well but I just wanted to know if it could be fixed once broken.

I have generated a video which shows my dead gimbal and subsequently how to re-flash the corrupted bootloader and then two
possible avenues for re-flashing the application firmware. The first avenue involves re-flashing the supplied cracked firmware ... I am
not condoning or encouraging the use of cracked code and am not going to supply cracked images. For me it was an exercise in returning
my purchased gimbal to a delivered state. The second avenue involves re-flashing the gimbal with an excellent piece of open source firmware
which can be found in or around : www.brushlessgimbal.de

I have 'attempted' to articulate the process as best I can :) however, despite a number of videos documenting my quadcopter build
the number of 'ummms, ahhhhs + stutters' punctuating the video seems to remain a constant tending toward the annoying (according
to the wife).

Cheers,

Dave

The offending video :

 
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