Tune Your Multi-rotor

[@syrell53]

This presentation is a model of how to post an informational video. Narration is very clear and not obscured by some pointless music selection. Should be required viewing for anyone contemplating uploading a "how-to" on You Tube.

[@ycopter]

Thanks for your kind comments, they give me confidence to share more information. A follow up based this video and my latest quad design is in the pipeline.

[@GordyDownUnder]

This was one of the best rc tips videos I have ever seen.

[@martincloutier1399]

I really like the way you mounted your motors. Very clever. No drilling necessary. I did the same after I saw it. I'm using two cross mounts for each motors.

[@ThereIsProbablyNoGod]

One of the best videos I have ever seen on tuning multirotors. Thanks a lot for this.

[@peropolero]

Just beginning to expolore the world of multicopters... your video is great... answered a lot of questions, is well made und quite understandable for anyone who is starting molticoptering ... tnx for your great work!

[@filmserve]

Great video - many thanks for taking the time and trouble to make it. Best aerial video tutorial I have seen.

[@Powerstrokemods]

Thank you for the great videos that you're producing, they're very well done, clear and most of all, informative. You've cleared up a lot of questions I would've asked. I'm sure I speak for many pilots, when I say that we really appreciate your work and dedication to this hobby. Lets hope that whatever powers that be, will, when the time comes, use your videos as an example of competence as a tool for new pilots, because we know that soon, permits and licenses will be a requirement for multirotors. They're already against the law to fly in National parks here in America, because of the carelessness of a few pilots. Cheers, my friend!

[@Painless360]

Great video, thanks.

[@rcfreehold]

good job on mentioning the simonK firmware. Makes a HUGE difference. thanks for all the great tips

[@wb8ujb]

Awesome training video! I'm pretty new at this multirotor hobby. I found your hints to be most valuable. Thanks, you didn't wander to un-important subjects and kept the interest up. Good work sir!

[@ironspider1960]

Thanks for the reply. A bit more info, with a 3S hover is around 70% throttle however initial voltage drop in the first 30sec of flight then requires more like 80% to hover. This will slowly move over the flight. 4S will start with hover around 50%. Motors are turnigy 910KV, 30amp ESC with SimonK, props are 11x5 Graupner style. It's as if somewhere between 3 and 4S is what I really need! Your videos are a constant inspiration and my goal, one day!! (I hope).

[@mjstevenson911]

Fantastic video and design, thanks. I think I'm going to build one of these. I see in your Quadcopter design page, you use Sketchup to design some parts. You may find a 3D printer very useful for printing some of what you design. My 3D printer can only print up to 200mm cube, so it won't do the larger plates, but certainly some of the smaller items would work great. It prints in lego plastic, so its light and tough. For those interested in cost, I did a quick add up and for motors, mounts, props, esc, KK2 and batt, it came to about $220, which is very reasonable. (excl wood, wires, plates, camera, radio and receiver)

[@wattsy1972]

Super video as usual, thank you. If you have time, could you possibly do a overview/setup video of your ground station. Your long range video quality is simply superb! Thanks again, your sharing really helps those new to the hobby.

[@Iconoclast55]

Great video, Excellent tips.When I balance my props I use fingernail polish , it drys fast ,stays on and I color code Cw one color and CCW another, that way I don't weaken the prop by removing anything..

[@GeorgeBonez]

That is a cool tip. I never thought of that. I use the ziptie trick to balance my motors and that works pretty well but prop-balancing has always been a pain in the ass so I tend to not do it. lol

[@rickryan2007]

Thanks, I completed the shimming and have done one test flight. I quad seems a bit more stable but it was pretty windy so it was hard to tell. I think I may build a new frame (likely an H-Quad) to provide more room for additional electronics. Thanks for your help.

[@mick7sp]

Very nice video! One other tick for balancing props I have used and like much better then tape. Keep a can of quick dry clear matte spray paint around. Clean blade with alcohol if you have not already and a couple of quick shots of paint on one or both sides of the lighter blade. You learn to judge the correct amount pretty quickly. Then check the balance again after has dried a few minutes. If that blade is now heavy you just sand off a bit of paint.

[@ARCEYE78]

I found it a minefield when I first looked into flying multirotors,spent many days on the web learning about all the various info needed,well done for a great intro for this technical hobby,one thing I would like to ask is where do you get your APC props,I use unnamed carbon reinforced 10x4.5 but would rather use APC for obvious reasons,thanks & keep up the great work :)

[@Bazdavies1]

Great vids YC--Well presented, entertaining, informative and easy to follow. I've never been a fan of the dome type prop nuts. They can also effect vibes. I prefer a std-nyloc nut. Thanks for the vids- Cheers.

