1st Attempt at a Front Mount

[SFACV]

Hi Guys,

1st off I owe a big thanks to all who have contributed to this site. David (hogster) was a huge inspiration when he did his front mount a year ago.

I started building this only mid last week so it needs some finishing touches, it also will end up on my other heli once I finish testing it so I didn't spend a lot of time tidying up wires as you will be able to tell. I built it all from aluminum rather than the Carbon Fiber, mostly because aluminum is far easier to get here, also a lot cheaper. With the lifting capabilities of these Logos there isn't much need to save the few extra ounces. It comes in at 10 lbs, 10 oz. all up. Which is almost a pound lighter than my underslung mount anyway.

Initial testing proved very well, so far I have hovered it once and snapped a few shots. It is a bit windy today, gusting to 35km so it bounced around a bit with the turbulence around trees and buildings here. In spite of all that there were no blurred pics. Every one was crystal clear. Once I get out and do some decent shots I will post a couple pics.

Later,

[SFACV]

All the bugs worked out, this is the finished product. I have done 9 jobs with this setup in the last week and it is working great. Haven't tried video yet.

[cinemacell]

Looks awesome!

Would love to see video.

[SFACV]

Thanks,

Here is a couple of pics. Wish I could post in full quality.

[xxxpongxxx]

hi there! was wondering, can u pls post a close up view of the rig? what did you use to connect the frame mounting to the cam cradle (or whatever it is called)

thanks!

[GB ian]

What electronics are you using to control the camera?

[Efliernz]

Conway - awesome job.
I too have chosen the diy systems and have been using a diy underslung for the last 3 years (1/4 weight of the Askman under a Trex-600E).

I'm about to start the front-mount for my new Trex-700E. Any closer shots of your heli / camera rig mounting?

Many thanks, Pete

[SFACV]

Thanks guys,

I just got back from a job, sorry about the mess around but these are close ups of the camera mount. The rear pivot is just a bearing in a piece of aluminum (green loctite) and fits snug over the stock canopy mount. Front end is just Odonnel Truggy Shocks. They come with their own standoff and I just drilled 1/8" hole in the frame on each side and bolted them on. The only mod needed for the heli is the 1/8 hole on each side. I built the entire mount from pieces of aluminum. The pivot point from the frame to the camera cage is a u-joint from a Traxxas Revo Center driveline. (trucks are good for something) LOL I drill & tap wherever possible to get a cleaner install instead of using nuts on the bolts.

As for electronics, the main frame rails are aluminum channel so I run the wires inside the channel. I am using a Hitec 5245MG servo for tilt with a belt drive. I removed the Pot and reinstalled it in the center of the main pulley for tilt and cut a slot on the head of the bolt for the pot to engage for tilt sensing. Seems to be working fairly well. I also program the servo to the slowest speed so there is no jerking when tilting.

Hope this helps.

I can email full res pics if anyone wants, info@scenefromabove.ca

[nightflyr]

Very nice!!!

[norio79]

Looks great! Where are you getting the belt drive for the tilt?

[xxxpongxxx]

btw, sent u an email, re the hi-res pics

[SFACV]

Originally Posted by norio79

Looks great! Where are you getting the belt drive for the tilt?

I just ordered a few sizes from here. Messed around till I got a setup I was happy with. Takes a bit of drilling and stuff but works well.

http://www.sdp-si.com/web/html/products.htm

[GB ian]

Wbird...so the mount has tilt only, no pan is that correct?

As I am totally new to AP I am struggling with the idea of how a mount works and what the purpose of pan and tilt is and how gyros can be used.

I was assuming that tilt is used becuase the pilot cannot hold the heli in a nose down or nose up orientation for more than a couple of seconds, and also that a gyro stabilising this would be a nice idea.

But why do you need to pan? Can't you just use the rudder on the heli...or am I being completely stupid?

[SFACV]

Yes I am using tilt only, I use the rudder for pan. If you had a second operator for the camera pan would be very useful. As for my case I am doing flight and camera myself so I just use the rudder, Have messed with gyros a bit but haven't got a system I am happy with so never flew with one on the mount yet. Maybe this winter I will get time to figure it out.

[Ecov]

Hi Conway.

Are you running that badboy on 10s or 12s?

[bigdawg86]

Hypothetical question here... what about a 450 front mount for something small like a GoPRO?

[bezflycam]

hello

I am writing to see if I can help with a FPV which serves to canon 7D cameras, which can shoot video and photos.

Greetings and thanks for your help

[First time flyer]

Originally Posted by SFACV

...

Front end is just Odonnel Truggy Shocks. They come with their own standoff and I just drilled 1/8" hole in the frame on each side and bolted them on. The only mod needed for the heli is the 1/8 hole on each side. I built the entire mount from pieces of aluminum. The pivot point from the frame to the camera cage is a u-joint from a Traxxas Revo Center driveline. (trucks are good for something) LOL....

Question since I'm building something using shock mounts as well. Not quite the same as yours and I'm going with 4 as opposed to two. Its a different config entirely but the similairity is the use of RC Shocks.

Mine have a silicon fuild - do yours as well? I don't know much about RC Shocks - the different brands - makes styles etc is why I ask.

How do you like them now that you've flown her and had a chance to shoot some?
Did it knock out a lot of vibration and give good dampening? Would you go stiffer or softer of a shock or stay the same as you have it?

And nice build,
Have you flown with an undercarrage mount as well? Any noticable differences in flying the two? (if you have)

tia

[SFACV]

Resurrecting an old thread here, as for the front mount v/s underslung. Less pendulum effect with front mount, and also overall height is lower, fits better on a shelf in the back of my SUV.

Function, works much the same. I had underslung for a few years first.

As for the Shocks, yes silicon shock oil. You may have to play with weights and shock pistons (different size holes in them) as well as springs over them. Has to be tuned to your setup. Just get them set so that when you rock your heli back and forth the shocks dampen the movement. It shouldn't bounce back and if set properly will allow a bit of movement of the heli with the camera staying relatively in the same spot.

I am really debating at the moment if the shocks are necessary. If the heli is tuned and trimmed properly I think a more solid mount with a brushless gimbal might be the answer, but I had interference issues with my brushless gimbal setup and had to temporarily remove it. Biggest thing is to get rid of vibes and use vibration dampers to mount the gimbal.

But honestly I am redesigning my whole setup and possibly getting a totally different airframe in the near future so I am back to starting at zero. I don't think you ever "get there". Just when you think you got it all sorted out a slight vibe shows up and you go hunting for another bearing getting loose, or notchy. Maybe even dampers wearing out.... My current airframe is over 5 years old without a crash and I have replaced bearings several times over in some places. They just don't crash as much to get the new parts doing AP so you end up wearing stuff out.

Other option, get a complete setup from one of the reputable suppliers. I am considering that option myself at the moment as well. I have the machining equipment to build and can get the materials but it's the R&D that these guys have trying different things that makes their units worth every penny. Even changing geometry in the mount itself can have an effect.

IMHO

Good Luck,

[R_Lefebvre]

I think the underslung vs. front mount thing really depends on what you're doing. If you're doing mostly stationary work, and panos, the underslung makes sense obviously. It's a little simpler to install on the heli. But, if you are actually flying forward, or hovering in high winds, the underslung will start to create significant problems for the heli.

It's really just that simple.

I also think the that shocks are not necessary. I've messed around with a few configurations, and I think they create more problems than they solve. Maybe they're necessary if you're flying with a really large, fragile camera. But I'm not so...

Certainly, having another large mass, uncoupled from the main frame, is a nightmare scenario for the flight controller.