CG03+ Camera Mount Notes

[WTFDproject]

This PDF was developed to assist a member whose CG03+ was pointing straight backwards after installing a new camera mount. Thought it might be useful here for anyone that may need it someday. Note the camera used to develop the PDF has wiring repairs and a white pig tail attached (long story). The wiring in your camera will look different, but it is the same camera.

 

[h-elsner]

The white pig tail tells me that the CGO3+ should be used at Q500. I wonder what happens to the yaw angle if it is not controlled, only tilt by PWM signal. Will it be free or poited forward? Will this smoothing function at yaw angle working as for CGO3?

br HE

 

[WTFDproject]

@h-elsner,
Yes, I was trying to use the camera on a Q500. There was no gimbal Yaw control, of course, but all of the 3 axis stabilization functions were normal, including the smoothing of drone Yaw changes. The camera stayed pointed straight ahead, no Yaw drift or strange alignments.

 

[h-elsner]

Thank you! Good to know.

 

[WTFDproject]

Thank you! Good to know.

@h-elsner,
I think you would enjoy the original goal of the CGo3+ pigtail. I was trying to use the camera on a Blade 350 QX3, flying without landing gear. The QX3 has been slightly modified to add knobs to the landing gear screws for easy removal, the antenna routed inside the frame, and the compass moved to an extra GPS mast mounted in front of the real GPS mast. The picture below shows the second modified QX3. The first had the front mast shortened for only appearance sake. (One of my grandsons “borrowed” the first one a while ago. I doubt I will ever see it again.)

With no camera mounted, the modified QX3 can be launched and landed in short grass or pavement. (Long grass or plain dirt makes a big mess.) With the camera mounted, the drone was launched from a simple launch stand built of PVC pipe, and was landed by “hand catch”. With the landing gear attached, it just behaves the same as any other QX3

The “tilt” was a problem, of course, but that is not why I abandoned the project. The real issues were significantly reduced flight time when using the CGo3+, and the “hand catch”. Especially the Hand Catch. The “Hand Catch” is always more risky than a normal landing. My hands are not as steady as they used to be, and my reaction time to unexpected movements is a little slower. I decided not to pursue the loss of my fingers. (Notice the proximity of the blades to the body.)

The advantage of the mod was a significant increase in agility. The drone is more responsive to maneuvers when flying without the landing gear. It makes it more fun for stunts and backyard “tree racing”.

 

[h-elsner]

I like that! And I like my Blade 350QX2 too.My first attempt was the compass on the nose. Now I have some kind of spoiler for compass and GPS antenna.
350QX is my experimental platform. It has two alternative receiver, on for spectrum (DX4) and one for ZigBee (ST10 or ST16). If there is a ZigBee receiver working, it sends back telemetry which is quite funny.
The ST10 or the ST16 can read and store the data sent by 350QX.

br HE

 

[WTFDproject]

This one also has both receivers. I had forgotten that. I could never get manual camera tilt to work with the ZigBee (from a Chroma, I think), so I don't use it much. Does the manual camera tilt work on yours?

 

[h-elsner]

I have no camera on it. It seems there needs an initial pulse to get it working. Some guys created a circuit to do this.
It was here in German with schema and source code:

Horizon CGO2 mit Standard Empfänger schwenken. - Sonstige Tutorials - Tutorials

Die CGO2 lässt sich nicht von einem normalen Empfänger ansteuern der ein Signal im Bereich 1000us - 2000us sendet.Hier eine kleine Selbstbaulösung.

www.kopterforum.de

Originally made for CGO2 but one guy said it works for his CGO3.

On this base a simpler circuit was made here:

Using CGO2 with standard PWM receiver - RC Groups

Mini-HowTo Using CGO2 with standard PWM receiver R/C Blogs

www.rcgroups.com

Hope this helps.