Hi there everybody, my first post here! Please forgive my shitty english as I've been a little lazy on keeping up conversations with english-speaking friends.
I've received my P2V+ about a week ago; as I had previously read about the flyaway problem, I also bought a TK-102 GPS tracker to prevent losing the Phantom if anything goes wrong. I'd like to share with you the mount I'm developing (click the pictures for bigger images):
This is the tracker I've got (not sure if it's the original one, but it's working fine, fast GPS fix and answers quickly with coordinates):
This is the tracker after disassembly:
The tracker with all parts + SIM card weighs about 54g:
So, this was the first prototype I made, kind of "rushed" for attaching to the P2V+ while I developed a better mount. It's made on a FDM 3D printer, cheap PLA plastic. It's based on a mount available on Thingiverse.com, but I modified it to enclose the GPS, originally it was open on the front:
The weight for this part was about 33g:
So, I started out a second prototype. At first, I wondered why should I create a case to carry another case for the GPS? Why not just build a new case for the inner parts of the tracker, which attaches directly to the Phantom? So, I changed the design to keep the GPS horizontal, avoiding wind influence. Also, I redesigned the arms to keep it more stable, the original one would stand high and wobble a little, this one is a lot more sturdy and weighs less since I've changed the arms thickness and density a little. When it was done printing, I realized I'd made a huge mistake. Too tight tolerances! The case was exactly the size of the GPS board, so it wouldn't fit easily or without some hard sanding. I didn't even finish printing all the parts, and started re-printing a third modified version.
Well, this is the current design I'm using on the P2V+. I've managed to break off the end on one of the C-clips in the arm near the compass, but since it's not doing any harm and seems to be well-supported by the other three, I left it that way (for now). When I have more time I'll redo it, printing the front cover on another orientation in the printer so it gets better physical resistance due to layer orientation.
Printed parts:
Weights about 17g and can withstand some crashes (tested by dropping it from the second floor):
With the board assembled. The antenna is a simple adhesive one, it goes through a hole in the front cover. Buttons and LEDs are all visible on the side. There's a passage in one of the arms for inserting the charging cable. You can actually see the blue light for the GPS signal and the green light for the charger through the plastic, so In next version I'm going to close the holes I made for those.
Here it is, ready to be mounted, with some "security measures" on the top cover, adhesive antenna on the front, and antenna protected by a PVC tape layer.
Cables plugged in:
And finally, mounted on the Phantom:
I'm going to post the design on Thingiverse and Shapeways in case anyone wants to do their own. Hope you enjoy it, and happy flying!
I've received my P2V+ about a week ago; as I had previously read about the flyaway problem, I also bought a TK-102 GPS tracker to prevent losing the Phantom if anything goes wrong. I'd like to share with you the mount I'm developing (click the pictures for bigger images):
This is the tracker I've got (not sure if it's the original one, but it's working fine, fast GPS fix and answers quickly with coordinates):
This is the tracker after disassembly:
The tracker with all parts + SIM card weighs about 54g:
So, this was the first prototype I made, kind of "rushed" for attaching to the P2V+ while I developed a better mount. It's made on a FDM 3D printer, cheap PLA plastic. It's based on a mount available on Thingiverse.com, but I modified it to enclose the GPS, originally it was open on the front:
The weight for this part was about 33g:
So, I started out a second prototype. At first, I wondered why should I create a case to carry another case for the GPS? Why not just build a new case for the inner parts of the tracker, which attaches directly to the Phantom? So, I changed the design to keep the GPS horizontal, avoiding wind influence. Also, I redesigned the arms to keep it more stable, the original one would stand high and wobble a little, this one is a lot more sturdy and weighs less since I've changed the arms thickness and density a little. When it was done printing, I realized I'd made a huge mistake. Too tight tolerances! The case was exactly the size of the GPS board, so it wouldn't fit easily or without some hard sanding. I didn't even finish printing all the parts, and started re-printing a third modified version.
Well, this is the current design I'm using on the P2V+. I've managed to break off the end on one of the C-clips in the arm near the compass, but since it's not doing any harm and seems to be well-supported by the other three, I left it that way (for now). When I have more time I'll redo it, printing the front cover on another orientation in the printer so it gets better physical resistance due to layer orientation.
Printed parts:
Weights about 17g and can withstand some crashes (tested by dropping it from the second floor):
With the board assembled. The antenna is a simple adhesive one, it goes through a hole in the front cover. Buttons and LEDs are all visible on the side. There's a passage in one of the arms for inserting the charging cable. You can actually see the blue light for the GPS signal and the green light for the charger through the plastic, so In next version I'm going to close the holes I made for those.
Here it is, ready to be mounted, with some "security measures" on the top cover, adhesive antenna on the front, and antenna protected by a PVC tape layer.
Cables plugged in:
And finally, mounted on the Phantom:
I'm going to post the design on Thingiverse and Shapeways in case anyone wants to do their own. Hope you enjoy it, and happy flying!
