I'm going the custom route
Have both quad and hex frames. Everything is changeable so I'm hoping to tune what works in high wind.
Motors and props will be key to good strong wind performance.
Have an ArduPilot open source "brain" which is capable of waypoint flying and has all the features is a comparable $700-800 unit form DJI.
No iPad app, but I can live with that.
DJI stuff is great, but the 25 min flight time is debatable with a gopro attached, and once you have it, very little scope for changing anything.
This sounds good, but it looks to me like they are trying to get advance orders and maybe haven't quite got it ready yet.
The idea seems to be the way to go and if they do get it working right, its going to be a big seller.
nextlevelaerialfilming.com/
Select to expand quotewestozwind said..
DJI stuff is great, but the 25 min flight time is debatable with a gopro attached, and once you have it, very little scope for changing anything.
True. Looking at their sample footage though it seems the included gyro-stablised gimballing HD camera on the Phantom 2 Vision+ is pretty close to the GoPro in quality and with the added advantage of built-in FPV (through the camera-lens piloting and control). It appears to mainly fall down in very low light situations. I think I also prefer what looks to be longer zoom options on the DJI camera as the fish-eye on my GoPro Silver 3+ makes everything so small unless you're really close.
The hands-on reviews I've seen confirm a flight-time of 20+ minutes with the stock set-up.
It also looks like there are at least a few things you can change and customise including adding the DJI Lightbridge HD live streaming option with extended 1.7km range etc but it certainly is not as flexible as a build-your-own!
I haven't yet found out how much the water-proofing service costs, but the live video of dropping the Phantom to the bottom of a pool and into several feet of sea water and then immediately taking off again after shaking off the water is pretty amazing.
OK I will probably sound like the fun police, but here goes:
I fly Multiiwiicopter UAV's (www.multiwiicopter.com) and currently have three. They are an Australian company and know what they are talking about, so if you are interested maybe talk with them. They are awesome fun but the reality is that they don't cut the mustard much over 20knots and even if you spend 10k on a DJI s1000 or S800 or similar set up you are still going to struggle in 30knots.
In my experience this is a hobby or profession (if you get a UAV control certificate and operators licence) that should be way more involved than just sticking something up in the air. You wouldn't get in a plane and just try and fly, and the same should apply to a UAV. If you don't invest the time in learning to fly manual/Acro modes, understand how they work etc you are asking for trouble.
For all those interested I would suggest the following:
1)Do research...
2)Don't expect to be flying in 30knots
3) try and find someone that can show you the ropes ( this will save you a lot of time and money)
4) Get a sim or $100 toy mode 2 quad to learn orientation
5) Understand the CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) guidelines
6) Triple the amount you think it will cost you
7) Fly safe
Select to expand quoteRosobot said..
They are awesome fun but the reality is that they don't cut the mustard much over 20knots and even if you spend 10k on a DJI s1000 or S800 or similar set up you are still going to struggle in 30knots.
Thanks for the words of experience Rosobot, I imagined it would be pretty difficult to get stable flight let alone smooth video once the wind really starts blowing - compensating for strong gusts would have to push any system to the limits.
If a drone could handle up to 20 knots, it should still be pretty useful/fun though but you're quite right it is good to manage expectations before spending big bucks.
Hi Guys,
We have seen this post come up in a google search and just wanted to contribute.
Unfortunately the news isn't good. With the speeds your in it's really going to be tricky to get a quadcopter to perform at it's rated specifications. We think the best bang for buck at the moment is the Walkera product. They had a version called the Walkera Qr X350 that was a bit of a flop honestly. There are numerous occasions where it reaches a certain height and then pretty much drops out of the sky. They have a new model which is the Walker QR X350 PRO where previous issues have been fixed and it also comes with a gimble for a GoPro. I would opt for this one if you are going to purchase a drone.
We agree with Rosobot, do a little research. Jump on youtube and have a look at current laws. The main ones are do not fly at night, keep at least 30 m from crowds and don't fly in built up areas. This shouldn't be an issue for your intended purpose.
Otherwise if your away camping, doing a bit of fishing or going for a surf your going to have a ball. Any questions feel free to contact us.
Theres also a video on youtube of a Groom getting hit in the head at his wedding which is pretty funny too.
Jeremy
www.goprodrones.com.au
Looking good Westoz!
What frame is that? Good to see you're going the custom route, it's way more fun that way. Those Afros are a good deal, I've had to flash all my speedies (before the afros came out).
I've built several custom frames so far, here's my latest: (designed for FPV, been getting into that a bit lately)
For high wind you really want to be running 8" props, so that means 1200 kV on 3S, or 900kV or so on 4S. Higher disk loading means that it gets buffeted around a bit less in wind. You pay for it a bit with battery life though.
Sweet video! Does anyone know what kind of drone was it filmed on? Are the DJI's the only ones with white blades?
Micah and Phil are on their medium boards in the clip so I'm guessing it's up around 20 knots; footage is pretty smooth I thought.
Thanks Nebs. Starting to get organised for the hexacopter build. That will have the ardupilot on board :)
Looking at these Sunnysky motors.
www.banggood.com/Sunnysky-V2216-800KV-Outrunner-Brushless-Motor-p-78175.html?akmClientCountry=AU&
should be able to run Afro 20 ESC's.
will get some 8" props and see how we go. Playing with 10" & 12" at the moment on the quad.
the 3S/4S conundrum is a pain. Will Need a 3S to run the gimbal, but 4S better for flight time. Once you add a BEC, it might be better to run 2 batteries. Current quad weighs 1.4 kg, but 2 batteries would push that way over 2 kg. might be more stable in the wind, but it's a lot of weight to keep in the air.
are you using a fixed mount gopro or a gimbal?
