CranialRectosis' Alien Build

[jipp]

damn, i have some catching up to do.. that brain fc is the brain fpv just label brain now?

FT would not let me connect to the forum last night and all of today.. i had to delete my history/cookies,cache and reset my router.. then i had to type in the DNS to get here.. dunno what is up.. but man i feltw ith drawls.. lol..

back to regular programming.. me reading and trying to understand.. ( i do have teh PDB solder up with the ESC, JST, UBEC, LED, ) hah just need to solder to the motors, and assemble it and see what kind of rat prograss i get.. but am making progress.. best thing iv ever done buying new tips for my soldering iron.. man that was such a pain trying to solder with the wrong bit.. i like soldering now.

chris.

 

[cranialrectosis]

FT forums were down all day. I saw a post on FB about it so I figured it wasn't me.

So I spent some time at the FT show.

!Rocket Plane!

Ever notice how the BEST FT episodes include someone looking at the camera and saying 'Folks, please don't try this at home.'.


That got me over to the store (aha, the FT plot is revealed). They have a sweet 2fer on mini-planes.

Did some Christmas shopping!



Instead of ripping the copter completely apart, I pulled out the GPS module (to get it out of the way) and re-tightened all the video connections. I could see much better and got in an FPV flight around the garden before it got completely dark.

Video quality drops noticeably after 2 minutes of nanna flying. The OSD registered 16.8v when I started and 16.3 when I landed at 2 minutes. I lifted off again and noticed the voltage drop to 14.8 immediately on hover. I will have to see what that looks like from a fresh charge.

I think the answer is to connect the vtx to the LC filter output as well as the cam and use a better lipo.

Rates are goooooood.

What feels 'funny' is how light the Taranis sticks are compared to my old Turnigy 9X. I think I can get used to this.

 

[jipp]

yeah i watched the rocket plane too. that wing peter came up with is pretty impressive. haha i too ended up going to the store too.. i think you are onto something here.. its the master plan. laughs.

yeah i do like the feel of the taranis even if iv not done much with it but play with it in my hand..

well its good to know i was not the only one who could not get his fix.. i started to question if i did something wrong and got black listed. LOL.
im not feeling so well today so i probably wont solder the motors up yet.. maybe tomorrow. i wish they had a cloth wire loom that was split.. so you could add it after you solder.. i could maybe add some then. LOL.
chris.

ps.

i have a question is it ok for power wires to run side by side? i want to run the JST plugs through the hole in the middle of the PDB and wire it under the PDB and guide the wire lead to the front and back.. but im nmot sure if its ok to have 3 wires small voltage wires going through that hole? 5v, 12v jst wire leads..
would i be ok?

 

[cranialrectosis]

im not feeling so well today so i probably wont solder the motors up yet.. maybe tomorrow. i wish they had a cloth wire loom that was split.. so you could add it after you solder.. i could maybe add some then. LOL.
chris.

ps.

i have a question is it ok for power wires to run side by side? i want to run the JST plugs through the hole in the middle of the PDB and wire it under the PDB and guide the wire lead to the front and back.. but im nmot sure if its ok to have 3 wires small voltage wires going through that hole? 5v, 12v jst wire leads..
would i be ok?

I think your main considerations will be space and abrasion. Ensure the walls of the hole are smooth.

Be careful if you try to smooth your PDB.

Don't pinch the wires and don't let anything short. The more you pack in the harder that gets.

 

[jipp]

thanks man.. i was just wondering if it would cause problems with the 12v ) fpv ) part.. i do not see abrasive being a problem.. its smooth to the touch.. but wires moving back and forth could cause problems i guess. ill probably just leave it be.. no point pushing my luck.

hope the weather is not to cold on your end.
chris.

 

[cranialrectosis]

ImpulseRC has the motomoto Tornado back in stock as well as the Alien LED light rings.

I have wanted the LEDs since day 1 but hate to pay all that shipping for just the LEDs. I think I'll get the 4" version of this copter too. These are just screamers.

 

[jipp]

morning. look like he has all his motors in stock from cobras 2204, 2600, to sunnys, i guess he sells T motors now. i guess that says what motors he likes.. even if sunny took a hit in the reputation department.. of course when they are in stock im broke. laughs.. story of my life..

well lets hope no blue smoke today ( 12v light ), figure ill plug a battery and usb cable into this project and see if i get blue smoke, or what wires i need to re-solder to get the motors to turn in the correct direction. my luck something is gonna go wrong because i gooped on the liquid tape to my PDB.. i thought i would test it first then goop it on.. but man i was feeling lazy i guess. because i did not really want to take it all apart to add the goop after wards.. so lets hope i have dotted all my i's and crossed my t;s. heh.

that LED looks pretty cool. looks like it will work with blackout/zmr frames too.. unless it the box on the alien is smaller.

i got a new camera.. so i can finally get rid of my old broken camera.. cameras are so expensive tho ( it was my christmas gift to my self ). lol
o well. this one should last me for a long time.. the last one last 10 years. and it was a freebie i got for signing up to the new cable internet that was offered... man its funny to think cable internet was a new thing in this neighbor hood not to long ago.. now everyone has wifi.. i can walk down the road and get access almost the whole way.. strange world we live in

also i think i may have to get one of these alien frames id go with 6" tho i think. even if the 4" is quite a bit cheaper. im just thinking since i like 6" props and using the TBS power cube ( seems like the power cube would make this frame even more agile as it would put all the mass right at the center.. but i will wait on that and see how real world testing goes with it. ) it makes sense to keep that size.. so who knows maybe a alien build before my spring time tarot 680 pro build.

i think it would be cool to won a hobby store

chris.
chris.

