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Esprit Model . Thunder Power RC . Mikado Modellhubschrauber

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Aerial Photography and Video > More Show And Tell
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

Here are some pictures of my first attempt at building a camera mount for my X-Cell gasser. My objective was to keep it simple and operable, at least at this time, by one person, the pilot. I have it set up so I can trip the camera from an aux channel from the transmitter. It's just set up at this time to take still pictures and I'm using an inexpensive HP digital camera my son gave us for Christmas. (Don't want to risk anything too expensive yet.)

The mount attaches to the heli by the four bolts that normally attach the landing gear so it can easily be switched back and forth in a matter of minutes. It's made from aluminum stock purchased at the local Home Depot, and assorted nuts, bolts and left over heli parts. The total weight of the camera, mount, and extended landing gear is 4 pounds. A little heavy but it seems to be plenty strong as the L/G legs are made of 1/4 X 1'' aluminum, and the gasser doesn't seem to know it's there. I am using the same pitch and throttle curve settings and it has plenty of lift/power with 700mm blades.

At this time the direction of the mount is fixed but is designed so that pan and tilt could easily be added.

And there is also a picture I took of my house using this rig.

SEE POST BELOW FOR PICTURES

SteveH
05-16-2003 Over year old.
 
 
mr.rc-cam
Heliman
Location: USA

Your photo links are pointing to your C:\ drive. You need to ftp them to a web host and then link to the URL's.

RC-CAM
05-16-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

OR upload them to your RR gallery (free)

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05-16-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

One More Time

I'm shure you are tired of tring to see these pictures, but not as tired as I am of trying to load them, but here goes again, just to see if I can do it!






I think it's working now. Here's the picture I took of my house with the rig.


Hope it works this time. Thanks, Elossam.

SteveH
05-16-2003 Over year old.
 
 
FlightPower
Veteran
Location: Herts UK

It looks to me like the quality of that house photo is close to the theoretical limit for that camera. Excellent job!

re: "A little heavy but it seems to be plenty strong" - I wouldn't go out of my way to change that, it looks like you have a good bit of "sprung" weight to drive the isolators properly and no opportunity for flex or slop to creep in which can plague thinner materials. I really like the way that you have two distinct stages of isolation - the big boys at the top driven by the weight of the skids and the Lord mounts (or equivalent) driven by primarily by the weight of the camera mount which I guess is heavier than the camea. Another cool thing, I don't know if you noticed, the Lord mounts (or equivalent) are most flexible in torsion then shear and then vertical load in that order. Now the rotors deliver unwanted motion (in a hover) like a wobbling plate spinning on a pole, i.e. the worst stuff comes in from the sides, which is a perfect match for your countermeasures. It's a little different when the heli is in forward flight, you end up with figures of 8 and gross acceleration forces, but that's another story which is of little relevance to stills.

Nicely done, and no bank-breaker either, congratulations,

Julian
05-16-2003 Over year old.
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

Julian,

Thanks for your kind words of encouragement.

SteveH
05-16-2003 Over year old.
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

Looks pretty slick!
05-16-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

Thanks, Daggit.

SteveH
05-17-2003 Over year old.
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

what kinda camera trigger is that?

I just finished re-fitting my camera ship to run the Sony DSC-S85. Gonna do first tests TODAY!!

.
05-17-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

The camera trigger is a servo operating a semi flexible throttle cable used with RC airplanes. The bracket holding the camera end has several holes drilled in it so it can be moved to various locations for different cameras, again, cheap and simple. I use channel Aux 3 in my JR 8103 to drive the servo which trips the camera. Aux 3 is also the flight mode channel. I program Stunt 1 and Stunt 2 exactly the same, then program the endpoints on Aux 3 to get the servo throw I need, and then every time I switch from Stunt 1 to Stunt 2, the camera takes a picture.

SteveH
05-18-2003 Over year old.
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

SteveH

Very nice!

Here's mine... it's the Sony remote from a Sony mini tripod. I can add another mini servo to get zoom later It is screwed into an L shaped piece of aluminum with some black tape for extra security.

05-18-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

That looks a lot better than when I tried to use a servo horn directly. I had the servo mounted on a plastic servo mount double sided taped to the camera (because the mount is so much bigger than the camera I'm using) operating a 90 degree bellcrank tripping the camera. It worked but when I removed the camera from the mount, it still had the servo attached.

The set up I'm using now is much more flexible as it is not attached to the camera and will work with other cameras as well with a minor amount of adjustment. I realize the electronic shutter releases are probably a lot better, but what I'm doing is easier in that I don't have to go into the camera, and it will work with other cameras as well.

SteveH
05-18-2003 Over year old.
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

Your setup looks good. I had the same kinda trouble with my 35mm camera. I had the servo mounted on a post, but while removing and installing the camera it sometimes got out of alignment and wouldn't trigger the camera 100% of the time.

For the digicam, I also salvaged the mounting bracket from the tripod. It has a quick release mechanism, which is perfict considering access the the memory stick is gained throught the bottom of the camera.

I'm gonna borrow your idea for when I use the film camera.

I also agree about going into the camera, I think for reliabilty reasons, it's better not to mess inside... plus I'd like the camera for other uses sometimes!
05-18-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

Update

Just an update on this. Went to do some pictures of houses and houses under construction in the neighborhood the other day and disaster struck.

Immediately after takeoff the plastic main rotor hub on my X-Cell gasser came apart and you know the rest of the story. I've never crashed a heli so bad. After the rotor left the heli, which by the way just missed me and my truck, the heli did a slow roll to the right and went in on pavement hitting the main shaft first. I'd still like to know how it slow rolled without the rotor or control of the rotor. Anyway, it tore up the frames so bad that not only the mainshaft bearings were actually broken, but it broke the bearing blocks! Repair costs so far are at $475.

The only good news is the camera and mount are OK. Hmmm..., I guess this should tell me something.

SteveH
05-23-2003 Over year old.
 
 
FlightPower
Veteran
Location: Herts UK

Steve,

Thanks for the warning. I'm just so sorry it's cost you.

I know it's a bit late, but in one of my previous posts I reported a list of camera-load recomendations from Tim at Miniature Aircraft, key to which was the upgrade metal rotor head block.

http://runryder.com/helicopter/p163738/#p163738

You may want to consider some of this stuff in your re-build.

Again, very sorry to hear it.

Julian.
05-23-2003 Over year old.
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

Julian,

Thanks again. Yes I knew of these recommendations by M/A for the gasser. I figured at 16.5 lbs I could "get by" for a while, I just didn't realize how short that "while" would be. I am upgrading to all of the parts you have listed in my rebuild, and that, of course, is running up the price.

The only thing I am happy about is that the mount and camera are still useable. The camera had one broken plastic ear that helps hold the battery area shut, but it's still usable-good enough for this use. The mount came thru with just two bent aluminum pieces, the ones that bolt directly to the bottom of the frames, and I was able to straighten them.

The whole episode is just a vivid illustration of what happens when you try to cut corners.

SteveH
05-23-2003 Over year old.
 
 
daggit
Elite Veteran
Location: Waseca MN

SteveH

Sorry about your wreck man. You have a nice looking camera mount. would have liked to see the pics taken from it. I'm glad your rebuilding it.

I'm sure it's no comfort, but others can learn from this. I have the metal head on mine, bit I'll know better than to think about a stock head on my second gasser
05-23-2003 Over year old.
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
SteveH
rrProfessor
Location: Texas

Daggit,

Thanks, and I'll be back. Parts are on the way.

SteveH
05-26-2003 Over year old.
 
 
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GrandRC . CanoMod . Futaba-RC

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