Hoverfly Hoverfly Gimbal Controller?

[ryanroberts1983]

Ben,

It is nice to see you guys are actively participating in helping customers with your products, but the setup process should not require a degree in EE or ME. So far, your gimbal controller has done nothing but spin the camera tray in 360* rotations non stop. Secondary to that, it moves to full right roll every time and locks the roll servo into place. Just when I thought I had it configured properly and connected the gear back up to the servo - it took off spinning again and ate my servo. I'd like to suggest a few things.

1. Re-write the quick start guide and break it down into simple steps - give clearer examples / illustrations
2. Invest in redesigning the ui/ux of your desktop application, it is very clear there are no end users involved in driving the experience and the overwhelming complexity does nothing but intimidate me

How can I go about getting some legitimate 1 on 1 support? I think your HFG is probably very capable, and I don't want to spend $900+ on Radians. However, I also don't want to continue with all of the frustration...

Thanks
-Ryan

 

[Bartman]

Ryan,

Is the tilt axis position sensed by a potentiometer? If so then the board should be mounted off-axis. For a two-axis gimbal with both servos using external potentiometers, the board should be mounted on a fixed reference surface like the bottom plate of the heli frame.

It should only be mounted on a camera mount element when there is one or more axis that can turn without any position sensing attached. In that case the GIMBAL rotates the servo on and off as it senses the position of the camera. Potentiometers do that for the GIMBAL in your case so it can ride along and just give commands from a fixed position.

edit.....looking at your last picture more closely the red thing on the left looks more like a mounting point and not a potentiometer so the GIMBAL would have to stay where it is.

Bart

 

[hoverben]

Hi Ryan,

1. Re-write the quick start guide and break it down into simple steps - give clearer examples / illustrations
2. Invest in redesigning the ui/ux of your desktop application, it is very clear there are no end users involved in driving the experience and the overwhelming complexity does nothing but intimidate me

Personally, I couldn't agree with you more. Consolidating the information needed to get the HoverflyGIMBAL up and running has been an ongoing project for me. The initial guide was, by necessity, written and released based on the engineers' knowledge of how the product was designed to work. Of course, as the product has been updated and evolved into its current form, some of that information has become obsolete.

You may have seen several articles from me lately on our Hoverfly Support site regarding individual aspects of this product. These articles serve a dual purpose, both addressing customers' frequently asked questions as well as laying the groundwork for the next iteration of the user's guide, a foundation based on the real-world experience with the product as it has evolved over the past year.

Due to a very full development schedule, I don't expect to see any drastic changes to the UI anytime soon. But if you have any specific suggestions, we'd be happy to hear them. Please email me at support@hoverflytech.com. (This will reach both me and the engineers, ensuring that it gets in front of everybody who needs to see it.)

How can I go about getting some legitimate 1 on 1 support? I think your HFG is probably very capable, and I don't want to spend $900+ on Radians. However, I also don't want to continue with all of the frustration...

As I stated before, the best way to get a direct and official answer is through the Support site (see my signature below). Submit a request and I'll be happy not only to help you but also to involve an engineer if need be.

 

[mbsteed]

In terms of the UI I would suggest unifying the interface between the Hoverfly Pro (gimbal controls) and the Hoverfly Gimbal - I was expecting a similar interface and was surprised when those were so different. For instance sliders rather than number settings (while retaining the option of setting those numerically).

 

[Icke84]

i used the hoverfly gimbal and i upgraded to a 360° mount.
everything is mounted correct and if i tun on the yaw servo it also moves wenn i turn the gimbal.

but it moves to much, like the scaling factor is too high. but i only can set the center point of the servo. so when i move the gimbal like 5° the servo turns the top plate like 45°

its a continous servo with a beld so it's 4:1 transmition.

maybe someone can help me.

regards
Marcus

 

[mapoff]

Hi Marcus. I just got the Hoverfly Gimbal as well and will be wiring it in. If your's is belt driven, is it the Align G800 gimbal? I removed the controller that requires APS, and hacked the servo for continuous. I wish I had not done that but live and learn. So it appears I can mount to the camera tray and it will still work. As a side note the current PDF says you cannot mount to the camera tray, but reading posts today says you can.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: What is happening in this tiny 2" board is "Alien Technology". There is ALOT happening, and I'm impressed that ANYONE can look at the GUI and configure this thing. We are lucky to live in a time where this kind of technology exists. So far I think Hoverfly has done a great job.

