AD-8 pics and vid + answers to other threads

[MombasaFlash]

Don't quite know where to put this (no funny suggestions please) as it addresses points raised in two other threads about Droidworx battery and HDMI converter placement. So I'll just start another one.

Moving across from an MK Hexa to a Droidworx AD3X-HL and I find the way to attach the battery seems less secure and slower to do than the MK....

I too was unimpressed with the Droidworx battery solution and so, as I already had a bunch of flat packs for the MK Octo, I opted for the same MK method and piled on three bays. Two for flat LiPo's and one for the HDMI converter.

Of course, this is no good if you want to use a PhotoHigher camera mount. For that you need to use the DW Double Battery Tray that attaches directly to the Gear Rails - but then it has to be LiPo bricks.

... I have a downlink working but it requires a HDMI to Composite board ... etc.

I have an AV200 being slowly prepared as an alternative but will face the same problem of where to put the HDMI converter if the NEX is used. When I come up with a bright idea I will pass it on. Personally, I do not like FPV cameras or anything that is not directly showing the recording camera's view because a) framing is always guess work and b) you won't know that there is a problem (like, you forgot to switch on the main camera or the battery went flat 5 seconds after lift-off) until the flight is over.

The pics below (apologies for them all being a bit soft and crappy) show the multiple MK battery bays for LiPo's and HDMI converter for the NEX and all the pretty lights. The brilliant Superlights, white at the front and the red and green at the back, along with the boom mounted LED's, are excellent for long-distance orientation (thanks to Droider for alerting us all on that one a few months back). I do not like front boom LED's due to the risk of flare on the camera lens. The front mounted white SuperLights are set inside shades to shield the lens below from glare (sculpted Kodak film boxes - what the hell are we going to do now they have gone bust? I use those film boxes all the time).

The video at the end was shot yesterday morning with this exact setup. I had to get out and capture the incredible light and mood of a clear, frosty, winter's morning before Spring arrives. BTW, I want to 'paint' myself out. Does anyone know how to to do that? Is there a video equivalent of the Photoshop Clone Tool (for Mac)?

 

[robvree]

I fly my droidworx with 2 x 4s 6200mah flat packs all the time using the default battery mounting parts. I use velcro to attach both packs together. I sometimes fly with only 1 flat pack but I don't recommend that for sport flying.

The 2 flat packs attached together are about the same size as 2 bricks attached together.

 

[ZAxis]

I'm glad someone else was a little dubious about the Droidworx battery bay. We'll be using brick style LiPos and there was no way I'd fly a single flat pack without extra restraints.

I'm also working through where to put the HDMI Composite converter. I'm going to strip the converter right down to lose weight and put it in a plastic box which is just big enough to take it and the downlink Tx. This will strapped to either a side leg brace or a plate vertically from the top of the rear legs. Its 3 cell LiPo will be strapped to the other leg brace or to the outside of the box if mounted vertically. The box arrives tomorrow so I can look forward to a bit time figuring out the best way.

Mombassa .. I notice your right angle mini HDMI connector faces towards the base plate. Mine points to the top of the camera. I wonder if its just pot luck when you buy which direction you end up with.

andy

 

[MombasaFlash]

I was so pleased when I found the short, right angle connector mini HDMI cable on eBay, because we know how unsuitable normal straight connectors can be with such limited space, and then was so bummed when I found out the right angle was the wrong way. Butchering the gimbal base plate was the only option. Where did you get yours from?

I looked in vain for ages for a plastic box for the HDMI board and eventually gave up. It has a slim jacket of bubble-wrap and is screwed to the fibre-board of the battery bay. It works so I leave it like that.

I absolutely hate having bits and pieces tacked on around the frame, booms and mount with wires, tape and tie-wraps everywhere. It just looks such a mess. Keeping it tidy is always a real challenge. The size of the HDMI converter board makes it difficult to mount, let alone hide. Bloody 'progress' always creates aggravating problems like this.

I really want the Sony NEX-5n to work because it is such a neat little camera, but I have to say I am still not sold on it. I am mystified as to why it produces such soft, mediocre images. Both Photos and video HAVE to have sharpening applied in post for them to look anything like High Resolution. With such a huge 16mp sensor I expect the raw images to have smack-in-the-face HD sharpness. The lack of a composite video out only brings it an even lower score.