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Bengit
Guest
I think for the price of these things I would be asking some questions of the manufacturer, the colours in gopro784 look awful.
I think for the price of these things I would be asking some questions of the manufacturer, the colours in gopro784 look awful.
CrashMaster
Member
One thing I did notice is that the gimbal kept tilting to the left in fligh. The only thing I could think was that the weight of the lead was bouncing off the end so I cable tied it to the gimbal frame and then to the middle. That solved it.
Does anyone know where you can get a USB power and AV lead in a light silicone like the leads on the rest of the gimbal? The standard wire ones are too stiff and causes pressure on the left end forcing the gimbal out of line. It recovers but takes a second to do so.
Does anyone know where you can get a USB power and AV lead in a light silicone like the leads on the rest of the gimbal? The standard wire ones are too stiff and causes pressure on the left end forcing the gimbal out of line. It recovers but takes a second to do so.
rdalemercer
Member
No worries. Just trying to pay it forward a bit since I've been helped so much through this forum...
CrashMaster
Member
Finally got the Video sorted. Sorry about the sound but wanted to leave some there so you can hear the motors.... unfortunately you get to hear the high pitch from the motors.
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Bengit
Guest
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CrashMaster
Member
Bengit.... Can't you see the video on the screen?
This is what I see:
View attachment 12502
You can visit the page on Vimeo too:- https://vimeo.com/helicanltd
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CrashMaster
Member
I have just seen Rob now has the gimbal configured specificity for the Phantom. As I also fly one of those I could be very tempted with that too.... Now I understand how this one works and am happy with the fiddling under the bonnet.
View attachment 12505
http://www.aeroxcraft.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=61
And it is only £219 as opposed to the DJI one at £490. Although the DJI one weighs only 230g with camera mounted and the aeroxcraft one is 216g + 57g for the camera - 271g
View attachment 12505
http://www.aeroxcraft.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=61
And it is only £219 as opposed to the DJI one at £490. Although the DJI one weighs only 230g with camera mounted and the aeroxcraft one is 216g + 57g for the camera - 271g
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rdalemercer
Member
CrashMaster - nice video of the capabilities of the WKM - and your flying skills.
Can you change the "speed" at which the MR flies from waypoint to waypoint (individually or as a whole)?
The vid also shows the 90 degree tilt which was awesome.
Thanks.
Dale.
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CrashMaster
Member
Thanks, the Ground Station is not exactly intuitive and I had to read through the manual several times before I was happy to set the quad away.... hens the comment about being a 'leap of faith...'. I can tell you with several thousand pounds of equipment about to be launched into oblivion I was a little worried to start with but I knew the machine was flying perfectly using GPS, Atti and Manual mode so there was no reason, other than incompetence, for the waypoints not to work.
I must admit that now having the waypoints it is a lot easier to fly hands on. Although I will keep practising with it as it will be very useful for my work in the future.
It would be nice if someone in the Essex area, who was competent with the Ground Station, were able to meet up and compare notes...
I must admit that now having the waypoints it is a lot easier to fly hands on. Although I will keep practising with it as it will be very useful for my work in the future.
It would be nice if someone in the Essex area, who was competent with the Ground Station, were able to meet up and compare notes...
CrashMaster
Member
I didn't answer your WKM queation... You can alter height and speed either all together or individually.
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Bengit
Guest
How many waypoint have you?
CrashMaster
Member
Bengit I only 5 have but as the upgrade to 50 is only another £260 I may invest but at this moment think that manual flight is actually easier with 7" screen mounted above TX means I can both see the camera object and the bird in flight. However, for more sophisticated and repeatable shots I think that the Way-point system will be useful. However, having flown helis since 1986 it goes against the grain to hand over completely to a laptop.
The only difficulty I can see is that to take video it is difficult to set up because you have to manually set up the direction the plane flies between way-points. And you can't to a sweeping turn to keep the camera pointing at a specific spot or item of interest. The only way to do it is to in GPS mode or to devise a servo controlled pivot for the camera gimbal to give 30 degree sweep.
