ElectroHub H quad build

[C0d3M0nk3y]

I'm going to try to build a basher H quad roughly the size of the FT knuckle out of parts I have on hand. I'll keep my progress here.

Specs:

MK 8: ElectroHub H quad

motors: Suppo 2208/14 1450 KV
ESCs: iPeaka 22A (SimonK)
FC: Naze32 acro rev5 (Cleanflight)
RX: FrSky X8R
telemetry: FrSky SP-FLVS
props: Gemfan 8045

battery: Turnigy 2200 mAh 3S 25C

boom length: 25 cm
motor to motor distance: 340 mm
all up weight: 909 g
​

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

So here's my idea: use 4 wooden booms cut to 25 cm to make an H quad and use 2 sets of ElectroHub plates to connect them and hold the electronics. I don't know how well it will work, but I'm going to try it and find out.

Test fit:


Here it is with the two bottom plates attached:


And with everything soldered:

 

[Balu]

I love it . I always thought about doing something completely different with the ElectroHub plates. This was one of the ideas I had in mind, but didn't get to build it yet. Looking forward to more details

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

I used a piece of plywood I had from a camera clean plate that I used on a different build to cover the gap between the two top plates so I can mount the Naze32 on it. I also attached the motors and some zip tie landing gear I have from an old build.



Here's what it looks like with the FC and receiver installed:



And here's what the bottom looks like. I routed the motor wires through the bottom plates because I thought they might get caught in the props if I ran them through the top.

 

[philskot]

Looks great! How long till she flies?

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

Here are a few photos of the progress:

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

Looks great! How long till she flies?

Thanks. I'm ready to maiden it whenever the weather here cooperates.

 

[cranialrectosis]

These are wonderful copters that can be built and rebuilt in different configurations almost endlessly.

I can feel build fever hitting me again. Nice job CodeMonkey. It looks like a fun basher.

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

These are wonderful copters that can be built and rebuilt in different configurations almost endlessly.

Yeah. I thought I should do something with the extra parts I had just sitting around.

Nice job CodeMonkey. It looks like a fun basher.

Thanks.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I would suggest trying to find another mounting location for the front antenna, which you have flat against the plate. Being conductive, the plate is going to shadow the antenna badly when the copter is in the air. This is particularly insidious, since it will not manifest during a ground-based range test, where the transmitter is level with or above the copter. The worst-case scenario will be when you are nose-out, since the side-mounted antenna will be pointing toward/away from you and you will be in its null, and the top-mounted antenna will be shadowed by all of the electronics and the plates. Actually, I'm not sure whether the USB port on your FC is the front or the back, so maybe it will be nose-in that is worst.

To test the effect, I suggest doing a range test where you walk away from the copter, on the side facing the side-mounted antenna--9 o'clock in your photo. When you reach the edge of range, have a friend rotate the copter 360 degrees to find the weakest point, then pivot it 45 degrees or so away from you so that the body of the copter is shielding the top antenna. Just fiddle with it to see how much difference there might be between the strongest and the weakest orientations.

It is an excellent idea to have the two antennas at right-angles to each other along both axes (e.g. rotated and pivoted 90 degrees, as you have them).

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

I would suggest trying to find another mounting location for the front antenna, which you have flat against the plate. Being conductive, the plate is going to shadow the antenna badly when the copter is in the air.

The top plates are the plain plates with no power distribution. There's nothing conductive in them is there? Thanks for the input though. I'm planning on doing a range test when I maiden it. I'll see what happens.

 

[joshuabardwell]

The top plates are the plain plates with no power distribution. There's nothing conductive in them is there? Thanks for the input though. I'm planning on doing a range test when I maiden it. I'll see what happens.

Oh, I see. I misunderstood your build and thought I was looking at the other side of a bottom plate.

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

I'm going to try out the led_strip feature in Cleanflight on this build. I started with some WS2812 LEDs on a strip that I picked up on eBay a couple weeks ago.



I cut off some 3 LED segments and soldered servo wires between them to get the proper spacing.



To try to avoid shorting out the LEDs, I covered all of the solder points with some hot glue.



The LED strip has adhesive on the back, so I just stuck them to the booms of the quad. I secured them with some small zip ties.



Here's what they look like after I configured them:

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

Maiden:

I didn't have the LEDs turned on because they started behaving strangely yesterday when I had them on to get a photo. My first thought was that maybe the RX, FC, and LEDs together were pulling more current than the BEC on one ESC can provide. I don't know if that's the case yet, but I didn't want to put it in the air with them on just in case.

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

I added a 5V regulator for the LEDs, and now they work great. Here's what they look like in action:

 

[MitchO]

Love the build

I love the build I am cooking up something similar. How did you set up your NAZE to talk to your X8R? I have been trying to use ppm off of my flip32 using cleanflight and I am not communicating. Any help would be amazing.
ATTACH=CONFIG]41489[/ATTACH]

 

[C0d3M0nk3y]

I love the build I am cooking up something similar. How did you set up your NAZE to talk to your X8R? I have been trying to use ppm off of my flip32 using cleanflight and I am not communicating. Any help would be amazing.

I've used both PWM and PPM with the X8R and Naze32 on this build. I don't know if there are any photos of the PPM connection.

The trick with PPM on X series receivers is they don't have PPM outputs, they use SBus. I use this to convert the SBus signal from the receiver to a PPM signal that the Naze32 expects. I have read about others using a signal inverter to translate the SBus signal, but I haven't tried that.

If you want a receiver with PPM output so you don't have to use a converter, check out the D4R-II.

 

[MitchO]

That is what I was afraid of. Thanks for he great info. Back to the store I go. Hopefully I can post a pic of the final build right side up.

 

[cranialrectosis]

The LEDs look great.

Do I understand you attached a signal wire to them and connected the signal wire to the Naze?

Got any details of how those are connected?

 

[rcflyer729]

look like a cool build thanks for sharing