[@702Wolfi]

Oh man the good old KK2 days. Loved it.

[@ycopter]

Ancient history now. The KK boards made things so much easier!

[@tonyjweller3187]

Great video, understand I have a few more things to set up before my first flight, thanks.

[@ironspider1960]

Thanks for those pointers, I was thinking of reducing arm length as the thing is a little large to cart around. However, I have reduced the auto-level gain and this has helped a lot, think it was trying to snap-back to quickly? Every time I have flown without auto-level it has ended very quickly in a very rough unscheduled landing!! Anyway I will keep trying and see where it goes. Many Thanks!

[@cfrankfly]

Absolutely essential information! Easy and concise! Thanks for tying it all together..

[@ycopter]

Thanks

[@matthetriker]

Hi excellent video, like to see more. I had a Gaui 500x which had angled motor mounts built in and by the way is the only commercially available one with this set up. You are right it does increase better yaw. You are a star !! keep it up . All the best Mat

[@ironspider1960]

Thanks for reply. I will probably ask more questions as time goes by. First ever build of an RC anything!! Never flown one either, so much expensive fun to come I think. Bought a 700TVL Sony camera only because of price, we shall see how it goes. Right now all I have is a bag of bits, fingers crossed!

[@TheMariocoastie]

High quality information pertaining to your experience and knowledge. Thank you for the video!

[@MyJazz66]

Good vide very very informative for a new quad builder like myself I have my quad flying but it jumps up every so often Almost like it gets a serge of extra power from some were it only jumps up a few inches then then goes back to the same hight as before ...any ideas on what it could be . I crashed it the first time it happened and it cost me £40 for new parts . You have a new sub great vid

[@volarencuba]

I am delighted with your article. Could you give permission to translate the audio and re-publish the video?

[@orvillenolan4440]

Good presentation, interesting and very informative, thanks for your interest, Orville

[@07zgreen]

Hi I just want to say that this was a great video and I have learnt so much from it. Keep it up !!!

[@ironspider1960]

Gains are: (Aileron&Pitch) P gain 52, Limit 50 and I gain 0, Limit 20 Yaw: P gain 40 Limit 20 and I gain 50, Limit 10 Self level: P gain 70, Limit 40 Must say looking at these I'm not sure how they cam about?? In case size matters, arms are 500mm with 840mm between motors. Also flying with auto-level at the mo. Thanks for your help!

[@CerebralDad]

Thank you for taking the time to put the video together. Very nice Job! I've subscribed. Welcoming future videos. Cheers.

[@ycopter]

Thanks, I'm pleased you found the information useful.

[@martincloutier1399]

You're right about lower temperatures ! They get hard as a rock when it's near 0c.

[@NUeB_net]

Thanks a lot for this informative video, I now think I may build my own quad instead of purchasing a kit. :-) What sort of wood do you recommend or may I just take what's avalable in the next DIY-store?

[@NUeB_net]

Thanks a lot! I hope to get it up in the air before winter (there are so many other things to do ...).

[@HalStaniloff]

Awesome video! I have a DJI F550 Flamewheel that I am about to swap out the stock motors in favor of T-Motor's. The holes don't line up on the new motors to the arms such that only 2 of the screws will fasten the motor to the arm. Do you think this will be sufficient? Or is it best to figure out a way using an adaptor to get all 4 screw holes to mount each motor. Thanks.

[@ironspider1960]

Really great videos, I have been inspired and have parts arriving almost daily!! Lets hope I still have all my fingers in a week or two! May be I can put my little machine shop to good use at last :-)

[@IdeologieUK]

Hi Rich, what an amazing guide thanks! Previously inspired by your Tri, I've put one together based on a coffin frame. Currykitten and Hase2 have spent some time with me and it's finally flying quite nicely, but needs finer tweaks as there's some jitter in the frame (I think the board reacting to small vibes) but thankfully no jello. In terms of isolating the Go Pro, do you have a closer look at your dampening mechanism? I've taken all points on board, great video! Thanks!

[@KJ4CTZ]

All excellent Points. Than you for your time and efforts to help others like me.

[@laportecan]

All I can say is .......BRILLIANT; Sir !

