New 550 Builds

[apollo7]

Not got any more done so far as i am trying to get in shape and did a right long walk with lots of uphill climbs so im worn out!
I have a couple of 11.1v 3s 1300 mah lipo`s to use for lights and other stuff all lipo`s have XT60 cons
Make sure you do a tidy job on the bullets, get some heat and solder into ends then a neat job of heat shrink to make sure nowt shorts out

[apollo7]

A bit more progress, i have ripped all the last bits of the S500, naza, RX and esc`s



So now the esc`s and power plug (XT60) are nicely soldered to the 550 frame, i made sure i did a nice tidy job of the soldering




I would say all thats left to do is fit the Naza/RX/GPS, camera gimbal and sort the lights out

[Mark_Felton]

Finally got round to ';cleaning'; up the inside build of my Flamewheel.  Have also put Vtx and the HK G-OSD 3 on it.  Do have the DJI OSD but saving that for the next build.

[LuMan]

@apollo - wow! Whatever happens in your future, you can always get a job showing spot-weld robots how to do it properly!!! That is the tidiest soldering I';ve ever seen, and I';ve got an electronics diploma!! 

@Mark - That looks tidy, too. Great bit of cable management. Cracking work. Any footage of it flying?   

I';ve attached my motors and put the ESCs in place (temporarily with cable ties) to see how much cutting I need to do to the wires. Part of me is thinking whether to route the motor/esc connections around a bit, so i don';t need to shorten them, but I';m not sure about how much I can bend and wind the darn things and still keep a good connection on the bullets. I';ll have a play and think.

I';ll update some pics tomorrow, as I';ve been out all day today and my 4-year-old daughter has run me ragged at Belton House!! 

[apollo7]

Lu man, i might have beat you to the finish line, Naza installed, GPS installed, RX in, props fitted (loosely
Just need my friend to pop round and plug the naza into assistant and tell it to be a hex, not a quad
Pictures later)

[apollo7]

Some pics,
From the ashes of the s500 rise the pheonix s550



Needs a tidy up things like esc wires just taped in place as i need to sort out prop rotation, but kinda happy how it has gone together, and pleased with myself for getting it done and quick

[LuMan]

Ooooh! That is looking GOOD!    I especially like the colour-coordinated props. Will you use the yellow props for orientation?

I figured you';d get yours done first as you';d got most of the bits sorted. Actually I';m glad you got it done first, ';cos now I can crib your build for ideas! 

I noticed that your ESCs are quite close to the hub. I initially planned on having mine under the prop arcs to keep them cool, but I reckon your positioning is better and will give better stability.

I was going to solder the bullets tonight, but I think I';ll do it tomorrow, when I should be working...

[LuMan]

So, I finally got around to photographing the fitted motors. I tried to do this on Sunday evening with my iPad, but Apple prefer to re-invent the wheel and the photos are not in any useful format 

Here';s the pic:
[attach=1]

I also mentioned the amount of wire between the ESC and the motor. Currently I';ve got the ESCs toward the middle of the arms, but I may well move them back (the cable-ties are temporary, btw..):
[attach=2]

Like I said, I think I';ll move the ESCs towards the hub and solder the bullets without cutting the leads. Then I';ll find a way of cleanly routing the leads to stop them dangling around so much.

Then I need to order the FC and batteries....

Then I';ll be close to flying...  ::)

[apollo7]

Looking good, what flight controller are you going for? and what lipo, 3s or 4s

[apollo7]

Well, all set for a test flight, Naxa is configured need to charge some lipo`s, if it flies well then a case of adding some lights and tidying the wires

[LuMan]

I';m actually getting excited for your flight!!  I';m assuming that you';ll be videoing it?

I';ve decided to plum for 3s batteries at the moment, as the ESCs and motors seem to ';recommend'; it. Although I intend on fitting bigger lift motors and ESCs in the future, as well as going up to 4s LiPos, too.

I';m seriously considering the Tarot ZYX-M, as it seems to have everything I need - well, more than I need, initially! But I can start to expand my knowledge and usage as I get better.

I also found out that my Symco cheap GoPro-a-like camera automatically flips the video when mounted upside-down, so I can use the fittings it came with to lash it to the camera tray of the hex. It won';t do FPV, and I';ll need to hit the button before starting up the Hex, but it';s a workable solution for some in-flight vid.

