Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy!)

[EMCSQUAR]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Fred, I'm beginning to think it might be best if you just block my posts in the forum here, I don't know if I can bear the responsibility for the financial ruin you're going to endure if you keep reading them

LOL....
Re: battery settings - way back in earlier posts I took El Gs' advise - 10.6 1st level 10.4 2nd level (that's on LOADED p1.5s) and they've been getting 15mins average to first warning. Now compare that to equivalent P2 (same equipment) it gets 16 1/2 until same battery warning level - both Phantoms using stock P2 battery. Conclusion = P1.5 conversion was worth the journey. Just sold one of the P1.5s and am contemplating the S900 but planning on waiting to hear early feedback.

 

[ElGuano]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

The funny thing is that the p2 has a "hidden" level 2 autoland at 10.65v. That sounds excessively high to me but I've never tested it on a p2.

 

[EMCSQUAR]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

The funny thing is that the p2 has a "hidden" level 2 autoland at 10.65v. That sounds excessively high to me but I've never tested it on a p2.

You know you're the second person to point that out but I have yet to have autoland before 10.4 (second warning) on my P2. I have latest software.

 

[ElGuano]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

The funny thing is that the p2 has a "hidden" level 2 autoland at 10.65v. That sounds excessively high to me but I've never tested it on a p2.

You know you're the second person to point that out but I have yet to have autoland before 10.4 (second warning) on my P2. I have latest software.

it's on the manual. I just don't think the actual behavior is consistent with that (maybe it was removed in 1.0x).

 

[gardenroute]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

...I got 9:00 mins off my new Dinogy 2800 mah with 3D gimbel & camera all weighing 1138g. P1 props killed me, got new P2 props coming. On the new (4 weeks 4 flights) Dinogy battery that swelled up on me, they have a new one coming to me right after I emailed them. Should I tinker with the battery cutoff values or are default settings okay? Thanks OI P. On these long battery/flight times, what is the life a motor generally? Just curious if more time up in the air will mean motor changes sooner...

I tested the Dinogy always at stock settings (10.7/10.6) and neither of the two I have show any swelling. I just checked again and they feel as tight as ever...

My AUW is 1250 g (Zenmuse H3-2D gimbal, iOSD MkII, GoPro 3 B.E. Camera and MarcoPolo Locator Tag), T-Motors Antigravity !, DJI 9443 Props (eBay clones), DJI Battery protection (two levels) is set according to the DJI default.
And with Dinogy 2800 I have for 1st level battery protection (starts flashing red LED) 10:10 min...

In this flight I tried to simulate normal video shoot, with different height changes, turns, rotations, etc... This flight was most similar to the normal conditions (from my Dinogy 2800 test)

 

[OI Photography]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Another test flight with the 5200mAh Multistar tonight. Got me to 16:48 this time, again landing at 10.4v, and it has now bounced back to exactly 11.13v (same as after the last flight). So, it looks like that's about the range of flight time I can probably expect out of these, at least in weather this humid. It's been at 90% or more for the past 2 weeks, so factor that in to how you weigh those results.

I forgot to mention something else about the previous test flight: when I put it on the charger afterwards it was at 11.13v, and it took back 4938mAh...well over the ~4200mAh I'd expect based on the labeled capacity.

More testing to come as soon as I can, and I already have a 2nd one on the way from HobbyKing

 

[GearLoose]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Another test flight with the 5200mAh Multistar tonight. [snip] ....when I put it on the charger afterwards it was at 11.13v, and it took back 4938mAh...well over the ~4200mAh I'd expect based on the labeled capacity.

In order to understand your test results better I need a bit of remedial battery training. If you put 4938 mah back into a 5200 mah battery, doesn't that indicate that it was 95% depleted? Or is voltage the only true indicator of the battery's actual charge state?

 

[OI Photography]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Another test flight with the 5200mAh Multistar tonight. [snip] ....when I put it on the charger afterwards it was at 11.13v, and it took back 4938mAh...well over the ~4200mAh I'd expect based on the labeled capacity.

In order to understand your test results better I need a bit of remedial battery training. If you put 4938 mah back into a 5200 mah battery, doesn't that indicate that it was 95% depleted? Or is voltage the only true indicator of the battery's actual charge state?

