Ryan's Trex 800 AP

[Cirkus]

I don't know if it's "common". It was a solution for my setup. If your camera has a good live out feature, I would use that feed directly to the video tx. If you don't have a live out, then I look through the viewfinder. My final decision for a camera has not been made yet so that will be the detirmining factor in my setup.

[tptompkins]

You are a lot further in your build than I am (I haven't even begun yet!) but I do have a 5D Mark II that I've been thinking about using. I know that you can get a live feed out of the Mark II but I'm not sure if there's any delay so I can't comment on that. At the moment I'm still just trying to gather ideas for what I want to do and am still learning a lot!

I have to say it though...awesome looking machine you're putting together! I'll be following this.

Tommy

[Cirkus]

Thanks Tommy. I have a couple more key steps before I can maiden but it's getting close.

[Cirkus]

I hacked a JR 8917HV today for continuous rotation. It's on the tilt axis of my 3xPro right now. OMG what a servo.

[nwmtech]

Great looking build! Obviously without plugging anything into Solidworks for vibration analysis it's a crapshoot but when looking at your pictures I get a creepy feeling that you're going to have vibration issues from the tail. Hipshot easiest solution would be to run some additional regular boom supports from your current boom support setup back to in front of the tail fin like a normal pod/boom heli has. Something is just nagging at me that you've got too great of a distance from the back of your current boom support setup to the tail box. I could be completely wrong but if you do happen to get some funky vibes I might look in that direction first.

[Cirkus]

Originally Posted by nwmtech

Great looking build! Obviously without plugging anything into Solidworks for vibration analysis it's a crapshoot but when looking at your pictures I get a creepy feeling that you're going to have vibration issues from the tail. Hipshot easiest solution would be to run some additional regular boom supports from your current boom support setup back to in front of the tail fin like a normal pod/boom heli has. Something is just nagging at me that you've got too great of a distance from the back of your current boom support setup to the tail box. I could be completely wrong but if you do happen to get some funky vibes I might look in that direction first.

Sometimes you get into a build and overlook little things like that, what with all the one-off pieces I've been designing and piecing together. Now that you mention it, I am looking at my pictures and thinking you may be right, especially with the fact that I have the 800 stretch boom. I didn't really see it until I Goggle'd a pic of a 700E to visualize how far back the supports go. I will likely fix this issue tonight and post some pics. Thanks for the constructive insight.

[nwmtech]

No problem at all. I think you'll be way ahead of the game dealing with it now rather than later. That's the great part about being a part of a great group of people. Not much goes un-noticed Congrats again on the build. It's looking great!

[Cirkus]

I looked at it tonight, looks like the supports will mount up just fine. I need two spacers and two longer bolts and it will go on.

In other news, I ordered 3 HV servos today that are over 300 oz-in of torque at .09 speed. I'm going to wait and see how well they convert to continuous rotation before I say what they are, but if they work out they will be the new go-to servo for gimbal stabilization I think, especially for the money. It will be like having the speed of a Spektrum 6040 but twice the power.

[Cirkus]

I was looking at the front of my helicopter thinking...those open tubes just don't look finished. So I plugged them up!

[nightflyr]

Nice touch

[Cirkus]

I put the rear boom supports on today. Here's some pics with the "little" 600.

[Cirkus]

Got new servos to try on the gimbal. I also ordered 3 different gears for the servo...18, 20, and 24 tooth so I can do some experimenting with speeds, ratios, gains, etc to find the ideal combo. I should be getting the gears today and be able to do some testing this weekend.

[Cirkus]

Well, I've debated on the Ace One vs. WooKong-H for long enough. I ordered a WK-H today. It has the features I need, and I can live without the features it doesn't have. Plus $1250 vs. $3500 is a good selling point.

[andreansyah]

I greatly admire the work you

[Cirkus]

Originally Posted by andreansyah

I greatly admire the work you: Penting: Thumbup:

Thank.

[Cirkus]

I tested the Blue Bird servos. While they are a big step up from the SpringRC servos, they have some issues that prevent me from wanting to use them.

First, the physical dimensions. The distance from the mounting tabs to the output shaft is shorter, causing a misalignment with the main gear on the axis. This is fixable by mounting the servo on the other side of the mounting plate and the use of 4 washers. In the end though, the performance did not rate the modification.

Second, the deadband. In my opinion, and maybe only because I had an incredible servo to compare it to, the precision around center stick was not accurate enough. No matter what combo of end points and expo I tried, it seemed to be dead in the middle, then instantly (but slowly) start moving as I increased the stick throw but you could definitely see the jump.

I settled on using an 8717HV because I had one laying around. The performance is second to none. I can set my servo endpoint on 1 and still get resolution on the controls. It is very fast, and there is zero backlash in the servo at this time. That will eventually change but for now it's very tight but very smooth.

There is one issue I will have though with such smooth servos. If for some reason my servos lose battery power, the gimbal will hang with the heaviest part down. If I have a long-ish lens up front it will be pointing down and be an issue for landing. So, I'll just have to plan on positioning the camera right or using a lens that won't be a problem. Most wide lenses won't be.

Fortunately I have this servo and an 8917HV, which is the same spec but plastic top and bottom and aluminum in the center where the 8717HV is all aluminum. I just need to purchase one more. At $150 a pop, I definately wouldn't be spending $450 on servos if I didn't already have the two. That's the downside to these things, they are pricey.

[Big Fil]

Nice work on everything. I'm diggin' your endcaps. Well played sir

Have you flown or run it up on the ground yet with blades? If so, do you get any ground resonance issues with the landing gear?

[Cirkus]

Originally Posted by Big Fil

Nice work on everything. I'm diggin' your endcaps. Well played sir

Have you flown or run it up on the ground yet with blades? If so, do you get any ground resonance issues with the landing gear?

I have not run it up yet. I will have the DJI on Monday. I am shooting for the weekend of the 18th for spool up and first hover.

[Cirkus]

Tonight I added a crossbar with new mounting points. By experimenting, I have found that the shocks angled in keeps the gimbal centered and keeps it from swinging as much. I have a trick I want to try tomorrow and if it works I'll share it.

[Cirkus]

Today I spent redesigning my landing gear. Uuuugghhh. As it sometimes goes when creating things from scratch, there is often a few design changes along the way. I decided I wanted more clearance under the gimbal, so I made some extensions for the landing gear legs to get the height I needed, then took the final dimensions and cut new legs. I ran out of G10 so I have some on order. I'll get the gear done in a couple days.

The DJI will be here tomorrow, look for updates soon...