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Here is a (rather lengthy) PDF of the proposed rule. http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/recently_published/media/2120-AJ60_NPRM_2-15-2015_joint_signature.pdf And here is the docket, but it doesn't look like you can comment yet. http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FAA-2015-0150
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Feb 15, 2015 18:32
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While most of that is pretty good news, the bit about FPV is a pain if you're a solo guy.
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Feb 15, 2015 18:37
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Odette posted:While most of that is pretty good news, the bit about FPV is a pain if you're a solo guy. And sadly, makes sense. No matter how much of a pain it is.
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Feb 15, 2015 20:06
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Unless you're amazon and google trying to develop delivery drones (or any kind of long range visual inspection, like the ones that got exempted for BP earlier)
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Feb 15, 2015 20:25
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It appears like you can still fly FPV just not for commercial use (I haven't had time to read the actual document fully, but thats what I gathered. Plus, sounds like they'll have a micro class which will kind of be a free for all because its so impossible to regulate.
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Feb 15, 2015 20:54
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I'm so stoked about these proposed rules!!! Come on guys don't expect FPV to be granted right off the bat, I think the pilot's license requirement was a bigger issue! IMO the LOS issue will come down to mostly the distance you fly from yourself, whether FPV or not, when it comes to prosecution. The real threat from BLOS operations comes from things like mapping drones. I've talked to a lot of eager people about LOS requirements and they seemed to have thought they could just load a mission into the plane and let it fly 10 square miles by itself, which is technically possible but also completely irresponsible. I will be using my goggle for a long time coming. These rules are commerical/non-recreational only, existing hobbyist exemption is still in place. The inconsistencies between the FAA's stance on FPV and the AMA's is still to be settled. The FAA says FPV is BLOS and therefore not exempted and illegal period. The FAA also says if you follow a community based set of guidelines then you're legal. The AMA rules allow you to fly FPV with a spotter, which is against the FAA's interpretation but also in a community based set of guidelines. Vitamin J fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Feb 15, 2015 |
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Feb 15, 2015 21:13
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These rules are actually great news.
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Feb 15, 2015 21:57
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Whats some cheap and decent goggles I can pair with my Estes FPV? looking at the screen on the radio is unnatural and not really helpful
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Feb 15, 2015 23:30
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Just had a great day of racing in Clinton. http://racingfpv.com/?page_id=10883 Did well enough in practice but crashed early on in the qualifying rounds. Started the actual races almost last but managed to finish fourth overall. Not bad considering I had maybe half a dozen fpv flights prior to today. Lots of guys traveled a long way to fly in a cold horse arena.
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Feb 16, 2015 02:01
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The proposed rules are actually way better than I was anticipating... My only problem with it is that I was starting to have fun doing night time shots w/ the Inspire 1  
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Feb 16, 2015 05:36
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Every single time you post one of those shots, I want a Phantom + GoPro even more. I wonder if perhaps you could get around the daylight only rule by putting proper blinking collision lights on your quad?
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Feb 16, 2015 05:54
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I think the night rules will get amended, probably something about a local waiver or something.
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Feb 16, 2015 17:40
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It's a bit ironic. Spotting aircraft at night is so much easier than during the day. That and there is far less traffic.
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Feb 16, 2015 18:31
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yeah, it's really really easy to track my Inspire at night, the lights just make it stand out like crazy. I definitely hope they adjust that... wouldn't mind if they adjusted the weight for flying over people up to 6.5lb too so I had one less thing to worry about getting in trouble for with the Inspire 1. Or at least a way to get an exemption for it for commercial applications. Here's something I shot on Saturday... I expect I'll be doing a lot more of these soon. 
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Feb 16, 2015 18:56
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I love doing little planets. I just wish there was a better market for it. I did find a printer who can do circular prints (on metal) but it's a tough sell.