[@BenPortmanlewes]

I am also, there is alot of info on RCgroups, if you didn't know, too much info maybe. First build is done, just need to trim it in. Multicopters are a great platform, I've got planes, but really like the multi's. At the bottom of a mountain looking up

[@IdeologieUK]

Thanks, I'd appreciate that. Getting it to fly well was the first step, but I just know it still needs more work. I looked at the video footage and decided to leave it, but will put something together and end you a link PM - would appreciate your feedback. Cheers R

[@homezman]

Given the quadcopter configuration, how much air time did you have? (By the way, nice job on the video).

[@BenPortmanlewes]

Nice video, was that the doombar I saw there?

[@RCLabinfo]

Mate, what a fantastic video! Thanks for sharing, Subbed!

[@RStephenLegge]

Thank you, very comprehensive video

[@martincloutier1399]

Is it really necessary to mount the board on some foam like you did. First time I see that. Most people are using screws and/or nylon threaded spacers. Does it make a big difference ? Also, do you think using 4 gyro mounting pads could be a good solution ?

[@MrNikolaTodorov]

Really nice video! So much info, given in the best way!

[@ycopter]

+Nikola Todorov Thanks, this video is quite old now but the basic principles still apply.

[@MathewWellington]

very nicely done video - lots of handy tips - great work

[@vallazaro1]

nice and well delivered thanks regards from arizona usa

[@EddieSlowhands]

Hi there ! Great video & very helpful ~ thanks for sharing this with us ! I can only set up a throttle curve in Heli mode on my Spektrum but I was led to believe you set up Multirotor craft in Airplane mode ? Can you advise me on this one please ? Kind Regards . . . Eddie.

[@juandez87]

Very interesting video. Can you tell me about the stability of the H-quadcopters if it’s more stable than the X-copter? what can be the difference? I build and H-quad that weights 4Kg and the size is 60cm x 60cm and it use motors Rimfire.32 - 42-50-800 kv

[@helidaho]

Nice informative video, lots of good tips and ideas in there!

[@junsonic67]

I saw the video 2 now if understood, thanks

[@juandez87]

Thanks for the quick response. I am trying to lift 1kg more of equipment of sensors and cameras obviously it can be less than 1kg. But without the 1kg the time of flying is of 16min. here is a video of it flying, its and old video.

[@ironspider1960]

Might I ask, do you stream video from the small board camera for FPV and use the video from the GoPro for editing for You Tube?

[@helloman1976]

You use or have used the Lumenier CS600 Super correct? How was it in low light and the transition from low light to bright and vice versa? Also, does it have a microphone built in? I can't find this info anywhere and I need to replace my current FPV camera which is garbage.

[@RajaKajiev]

Can you show in more details camera mounts you use?

[@atron73]

Thank you for sharing!

[@albertocoello2685]

VERY GOOD video! and nice designs! Could you tell me about the ferrite rings? Have you got one for each ESC? the number of turns make a difference? Thanks

[@ycopter]

Alberto, the ferrite rings are fitted as standard to the F30A ESCs. They are designed to filter out any stray interference that travels down the cable to stop it entering the receiver or control board. It is a form of choke that allows DC current to pass but stops AC which is often noise or interference. The more turns of wire the more effective, but 5 or 6 turns should be all that is needed. Place the rings as close to the receiver / control board as possible. In most cases there is no interference or the equipment is capable of operating in spite of interference. On my set-ups (F30A, FrSky, KK2 and CC3D), they work fine without the ferrite rings so I have removed them! This may work for you as well although it would be wise to do a thorough range test with the motors running if you do decide to remove them.

[@albertocoello2685]

***** Hi, thanks for your explanation, Finally I use ferrite rings, it add a little weight but still preffer use it. I made my quad pretty similar to yours following all your tips. I am using the KK2.1. I tested yesterday first time, it has a deviation when start lifting and when is hoveering its a little hard to keep in place, I guess is a center of gravity problem trying to fix it. Thanks for share your good work

[@volarencuba]

Sure, non-commercial. Where can I find you? RCG?

[@patb5266]

Thank you for the excellent tutorial. I say do more!:)

[@rickryan2007]

I have noticed my Quad frame has the motors tilted toward the center of the frame, in varying amounts, rather than being vertical. Is this desirable or should the motors be vertical. There is about a 12mm difference from prop tip to ground, on the tip that is furthest away for the center of the quad versus the tip that is closest to the center of the quad. You can see it is tilted - I am guessing it is around 5 degrees. Is it worth the effort to shim the motors make them vertical?

[@gsulliv1]

On the tricopter, do you have the rear motor spinning opposite the two front motors? Any problem finding reverse props?