The only difficulty I can see is that to take video it is difficult to set up because you have to manually set up the direction the plane flies between way-points. And you can't to a sweeping turn to keep the camera pointing at a specific spot or item of interest. The only way to do it is to in GPS mode or to devise a servo controlled pivot for the camera gimbal to give 30 degree sweep.
rdalemercer
Member
I was a bit surprised that your MR was that heavy - then I realized the it was "cost" ... not "weight" - ya gotta love us yanks!
The only limitation then would be your flight time. I'm guessing that you do not (?) need to be in Tx range since it's flying autonomously? I just haven't been able to convince the Mrs that I "need" a WKM ... so I'll just have to live vicariously through you blokes that have the WKM and dream.....
Dale.
CrashMaster
Member
We Brits love the Americans for all sorts of reasons..... Yes but us older Brits also suffer from 'Metrication Fatigue' - we live in a world where everything has to be mentally converted to understand it in real quantitative terms. Then we have the the perverse situation where fuel and food are delivered in Litres and Kilos but our cars travel in Miles per hour and measure distance in miles.... Most cars also display Kilometres per hour in the dials too. Then when you think you have it sorted we enter the world of avionics where distance in measured in Metres but height is measured in feet and to confuse it even more speed is measured in Knots..... Confused? I am... The only thing we all agree on is time....
Then the Chinese arrive and everything is measured in Metres - height, distance and even speed 'metres per second'..... My brain feels like I just ate a jumbo tub of ice cream in one sitting and too fast.
Then the Chinese arrive and everything is measured in Metres - height, distance and even speed 'metres per second'..... My brain feels like I just ate a jumbo tub of ice cream in one sitting and too fast.
rdalemercer
Member
Spot on CrashMaster!
I was born and raised in Japan (American parents) and went to High School in Taiwan - so I clearly understand the brain freeze that happens. The metric system is more 'logical' as it's equally divisible ,etc, etc, etc.
The added difficulty is when you mix the two in the same application and expect to have contiguous output that everyone can recognize and apply in their own environment. We can't change it so we adapt, but it does provide some head scratching moments when I'm trying to figure out what I'm looking at and convert it what I (think) I can understand.
....and then you blokes in Europe - just to add insult to injury - had to come up with a common currency .... geez! ~ enough already!
Hi!
I am new to all this and I am from Germany, so my english might sometimes be a bit... whatever.
I read all your postings and it was very interesting. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
I too bought the brushless gimbal for a DJI F550 hexacopter. I installed all like described (as far as I can say... the hexa is flying well and stable). When I added the brushless gimbal I thought I only would have to connect a 2S LiPo with 1000mah to the two pins on the board and it all would work. Well... the LiPo was emptey but the led on the board lit up. I charged the LiPo and now... nothing happens! I checked the Lipo, it says 98% full, all OK.
When I connect the board via USB to my Computer (following the instructions from the pdf you wrote about carefully) the LED on the board lights up and the software communicates with the board. When I disconnect from the computer and try the LiPo again... no chance.
I even tried a BEC but this too does not bring any results. Before I found this forum I connected my NAZA-M V2 to the board as I did not know the brushless gimbal is a stand-alone-unit. Besayed LED lit up but nothing happened.
Does anyone of you have a hint or an idea where my mistake might be?
Thank you all in advance!
Bye
Hauke
I am new to all this and I am from Germany, so my english might sometimes be a bit... whatever.
I read all your postings and it was very interesting. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
I too bought the brushless gimbal for a DJI F550 hexacopter. I installed all like described (as far as I can say... the hexa is flying well and stable). When I added the brushless gimbal I thought I only would have to connect a 2S LiPo with 1000mah to the two pins on the board and it all would work. Well... the LiPo was emptey but the led on the board lit up. I charged the LiPo and now... nothing happens! I checked the Lipo, it says 98% full, all OK.