Elendil004 fucked around with this message at 20:21 on Feb 16, 2015 |
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Feb 16, 2015 20:18
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helno posted:It's a bit ironic. Spotting aircraft at night is so much easier than during the day. That and there is far less traffic. Yeah but judging distance with your eyes becomes much harder at night. So judging how far away your los operated uav is would be more difficult. EDIT: Went gatebashing with the 250 yesterday for my first time flying in a few months. Fun times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6-HCm_w9CQ&t=108s mashed fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Feb 16, 2015 |
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Feb 16, 2015 20:41
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MMD3 posted:yeah, it's really really easy to track my Inspire at night, the lights just make it stand out like crazy. I definitely hope they adjust that... wouldn't mind if they adjusted the weight for flying over people up to 6.5lb too so I had one less thing to worry about getting in trouble for with the Inspire 1. Or at least a way to get an exemption for it for commercial applications. That is flat out awesome. I cannot wait to get my hands on a Inspire sometime in the future. It's been a while since I've checked in here, but following the rules and getting some flying time in this Winter has been a hassle. I finally got my P2 up in the snow and ended up with my first hard landing lol. Turns out 6K Feet alt and the 3.0 FW on the P2 allows it to descend way too fast with the same stick movements as at sea level and caused it to get caught in its vortex. I usually descend at an angle so I don't know why I ended up blowing that, but now I know for sure to bring her down much slower and at more of an angle at altitude to be safe. Not descending over an asphalt parking lot when there is snow next to it would also be a good idea in the future as well methinks. Luckily though the gimbal was tweaked (and apparently bent a axle or something as it drags just enough to piss off the hor motor) the rest of the drone was fine and after getting a couple sets of the new version props, the drone flys even better than ever and I feel the added thrust will help at high alt. Snowmobiling test run This was a Snow Test Run and I am hoping to pair up with the guy I shot on the Turbo Polaris and his contact that does hillclimbs and wants to get drone video involved with it. If all goes well I feel an Inspire1 would make an excellent fit if speed and high alt performance becomes an issue with The stockish P2. I also finally got the part I needed for the P2V+ from those guys in the UK that makes an adapter plate to use the stock P2V+ software with the H3-3G Gimbal. Haven't installed it yet but I will report back how it all works later. Now that I have a new gimbal on the P2, I can use the one that got dinged as a testbed for the P2V+ with the Broken V+ Gimbal.
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Feb 16, 2015 21:52
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What do you guys use for cameras? Prices on helipal.com range from over $200 to upwards of $1000 for an fpv system that does not appear to include a camera. Like this thing: http://www.helipal.com/storm-all-in-one-fpv-combo.html ($311). But then you get guys like this that include the camera, the transmitter, the receiver, and a quadcopter for less than $200: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/JJRC-H9D-2-4...=item19f9f6617d ($150) There's a variable I'm not seeing here.
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Feb 16, 2015 22:34
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DreadLlama posted:What do you guys use for cameras? That storm setup, you're paying for the work they put into the kit. That's really about $200 in stuff. And you're expected to have a gopro to get video from. And I don't know what to say about the H9D other than, I've never heard of it. I use a Sony security camera for my FPV camera. .. Both of my FPV cameras actually. I'll be trying out using an 808 based camera on the next bird, but that one is not meant to be flown fast, and mostly used as a camera platform. Where the video lag is somewhat acceptable. Most FPV rigs use a $50-100 VTX and VRX combo. Usually 5.8gig, but sometimes 1.2 gig or 900mhz. Either 8 or 32 channel. (The 32 channel stuff is what the fatshark/immersion stuff uses.. mostly) The cameras themselves are $15-80, depending on their quality, size, case, etc. So the stuff on the aircraft, isn't all that expensive. You might consider $10 or so for power filtering, or another few bucks for a gimbal of some sort.. The ground stuff, is wildly variable. Your display can be a screen you bolt to your radio, it can be goggles, it can be a base station that looks like a sci-fi control box. Displays start at 20-30, and go up to 3-400 depending on weather or not they have integrated receivers. The cheapest way to go is to get a analog input tv, with the VRX that comes with your VTX. I ended up with the $58 Quanam goggle set. Which leads us to goggles. Most goggles are $3-500. They're "immersive" but expensive. Some have built in VRX's. Others require a video feed from your VRX. You also need to consider your power setup. I power my ground rig with a 2200 3s pack.
