FPV Mini Quad flying: The K-Quad Progress
27This is to document the various stages of development of my K-Quads, as designed and printed by my friend Neil (krikey72)
To expand on the video slightly, and explain the changes. I started out using a 2s setup with the Turnigy 1811-3800 motors with a KK2.1. This started off well, but one of the problems I found was that the motors wouldn't last the distance. I was trying to tune out wobbles in the quad, but I noticed it was being caused by some of the motors pulsing at high revs. The connections to the windings are so fragile that they are easy to damage. So all my efforts with the KK2 tuning, and new firmware, and then new firmware on the ESCs were useless.
By the time Neil revised his design for the V5, lots of people had jumped on the RCX motors, and as I was having issues with my original motors it seemed like a good time to go 3s. The result was terrible wobble once again.
Could it be the FC, I noticed I was having the tune down the gains on the kk2 so low that the quad was loosing it's attitude, and yet there was still wobble there. So after some weeks of trying I managed to get a naze32 board - it handled the issues better, but there were still issues.
Perhaps the ESCs then, I got myself some Afro 12A escs - which I ended up not even trying - why, because Coyote and his friend Keith had been doing some research and found there was a synching issue with many ESCs and these motors. The verdict was to use the RCX ESCs or get some HK10a and flash them with BLheli - I opted for the later.
So the last flights shown are from Monday, it's not wobble free, but I've flying with an 808 camera on a few pieces of rubber hose, which is good fort light vibration but can be caught by the wind. I also need to backoff the naze32 gains slightly as I can hear the motors fighting a little. It is however so much better than before, so I'm very happy I've got something to work with, and a fun quad to fly around.
Neil was selling these (and probably still will if anyone wants one) but he's also released his designs into the public domain, so if you have a 3d printer, then you can print one yourself.
The original design http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:299143
The v5 design http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:397036
To clarify, the designs were made as a cheap alternative to quads like the Blackout and QAV250 (which are expensive) They are functional, but printed PLA or ABS is not the same as 3mm thick woven carbon fibre, so these things will break a lot easier, and won't hold up well as the single piece molded HobbyKing 250 frame - but it's a great thing to print your own flying machines :)