PROJECT Phantom6

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So I was asking some questions on adding motors to my Phantom 1.1.1 and got the answers I wanted to hear, so I'm documenting the process of changing my phantom quad into a phantom hex. Originally, I had planned to just put the quad on a new chassis. But, when I opened up the case, I noticed the extra ports for more motors. In this thread, I plan to document the conversion from quad to hex. As mentioned in the other thread, I have a friend that has graciously offered to design an print a custom hex chassis for me. This, however, could be a while out, as he is quite busy with his own business, so I'm building a simple wooden chassis as a way to keep the project moving forward. As soon as we have a working design, I'll move all of the Phantom electronics into the new frame. Here are a couple of pics. The first is the disassembly process. The next is the template for the temporary chassis as I wait for the 3D printed one.
 

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I'm very interested in this project! Was thinking of changing my FC40 to a hex but wasn't sure how and what I challenges I would be facing.

I will be following your progress.
 
lake_flyer said:
I'm very interested in this project! Was thinking of changing my FC40 to a hex but wasn't sure how and what I challenges I would be facing.

I will be following your progress.

I'm not sure about the FC40. I have a P1.1.1, and it's practically a P2 out out of the box. It seems to be the same as a P2 in all respects, except for the battery. Does the FC40 have a Naza M V2?
 
My FC40 Naza module has this printed on it:

Naza
MULTIROTOR V2
DJI


And Macdoogal,
The perfect thread. Thank you. :D
 
If you have a Naza V2, you should be able to make the conversion. My big reservation is getting all the settings right when I get it put together again. I'm not so hot with the software stuff.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is interested in this expansion stuff. I'm sure the board will have to answer many more questions.

As far as the status of my build goes, I'm going to build the temporary frame this weekend (pics to follow), and I'm expecting to have all of the extra parts by Monday. I chose to stick with all stock parts to start off with, so I know everything will work together.

thanks to everyone for your interest.
 
Here is the beginning of the temporary wooden frame that I'm making to keep the project moving along. I went out and bought a 1" x 3" x 12" block of balsa wood to use as spacers. I also picked up a 24" x 48" piece of 1/4" plywood to mount everything to. I've laid out my lines and will begin cutting tomorrow. Here re some pics.
 

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Oh, and I forgot to mention, this new frame is 22" in diameter. I guess that makes it about a 550 class hex.
 
Some more pics of the frame construction.
 

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So, I made the firs additions to the actual phantom electronics today. I added the extra ESCs to the P1's power distribution board. Since the wires are not color coded on a DJI ESC, I had to puzzle it out. I noticed where the battery leads connect on the board, they're labeled, "GND" and "VCC". The ESCs also have this labeling. Solder them in according to their labels. I plugged in a battery and, bingo, all is well. Here are some pics...
 

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Very nice, keep em coming.

I'm all eyes, and it's not shock... :shock:
 
why dont you just put it onto a dji 550 frame for $30 it would be faster!!

but enjoy building frame i hope it doesnt flex to much!!
 
Im like twelve dollars into this frame, and I have a custom one coming from a friend who has a 3d printer. I decided to do this so I could keep the project moving along. My wooden frame has been weight reduced and comes in at 425g. Which is less than the flame wheel 550 (according to the weights on Hobby King.com). And it's pretty rigid. I used a basic box construction for the arms, so they will take a lot of load. I know it looks silly, but it'll get the job done for now.
 

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Thesmokeshow said:
why dont you just put it onto a dji 550 frame for $30 it would be faster!!

but enjoy building frame i hope it doesnt flex to much!!


Well I have to eat a little crow and admit defeat with the wooden frame. I still think the design is sound but the materials are not up to the task. When drilling holes for the motors the wood splinters too much and becomes weak. I guess that's what you get with plywood. So I ordered a 550 frame and will wait for it to arrive. It nded up being $42 on account of the $30 frame didnt have legs or a gimbal mount. I was hoping to avoid a new frame, as my 3D printer buddy has many cool ideas. I guess I'm better off this way as I wouldn't have seen a frame from him for months as he's got his own stuff going on. I'll continue posting after the new frame arrives.
 
I'm still thinking he should make a second one... ;)

You and Einstein, destined to fail... sometimes. :lol:

I look forward to your posts as you progress.
Thanks for sharing with us.
 
So I got the new frame and have been a busy little bee putting the phantom stuff in it. I'm, of course having to extend the ESC wires and such but it appears that this particular frame was designed with the Naza in mind, as it has an opening in it that displays the Naza perfectly. I'll keep posting as I progress.
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Sweet,

More pictures please. This looks like the coolest P1 I've seen yet.
 
So I've spent the afternoon finishing up the soldering. I have all of the ESCs reconnected and the new motors soldered to the new ESCs. I connected the battery and everything powers up but the ESCs complain that they're not connected to the flight controller. I'm gonna try to swing by the hobby store this afternoon to get some extension cables for the ESCs. I also have to figure out how to temp install the gps module until I can get the little AWACS looking thing for it. Here are some pics. I REALLY like the all black look.
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Some notes on the build.
The P1 power board has a little flange on the front that is simply for stabilizing it in the shell. I cut that off as there is no circuitry in it.
I'm going to cover the LEDs on the left and right (new) booms to avoid confusion with fwd and aft in flight. If you do this to your P1, buy two red ESCs as they are cheaper than one red and one green. I don't know why the greens are more expensive.
I'm sure I'm forgetting something, I'll add info as I remember it.
 
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You can change the LED color by moving one surface mount resistor on the ESC. It's next to the "A" motor pad. Presumably, you can make it light up yellow by installing another resistor.
 

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