FPV Anybody?

[Rich 26]

Is anybody else here interested in FPV flying at all?

 

I'm about to start the build of my FPV Groundstation, so just wondering if any of you guys have any interest in FPV, or am I the only one?

[Jimbo 0]

Sounds interesting Richard.

Why dont you make it the subject of an article or 2 for the newsletter?

Tell us what you doing then?

[Rich 26]

Hiya Jim, hope all is well in jimland?

 

I'm about to embark on the start of building my FPV groundstation, and the final components are due to arrive in the next few days/weeks if the US postal service is anything to be believed...

 

I will be documenting the entire procedure too, as its a fairly complicated one, that seems to take a lot of understanding, which I've been reading about for the last 12 months, but wanted to know if I was alone in this venture or if others have any interest in doing FPV flying?

[Jimbo 0]

I'm sure people will be interested. Tellus what youve ordered and how it all works?

[Gerard 10]

Rich,

 

I'd certainly be interested in seeing a working installation and learning how it all works.

 

Not sure about buying all the kit though.

[Rich 26]

Hey Jim / Gerard

 

Are you meaning tell you here, in this thread, or in some sort of official capacity, like in the newsletter / club night sort of thing?

 

Here is an example of what I'm aiming for:

 

I've exchanged several emails/messages with TimNilson, who has been very helpful

 

Heres an example snippet of what my current kit is capable of in a more messy setup:

 

I was talking to Rob @ Avicraft today about having custom perspex laser cut, but need to make a few prototypes probably from Balsa first, to test fit and measure stuff without wasting laser cutting, especially as the balsa is easy to cut/shape and glue in minutes, whicih I can then take measurements from...

 

My original FPV Cam/transmitter and receiver and patch antenna is now on ebay because its all 900mHz "DOH", so cant use that and have ordered 2 x 5.8gHz receivers, and 5.8gHz patch antenna..

[Jimbo 0]

I was just thinking of you telling us how its going and what youre doing out of interest Richard.

If you want to write it as an article for the newsletter, then even better as everyone will get to read it then.

The only official bit would be to make sure that any and all rules were followed, especially where safety is concerned, but I expect you've looked into all that. Even that side of it would make interesting readin if you'd care to share what youve learned. I for one know diddly-squat about the subject

[electronshed 0]

Sounds very interesting Richard,

 

Be good to see how you progress with it,

 

In fact it is more than interesting, As now it is becoming a part of rc flying so much so, That some B test questions can now include FPV safety rules in the uk,

 

So it is something we need to know about,

 

Steve,,,

[Rich 26]

Blimey, I didnt think for a minute anybody would be interested at all...

Thought I would wind up being the FPV nut-job that bores everybody with it lol...

 

Hard to know where or what to start with? I'll see what I can put together...

 

I have been reading up on the reg's regarding flying FPV too, and know it "officially" requires a buddy box and spotter, I think, I just dont have a buddy box anymore...

[Bravedan 106]

Start here:-

 

http://www.fpvuk.org/fpv-law/

[Rich 26]

Start here:-

 

http://www.fpvuk.org/fpv-law/

I know that, you joker, already seen that, I meant knowing where to starting in the "Show and tell" sense...

[electronshed 0]

Ha Ha Ha,

 

If you read that lot, you will finish up with an airline pilots licence,

 

Never mind about FPV,,,

 

Steve,,,

[Gerard 10]

Rich,

 

If you set it up on the Spektrum I can loan you a spare JR Tx I have which I used as a buddy box to learn with.

[Rich 26]

Thanks Gerard, but one of the reasons I went with Futaba in the first place was due to being able to use the trainer port for head tracking, which as far as I know, still is not possible with Spek/JR gear, from what I can tell....

[Peter Royall 47]

whats FPV stand for please?

[Trevor 25]

Pete, It is First Person View. A pilot wears video goggles and the plane has a front facing video camera. The pilot flies the plane via a projected view from the camera as if they were on board.

[Rich 26]

whats FPV stand for please?

Hiya Peter

 

It means "first person view"

Camera in the driving seat, fly by video

 

Have a look on YouTube for "fpv flight" for example and you will see what it looks like

[Nutz 0]

Pete the BMFA requirement is that the FPV pilot is on a buddy (slave) with a competent pilot on a master,

 

Some FPV have movable cameras so when you move your head the camera moves, normally the they are 2 RX and TXs, 1 being the flight system the other the video.

