What Did You Do FPV Today?

[LitterBug]

I would use FoamTac or similar glue but not hot glue.

 

[Fishbonez]

I finally arrived. I had my first, complete digital fpv flight with the Stratosurfer this morning. I launched it with Autolaunch (oh, wow, that was the best--no death dip or torque roll). I buzzed my neighborhood and did a victory roll (and loop . . . and inverted), and then landed with a 25 foot slide across the hard, dry earth. I've already experience RTH, Horizon, and Loiter successfully. The Stratosurfer is so stable that flying it in Manual and Acro is easy. I have the basics of the Corewing F405 wing v2 down (took hours of study and frustration). Thanks, Litterbug for your recommendation of the Stratosurfer and the F405. My experience is limited, but they seem solid. It was quite a difficult journey arriving at this morning's fpv flight and I thank all of you who jumped in and helped me out (especially Litterbug). More adventures (and frustration) in the future, but I'm enjoying the ride.

I too had a hard time but did finally get mine working as well.

 

[toryander]

I would use FoamTac or similar glue but not hot glue.

I'll have to get some

 

[toryander]

My Avatar Mini 1s Lite melted through the 3-d printed vtx mounting posts. Dang. I'm glad I checked before another flight. It was holding on by one half-melted thread. The heat problem is kind of a pain in the butt (you better remember to switch back to 25mw before landing or you have to run to the plane to shut off the VTX before you have melted butter--you need to hurry even with 25mw. I've been searching around and have found a new mounting method with screws connecting the vtx instead of those 3-d printed posts. I hope that deal with the heat better and make the mount last longer. To use it I had to order a second 3-d piece from another place to allow the 1s Mini Lite camera to mount like a 1s Mini.

 

[LitterBug]

My Avatar Mini 1s Lite melted through the 3-d printed vtx mounting posts. Dang. I'm glad I checked before another flight. It was holding on by one half-melted thread. The heat problem is kind of a pain in the butt (you better remember to switch back to 25mw before landing or you have to run to the plane to shut off the VTX before you have melted butter--you need to hurry even with 25mw. I've been searching around and have found a new mounting method with screws connecting the vtx instead of those 3-d printed posts. I hope that deal with the heat better and make the mount last longer. To use it I had to order a second 3-d piece from another place to allow the 1s Mini Lite camera to mount like a 1s Mini.

Yeah..... That heat is the biggest drawback with the HDFPV VTXes. I have methods for turning them off remotely for setups without power control built into the FC. I also picked up some 12v 30mm fans for times when cooling is needed. I use PET-G/ABS for 3D printed mounts. The tray I use with the gimbal I did with ABS since I may switch back to the moonlight at some point.

 

[toryander]

Without using any beefy long range equipment I got over 2km in distance and nearly a quarter mile high (1.25 from sea level) in my Strix Stratosurfer this morning. I think that might be the limit of this combination of equipment (distance anyway). It was a fun flight. The video is just a couple of minutes of an 8.5 minute flight (3300mha 3s battery)
Transmitter: Radiomaster Pocket ELRS
Receiver: Radiomaster ER6
Flight Controller: Corewing 405wing .v2
Camera/VTX: Walksnail Mini 1s Lite

 

[toryander]

Can anyone tell me what's going on here. In my OSD I have displayed Distance Traveled and Distance to Home. They are working just fine when I take off (, then, during the flight they start displaying odd numbers that don't make sense. Here is what I am seeing correct and then incorrect.

 

[Fishbonez]

Can anyone tell me what's going on here. In my OSD I have displayed Distance Traveled and Distance to Home. They are working just fine when I take off (, then, during the flight they start displaying odd numbers that don't make sense. Here is what I am seeing correct and then incorrect.

My guess would be your GPS is bad are you loosing satellites?

 

[Fishbonez]

Sometimes you just got to know what happens?

 

[toryander]

I'm getting tired of fighting the interference with my aio analog vtx. It's designed to plug into an rx. It's flyable when plugged into my er5. Recently I plugged it into my Aura board (my er6 pwm ports don't work) and it's unflyable for the interference. I'm guessing were you plug the vtx into makes a difference? So, I'm wondering about getting another digital vtx combo like the Avatar mini 1s. The thing is, I don't have a flight controller in this plane and don't really want to put one in. It seems I should be able to solder a servo or bec type connector onto the vtx and bypass need for an fc and go straight to rx or bec? Is this correct or am I looking down the wrong road?

 

[LitterBug]

I'm getting tired of fighting the interference with my aio analog vtx. It's designed to plug into an rx. It's flyable when plugged into my er5. Recently I plugged it into my Aura board (my er6 pwm ports don't work) and it's unflyable for the interference. I'm guessing were you plug the vtx into makes a difference? So, I'm wondering about getting another digital vtx combo like the Avatar mini 1s. The thing is, I don't have a flight controller in this plane and don't really want to put one in. It seems I should be able to solder a servo or bec type connector onto the vtx and bypass need for an fc and go straight to rx or bec? Is this correct or am I looking down the wrong road?

You can use the Avatar VTXes without a FC with limited OSD Data. You have to arm the link from the goggle menu rather than the FC.

 

[toryander]

Any of you Stratosurfer people deal with this. My motor is tightly screwed to its mount, but the mount, which is slipped into a slot and screwed there with one screw, has loosened. I've been on many flights, but noticed recently that the propeller is striking the fuselage due to the looseness. The screw is tight. Any engineering tips to fix this. I put in some foam board spacers to keep the motor from drooping, but then it occurred t me that the rotating motor might have a friction/heat problem (the spacers aren't tight, but they are lightly touching). I'll ground test as soon as I can get out. First photo you can see the clipped props and the fuselage gouge. Second picture shows my dubious solution.