Sunnysky are a great motor, I've only heard great things about them.
Cripes what batteries are you using? My current tri in flying trim with battery, FPV video link, GPS on screen display, and recording camera on the front is only 980 grams...
Just a fixed mount for me right now, I have enough trouble flying the thing through goggles without worrying about pointing the camera in a different direction to the way the craft is flying!
Select to expand quoteSeanAUS120 said...
Sweet video! Does anyone know what kind of drone was it filmed on? Are the DJI's the only ones with white blades?
I am guessing that was shot with a DJI Phantom 2. I have recently read in a forum of people flying them in winds up to 25 knts. Not sure how stable the footage would be in that wind.
Turnigy nano-tech 4500mah 3S 35~70C Lipo Pack battery 372g
gopro in waterproof housing. Just swapped to skeleton housing and dropped close to 200g
Motors are 54g each, plus another arm. When you subtract that, it's not far off yours.
Select to expand quotestehsegler said... SeanAUS120 said...
Sweet video! Does anyone know what kind of drone was it filmed on? Are the DJI's the only ones with white blades?
I am guessing that was shot with a DJI Phantom 2.
+1 Right at the end it when the quad tilts forward it looks like a DJI under the motor.
I've upgraded to the phantom2 and it's great, Much better flight time then the original phantom. Naked (the craft, Not me) you get 20-25 mins of flight time depending on conditions, With all the gear including gimbal and FPV you get a solid 15 but you can push it to about 17...I choose to land when the low voltage indicator first come on. It weighs in at 1.2kg with all the gear on it and is larger and heavier then the original phantom which I think helps in the wind. I'm happy to fly in about 15 knots, Above this you really need to think about what you are doing as changes in direction can cause the craft to fly a bit wild but easy enough to get under control as long as your not in a confined area.....It picks up speed quickly when you turn down wind. I'm sure 20 knots would be ok but it's just going to shorten the battery life, I choose to fly in manual mode most of the time when filming as I feel it gives much steadier footage. GPS mode it great when you get lost in the sun and you don't know what way the craft is facing, I've pushed it out to sea on more then one occasion thinking I was bringing it back to me. With the 2 axis gimbal you get good stuff straight out of the GoPro but it does get a little side to side rotation that you need to fix with editing software. With the new ones coming with a 3 axis gimbal it's only going to be better, Super smooth straight out of the camera.
The kitesurf forum has a thread of a Guy selling his purpose built quadcopters at the moment.they look like the best for high wind conditions
here is a fun surf check from the other day - its always terrifying flying over water - and airborne salt spray isnt great for your electrics...
Mine was still running after retrieving it from waist deep water, I didn't try to fly it though. I was told by a service guy from DJI that they often survive crashes in fresh water but saltwater on the other hand is a death sentence. Mine flew for about a month after the crash into salt water then it started doing funny things, after opening up the shell it was very obvious that corrosion had set in and it was starting to fail. If crashed into saltwater you need to flush it out with fresh water ASAP, Within minutes corrosion starts on the electrics. Flush with heaps of water, I'm talking fill a bath tub and submerge, Then spray everything with a water dispersant and let dry. This will be your best chance of recovering from a salt water crash.
Great topic, cheers guys.
I have a question-
I have the dji vision 2 and I am thinking about an upgrade to the new
zenmuse gimbal h3 3d plus a gopro 3- so I can get better stabilisation.
Is this a good idea?
if so...
how do I get FPV to work with the proposed new gimbal?
what bits will I need and can I get a system with better range than the
50-100m I currently get via the stock wifi extender-iphone set up.
Hope this makes sense?
cheers in advance.
The gimbal upgrade would give you excellent results, The only thing you need to look for is if your phantom has a hole in the bottom to allow the new 3 axis gimbal to fit. If it doesn't have the hole you need to buy and adaptor as well which are readily available, The gimbal itself is pretty much plug and play. The FPV kit can be purchased from places such as...
camzilla.com.au
sphere.net.au
helipal.com (china, but awesome service)
The kit comes with everything you need to get it to work including the cables for the GoPro, You just need power from the Phantom which should already be poking out through one of the phantoms arms (if not open it up and you'll find 2 wires that supply power and earth). The range is ok with the standard antenna that you get but these can be upgraded to give you 1km of range (so they say) but why you'd want to fly that far away is beyond me, Asking for trouble me thinks.
I think it's money well spent on this upgrade.
Cheers.
Select to expand quotejh2703 said...
The gimbal upgrade would give you excellent results, The only thing you need to look for is if your phantom has a hole in the bottom to allow the new 3 axis gimbal to fit. If it doesn't have the hole you need to buy and adaptor as well which are readily available, The gimbal itself is pretty much plug and play. The FPV kit can be purchased from places such as...
camzilla.com.au
sphere.net.au
helipal.com (china, but awesome service)
The kit comes with everything you need to get it to work including the cables for the GoPro, You just need power from the Phantom which should already be poking out through one of the phantoms arms (if not open it up and you'll find 2 wires that supply power and earth). The range is ok with the standard antenna that you get but these can be upgraded to give you 1km of range (so they say) but why you'd want to fly that far away is beyond me, Asking for trouble me thinks.
I think it's money well spent on this upgrade.
Cheers.
Awesome! Thanks for the advice
As not to "reinvent the wheel", have any of you considered contacting Galactic Empire ?. I'm pretty sure they will have something that suits your needs "off the shelf".
You could gaffa tape a Go-Pro onto one of it's manipulator thingies. (and make sure you lick the camera lens before flight)
