My Cheerson CX-20 saga
0I may pull together some of the stuff I've said in other 'topics,' but for now just know that I'm still not happy with the way it's flying.
So I figured I might pick up a Quanum Nova from HK, essentially the same machine, and see if it would work better. They sell a PNF version (no radio / receiver / battery) for $200--but! I added it to a 'wish list' I had going there and went to check out, but the total was way higher than I thought it should be. On examination, they were charging almost $80 for shipping it.
I can buy another CX-20 from BangGood, US store, free shipping, for $205. WTH?
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In Checkout switch to SingPost AirParcel 2kg / 7-21Days (FREE)
@fultonmartin, does HK offer alternative shipping methods? For example, when I checkout from Amazon or Newegg, they usually have the paid shipping option selected by default, and I have to go in and specifically select a lower cost, or free shipping option.
If you want to try a Nova, I'll send you mine, ready to fly (no battery or charger) for $200. Flown a couple of times to compare to the CX-20. They are identical, so I have no need for it.
This is it in flight:
@ruouttaurmind I picked the cheapest shipping to arrive at the $80--the default was $50 more!
And I already ordered the BangGood one--I'm going to fly it without doing anything to it first.
BTW, have you hooked either of yours up to Mission Planner? I wonder if I inadvertently changed something there that is the cause of my problems...
@fultonmartin I used Mission Planner on the CX-20 and learned all about autonomous missions, extended FC functions and such. It's pretty awesome to be sitting at my kitchen table, plot a course using MP and the Google Earth satellite map of my neighborhood, then go out to my driveway, flip a switch and watch it all come to life!
But that said... yes, it's very possible to eff up the FC settings in MP. One of the MP functions allows you to make a backup of your FC profile. If you find the new CX-20 flies well, you can grab the profile from the new one and download it to the old one. May just be the trick to having two that fly well.
The one thing to be careful of in MP is to ignore the "upgrade available" message. If you let MP upgrade the FC firmware you'll wind up overwriting some CX-20 specific mods. I did this with mine and it took me a couple of weeks of searching to find a fresh copy of the CX-20 firmware.
The CX-20 flew mostly ok after I let MP upgrade the firmware, but it would be "twitchty" in GPS Loiter mode. It would keep to the spot I put it, but while it was hovering it would randomly twitch and dodge, every second or two. It would also massively overcompensate for the slightest gust of wind with bigger and more dramatic twitches.
After I found and flashed the stock copy of CX-20 firmware, did a compass calibration, it returned back to the old, stable CX-20 shown in that 3D video I posted a few weeks ago. I can hover at 5 feet and it'll stick within a couple inches for as long as the battery holds out.
@ruouttaurmind I knew to avoid the 'upgrade,' so that's not it. I did do the "Mandatory Hardware" calibration, but that shouldn't be a bad thing. I was so excited for the CX-20, and so far I've been very disappointed.
Which flight mode did you change to "Auto"? The "Stabilize" "Simple" seems most useless to me...
@fultonmartin I use SWB/1 and SWA/2 (formerly assigned to Alt Hold).
Alt Hold is sort of useless to me because it basically does exactly what Loiter (aka Pos Hold, GPS Hold) does, but without the flexibility of being able to just stop and have the aircraft stay put. The way I find myself flying, Alt Hold doesn't give me a tool I can use.
Simple Mode on the other hand, gives me the option of bringing the aircraft safely away from obstacles like trees, light poles, buildings, when I've lost orientation of the craft and it's too far away to reestablish orientation with absolute certainty. I can switch to Simple mode and just pull the stick towards me... the drone comes towards me. When I'm safely away from the obstacle I can switch back to Loiter and reorient myself, then resume flight.
Another advantage of Simple Mode... you can control the orientation of your camera (Yaw on the drone) separately from heading without having to compensate with your right stick. Very useful when tracking a moving object that takes unexpected direction changes like a skateboarder, snowboarder or taking video of another drone. Just follow with your right stick, and change the direction of your camera with the left. Too easy to get confused if I'm trying to control with a combination of both sticks.
@fultonmartin Have you been through the manual controller calibration? This process is taken from @nerdybails' fine CX-20 aggregate thread at RCGroups.
This is based on a Mode 2 controller (left stick throttle)
1. SWB to position 1, SWA to position 0
2. Center the left stick
3. Push the Y Axis on the right stick up and hold it.
4. Power on with step 3 still being held up
5. Let go once powered on
6. Make circles with both sticks simultaneously (unsure if this next bit is critical or not) in opposite directions, start by bringing the sticks inwards, then up and out and do three circles.
7. Center both sticks
8. SWB to position 0
9. you will hear a series of beeps completing with a higher single beep.
10. Throttle to zero, power off transmitter.
In addition, I did a manual compass calibration and manual ESC calibration (not using MP, but using the default CX-20 process).
I didn't even connect my CX-20 to the PC until I had half a dozen flights under my belt. That's about the time I started yearning for autonomous mission capability, and that was my motivation for finding Mission Planner.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks. I've run across the manual calibration stuff in my wanderings, but figured the MP was good enough. Nice day here, so I think I'll print 'em out and go try it.
@fultonmartin, I just noticed the $205 CX-20 is coming from the US warehouse and you'll have it in a couple of days!
Trying hard to resist the temptation to order a fleet of these damn things! At that price they're nearly disposable. Kinda wanna order a couple and make a "Drone Wars" aerial combat video. LOL!
@ruouttaurmind Somebody has to much money in their pockets if $205 is cheap enough to buy a fleet of them. I'm also looking for a sponsor I'll even put your FAA code on my quad's to show how much it means to me to be your beneficiary ;)
@DJMajickMan On Christmas even I went to a local Indian casino to cash in on a free dinner and free slot play offer they sent me in the mail. Just a few spins in on the free slot play and BAM:
Paid my property taxes, car insurance, all my utility bills, paid off the engine I bought for my hot rod project and still have a few bucks left. I'm thinking a fleet of drones would be a fitting end to the Merry Christmas to Me spree. :-)
@ruouttaurmind wwwwtttthhhhh!!!
@ruouttaurmind Tracking says it arrived in Compton last evening, so perhaps tomorrow...
@sportykev Don't get too agitated... that was a penny machine, not a dollar machine. Add a decimal two digits from the right. ;-)
@ruouttaurmind you know, I've been to Vegas more than 10 times, and never left a winner. I still envy you!
@sportykev I've been to Vegas maybe a dozen times and ALSO never left a winner... when you consider the long game.
But I don't go to win, I go to have fun. I love the Indian casinos around here... I play big-stakes Bingo, spin the machines a bit, eat about 8 pounds of prime rib for ten bucks... and go home a happy camper. Sometimes with lighter pockets than I came, sometimes with more than I came, but always with a belly full of prime and a smile on my face. :-)
@fultonmartin, sorry for hijacking your thread man.
@ruouttaurmind Ah, well, maybe I'll start another one when it gets here--tracking shows it at my local post office, but I don't know how often my carrier picks stuff up there.