Recent content by docramage

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    An good quality ND filters availible??

    I bought some cheap graduated ND filters on ebay. Compared to the prices for famous names, they were amazingly cheap - about £4.50 for a pack of 3 in a good case. They came from China (where else . . .). They are made of plastic - so you can cut them to size if you are careful. While no doubt...
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    P2 Intelligent Battery - cleaning terminals?

    There are a number of posts suggesting problems with voltage drop in flight - all very difficult to confirm unless you have a logger etc. I believe both the spade contacts and the monitoring contacts in this battery are gold-plated - and so presumably are their opposite mates on the Quad...
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    Estimating Altitude

    Yep - I like all those. Keep them coming . .
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    Video seems Dark

    I guess your camera is adjusting the exposure in response to the sky being lighter. I have fitted a "graduated neutral density filter" to my camera, which darkens the sky and improves the ground picture. ND filters can be expensive - unless you buy a Chinese one on ebay, where they are very...
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    Estimating Altitude

    Does anyone have any "rule of thumb" method of estimating the altitude of our toys? I realise there are many technical solutions such as loggers and range-finders - which I don't have. It is also possible to program the birds not to exceed a given ceiling - but it would be helpful to discover if...
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    P3A vs P2V+ Flight Times (Effect of Prop Guards)

    My experience is with RC Heli battery monitors, most of which are designed to assess batteries with one, two or three cells. They read the initial voltage and guess how many cells (ie around 4, 8 or 12v). They then monitor the volts, taking the initial voltage as 100% However, with an...
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    4 propellers came off mid flight

    I was always intrigued by DJI's startling discovery that screw threads are "self-tightening". Well of course they are . . . just so long as the torque is in the correct direction - otherwise they are self-loosening. While testing crash scenarios with my phantom tethered on a 12-foot nylon...
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    Horizon not straight

    I'm not convinced that dead-level is mandatory, but it is easy to guarantee. Purchase a spirit level and stick it (using silicone glue) to the top of the casing. Such levels are very cheap and made of plastic, so shouldn't interfere with GPS. Philip
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    Flyway due to Unbalanced Propeller?

    See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_freedom Philip
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    Flyway due to Unbalanced Propeller?

    I’ve 15 years experience building and flying R/C helis: I’m no expert – but I know lots about analysing fatal crashes . . . At about the 60th flight with my Phantom 2 I had my first senior moment – a minor argument with a small tree, and lost about 15mm from tip of one prop. Keen to...
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    2-d Gimbals - advice please

    Am considering a gimbal for my Ph2, but don't quite understand the principles. Is the levelling signal taken from the Phantom's inertial unit, or does the Zenmuse employ it's own on-board accelerometer/gyros to assess an artificial horizon. If so - couldn't a gimbal derive the signals from the...
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    1st Solo Flight..low battery and shut down Questions

    "Advanced new controller with annoying throttle lock..which makes start up a little weird..." If like me you've been used to RC Helis or cars etc, the throttle lock certainly seems odd. However, unlike helis and cars you will spend most of the time with the throttle mid-stick - even while on...
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    Is GPS always on

    Phantom 2: I realise there are times when Im not using GPS, like when in atti mode or when GPS hasn't aquired sufficient satellites, but is it nevertheless always on and trying to acquire satellites? Phiip
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    bricked LiPo

    Are the spade contacts clean? If they get a bit dirty or oxidised the Phantom may read the voltage ok, but will fall over as soon as any current is drawn. Also check the tiny (almost hidden) monitoring contacts Philip
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    GPS tracker - RF-V16

    Re: GPS tracker - RF-V16 UK Sim Cards I am in UK and have the Rf-V16, but need advice about SIM contracts. I have a cheap and cheerful backup mobile phone with a PAYG sim card. This costs £10, no monthly fee, and requires only that I use it once a month (just send myself a brief text): it's...