The good thing is that the TX setup is about as simple as it gets. Configure as a normal aircraft (one channel output each for pitch, roll, yaw and throttle), set all throws to 120% each direction, put some expo around the centre of the throttle curve and you're done. The Arduino takes care of everything else, and is programmable through the laptop on a single GUI screen with mouse only inputs.

With this simple Rx/Tx arrangement, it will be interesting to see if/when someone puts an autopilot on an NC equipped tri with a yaw input, and elevation sensor to control the throttle for altitude hold, for RTH ability. Now that would be cool! : turn off the TX and wait for that three-prop buzz approach to a hover overhead.

Roger

BTW mine is 800g RTF

Arduino is my next step for sure. I've been flying my Tricopter FPV for a while now, and I'm not sure the gyros are giving me what I want in terms of handling. I'm really looking forward to it!

s

Justin C....72mhz is not a common r/c freq in this part of the world...will be very hard to find a tx/rx set up.

kx315....I run 36 mhz on all my fpc r/c gear.....rock solid signal....distance is better than 2.4gig.....no harmonic's as Mongrel has recently mentioned.
If......if I do any fpv at the local club......no one bothers me on 36 mhz...they are all on 2.4 gig....beauuutifull....except if I operate my vtx Fat Shark 2.4....then I turn up really early ,when no one is around ,and operate the tricopter or easy*.

spitfire-Doug....I fly Mongrels (trilogy) tricopter with a 4,500 lipo with great power climbs etc ...fpv....and so far coming down at 18 minutes to land with power to spare.....extra weight shortens flight times and drains power quickly.
I will test weight on my tri...let you know.

Took some photo's of the area where I want to test out my twin radian endurance fpv model......she's ready for first test flight ...before fpv gear is installed.
The photo's tell the story.
....Pete

Originally Posted by Aussie Pete

spitfire-Doug....I fly Mongrels (trilogy) tricopter with a 4,500 lipo with great power climbs etc ...fpv....and so far coming down at 18 minutes to land with power to spare.....extra weight shortens flight times and drains power quickly.
I will test weight on my tri...let you know.

Cool info Pete, I also have a signguy tricopter I built myself that would fly for about 8min on a 2550mah 3s. I'm going to mount the booms of my tricopter back in the mill and machine slots down their length. This should lower its TOW a lot.

Regards

Doug

Doug

As an interim step, I would recommend replacing the arms with pine of near/saem size as a quick test. I have found wood arms to be excellent for lowering the weight of Tricopters. Very cheap, robust, easily replaceable, and absorbs vibrations from the motors/props. Not much on an investment to try it out.

Cheers

Roger.

[QUOTE=Aussie Pete;

kx315....I run 36 mhz on all my fpc r/c gear.....rock solid signal....distance is better than 2.4gig.....no harmonic's as Mongrel has recently mentioned.
If......if I do any fpv at the local club......no one bothers me on 36 mhz...they are all on 2.4 gig....beauuutifull....except if I operate my vtx Fat Shark 2.4....then I turn up really early ,when no one is around ,and operate the tricopter or easy*. ....Pete[/QUOTE]

Thanks Pete for the info unfortunately all of my gear is 2.4 gig and I don't really want to be changing radios so my only options are to go a 5.8 gig or 900mhz system.

Cheers Hutchy

Originally Posted by kx315

Thanks Pete for the info unfortunately all of my gear is 2.4 gig and I don't really want to be changing radios so my only options are to go a 5.8 gig or 900mhz system.

Cheers Hutchy

900MHz is not good here in AUS because it is used be mobile phones and some other stuff I think.

I have some 5.8GHz gear (200mw transmitter, receiver, patch antenna) that I don't need anymore. PM me if you are interested.

Originally Posted by stergiopilus

900MHz is not good here in AUS because it is used be mobile phones and some other stuff I think.

Just so we're 100% correct, Ch2 on the 900mhz TX is 980mhz which is out of the ISM band, mobile phone towers and phones themselves will not interfere. Ch4 is 1080 and very close to what the air traffic use - big no no!!

Higher power 500mw++ 900mhz are great but very noisy in the plane and can cause EMI issues if not careful.

It's worthwhile doing some testing with your 900mhz gear. I had a black out the other day while I was flying my mini swift..... Everything was fine and then my phone started ringing causing my video to black out! scared the s!&t out of me; luckily I was flying straight and level and not too far away or it could of been much worse!

Originally Posted by stergiopilus

900MHz is not good here in AUS because it is used be mobile phones and some other stuff I think.

I have some 5.8GHz gear (200mw transmitter, receiver, patch antenna) that I don't need anymore. PM me if you are interested.

I've also got a 5.8ghz 100mw fatshark transmitter that I want to get rid of so I can concentrate on 900mhz.

Originally Posted by Kahnx

The good thing is that the TX setup is about as simple as it gets. Configure as a normal aircraft (one channel output each for pitch, roll, yaw and throttle), set all throws to 120% each direction, put some expo around the centre of the throttle curve and you're done. The Arduino takes care of everything else, and is programmable through the laptop on a single GUI screen with mouse only inputs.

With this simple Rx/Tx arrangement, it will be interesting to see if/when someone puts an autopilot on an NC equipped tri with a yaw input, and elevation sensor to control the throttle for altitude hold, for RTH ability. Now that would be cool! : turn off the TX and wait for that three-prop buzz approach to a hover overhead.

Roger

BTW mine is 800g RTF

Right!! Sounds like something I could do.

Would it be too much to ask to share exactly what you bought? As in what we would need to get to build one?

Cheers
Mongrel

Have a read through this thread Mong this is the set up I was going with until I got lazy when I found the X450 should have what your looking for!!

Cheers Hutchy

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1386612

Originally Posted by jhsg

It's worthwhile doing some testing with your 900mhz gear. I had a black out the other day while I was flying my mini swift..... Everything was fine and then my phone started ringing causing my video to black out! scared the s!&t out of me; luckily I was flying straight and level and not too far away or it could of been much worse!

I had exactly the same experience with a phone in my pocket that blacked me out for 25 sec until it went to voice mail.
I later took to switching off my phone but could still tell when a phone was nearby as the familiar dit dah dah dit dit tones would come through. I went to 2.4/500 video and all good now. I have so far been out to 4.5km with excellent video and soon hope to double this.

Originally Posted by subsonic

Just so we're 100% correct, Ch2 on the 900mhz TX is 980mhz which is out of the ISM band, mobile phone towers and phones themselves will not interfere. Ch4 is 1080 and very close to what the air traffic use - big no no!!

Thanks for that info. I have been reading many many forums trying to find out where 900mhz fits in here in Australia. I have a 2.4Ghz rc with my easystar and want to take the next step and try a bit of FPV but I dont want to fork out for a new rc just yet. So I have been tossing up between 5.8Ghz and 900Mhz. I am leaning towards giving 900Mhz a try first now. Thank you

Originally Posted by packo88

Thanks for that info. I have been reading many many forums trying to find out where 900mhz fits in here in Australia. I have a 2.4Ghz rc with my easystar and want to take the next step and try a bit of FPV but I dont want to fork out for a new rc just yet. So I have been tossing up between 5.8Ghz and 900Mhz. I am leaning towards giving 900Mhz a try first now. Thank you

Yeah mate, 900mhz is the go in my opinion. 2.4 seems to be the most popular amongst the guys overseas but, as you mentioned, it will cause interference with spectrum and other 2.4 gear.

I'm sticking with 900mhz for the foreseeable future as apart from the mobile phone issue it's been flawless for me.