CineStar 6 WKM build

[llbr22]

The IMU is centered so x and y are both 0, the Z axis I think is about -4 at the moment but that really depends on each individual frame and where the majority of weight is. Besides gain the position settings are the next most important setting to get right. If you can land in ATTI mode and see no wobble as it gets within a foot or two of the ground you're really close on the position settings. If they're off there will be very noticeable wobble as it hits heavy ground effect when landing.


Ken

Thanks Ken, Looks like i'm real close as my landings were way more accurate today.. pretty much hands off. I just need to find tune my wobbles on the field since up high, I'm still getting some shakes.
http://youtu.be/bP_0cqVyWKs
(i know I've posted this too many places already, but I'm stoked that I'm getting closer... much of which because of your build threads.. so thanks)

 

[RTRyder]

The last steps...

I've gotten a bit sidetracked now that the CS6 is in the air, just getting around to posting some final pics of the build process...

When I left off several pages back I had just got the motors mounted, the next step in the assembly was to twist the wires prior to putting on the spiral wrap and sending them down the arms...

With the wires twisted together the spiral wrap goes on...

The connectors are soldered on and then motors are connected to the ESCs, the power system is complete...

A view from the bottom frame plate looking up at the power distribution board...

Now the deck with the WKM controller is reinstalled and the ESCs connected, a few more pieces and it's complete...

A close up from the top shows the CC BEC Pro that sits on the back side of the deck behind the IMU, this is only to power the servos on the AV130...

Ready to fly...

This afternoon the CS got its first trip away from the house, recorded a total of close to 30 minutes of video getting the feel for flying it without having to worry about obstacles. I'm trying to put something together out of all of it but my editing software is getting cranky trying to deal with the large files that come out of the 5N, time to maybe look at apps better able to deal with them than have to reboot a couple times due to the current program crashing or locking up. I'll have something up on youtube as soon as I can get it to render a few minutes worth. Maybe, it just crashed again requiring yet another reboot...

Ken

 

[Bigrock]

Hi Ken

Great detail of your build, I have been following intensely as I am planning a build almost exactly like yours. If you wouldn't mind answering, where can I find a power distribution board like the one you are using? Also do you think the esc's would fit sideways between the 2 frame plates along each boom?

Looks like it flys great.
Bobby

 

[wbrown]

Hi Ken

If you wouldn't mind answering, where can I find a power distribution board like the one you are using?

I too am planning a build very similar and this thread has been very useful! Bobby, I found this power distribution board on photoshipone. Looks like a good size for fitting in the cinestar:
http://photoshipone.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=40&products_id=251

 

[ovdt]

Ken, do what do you think about the vibration dampening brackets of CS6? Do they work as intended?

 

[Dixter]

Ken, As to your video editing... you might try out Cineform for your footage... what it does is convert the footage to wavelet format so there is no compression that your computer has to deal with... there are lots of advantages to using Cineform on your footage...

 

[plingboot]

cough, cough, mac, cough, cough, imovie, cough, cough, final cut express, cough

 

[RTRyder]

Hi Ken
Great detail of your build, I have been following intensely as I am planning a build almost exactly like yours. If you wouldn't mind answering, where can I find a power distribution board like the one you are using? Also do you think the esc's would fit sideways between the 2 frame plates along each boom?
Looks like it flys great.
Bobby

That particular board comes from here, obviously do NOT use the switch... http://www.kkmulticopter.kr/index.h...sc_selected=Center&sn=power_board_sw&id_no=22 You can also get pretty much the same thing here for less $ http://abusemark.com/store/index.ph..._id=14&zenid=80f7fd4bc08c57c962ba49573ed0cdd2

Sideways as in turning them 90 degrees so they’re vertical from how I have them, or rotating the ESC 90 degrees so they’re crosswise to how I have them? Either way they’re probably not going to fit down between the top and bottom plates due to space limitations. If it was a 20 amp ESC it might but a 30 and larger are just too big to squeeze in there and still be able to route the wires.

Ken, do what do you think about the vibration dampening brackets of CS6? Do they work as intended?

One of the best features of the frame, it works perfectly! I’ve built a lot of multis to carry cameras and nothing else has come even remotely close to isolating the camera platform from vibrations like the CS does. I tried for over a year to buy or build a stable platform that could carry any camera I wanted to put on it and not be effected by vibration, now I have it.

Ken, As to your video editing... you might try out Cineform for your footage... what it does is convert the footage to wavelet format so there is no compression that your computer has to deal with... there are lots of advantages to using Cineform on your footage...

I do like what I currently have and I do have some requirements that eliminate many of the lower cost solutions, it’s just that sometimes if I do a lot of editing I have to reboot the system to clear things out and get it moving again, this was one of those times. I need to do some system maintenance to clear out the clutter on the hard drive (one of the dangers of terabyte drives) and add more RAM to keep it from getting memory bound with large files. That said I will be looking at alternatives to see if there’s anything better that will do what I want it to without having to take a month long class just to learn how to use it.

cough, cough, mac, cough, cough, imovie, cough, cough, final cut express, cough

Sorry, Apple not spoken here, nor will it ever be. I’m not into proprietary hardware platforms that lock you into a single vendor, at least not for commodity computer hardware!

Later I'll post some about the current state of the project, for now I have some real work that needs my attention, have to justify the paycheck...