As I understand it, 11.1v is ~80% discharged for a 3S batt, regardless of how many mAh it took to get there. The mAh rating isn't an absolute number but rather an estimate from the manufacturer for that model of batt, and actual delivered capacity will vary from batt to batt and model to model sharing the same rating.

So, assuming 11.1v is the correct number (it may be 11.25v, now I can't remember for sure), then running the battery down to that level is how you know you've depleted it 80%. When I recharged it from that voltage, the 4938mAh it took seems to suggest the 5200mAh rating on the label is quite conservative.

 

[GearLoose]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Thanks, OI... you've inspired me to start keeping written records for each of my batteries. Previously, I'd done a battery test using voltage to determine when to land -- it resulted in a much longer flight time for "Miss Piggy". But, when I charged the battery and saw that it required over 90% mah to recharge, I chickened out on a repeat test.

Also, at the end of that flight, the battery indicator lights were down to a single LED. Again, I'm not sure if the indicator lights are a reliable indication of the battery's condition or if I should just go with voltage.

 

[ElGuano]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

It depends a bit on the discharge curve of the battery. These low-C bats throw everything for a loop because of the extra voltage sag, but under 3C drain you might see the voltage drop-iff at 3.4v/cell rather than 3.3v. You CAN rely on the current counter as much as you can voltage, they are both repeatable, but you need to calibrate for both the battery used and its discharge rate.

My findings are similar to OI, depending on battery, I get 80-90% usage from 11.2 to 11.0 resting. If I'm trying to be conservative, I aim for 11.2v a few minutes after flight.

 

[ATOMSK]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

over a few days, i've read this whole thread. I think there needs to be a forum section for these 1.5's

Maybe a child forum underneath the Phantom 1
That way you can talk about batteries, fitment, methods and doors....

BTW, i'm enthralled with all of this. I want to order a P2 shell right now. Where is the best place to order from?

 

[OI Photography]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

The only dealer I know of in TX (UAVOutlet in Austin) is out of stock on them, but they're the same price everywhere so here's one that is in stock: http://1uas.com/index.php?route=product ... ct_id=1121

 

[el cuajinais]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Welp, that does it, Imma in. I dumped over the couches and broke into one piggy bank. I just got an upgrade v3 board installed, Need a P2 shell it looks like now. I blame OI P with them new battery pics for my new addition to my poorhouse. :mrgreen: Thanks to all for the links, pics, info and tips. Off to read some more.

What is the v3 of the upgrade board? I got mine as soon as they came out.

 

[EMCSQUAR]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

It's the newest version of upgrade board (it's a running change). If you want to save about a little more $$$ by the P2 board. All the same options but cheaper.

 

[GearLoose]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Now that I've flown my P1.5 for a few months it is time for a brief review update.

I love it!

At well over 1400 grams "Miss Piggy" is still quick enough on her feet to occasionally raise my pulse. The addition of the iPad Ground Station might have added weight but it also added real value to the 1.5 conversion. Today, for example, I flew seven missions for our local Land Trust -- they are overjoyed by the video and stills I'm able to give them. I've set up a charging station in my van, so with three P2 batteries and long coffee breaks I'm able to fly almost continuously.

Earlier I wrote that I was only getting a "safe" 8 or 9 minutes of flight, which I attributed to Miss Piggy's considerable weight. Well, I have to confess that I miscalculated -- I thought the P2 battery was 4200 mah. Battery error in my favor.... After recognizing the error I began extending flights and now regularly get 10, 11 and sometimes 12 minutes, depending on wind and flying style. This has been more than enough air time for the autonomous missions I was hoping to fly when I began the 1.5 conversion.

Thanks again to all of you who blazed the trail!

 

[ElGuano]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Now that I've flown my P1.5 for a few months it is time for a brief review update.

I love it!

At well over 1400 grams "Miss Piggy" is still quick enough on her feet to occasionally raise my pulse. The addition of the iPad Ground Station might have added weight but it also added real value to the 1.5 conversion. Today, for example, I flew seven missions for our local Land Trust -- they are overjoyed by the video and stills I'm able to give them. I've set up a charging station in my van, so with three P2 batteries and long coffee breaks I'm able to fly almost continuously.

