Hoverfly Hoverfly Gimbal Controller?

[Titusx]

Hi, I also get bored of the skyline, and looking for others solutions.
I have seen that the PCB come unprotected, could I cover it with heat shrink tube?

 

[Photronix]

Read the text on the picture you posted once again. It can be mounted near a STATIONARY servo just not one that will be movig back and forth.

There is no box...because we typically dont use them on our controllers. Same as MK

That is what I would have thought but then when they show this image it seems to contradict this. Also: they state that it should not be mounted near servos so if I can't mount it as they show here, down low on the right, the only other place is up on top and there is a servo and pot right there.


View attachment 7719

 

[Titusx]

There is no box...because we typically dont use them on our controllers. Same as MK

Ok, but I could cover it with heat shrink tube or something like liquid tape?
I am asking this because in the manual says to be carefull with heat when calibrating gyros.

Another question: is there is a difference in performance using 5,5v instead o 6,5v or more?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Photronix]

You could heat shrink it being careful not to melt any components on the board. You will also want to leave the LED visible (maybe clear heat shrink).

You need to use the voltage required by your servos. This is in the manual.

Ok, but I could cover it with heat shrink tube or something like liquid tape?
I am asking this because in the manual says to be carefull with heat when calibrating gyros.

Another question: is there is a difference in performance using 5,5v instead o 6,5v or more?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Titusx]

Ok, thank you, tomorrow morning I will place the order

 

[RancherPete]

Scaling factor in Roll

I am trying to program the Hoverfly gimbal in the Configurator but I cant get the Scaling Factor setting to work properly in Roll. I can level the tray with a bubble level with the gear flat on the table in front of me but then if I pick up one side of the gear a couple of inches (left or right side) the tray will not hold its level position and needs to have greater deflection. If I try to dial in this deflection with Scaling Factor to get the bubble back in the center the roll will go just so far (and not nearly enough) before it starts to freak out. I read that this might be due to the gain being too high so I set it to ZERO and it still does the same thing. The pitch setting for Scaling Factor seems to be alright but this Roll setting will not work and my camera tray will only sit level if the gear is level on the table. As soon as I move it either way it needs greater deflection. I did play around with the min. and max. pulse width to be sure that the servos would not bind the movement of the gimbal in roll as suggested in the manual so I don't that it is related to this setting and they seem to be correct. Anyone have a suggestion for this?

Problem solved: While Hoverfly does explain in their User Manual that HFG cannot be mounted on any axis that has a servo pot I mistakenly assumed that the "good spot, Bad spot" image in their manual relating to mounting choices was that of an AV200 and so I mounted my HFG at the green circle for "Good Spot". After drilling a bunch of holes in my new gimbal and fabricating a mounting board I was not able to dial in the scaling factor and decided to move the HFG to the top of the unit and now the scaling factor performs as it should. This makes sense when you understand the task that the potentiometers perform. My mistake but an easy one to make if you assume that the illustration provided is an AV200 like mine and you are eager to get your HFG mounted.

 

[psionic001]

Replied at RCGroups: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost.php?p=22492951&postcount=273

I am trying to program the Hoverfly gimbal in the Configurator but I cant get the Scaling Factor setting to work properly in Roll. I can level the tray with a bubble level with the gear flat on the table in front of me but then if I pick up one side of the gear a couple of inches (left or right side) the tray will not hold its level position and needs to have greater deflection. If I try to dial in this deflection with Scaling Factor to get the bubble back in the center the roll will go just so far (and not nearly enough) before it starts to freak out. I read that this might be due to the gain being too high so I set it to ZERO and it still does the same thing. The pitch setting for Scaling Factor seems to be alright but this Roll setting will not work and my camera tray will only sit level if the gear is level on the table. As soon as I move it either way it needs greater deflection. I did play around with the min. and max. pulse width to be sure that the servos would not bind the movement of the gimbal in roll as suggested in the manual so I don't that it is related to this setting and they seem to be correct. Anyone have a suggestion for this?

 

[Adidas4274]

Any chance that we can get the ability to turn off the gyro/acclerometer calibration step that takes place on start up?

When out in the field shooting (like in the middle of no where Alaska on a boat) it is hard to make sure the board is level on power up. So all the work I do to make the gimbal level in my workshop is for nothing because I get out to a shoot and my horizon is off.

I understand the need for it, but would it be possible to add an option to turn it off?

here is some of the best I can do with the HF G

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FizpB-BjWWM">

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FizpB-BjWWM">

Also the board is really sensitive to RF or magnetic fields created by cameras and cellphones.

When i use my bubble level app on my iPhone I need to put it in airplane mode for the controller to work right, i get servo jitters with the cell phone fully on..... and if I place the controller right on top of my Nex-5n camera the controller "sees" level differently than if I remove the camera.

you can see this in the "pan and roll coupling" in this video

 

[thijmen5]

Today I received my hoverflygimbal and am setting it up. For roll I only needed 5min to get it right, but I don't know what is wrong with the tilt axis. I tried a lot of settings, but every time I tilt my octo (hoverfly mounted frontbottom) the tilt tray is going way way faster that my octo is being tilted/pitched. When I turn down the scaling factor(even to zero) it goes a little slower but still not even close. I also 'waits' a half of a second before compensating the axis, increasing gain only makes it even faster overcompensating.

I have an av130, who can help me out with this? Provide me his settings? Or have I done anything else wrong?