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Feb 16, 2015 23:12
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DreadLlama posted:What do you guys use for cameras? I use this camera. http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__64229__Fatshark_600TVL_High_Resolution_FPV_Tuned_CMOS_Camera.html With this VTX http://www.banggood.com/FPV-FT952-5_8GHz-32CH-200MW-Video-Mini-Transmitter-SMA-Female-p-933921.html And this screen/receiver http://www.banggood.com/Boscam-RX-LCD-5802-5_8GHz-LCD-Diversity-Receiver-7-Inch-Monitor-p-908273.html At the races this weekend most people were running Fatshark googles of some sort but at least 4 of use ran some sort of screen. Worked out really well for me. This video gives a pretty good idea of what I was seeing during the race. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh-v9mClmnI
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Feb 17, 2015 01:35
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Thank you for replying, first off. I appreciate that citizens of the United States are very concerned with the new proposed FAA regulations and said have come to dominate recent discussions. So, thank you. That said, regarding cameras and transmitters: Can you recommend a good rig combo? Or even a good retailer? A lot of the stuff I've found seems overpriced. A camera/transmitter/receiver shouldn't cost more than a camera/transmitter/receiver/screen/drone/battery/controller, even if all of the latter are of the lowest possible quality. That said, your rundown of ground setups is insightful. I don't need a monitor and ground power isn't really an issue. I plan to survey a local area and I've a TV screen handy. Also I've a laptop handy, and if there's any expensive hardware that can be supplanted by cheap software, I can likely make use of it. Background: I own an area in Ontario which is supposed to be covered in trees. The government wants it to be covered in trees so badly that they are offering grants to see that it's made so: http://www.treesontario.ca/programs/index.php/fifty_million I need to define an area in which I plan to have trees planted and provide proof that I'm not cutting them down for lumber for a period of 15 years. My area used to be cow pasture and all I've got at the moment is a lot of prickly ash, red cedar/juniper, and mosquitoes. It'd be better for everyone if I had pine, maple, and spruce. Some people are making a commitment to hire out bush pilots to come and survey their land 4 times a year for 15 years. I say, "gently caress that. I'll do it myself." The government of Canada will pay me $1.17 per tree that I can prove I plant. If I can drive down the costs of proof low enough, I can buy up more land and poo poo trees all over it. I'm really not interested in 3D flips and extreme action sports. I want to monitor 58 acres for rogue lumberjacks and ruminants. But I've got to know what I'm pointed at. Surely there's got to be an FPV solution I can fly from my desk. This is the area I'm talking about by the way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nQOhJt1EM
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Feb 17, 2015 02:49
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DreadLlama posted:Thank you for replying, first off. I appreciate that citizens of the United States are very concerned with the new proposed FAA regulations and said have come to dominate recent discussions. So, thank you. You'll probably want a fixed wing UAV for something like this, and ideally something you can automate to just fly a grid for you and compile the imagery. There are agricultural solutions that will meet your needs, I'd recommend reaching out to some of those companies first for estimates on full solutions before you decide if it's better to build your own. Here's one company I've talked to recently that have a pretty great model: http://www.honeycombcorp.com/ edit: really if you're trying to be totally budget-minded and this is only required to happen quarterly why not buy a fixed wing like the one honeycomb has and offer to image your neighbors land as well so they can pay you? MMD3 fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 02:58
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DreadLlama posted:Thank you for replying, first off. I appreciate that citizens of the United States are very concerned with the new proposed FAA regulations and said have come to dominate recent discussions. So, thank you. I think FPV setups require you to have a clear line of transmission between your tx and rx. Trees and phone poles won't give you a lot of trouble, but the wall of a building might. Do you NEED FPV? If you own the land can you not use a flight controller with a GPS and just program it to fly autonomously around your property taking photos/videos? Or are there people potentially underneath? helno posted:You need a nice big glider with a camera that points down. bring back old gbs fucked around with this message at 03:15 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 03:03
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DreadLlama posted:I want to monitor 58 acres for rogue lumberjacks and ruminants. But I've got to know what I'm pointed at. Surely there's got to be an FPV solution I can fly from my desk. You need a nice big glider with a camera that points down. Ardupilot allows you to automate this kind of thing with certain Canon cameras. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZGWmNXylMs
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Feb 17, 2015 03:08
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3drobotics has an rtf solution for that as well. Comes with a canon s100 (what I'll be using until I buy a sony a5100), and Pix4Dmapper LT 3DR Edition. There are probably better deals out there (its 4 grand more than their regular version and I'm wondering how much is just for the pix4dmapper software). https://store.3drobotics.com/products/aero-m my x-talon sits in the kitchen, lonely, waiting for the gimbal a friend from the makerspace sells and time. I need to figure out all the other servo / motor parts that go into this though. moron izzard fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Feb 17, 2015 |
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Feb 17, 2015 04:27
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My MSRX is finally a happy bird for me. I "might" consider stuffing an o-ring on top of the top bearing to take out the main rotor shaft slack. It's got an aluminum rotor head, and swash plate. A FAI fuselage. The "normal" landing gear, instead of the FAI gear. Some KBB bulleted main rotors. And now, most importantly, new batteries. 550 mah batteries. As opposed to the stock 200mah, or 250mah aftermarket batteries. It's heavy. It flies heavy. I like it. It's the utter polar opposite from my Nano CPX. I should get pictures of this monstrosity.
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Feb 18, 2015 07:54
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So If I wanted to get into drones for basic things like flying in my backyard, scaring wild animals and birds (and possibly spying on girls!), would I be ok with a DJI Phantom 2? I have a gopro H4 already, there's some decent used kits around me that already have spare props and gimbals and such. I also do a lot of work assisting an architecture photographer, might be worthwhile to add aerial work to help line my pockets once I get decent at it. Can I use the Gopro app on my tablet to connect to the camera and use that for E: Apparently the drone control remote and gopro wifi operate on the same frequency and can interfere and cause crashes. Others say they don't. E2: Also, if I press record, does it record to the card on the gopro, or do I have to have something on the ground to capture the video footage? red19fire fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 10:18
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If you're really just interested in aerial photography, then a phantom 2 would be alright. They have one out now with the h4-3d, which was designed for the hero 4 (though you can get by with the h3-3d and some dimes to balance out the gimbal yourself) http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00SHUEPBK/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new (they're having midweek deals this week and maybe next, 899 is pretty alright for the newest revision with the new gimbal. just try and buy from someone that does full service and support) Don't use the gopro app. accessories I'd recommend are the mini iosd, and a 5.8ghz fpv setup. Before I turn on the phantom, I hit record on my gopro edit: fpv stuff Monitor / receiver: White Dwarf 7" (black pearl is also popular, this one is definitely brighter though) immersionRC 5.8ghz vtx. Overkill, and requires a ham technician license to legally use. You could look for the 25mw version if you really wanted. IOSD Mini Plug and Play cable. If you know how to solder, you don't need this, everything required to assemble one is provided with the vtx / p2 / iosd Antenna: theres such a wide range of prices for this. I was fine with the flysight pair I had, I'm fine with the ibcrazy ones I had, the immersionRC ones are good, but those are all in the 40-70 dollar range for a pair. Maybe try these from cheapdrones - the nice thing with these is that you get all the adapters you need (the VTx uses SMA connections, while the monitor / receiver uses RP-SMA). If you go with a pricier one, take note of what kind of connection it is (most likely sma) and make sure you get the correct adapters if needed. You'll also need a second antenna on the receiver (it is a diversity setup) so a high gain directional antenna is a good 2nd. I got this one on ebay, you can get with either SMA or RP-SMA connections (if you buy on amazon, specify which one you need with the seller) Monitor mount: all the china ones are garbage. I printed this one, and you can buy a similar one on ebay (that one is actually available on ebay, but I'm not going to link it as he isn't following the license terms for that design atm.) I got a taranis mount from this guy and it was well designed. moron izzard fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Feb 18, 2015 |
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Feb 18, 2015 15:45
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I picked up a pair of Dromida Ominus RTF quad rotors for the wife and I to learn how to fly but do to the bad weather I really haven't done much flying besides trying to hover in the living room and set the trim so it doesn't drift as much. Not sure if I need to reset and calibrate the fight controller or not at this point. As much as I want to do FPV I have to learn how to fly first before kitting something together. Any good tutorials or YouTube videos recommended I can go by?
