Few Laps Around the Lawn

Just flew the Xcopter around the dimly lit lawn by the house Christmas lights... AWESOME!!!  Making progress on this little project... I just need that 3 cell 11.1v battery now.  It's been a frustrating project but at some point this thing is going to scream through the air!

That lagging no. 4 motor ended up being a loose set screw on the motor shaft.  Tightened it up and that seemed to have fixed most of my problems.  JUST NEED THAT BATTERY! hurry up UPS man!

Still Having Issues With Flight

I have not been able to truly fly this Xcopter yet.  I have hovered it a few times in the garage and that is about as close as I have gotten to really flying this thing.  I'm having a heck of a time getting my rudder input to work correctly.  I think I have a combination of a few issues.

1. I don't think my ESC's are programmed correctly.

2. My 7.4v 2 cell lipo battery is not cutting it.

3. I'm unsure my Yaw gyro is set to the correct direction and my rudder has to be reversed on my Spektrum radio, so it arms in the opposite direction of the KK setup instructions.

I ordered a 3cell 2200ma 11.1v battery from hobbypartz.com.

I also just ebayed a Turnigy ESC program card.  Maybe that will aid me to getting all the ESC settings correct.

I have also been experimenting with several firmwares for the KKmulticontroller blackboard,  mine has a Atmel 168PA chip.

I'm running the "X" 2.0 version found here  http://www.kkmulticopter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=170:xxcontroller-kr-version-minsoo-kim-mod&catid=58:firmware-downloads&Itemid=65

That is the only firmware that I have been able to get the bird to hover with, and use the term hover lightly.  It is more like a mad scramble to keep it from flipping or crashing into a wall.  I'm very frustrated with this project at this point.  So I'm just going to put it away for a week while my stuff shows up.

I also have a slow motor, my  #4 motor seems to lag behind.

Vibration fixed

Well I went through the entire KKmulticopter board setup.  This site is the best I could find for setup instructions.  http://rcexplorer.se/Educational/kkguide/kkguide/quadx.html

You MUST follow those instructions or it will never get off the ground.

I did have to re-flash the Xcopter firmware a couple of times before I finally got it loaded correctly.
After that hurdle I followed those instructions above and after realizing that my Roll Gyro was reversed and my Rudder Gyro was reversed, I started to make serious progress to getting it airborne.  I also found that my rudder setting has to be reversed in my Spektrum DX6i transmitter.  So with all the bugs worked out its gonna fly right? NO! not the case.  I had a severe vibration in a couple of the motors.  The motor mounts we had fab'd were the issue.  They were bending inward under load and vibrating the hell out of the heli.  So I took them off and bolted the motors directly to the frame, fixed!  After that... the Xcopter leaped of the concrete!  See the videos.

Vibration solved http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeYe_17Q24I

First flight it ain't pretty let me warn you, I have a lot of adjusting to do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3my3TkI2W5M

More Build Pictures

Video of build so far http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIRHbuFDk40

 There it is all assembled.  I just need to refine the motor mounts.

After spending yesterday in the machine shop I really did not have much left to find for parts.  All I needed were the bullet connectors for the speed controllers.  I ened up using Eflite 3.5mm connectors I found at the local Hobbytown.  They were the cheapest I could find local at $2.99 a bag X 4.

While I was looking for the bullet connectors I found these Trex 600 skids.  I just had to have them.  I almost bought the smaller set for a 450.... The 600's were a good choice, nice and wide, super tough. I think they will work out great.

I still need a little refinement.  Like those bolts sticking out of the top.  they wil be replaced with stainless socket-heads once I find the correct length.

A close up of the Trex 600 skids

Build Day

I thought I'd post some pics from today.  I drove up to Union Gap, WA where a friend of mine works.  He did all the work to machine the frames out.  The shop he works in was very impressive, about the size of a Home Depot.  Anyways take a look at the progress.

Mock Up

Progress on the Frames.

Build Idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNNec-IJR_w

Hobbyking Parts Arrive! 18 days later....

Weill it took about 18 days to get my order from www.hobbyking.com  
My friend also got his multirotor controller today from hobbyking.  Looks as if he will start cutting the frames tomorrow.  His boss asked him once again about the project.  He wants to see theses birds fly.


video to the un-boxing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOH8HnYB5j0

Spektrum DX6i showed up today.

The Purple Santa dropped off my radio today, a Spektrum DX6i,  I must add that it is the nicest radio that I have ever owned.  I can't wait to give it a try after the quadcopter build!


link to the un-boxing youtube video.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1z58I3IJ58

Quadcopter plans

This is the frame we are going to try and copy.


The center of the frame that connects the square tube, the arms, is what we plan to copy.  It wont be metal, we are planning on using Lexan or an other type of poly.  We might fabricate similar looking landing skids but won't fabricate the "dome."  We don't plan on making the motor mounts either, as the motors will be bolted directly to the arms.

KK multicopter board firmware uploading

It was easy after I figured out what I was doing.. but getting to that point was hard.. if that makes any sense.. I used a uploader that was written for a mac found here.  There are windows versions of the uploader, it is just that the Mac does not need the drivers, the beauty of a mac.  

http://lazyzero.de/

KK flash tool http://lazyzero.de/en/modellbau/kkmulticopterflashtool

video on uploading the firmware.  I did it exactly like that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhwIkf1620E

found the firmware downloads here

http://www.kkmulticopter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=58:firmware-downloads&Itemid=65&layout=default

I uploaded this X configuration

http://www.kkmulticopter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135:kkxcopter-10-quad-firmware&catid=58:firmware-downloads&Itemid=65

I loaded the one called KKXcopter 1.1

So we will see if I did it correctly when I get the board installed on the frame and we see it fly!

Things to bookmark

http://www.kkmulticopter.com/

http://lazyzero.de/

KK Board showed up today!

un-boxing video
click link for YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeLy-EvACuM

Spektrum

I pulled the trigger on a Spektrum DX6i last night.  I hope it is as good as people say.

Quadcopter Build Thread

I got a hankering to build something, and I like things that fly.  So here is my build thread for my quadcopter.

Parts that I ordered from www.hobbyking.com

4-1100kv Turnigy brushless motors

4-25-30a Hobbyking electric speed controllers

1-Orange Spektrum copy receiver 

1-2200ma Lipo battery

10-9"x5 propellers 5 CW rotating and 5 CCW rotating

Parts that I found on Ebay
1-KK multirotor controller (ebay purchase)

Components that I need to purchase
I plan on using a Spektrum Dx6i transmitter.

I have not decided on a charger yet.  


The frame will be custom fabricated by a local machine shop.  1/2" alum. sq tubing and custom designed Lexan main body and landing skids.


I'm going to try and make one similar to this design.
link to video http://vimeo.com/30029184