Vision Camera Straight down view - Mod

funkdoobies · Jul 7, 2014

Evening all, I did a search but couldn't find this mod elsewhere? by all means delete this post if it's been done before!!.

Anyway, I've been wanting to get the straight down view without shelling out on the 3rd party gimbals just yet, I also wanted to see if it was possible and now i'm just wondering why DJI didn't do it right from the off!! . When messing about with my FC200 camera servo I noticed it has the ability to travel a lot further than the plastic shell allows. this could only lead to one thing... an afternoon off work and and angle grinder!!... it took all of 1 hour and the result is a camera that can go from horizontal to pointing straight down using the camera tilt in the DJI app!!.

1- remove camera
2- dremel away the back side two tabs of the camera
3- remove the X plastic that houses the servo and dremel out the back side
4- remove the gimbal mount thing thats attached to the Phantom shell
5- flip this upside down and then reattach to the Phantom
6- put the anti jello things back in
7- remount the camera making sure to attached on the right notches so get bet best travel back and forth
8- adjust servo setting in RC assistant to suit . mine are 1000 / -900 / -1000

it's all working perfectly, I just haven't had chance to send it out and record flight video as its raining and too windy! i'm just trying to work out how to make the photos smaller so i can upload them.

in the meantime here's a video filmed with a potato.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y2zBIO ... e=youtu.be

heres a short sample of the video from the cam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uHhFeWlgpI

ed.laveen · Jul 7, 2014

Please explain your antenna arrangement. How would you rate the performance?

funkdoobies · Jul 7, 2014

ed.laveen said:
Please explain your antenna arrangement. How would you rate the performance?

hi there,

I have 2 of the horizon Lhcp antenna mounted on the uav, with the black hawk Dual band 12dbi micro on the pilot end. cost about £100 to do this in total and I get about 1000 metres (3250 feet) range on the highest setting on my nexus gen 2, you need to point in the general direction but that's easily done with a quick radar check now and then. To be honest my rc drops out before video at around 1050 metres. I think i must have a dodgy 5.8ghz transmitter because i've heard of people doing that distance on stock rc easily. next mod will be the RC antenna (front and back) on the uav. After the Rc has been improved i'll be testing out the best positions on the Phantom for FPV antenna, at the moment they are just tie wrapped above the jello mounts. where they are currently positioned still allows full camera pitch without them touching the camera and I can still load the phantom in the peli case without removing the antenna.

tahazcity · Jul 14, 2014

Funk, I did the mod and can't get the camera to go completely 90 deg down. there is not interference with the mount, mechanically it can go there, but the +1000 to -1000 max limit does not allow to reach vertical position. It will not go 90 deg horizontal either. Did you do anything else or did I miss something, good modification and improved as it is. Thanks.'tahazcity

funkdoobies · Jul 14, 2014

You need to do full pitch down in the app and then seat the camera on the servo teeth so that the camera is 90 degrees down. It takes a couple of tries to get it properly seated but once you get it its spot on. The servo definatley has more range than djis design allows. I would suggest you keep trying slightly different positions on the servo cog....this is all I did. It took about 3 tries to get it o do the full range. No other mods were necessary, just position and full range in the app. Let me know if you me know if you get it sorted!

Happyflyer · Jul 15, 2014

This looks great. I am about to get the "jack Hammer" out and start to cut down the camera. Was interesting getting apart. All is well, so far.

funkdoobies · Jul 15, 2014

dirkclod said:
Well its done and I love it ! Gonna have to get taller landing gear though. I almost got it straight down but just off a little and hope I can fix in asst. Just don't know enough to change #'s with out some guidance so any help would be great. Thanks for a cool mod !! Heck till I took this I didn't even know I was bald on top :lol:

glad to see people are having success!. I think its all about what teeth you seat the camera on. i've gotta give some credit to ben7seven7 as it was watching his video that prompted me to do the mod. it may be that watching this will help you in the rc assistant. I just took the camera off and set my servo travel range to i think its 1000 each way and then played around with the camera start up settings until it started up facing horizontal. hope this video helps

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5TcGt4Nsp4[/youtube]

