Newbie question about camera gimbals

[KellyR]

I'm just getting into this hobby & I'm trying to learn as much as I can on forums etc before I blow my wad on my first quad. However, I know my first setup won't be my last (I hear it's an addiction :highly_amused:) & that I'll learn more about what I want & like when I actually start flying. For now, I'm on my sim. My question is about camera gimbals. I see a lot of adds talking about 2 axis gimbals & the quad I'm looking at purchasing (Hoverthings latest Naza build) says it has camera stabilization outputs for pitch & tilt. Does that mean it will keep the camera steady automatically? Does it require the use of 2 channels on your tx to do that? (I know it's embarrassing but, I'm still trying to figure out what channels do). Do all controllers do that? If not, how the heck would one be able to fly & control a gimbal at the same time? Thanks for helping the newbie! :tennis:

Kelly​

 

[Gunter]

Kelly, the flight controller levels the camera gimbal for you. So if the heli tilts slightly to the left, it will automatically tilt the gimbal to the right by the same amount so it always stays level.

The FC will also have 2 outputs for the gimbal which plug into the gimbal servos.

Not all FC's have this, so check before you buy.

Gunter.

 

[KellyR]

Thanks Gunter. The Naza controller says it will control a gimbal, so I assume it has those outputs. Does it take any channels up using a gimbal?

Kelly

 

[Gunter]

Kelly, you can assign 1 channel from your transmitter to control the tilt of the gimbal, so get a transmitter with a dial so you can use that to tilt the camera up and down. The Naza will have 2 outputs which control the gimbal tilt and roll.


Regards,

Gunter.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KellyR]

So, if I'm understanding this correctly, the controller will keep it steady, but if I want to aim the camera down more I could just turn a knob? That's cool! Thanks man.

Kelly

 

[thepelell]

anyway, if this is your first experience with RC, don't worry about camera gimbal.. it will take you several months before you get to that stage and in the mean time many new products may come out.. first you have to get flying without crashing, then you start hard mounting a gopro or similar to your frame, and then you probably will have changed 2 o 3 machines..

 

[jes1111]

Re: channels - to reinforce the answers you've already received...

Yes, you need at least one channel on the Tx to control the pitch of the gimbal (you're unlikely to want to control the roll manually, so you don't need two). Since you need 5 channels from the Tx to control the basic flight (pitch, roll, yaw, throttle, plus at least one for "mode" control) then this means you'll need at least a 6 channel Tx/Rx system. The FC will combine the computed pitch correction with your manual input from the Tx, i.e. it will keep the pitch of the camera "level plus/minus your desired angle".

 

[KellyR]

Thanks guys! That helps me understand a lot. Wow, 2 or 3 machines...my wife will love that. :nevreness:

 

[jforkner]

The FC will combine the computed pitch correction with your manual input from the Tx, i.e. it will keep the pitch of the camera "level plus/minus your desired angle".

Now you've got me confused. I don't see how you can control the gimbal's pitch manually AND automatically through the FC. If the FC is going to control pitch & roll, don't both the gimbal servos need to be connected to the FC? If so, how do you connect the pitch servo to a knob (i.e., another channel)?

I can see how you can do either-or, but not both. Seems like if you're going to control the gimbal pitch manually with a knob, you need to plug the pitch servo directly into the appropriate Rx channel; not the FC.

I'm I missing something?


Jack

 

[Gunter]

Now you've got me confused. I don't see how you can control the gimbal's pitch manually AND automatically through the FC. If the FC is going to control pitch & roll, don't both the gimbal servos need to be connected to the FC? If so, how do you connect the pitch servo to a knob (i.e., another channel)?

I can see how you can do either-or, but not both. Seems like if you're going to control the gimbal pitch manually with a knob, you need to plug the pitch servo directly into the appropriate Rx channel; not the FC.

I'm I missing something?
Jack

Jack,

The FC controls the angle of the camera to compensate for its own angle. When you tilt the camera, it tilts, and then the new angle is compensated...have a look at the short video I prepared earlier...