 

[cranialrectosis]

The sun came out!

I ran the Alien around the yard on a fresh 4S. My OSD was reading 16.8 at launch and in under a minute was showing 13.8 and the copter got dumped in the snow.

I am charging some better lipos now with some nice Lumeniers on the way.

 

[The-One-Who-Never-Crashes]

Yikes! What kind of battery was that?!

 

[cranialrectosis]

I had a pair of year old Glacier 30C 4Ss. I don't think I'm gonna charge them again.

I charged up one of my new nano-tech 1300mAh 4S 45-90C lipos and got 4 good minutes of flight before I hit 14.8v under load per the OSD. I came back in and checked the voltage and I was at 15.2 per my meter.

The Sparky and KISS ESCs fly very well. The copter is fast and responds really well..

This copter has a ton of power with a good lipo.

I will have to mount the GoPro, re-balance and re-autotune it. It took me weeks to find a tune I like on my tricopter. This machine is just unbelievably locked in with the flip of a switch. Horizon mode just parks it.

 

[The-One-Who-Never-Crashes]

Yeah, 30C is ain't gonna cut it...

But the Nano-Tech and Lumenier batteries are really, really nice.

Great project! Looking forward to further updates and a flight video!

 

[cranialrectosis]

Snow and wind and wind and snow!

They reported 120mph gusts on Monarch Pass today!

I got the patio shoveled so I have a place to land if the wind ever slows down.

 

[Cyberdactyl]

Oh come on, you're not going to let a little 120mph wind get between you and some FPV fun are you?

 

[cranialrectosis]

The sun came out.

I took the day off and have been playing with the new GoPro.

This is my first time flying with a GoPro and second time flying this copter FPV and over the snow so I am taking it easy. Truth be told it is harder to slow this copter down than to go fast with it. I am amazed at the quality of the GoPro. The Mobius would be all jello'd out.

I haven't tried a flip with it yet. I really need to go to the field (snow) where I can get this up high enough to try flips and get used to how they feel. Soon. Very soon.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Ran the dogs then I ran the Alien.

I am liking this GoPro Session. It is almost too simple.

I got about 3 minutes of flight in before I crashed. Not sure what happened here. The power just cut off. I disconnected the lipo and re-connected it (with the smoketester on) and the smoketester didn't indicate a short.

Maybe I dipped too low under the clothesline and got some snow into the electronics prior to the crash. I dunno. I guess I should look at that waterproofing episode.

I am waiting for the snow to melt and dry out of the electronics before I try again.

My tricpoter is calling me now and the dogs want more frizbee!

 

[FPVology]

Very cool Cranial! I FINALLY ordered a 5" alien and am trying to patiently await for its arrival. I'm going to die!

 

[cranialrectosis]

Thank you.

This frame is the shiznit. My own crashes and problems are in no way related to the Alien frame.

I am wondering if my 1A Pololu is providing enough power to the Sparky and D4R-II. It may be just cold and snow...

 

[jhitesma]

Did a bit of research....Sparky2 draws 100-150ma. So your 1a reg should be fine for that and the D4R-II.

One thought the dRonin team tossed out is have you checked the datasheet for that particular pololu to make sure the SHDN line doesn't need to do something. Some of them do need that or an enable line tied high or low but others don't. So if this is a higher current version than you've used before the requirements for how it's wired may be slightly different and voltage fluctuations may be causing it to shut down prematurely.

ESC's shutting down as well really has me suspecting a problem closer to the pack though. Like maybe the pack has an iffy connection internally and the cold is causing it to act up and drop a cell or something.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Thank you for the power requirement. I can cross that off the list. May I ask where you found it?

All the 5V Pololus that I see allow me to leave the SHDN disconnected.

It can't be the lipo. All the video systems still work and the lipo (new as in 2 cycles) looks good on the lipo checker.

I'm still hoping it was snow in the FC. I don't know if there was any snow in the machine after that little dip under the clothesline. There sure was after the crash. There was snow in the USB port and packed into the motors and ESCs. Every orifice of that Alien was full of snow.

GoPro didn't seem to mind.

I hung the copter upside down (next to my tricopter) and will let them drip dry for 30 hours or so.

If it fails again, I re-wire it again and this time direct solder the 5v leads to the FC, taking out the connectors and pins.

It was 18* last time it flew. Tomorrow should be up to 45* so I'll have that going for me too.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[jhitesma]

Thank you for the power requirement. I can cross that off the list. May I ask where you found it?

Asked in the dRonin IRC channel. Got an answer from someone who measured one

All the 5V Pololus that I see allow me to leave the SHDN disconnected.

There goes that theory. I know some of their regs have different wiring requirements but must not be the ones you're using.

I'm still hoping it was snow in the FC. I don't know if there was any snow in the machine after that little dip under the clothesline. There sure was after the crash. There was snow in the USB port and packed into the motors and ESCs. Every orifice of that Alien was full of snow.

Yeah, white death can cause problems. So glad I don't have to deal with that junk anymore

I hung the copter upside down (next to my tricopter) and will let them drip dry for 30 hours or so.

The copters were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that saint final glide soon would be there.
The ESC's were nestled all snug in their heat shrink as memories of current danced through their circuits.
And my tx in it's glove and me in my parka had just settled my thumbs from a brisk flying session.

If it fails again, I re-wire it again and this time direct solder the 5v leads to the FC, taking out the connectors and pins.

Connectors, bah! Just more things to go wrong

It was 18* last time it flew. Tomorrow should be up to 45* so I'll have that going for me too.

Thanks for the insight.

And here I am in 4 layers and shivering because it's going down to 36 tonight

But...it's a dry cold That stuff cuts right through you