http://boingboing.net/2012/12/09/flying-malware-the-virus-copt.html I'm sure the press will be able to take this in its stride and fairly report this kind of story without being given to hysteria. I can see it now, though: Norton Antivirus for Copters. Andy.
If Apple made it, you'd have to use iTunes to program the flight control and it would only fly in Apple's own airspace, but it would come in a gorgeous white case and the antennae would be suspect. Andy.
But it would work easily and simply. Guess that's the trade off. Every time I open my computer in Windows I want to through it off the balcony. It amazes that so many people use something that works so poorly and inefficiently.I can't believe there's still all that legacy DOS crap from 50 years ago in the OS. Well not 50 but at least 20. And whatever did happen to Longhorn? I know Andy ur a Windows guy.....
I grew up with NCR 315's and Control Data 6600's. Them's were real computers. No fancy-schmancy GUI. Just a command line interface. But that was back in the days where we didn't have zeroes and ones....we only had zeroes. And that makes it much harder to program. But I have to agree with you Mark. OS X (thanks to the underlying Darwin OS) is my preference for getting useful work done. It seems to require far less futzing that Windows and doesn't have that evil garbage tip known as the Registry to contend with. Oh and you can write in several decent scripting languages too. Windows 7 seems to be far more stable than its predecessors (Windows 8 makes you play endless games of "Where the )*#)# have the put the XYZ feature...") But I take freeways depending on the destinations to which they go, so I'll use Windows if it gets me where I want to go. But for serious work, Mac. That said, I'm still on OS X 10.6.8 because the software I use a lot (Final Cut Studio/FCP 7) works fine, and I've not seen the need to upgrade and create a whole new set of problems. Remember: "It's only obsolete software that works right." Macs do make a damn good platform on which to run Windows, though. I've got 7 running on a Mac Book Pro 17" and its "serviceable." Andy.
I'm running 7 on my Macpook Pro and it runs fine for the things that I need to in Windows. Smartest thing Apple ever did was base their OS on UNIX BSD.
And what's with Windows 8? I just checked it out on friends computer. It was like Balmer gave all the propeller heads acid and told them to put their toys away!
I've only run Windows 8 sporadically (just enough to show how to run MK Tools on it actually). I'll maybe upgrade one machine to it, but I'm still waiting for Windows 95 to stabilize.....
Off topic. How's that Stinger working out for you? We've been using wireless in the film industry for years. We usually employed them on film cameras and now that we're using the Alexa's we hard wire for the most part because it's an HD signal. Most of the wireless systems I've used have been crap. I've seen drop out at 20 feet with direct line of sight between camera and video village. So all this makes me wonder how good of signal can I expect when we master part II of this whole process. Granted being in the air I would imagine gives you less interference. I have a Stinger 250 watt for the bird and a Nano on the ground.Video is not up and running so I have no idea how it will work. On the Alexa we run a a Canwave when we use steadycam with very mixed results and that system costs around 4000. So I find it hard to believe that the wireless we hook up is going to transmit 100 meters or more. I'm not looking for HD quality but just a decent signal so we can frame properly.
The Mondo Stinger 500mw works fine. It works even better with the Bluebeam clover leaf antenna on the Stinger and the Passport Diversity receiver. The whip antennae sucked (to use the technical term) with lots of brief dropouts. Keep the Stinger's antenna clear of carbon fiber and the Bluebeam antenna pointing up -- it's circularly polarized so if you invert it I suspect it's presenting reversely circularly polarized signal -- it may work but not as well is correct way up. I use the Bluebeams on the Lawmate 1.2Ghz too. Also makes a night'n'day difference. Andy.
Andy. Where do you have it rigged on you gimbal? The whole bird is carbon fiber. Can it stick out sideway? Right now i have the transmitter rigged to in of the landing gear struts. My sisters in the states right so I'm having her bring back some goodies. Aren't there to types of clover leaf? Linear and ???? Also do you need 2 of those, one for tx and rx? A pic of your bird would be nice.
Mark: It's Velcro'd and cable tied to a landing gear. There are a couple of types of clover leaf antenna. I'm using the BlueBeams from dpcav.com. Bluebeam 5.8 Ghz http://www.dpcav.com/xcart/5 .8GHz-Bluebeam-Antenna-System-RHCP.html You need one antenna specifically for the TX, and two for the diversity Passport. They are tx/rx specific -- not interchangeable. See below for shots of how I've mounted the Stinger. Hope this helps Andy.
Okay it's where I mounted mine and I see that it's a goose neck and that was what I was wondering. I have a Stinger 250watt. Question and I would think their similar, but when you power-up are there any LED's that light up? I have power to mine for the 1st time and there's nothing to indicate that it's getting some sort of power. Groovey Red outline on your landing gear by the way.
I've not noticed any LEDs on it that light up. It gets a tad warm (hence the heat sink). The colour/color on the side of the landing gear is just gaffer's florescent orange tape. I do a fair amount of low altitude work and it's easy to lose sight of the bird against a backdrop of trees etc.