When I connect the board via USB to my Computer (following the instructions from the pdf you wrote about carefully) the LED on the board lights up and the software communicates with the board. When I disconnect from the computer and try the LiPo again... no chance.
I even tried a BEC but this too does not bring any results. Before I found this forum I connected my NAZA-M V2 to the board as I did not know the brushless gimbal is a stand-alone-unit. Besayed LED lit up but nothing happened.
Does anyone of you have a hint or an idea where my mistake might be?
Thank you all in advance!
Bye
Hauke
CrashMaster
Member
I must admit that when I first looked at the board I never questioned the voltage but now having done a little more research the voltage for all Arduino boards are 3.3v - 5v but this board is recommended to use 7.4v? Although Rob (from AeroXcaraft did say that the voltage can be increased but the outputs have to be reduced in correlation to input. It may be that the voltage is academic and there may be some other problem with the board. Connecting to a Naza is not a good idea. Did you use it just for power or was it to the pitch control. If you did it to the pitch control and left the red wire (positive) in this may have caused a short circuit.
I would start by removing all the wires and checking each one by one ensuring they are all on exactly the right pins. I would then connect a small 7.4v lipo directly to the two power pins making sure they are the correct way round first. Also when it is booting the gimble has to be held completely still or the sensors sense this so will not work out where level is and it just stays still not trying to do anything.
If that does not work try uploading the _61r software (I know this works because I use it). Remember that there is a problem with drivers post _48r so follow the steps exactly to connect. Upload the software to the board and then use the GUI tool found in the software update zip.
If all that fails remove the board and check the solders on the pins, you may be unlucky and have a dry solder somewhere.
If it still does not work then the only way to find out is for sure the board is broken is to get another board either from Rob or e-bay.
I would start by removing all the wires and checking each one by one ensuring they are all on exactly the right pins. I would then connect a small 7.4v lipo directly to the two power pins making sure they are the correct way round first. Also when it is booting the gimble has to be held completely still or the sensors sense this so will not work out where level is and it just stays still not trying to do anything.
If that does not work try uploading the _61r software (I know this works because I use it). Remember that there is a problem with drivers post _48r so follow the steps exactly to connect. Upload the software to the board and then use the GUI tool found in the software update zip.
If all that fails remove the board and check the solders on the pins, you may be unlucky and have a dry solder somewhere.
If it still does not work then the only way to find out is for sure the board is broken is to get another board either from Rob or e-bay.
My brushless gimbal ran perfect than I plugged it in backwards by mistake. I even read on here not to do that and I was careful so I cant believe it. I also ordered a switch but obviously not soon enough.
Anyway, is there anything that can be done to save the board? if I should need to replace with this? Should I go through AeroXCraft to get the Brushless Gimbal Controller FPV V3 Module TAPR Martinez PTZ W 6050 Sensor.
:dejection:
Anyway, is there anything that can be done to save the board? if I should need to replace with this? Should I go through AeroXCraft to get the Brushless Gimbal Controller FPV V3 Module TAPR Martinez PTZ W 6050 Sensor.
:dejection:
CrashMaster
Member
When you plugged it in backwards was there a tell tale smell of burning components.... ?
If there was I would suspect that something in the board has blown. I am not sure if there is voltage protection on these boards.
Bear in mind that thousands of us use these Martinez boards in lots of gimbal setups, not just Aeroxcraft so there is lots of help, even on this forum, about programming and setup for the Martinez Gimbal Board. Do a search on Martinez and trawl through the results. I have never read about anyone blowing the board but of course it is possible you may have blown it. If you knew which components were damaged you could replace them by getting them from a supplier like RS, Maplins or an equivalent in Germany. The process of de-soldering components and re-soldering is fiddly but possible.
Alternatively if you are not up to that the simplest and fastest way would be to get another board from Rob, although I notice he is out of stock. If you source one from elsewhere you may have to upload the Atmega328 boot loader first then the firmware _61r then go through the setup process as described in Robs support documents.
SjaakZwart
Member
Isn't there a fuse which can be replaced on the board?
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