Payload Drop With Servo

[btcarre]

I understand there are other threads out there on payload drop devices, but I want to make amd design it myself, or with help which is why I am creating a mew thread -

So, does anyone have experience with payload drops using a servo? I want to make my own kit with an external battery that powers a servo and monitors over my DJI Phantom 3 LED's and when it turns off (since we can control this in the settings) it will move the servo and drop what the drone is carrying. I got the idea from a kit I found online but I do not think it is worth their asking price of $150.


DJI Phantom 3 Drop & Delivery device, payload release, drone fishing | eBay

 

[Beagle1]

I heard somewhere that it is technically an FAA violation to drop items from an aircraft...

 

[btcarre]

I am just looking for advice to set up a servo. Thanks.

 

[N017RW]

I heard somewhere that it is technically an FAA violation to drop items from an aircraft...

No it's not so long as reasonable precautions are taken.
A common misunderstanding often perpetuated here.

 

[randyvanscoy]

i have made one for my p3pro and works great for about 10.00. but the original one was controlled by a light sensor over the red front lights. it just was a led sensor cir-cute made up of a transistor and 3 resisters but didnt like it due to power from drone battery was used. so i installed 2- 3.7 li-pro batteries inside shell under the gps unit, bought a airplane receiver and separate controller for 40.00 and installed it inside shell also. mounted the servo motor on the gimble proctor plate, a small piece of stiff wire and a electrical connector for the holder. works so good i installed a second one just for fun. then decided to control search lights all from the second controller and all works great. servo was about 5.00, controller about 40.00 and 2 batteries were about 11.00. now i have 3 remote switches and 2 servo motors that i can control from remote around 3000 foot away on the 5.8 gig band so does not interfere with the control of the drone. i can drop a can of pop from it with no problems, but it is not legal to do so any longer sense siria has used the drones to drop hand grenades from the sky on our troops.

 

[btcarre]

i have made one for my p3pro and works great for about 10.00. but the original one was controlled by a light sensor over the red front lights. it just was a led sensor cir-cute made up of a transistor and 3 resisters but didnt like it due to power from drone battery was used. so i installed 2- 3.7 li-pro batteries inside shell under the gps unit, bought a airplane receiver and separate controller for 40.00 and installed it inside shell also. mounted the servo motor on the gimble proctor plate, a small piece of stiff wire and a electrical connector for the holder. works so good i installed a second one just for fun. then decided to control search lights all from the second controller and all works great. servo was about 5.00, controller about 40.00 and 2 batteries were about 11.00. now i have 3 remote switches and 2 servo motors that i can control from remote around 3000 foot away on the 5.8 gig band so does not interfere with the control of the drone. i can drop a can of pop from it with no problems, but it is not legal to do so any longer sense siria has used the drones to drop hand grenades from the sky on our troops.

Hi randyvanscoy,

I like what you did, but I was thinking about if I buy a light sensor how I could set it up to program or whatever I need to do to control the servo to open just enough to release the item and then close it when the light turns on. I didn't like the idea of having to carry a whole extra controller to release it because I can control the buttons on the back of my controller for the LED's. Do you know how I could do this or what I would need to control the servo in that way.

 

[randyvanscoy]

the servo just starts up when lights are on and pulls rod out of holder, drops whatever is around the rod. dont need to reset anything in the air cause you have nothing else to drop. then when landed, reset the rod by hand. all done... simple. i just use a safety pin around the rod and pin to whatever im going to drop.

 

[btcarre]

I suppose that could work out for when I'm loading it to just manually close it. I wish there was a way to close it exactly but i'll just have to live without it

 

[randyvanscoy]

no reason to close it in the air.

 

[btcarre]

not in the air but i have a 3d printed case that i would not be able to use for the servo because it closes off where i would have to push it closed

 

[randyvanscoy]

 

[btcarre]

View attachment 81392 View attachment 81392 View attachment 81392 View attachment 81392 View attachment 81392 View attachment 81392 View attachment 81392 View attachment 81393 View attachment 81394

Did you 3D print that plate below the camera? Also, if I really wanted to set it up where the gimbal only opens to a certain degree then stops when the LED's are off and then close to a certain degree when they are on- how hard do you think it would be to do that? I ordered my servo from china so it will take a while to get here, but this is what I 3D printed, it has a cover and you cant see the servo.

Drone drop release mechanism by Flying_Ginger

 

[randyvanscoy]

that looks cool. good job. no i bought the guard from china and come over on the slow boat too. the servo only goes so far then stops both directions so dosnt matter. those pics sure look nice. good job.

 

[btcarre]

maybe i could put something inside of the servo so it will open to the point where i need it to go and then stop, but how would i get it to close? hmm

 

[randyvanscoy]

dont know. mine dosnt make any difference but u could use a small spring.

 

[sparky1111]

A contraption that operates a release mechanism linked to the cameras up/down movement may work provided it didn't require too much force.

 

[Solly747400]

It'd be awesome if we had a schematic of a circuit that we could control the servo, then we could buy the parts and we could all (most) make our own

 

[btcarre]

It'd be awesome if we had a schematic of a circuit that we could control the servo, then we could buy the parts and we could all (most) make our own

this is basically what i want to do. i want the drop mechanism but im not paying $150 for the ebay link i posted, not worth it. what do you think we would need to make a replica of that on our own from that company?

 

[Solly747400]

It'd be great if we had an electronics guru in here that could design a circuit, then we could all buy the parts separate. All you'd need is a light activated circuit with a DC voltage regulator (7812), maybe not even that.

 

[btcarre]

It'd be great if we had an electronics guru in here that could design a circuit, then we could all buy the parts separate. All you'd need is a light activated circuit with a DC voltage regulator (7812), maybe not even that.

Do you know an electrical engineer? I might know a guy that would be able to help us out with this! [emoji108]