Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ArduPilot Mega 2 Hexacopter

Collapse

Zenm Tech Pte Ltd

Collapse

Visit Zenmtech at rc.zenmtech.com

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    ArduPilot Mega 2 Hexacopter

    Click image for larger version

Name:	Decapitator.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	74.0 KB
ID:	984750

    Finally finished assembling my hexa and did a short hover in the living room. Fingers are tired from all the soldering today....

    Spent the last few hours futzing with the firmware setup, calibration other assemblies.

    NTM motors 750k worked great!. Gemfan 11" Carbon reinforced props. Flight Controller Ardupilot Mega 2.

    Very stable...


    #2
    Great job man!
    as a beginner myself, before jumping into the game, I want to know what is the cost breakdown (approximately) before I undertake this project. Thanks.

    Originally posted by Weeliano View Post
    [ATTACH=CONFIG]115171[/ATTACH]

    Finally finished assembling my hexa and did a short hover in the living room. Fingers are tired from all the soldering today....

    Spent the last few hours futzing with the firmware setup, calibration other assemblies.

    NTM motors 750k worked great!. Gemfan 11" Carbon reinforced props. Flight Controller Ardupilot Mega 2.

    Very stable...

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by cdckjn View Post
      Great job man!
      as a beginner myself, before jumping into the game, I want to know what is the cost breakdown (approximately) before I undertake this project. Thanks.
      Cost Breakdown for my Hexacopter

      1. SIX600 Fiberglass & Aluminum 6-axial DIY Frame - High Landing Skid from Himodel.com - $25.04 USD
      2. Gemfan 11x4.7 Nylon Carbon mix Prop CW/CWW pair from Himodel - $2.95 x 2 USD
      3. NTM Prop Drive Series 2836 750kv with Accessory Pack (ordered separately from HobbyKing) - $17.10 x 6 USD
      4. Modified 30A ESCs flashed with Simon K's custom firmware from SG drones - $20SGD round off to $15 x 6 USD
      5. APM 2.0 Purple Fully Assembled Flight Controller from SG drones - $260 SGD round off to $200 USD
      6. HK600GT landing skid (H60039) and HK600GT landing skid pipe (H60137) (ordered separately from HobbyKing) - $3.13 USD
      7. 10CM Male to Male Servo Lead (JR) 26AWG (10pcs/set) - $4 USD
      8. 10CM Servo Lead (Futaba) 32AWG Ultra Light (10pcs/set) - $1.99 USD
      9. Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 12AWG (1mtr) BLACK - $2.49 per meter
      10. Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 12AWG (1mtr) RED - $2.49 per meter
      11. PolyMax 3.5mm Gold Connectors 10 PAIRS (20PC) - $1.50 x 2 USD
      12. Turnigy 6mm Heat Shrink Tube - BLACK (1mtr) - $0.25 USD per Meter
      13. Turnigy 6mm Heat Shrink Tube - RED (1mtr) - $0.25 USD per Meter
      14. Nylon XT60 Connectors Male/Female (5 pairs) GENUINE - $ 3.19 USD

      (items 7 to 14 ordered from HobbyKing)

      Grand total $444.33 USD not inclusive of shipping for overseas items.
      items not included are Batteries and Radio Transmitter and Receiver.

      Optional items - 3DR telemetry radio $130 SGD (soldering required for pins)
      3DR GPS U-Blox LEA-6 $121.99 SGD ( modification required to the APM2)

      Other items needed are,
      Double sided foam mounting tape, PVC container to protect the APM2 flight controller. 200W soldering iron and flux core soldering lead. Hands free soldering stand, this is a MUST have for soldering wires and connectors . Cutters, pliers, hex and ordinary screwdrivers. Screws and nuts to secure the landing gear, default screws are too small from the frame kit I bought, so I used my own 3mm bolts and lock nuts. Nylon cable ties to tie the wider landing gear to the narrower landing gear of the hexa frame. Velcro straps to hold the battery. Fiber tape for sticking the Power distribution cables to the frame. Glue gun to insulate the power distribution cable
      I built my own Power distribution using 2 loops of 12AWG black and red cables, soldered the ends together and made six cuts along the cable to remove a small section of silicon skin and carefully solder a female Polymax 3.5mm connector onto it. A separate cable is soldered with a XT60 connector for the battery. ESCs power cables are too short and are extended with the 12AWG cables and soldered with the male Polymax connectors in turn are connected to the self soldered Power distribution cables. A Lot of soldering work is required, make sure you work in a well ventilated area.

