Flying Flowerpot 2.0 -- SK450 Quadcopter Rebuilt

Flying Flowerpot 2.0

I finished the Flying Flowerpot quadcopter rebuild and had a successful basement test flight in the new configuration.  Changes since the last blog posting:

1. Moved the camera mount again, to the upper level but with a new mounting bracket so the camera is out front between the props.
2. Moved the receiver slightly.
3. Tidied up the wires.

The following photos show the Flying Flowerpot 2.0:

Top view, no flower pot

Note the receiver attached to top level with double sided foam tape

New camera mount

Front view

Rear View

Rebuilding The Flying Flower Pot Quadcopter - The Six Million Dollar Man

Partially Rebuilt Flying Flower Pot (Pot removed for clarity)

One of the advantages of building your own quadcopter is that you know how to fix it if it breaks, and you can make improvements at the same time.  It is kind of like the Six Million Dollar Man TV series:   "We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster."  The Flowering Flowerpot, after its last flight and crash (see previous blog post), needs this treatment.

First, I got rid of the battery monitoring module, which might be causing problems and I cannot figure out how to use it.

Second, I rewired the control module (APM) to receiver wiring to get rid of the servo extension cables and labeling.

Rewiring, receiver is on the left

Third, I repaired the damage to the quadcopter - a broken arm and a broken motor mount on the end of another arm using 5 minute epoxy, which smells like crap and gets everywhere.

Broken motor mount

Break in arm

Fourth, I got rid of the structure holding the GPS and compass and mounted them using nylon standoffs on the third level.

GPS remounted

Fifth, I removed the long landing gear and mounted the camera on top.  The long landing gear seem to cause a lot of damage in crashes.

camera mount

I also ordered a bunch of spare parts (arms, motor mounts, landing gear..).  Stay tuned for more updates as we get the Pot ready for its next adventure.

Quadcopter Build - Photos of Finished Drone

The flower pot was the best cover I could find and the bungee cords hold it to the drone

Note the hole so the Controller LEDs are visible

You can see the Vuho camera beneath the drone

Bottom view

Battery mount and USB extender connector which also protects against controller USB damage

Camera mount with battery behind

Love that flower pot!

Review: Veho VCC-005-MUVI-NPNG Action Camera

For those of us who are cheap, the GoPro action camera is a bit rich at $200 to $400 US.  I decided to try an alternative, the Veho VCC-005-MUVI-NPNG action camera package which costs about $90 to $150, depending on where you buy it.

This package called "No Proof No Glory" (NPNG) includes a lot of mounting and other accessories as shown in the photo.  A waterproof case and remote contral are noteworthy.  The camera itself is compact and light, and records in HD format at 30 fps with a fixed lens.  Controls are pretty basic, but the touch screen LCD covers most of the rear of the camera, leading to inadvertent commands if you mishandle the camera.  A standard screw tripod mounting is on the bottom of the camera.  Documentation is quite good as the company is based in the UK.

Video quality is very good and sound quality is good in my opinion.  Battery life is good and recharging is done through a USB cable.  MicroSD card is used for storage.

I have tried the camera in fixed mode on a tripod and mounted on a drone.  It worked well in both cases and successfully survived hard landings (crashes) of the drone.  Although downloading the video is a little slow, it is bearable and I was able to edit the video using Imovie on a MAC.  I would recommend this camera for those who don't want to fork out for a GoPro.