Earlier I wrote that I was only getting a "safe" 8 or 9 minutes of flight, which I attributed to Miss Piggy's considerable weight. Well, I have to confess that I miscalculated -- I thought the P2 battery was 4200 mah. Battery error in my favor.... After recognizing the error I began extending flights and now regularly get 10, 11 and sometimes 12 minutes, depending on wind and flying style. This has been more than enough air time for the autonomous missions I was hoping to fly when I began the 1.5 conversion.

Thanks again to all of you who blazed the trail!

Nice report! Can you give us a few more details about the autonomous flights you're doing for the Land Trust? I've been really interested in what "productive" uses people are using their Phantoms for!

 

[GearLoose]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Nice report! Can you give us a few more details about the autonomous flights you're doing for the Land Trust? I've been really interested in what "productive" uses people are using their Phantoms for!

The Whatcom Land Trust is rehabilitating the salmon stream that meanders through a wetland on a former farm. The area was previously ditched and drained, which virtually killed the stream for many decades. After a year or more of monitoring the ground moisture, the Trust and other state wildlife and conservation agencies came up with a detailed engineering plan to recreate the stream. The actual "dirt work" began about ten days ago, using excavators and other heavy equipment.

My contribution is filming the project with my P1.5 -- beginning about 3 months ago, before there was any visible change to the old farmland/wetland. Last week I spent two full days doing both autonomous missions and "free" flying (mainly for close-ups of the excavators in action).

This morning I'll return for what is probably the last full session, to record the final result of the dig.

One of the most challenging aspects of this has been to create a waypoint flight that accurately follows the track of the meandering stream. My hope is that I'll be able to return every three months for the next ? years, to film the evolution of the dig into a healthy natural stream.

Last week I found the solution to getting an accurate waypoint flight -- after showing a young member of the Trust's staff how to create a mission on the iPad I let her set the mission path according to the engineering diagrams (which I can't puzzle out myself). That saved me many trial & error flights.

So, I now have a "Favorite" mission recorded for this stream, one that I will be able to fly on a regular basis.

Although I enjoy an occasional flight just for the heck of it, my piloting skills are definitely limited. Thanks to the Ground Station I can autonomously fly routes that would otherwise put my Phantom at extreme risk. (The trees here seem to hate me!)

This kind of volunteer work gives me a sense of real satisfaction and purpose in having a drone. I should also mention that I've had a great deal of interest from other conservation groups and government agencies when they see the videos from these flights.

Next on my project list: remove the gimbal and GoPro and attach a Canon S100 with intervalometer, to create a detailed photo mosaic map of this reserve and others.

 

[zmnypit]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Nice job OP!! I'm hooked and will be order the parts needed in the next few days. Couple of things I may have missed as I have spent two days reading through this thread as well as the one on rcgroups:

- Instead of soldering the xt60 plug on the P2 battery adapter could you have modified a female traxxas connector on the p1 battery to plug into the P2 battery adapter? That would lose a few grams for the extra cable that was soldered and be a cleaner solution to using either the p2 battery or the p1 battery.

- Is there a way to get the LED status indicator to work like the P2?

 

[DeweyAXD]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Thanks zmnypit.

Female traxx sadly won't fit onto the P2 Internal Power Connector as the IPC pins are much wider than Traxx. Works fine in the opposite direction (male Traxx into P2 battery as below) but not the other way round.

You will find the IPC/XT60 route the cleanest and easiest to use IMO.

Is there a way to get the LED status indicator to work like the P2?

The honest answer to that question is that I don't think there is... but I could be wrong. The LED function on the P2 comes from the P2 esc's and the LED module which I believe is built into the board itself. The problem there is that you can use a P2 board but you the LED function won't work without the NAZA P2 firmware (which out won't want).

You could fudge a solution with Arduino but to be honest it will be way more trouble than it is worth. I tinkered with this myself with some advice from Jay from the Firebug OSD project. You can tap into the LED outputs but to get the colours right you have issues (as the NAZA only flashes either a red or green or both... which makes orange). Anyway short of it is that, unless anyone else has done this, i don't think it is an option if you want an easy life.

 

[Seedler]

Re: Video: Fitted my Phantom v1 into a Phantom 2 shell (easy

Managed to get 20 mins flight today with 2 x 4000 multistars. My rig is around 1400g. I reckon these two batteries will fit in the P2 shell with the rails cut out. I'm guessing I'd get well over half an hour with it stripped bare.

My question is, is all this weight bad for the motors? Should I upgrade them, or upgrade bearings?

Thanks,

Dee.