 

[tahoelight]

I need some advice. I have not touched the tuning on my HoverflyGimbal board in a while, but just put a different camera on. I need to change the gains and can't get the Servo enabled in the set-up utility. I even tried updating to Rev 3, (which says it updated but still say Rev 2 in the software utility). I seem to remember having this issue before but know sure how I resolved i.

 

[Bartman]

I need some advice. I have not touched the tuning on my HoverflyGimbal board in a while, but just put a different camera on. I need to change the gains and can't get the Servo enabled in the set-up utility. I even tried updating to Rev 3, (which says it updated but still say Rev 2 in the software utility). I seem to remember having this issue before but know sure how I resolved i.

why the REv. 3 remains on the list is beyond me as it hasn't worked in the three weeks since I noticed it and Hoverfly knows about the problem as I texted Al and he replied.

do you have a separate battery for the camera mount? you'll need to supply power to the servos to get the gimbal to move.

 

[hoverben]

why the REv. 3 remains on the list is beyond me as it hasn't worked in the three weeks since I noticed it and Hoverfly knows about the problem as I texted Al and he replied.

I can confirm that rev3 is non-functional at this time. If you try to run it, you will notice that it skips the load sequence and goes right to "Flashing Success!" It doesn't actually load firmware.

I requested this be fixed about two weeks ago myself, but the software developer has been mired in the contract project. I'll send him a reminder today and hopefully it will either be fixed or removed by Monday.

 

[poco_bw]

Gary Goodrum from www.tppacks.com crying woolf

That's all well and good, George, but why don't you try orienting the board in a horizontal position, to see if that causes the same issues we are seeing. Also, it doesn't explain why, for instance, that I don't have the same problem with v1.03 What's up with that?

I've been an aerospace systems engineer for 40 years. I started out life as an assembly language software engineer, working on a number of army and navy helicopter programs. I used to chase these same sorts of inertial-based issues going back to the early '70s. I've seen this exact sort of weirdness and some of it never was completely defined. We'd change the code, in some case, to get around the problem, but more often than not, it was EMI-related. I know you have no explanation, at this point, but what irks a lot of us is that you keep expecting us, your customers, to do your trouble shooting. I believe it is your setup(s) that might be the exception here. Just look at the number of people here who have reported these same issues. It is unacceptable, in my mind, that you don't take a more pro-active position in doing everything it takes to solve this continuing problem.

CLearly, something changed when you went to v1.5, and upward. The clue, in my mind, has to be in that area. Regardless, there is clearly something that is hardware-related. Our hope is that even if there is design "anomaly", that you guys will be able to come up with a workaround in the firmware. I've already sold a pile of these boards for you guys and I'm hoping that can continue.

Gary Goodrum
TPpacks.com

Gary Goodrum, you have the guts to complain about gimbals and find some problems unacceptable????
Do not forget that you sold me a fake 3 axis board with controller from tppacks.com, when I complained about the fake board your answer was " : "Give me a break. ...". You should be ashamed of yourself, advertising Viacopter boards and sending to your customers Chinese nulled firmware boards. You felt that is "insulting" for a customer to ask the price difference back, and you try very hard to convince them that is no difference between a nulled firmware and an original board.
I paid for a full board upgradeable as described on www.tppacks.com and I wanted that board not a $20 Chinese clone. I still have the printscreen from when I placed the order with the link to the original board do not bother to remove it now. I can be reached at www.luciancoman.com , if anyone else have been cheated by Gary Goodrum please just drop me a note. As I mention previously do not think that if I am based in Africa, you can do whatever you want sell me fake products and I will never rich you.

 

[Bartman]

Gary Goodrum, you have the guts to complain about gimbals and find some problems unacceptable????
Do not forget that you sold me a fake 3 axis board with controller from tppacks.com, when I complained about the fake board your answer was " : "Give me a break. ...". You should be ashamed of yourself, advertising Viacopter boards and sending to your customers Chinese nulled firmware boards. You felt that is "insulting" for a customer to ask the price difference back, and you try very hard to convince them that is no difference between a nulled firmware and an original board.
I paid for a full board upgradeable as described on www.tppacks.com and I wanted that board not a $20 Chinese clone. I still have the printscreen from when I placed the order with the link to the original board do not bother to remove it now. I can be reached at www.luciancoman.com , if anyone else have been cheated by Gary Goodrum please just drop me a note. As I mention previously do not think that if I am based in Africa, you can do whatever you want sell me fake products and I will never rich you.

What does any of that have to do with the hoverfly gimbal controller?