Well after a little problem with the E-Fair, I’ve put the FPV equipment on the Minimoa glider and took it up for a bit of a test today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NVf5Imvuec
Apart from the wind which at various points took the glider most noticeably at the start of final approach and just before touchdown, I think I had the camera mounted pointing a little too much down, although I thought through the goggles I was flying quite level I was flying with a lot of up elevator and was told the glider looked very tail heavy.
Secondly EPP foam seems to block GPS signals much more that I expected it to, since it never acquired a GPS lock. I was hoping to check the home position and test the point to home functionality of the CL-OSD update which I flashed to my mini-osd unit, but since a GPS lock was never acquired the home position could not be set.
Also the 5.8Ghz transmitter antenna was fully enclosed in the plane. Again EPP must interfere with 5.8Ghz a reasonable amount since I wasn’t anywhere near as far away as I was with the E-Fair (with the antenna poking out under the wing) and the signal was breaking up far more.
So in future, the FPV antenna should be outside the fuselage of the plane, as should the GPS receiver unit (at very least to obtain an initial GPS lock), and I need to check the horizon position on the screen when the plane is level on the ground.
Very good Chris, there is always something new to learn.
There certainly always is something new to learn, isn’t that what’s great about this hobby and all the toys you can play with around it? 🙂
Was a shame the wind was all over the place for the landing, you still did very well bringing it down mate.
Thanks very much, as you know its quite difficult to judge speed and height through the FPV, particularly on a new plane, the GPS would have helped if it worked. I was trying to pick up a bit of speed to give me some more control, but of course that approach does have its risks being so close to the ground with big wings too.
I have now fitted out your cub with the FPV gear, the GPS mounted on it back, cloverleaf antenna tucked under the wing, and I have the RSSI readout using the DORA since it has a genuine Spektrum transmitter, and I’m finally happy with the packaging of it (took me a while) with the lessons learned in this flight. Looking forward to a calm day (or evening) to give it a try. I can still get a 1400 or 1500 battery in there too.