Hobby King ArduPilot Mega V2.5 Flight Controller

[jamiedco]

just caame across this gem on the hk new items page and thought i would share it and get some other opinions

The ArduPilot Mega 2.5 is a complete open source autopilot system featuring the best selling technology that won the prestigious 2012 Outback Challenge UAV competition. This version is ready to use, with no assembly required. It allows the user to turn any fixed wing, rotary wing or multi-rotor vehicle (even cars and boats) into a fully autonomous vehicle capable of performing programmed GPS missions with waypoints.

Features:
• Arduino Compatible
• Comes pre-soldered (with straight pins) and tested
• Includes 3-axis gyro, accelerometer and magnetometer, along with a high-performance barometer
• Onboard 4 MP Dataflash chip for automatic data logging
• Digital compass powered by Honeywell's HMC5883L-TR chip, now included on the main board
• One of the first open source autopilot systems to use Invensense's 6 DoF Accelerometer/Gyro MPU-6000
• Barometric pressure sensor upgraded to MS5611-01BA03, from Measurement Specialties.
• Atmel's ATMEGA2560 and ATMEGA32U-2 chips for processing and USB functions respectively.
• On board enhancing genuine Molex Micro-USB

Specs:
Dimensions: 67x40x10mm
Weight: 17g

Includes:
ArduPilot Mega 2.5
3pin 2.54mm pitch connection leads x 5

PRODUCT ID: 9387000016

page link : http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/..._Flight_Controller_USB_GYRO_ACC_MAG_BARO.html

 

[Tritium]

Totally FALSE advertising. The unit is NOT Complete! You are flying absolute no fully autonomous missions without a GPS and the kit doesn't include one that I can see. I also think it was wrong of them to call it ArduPilot as that is 3DR's designation for their product which THEY designed. Open source? Yes. Copied by anyone legal? Yes. Good practice to use another name so as not to confuse the consumer? Definitely. RC Timer calls theirs ArduFlyer so they receive my support on this part NOT Hobby King, they did it WRONG!

Thurmond

 

[lobstermash]

they did it WRONG!

again...

They're pretty deceptive claiming it's full autopilot. At best it's a good flight controller until you add a GPS...

 

[jamiedco]

i agree with it no being fully autonomous but if you dont buy a gps unit when you buy this then you should not be flying autonimous air craft because you dont know what you are doing .

i also agree with name issue . it was just rude to keep the name of 3dr product .

 

[Cyberdactyl]

Well the page does say the GPS is sold separately . . . unless that bit of info was added in the last 24 hours.

 

[merit]

Well the page does say the GPS is sold separately . . . unless that bit of info was added in the last 24 hours.

And now they're calling it "HKPilot", it looks like they're trying to do the right thing. It sucks to see 3DRobotics sales get poached by cheap chinese manufacturing but that price is pretty tempting...

 

[v2rocketeer]

And now they're calling it "HKPilot", it looks like they're trying to do the right thing. It sucks to see 3DRobotics sales get poached by cheap chinese manufacturing but that price is pretty tempting...

I think this post sums it up.. Price

I am curious though and why I am resurecting this old thread is if any of you who bought the Hobby King HKPilot have run into any problems?

Cheers

Chris

 

[Tritium]

Although you ask about the HK part I have to say that this one is the BEST DEAL out there I have found:

http://www.uavobjects.com/product/arduflyer-2-5-and-avdomecn06plus-with-915-mhz-mavlin/

ArduFlyer 2.5.5
Telemetry radios
OSD board
GPS / External Magnetometer Board
Vibration Isolation mount / Protection dome
UBEC
All cables / screws.

Also there are Tutorials on RCGroups covering this Kit and the ArduFlyer in general.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2007166
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2053670

By the way I own 3 of these kits now. UAVObjects is Texas based.

Thurmond

 

[v2rocketeer]

Gee that looks alright Tritium,,, I don't know if I need the dome or not as I want to use this is a fixed wing ap,, though it is a flying wing

Chris

 

[Tritium]

I think it would still be money ahead even if you don't need the dome (for now although it could look pretty cool on a flying wing, I remember a Johnny Quest episode from my much younger years with a flying wing and a dome in the center, of course this dome was a detachable spider style spy robot).

I am repurposing some of my original KK, KK2's for fixed wings using OpenAero firmware and I do have an ArduFlyer with GPS and Airspeed sensor / telemetry radios / OSD for a Deep Reaper flying wing I am working on.

Thurmond