spare parts help!

[hollopeter]

Hi all,

I've cannibalized a FPV camera and video transmitter from my Blade Theory Type W that met an unfortunate end recently, but the wiring harness that goes between them got damaged and I don't have a way to wake everything up anymore to use on another plane (ideally an FT Guinea Pig). I've got a question into Horizon but the camera is discontinued so I'm not expecting too much success. Does anyone have any idea if there's a standalone part out there to buy? The camera is a SPVMC650 and the transmitter is a SPMVT200 (picture attached). Thanks!

 

[cranialrectosis]

I would just make my own. Mind polarity and ensure you are powering both VTX and camera with the proper voltages and just connect the wires and solder them into place.

Be sure the VTX gets plenty of ventilation, don't power the VTX without the antenna and test power the solder connections with a SmokeStopper.

 

[Merv]

I agree with @cranialrectosis, I would repair the old harness if possible. If the ends are good, I would use them to make new harness. You could also try a balance lead from an old battery to see if it would fit. Those ends look like they could be JST, hard to tell from the pic what the pin spacing is. If all else failed, solder direct.

If Horizon lets you down, you have nothng to lose.

 

[sprzout]

Let me go home and look at my Blade Conspiracy - I had that same camera and VTX in it. I damaged my camera a while back and replaced it with a Runcam...Swift, I think it was? All I had to do was unplug the wiring harness from the camera and the VTX and plug the new wiring harness in, and it worked without having to do any soldering. If so, it'll just be a direct replacement that's around $5.

 

[hollopeter]

I'd be happy to repair the harness if I'd have had the foresight to keep it! Didn't dawn on me at the time to keep that part when I was cannibalizing the broken plane. Still waiting to hear from Horizon, but a direct solder is possible, though that's pretty delicate work.

 

[Merv]

I'd be happy to repair the harness if I'd have had the foresight to keep it!

On eBay, connectors are cheap, finding the correct one is hard. The socket on the Tx looks like a standard 5S balance lead to me. The socket on the Camera doesn't look like a balance lead. I would take some measurements and see if I could find something on eBay that would fit. The trick is finding the correct pin spacing (pitch). You need to be very accurate with the pitch, down to the 1/4 mm. I would get a measurement across 6 pins, then divide by 6 to get the pitch.

This video may help you identify the correct connector.

 

[hollopeter]

Sigh... no help from Horizon other than pointing me towards a new transmitter that comes with the wiring. I looked at the JST's but between the crimp tool I would need to get, the connector, and the time... it's probably going to be a new transmitter.

 

[Merv]

Sigh... no help from Horizon other than pointing me towards a new transmitter that comes with the wiring. I looked at the JST's but between the crimp tool I would need to get, the connector, and the time... it's probably going to be a new transmitter.

No crimp tool needed, if you buy connectors with he wires already crimped on. Then solder on addition wire if nessary, most of the time I end up shorting the wires.

The trick is finding the correct end. Most of the ones on eBay will come with 6-8 inches of wire already crimped on like this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Excel-Mini...gMAAOSwA3xcPYkc:sc:USPSFirstClass!61455!US!-1

 

[cranialrectosis]

Ace Hardware sells (in the automotive section) little bits of teeny heatshrink.

Me, I would remove the white plastic clips that cover the pins (if you can), chop up a servo cable, map the wires to where they need to go, solder them on with the smallest iron tip I have, heat shrink the joints and cover the pins. Maybe use a bit of purple paracord casing for wire management to make it look reasonable.

You can streamline your build by using only the wires you need in the length you need them, you don't throw away your parts and you can fly today.

The only downsides are if you cause a short, over heat the VTX or camera by hitting them with more voltage than they can handle, or reverse polarity. Use a smokestopper and if you make any of these mistakes (other than over voltage) you can detect it before you fry your hardware.

If you're going to chuck the parts, don't let them go quietly into that goodnight, let them go down in flames!

Be sure to take photos of the adventure. If you fail, we can maybe help figure out why and it's not a total loss. If it works, others will learn from you and we can all cheer with you.


EDIT: Smokestopper.

 

[hollopeter]

Ok, ok, ok... you badgered me into it! Thanks for the e-bay link. I measured the pin spacing and ordered 2 of the 1.25 7 and 6 pin connectors. I've got a mess of heat shrink already, so once they arrive (it'll probably be a couple weeks - coming from China) the soldering begins. So for when that happens, any opinions/facts on how to connect? On the camera from left to right it's labeled VCC, GND, VID, AUD, OSD, GND, VSEN. The video transmitter is DC5V, GND, VIDEO, AUDIO, GND, POWER.

I assume the last two on the transmitter are where the battery connects and the first two are power and ground to the camera? (Also... battery size? Previously it was spliced into the main power battery but for this I'm planning on just doing a stand alone so it can go on multiple planes and the kid's RC car, too). VIDEO and AUDIO are obvious hookups. So what is the difference between VCC/GND and VSEN/GND on the camera, and what is OSD? Thanks for the help... you've saved me $60 already!

 

[Merv]

Horizon should still have manuals online to support their products, I would highly encourage you to look for them. My guess, VCC/GND is for power, no idea what voltage it needs. The DC5V could take battery voltage down to 5V for the camera. VSEN/GND will put the battery voltage on the OSD, on screen display. It will display the voltage on your video feed.

The advantage of diy, you can make up any kind if lead you want. All of my FPV stuff runs on 12v, which means all I need to do is tap my 3S balance lead. I use servo connector for my video, power, ground connection with the Tx & camera. If I need more length just attach a servo extension.