Hi all, I´m posting a lot of new topics recently, I hope you bear with me I´m planning to go to rather hot and humid islands in a few weeks and was therefore thinking about how to reduce possible risks. I read about the showercap and spraying the boards for moisture protection (due to salty air - I won´t fly in the rain). Another thing would be heat. I´m expecting around 93°F. I´m flying a cinestar 8 with 360 gimbal and a maximum of 2x5.800mAh (rather only one) and a 5DMkII with 17-40mm f4. Maximum weight would be approx. 6,6kg (14.5 pounds). I was thinking about protecting the powerboard from direct sunlight (especially around noon). I guess that should make quite a difference. I´m thinking about a flat, white and round piece of plastic about the size of the centerplate that I´d put on top of the battery tray, fixing it together with the tray, using slightly longer screws. I´d cut some holes in there for the battery velcros and fix the battery just as I used to right on top. The copter would sure be more susceptible to wind, but other than that, would that make sense? I know how hot black surfaces in the sun get relative to shade - for example touching a black tripod in the sun vs. shade. Regarding the material: I guess a rather electrostatic plastic would be a bad idea, right? I´m looking forward to your opinions ;-). Thanks, Wolfgang
Hi Wolfgang: Firstly, might I ask how you produced such a great diagram, please? Secondly, plastic might be ok. I use acrylic a lot -- it's somewhat brittle and I would worry that it might break -- there's going to be a lot of possible torque on the four screws that hold it down to he battery plate -- although the plate itself might serve to spread the load. The strongest plastic material would be Lexan, not acrylic, but it's a lot harder to cut unless you have friends with a water jet cutter. I only have a 60 watt CO2 laser cutter and it will cut acrylic but not Lexan. Might you be better off to use aluminium {or aluminum as it's called here)? You might even want to spray paint it white? Certainly, if you have not done so, then add heatsinks to the MOSFETs. See this thread. I also was wondering about using reflective Mylar plastic film as a form of shower cap. You will definitely need to use conformal spray on the boards, though. But I'll have that done with your image by Monday. Andy.
Hi Andy - thanks for helping once again regarding the diagram - I opened the cinestar8Manual.pdf in Adobe Illustrator. Then I used "Image Trace" with the settings "Black and White" and a Treshhold near 180 and pressed the "Expand" button. Then I copied the four screws and wholes to another layer, and placed two ellipses between the traced image and the screws and holes and that´s it. So basically most of the work was done by the great people and designers of freefly systems . I thought it was the better way than me explaining and nobody understanding what I mean. Nice ideas - I also like the aluminium, but am not sure if it would be light enough, but I guess if it is thin enough it would weigh less than acrylic or Lexan (which I haven´t known before - I´ll definitely check that out). I wouldn´t mind if it breaks - I could just make another as long as it doesn´t destroy any propeller. Regarding the mylar: I´m not a physician, but from my practical experience white is the better color when it comes to heat - I never understood why though. You´ll soon see on my images that I already have heatsinks on my mosfets - 8 on top and 4 on bottom (would have had to change the wiring on some motor cables, so I skipped the rest on the bottom). Conformal Spray is a nobrainer - I´ll do that anyway. Just wanted to do something against the sun. I wondered why nobody ever tried something like that because it seems to be the easiest way of reducing heat. But maybe I just miss something. Anyway, thanks again for all your help, Wolfgang
Interesting idea to use a sun shield. It would add a bit more drag but these things aren't too aerodynamic to begin with so it probably wouldn't fly much differently. As for a material, I would suggest white styrene sheet. It comes in many sizes, it's easy to cut, light weight, flexible but has enough strength for this use and is RF/magnetic transparent. Please keep us posted with what you end up doing there. nick
Oh, ONLY a 60 watt CO2 laser cutter. You poor fellow. My heart goes out to you. @Wolfgang I think your over designing the solution. You only want to block the light so it doesn't have to be strong. Keep the cinestar battery holder in place, get a plastic lid from a large enough can, poke four holes in it for the screws, and put it on top of the battery plate. Add the necessary slots for your battery straps and your done. Or better yet, put it between the posts and the battery holder. That way you don't have to cut slits for your straps.
Yeah. <drags toe in the sand> I know what you mean. I just wish it would cut carbon fiber and Lexan. But it means I can still lust after a 4Kw Yag, a Flowjet, and a Z Systems 3D Printer.....
Oh yes, I like the idea of putting it under the posts and the battery holder!!! Thanks a lot. I found a piece of very thin, robust and light plastic in my stock. Don´t know what it is though but who cares. I´ll try it with that.
OK, did it. I call it "the shelter" ;-). It´s made from polystyrene (it was the only thing I found that I could cut easily). It´s rather flexible which I don´t particularly like (I should have left a bridge in the middle of the cutout - but I´m thinking of fixing it somewhere near the edges), but I guess one of the next flights will prove if that´s really a bad thing. I may hook up a gopro next to it to see what it does. It weighs 30g and has a diameter of 20cm. Does it make the cinestar more beautiful? Nope, definitely not. Does it work? I won´t be able to tell you before middle of December because it´s really getting cold here and I don´t need to protect the boards from the sun in the middle of the winter. But it blocks the sun coming from an angle higher than 70° at the edge of the power plate and at an angle higher than 40° at the most exposed mosfet. I hope when the sun gets lower than that heat through direct radiation shouldn´t be that bad anymore.
Here´s a possible improvement I was thinking about, but am not capable of doing. It would be easiest to use a "drip mat" for flowers, but that would look too awkward for my taste.
And you could attach 1 meter sparkly ribbons to each boom -- they'd flutter nicely in the prop-wash.... I think you've discovered the market for "tricking out" your aircraft here....there's a TV program here in the USA called "Pimp my ride." I've never watched it but it would give some ideas! Andy.
You´ve never watched it, understood . Just like nobody ever goes to Mc Donalds here in Europe. But indeed I see a growing market for copterpimping. I´m on the best way of making it the most beautiful flying object on earth with neon colored foliage and blue adhesive tape for the receiver. Next I´ll install a big front apron.
Well, according to Godaddy.com (domain name registrar in USA), copterpimping.com is available for you, Wolfgang. "Just $12.99." And yeah, I really don't watch anything but Oregon Public Broadcasting. Can't deal with commercials! Personally, I think we need lots of flashing lights on our copters.... Andy
$ 12.99 is tempting. Luckily I soldered some plugs for the lights so that I can always go and replace them for something brigther and more flashy.
this is very interesting thread My boss is super keen to put the same kind of thing on ours because the extreme heat in Japan summer. Please tell us how it flew? I am worried in strong wind it catch under neath and cause problems
John: I also note that your GPS appears to be oriented incorrectly. The word "Mikrokopter" should be closest to the hub. There is a small, inconspicuous (for which read damn near invisible) orientation arrow on the underside of the GPS board near the blue LED. Not sure what the effect of having the GPS board oriented the way you have it might be, but I thought I should mention it. The sunshield looks neat. Jason: I'd really doubt the the wind "sail" effect would be that great, but I'm interested to hear John's experience. Andy.
Pimp My CS8 Black, not white.... not to mention the black matches the carbon fiber. I live in the desert and temps approach 120Celcius. Trust me. Black is better. Also, when you think about it, people who are located near the equator (hottest part of the earth) all have dark or tan skin to keep them cool. People from northern territories traditionally have more pale skin to absorb the heat to keep them warm. Of course, this comes from a white guy that is always cold, so what do i know. http://io9.com/5903956/the-physics-that-explain-why-you-should-wear-black-this-summer Phil