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Is it useful to have Pilot FPV on a dual operators setting ?

Discussion in 'CineStar FAQ - Tips and Tricks' started by Valentin Dubach, Mar 27, 2013.

  1. Valentin Dubach

    Valentin Dubach New Member

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    Hi,

    I'm new on this forum and this is my first post... and certainly not the last, we're going to buy a cinestar 8 :D

    Actually, i'm wondering if it's usefull to have pilot fpv if we've the videostream coming from the main camera.

    Do you use A pilot cam on your 2 pilots setup ? Why ? Pro Cons ?
    Do you have the SMART OSD ? Would you recommend it ?

    I'm looking forward reading your thoughts !:D
    Wishes from Switzerland
    Valentin
     
  2. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
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    Valentin welcome. If you fly the 3 axis gimbal you should install a pilot FPV. Otherwise the camera operator could be doing a tracking shot to the side or back of the flight path of the copter and the pilot wouldn't see the tree that is about to eat the copter :)

    I have the SmartOSd and like it. I use it primarily for the altitude and heading information.
     
  3. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Same advices as Gary's, Valentin. I use two FPV cameras, one forward looking (inclined slightly down) and one looking straight down. I use a video switch from dpcav.com and an RC channel to control it. The downward looking camera helps me hover directly above a ground feature or see any markers I may have put on the ground to delimit how far I should go for a shot.

    If you have a three-axis gimbal, the only common reference you and the camera operator will have is height -- as the pilot you cannot easily tell which way the gimbal (and therefore the camera) is pointing -- and the camera operator cannot easily tell you in which direction you should fly other than by reference to ground objects (well, I suppose they could give you compass headings, but that's hard).

    What Gary says about trees is definitely true. He's a better pilot than I am, but I have more experience with trees. :)

    Andy.
     
  4. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Oh, I forgot to add that the Smart OSD is a great device with four different screens (you can select which icons you want on which screens).. I program up one screen with quite a few icons.
    There is a screen with an icon that you can put on screen looks like a small quadcopter -- it gives you a visual representation of the Cinestar's compass heading so you can use it for orientation when in doubt.
    I also have one screen set up with only flight battery voltage and altitude so that I can use that to get a better view of the FPV image.

    I set one of the rotary controls on the MX-20 to change between the four screens.

    Andy.
     
  5. Katya Nelhams-Wright

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    Hi Andy, Kat here....where do you mount your 2 FPV cams and can you let us in on which ones you use:)
    Thanks
    Kat
     
  6. Katya Nelhams-Wright

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    And does the smart OSD work with WKM by the way or only MK?
    :)
     
  7. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Hey Kat:
    I mount them a boom clamp using two of U-bracket (that came with the cameras). I had to drill holes in the slots that run along the top of the U-brackets. See the image below.

    Still trying to figure out how to best fix the camera angles. The tiny little screws are pretty useless -- I thought about hot glue or using small strips of Velcro -- or even expoxy (then I thought better of it). I've got small patches of white tape over the screws for the moment, but that's just a temporary measure.

    Let me know if you have any better ideas for holding the cameras at the require angle. Oh...I normally have some white PVC tape across the lens holding screws to avoid the lenses coming loose in flight -- it's not shown in the image because I was just adjusting the cameras focus.

    Hope this helps
    Andy

    FPV Dual Camera.JPG
     
  8. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Hi Kat:
    Sorry....don't know the answer to that one, I'm afraid. I suspect that it's just MK, but that's speculation.

    Andy.
     
  9. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
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    Andy, double side foam sticky tape between the side of the camera and the bracket. No tiny screws in the side. Works great, can be adjusted and doesn't typically move around.
     
  10. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Good idea, Gary. I'll go with that on one camera and hot glue on the other and see which holds up better.

    Andy.
     
  11. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
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    Andy, remember, no give with hot glue. Enough force might break the camera. On my incident it simply popped loose. Found it in the dirt, brushed it off and it keeps on going.
     
  12. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    That's certainly true. Ixnay the hot glue, then. :)

    Andy.
     
  13. Janne Hoglund

    Janne Hoglund Member

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    Thanks fot yet another good tip Andy!

    /Janne
     

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