Hey guys - This past weekend I got around to changing all my power connectors to the EC kind (EC5 for the powerboard and the main batteries, and EC3 for the gimbal). Got everything back together and finally got to test it out this morning. It all powered up ok, but on takeoff it started first rotating the copter slightly to the left, then tilting to the side and eventually lean on 2 of the booms (booms 2 and 3). I didn't have time to grab the GPX file before heading to work, but I did grab a quick video with my phone that I'm attaching. Everything I checked seemed to be normal and the copter doesn't appear to be way off balance, and definitely not off balance in the direction it's tilting on... Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Here's the video:
Cris: Did you do anything that could have resulted in the motor wiring changing or removing and re-installing the props? The yawing motion almost looks like it might be caused by such wacky things as a motor spinning backwards, a prop on backwards, or a prop slipping. I'm speculating wildly. Certainly nothing sounds wrong...but that kind of determined yawing is obviously wrong. Andy.
Well, Andy, I did take off the board and unplugged everything from it so I can solder the new EC5 leads to it so the only thing I'm guessing is that maybe I connected one of the motors wrong (maybe I switched the wires when hooking back the bullet connectors on one of the motors - would it even power on like that?). But I did not take the props off or anything like that... I think easiest way to check would be with MKTools and then turn one motor on at a time and make sure it spins the right way. Then if that looks ok, I'll double check under the "hood". That's a good start tho, thank you!
Oh, yeah, the motors will start up even if you transpose two of the wires -- that's the most likely culprit in this case, I suspect. The safest way to check is just a visual check of the motor wires. Work on the basis that you may have one or more of the motors spinning the wrong way. However, if you really want to use MK Tool with the props on be SUPER careful....you just want to nudge the slider up ever so slightly just to get the motor to spin at it absolute lowest speed....and then immediately chop the slider back down to zero... Andy.
Alright, I guess I know what I'm doing tonight. And yes, I hear you about MKTools with the props on... I did that once and got me a little scared. Thank you. I'll post the results as soon as I have them.
If you take it out side you can check it with the props on. Focus on boom one for prop rotation, start the motors and immediately power them down, all the while watching boom 1. If it is rotating the correct way then check wiring on the remainder. Odds should be wired the same way, evens should have two of the wires reversed.
Oh Gary, yeah, I usually clear the cars out of the garage and do it in there. But in MKTools I use the drop down and turn one motor at a time... should I not be doing that??
To check the motor rotation can't you just give them a little spin like you were in the video. I should post a video of my copter taking off as I wonder if it's almost acting the same way. If I take off slowly.. gradually raise the gas it'll start to tilt then take off in the tilting direction or tilt over onto the rotors. I have to give it lots of gas when taking off to go straight up (perhaps that's normal??) .. sometimes it still goes to the side a bit when taking off and I have to correct it and once in the air it seems fine.
Tyler, I could do that indeed, but the reason I like the MKTools is because I can turn on one at a time and see the reaction... As for other takeoffs... Before taking it apart this past weekend to change the connectors, I had it take off so nice and straight... it was beautiful! But even though I didn't post a video of it earlier, I did try to give it more gas this morning, and all it did is that it flipped to the side (on booms 2 and 3), almost breaking my props.
The flip of death is generally one of three things. Prop on upside down, CW prop on a CCW motor or a motor rotating the wrong way. Not that I have done any of those things...
Alright gentleman - Looked under the hood this morning and indeed I had one of the motor leads switched (I guess I can't tell red from black from white - as I color coded the 3 leads on each motor...). Put it back together, checked it with MKTools, all the motors are spinning the right way now. Then did a quick liftoff and all looked great. Thank you!
Ginsburg's Theorem: Things work better when they're plugged in. Somebody else's Theorem: Things work even better when they're plugged in correctly.
Looking at the video in the first attempt to take off it appears that motors 2, 3, and 4 are spinning the same direction... josh