 

I have been playing around with this today

 

http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

 

The whole system is quite interesting especially the dedicated TX with its built in telemetry

 

Not mine but a guy that is looking for pilots.

[Rich 26]

I have been playing around with this today

 

http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

 

The whole system is quite interesting especially the dedicated TX with its built in telemetry

 

Not mine but a guy that is looking for pilots.

Wow, that looks mental, did you get to fly it?

[Bravedan 106]

Pete the BMFA requirement is that the FPV pilot is on a buddy (slave) with a competent pilot on a master,

 

Some FPV have movable cameras so when you move your head the camera moves, normally the they are 2 RX and TXs, 1 being the flight system the other the video.

 

I have been playing around with this today

 

http://www.draganfly.com/uav-helicopter/draganflyer-x6/

 

The whole system is quite interesting especially the dedicated TX with its built in telemetry

 

Not mine but a guy that is looking for pilots.

 

Yes, has to be the way to travel, tri or quad copters cry out for FPV. Looks a good setup basically. However, I do wish website writers/manufacturers would read their own blurb as simple errors and extravagant claims do tend to falsify and denigrate their own position:-

 

"Six Rotor Configuration The 6-rotor design provides double the thrust while leaving a smaller footprint than our equivalent sized 4-rotor helicopters. Able to tolerate loss of 1 engine... and land."

 

What they show doesn't seem to have a single "engine" fitted to it, and with contra rotating paired fixed pitch blades on each of the three pods you would not get double the total thrust over single, nothing like. (Still basically a good idea though!)

 

The BMFA requirement is based on the Air Navigation Order, Section 166, Para 3, which of course is what we all operate our models under and are therefore fully familiar with ( ) viz:-

 

"The person in charge of a small unmanned aircraft must maintain direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft sufficient to monitor its flight path in relation to other aircraft, persons, vehicles, vessels and structures for the purpose of avoiding collisions."

 

FPVUK.ORG have clearly gone for the "lure people in" approach since their own website header shows a single headset equipped pilot and a MPX Funjet with a camera on it. That's a bit like a Driving School having a picture of a Formula One car with driver. I'm NOT saying FPV is bad, I'm quite attracted, but I do worry about the basic approach being followed considering the potential for adverse public/authority reaction. It's the way you tell it..............and WHO you attract.

 

The increasingly numerous public domain videos of "cross country", "round the skyscrapers" and "down the high street" type are NOT helping ANY of us, FPV flyers or not.

 

Been watching FPV develop for ages, and no doubt will do it at some point, if the irresponsible few haven't managed to kill it.

[Rich 26]

Hey Dave

 

Thats one of the reasons I picked a system that can return the model back to where it was launched from if radio signal is lost or TX switched off, for fear of loosing the model, and doing some damage to something, then having to try getting the model back and explaining what happened...

 

That would really suck.

 

The other sucky thing is, having to fly my own model, using a crummy buddy box and not my nice Tx

[Lofty 5]

Not mine but a guy that is looking for pilots

 

Yes please

[alan 0]

Richard,

if it sucks don't do it. If you don't want it to suck, buy a nice tx as a buddy box; I presume that you are are already spending lots on this project. Also, are you suggesting that you have a system that will actually fly your plane autonomously back to the patch if you lose control?

On a different note, I interpret article 166 (1) ANO as saying it is ok to drop an animal without a parachute from a small unmanned plane providing you don't drop it on people or buildings!

Alan

ps, I posted a link on our noticeboard to a Draganflyer video some time ago.

Mistake - it wasn't a draganflyer it was a hexacopter.

Edited August 29, 2011 by Guest

[Rich 26]

Hi Alan

 

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, not to do it the "Suckie way", will see what comes up on ebay, maybe a cheaper 10GC with a module in the back, one of the older ones....

 

Essentially, yes, FPV can get expensive, and if I had to add-up what it has cost so far, with nothing built and ready to fly, it would probably end in divorce lol..

 

The system I'm using, yes, it will return the model back to the area it started in if I loose signal on the RC gear, or if I switch the Tx off, it remembers the GPS co-ordinates of where it started its journey and will return back to where it started and circle at a pre-defined height, or until it is back in range of your transmitter..

 

Not sure about dropping an animal though, would have to be a small one, otherwise take-off would be impossible, but if its a really furry one, might bounce

[PaulC 0]

what happened with this project Richard, did you get it going ?

 

Just looking at an Autopilot module using the processors I program for clocks etc.

 

Paul