CADDX GM3 3-axis gimbal Head-tracking

[@kartherton]

Just brilliant Andrew. Thats the best fpv setup i have ever seen. A nice home on that island would be nice. 👍 Keith. UK 🇬🇧

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes it's next level. Might be even better in the cockpit of my Tigermoth

[@IDrone-l5m]

Nice flight, Andrew! Wow. That is really cool. POV of an albatross.

[@AndrewNewton]

Thanks 👍

[@RubyS.1]

So impressive.

[@mmosca]

If you have some time, check inav 8.0 upcoming support for controlling it over uart. You can change gimbals modes using normal inav modes, control via sliders, lock gimbal to center position, all from inav.

[@AndrewNewton]

Sounds promising. INAV devs are a clever lot

[@ApappieK]

Really looking forward to this GM3 - INAV integration 👍

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

Ah, come on, mate! Pay the extra for a window seat the same as the rest of us have to! 😜🤣🤣

[@bobflyman]

Cheeky bugger, and I bet you got a free upgrade!

[@AndrewNewton]

Haha, quiet down back

[@bobflyman]

I always have a good fun banter with him on my channel​ . Couldn't resist chipping in! 😂 @@AndrewNewton

[@ApappieK]

I have flown my Penguin over 6 hours now with Goggles L and GM3. Amazing realistic and natural is the 3 axis movement. Next step in FPV for me !! Pan follow works best for me, strange because I assumed that the 3 axis follow mode would be best at . It helps if you activate the artificial horizon in INAV. I didn't notice any drift during my 30 minutes flights. Ordered a second one.😁

[@AndrewNewton]

Ah, excellent info thanks. More flights required to get to know it

[@ApappieK]

@@AndrewNewton And INAV 8 support is also very promising.

[@PhilnotTony]

These are the coolest things in RC atm and your video so clear. I’ve only tested mine with a friend wearing my goggles whilst I flew but they really are something else.

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes that is a good way to use them. Big thrill for the passenger

[@ebikefe]

Nice! Thanks for sharing this.

[@AVIATOR-by4kk]

Wow, amazing intro to this fpv. Thanks for sharing

[@AndrewNewton]

No problem

[@robertburroughs6346]

Number 2 🙌 awesome job as always!

[@toolbaggers]

💩

[@daxdadog]

Thanks for a great review, Andrew! I've enjoyed DJI's FPV V1 goggles for the last 5 years, but I've burned a green dot into the screens, so it's time to upgrade. I just ordered the Walksnail system with your links. I've been waiting for a trip to the island, and this was the perfect opportunity...though that break-up caused no small amount of panic. ;-)

[@AndrewNewton]

I have a little green artefact on my DJI V1 goggles too! Antennas must be quite directional, more testing required.

[@den5308]

Awesome set-up and flight Andrew 👍 first flight on only 25mw?😧 incredible 👍 second flight i noticed when you was in ACRO, the mw power was jumping around or was that because you changed to Dynamic power?, love the detail/colour from that walksnail avatar HD Pro' kit is fantastic, thanks for sharing Sport 👏👏👏👏😼 ....cheers Andrew...

[@AndrewNewton]

I have ELRS always on dynamic power but the max power for the first flight was 100mW. Avatar was on 500mW but can go up to 1200mW.

[@EssentialRC]

Awesome video Andrew. Helped a lot. Did you have to do anything clever to get the OSD working. Assume you selected MSP on the Ports iNav tab and Avatar for video format on the OSD tab?

[@AndrewNewton]

Thanks Dom. Leave MSP off and select "MSP Display Port" under Peripherals for INAV, and Avatar in the OSD tab

[@EssentialRC]

@@AndrewNewton Done and working now buddy. Found my TX wire was disconnected. Crimping is such a dark art 🙄😆

[@AndrewNewton]

Excellent news. Just last week I spend many hours reloading WTFOS and fonts and reflashed an FC to find the problem was a broken Tx cable!

[@EssentialRC]

@@AndrewNewton Did you ever get the increased ratios working for head movement to pan/tilt? It's set in the goggles L menu.

[@AndrewNewton]

Under the PPM menu. No I didn't try PPM gimbal control.

[@kevinlancaster3200]

Great content thanks Andrew! Do the goggles X also work with the Caddx gimbal?

[@x13102543]

go take new extent module from caddex.

[@AndrewNewton]

Not by themselves but an external unit might have just been released.

[@rjung_ch]

Cheers 👍💪✌

[@bobflyman]

That is almost just like the real thing, but I can't feel the breeze in my face like when I'm paragliding, or hear the noise of the motor when I'm paramotoring 🤔 Shocked when I clicked on your links and saw the cost of the goggles plus gimbal 😮 but it is amazing! Ps. It looks like you use the Firefly 8S action camera 90 deg version as a head cam. It's very good and exactly what I use for ground recording video of rc planes in the air. I got mine free back in the day when I was reviewing loads of action cameras as Hawkeye used to send me all of their cameras for review 😉

[@m3chanist]

A friend with a small fan could help out their, maybe even helmet mounted ;)

[@bobflyman]

@@m3chanist Good idea!