Happyflyer · Jul 15, 2014

I have the camera mod finished. Interesting little job. Love working with micro screws. The only way I can get the camera fully up or level and down to the max is with the 1000 -1000 settings. If I try any lower settings the camera will not go level or it will not go down as much as it does with the 1000 setting. In fact if it goes level then it will not go straight down. Close, but not fully down. Adjust the gear and it goes the other way. Fully down but will not up to level. It does go down much more than it did before the mod. So not bad.

funkdoobies · Jul 16, 2014

dirkclod said:
I took mine out this morning and sat it down to fire her up and when I powered up the battery the camera went to straight down . which of the 3 settings in asst do I change and maybe an idea to what ? Thanks

mine are set at 1000 / -900 / -1000. i'm currently at work but i'm guessing -900 is my camera start up position. I would set the values at these and power cycle, if the camera doesn't start horizontal then do a big jump from -900 and try -100 for you middle setting, power cycle and see where the camera starts up. that's give you an idea of which way you need to go with your values... if the values dotn work then i would have a look at what teeth the cam is seated on the servo. when i point my camera down the servo is at it's max... it doesn't try to go any further and likewise when it goes horizontal...

funkdoobies · Jul 17, 2014

dirkclod said:
Well here I am again,sorta feel like am talking to myself and answering too :shock: anyway just started to go in assit and try something else with this issue and the camera stayed where it was suppose to when I powered up :? Has to be in app or had slider in app part of the way down when I shut it off. will just leave be for now. Oh-well :roll:

Sorry dirklod, been kinda busy... If I get chance I'll double check my settings tonight but I'm not getting any problems? All I've done is extend the travel in the assistant, I used that ben7seven7 video to tweak it just right and then played about with it from there. It start up level but if I tilt it before I fly the can does move out of position but in flight I have no issues with can staying where I want?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEzGkzA ... ata_player

tahazcity · Jul 30, 2014

funkdoobies said:
You need to do full pitch down in the app and then seat the camera on the servo teeth so that the camera is 90 degrees down. It takes a couple of tries to get it properly seated but once you get it its spot on. The servo definatley has more range than djis design allows. I would suggest you keep trying slightly different positions on the servo cog....this is all I did. It took about 3 tries to get it o do the full range. No other mods were necessary, just position and full range in the app. Let me know if you me know if you get it sorted!

I see, that makes sense, I will do that. Thanks for the information.

Happyflyer · Jul 30, 2014

Did the cog adjustment about 10 times and still have full down and not full up. Tried Ben's settings and that really messed things up. The only time I get full max movement is with the 1000/-1000 settings anything less, it moves much less in each direction. The center number must be left at zero or the camera "droops" when flying. Bring camera up, fly for 200 feet, camera drops down and needs to be pulled up again with any number but zero.

funkdoobies · Jul 30, 2014

Happyflyer said:
Did the cog adjustment about 10 times and still have full down and not full up. Tried Ben's settings and that really messed things up. The only time I get full max movement is with the 1000/-1000 settings anything less, it moves much less in each direction. The center number must be left at zero or the camera "droops" when flying. Bring camera up, fly for 200 feet, camera drops down and needs to be pulled up again with any number but zero.

Hi, I'm in north cyprus at the moment, when I get back to blightey ill check my settings. In the meantime did you check the screw on the servo is not loose? Also revert all your travel settings back to stock,then check if the camera still drops down? It shouldn't do as the hardware won't know anything has been modded... Check again and see if the camera is still dropping? I'm not having any issues with mine. When I return and have some calm weather ill post some footage along with my settings and firmware

Regards

Happyflyer · Jul 30, 2014

After painting my deck today, I am too pooped to play with micro-screws. Maybe in the morning.

Happyflyer · Jul 31, 2014

After two hours of messing with the cog or small gear and many different numbers in the settings, I still have full up and not full down or the opposite. The cameras server just will not move a full 90 degrees. 86 degrees max. Not a problem, I get MUCH more down than I ever had.

blackwolfk9 · Feb 2, 2015

I finished this mod, but....the part that gave me a fit was making sure that BOTH sides of camera ears were trimmed back the same and far enough that the camera can make that final movement to 90 degrees. Which means if one isn't then the camera will be cocked a little and not let you get the correct gear tooth in the right position to get the camera seated.