I posted some new video. That'll probably be it until I get some footage from different flying sites. I'm satisfied with the stability of the system, and now I can take it to some different locations.
http://www.geocities.com/docphi12/Flight_Video.html

looks like you've been busted by the BandWidth Police.....

Alan W

Great videos, although I couldn't view "rolls" because of "bandwidth exceeded" notification from Yahoo. Everything seems to be working perfectly.
Now the questions:
How's your range?
How do you catch the model and make is look so easy?
What model are you catching?
What's the AUW weight?
Somehow I can't see me catching my Twinstar without risking a head injury.

Hopefully I'll get to the Rhinebeck meet this weekend to get video from there. That'll be interesting since it's a great meet. http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/

[This message has been edited by Danny Troy (edited 09-05-2001).]

Aarrgghhh!! Stupid bandwidth police. Anyone know a site that doesn't hassle you?

Danny, I haven't tested the range yet. Manufacturer states power output is 75mw. The model I'm catching is the one on the web page. AUW is 24 ounces. That includes the video setup and an 8x500AR battery pack. Looking forward to the Rhinebeck meet videos.


[This message has been edited by docphi (edited 09-06-2001).]

Nicely done! It looks like that polaris transmitter is really doing the trick.

Might have to pick one up myself

Yb2, the transmitter is a good value for the money. However, the key is your ground plane design. I wasn't getting the results I wanted with a patch or dipole element. Thanks for the input!

Btw, my website is up. Of course, who knows when the bandwidth police will strike next...

[This message has been edited by docphi (edited 09-06-2001).]

Originally posted by yb2normal:
It looks like that polaris transmitter is really doing the trick.

Has anyone seen or tried the new 2.4 GHz FM OMNIDIRECTIONAL Video Link from Supercircuits??? Price is $89.95

docphi, amazing quality of the videos!! how much was the complete video system in total $?

_Jens


[This message has been edited by Jensst (edited 09-06-2001).]

It looks like you caught the plane with your bare hands on AVflight2.
Good stuff,
Charles

Isn't the Polaris MTX2401 transmitter a 5v part? so you are using the Texas Instruments (Digikey) 12v regulator to supply the
Supercircuits PC-103XS CCD 12v camera. Is that right?
Charles

The MTX2401 is a 12V transmitter. The Polaris webpage has it incorrectly listed as 5V.

Cost of system:

Transmitter $90
12V regulator $18
Camera $80

The receiver I am using is $200, but, you could get a basic receiver for $50 without the bells and whistles. I just wanted one with a monitor. I guess you could spend under $250 for a setup.

I'm glad the groundplane antenna is working so well for you.

If that 75mw is an accurate rating, then the polaris is looking like a really great alternative to the heavily hacked xcam2.

The quality of your still shots just kills me. I know you mentioned you had photo mode on your camcorder, but how are you capturing a photo in the process of catching a plane? Does your camcorder allow you to capture a photo from the video? I can't get over the quality.

By the way, "who's your daddy" sounds sort of familiar



[This message has been edited by yb2normal (edited 09-06-2001).]

Yb2,

Consider the "Who's your daddy" a tribute.

The spec sheet that came with the transmitter states:
"RF output power: 75 mW maximum"
How can I check the RF output?

The camcorder is a Sony DCR-PC110. It allows you to take a still image directly from the videotape. Pretty cool! I convinced my wife we needed it for our new baby.

I took my clipped wing T-52 with the X10 system on it to the Boeing Hawks meeting (at the field) last night and after show and tell took it up for two sorties. Before long I had a line of people behind me taking turns looking through the viewfinder on my video camera - so I'd do a maneuver (loop or Immelmann or two or a roll) then give them a bit of a tour of the area around the field.
Got a few snippets of air-to-air of other planes flying while I was up, too including a VERY blue Zagi. (tic, are you out there?)

Kinda odd having to fly with people right on my left shoulder and sometimes trying to aim the camera to aim the view they were seeing but fun. They all remarked on how cool it was.

Now there are all sorts of people wanting more details on how I did it - and I have to say "there's this guy in Colorado" among others and all I did differently was use the DC-DC converter from the X10 battery pack for power.

On the twilight flight I took the plane up and out about as far as I dared from an orientation standpoint and could still get a decent signal, though there is some snow in the video and more dropouts with changes in airplane orientation relative to the receiver.

One other thing - I was rereading the "amplifier added to X10" thread that Bill (yb2normal) started last night and there was quite a discussion on shielding various parts of the system.

I have shielded NOTHING and the R/C is rock solid and there is no visible crosstalk from the power system to the video either. Everything is running off the 8X1400AE battery which powers the plane.

Equipment is as follows:
Airplane power system: Jamara 480, 2:1 gearset in MAXX speed 400 box, 9X6 APC slowfly or thin-E prop (have a slowfly on it now). 8X1400AE battery. Kontronik Sun 1000 ESC (I LIKE this one and chosen because my tests showed it to be especially good about not reducing radio range).

Radio system: FMA Extreme 5 Rx, one FMA S-80 servo, one Hitec HS-60 (thereby hangs another story). Power from the Sun 1000. Multiplex Cockpit Tx.

Airborned Video System: XCam2 hacked apart per yb2normal's site with his ground plane antenna. Power provided by a BEC made from a variable voltage regulator (fed from a tap on the battery end of the ESC) into the guts of the X10 battery pack, into the transmitter. Am using the CMOS camera (and microphone) from the XCam2. The camera and microphone are in a little box made of 2mm correx mounted (at the moment) looking outboard and 45 degrees down on the left fuselage side with Velcro. The transmitter antenna is on a 2mm correx bracket which is clear taped to the fuselage side just aft of the camera and below the rudder servo. The transmitter is encased in CS heatshrink tubing and taped to the bottom of the fuselage, with three little strips of foam weatherstripping between the Tx and the fuse as vibration damping and protection for the adjustment pots on the Tx. The DC-DC converter is similarly heatshrink covered and stuck to the bottom of the fuselage further forward with Velcro. The BEC lump is further forward still and also attached with Velcro.

Ground video system: Supplied X10 receiver powered by a 10 Cell Saft 3000 NiMH battery pack (in a rev. 1 Solderless Powertube). I put that battery in my left hip pocket in my pants. Connection is by a cord with Powerpoles on one end and a coaxial power plug which fits in the receiver's 12V in jack on the other. The receiver is hung from my belt by means of a generic cell phone clip my wife got for me at Target. Output of the receiver into my Sony Hi8 camcorder (by means of the cable supplied by X10 with the system) powered by its onboard LiIon battery and hanging by the supplied strap over my shoulder.

WHEW!

Oh, one more thing.... The Hawks have been asked to put on some demonstrations at an open house at one of Boeing's outlying facilities in the Puget Sound region - the Fredrickson facility near Puyallup - on the 16th and after last night they REALLY want me to be there with this setup. Sounds like they're going to try to get a TV and power out near the flight line so we can display what the airplane camera sees in real time. Should be interesting.....

Ok, now I'm really wanting to try this..

You guys who've done it - a question:
Is the Xcam2 system alone a good solution? For the price, it can't be beat as it includes color camera, Tx and Rx..

..a