 

[LitterBug]

I have one power pod that the motor/mount will not come out. I think I used glue. 🤣. But I don't recall having a prop strike the boom before. What size prop are you using?? I don't venture above 6".

Barely a scratch on my original in the front.... Nothing in the back. I'd make a new pod for it.... except they are out...

STRIX StratoSurfer - Replacement Motor Pod - www.readymaderc.com

The best quality First Person View equipment. Free or discounted shipping on all orders.Drone Racing, RC Airplanes, FPV Cameras, FPV Goggles, Video Transmitters, RC Quads, Drone Antennas, Lipo Batteries, and Ground Station Equipment.All available for amateurs, schools, hobbyists, government, and...

www.readymaderc.com

I probably glued the internal plastic piece too well when building the new pod for my original after it did a failsafe on launch

 

[toryander]

I have one power pod that the motor/mount will not come out. I think I used glue. 🤣. But I don't recall having a prop strike the boom before. What size prop are you using?? I don't venture above 6".

View attachment 260127
Barely a scratch on my original in the front.... Nothing in the back. I'd make a new pod for it.... except they are out...

STRIX StratoSurfer - Replacement Motor Pod - www.readymaderc.com

The best quality First Person View equipment. Free or discounted shipping on all orders.Drone Racing, RC Airplanes, FPV Cameras, FPV Goggles, Video Transmitters, RC Quads, Drone Antennas, Lipo Batteries, and Ground Station Equipment.All available for amateurs, schools, hobbyists, government, and...

www.readymaderc.com

I probably glued the internal plastic piece too well when building the new pod for my original after it did a failsafe on launch

Thanks for the ideas. I'll try some glue again. I think I tried it once, but I didn't get the job done right. I didn't think of a replacement motor pod. Of course it's out of stock , but I'll get it on the list. I'm in the process of buying the Crossfire Nano Module, the Crossfire Diversity pro rx, and the Avatar GT2 Kit. . I guess I'll need a larger battery, too. I want to be able to go a few more miles. I just need to get the Stratosurfer airworthy again. Thanks again for your suggestions. (I hope you had a great time at FliteFest.)

 

[toryander]

I had a horrible fpv flight this morning with my stratosurfer. It was my Avatar Mini 1s Lite that gave me problems. First, I selected a channel, just before arming and launching. Yet, soon after launch it's back to the public channel telling me to select a channel. Why? Then, the range was abysmal. I was on 350 mw (tried 500mw later). I was within half a mile (I've flown over a mile away before) and I was losing signal. My screen went black and when it came back I was spiraling toward the ground. I caught it and stabilized. I headed home and lost video again. After a few seconds I hit RTH and took off my goggles. There was no sign of my Strato. Dang, just before my crossfire tx/rx and my Avatar GT2 arrive I lose my outfit. As I headed to my truck to begin a search (which way? how far? hopeless) I heard the tell-tale sound of whining up in the sky. I look up and way up there is my Strato circling. Techonology had come through! I safely brought him down and landed him los. Dang, what an experience. I wonder what's up with my VTX?

 

[LitterBug]

What walksnail firmware version are you running on your gear? The newest version can do channel hopping if you have interference in flight. Did you have any errors or warnings on the screen about heat or range? Does it work ok after restarting everything?

 

[toryander]

What walksnail firmware version are you running on your gear? The newest version can do channel hopping if you have interference in flight. Did you have any errors or warnings on the screen about heat or range? Does it work ok after restarting everything?

I'm using 39.44.18. That appears to be the latest. I had to reattach the vtx yesterday. I wonder if my velcro strap underneath the mount is messing with airflow on the back side of the chip. I didn't notice any overheat messages, but I'm going back to look at the video now. I'll give it another try tomorrow with a shorter flight path and see if restarting will have an effect.

 

[LitterBug]

I made sure there is airflow around the VTX. I 3d printed a riser that makes sure there is airflow below and have plenty of space between the camera and VTX. The GT2 having a fan helps a bunch. I have a few fans that I will be able to use with future mount setups like the moonlight to keep things cool when not in motion.

 

[LitterBug]

Any of you Stratosurfer people deal with this. My motor is tightly screwed to its mount, but the mount, which is slipped into a slot and screwed there with one screw, has loosened. I've been on many flights, but noticed recently that the propeller is striking the fuselage due to the looseness. The screw is tight. Any engineering tips to fix this. I put in some foam board spacers to keep the motor from drooping, but then it occurred t me that the rotating motor might have a friction/heat problem (the spacers aren't tight, but they are lightly touching). I'll ground test as soon as I can get out. First photo you can see the clipped props and the fuselage gouge. Second picture shows my dubious solution.

FYI they DO have the power pod in stock...

STRIX StratoSurfer - Replacement Motor Pod Only - RMRC

The best quality First Person View equipment. Free or discounted shipping on all orders.Drone Racing, RC Airplanes, FPV Cameras, FPV Goggles, Video Transmitters, RC Quads, Drone Antennas, Lipo Batteries, and Ground Station Equipment.All available for amateurs, schools, hobbyists, government, and...

www.readymaderc.com

 

[toryander]

FYI they DO have the power pod in stock...

STRIX StratoSurfer - Replacement Motor Pod Only - RMRC

The best quality First Person View equipment. Free or discounted shipping on all orders.Drone Racing, RC Airplanes, FPV Cameras, FPV Goggles, Video Transmitters, RC Quads, Drone Antennas, Lipo Batteries, and Ground Station Equipment.All available for amateurs, schools, hobbyists, government, and...

www.readymaderc.com

Thanks for this I ended up pulling the motor (the entire mount came with it) out of the pod. Then I glued it back in. It's solid now and working well in the sky. But I'll be cutting it out when it needs to be replaced. I'll need the motor mount and pod.