 

[jforkner]

Jack, The FC controls the angle of the camera to compensate for its own angle. When you tilt the camera, it tilts, and then the new angle is compensated...have a look at the short video I prepared earlier...

Thanks for the video, Gunter. Where do you have the two gimbal servos (roll & pitch) connected? Are they plugged into the Naza F1 & F2 ports? If so, how do you map the pitch servo to a channel on the Rx (hence a knob on the Tx)? Looks like maybe I connect port X1 on the Naza to the appropriate channel on the Rx...is that correct?

Thanks for the clarification.


Jack

 

[KellyR]

Good questions Jack. Ok, time to school us Gunter.
All kinds of good info comin'. :highly_amused: Thanks!!!

I know it may be a ways off to get & use, but I'm trying to plan ahead.

Kelly

 

[Tomstoy2]

This gets really confusing in a hurry, as all radios are not created equally.

As an example, my Futaba t8fg super, I have the option to hook up to the flight controller traditionally, ( lots of wires ), or I can just use the s-bus, ( one wire ).

Your radio will list what channels do what.
Channel 1 = aileron
2 = elevator
3 = throttle
and so on.

So, in your past description, you will select an un-used channel and hook it up to x1 as you described in a traditional method.

When you move the knob the servo moves the tilt, but if you point nose up or down the fc will keep it pointed in the correct direction.

This is where a damn good radio pays for itself. Think long and hard about the one you want, one that will grow with your hobby. Don't go cheap here. Buy it right and it will last you a very, very long time.

Rule of thumb, never cheap out on any electronics. Crashing because you dumb thumbed it is bad enough, but crashing because you tried to save a few bucks is another.

Hide all your reciepts! What she don't know,,,,,,!

 

[KellyR]

So, if I'm understanding this right, you need to get a tx that has enough channels to operate all the things you want to manually change. If I had the Hoverthings witespy quad with the DJI Naza controller I would need 4 channels for the basic controls (aileron, elevator, throttle, & rudder), 1 for turning the auto level on/off, 1 for turning the altitude hold on/off, & one to tilt the camera gimbal. Seven channels total. Is that right? Would there be anything else that I'd need another channel for? Maybe a camera zoom? Is it possible to use a computer to just turn on, & always have on, the auto leveling to get by using a 6 channel tx? Not that I have a 6 channel tx. I'm just trying to make sure I'm understanding this all correctly. What about changing rates? I hear guys talking about flying in rate or attitude mode. Does that take a channel to change or is that something you set by computer before you fly? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for the help!

Kelly

 

[Tomstoy2]

You're on the right thought, minimum of 7 channels. Not sure about the Naza but the WKM supports 8 channels.

What I'm trying to get across here is think about the future. What do you "see" yourself exploring in the future. Will 8 be enough? My radio will support up to 16! Can it be firmware up-gradable? What about service support?

These are all things to seriously consider before going to the wife begging for cash!
She gives you any static, just tell her you did all your research and it is deffinately cheaper than a girlfriend!

 

[jforkner]

So does this diagram represent to correct connections for hooking up a gimbal? In my case, I'm using a Futaba 9CAP Tx where Channel 5 is a 2-position toggle and Channel 7 is a rotary knob.

View attachment 2453

Where:
Rx Channels 1-4 are aileron, elevator, throttle, & rudder---connects to Naza A, E, T, & R
Rx Channel 5 (in my case) is mode---connects to Naza U
Rx Channel 7 (in my case) is gimbal pitch---connects to Naza X1

ESCs connect to Naza M1, M2, M3, & M4 (in my case)
Gimbal Roll servo connects to Naza F1
Gimbal Pitch servo connects to Naza F2


Thanks for all the help, guys.


Jack

 

[BigHarv]

Gunter, what servos are you using for your camera gimbals. Yours seem to move much more smoothly than the HS65MGs that I'm using.

Harv

 

[Gunter]

Gunter, what servos are you using for your camera gimbals. Yours seem to move much more smoothly than the HS65MGs that I'm using.

Harv

Harv,

They arent as smooth as they look! They are cheap £20 Futaba servos from hobbystores. They are fine for photography but not ideal for video.

Regards, Gunter
via the Samsung