Has anyone given the X8 layout a chance? Have heard very mixed stories, with some saying they love the X8 layout, and others saying flat Octa is still better. Should I bother trying out an X8 layout, or has anyone else here done some testing already?
Very Cool post John, I see Matjaz has his Hammer, they say it has a smaller footprint and way more stable in WIND ( wow never thought i would hate wind so much ..pumping wind here in Cape Town for the next few weeks ). VERY interested in others comments..Personally I am gonna try out and will post my findings in a week or two .....
Every time I try and X configuration I have high hopes.....but I am still flying the good old flat octo. Usually the decrease in flight time is enough to make me deal with the flat octo. Tabb
Tks Tabb. Did you notice any advantages of the X layout? Some claim better in wind, etc, but I see little proof of it. I love good old Octa, and its flies will in winds IMHO, not a problem for me. Also the X8 layout has a smaller footprint, so easier to transport? (also not a big deal for me). Josh, do you have any links to the Hex12 ? Keen to see it (have been talking about it for some time, as the option is there in MK tools, and ID's on BL's are available, but I am yet to see an actual Hex12).
My biggest concern with an X8 would be that on a 3 axis gimbal you'd be more likely to catch a prop in the shot because the underside props are lower.
I had one back in 2011. Different configuration though. FC controller with the precision I2C converter and RC timer ecs's and Pulso motors. She flew well but I took it apart cause I needed the motors. The gimbal was sitting inside the cage along with the electronics in case of a crash. I might take her out the mothballs and complete the project. Bill
Resurrecting this thread because I'm interested in trying the X8 config. I have no issues losing some flight time. And I'm sick and tired of seeing boom 1 in my shots. I'm using a 2-axis gimbal so lower props are probably not an issue. Any thoughts as to mixer and flight controller configuration? It appears to me that the standard Cinestar motor/boom hardware can easily accommodate an X config just by using longer screws, right? I'm using APC slow-fly props. Will those work? Anybody have a diagram of how to wire it up? Yes, I tried searching the forums, but I can't use 'X8' as a search term because it's too short.
Steve are you using MK or DJI electronics? If you are using MK I have the file for X8. for DJI look in the manual. Bill
Thanks to Bill, I had my first powering up of my X8 Cinestar. I did run into some issues... 1. How do you guys configure the landing gear? I know most guys are running the 3-axis gimbal, but I have the 2-axis. 2. I had a weird bit get flipped and my ship had it vario alt setting enabled through channel 5, which was the wrong channel. So the first time I powered it up it wanted to jump into the air. Bad... 3. Overall the ship feels a lot lighter and looks cleaner. Can't wait to see how she flies. Cheers, Steve
Got it in the air, and initial impressions are it's super solid! Can't wait to get the gimbal back on and fly it for real...
The jury's out, as I haven't tuned it at all. One motor bearing sounds funky, and the props should be balanced (they're several months old). And the extra weight of the camera, gimbal and other systems will only make it more stable. It's barely breaking a sweat right now and is about 1/2 of its AUW in this barebones config.
I had a near-death experience last night with the X8. Still trying to understand what happened, but seeing my 4S stock Cinestar 8 with MK stack pulling 2600 watts is enough to require new underwear, if not new pants, socks, shoes, etc... As close as I can figure, the extra stress that the mixer settings puts on the power system may be too much for the bird, but I'm not 100% sure... Looks like I'm going back to Flat 8.
the x8 is a fantastic setup if you fly in lots of wind(it seems we pretty much only fly in 20+ mph winds) the only problem you will have is the cs8 frame needs to be strengthened to fly properly like that. in a coax config the frame will flex pretty bad, causing weird flight characterisitics. the other trick is getting you esc's to play nice with your motors. personally i am not having much luck with the ff esc kit. with our maytech esc's it was no issue, but the ff esc just doesnt seem up to the coax challenge. they will run my tmotor 4014-9 in a flat setup all day without getting warm lifting an epic, but they cant lift my nikon in a coax arrangement. i will most likely try the castle edge lites as they seem they can take a little more abuse than the hobbywing 40a style esc.