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Feb 18, 2015 18:13
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evilnissan posted:Any good tutorials or YouTube videos recommended I can go by? heres some super basic stuff http://myfirstdrone.com/tutorials/how-to-fly-a-quadcopter/how-to-hover-a-quadcopter/ http://myfirstdrone.com/tutorials/how-to-fly-a-quadcopter/bank-turns/
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Feb 18, 2015 18:48
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http://www.horizonhobby.com/helicopters/blade-helicopters/350-qx2-ap-combo-rtf-with-safe-reg%3B-technology-blh7900 Any of you guys know much about this particular quad? Dad linked it to me, i'm thinking it'd be a decent, cheaper alternative to a Phantom 2 + GoPro. Camera and video quality both seem to be pretty nice, and i'm liking the fact that it's ready to go right out of the box.
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Feb 19, 2015 01:19
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A Yolo Wizard posted:
Also, getting your ham license is super easy. Use it as an excuse to get one.
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Feb 19, 2015 04:17
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T1g4h posted:http://www.horizonhobby.com/helicopters/blade-helicopters/350-qx2-ap-combo-rtf-with-safe-reg%3B-technology-blh7900 I feel like the 350qx is a sporty quad they tried to rebrand by nailing a gimbal to the bottom. Its definitely got some issues, as discussed in the vid. Also don't follow the hand landing advice 16 minutes in unless you have a real drat good reason though (like you're trying to land it in the middle of the desert or a swarm of cute puppies and toddlers suddenly appear below your quad) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMbKNiVomZk moron izzard fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Feb 19, 2015 |
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Feb 19, 2015 04:50
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A Yolo Wizard posted:I feel like the 350qx is a sporty quad they tried to rebrand by nailing a gimbal to the bottom. Its definitely got some issues, as discussed in the vid. Interesting, the Blade seems way more touchy for sure after watching that. Sadly, the only ones I can seem to find are either out of stock, or come without the camera and run about the same as a Phantom 2 + GoPro if you want the camera included. Damnit, this hobby is way too expensive sometimes  Thanks for the video though! I'm seriously interested in getting into aerial photography, i'm just trying to find the sweet spot of being able to take good photos without going completely broke buying the equipment.
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Feb 19, 2015 05:34
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I have a problem with my FPV setup. I'm not quite sure why this is happening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GV1QcKQDBU
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Feb 19, 2015 05:37
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Odette posted:I have a problem with my FPV setup. I'm not quite sure why this is happening. Looks to me like the camera itself is losing power and turning off. Is your battery voltage sagging below the camera's minimum power due to high-throttle/amp draw?
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Feb 19, 2015 08:44
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CrazyLittle posted:Looks to me like the camera itself is losing power and turning off. Is your battery voltage sagging below the camera's minimum power due to high-throttle/amp draw? 3S battery -> LC filter -> immersionRC 5.8GHz 600mW -> iRC 5V Out -> 5V to 12V step-up regulator -> 12V camera. As far as I know, this is a pretty common set-up so it shouldn't be happening at all.
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Feb 19, 2015 09:22
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Odette posted:3S battery -> LC filter -> immersionRC 5.8GHz 600mW -> iRC 5V Out -> 5V to 12V step-up regulator -> 12V camera. Why not just pull 12v straight from the LC filter?
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Feb 19, 2015 09:42
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Odette posted:3S battery -> LC filter -> immersionRC 5.8GHz 600mW -> iRC 5V Out -> 5V to 12V step-up regulator -> 12V camera. that step up regulator is introducing a lot of noise. I'd power the camera straight off the LC filter. That will also help get rid of ground noise that could be coming from the transmitter.  So.. everything CAN fit in a QFO airframe.
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Feb 19, 2015 13:54
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A Yolo Wizard posted:heres some super basic stuff Thanks! The videos with the control sticks superimposed are very helpful. If I just want so ham fisted or ham thumb'd in this case.
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Feb 19, 2015 16:21
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