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Pot-Roast of Beginner's Questions

Discussion in 'CineStar FAQ - Tips and Tricks' started by Zach Beggs, Jun 2, 2013.

  1. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    Errr -- I'm still getting nervously low radio signal strength (20% at 300-400ft away, 65ft up). My 1.2ghz is pointed up, on top of the tail fin now. I'm wondering if it's always been like this, since graupner lady no longer is reading me BL temps and altitude (it's on my FPV).

    The copter could be within 60ft LOS (in a park saturated with wifi networks [probably about 10]) and I'll drop to 85% -.-

    Should I first:
    1. eat a popsickle.
    2. Save the stick
    3. Tape the reciever to the stick.
    4. BAM! Home Made - QC certified - rabbit for your receivers!
    5. Watch the stick fall off my copter mid flight haha

    ----
    My only thoughts are to get those antennas pointed upwards instead of parallel with the copter (carbon fiber).

    Better question: when positioning the GR-16 or GR-24, what will interfere with it's strength?

    -Carbon Fiber
    -Battery?
    -Wires?
    - etc.
     
  2. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
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    Yes to all for interference probably in that order. Yes the popsicle stick will work. That's kind of what I did before the rabbit ears. Strap it to the battery support rod.
     
  3. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    Just silicone conformal coated my boards! (according to Andy)

    Thanks for the PDF and the taping tutorial Andy!

    [​IMG]

    *TIP: The chemical will adhere inside of the spray nozzle. Instead of tipping it over and spraying until clear, take off the nozzle, soak in nail polish remover, shake, hot water, presto!

    I only know this because I clogged the can after the first spray :)
     
  4. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Good tip for preventing the nozzle clogging without that expensive feeling of spraying either content and/or propellant from the upside down can!

    Andy.
     
  5. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    I thought I got all the spray out on the first "cleanse", aparently not! Haha.

    How's the shoot going!?
     
  6. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Just doing final test flying before we head out first thing next week. Because it's pretty remote and a long drive, I'm taking two Cinestars, two gimbals -- two of everything (except beers....more than two of those I think...).

    Andy.
     
  7. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    Quick Q in the pot roast tonight.

    It's probably a stupid question, but if I fly off a cliff or a building, any position, where there is a drop, will AH drop as well?

    Example: flying off a cliff at 20ft --> will AH drop the copter to 20ft once I fly off the edge?


    From what I understand the pressure or the way the new AH works (chamber pressure) -- that pressure should be equivalent regardless of how far the ground is underneight or how high the ground is -- pressure should be the same.


    Thanks guys. It'll be comforting to know before I try it :p
     
  8. Shaun Stanton

    Shaun Stanton Active Member

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    Not a stupid question. The answer with the current system is NO. However if you ever get a different copter that uses a sonar device such as Ardupilot then it is a possibility. With the CS or any system that is not measuring the actual ground height it will be neglible. The only time a cliff dwelling may cause problems is if there is an updraft that could cause a pressure change. Since the new MK uses an Accelermeter it is not an issue.
     
  9. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    You may also have problems if the wind is going from cliff/building out into the abyss -- there will be "curl-over" and that may have the effect of a giant hand pushing the copter downwards suddenly. If you are on AH with the new ACC chip, it "should work" OK, but be ready to compensate for that.

    But Shaun is, of course, correct -- the altimeter is set to zero when you calibrate prior to motor start. Therefore, to the copter, the cliff/building is "zero feet." The copter/FC board doesn't know about the abyss....so it's not scared at all. Only the pilot knows about it.... :)

    Andy.
     
  10. Shaun Stanton

    Shaun Stanton Active Member

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    Another thing with cliffs, are if you fly lateral next them you my get buffeted a little. I shot a repellar off a cliff at Point Dume, Malibu CA. We had a steady sea breeze. I would fly about 20 feet or so to the cliff face and would get jarred around a little as the air bounced off the cliff face. It made some of the footage unusable. We had to fix a bunch of footage with warp stabilizer in post. It worked for the most part, except in some shots we had a few motion artifacts here and there.
     
  11. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    Magnetic Error -- Compass is disturbed by magnetic fields.
    Does this mean my PH and CH will not work?

    I was high in the hills of Malibu, no homes around but 3 massive satellite dishes about 2 miles away and the home I was shooting was all metal, glass and stone.

    Looking through all the GPX files, it seems to happen only when I fly off the cliff side toward those MASSIVE satellite dishes. Interesting...
     
  12. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
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    It might not work. But would definitely be unreliable.
     
  13. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    I was getting the compass reading on my FPV, so I just continued to fly.

    So if I lost Rx would it have went into CH and toilet bowled and crashed?
     
  14. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    If you lose your 2.4gHz transmitter signal and your GPS is horked, you're going to have a runaway bird. Or a hole in the ground. Most likely both.
     
  15. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    The only reason I ask is because on location there were wifi repeaters all over the place and a film crew was on the 2.4ghz band with their radios.
     
  16. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    Sounds super dangerous.
     
  17. Gary Haynes

    Gary Haynes Administrator
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    Zach what 2 way radios did they have on 2.4ghz? There are cordless phones but don't think that 2.4 is a voice frequency.
     
  18. Zach Beggs

    Zach Beggs Member

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    Ahh, they're on a different frequency.

    Motorola CP200:

    VHF: 136–162, 146–174MHz; UHF: 403–440, 438–470, 465–495MHz
     
  19. Shaun Stanton

    Shaun Stanton Active Member

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    I can say from experience, no it won't crash nescearilly. It will just look ugly coming home. As soon as you get it oriented you will have to disengage all automation. In fact the first time I seen TBE was in Malibu. I did a test flight like Andy does and tested the return home it did get toilet bowel, but the copter was still able to make a b-line back to home position. If you were to think it is a concern I would keep it in manual modes and keep a tight leash on it.
     
  20. Shaun Stanton

    Shaun Stanton Active Member

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    If on set you want to be careful if they are using taradecs hd video tx's. I have had intermittent disruptions when close to video village. Most of the time they are negligible if not to close. But something to consider.
     

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