Hi Folks, Would really appreciate some help here. I've just received a Cinestar 8 at work, Wookong M fitted, Futaba R7008SB receiver and stabilized gimbal. I want to be able to trigger a camera automatically through the Wookong. I've read the manual, and searched this forum, and get the idea it should be possible using the F channel, I think two F channels are available on the Wookong M. But I also read the F channels can be used to control the gimbal, and on an 8 rotor to control rotors 7 and 8. So is it still possible to use the F channels to trigger a camera if they are doing the other things as well? Any advice much appreciated! Many thanks Andy
Triggering a camera automatically
- Thread starter Andy03
- Start date
Carapau
Tek care, lambs ont road, MRF Moderator
Andy, in short no. Because you are using the F channels to control motors 7 and 8 you cannot use these for anything else. Also, if your gimbal is stabilised in the pan axis then there is no real way to get the signal from the WKM to the camera as there are no slip ring contacts ie the wires will just get twisted and damaged as the gimbal rotates around the pan axis. If you were using a Zenmuse then they do use slip ring contacts (or something that does the same thing) and so you could theoretically control the camera from the WKM but only if you are not using the F channels for anything else.
Most people flying Octos who wish to control the camera either use a separate TX in which case triggering the camera is easy to set up or you could use a TX like a Jeti (flipping expensive though) that will allow two separate receivers to be run from the same TX thereby getting over the slip ring thing. Perhaps the simplest option is to set the camera up to take a photo every couple of seconds or so.
Most people flying Octos who wish to control the camera either use a separate TX in which case triggering the camera is easy to set up or you could use a TX like a Jeti (flipping expensive though) that will allow two separate receivers to be run from the same TX thereby getting over the slip ring thing. Perhaps the simplest option is to set the camera up to take a photo every couple of seconds or so.
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Andy
plug your remote shutter release into channel number 8 on the Futaba Rx. Assign a three position switch to that channel. Depending on the release and the camera you should be able to take stills and video just by using the switch.
good luck
mbsteed
aerial video centric
...or if you are using a Canon DSLR (T2i) and it supports Magic Lantern - you can install that firmware and turn on the intervalometer and just let it go taking images every so many seconds. Works great, it is one less thing to think about as you are flying. ...or if you have a camera that supports continuos shots while pressing the button, you can put an elastic band over the button with a round eraser and simulate holding down the button, I have used that as well (probably works better with slower cameras (frame rates) so you don't fill up your memory card.
Hi Guys, many thanks for the additional replies. The camera is a Sony Nex, currently triggered by an infra red trigger running from the Rx, with a three way switch on the transmitter for single shot or video, as mentioned by Nobody2. I had hopped to be able to trigger via gps, but I can't see how that could work. But I have found that when flying on auto pilot using Ground Station, I can still trigger manually (for some reason I had thought the transmitter wouldn't work in auto pilot), so i'm fairly happy to fly on auto, stop for 5 sec at waypoints and trigger manually at the waypoint. I'm trying to get systematic pictures of agricultural field trials, hence the waypoints and the need to take pictures at set points. If anyone thinks of a way of getting gps triggering to work i'd still be interested! Would be expensive, but would it be possible to have a second Wookong system mounted and get GPS from the same GPS system as the first wookong, and trigger via the second system? Many thanks Andy
Mojave
Member
How interesting, I want to get a detailed layout of a study area in Baja California, Mexico. Your project sounds similar; I will follow to find out how you solve this issue. I would like to be able to preprogram waypoints in a grid and take overlapping photos and stitch them together to figure plant distributions.
with trigger RC or wiredRCmike - many thanks - that's interesting. Do you mean that F1 and F2 can each do two jobs, control a motor and something else, eg camera? My gimbal isn't a problem, as i understand it's a Freefly system and completely independent from the wookong.
Any idea how i would control the camera - would it be as simple as plug the camera trigger into the F1 port on the Wookong? - but there's a conector already there, for motor 8?
Really apreciating all the input,
Thanks
Andy
Any idea how i would control the camera - would it be as simple as plug the camera trigger into the F1 port on the Wookong? - but there's a conector already there, for motor 8?
Really apreciating all the input,
Thanks
Andy
mbsteed
aerial video centric
F1 and F2 are used up in octo configurations but If you use S-bus that frees up F1 and F2 for gimbal control. However, if you use a Spektrum or Jr and have an octo, F1 and F2 are used for motor control (can't double up on those). If the later is the case then you need a separate controller to adjust the camera gimbal but you could manually override the auto gimbal stabilization with signals from other ports in your receiver. We use separate gimbal controller (Hoverfly gimbal controller) a separate transmitter and receiver for gimbal control override and then it is a two man operation but it is possible to do it all from one transmitter and reciever (one man operation) if you have enough channels and dials or sliders.
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Yes, if you use S bus then you only have one input wire from the RX so F1 and F2 are free and can be used for gimbal control. You can actually use spektrum and JR that way with an S Bus converter. I tried it on mine using spektrum and it worked fine. The gimbal control wasn't worth a crap so I abandoned that idea long ago. Are you trying to use the photogrammetry in the GS? That is the only way I can think of that the wookong controls the shutter. I know it works for gimbal control but I don't have a clue with triggering the shutter.
Again, many thanks for the help.
mbsteed - i currently have connectors going into X1 and X2 on one side of the main controller, but a multi connector on the other side, covering M6 - M1, F2 and F1. So i can't see how i can use F1 and F2 unless the multiconnector isn't actually using them? I need to learn about Spektrum and Jr... We have a FreeFly gimbal, i think it is run as a completely seperate systrem. I can tilt the cameras using a rotary switch on the Tx.
rcmike - i'm confused, there is only one wire from the Rx, but aren't F1 and F2 on the 'outout' side, and controlling the motors? Reason i want waypoint triggering is so i can get photos taken at the same point each time i fly. I can trigger manually, but a)it's not so neat, and b) it will take slightly longer which uses battery time.
Guess i'm sounding thick about all this, but there seems so little info about it!
Many thanks
Andy
mbsteed - i currently have connectors going into X1 and X2 on one side of the main controller, but a multi connector on the other side, covering M6 - M1, F2 and F1. So i can't see how i can use F1 and F2 unless the multiconnector isn't actually using them? I need to learn about Spektrum and Jr... We have a FreeFly gimbal, i think it is run as a completely seperate systrem. I can tilt the cameras using a rotary switch on the Tx.
rcmike - i'm confused, there is only one wire from the Rx, but aren't F1 and F2 on the 'outout' side, and controlling the motors? Reason i want waypoint triggering is so i can get photos taken at the same point each time i fly. I can trigger manually, but a)it's not so neat, and b) it will take slightly longer which uses battery time.
Guess i'm sounding thick about all this, but there seems so little info about it!
Many thanks
Andy
Yes, T is F1 and R is F2. The older manuals used to have a section on gimbal control but in the current one I can only see it mentioned in the "Port Description" section on page 19. http://download.dji-innovations.com/downloads/wkm/en/WooKong-M_Quick_Start_Guide_v1.10_en.pdf
DJI could be better on their instructions sometimes. It seems like they just leave some stuff out.
DJI could be better on their instructions sometimes. It seems like they just leave some stuff out.