Originally Posted by CrashMeUp

Here's some of my UMs for comparison.
The Strykers have a lot of flights so they're a little taped up

Stryker1:
TX on top of ESC, small antenna, battery goes at the rear, CG is good.

Stryker2:
TX on top of the ESC, big antenna, this causes lines from the ESC interferences, so the TX is fully shielded by hand (this removes the lines perfectly). This is done by wrapping it into aluminum rolls (wrap both top AND bottom)
Battery is at the same location as Stryker1. Cg is also perfect.
I lost the canopy during a windy day, and the nano cam needs some cover otherwise the sun gets in the back of the sensor, hence the extra tape ;-)

Slightly off topic - Hand made wing:

As I am now flying the Stryker with a HD camera onboard, while my CG is proper and it flies decently, its not easy to install and not very aerodynamic. Thus I designed a new wing.

It currently has a rought KFM2 profile and runs off 1S, not 2S. Note how much counter weight I have in the nose :-)
It flies well, but a tad slow. I expect that with a 2S it'll be almost as fast as the stryker - and it can carry the HD cam without a single issue.
I might CNC cut it with a real profile later on. In fact, I'm thinking about finding some guys to sell it premade (with micro HD fpv gear) and distribute free plans, or whatever works. I find it really cool for starting FPV, and its cheap and flies anywhere too.
It's about the size of the stryker, slightly wider, slightly smaller,and of course cannot do boomerangs. Oh yeah, the 2 onboard servos are there to experiment head tracking (pan only). I need a real good mechanism that wont break tho.

No offence Crash but it's nice to see my stryker looking pristine in comparison, even though the nose has broken off in 3 different places!

Off topic but I'd really like to see a dedicated micro FPV thread, question is, which forum? Here, or Indoor or the general FPV forum?

I'm leaning towards the Indoor&micro forum and in fact started a thread about a year ago but my life's been turned upside down recently, lots of questions ("what do you mean 'I'm pregnant'", "what do you mean, go to the hospital now?" and "what do you mean it'll be years?". So confused..).

I too have been toying with thoughts of a flying wing with KF profile, but first I'll have to finish converting an Silverlit Airlifter to PZ Mosquito guts. That airframe is stable as heck and handles wind very well, and it's EPP. Slow, steady and well nigh indestructible.

In other news I flew my Stryker in a 5 m/s breeze with gusts (10 mph+) and barely noticed the wind, except that going downwind at full throttle was extra fun!

Stryker:

oh the tape is mostly only due to crashes, i mean, you can build it with proper aerodynamics *and* look good !
your stryker has cuts for the camera and the wires too, its not pristine. but it looks new. mines flying every day for a couple of month (the motor is a bit weak on one now). it broke in half a couple of times - mostly due to things like "so there was fence here ?!".

Anyhow, you'll see by flying if you're ok with the placement of the gear, those were just my tips from experimenting with it, to each their own

micro-fpv:
i've no idea where to put micro fpv either, i put it either in micro, either in fpv depending if the thread exists (i tend to put in fpv if i create it)
i remember your thread actually, and veteran's stuff too. i started around 2009 but it didn't gain much traction. back then i had to use airwave and disassemble cameras to get something ~5gr that micros could carry. now with Adnan's and flytron's gear its pretty easy and better quality. with the cloverleaf its even better btw. the video signal is really really good.

wing:
my wing is in some kind of depron for prototyping but yeah, if i cnc cut it, i want it to be EPP. FPV = lot of crashes over time when you fly low and fast, and that's what micros are for IMO!
Pretty sure in EPP the wing would bounce and fly again almost every time. Even my depron wing can take crashes that destroy my stryker (*cough* just back from a test flight *cough*)

bonus:
congrats on the new guy in the familly (or upcoming if thats the case)

I was just about to go the FPV route myself after looking over the few micro FPV threads there are, probably going with the gear from fpvhobby.com - $120 isnt too bad. A new updated thread might be worth while. Where to put it is a good questions, since its micro-oriented, I'd say here or Micro & Indoor. CrashMeUp, where did you get your gear?