      Here's my latest flight report.

      I had a long sustained hover with 2 x 2200mah 25/30 3S paralleled Turnigy Lipos to test out the flight characteristics of my Hexa. Total about 10 minutes of hover flight before my voltage alarm screams and very good auto stabilization and very docile flying characteristics. Tried to fly acro mode but very dangerous in the living room. The stock firmware for the Hexa through the MAV is perfect. Hooked up the 3DR telemetry radio and it worked fine. This thing generates a mini tornado when it flies. The Simonk'd ESCs worked beautifully. The 11x4.7 Gemfan Carbon reinforced props and the NTM 2836 750KV generated more than enough thrust and lift, all six motors with the props going on at the same time generates mostly wind noise. My AUW is just slightly under 2kg, but I expect it to go beyond that when my Haiyin 4S 5000mah cells arrive.

      Comment


        #4
        Ah Missed out one more pair of propellers which is another additional $2.95

        Originally posted by Weeliano View Post
        Cost Breakdown for my Hexacopter

        1. SIX600 Fiberglass & Aluminum 6-axial DIY Frame - High Landing Skid from Himodel.com - $25.04 USD
        2. Gemfan 11x4.7 Nylon Carbon mix Prop CW/CWW pair from Himodel - $2.95 x 2 USD
        3. NTM Prop Drive Series 2836 750kv with Accessory Pack (ordered separately from HobbyKing) - $17.10 x 6 USD
        4. Modified 30A ESCs flashed with Simon K's custom firmware from SG drones - $20SGD round off to $15 x 6 USD
        5. APM 2.0 Purple Fully Assembled Flight Controller from SG drones - $260 SGD round off to $200 USD
        6. HK600GT landing skid (H60039) and HK600GT landing skid pipe (H60137) (ordered separately from HobbyKing) - $3.13 USD
        7. 10CM Male to Male Servo Lead (JR) 26AWG (10pcs/set) - $4 USD
        8. 10CM Servo Lead (Futaba) 32AWG Ultra Light (10pcs/set) - $1.99 USD
        9. Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 12AWG (1mtr) BLACK - $2.49 per meter
        10. Turnigy Pure-Silicone Wire 12AWG (1mtr) RED - $2.49 per meter
        11. PolyMax 3.5mm Gold Connectors 10 PAIRS (20PC) - $1.50 x 2 USD
        12. Turnigy 6mm Heat Shrink Tube - BLACK (1mtr) - $0.25 USD per Meter
        13. Turnigy 6mm Heat Shrink Tube - RED (1mtr) - $0.25 USD per Meter
        14. Nylon XT60 Connectors Male/Female (5 pairs) GENUINE - $ 3.19 USD

        (items 7 to 14 ordered from HobbyKing)

        Grand total $444.33 USD not inclusive of shipping for overseas items.
        items not included are Batteries and Radio Transmitter and Receiver.

        Optional items - 3DR telemetry radio $130 SGD (soldering required for pins)
        3DR GPS U-Blox LEA-6 $121.99 SGD ( modification required to the APM2)

        Other items needed are,
        Double sided foam mounting tape, PVC container to protect the APM2 flight controller. 200W soldering iron and flux core soldering lead. Hands free soldering stand, this is a MUST have for soldering wires and connectors . Cutters, pliers, hex and ordinary screwdrivers. Screws and nuts to secure the landing gear, default screws are too small from the frame kit I bought, so I used my own 3mm bolts and lock nuts. Nylon cable ties to tie the wider landing gear to the narrower landing gear of the hexa frame. Velcro straps to hold the battery. Fiber tape for sticking the Power distribution cables to the frame. Glue gun to insulate the power distribution cable
        I built my own Power distribution using 2 loops of 12AWG black and red cables, soldered the ends together and made six cuts along the cable to remove a small section of silicon skin and carefully solder a female Polymax 3.5mm connector onto it. A separate cable is soldered with a XT60 connector for the battery. ESCs power cables are too short and are extended with the 12AWG cables and soldered with the male Polymax connectors in turn are connected to the self soldered Power distribution cables. A Lot of soldering work is required, make sure you work in a well ventilated area.

        Here's my latest flight report.

        I had a long sustained hover with 2 x 2200mah 25/30 3S paralleled Turnigy Lipos to test out the flight characteristics of my Hexa. Total about 10 minutes of hover flight before my voltage alarm screams and very good auto stabilization and very docile flying characteristics. Tried to fly acro mode but very dangerous in the living room. The stock firmware for the Hexa through the MAV is perfect. Hooked up the 3DR telemetry radio and it worked fine. This thing generates a mini tornado when it flies. The Simonk'd ESCs worked beautifully. The 11x4.7 Gemfan Carbon reinforced props and the NTM 2836 750KV generated more than enough thrust and lift, all six motors with the props going on at the same time generates mostly wind noise. My AUW is just slightly under 2kg, but I expect it to go beyond that when my Haiyin 4S 5000mah cells arrive.

        Comment


          #5
          Hexa Power distribution cable.

          Here's a closer look of the Power Distribution Cable I made for my Hexa. I also used black foam blocks, cut from my HK KKboard boxes to prop up my APM2 controller. Used velcro and double sided mounting foam tape to secure both the board and receiver.Click image for larger version

Name:	HexaPDcable.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	446.0 KB
ID:	971680Click image for larger version

Name:	APM2mounted.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	425.5 KB
ID:	971681

          Comment


            #6
            Video and Photos



            The erratic flying is not because of the Flight Controller but because of the pilot putting the Hexa through the paces. The APM2 performed wonderfully! Superb auto stability.

            Click image for larger version

Name:	HexaAPM2_01.JPG
Views:	1
Size:	323.5 KB
ID:	971717Click image for larger version

Name:	HexaAPM2_02.JPG
Views:	1
Size:	366.5 KB
ID:	971718

            Used a pair of bicycle light sticks to help with orientation. The Carbon reinforced Nylon 11x4.7 GEMFAN props are excellent! NTM Brushless delivers more than enough power.

            Comment


              #7
              Cool!

              Comment


                #8
                power ...

                hexa here i come.

                My Toys :
                Helicopters: GW Xieda 9958 Mini Helicopter
                Quad 1: F450 Naza + GPS + FATSHARK FPV + Remzibi OSD
                Quad 2: F450 Naza + GPS + Gopro
                Quad 3: WLtoys V929
                Planes: Skylark L-9 Rubber Powered Freeflight
                OntheGround: Kyosho ULTIMA RB5, Kyosho ULTIMA RB5 SP2,



                Looking for a 450size Heli ARTF mayb LOL

                Comment


                  #9
                  Multicopter Calculator

                  Want to share this great link with everyone. This online calculator will help you figure out the best combination for your multirotors.

                  http://www.ecalc.ch/xcoptercalc_e.htm

                  Comment


                    #10
                    HaiYin Batteries are Here!

                    Hoo hoo! Look what the FedEx man have delivered! Unfortunately I bought the wrong plug adapter for my Battery, looks like I'll have to make a trip to the local hobby shop this Friday. Very well packaged and the quality looks pretty good. I'll test the battery on my hexa this Saturday and report my impressions. Massive brick of a battery and weighs 553gms on my scale.

                    Click image for larger version

Name:	FedExPack.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	127.3 KB
ID:	971737
                    Massive brick of a battery and weighs 553gms on my scale. As per online instructions, each battery comes pre-charged but not fully. After charging it registered over 16volts!!
                    Click image for larger version

Name:	HaiYin5000mah.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	153.3 KB
ID:	971738

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Very nice build!

                      Can I ask if it flies as it should in loiter mode?

                      I am a newbie who just build a quad with the APM2 but I am having problems with loitering.

                      The quad tends to drift off. Any pointers?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I just completed building my hexcopter.
                        Does anyone know how to enable external LED light to indicate GPS status.
                        I fitted 2 LED (red and blue) on MotorLED 7 and 8 but I think the information for both LEDs are the motor arm status.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Hi Bro,

                          Are you still playing with the adrupilot copter board. as I have got one. but have issue configuring it.
                          care to share your experience

                          thk u

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          X