Good luck with your maiden flight 

[nate80]

When I first built my 550 I was really keen on the idea of retractibles, but unless you have a gimbal with pan control, there is no point in them and they are just added weight.
In terms of the difference between yours and mine, mine are considerably lighter, and I think shorter, but are also twice the price and can';t take a knock as much as yours. If you want a better look at the ones I have, they are the AeroXcraft landing gear (You can see my review of a vibration damper on them here). The thing I really like about them is the built in bars for the Gimbal with a Lipo holder on the opposite end that you can move backwards and forwards for perfect counterbalancing.

Why do you think the aeroXcraft landing legs are lighter than retracts, just out of interest?  I';ve been looking at various kits for my DJI F550 and they all look pretty heavy and fairly similar tbh.

The AeroXcraft setup weighs 170g without the payload rails whereas the Tarot TL65B44 retractable legs weigh 156grams all in (but then require additional attachment mounts for gimbals etc.)  But retractable legs mean no landing gear in vertically downward-panned camera shots.

The AeroXCraft landing gear looks good, but there';s similar versions on eBay for less than £15:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=261824099238#ht_2310wt_1024

And the Tarot retracts are less than £30 a pair:

http://www.banggood.com/Tarot-TL65B44-Small-Electric-Retractable-Landing-Gear-Set-p-961964.html

Decisions decisions   


GREAT builds everyone by the way!   

[LuMan]

I can safely say that my motivators for getting retracts are:

1 - I';m a geek and they';re very gadgetty, and I like the idea of a tricked out UAV.
2 - They look too cool to pass by!! 

Part of me wants to design my own retracts, perhaps with some form of failsafe or proximity sensor to make them automatic...

I';m off to check nate80';s links now... 

[guest325]

Part of me wants to design my own retracts, perhaps with some form of failsafe or proximity sensor to make them automatic...

It';s not as difficult as you might think, Sonar sensors are your friend 
http://www.maxbotix.com/articles/067.htm

[PropsToYou]

The problem with retracts is, whilst they do look cool, unless you have a full 360 gimbal, they are just an unnecessary weight and will have an impact on your flight time.

Regarding the cheaper landing gear on ebay, I';ve used that before as do a lot of people. Personally, I found it a little big for an F450 and a little small for an F550.

The big thing about the AeroXcraft landing gear is, one, the vibration dampening, and two, the battery mount allowing really nice balancing.

It is more expensive, but if your budget can stretch, I definitely think it';s worth it!

[nate80]

The problem with retracts is, whilst they do look cool, unless you have a full 360 gimbal, they are just an unnecessary weight and will have an impact on your flight time.

I agree that retracts are mostly just trick for most people';s setups, but they do have the benefit of allowing a gimbal to be centrally mounted without the camera photographing the legs when panned all the way downward.

I am confused about the weight thing you keep mentioning though?  The aeroXcraft landing gear (weighing 170g without payload rails - according to the website) weighs more than a set of Tarot retracts (156g).  Using retracts is obviously heavier than using no landing gear at all, but they are still lighter than the aeroXcraft and similarly designed landing legs.

[LuMan]

The problem with retracts is, whilst they do look cool, unless you have a full 360 gimbal, they are just an unnecessary weight and will have an impact on your flight time.

A very valid point. I think, in my case, the retracts will be fitted, purely for coolness and to prove that I can do it. I suppose for longer flight times I could just replace them for lighter landing gear. Thinking of which, I could knock up a bolt-on/bolt-off retract system... hmm..

[nate80]

A very valid point. I think, in my case, the retracts will be fitted, purely for coolness and to prove that I can do it. I suppose for longer flight times I could just replace them for lighter landing gear. Thinking of which, I could knock up a bolt-on/bolt-off retract system... hmm..

Hey LuMan.  They definitely are trick, but they have functionality benefits too.

Some people complain about still being able to see the fixed legs of their landing gear when using a Go Pro 3 due to the wide field of view provided by the cameras lens.  Many have taken to lowering the Go Pro slightly, but that puts it closer to the ground on landing.  Retracts solve that issue.

The aeroXcraft kit is a really nice kit, and it';s cool the way they';ve designed it to place a battery at the back to counter balance the gimbal thats hung out the front (to try and avoid the camera capturing the props in flight).  But it';s equally possible to mount the battery at the top rear of the platform to balance out the gimbal.  The aeroXcraft also has very good damping built in to stop the Jello effect, but the cheaper kits have anti-vibration dampening too (though I';m not sure how effective it is).

As I mentioned above, the ';problem'; with the aeroXcraft is the weight.  It';s actually heavier than a pair of Tarot retracts and the legs will get in downward panning shot when certain cameras (with wide field of view lenses) are mounted onto it.

But every individuals best solution is dependant on the specific parts they are using and what they plan to do with their rig.

If you just want the hex stood further off the ground than the built in risers allow, or you have a simple and shallow FPV setup to hang off the bottom of your hex, you';re probably better off using the basic DJI plastic legs as they are cheap and super light weight.

[apollo7]

A very valid point. I think, in my case, the retracts will be fitted, purely for coolness and to prove that I can do it. I suppose for longer flight times I could just replace them for lighter landing gear. Thinking of which, I could knock up a bolt-on/bolt-off retract system... hmm..

I have toyed with retracts on my build but if i do it wont be for a while

[LuMan]

Thanks for the additional info, nate80. Definitely worth a look. I';m initially using the hex build, initially, as a bit of a learning experience and training platform, although the plan will be to improve the hardware, give it a greater lift capability, and make it into a camera platform. I';d like to sling a gimbal from the centre of the hex, so retracts will be a necessity.

Anyhoo - "how';s my build going on," I hear you ask?

My next job was to get the bullet connectors soldered onto my ESCs. Not done any soldering for a few years, so I was as nervous as I was excited about it.

First one done:
[attach=1]

Then, add the heat shrink covers:
[attach=2]

Nearly done. Can';t help thinking that, if I was building a quad, I would be done!!
[attach=3]

All done 
[attach=4]

So, next bit is to get them zip-tied in position and order the FC and LiPos. Then I';m almost ready to get it airborne!! 

[nate80]

Anyhoo - "how';s my build going on," I hear you ask?

You';re obviously a talented mind reader!      

Looking good.     Can';t wait to see the finished product - and then the maiden flight!

Nate

[LuMan]

Looking at getting some batteries ordered. If I';m running 6 motors at ~13A per motor (according to spec sheets), then I';ll be looking at a C Rating of 40, with a 4000Ah pack in order to get a decent amount of flight time.

Does this sound about right?

Could I use a 30C battery, or would that run things a bit hot?

I';ll probably use a Y-connetor to double up on capacity.

[guest325]

6 motors @ 13A = 78A
4Ah battery C rating needed is 78/4 = 19.5C
25C would be fine, or if you want a bit of headroom 30C

[LuMan]

6 motors @ 13A = 78A
4Ah battery C rating needed is 78/4 = 19.5C
25C would be fine, or if you want a bit of headroom 30C

Thanks, Darrell... Spot on 

Right - off to order some batteries...

[apollo7]

I am ready for a test flight, just waiting on better weather, i have ordered a 5500mah lipo and plan to double up my 4000 for 8000 if i can get good balance, i confes to powering it up indoors in atti mode and it all spins and seems good, if test flight is good then i will tidy up wires and fit some led lights and it will be job done 

[LuMan]

You';re brave powering it up indoors. Did you put the props on?

Keeping my fingers crossed for good weather this weekend  :cross fingers:

I';ll order the batteries and FC this weekend and then I';ll be about there. Hopefully have it flying before the end of the month.

Confession: I must admit to splurging out for a new plane and batteries.. but I got batteries that could (feasibly) be used on the hex....  :embarrassed

[apollo7]

What size (mah) lipo are you going to use?, i have just ordered a 5500mah to see what time i get in the air with it, my mate has a naza f550 and gets about 10 to 12 mins on 3s 5500

[nate80]

When I get mine completed (still in the planning stages) I';m thinking of running 2 x Multistar High Capacity 4S 4000mAh LiPo';s in parallel.  They';re light weight (relatively) at 320grams each, provide great power and should provide 16-18 minutes flight time with a 2D gimbal and camera fitted.

If I can keep the weight of the build down I might even go for 2 x 5000mAh, but I doubt it';ll be light enough as I definitely wan';t to keep the total flight weight under 2kg.  The max take off load the e305 DJI F550 can handle is 2.4kg and I';d rather keep it under 1.8kg if at all possible.

[apollo7]

Tried balance on the hex with 4000mah and it will take more weight
here is a pic of it with 350 qx for scale

[LuMan]

I dare say I';ll be going for at least 4000mAh, most likely with a parallel lead too. Once I get confident I plan to go to 4s with better motors to give me >1kg thrust per motor. It';ll end up as a photo platform when I';m done.

I ordered some 3S 1800mAh packs for my STOL-500 plane, so I could use these for backyard test flights if I double them up.