I'll take em. Got cash in mah PayPal, son.

 

Heh, you guys can fight to the death for them. Let me get the main one up, and once the other board gets in we can go from there.

 

Dead thread is not dead!

Picked up a fully built and setup Tarot FY680. FPV, gumball, c.f. props etc. Debating selling my hk based 550 rig.

 

I've been flying the crap out of my $50 3DR frame until it started raining recently. 98% LOS and heaps big fun. I'm just starting to play with sorting out FPV gear.

3DR APM 2.6 w/GPS and 915 telemetry is bauce. I've got loiter working from my TX with no problems but I can't get the thing to fly a "mission" to save my life. I've tried both Mission Planner and APMPlanner2 and I can't get it to do anything from the laptop other than arm/disarm. I'm sure I'm missing something stupid.

I got another 3DR APM 2.6 recently from a guy ditched it for a Pixhawk and told me "I can't get it to do anything, the only part thats usable is the case." He also has no patience for troubleshooting and more money than he knows what to do with (must be nice.) It looks like its just the 3.3v regulator that is burned as confirmed by my meter. I ordered the $1.29 regulator from Mouser and I'm sending it to a friend who has access to MUCH better equipment for dealing with SMTs. Same guy also has 433 telemetry set and a 3DR uBlox LEA-6H GPS he claims is also broken. Methinks I may have to build another wooden beater quad

 

I really need to get outside and just fly the darn multiwii setup. I was struggling with getting my battery telemetry unit working on the frsky system, when i should have been flying.

Now I have the fleet down in the basement to hopefully get back into configuring and crap.



Plus the intro to FPV is exciting to me... screen image is beautiful and just need to test range sometime um... next spring

 

Havent flown my **** in forever.

I stared building a compact tricopter based on multiwii but I got distracted by other things. I have everything I need, just need to build a frame and put it all together.

 

My contract is suffering from stupid people's involvement, so we're on campus screwing off for the last 4 weeks, and likely the next 4 or more. I basically have free reign of a net flying cage, a 3D printer, and a bunch of DJI Phantoms and similar toy drones. I've flown two afternoons in the past 4 weeks.


I think I'm going to go fly.

 

 

Ever since I returned my one charger that had a built in power supply, i used it as an excuse (when it was nice and I had 5 minutes here and there) to not fly. Just ordered up a Juice Box off Ebay... came recommended by a local.

Found them on RCGroups, looks like they pull/clean/test server rack power supplies and then repackage a bit/resell. So its industrial strength, not cheap china style clean power for what I think is fairly cheap. $50 gets you a power supply that can pull 47AMP/575W. Power Supply 12 Voltdc 47Amp 575W for RC Charger Silver Diamond Plate Free SHIP | eBay

I'll give feedback once I use it the first time, planning on using it to run both of my chargers at once to maximize my time.

 

I think thats is basically a server PSU.

Lots of RC guys have been using server PSUs as badass reliable 12v sources. I know tw34k uses a normal ATX PSU for his charging and it works great.

 

I'm late to this party.

We should re- title the thread to capture everyone's ongoing copter shenanigans.

 

Ive been using computer PSUs as 12v sources for years. I miss the old AT units with the 200~300w mono 12v rail and hardswitch was awesome for a lot of applications.

I've currently using a Turnigy 6A charger plugged into a 16v Thinkpad T4x series AC adapter because its plug and play. Something wrong with this?

 

I agree the thread should be re-titled since this is now the official multirotor thread.
Maybe something like "MTnet Builds Flying Machines: Failure Accomplished"


I use this charger, which is either no longer for sale or is perpetually out of stock:

Sky Charger B6AC 6-in-1 DUAL POWER Balance Charger/Discharger w/ AC Adapter for 1-6 Cell Lipo/Lilo/LiFePo4 + 1-15 Cell Nimh/NiCD w/ USB PC Charging/Monitor Software

It has a built in inverter as well as external input. I have yet to use the external input, but I can imagine using it to charge batteries with my car at some point.

 

"Forgot" to take a picture after I replaced it. My hand solder job doesn't look as nice as their pick and place reflow. But, there is now 3.29v on pin 5 of the reg rather than 0.78v
I'm pretty sure there are more blinky lights now than there were before.

 

Woooooooooo! Thanks man! "Doesn't look as good" ****, and you've seen my work?

Thanks again so much for your help Hopefully it wasn't too much of a pain in the ***? That is about 10,000x better than the result I would have got doing it myself.

 

Fixing freebies ftw!

The new hexa came with a Skycharger 6200. I have that and a Turnigy that will be the new beasts of charging burden.

 

Yesterday we had a Lockheed guy come over and demonstrate an Indago for some NOAA weather damage guys. The operator didn't know much about the quad, but he let us touch it and take pictures:















The whole quad, including battery weighed ~3-4 lbs. The operator said that it would fly more than 45 minutes in light winds, and would go 10 klicks plus with perfect video reception with their external antenna. I didn't get any pics of it folded up, but the whole thing folds into a case about 10x10x6. I was impressed.

 

And now this is officially our flying machines failure hub.

 

Excellent.


That Lockheed quad is 50Gs with the ground station and such, btw.

 

I really shouldn't complain about all this rain, but its making it very difficult to find time to fly