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes the Firefly has served me well for years

[@QuadographyAustralia1965]

Very cool! 👍

[@emmanuelsab1095]

so far so good......any chance to drive it through DJI Google2?

[@AndrewNewton]

No, only Avatar AFAIK

[@nellodude]

Great video Andrew but why did Caddx release the GT kit (2 watt) vTx that is not compatible with the gimbal ?

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, crazy move by Caddx

[@EnglishTurbines]

Looked like fun Andrew, at last a visit to the Island...I think you need to turn the gain up on thehead tracking control, too much head movement loses your signal....😳..I enjoyed the stabilised live view, but I guess it feels a bit wierd, especially if no part of the plane is in shot...Stay in Cruz Mode...😳😳😏😏😀🇬🇧

[@AndrewNewton]

I was facing side-on for most of the first flight then totally the wrong way when I looked back at the island, so there is much more range available. Only on 500mW too. Can go up to 1200mW

[@EnglishTurbines]

@@AndrewNewton I've not used mine above 200mw but I have a decent set of VRX antennas.... Allegedly, the VTXs work best at 700mw....I look forward to seeing more of your Caddex videos....🤔😀👍🇬🇧

[@FreeEditsForYou]

Hi ANdrew, how do you plug your Avatar HD pro camera plugged into your f405 wing for the OSD? I can see how power would come through, but not how the osd iinteracts with the camera / giimbal. I guess it may just be as easy as connecting 1-3 cables from the Avatat vtx into the f405?

[@AndrewNewton]

OSD just requires UART Rx and Tx wires from the Avatar VTX to the F405.

[@bobmabel8543]

G'day from a soggy and windy UK! Awesome video as always Andrew - the tech is incredible too. Quick question (because I don't know how else to get hold of you): Have you done any reviews on telemetry (vario/baro/battery/motor etc) for thermalling powered gliders? I've had a dig around but your content is, erm, prolific! Also, most of the videos I see are about set-up rather than use in flight and what you actually get to see and hear and their value vs cost. I use Spectrum but I'm sure they're all similar....if anyone else sees this and can guide me to a good video I'd be grateful. Happy flying!

[@AndrewNewton]

Hi Bob. Yes I have done lots of glider flights with vario beeping and altitude call out. I use FrSKY vario or ELRS vario receivers. www.youtube.com/@AndrewNewton/search?query=vario

[@bobmabel8543]

@@AndrewNewton Hey Andrew, much appreciated! How did you know it’s Bob? Ah, yes, quite obvious really, Mabel is into her Acro 😂😂😂. Many thanks again and please keep up the good work - I know it takes an enormous effort. Cheers.

[@LWJCarroll]

Thanks really informative! I have been wondering what you buy to get this setup for their box Goggles L. Laurie. NZ.

[@Nous_nous_amusames]

A dream of mine.

[@The_Pub_]

That was awesome Andrew... Thanks for sharing... What's the image in the "Goggles" like,, compared to the more expensive HD ones? Spring is here.....

[@AndrewNewton]

The image is much better than my DJI V1. Have a look at my review or them.

[@RCGuyVideos]

Thanks for the review! Good head tracking is the way to go, especially for fixed wing FPV. Without head tracking, using video goggles is a bit pointless except for their sun blocking abilities in daylight. Without head tracking, I'd rather view the FPV video a large LCD screen, which would then allow me to my radio and surroundings easily, provided I can get good shading. What I'm waiting for is for someone like CADDX to implement an "all-digital" 360-degree solution that removes the need for on-board pan/tilt servo and removes the weight and complexity too. An all-digital solution would use the same system the Insta360 cameras use but miniaturized further.

[@paulhope3401]

With 360, the resolution would be aprox quartered or if you had the preferable higher resolution image sensor, the required bandwidth would take up most of the channels. Maybe quieter brushless gimbals would be the best compromise.

[@RCGuyVideos]

​@@paulhope3401 No, let me explain further. The key here is the spherical video translation is done on-board within the camera itself in real-time. Furthermore, the output viewport orientation is slaved to the pan/tilt/roll axis RC PWM signal. Thus the transmitted video is always just the regular viewport resolution (typically 1080p) regardless of the 360 camera's actual internal pixel count which would be much higher. The entire point is to (a) reduce hardware complexity (b) reduce both weight and space. Because getting a gimbal on-board an FPV aircraft is not a trivial task and is often impossible on smaller craft. A virtual head tracking unit would be as simple as hard mounting a slightly larger camera (with two lenses) to the craft. There are other benefits with an all-digital solution: (a) tracking motion is done instantly without inertia or bounce. (b) front and rear cameras could be hard mounted separately with one at nose and the other at tail of the craft giving unobstructed view without the craft in the viewport. (c) smaller size has improved aerodynamics and could be implemented in a camera smaller than a GoPro Hero4 (the cube).

