Opinons on multiwii pro??

andybenton

NERD!!!! :)
hello all, long time heli guy, gone to the darkside!

Ill cut to the chase, just started my tricopter build, and im looking for f a few things in my flight controller.
given the fact that this flight controller comes with a gps chip, id assume it has a RTH or RTL mode? also im assuming it has altitude hold.

the main reason for posting was to see what everyone thought of this board, so give it to me straight, the good bad and ugly :)

as soon as I get my flight controllers figured out, ill start work on the frame and open a build log for it.

thanks
Andy
 

Craftydan

Hostage Taker of Quads
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Andy,

Not much experience with the multiwii, but from what I know, the older boards have crappy sensors, so they'll always underperform. Newer boards can have all the bells and whistles, but no idea about which is which or what works with what.

Hopefully someone will chime in with a handy guide posted somewhere. I'm curious about those details myself, and the main multiwii site seems to be lacking in clarity (but that may just be me).
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
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I flashed mine with the megapirate FW and while I haven't used the hold or RTL/RTH yet, the board itself seems to work very well and the GPS has very little CEP when it can see clear sky. With MP loaded, you can also use flight planner for waypoints and programming and there is an optional Bluetooth module for wireless programming.
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
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Pretty smooth, but I have been flying it LOS mostly and my personal version of multi flying is pretty tame. I have it on my hex with the HK flamewheel clone frame, 2836/9 950kv Turnigy's, RCManchilds 30A flashed ESC's and either a 3000 or a 3300mAh 3S batt.

Without battery or FPV gear, it's 1372g

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It's got a bit of balsa dust on it from the red swan...
 

Craftydan

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Thanks.

Hex's will be pretty flat in profile, since they're most of the way to UFO anyways ;)

I like the appeal of having the higher level functions available, but I also like the idea of flipping a switch and the brain get's dumber, giving me more work to do (and the freedom to do it). Sorta like setting up an autopilot to a parking spot in the sky, but something interesting wanders by, I can chase it by hand, swooshing like a fixed wing. When I get bored chasing that squriell, flip the switch and back to the parking space it goes.

Nice dream, but I've got to pick up some FPV gear first . . .

Tried to lift anything with it yet? (except the tiny pieces of the red-swan)
 

andybenton

NERD!!!! :)
thanks guys, mainly im interested in the multiwii because its available now in stock threw hobbyking, and has the extra bells and whistles of the gps functions.

i'm building the tri copter with the fact that it will fill several rolls for me, and adding gps functionality would only expand those roles.

I suppose I could take recommendations and suggestions for a different controller board, the funtions I would like to see is altitude hold, autolevel, and RTH. with the ability to turn "off" the functions so I still have to manually fly the thing.

I patently await responses
Andy :)
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
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The multiwii will do all that but it will need more tuning up front to get it where you want it. I haven't been messing with any of the higher functions yet because I just haven't had the time. Actually, I have had the time, but haven't been managing it well.
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
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Thanks.

Hex's will be pretty flat in profile, since they're most of the way to UFO anyways ;)

I like the appeal of having the higher level functions available, but I also like the idea of flipping a switch and the brain get's dumber, giving me more work to do (and the freedom to do it). Sorta like setting up an autopilot to a parking spot in the sky, but something interesting wanders by, I can chase it by hand, swooshing like a fixed wing. When I get bored chasing that squirrel, flip the switch and back to the parking space it goes.

Nice dream, but I've got to pick up some FPV gear first . . .

Tried to lift anything with it yet? (except the tiny pieces of the red-swan)
Funny you mention the UFO thing, since the wife has said I need to light it and scare the saucer fans! :D

Just a keychain camera and the video transmitter, no heavy lifting, but I imagine it will lift quite a bit since I hover at just above 1/3rd throttle on the 9" props. I started on 10" and it had more "oomph" with those.
 

Craftydan

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Funny you mention the UFO thing, since the wife has said I need to light it and scare the saucer fans! :D

Just a keychain camera and the video transmitter, no heavy lifting, but I imagine it will lift quite a bit since I hover at just above 1/3rd throttle on the 9" props. I started on 10" and it had more "oomph" with those.

Coooome oooon!!! don't tell me you haven't tried to pick up a brick with it yet?!? Why point ***6*** 10" props heavenward if you don't plan on dragging something heavy behind it?!?!?!?

And seriously, your wife is right. Go night flyer. It needs to be done to almost every quad, but yours shoudl be next! If nothing else scare those pesky cows!!!
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
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Coooome oooon!!! don't tell me you haven't tried to pick up a brick with it yet?!? Why point ***6*** 10" props heavenward if you don't plan on dragging something heavy behind it?!?!?!?