Nick

- video tx: http://fpvhobby.com/93-200mw-58ghz-a-v-transmitter.html
- wide angle: http://fpvhobby.com/39-8mm-lens.html
- camera: http://fpvhobby.com/26-3-grams-cmos-pal-camera.html (the nano aint really worth the difference, its lighter and square but i prefer the picture from the cheap one - that said, u can go nano too)
- video rx: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbycity/s...Receiver_.html
- wiring: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbycity/s...dProduct=11849 (or enameled wire if you have some around, its just as good and even cheaper)

finally for the antennas, you can either make your own using ibcrazy's plans, or get them premade from that guy http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?u=318034 (if he's still selling/making, i hope he wont mind me putting the link)
hes making them with the RP-SMA connector the above RX uses (everyone else sells with SMA which isn't compatible)

when you wire the camera and the vtx, put a drop of hotglue on the wires/soldering point. its easy to remove, and will prevent breaking the solder pads and/or the connection to break on crash or/and vibration (it happens a lot otherwise). Make sure your camera is well fixed to the plane as well (personally, i either glue it with epoxy, either glue (epoxy) it to a small cube of EPP and velcro it when i want it removable)

Cheers CrashMeUp
Do the micro cams take a 12mm threaded lens ?, I'm sure my 1g cam has a smaller thread than that

I fitted the VTX off to one side as my left wing was heavier than the right (very odd I know), I checked the lateral balance using a watchmakers screwdriver on the nose and another on the prop screw, didn't think my 250mah 1s would fit in the fuse anywhere

the micro cams work just fine with the wide angle
they all screw on perfectly
i have one old micro cam where you see a bit of black halo around the borders with it, but one the new ones its perfect (just as on the nano, which i also have)
might just be that the old micro cam was an unlucky one. i still fly with it, the halo is small.

i can probably take pics of a vid if you need some kind of proof (i would understand)

anyhow, on the strykers i fly with 350mah 2S batts, and they last about 15min. i have a 160mah 1S for the video, and it lasts longer than that. So i'd say, you can go with a smaller 1S battery, in fact, flying on 200mah 2S, you most likely can have the video on 100mah or less.

in the end, its up to you, all configurations will fly as long as the cg is ok, but some fly better than others.

for me, the worse was HD cam + FPV cam, while it still flies OK, it doesnt really go vertical, and the take off is a little sporty. Also, the hd cam sticks out too much imo. That's why I made my own wing.

Going to test it "full fpv" tomorrow is weather permits. I guess if that works out ill make its own thread to avoid going off topic.

Regardless, the Strykers are awesome for FPV, without the HD cam they're these most fun i had on micro yet. In fact, also without FPV

Thanks for the info Crash, that looks about the same setup as I was aiming for as well. It'll have to be two part order for me though, the goggles are still pretty pricey, but I imagine well worth it.

Picked up a um stryker today and almost destroyed it trying to launch it. Maybe I'm just not quick enough. Don't think I will have any problem flying it if I can ever figure out how to get it in the air. I always fly over grass and hand launch, but under power. I launch with left hand with right hand on controls and don't have a bit of trouble. But tried this one that way and piled it in before I could get to the throttle. Tried launching right handed, but couldn't get to the controls quick enough to save it from a roll/turn to the left and piled in.

Is there a trick? or do you just have to be faster than this old man is?

Originally Posted by bobly

Is there a trick? or do you just have to be faster than this old man is?

Sorry to hear about the problems, make sure you're throwing it with the wings level with the nose up a bit. If that fails try the power-off overhead toss using the finger slots. Make sure you're launching it straight into the wind too, I've noticed that if there's a bit of wind and it's launched at an angle to it that can make it roll before it gets on step. Good luck!

How do you launch it - right hand with left on throttle or left hand with right on controls? - Over hand or hold by wing? How much throttle?

Originally Posted by bobly

How do you launch it - right hand with left on throttle or left hand with right on controls? - Over hand or hold by wing? How much throttle?

I launch mine with my right hand under power. It's kind of a chicken and egg thing. Once you get it trimmed it stays straight and climbing after an upward launch. But it's kinda hard to trim it out if you can't get it in the air.

Originally Posted by bobly

How do you launch it - right hand with left on throttle or left hand with right on controls? - Over hand or hold by wing? How much throttle?

bobly,

RG's vid shows it pretty well...
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=2259

Using TX neckstrap.
Left hand hold on wing.
Power up.
Nose up toss with right hand on the stick.
Becomes super easy.


rc

Originally Posted by RCBABBEL

bobly,

RG's vid shows it pretty well...
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showp...postcount=2259

Using TX neckstrap.
Left hand hold on wing.
Power up.
Nose up toss with right hand on the stick.
Becomes super easy.


rc

Kind of hard to see, but I understand that method. I had no trouble using the finger holes launch. I launch with right hand and still have left on tx. I quickly grab tx with right. I am pretty bad left handed lol.


J

Originally Posted by SilentPilot

G'day Sport!

You need to reverse the Elevator channel not Aileron, you are correct to go in an swap the servo wires for the DX6i but I'm sure you have reversed the wrong one...

Thanks mate in the end it is the ailerons that need reversing I just had the wrong leads reversed on the reciever. Can't wait for the wind to die down for the maiden!

Yeah, me too - still not maidened it due to wind!!

I'm off to my gliding club today so I'll put it in the car and see if conditions calm down enough...