[@mjl0259]

Nicely done!

[@Vass881234]

Recording at 50fps and playback 24fps is a nice trick to reduce the appearance of shake

[@michaelnelson9140]

I have one and it says error. Yaw not working or something along those lines. So I put in a different control board , a different kind. And everything works fine. Doe that mean mine is broken?

[@sadekjaka]

thanks! very helpful :)

[@sco215]

how are your measurements taken? is that arm lenth or shaft to shaft. thanks

[@JustForFunRC]

Thank you! Very informative video!

[@ycopter]

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@footlaunch1]

Good informative video lots of tips thanks

[@jazzartphotography]

Great Video, Thanks for sharing

[@ironspider1960]

Sorry another question, have tried to find answer but can't.. On the Turnigy 9X are you using stock firmware or have you flashed it? Are you configured for Heli or Acro. Trying to sort Expo/Curves and what I see is not as in your video - Thanks,

[@Чонкин-д1ф]

Спартак чемпион!!!

[@ezragrothe]

A great reference! Thanks!

[@acicuecalo]

Great video.

[@martincloutier1399]

Have you ever tried earplugs as a damping solution ?

[@LeoGwizdala]

Good stuff, thanks

[@lucaspierzina8076]

Nice job..

[@nabil8121]

thank you

[@jazperjamessajol8461]

hey.. is your frame balanced ? we made a quadcopter frame, it is just barely heavier from the back by i think a few small grams.. does it make a bit difference? do we really need the frame equally balanced front and back?

[@ycopter]

A few grams will make hardly any difference, frames can be fairly unbalanced from front to back and it will make very little difference providing the quad has at least a 2 to 1 thrust to weight ratio. I like my quads a little tail heavy as they fly more level at speed.

[@jazperjamessajol8461]

i see.. so the problem really is our configuration on our kk2.1 board.. any suggestions..? actually we're using a wifi and a smartphone as controller not an RC.. when we try to ascend it.. it likely flies upward with forward tilting..

[@jazperjamessajol8461]

***** Ps.. what do you mean by 2 to 1 ratio?

[@ycopter]

Jazper James Sajol The problem could be caused by a number of things, it is hard to say without further information but the most likely is ESCs have not been calibrated, or the machine has insufficient power. To calibrate the ESCs, remove the props, switch on your transmitter and put the throttle to maximum, hold down button 1 and 4 on the KK board and then plug in the main battery. Wait for the beeps, and after a few seconds your ESCs will be calibrated.

[@ycopter]

Jazper James Sajol If your machine weighs 1kg, the multirotor thrust at full throttle should be at least 2kg.

[@daverc8544]

Great video :)

[@kennethpappas]

what are the arms made of and where did you get them?

[@ycopter]

Machined wood, 20mm x 12mm for the Quad and 12mm x 12mm for the Tricopter.

[@junsonic67]

greetings, to which side of the quad are those, 2 degrees.

[@ycopter]

junsonic67 Rear motors forward and front motor leaning back by a couple of degrees, my later video makes this much clearer, kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWGUZnmgepetnqcm46s

[@juandez87]

the name of the is Hquad grievous 2

[@gnomehell]

How much amp your quadcopter use for hover on 2.1kg ?

[@ycopter]

gnomehell It is not very efficient, around 14amps and 6 mins flying around on a 5000mah 4S.

[@gnomehell]

14amps per motor ? And u are using 10 inch prop right ?

[@ycopter]

gnomehell No, 14 Amps total and yes 10" props.

[@ziggyzbeak]

thanks

[@RajaKajiev]

oh... thanks!

[@ironspider1960]

Another question if I may, how much change in behaviour should I expect when swapping between 3S and 4S lipos? Tricopter is near 2kg with a 3S 2.2Ahr batt and giving me around 4min 30sec gental flying see here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5rKp4SVaJl5rZI So decided to try 4S 3Ahr batt to give a bit more go and more up time, getting 7min. But it does not feel the same and seems to wobble somewhat. Should I adjust P and I gains??

[@IdeologieUK]

Sorry, forgot to mention I'm on the KK2 v 1.5 fw

[@ironspider1960]

I take my hat off to you! Built my copter and it does fly kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHnZcphtaLR_mdU However it's so much harder to fly than you make it look!! I know, I have used aluminium and not wood but there you go, comes it at 1.7kgs inc battery. Anyway, must go have a lot to learn.

[@carloscorreia9077]

Thank you for sharing!