[@brianjones238]

Sold! 👍

[@Finnv893]

This should be fun with a wingman.

[@toolbaggers]

Or adversary for some streamer combat.

[@AerialWaviator]

Awesome views, of a gimbal system that has great potential. The user experience could be significantly improved IMO. Both installation wiring and configuration for inflight operation. While there are options for using head tracking from goggles, or control via the 4 PWM channels, there appears no way to switch between. The UART (Rx/TX) option appears to only connect to the VTX, as there is no protocol mentioned in the manual to control via another device. If the UART could be connected to a flight controller, then a protocol could be used send commands on just 2 wires vs. 12 wires (4x PWM). If channel mixes could be configured on the flight controller these could be sent over the UART to the VTX/gimbal. This would allow easy control by the radio transmitter while greatly reducing installation complexity. It would also allow customization to set the gimbal in fixed position for takeoff, but active during flight. Or to program custom view perspectives on a switch (eg: pilot forward view, wing view, map view, etc). Additionally by offering a open-source protocol that flight controllers could integrate, much of the configuration options in the (Windows only) software app could be adjusted via flight controller configuration. BTW: if the gimbal had an open source protocol accessible via UART, there is potentially an additional large hobby market of robotics enthusiasts that would purchase. (ESP32, Raspberry Pi, etc. .. they do have PWM outputs, but again 12 wires is a bit much) This is meant as feedback for the CADDX team to read, not to be critical of the great demo here. Seeing much potential, but not all is easily accessible, nor easily configurable.

[@AndrewNewton]

I'll test the PWM connections, but probably only need the signal wires

[@WeTrudgeOn]

Is the HD Vtx a 2-watt unit? If so, do you manually set the TX power, or does it switch to different power settings as it needs to?

[@AndrewNewton]

Not the 2W GT Kit, but you can set the maximum power. Not sure if it only uses what it needs or goes to full power on arming.

[@cococadidi]

Is a control board absolutely necessary to hook everything up to?

[@AndrewNewton]

No, FC only adds OSD and standby power switching.

[@tobiasschulz7476]

Is it possible to lock a specific axis, because i prefer to only use PAN and TILT?

[@AndrewNewton]

Don't think so, unless it's available in the setup app exe (Can't use it on my Mac)

[@Double-D_291]

Haohan firefly is screaming for this gimbal upgrade. I’m thinking of just buying the Firefly airframe and build everything else into it.

[@AndrewNewton]

Good idea, would be much cheaper

[@dynashot1]

12 wires: 4x minus and 4x plus could be wired together, so you will need only 2 wires for +/- and 4 for pwm signal and you can use a 6pin multiplex connector

[@toolbaggers]

Multiplex connector is huge for this application.

[@EleanorPeterson]

A-a-a-a-nd the line between head-tracking and creepy stalking has been crossed. [Just kidding. Or am I?🤔]

[@AndrewNewton]

Ha, wouldn't be much use due to speed and height. DJI quads have cornered that market.

[@Johan-ex5yj]

Very nice to be able to look around like that! Is it possible to multiply the angle so you don't have to turn around completely to look towards the back?

[@AndrewNewton]

Not that I know of, but it would be a good option

[@Johan-ex5yj]

@@AndrewNewton Head tracking in video games usually have angle multipliers and even expo-curves.

[@AndrewNewton]

Might be adjustable in the setup app but that's windows only

[@techstuff6829]

I expect you could if you route the head tracker through the RC transmitter since then you could use the usual mixers.

[@AndrewNewton]

Next video will feature the PWM control, and yes I needed expo and reduced rates.

[@testpilotian3188]

Was that a magpie that took exception to your landing?

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes, it's their territory at the moment

[@asotelles]

is this video on some sort of software stabilization?

[@AndrewNewton]

Gimbal software, but no image stabilisation

[@asotelles]

@@AndrewNewton damn, soo this is exactly what you was seeing? game changer

[@Finnv893]

Dont forget to look down just before crashing😂

[@AndrewNewton]

Haha, or unplug the goggles

[@EastCoastLtd]

I want to fpv my planes, but am always worried that getting it all to work with the correct firmware would be difficult???

[@AndrewNewton]

Can't be avoided unfortunately, but it's not too difficult

[@ShawankumarParida]

I am planning for a pusher. I can't understand how the flap positions are going to be during takeoff to land , roll and yaw . Can you help me?

[@AndrewNewton]

You don't need flaps for most models. Only big heavy or short takeoff planes or very efficient gliders

[@Fatpumpumlovah2]

disable tracking on Roll Axis, and your golden

[@toolbaggers]

Not for combat or canyon carving.

[@AndrewNewton]

I think enabled tracking then play with the gain would suit me better

[@toolbaggers]

Need a buddy to dogfight.

[@AndrewNewton]

Oh yes that would bring it all to life

[@tysonmcphee6376]

Hi Andrew do you have a email address so I can ask a couple of questions?

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes it's listed in my Channel Details. Click on "more" on my KZbin home page (not on the mobile app)