And seriously, your wife is right. Go night flyer. It needs to be done to almost every quad, but yours shoudl be next! If nothing else scare those pesky cows!!!
I'll give it a go, but I'll have to talk her into holding the camera again for the lift challenge. Need to do some catching up on money before I go ordering LED's for the night flight part though...I just ordered a roll of 30" plotter paper to see if I can plot fullsize plans on my cutter and a few other odds and ends I probably didn't need. I'll find some way to use them though! I always do...
 
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Mustang7302

Senior Member
After my KK2 took one too many crashes and started giving me erratic flight characteristics, I ordered a MultiWii Pro from the US warehouse @ HobbyKing. I look forward to getting my hands on it and will miss ease of setup the KK2 had.
 

Tritium

Amateur Extra Class K5TWM
Xuzme720 I am rebuilding 2 hex's, one has APM and is 32" between motors and uses 14" props, The other Probably Multiwii SE and is a 550 frame like yours. What I want to do is BRIGHTLY light each arm then fly in simple mode while keeping the yaw in constant rotation. THAT will certainly look like a UFO.

Thurmond
 
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xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
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After my KK2 took one too many crashes and started giving me erratic flight characteristics, I ordered a MultiWii Pro from the US warehouse @ HobbyKing. I look forward to getting my hands on it and will miss ease of setup the KK2 had.
Yes, it is a different animal and probably the main reason I haven't gotten further with it, yet. When the weather is nice enough to work on tuning, it's really nice for flying! So I end up flying instead of tweaking. I'll get to it eventually...I hope...

Xuzme720 I am rebuilding 2 hex's, one has APM and is 32" between motors and uses 14" props, The other Probably Multiwii SE and is a 550 frame like yours. What I want to do is BRIGHTLY light each arm then fly in simple mode while keeping the yaw in constant rotation. THAT will certainly look like a UFO.

Thurmond
Yessir, that should do it! Definitely get some video of it in the air so we know it's you and not the start of the invasion!
 

Fledermaus

Member
Xzume720, is the biggest advantage of the KK2 the ease of setup that comes with having an on-board lcd? I've just ordered a Knuckle kit and have been looking for flight controllers. The KK2 keeps coming up because of the price and ease of use, but the MultiWii Pro seems like a pretty viable alternative. Is tuning the MultiWii (or any other controller) significantly more difficult?
 

xuzme720

Dedicated foam bender
Mentor
Xzume720, is the biggest advantage of the KK2 the ease of setup that comes with having an on-board lcd? I've just ordered a Knuckle kit and have been looking for flight controllers. The KK2 keeps coming up because of the price and ease of use, but the MultiWii Pro seems like a pretty viable alternative. Is tuning the MultiWii (or any other controller) significantly more difficult?
If you haven't done a lot of tuning, it is much easier on the KK2. The KK2 is a great first board as it can be ready to go in just a few hops, unless you have some other issues. If it's not your first multi, you can probably easily go with one of the other boards. For the price of the KK2, I'll always recommend having at least one for just messing around with. I have a spare still in the foam and one on the tri I just finished as a test bed for a prototype tilt mount. If you are on your second or third multi and have some tuning experience, go for the APM or multiwii, but if not, give the KK2 a go first. Use it to learn your way around the P and I values and other stuff that makes it a smoother flying copter and then move on to the other boards.
 
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andybenton

NERD!!!! :)
If you haven't done a lot of tuning, it is much easier on the KK2. The KK2 is a great first board as it can be ready to go in just a few hops, unless you have some other issues. If it's not your first multi, you can probably easily go with one of the other boards. For the price of the KK2, I'll always recommend having at least one for just messing around with. I have a spare still in the foam and one on the tri I just finished as a test bed for a prototype tilt mount. If you are on your second or third multi and have some tuning experience, go for the APM or multiwii, but if not, give the KK2 a go first. Use it to learn your way around the P and I values and other stuff that makes it a smoother flying copter and then move on to the others.


Let me get my grubby little hands on that kk2 board still in the foam and I won't be worried about the multiwii anymore :p
 

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
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I too got the MultiWii Pro and also because there are no KK2s in stock and I am in week 3 of waiting for an email.

I took my KK2 out of my Anycopter and put it in my much smaller Knuckle I quad for aerobatics. I love the hands on flight of the KK2.

Now that I have the MultiWii, I am eager to play with it due to the FPV and aerial video possibilities but I need to learn Arduino first.

Mustang7302 just ordered his and sent me these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW1VF8eS4Ac
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1752719

I understand Arduino has a learning curve but then, that is part of the fun isn't it?
 

cranialrectosis

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Let me get my grubby little hands on that kk2 board still in the foam and I won't be worried about the multiwii anymore :p

In a way, not having the KK2 in stock has forced me to liberate myself from HK (who I don't much care for). Once I no longer NEED the KK2, I no longer need HobbyKing.