DIY AP Quadcopter ~ 8lbs Lift

Here's a build log of a homemade quadcopter I built for aerial photography and videography work. While it is mostly used for work, because of its immense thrust (~8lbs) you can also have fun with it :) FPV is on the 1.3Ghz band, so you need to be ham radio licenced to operate it. My callsign is KD2ENL.

Below is a short video composed of clips from this multirotor. Later in the article is a build log, parts list, and more pictures. 

Below is a parts list and build log. Below that are other pictures of the completed multirotor.

Components-

Naza V2 w/ GPS http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_156&products_id=1701 This is a great controler. It doesn't fly much better than a tuned multiwii or kk2, but it is very stable for AP work.

Landing gear- http://www.altitudehobbies.com/kplg-12-12mm-plastic-landing-gear-kit?search=landing%20gear Cheep, flexable, and durable. Not much to say about. Bottom rods are carbon fiber.

Props- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=53_56_134_136&products_id=2175 Probabuly the cheepest carbon props out there. They come well balanced. 11x4.7

Motors- http://www.altitudehobbies.com/ipower-multicopter-motors/ipower-2212q-1000kv-brushless-multi-rotor-motor VERY high quality motors. They are not the cheapest, but have awesome performance. 

ESC's- http://www.altitudehobbies.com/ipeaka-iq-multicopter-esc-simonk/ipeaka-30a-brushless-multicopter-esc-simonk Cheep, reliable, and they ship with SimonK.

Airframe- http://store.scoutuav.com/products/product-category/scout/scout-kits/ Great, made in USA airframes. Extra parts are cheap and laser cut. More pictures are below.

Batteries- 2x http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9460__Turnigy_2200mAh_4S_30C_Lipo_Pack.html Simple 4s 2200's.

OSD- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_21&products_id=29 More pictures below.

Gimbal motors- http://www.altitudehobbies.com/brushless-gimbal-motors/ipower-2208-60-brushless-gimbal-motor

GImbal controller - http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_326&products_id=2240

Gimbal- http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:145283 3d printed.

FPV Tx- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_30_38&products_id=1016

Antenna Tracker- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_27&products_id=96

Groundstation- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_27&products_id=121

FPV Rx Antenna- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_45_52_100&products_id=475

FPV Rx- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_34_44&products_id=911

Build Log

Here's the assembled airframe. It is made from 1/32" Carbon Fiber sheets from McMaster Carr. It is assembled with 4-40 screws and locknuts.

This is the motor I used from AltitudeHobbies. iPower makes very high quality motors. It comes with prop adapter, bullet connectors, and motor mount.

Motors, props, and ESC's installed. The ESC's I used are iPower 30 amp, they ship with SimonK pre-installed. They are great!

Landing gear assembled with mounting plate for quadcopterThis is the landing gear that I used. The arms are plastic, and the two skids are rigid carbon. It works very well on a 450 or 550 sized multirotor.

Next is the gimbal. I have 2 that I use on this quad. The first is a servo gimbal (in the above picture) and the second is a brushless alexmos gimbal. Both are 3d printed.

Here is a 3d model of the brushless gimbal. Files can be found here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:145283

Painting the printed parts with black paint then a layer of clear-coat on top.f

Done! These are two different designs that I tried. Both were printed on a Makerbot Replicator 2.This is a screenshot from the Naza config software. It shows the settings I use to configure the gimbal. I like to use the naza because no external IMU is needed for gimbal stabilization.

Now to build the groundstation.

The finished groundstation, equipped with a 23cm Rx with upgraded SAW wilter, Eagle Eyes groundstation, 3s 3000mah lipo, and 5.8ghz transmitter for my Fatshark Attitude goggles.

First is the main helical antenna. It is a 3 turn RHCP antenna from RMRC. It is rigid construction. The main plate is plastic, with a metallic RF reflector. On the back, is a block of wood that has a 1/4-20 tripod adapter.

Groundstation- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_27&products_id=121

Fatshark Transmitter- http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_30_33&products_id=485

Groundstation lipo- http://store.scoutuav.com/product/batteries-charger-accessories/scout-lipo-11-1v-3000mah-battery/

Here's a picture of the groundstation setup with a laptop reading live time telemetry from the Eagle Eyes box. Everything works really well!

The Fatshark Attitude SD goggles that I use. For the price, they have great FOV and resolution. Also, the built in 5.8 Rx is great to connect to my groundstation. Because I am using my groundstation as a repeater, no CP antennas are needed on the Fatsharks.

A portable battery charger I made. It runs off of 12 volts, so in the field you can use a car or a huge 3s lipo to charge other lipos. Simple, and it works well. If anyone is interested, I can do a build article about this.

This concludes the build log of the quadcopter. Next are a few extra pictures of my AP rig. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for your time! If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer. I am considering offering kits for my printed gimbals later in the future. Let me know what you think. Please rate!