Anyone else ever tried

[DHaranSailor]

Haven't tested out the full payload. Won't be running a gimbal on this one (at least not with the current motors/speed controllers) just have a low slung camera tray. Will lift my Mobius action camera ($90 vs $400 Go Pro) and my board camera and transmitter.

When I go a gimbal system I will go up to 500mm and either a hex or X-8 configuration and a 6S set-up. I will do that after I am more proficient at flying. Still have a hard time nose in toward me.

Set-Up:
Central Distribution Hub: ElectroHub
4x Booms
Motor Mounts
Camera Tray
All above for $53
Landing Gear, $12
4x Fire Red 30A Simon K Speed Controllers: $37
T2212 980Kv Motors: $74
8" Props: $7
Naze32 Flight Controller: $36 (pre Soldered pins)

Total in without receiver, battery, transmitter, or cameras $219 + tax.

 

[Paladin27]

That's cool. That's very cheap. I guess it depends on the intended usage. I wanted 1080p minimum video (I usually shoot at 2.7/60 so that I can use Warp Stabilizer in Premiere without loosing any 1080p fidelity) on a gimbal. The best quality quad video I've seen is from GoPro's or EVIL/DSLR rigs on gimbals. So I setup for a GoPro solution. The Phantom was $600, the GoPro was $500, the gimbal was $600 which included a new PMU, the 5.8ghz video transmitter was $100, the iOSD telemetry module was $200, I replaced the main board with an upgraded board, that was another $150, A good water tight case for everything $200, 7" LCD screen+battery+mount was $300, replaced several props (usually after a crash)... $100ish, several LiPo batteries so far ~$150-200, a better charger to charge all the batteries $100. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things, been improving it over the past year and a half as I figure out what limitations I want to overcome. I'm pretty happy with the video quality now finally, when I first got it, the video was pretty terrible, lots of jitteriness and short flight times.

 

[DHaranSailor]

Nice upgrades and great case.

Guess it is just personal but if I can build it I typically prefer that approach versus a off the shelf option.

Once I am more comfortable with techniques and filming then I will build a nicer rig like yours. Still custom but I know I will go with the Vector flight controller for the integrated OSD and RTH features. If I had that much in camera gear I wouldn't trust it on a quad so that is why the hex or x-8 would be the next build.

 

[capta]

Here's a video I did on a 20+ knot day... I flew into the wind for the first half of the battery so that I knew I'd have enough power to return home... it came back at well over 40mph with the wind at it's back!

Thanks; interesting C O L D video. lol.
Do you think it would make sense to set up a large net for retrieval (we have a ketch so it could be a BIG net) instead of trying to land it on the deck of a moving sailboat in 20 knots of wind? We really don't have much unobstructed space on deck when we are underway. Can the motors be shut off from the controller?

 

[DHaranSailor]

You could do a net maybe. Depending on the size of the lines on it you would need to be careful not to get them tangled into the motors. Think running your prop through a net. Not a fun time. And if you are still giving them power you could burn out your speed controllers.

As for the shutting down on the motors it depends on what you mean. You can stop all rotation from the controller by killing the throttle depending on your settings. For example after I arm my copter there is no motor spin until I give it throttle while other have it so when armed it idles and spins. As far as the current I am not familiar with anyone who does that. Motors are waterproof but the rest of your electronics are not by default.

 

[Paladin27]

A net would likely destroy the motor and/or the props. I always have a second person catch mine when it gets close to the boat. That's the easiest way honestly... lean off the back or side of the boat while holding a stay and just fly into the person... as soon as you see they have a hand hold on the landing gear... both sticks down and left kills the props.

 

[capta]

A net would likely destroy the motor and/or the props. I always have a second person catch mine when it gets close to the boat. That's the easiest way honestly... lean off the back or side of the boat while holding a stay and just fly into the person... as soon as you see they have a hand hold on the landing gear... both sticks down and left kills the props.

I appreciate the reply, but honestly, I don't see trying to catch the thing when sailing in 20+ knot winds and 6' to 10' seas on a boat moving at 8 to 9 knots. If throttling down will stop the rotor rotation, then that would suffice for netting it, I should think. Absolutely the only place to bring one back to the boat would be the windward side, amidships between the masts, and any error would have it in the drink or in the main. It's not like we'd be able to retrieve it, if it went in the drink on a trade winds day, crossing a channel, even if it floated and was waterproof.
Are you saying that it's perfectly safe to have the rotors hit a person? Would they damage a sail? I really would like to get into this as a photog medium, but I just don' have any experience with RC stuff.
I tried to find a forum for these things yesterday, but all seemed to be just advertising, not a discussion forum like this. Any suggestions?

 

[DHaranSailor]

Anything that can fly in 20+ knots would cause some serious injury if the rotor blades made contact with your skin. Depending on the weight of your sails it could very well damage them, but I couldn't say for sure one way or the other.

I would wonder if you could get away with a weighted line coming down from the central hub? Enough weight would be needed to keep it from blowing up into the rotors, but then you could fly it close and grab the line then kill the engines. At least be able to pull it close into you before you do kill them.

 

[woodster]

try using a butterfly net and grab it on a fly by

 

[capta]

try using a butterfly net and grab it on a fly by

Read post 24; I can do a lot better than a butterfly net.

 

[dscribner]

So . . . there's no way the NSA will start collecting data through civilian dones flying around . . . right?

 

[WayneH]

No, they are not going to have master drones circling around, snatching the video off the open air waves.



They've got satellites to do that.

 

[Paladin27]

Video from multicopters is totally worthless as a "spy tool" compared to a good old fashioned telephoto lens on a camera in a parked car on the street. I really don't understand the irrational fear some people have for what are essentially radio controlled (expensive) toys. Not to mention, the 15-30 minute flight times and the fact that they sound like a weed whacker. :/

Capta, if a person makes direct contact with the blades it will very likely cut them, I don't THINK it would damage a sail, but I certainly wouldn't want to find out either. Understand that each of the Phantom's 4 blades are 8" of hard plastic and spin around 12,000 rpm... so that's like having 4 weed whackers flying at your face.

 

[gettinthere]

Here is a video I did for Mack Sails. Launch and retrieve from my boat, motoring. Only crashed twice! Winds were about 10 to 12 and subject boat speed was between 6 & 7.
Since I was motoring, I could slow easily for landing. No way would I try to fly off a sailboat under sail in winds over 15, especially with large seas.

https://youtu.be/EQI6uEdOdQI

 

[DHaranSailor]

What Paladin said on the NSA comment. They are totally un-realistic forms of "spying" due to the noise in my mind. You would have better luck with a plane since you can kill the engine and glide.