After becoming rather disenchanted with this frame:
http://www.fpvhub.com/index.php/topic,10601.0.html (http://www.fpvhub.com/index.php/topic,10601.0.html)
I've decided to get something different and ordered one of these ones:
http://www.fpvmanuals.com/2012/05/01/qav500/ (http://www.fpvmanuals.com/2012/05/01/qav500/)
Anyone else on here flying one of these?
It looks really good design but the price puts me off as well as the usual lottery of delivery and import duties plus fees.
Finally got this all put together and got it flown this morning. I love it. So much more responsive than my previous frame and the stiffness of the arms really seems to contribute to the way it flies vs previous frames I've had with the DJI 450 placcy arms or aluminium tube. The video seems to be free of the dreaded rolling shutter effect but I just need to tune out some oscillations. Anyway here's the unedited maiden flight, hence the dull location.
QAV500 Maiden Flight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qut_LOjUPZE#ws)
I think I'm going to really enjoy this one. It feels good to fly now, so hopefully after a bit of tuning it should be great.
Mine is stuck somewhere in French customs :(
Hopefully it'll clear soon and you can get your hands on it. Had a couple more flights yesterday after tweaking the CC3D a bit more. Still work needed there (Although I might upgrade to some SimonK ESCs before investing too much time tuning it).
Anyway here's another snippet from yesterday afternoon:
QAV500 Second Flight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvPWlfeBVtA#ws)
Hi - Video is great - didn't seem to bother the seagulls!
Just building the frame just now. Will be putting a DJI NAZA v2 into it.
It looks a nice frame. I have ordered the QAV540G which should be here in about a month.
Ooh, is that the brushless gimbal equipped one? Is that a pre-order or are they already out?
Quote from: Rowgerwulff on May 28, 2013, 07:10:10 AM
Hi - Video is great - didn't seem to bother the seagulls!
Just building the frame just now. Will be putting a DJI NAZA v2 into it.
It really didn't seem to scare the seagulls, which I was surprised at. Usually they are a lot more timid.
Nice video - looks so smooth like its sliding around on ice lol.
It arrrrrrrived!!!!
I Just started slapping together my QAV500 and thought I'd share my new little creation! I wanted some LEDs on there just because I've got a thing for LEDs lol, and it of course helps orientation if you have to resort to LoS flying.... but I didn't want to dirty up the beautiful aluminium arms.
So I just designed this little thing and printed it out - I'm really chuffed lol. It also has the advantage that it gives a more solid mount for the anti-vibration bobbins as they are then connected to both upper and lower plates (the holes are tapped out for m3 so screws attach from the bottom and the vibration bobbins just screw right in from above).
Because I'm running 4S, I have installed a L7812CV to drop the voltage down to 12v for the LED's (which are the waterproof strip led's from HK).
Whaddya think? Need to get some red LED strip for the back next.
(http://i.imgur.com/oLhtxOw.png)
(http://i.imgur.com/q3J6Z2i.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/z4pRKem.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LRgLyck.jpg)
I just ordered a Naza v2 GPS for it, I was supposed to be beta testing a new controller but it hasn't arrived yet and I don't want to wait to get in the air.
That 'light bar' is super cool!!
Can you get it to go back and forth like a cylon / night rider !!
Hmmm nice.... thinking about chopping in my Discovery for one of these. Are they must better do you think for vibration and jello?
And Zeeflyboy, those LED strips run on 4S no problem. I tested a strip on a 4S pack and it ran for 2 days non stop. They are much brighter too.
Dimension engineering have a little knight-rider style led strip that does the back/forth thing, but it's not flexible unfortunately. Mine are just cheap and cheerful waterproof LED strip from HK.
Man dont you just love it when you get a bit of luck?
I was fully expecting to have to take apart the dirty section to rewire a couple of ESCs (motor leads are directly soldered to ESC tabs) but just fired her up and everything is spinning the right way! Score!
Heh, result. Pretty long odds on that. Love the LED bar. I really should put at least a short strip on mine front and back even though I fly it exclusively FPV.
Just ordered a handful of suitable ESCs to have a go at flashing myself as I think that's probably the best single upgrade I could do on it at the moment. Love the way this thing flies, though. With the CC3D it really inspires confidence.
If you want a pair of these bumpers let me know and I'll print a pair out for you
Yeah I don't know exactly what the odds are... Never was great at statistics lol. 50/50 chance on 4 motors - so I believe 0.5^4 which iiiiiis 0.0625 or 6.25% chance that all 4 will be correct first time.
Ney bad if so ;)
I just finished installing everything, now waiting for the rain to go :(
Suns out and I did my first 4 flights - beautifully smooth. Love it!
Naza gets angry in the descent sometimes, need to see if I can tune that out
Here she is hovering herself infront of my kit lol...
Great flying bird and video is smooth, Love it!
(http://i.imgur.com/GELthUA.jpg)
Quote from: Zeeflyboy on May 29, 2013, 03:43:27 PM
If you want a pair of these bumpers let me know and I'll print a pair out for you
Thanks man, that's a really kind offer, but I shall probably just cobble something together this evening.
Just been out with mine again. A stiff breeze, some 15mph or so and it handled it pretty well. I feel as though this is one area where using high kv motors and smaller, faster props seems to come into its own. Just as well really since it's more or less always windy around here.
Got out again early this morning. Done a bit more PID tuning and got rid of most of the oscillations I was seeing, also altered the throttle curve to give it more punch just above hover:
QAV500 - Human Fly (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mxBZKSbm1A#ws)
I think there's still more to come with the tuning but I love this machine.
here is my soon to be released build log of the QAV400, a quadcopter by fpvmanuals. the build will include the cc3d from openpilot instead of the usual DJI Naza as a flight controller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhA3m0SKVpA&feature=youtube_gdata_player