Ken

 

[Dixter]

cough, cough, mac, cough, cough, imovie, cough, cough, final cut express, cough

Cineform works with Apple too... its not an editor, its and intermediate format for color grading and upconverting the footage to 10bit 422... it converts the compressed footage to AVI so your computer can handle the info better... BTW.. its owned by GoPro and its their choice of intermediate formats....
Does a very nice job on your footage and makes it easy on your computer....

 

[Macsgrafs]

Ken, check your CPU fan!

 

[Hillhopper]

Ken, What do you think that the frame can handle regarding larger motors and possibly 4 lipo battery's. On the cs6. Looking at caring a 6 to 7 pound camera with CS gimbal.
Stan

 

[RTRyder]

Ken, What do you think that the frame can handle regarding larger motors and possibly 4 lipo battery's. On the cs6. Looking at caring a 6 to 7 pound camera with CS gimbal.
Stan

The frame should be able to handle any motor that will fit on the motor mounts, just how large that would be I don't know, the biggest motors I've used on any frame is the 2814 series I used on my Droidworx, the CS, and the Y6 the CS replaces. I would think you could fit something like the AXI 4120-14 running on 5S to carry a heavy payload.

Carrying 4 lipos shouldn't be a problem depending on size. I'm now using 4s 8000 packs on the CS and while it could easily carry 2 of them, they're big, fairly heavy, and it will fly for around 10 minutes on one so I haven't needed to carry more than 1 yet. To carry 4 packs you would need a fairly heavy load underneath. With the batteries sitting up top the center of gravity would be well above the top center plate without something down low to counter balance the 4 packs.

Ken

 

[Hillhopper]

Thks Ken, do you think the battery placement on the top of the CS frame is better than bottom?

If larger engine setups are used will it make using smaller loads less stabile?

Would it be more stabile with hexa larger engine battery combo or octo smaller engine battery combo.

Stan

 

[RTRyder]

Thks Ken, do you think the battery placement on the top of the CS frame is better than bottom?

If larger engine setups are used will it make using smaller loads less stabile?

Would it be more stabile with hexa larger engine battery combo or octo smaller engine battery combo.

Stan

I think the batteries on top makes for a more balanced setup when heavy payloads are carried, having the weight up top counters the extra weight of a large camera hanging below the frame keeping the C/G closer to the center of the frame rather than well below it. The larger engines will not be as well suited to smaller payloads there will be far more lift than is necessay and some flight controllers will have a hard time keeping the motor response smooth in that case, the end result will show up as wobbles in any video recorded in that configuration.

The octo with smaller motors would be a more balanced platform than a hex with large motors if payloads of significantly different weight will be a common use. It will work a little harder and the flight will be shorter with a heavy payload but the flight controller will have an easier time adjusting to either extreme provided the motor prop combination is correct. Worst case you might have to use two different sets of props and have an alternative configuration for the flight controller settings to get the best performance with two different weight payloads if the difference from one to the other is large enough. It's sometimes difficult to find a compromise in those instances and then it becomes trial and error to find what works and what doesn't.

Ken

 

[RTRyder]

Yesterday I received the APC 12 x 6 thin electric props I ordered for the CineStar 6. Had a short window to install and give them a quick test before dark but managed to get a short test flight with the 5N on the platform recording. From what I see in the short test these props are doing to work just fine, it will take some adjustment of the gain settings to make it right but they do not show any signs of the excessive wobble that I got from the 12 inch APC slow flyer props I had tried previously. The thin electric props seem to be much better made than the slow flyers and the blade profile is very close to a Graupner E-prop so I would expect them to work similarly.

Later today I'm going to load the re-release of the 4.22 code to test with the new props, unfortunately it's raining here today and the forecast for tomorrow says "Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph" so probably won't do any flying tomorrow either.

Ken

 

[GGoodrum]

Sounds promising, Ken. Where did you order these props from?

It's full-on winter here, too. I doubt it will get above 65 today. :cold: :highly_amused: Same old boring clear blue skies as well. :tennis:

Sorry, couldn't resist...

-- Gary

 

[Tahoe Ed]

Same here in Las Vegas. A balmy 32 degrees right now going to 50. Yahoo! Winds will be light, 3-5mph. I need to put my Heli away and get back to my Quad.

 

[Macsgrafs]

Ken, I use APC 12x6 props on my droidworx octo, they work very nicely so far....but only had 1 3 minute flight to date, due to the same weather as your having

Ross

 

[RTRyder]

Sounds promising, Ken. Where did you order these props from?

It's full-on winter here, too. I doubt it will get above 65 today. :cold: :highly_amused: Same old boring clear blue skies as well. :tennis:

Sorry, couldn't resist...

-- Gary

I get them direct from APC, order from their website.

Will only get to 55 or so here today with the clouds and rain, was over 60 yesterday. Locally we hit 70 over the weekend although it was a bit chilly early Saturday morning while I was at the sheep pasture doing a video. Too bad you don't have any real seasons out there in Cali, same weather all the time must get boring...

Ken

 

[GGoodrum]

I get them direct from APC, order from their website.

Will only get to 55 or so here today with the clouds and rain, was over 60 yesterday. Locally we hit 70 over the weekend although it was a bit chilly early Saturday morning while I was at the sheep pasture doing a video. Too bad you don't have any real seasons out there in Cali, same weather all the time must get boring...

Ken

I'll check that out, thanks.

Yes, boring... I saw a wisp of a cloud go by, the other day, and it partially blocked out the sun for a few minutes. Everybody got depressed and tempers flared. Then the cloud moved on, the sun reappeared and the smiles returned. The rainy season was finally over... :frog::highly_amused: