I've started...and there are some compromises. I'm not sure what motors the arms are actually drilled for. I got the 2204-2300s, and had to drill out the only two holes that actually lined up, with the motor rotated ~30°. Smaller ones (1806?) line up with the slots, also with rotation. 2 screws are probably enough... There is consternation on some forums about the arms being milled out. To my eye, there's still plenty of thickness to support the weight. I solder the motor wires directly to the ESCs; to get the wire length and rotation right I power them up with a servo tester--CCW are wired 1-2-3, CW 1-3-2. All wired and tested. Next step is to figure the approximate position of the FC and shorten the signal cables, then remove the arms and put shrink tubing over the ESCs. Maybe Friday...
@fultonmartin The 1806's had no problem being installed with all 4 screws in those slots. Not sure you need 2204's in something this size and when you've got 6 of them but you'll have to let us know how well it does.
@DJMajickMan Like I said, compromises...the 12A ESCs may not supply enough current for the 2204s (unless I go to a 4S LiPo). But it was sold as a kit, and my default in life is to buy more than I need. Guess the next step is to load it down with FPV. :)
@fultonmartin I've got 2204's on my 250. Did some current measurements with a single motor with a 6045 rotor attached, connected to a 3s-30c. The most I could get it to burst was 4.5A for a fraction of a second. Normal draw at steady 70% throttle was about 2.8A.
Positioned the flight controller approximately where it's going to go, and marked the signal cables, then took it all apart. Desoldered the cables from the ESCs, shortened 'em, and resoldered, not connecting the +5 except on #1. (I have tooling to make servo cables, but it's a pain--wish I had the crimpers I used to use at work.) Slid shrink tubing over the arms and shrunk it, temporarily mounted all the arms again, and trimmed the ESC power to length and soldered them. I'm not sure about where the battery will go, so didn't know how long to make that wire. I may have to take it apart again...
@fultonmartin Looking good. You're making lots of progress.
I, too, wish I had a good crimping tool. For all the connections I have cheated on (de-soldering, shortening the wire, resoldering; or ugly soldered splices hidden by shrink tubing) I probably should just bite the bullet and buy a decent crimper.
Sorry about the lack of updates; I came down with a cold and although I continued to do a bit of work, I wasn't up to documenting it. I mounted the CC3D flight controller, rotated 90 degrees so the USB port was on the side. Doesn't make as much difference on this one, but still easier to hook up once it's all together. I was sure I had a stock of receivers, but couldn't find any without cannibalizing one of the other builds; yay Amazon Prime. One of these days I'm going to get some FPV gear; for now there's lots of space to mount stuff. A piece of shrink tubing over the antenna and the rear mounting post will hold it vertical. The 'clean plate' for the Mobius doesn't have a lot of room to get a strap through; a small velcro one will do for now. And I need a better way to hold a battery in that well (if indeed that's where it'll stay). Had to tie down the receiver wires, they tended to drift up into the blade path. And finally, the (fragile) plastic top plate. Bound the receiver, ran through the OpenPilot setup / configuration, took it out back and maidened it. Video to follow, once I re-figure out how to do that picture-in-picture...
Dunno what happened to that link...I tried putting it in as an image, but it didn't seem to work. Try it as a link, I guess, although it won't embed: Beetle maiden
@fultonmartin FYI, if you just paste the share link from YouTube directly into the message, the forum software they're running here will parse the video link automagically
@fultonmartin Great job! I'm really disappointed I didn't move quick enough to get one of the Spedix kits. I have the Tali hex, but Id really like to try one of these little ones.
@ruouttaurmind I, OTOH, want to build a big one--like the Tarot 680. But now we're talking six months worth of 'toy' budget. Ok, let's try pasting that share link:
That's cool, what is it? :P
@sportykev It's gonna look like this. And I'm jealous! :-)
@sportykev It's a hex, triggered by DJMajickMan's Cicada build. (See the 'DJMajickMan's 250 FPV quad build' thread.)
@fultonmartin that looks awesome, especially when most of it is CF
I've started...and there are some compromises. I'm not sure what motors the arms are actually drilled for. I got the 2204-2300s, and had to drill out the only two holes that actually lined up, with the motor rotated ~30°. Smaller ones (1806?) line up with the slots, also with rotation. 2 screws are probably enough...
There is consternation on some forums about the arms being milled out. To my eye, there's still plenty of thickness to support the weight.
I solder the motor wires directly to the ESCs; to get the wire length and rotation right I power them up with a servo tester--CCW are wired 1-2-3, CW 1-3-2.
All wired and tested.
Next step is to figure the approximate position of the FC and shorten the signal cables, then remove the arms and put shrink tubing over the ESCs. Maybe Friday...
@fultonmartin The 1806's had no problem being installed with all 4 screws in those slots. Not sure you need 2204's in something this size and when you've got 6 of them but you'll have to let us know how well it does.
@DJMajickMan Like I said, compromises...the 12A ESCs may not supply enough current for the 2204s (unless I go to a 4S LiPo). But it was sold as a kit, and my default in life is to buy more than I need. Guess the next step is to load it down with FPV. :)
@fultonmartin I've got 2204's on my 250. Did some current measurements with a single motor with a 6045 rotor attached, connected to a 3s-30c. The most I could get it to burst was 4.5A for a fraction of a second. Normal draw at steady 70% throttle was about 2.8A.
@ruouttaurmind Excellent news, thanks for that! I have a thrust stand that I keep meaning to mount so I could answer those questions myself...
WANT.
Soooo awesome.
Positioned the flight controller approximately where it's going to go, and marked the signal cables, then took it all apart. Desoldered the cables from the ESCs, shortened 'em, and resoldered, not connecting the +5 except on #1. (I have tooling to make servo cables, but it's a pain--wish I had the crimpers I used to use at work.) Slid shrink tubing over the arms and shrunk it, temporarily mounted all the arms again, and trimmed the ESC power to length and soldered them.
I'm not sure about where the battery will go, so didn't know how long to make that wire. I may have to take it apart again...
@fultonmartin Looking good. You're making lots of progress.
I, too, wish I had a good crimping tool. For all the connections I have cheated on (de-soldering, shortening the wire, resoldering; or ugly soldered splices hidden by shrink tubing) I probably should just bite the bullet and buy a decent crimper.
@ruouttaurmind This one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PGQUZEY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 needs to be positioned very carefully so you don't crush the part that goes over the pin. Ones I used to use had a barrier between the crimp part and the socket.
Sorry about the lack of updates; I came down with a cold and although I continued to do a bit of work, I wasn't up to documenting it.
I mounted the CC3D flight controller, rotated 90 degrees so the USB port was on the side. Doesn't make as much difference on this one, but still easier to hook up once it's all together.
I was sure I had a stock of receivers, but couldn't find any without cannibalizing one of the other builds; yay Amazon Prime.
One of these days I'm going to get some FPV gear; for now there's lots of space to mount stuff. A piece of shrink tubing over the antenna and the rear mounting post will hold it vertical.
The 'clean plate' for the Mobius doesn't have a lot of room to get a strap through; a small velcro one will do for now. And I need a better way to hold a battery in that well (if indeed that's where it'll stay).
Had to tie down the receiver wires, they tended to drift up into the blade path.
And finally, the (fragile) plastic top plate.
Bound the receiver, ran through the OpenPilot setup / configuration, took it out back and maidened it.
Video to follow, once I re-figure out how to do that picture-in-picture...
@fultonmartin Any luck on the video? I'm anxious to see this thing in the air!
@ruouttaurmind Finally found some time to render the two videos together.
Dunno what happened to that link...I tried putting it in as an image, but it didn't seem to work. Try it as a link, I guess, although it won't embed:
Beetle maiden
@fultonmartin FYI, if you just paste the share link from YouTube directly into the message, the forum software they're running here will parse the video link automagically
@fultonmartin Great job! I'm really disappointed I didn't move quick enough to get one of the Spedix kits. I have the Tali hex, but Id really like to try one of these little ones.
@ruouttaurmind I, OTOH, want to build a big one--like the Tarot 680. But now we're talking six months worth of 'toy' budget.
Ok, let's try pasting that share link: