...that didn't end well Having been doing laps of the paddocks with the Floater Jet in an effort to fine tune the mobius FPV system and maximise the range, I decided to give the system a try on the DC-3 because this would sit the transmitter further away from motors and battery than was possible in the confines of the Floater Jet.
I must admit having some misgivings about this venture as the DC-3, in this fixed-undercarriage guise anyway, is a rather unstable platform, having a tendency to nose up heading into the wind or on too much throttle, ending up in a dramatic stall as is ries to climb ever more steeply.
The flight went OK until, at the extreme of range, the DC-3 flew in the radio shadow of the tree bordering the field. Usually I'd been more careful and stood in the middle of the paddocks to avoid just such an event. Being at the limits of transmission, the modest tree, that one which I have flown into numerous times, was sufficient to completely block the video signal. I cut power and it dipped a little, then started to climb. When the video flashed back on all I could see was blue sky. Dipping down again, I have slight glimpses from the camera, desperately trying to compensate the increasingly wild flight of the Dakota. Unfortunately the video never restored sufficiently, the signal failing again before, finally, there was just static as I stood, still holding the elevator down, just in case it may still help...
...getting there Lately I've been doing a lot of FPV flying, almost all of it with the Floater Jet, as I try to fine-tune the system and push the boundaries to determine what's reliably possible. Although the flying isn't spectacular, one benefit is that there's plenty of pleasant scenery and, on this particular afternoon, lovely clouds in abundance.
While the FPVsystem doesn't have the capability to go flying in the clouds, it's enough to get a pleasant view and see the cloud footprints dotting the landscape. So far the mobius and dock have managed to go 1.2km while still maintaining a clear, if graining, picture. As regards height I wouldn't not sure as my estimation is not very accurate. However we'll be getting a variometer with altimeter soon, so will be able to check how we're doing on altitude...
..chilled-out cruising The journey into the hills to slope soar the Floater Jet on the strong westerly wind had turned out disappointing; the slope-facing breeze sliding away to the north with the Floater Jet barely for a few minutes.
Soaring out of the question, I lay on the hilltop watching the clouds changing until the breeze had abated. With the sky clearing as well, I loaded a fresh battery into the Floater for a pleasant cruise around the slopes. The sky cleared as I flew, with the sun coming through increasingly to bathe the ridge in golden rays and give some warm texture to the clouds. No lift of course, but nevertheless a leisurely twenty minutes flying, turning in to the ridge-top only when the battery was depleted…
Some afternoons are just great for getting the glider out, especially when a beautiful blue sky is dotted with fluffy cumulus pointing out potential lift spots.
A few times I've had some luck with the Phoenix and the Raptor. In fact I've even managed to get some lift flying here in the venerable Floater Jet!
There was one minor glitch; the props didn't fold and so continued windmilling whenever I had turned the power off. This, I think, was a remnant of the recent beach sloping, with some grit remaining in the prop holding up the works. This particular afternoon I didn't have much luck thermalling despite the beautiful conditions, but it was a scenic flight nonetheless. Part of the problem is the lit is better higher but at the same time it's harder to assess what's happening from the ground the higher you get.
And, when I've got my mobius FPV system fully sorted, I'm hoping to get it onto the Raptor so that I can try thermalling from first-person view, which should be fun...
...pretty good so far
As I mentioned before, I've recently got an FPV system to complement the Mobius, consisting of a Docking Station with integrated FT592 transmitter and a RX-LCD5802 monitor with integrated receiver and battery.
This works straight up with the FT592 transmitter, however a little trial and error is required to get a frequency which is free from 2.4GHz interference. While there shouldn't be any, it can happen if there isn't a solid link between Tx and Rx.
After having tried several combinations, I've settled on channel D3 as suggested in an online forum, and found it to provide solid video quality up to around 800m, when it starts to get grainy. Ultimate range is around 900m, with the interference bands appearing and the video losing colour. Worthy to note that the Mobius doesn't have to be recording to output video, and that likewise it will not switch off with the power input via the integrated voltage regulator. Also, if you do have your Mobius recording and the card fills, there's no fatal error. In fact you get a warning displayed on the monitor but you can carry on flying.
So I'm pretty happy with a solid 800m range from this mini system. However, as I'm wanting better range than that, I'm going to try a helical antenna, although I'll be getting a budget version as I'm not going to spend $100 on a copper spiral...
...beautiful afternoon My favourite flying conditions, usually, are when it's sunny with interesting clouds. This afternoon was also quite windy and gusty, not unpleasantly so but not ideal for the Dynam DC3 which isn't as stable and docile as one would imagine. Nevertheless, with developing clouds sweeping across the field, it made for a wonderful backdrop to cruising the DC3 around.
Despite twin props, the DC3 doesn't even approach being rapid, so full-throttle flypasts are moderately brisk accompanied by a faint high-pitched whine. But it's still good to punt around, and of course looks the deal even if it's nastier to fly than the full-scale original...
For a while I've been considering getting an FPV system but, with the complexity, cost and choice of systems and components out there, I had deferred on the matter indefinitely.
A few things bothered me; firstly having to have two cameras because the supplied FPV cameras only supply video without storage capability. Secondly goggles; purported to be the best to provide an immersive experience but having low resolution and a limited field of view for the most-part, unless you're happy to spend the best part of $1,000 on HD goggles. And having to buy corrective lenses separately if you wear glasses.
Then I discovered that they'd released a Mobius Docking Station with a built-in transmitter. This takes care of getting the video stream from your mobius while still enabling you to record as you would usually. All that is required is a 2-4S power input on a JST plug, making it a simple plug-and-play application.
Next, reviewing FPV screens as a cost-effective alternative, I came across the RX-LCD5802, a 7 inch FPV Monitor with a 800x480 screen. What's nice is that is has integrated 5.8GHz 32CH diversity receiver and built-in battery. Furthermore, the screen image is clear and bright and it has OSD and an auto-search facility. Only, get this off eBay; the same thing just much cheaper!
The net result is remarkably simple and effective; connect the antenna to the dock, slide the mobius into the dock and connect a power via a JST lead. The mobius should power-on automatically and you'll now be transmitting video!
Then, screw the antennas onto the RX-LCD5802, hit the power button and within a second you'll be seeing crisp clear footage straight off your mobius.