 

[psionic001]

Sounds about right. It's the acceleration rate gain and we have that issue on our AV200. I've mentioned it here a few times and even showed a video, but it's been ignored by HF. The scaling factor is something that is unique to your mechanical setup and there is only one true number that wil work no matter the weight of your camera or any other variable. It's the scale of your servo mechanics to your gimbal mechanics.
The acceleration rate gain is the one I take issue with and needs to be fixed to work. You can dial it down to the point where there's a short delay after tilting your octo then the tilt catches up. Then increase it a little. That's about the best you'll get.

Today I received my hoverflygimbal and am setting it up. For roll I only needed 5min to get it right, but I don't know what is wrong with the tilt axis. I tried a lot of settings, but every time I tilt my octo (hoverfly mounted frontbottom) the tilt tray is going way way faster that my octo is being tilted/pitched. When I turn down the scaling factor(even to zero) it goes a little slower but still not even close. I also 'waits' a half of a second before compensating the axis, increasing gain only makes it even faster overcompensating.

I have an av130, who can help me out with this? Provide me his settings? Or have I done anything else wrong?

 

[thijmen5]

Is this a joke??

I just got off the cursed skyline and was convinced this was better, now I'm in the next problem. I even asked hoverfly if there was absolutely no problem with this product, they should have mentioned it!!!:upset:

Can't it be the potentiometer? I need to decrease the scaling factor to get it level and also increase the 'setlevel' to get it straight. This was a problem I got when I used the standard outputs of a borrowed naza. Maybe that's why the roll works, because this potentiometer was at it's good point?(the potentiometer I removed for assembling the skyline was at it's wrong point). Maybe I can get improvement here?

My tilt tray point everywhere except for straight forward.

 

[psionic001]

many of us are experimenting with both controllers and each has their issues.

Photohigher seems to tell the customer what's going on, but Hoverfly seems to ignore the problem and maybe it will just go away.

next stop Picloc due in 5 weeks. LOL.

Is this a joke??

I just got off the cursed skyline and was convinced this was better, now I'm in the next problem. I even asked hoverfly if there was absolutely no problem with this product, they should have mentioned it!!!:upset:

Can't it be the potentiometer? I need to decrease the scaling factor to get it level and also increase the 'setlevel' to get it straight. This was a problem I got when I used the standard outputs of a borrowed naza. Maybe that's why the roll works, because this potentiometer was at it's good point?(the potentiometer I removed for assembling the skyline was at it's wrong point). Maybe I can get improvement here?

My tilt tray point everywhere except for straight forward.

 

[thijmen5]

Photohigher isn't telling that much. They only come apologize every once and a while. But the thing that is getting me frustrated most, is that they told me nothing was wrong with it.
I have 2 expensive units, and for that big amount of money they don't even work.

Potentiometer didn't improve a thing..

Here is a video I just made (sorry for the out of focus, but shut everything down after I checked the video. I should be able to get any improvement if I look at your video psionic001, my scaling factor allready is low.

Uploading should be ready any second.

How about any previous firmware of the hoverfly for 2 axis stabilisation? Will that be any good?

 

[Adidas4274]

I have had no issues with the servo acceleration or scaling factors..

did you go through the right tuning process...
This was meant for the HFpro but the concept is the same for the Gimbal controller.
https://hoverflytech.zendesk.com/entries/20955538-camera-mount-compensation-setup-for-hoverflypro

unless you have an issue specific to the mechanical operation of the AV200 then it should work fine....

the HF Gimbal (when tuned right) has some of the best 2 axis stabilization I have seen....

here is a good example from Gary @ TPpacks.com and their gimbal with the HF G

 

[thijmen5]

I don't know what has gone wrong. I calibrated like it should and set the right orientation. What could've gone wrong? Everything was working ok with the skyline (except for the big jitters) naza also worked fine, but way to slow, so mechanically it would be ok.

Do you have any clue if you see me video?

It's an av130 btw.

I've een good footage coming of the hfg, but setting up the tilt is giving me strange performance. Roll was allmost perfect after 5min

 

[psionic001]

Oh dude, that's is just wrong. I posted my settings for an av200 afew pages back. If that doesn't get u close, then it may be a pot issue as you say.


Have you over rotated the tilt tray?

Photohigher isn't telling that much. They only come apologize every once and a while. But the thing that is getting me frustrated most, is that they told me nothing was wrong with it.
I have 2 expensive units, and for that big amount of money they don't even work.

Potentiometer didn't improve a thing..

Here is a video I just made (sorry for the out of focus, but shut everything down after I checked the video. I should be able to get any improvement if I look at your video psionic001, my scaling factor allready is low.

Uploading should be ready any second.

How about any previous firmware of the hoverfly for 2 axis stabilisation? Will that be any good?

 

[Adidas4274]

did you read this and follow it?
https://hoverflytech.zendesk.com/entries/20955538-camera-mount-compensation-setup-for-hoverflypro

 

[thijmen5]

I might have a wrong setup, but I allready tried to do some at the pots. I will try again as soon as I finished my school.

Didn't exactly follow that manual, did the same as I did on the roll. Will also check this one. Do you get good performance adidas? The last video you posted was kinda off horizon.

 

[RotorFilms]

Hi,

I'm having some success with my Hoverfly Gimbal controller, granted I still have some tweaking to do but it all seems to work pretty good for me. My setup is different though as I'm using a Cinestar 3Axis gimbal. I've seen some footage where the hoverfly guys use the PhotoHigher gimbals so I'm sure it must work, frustrating I know as the setup takes alot of time.

 

[Adidas4274]

Off horizon is different than poor stabilization.

The off horizon was due to initializing on a not level surface. (something I hope we can turn off soon)