About $0.02 of wire tripled the range in today's Centauri radio test!
I'd been puzzled by the limited range of my homebuilt drone's radio link. Turns out the antenna's ground plane deserved a closer look.
Here's what I tried!
I'd been puzzled by the limited range of my homebuilt drone's radio link. Turns out the antenna's ground plane deserved a closer look.
Here's what I tried!
1
0
0
12
First, without the ground plane: packets stopped arriving at about 58 meters.
Link made this easy to check on foot. No need to fly the drone just to find out where reception drops off!
Then back to the transmitter to add the wire...
Link made this easy to check on foot. No need to fly the drone just to find out where reception drops off!
Then back to the transmitter to add the wire...
1
0
0
1
With the ground plane attached: 178 METERS!
More than 3x the range in this test, just from adding those wire arms.
This suggests an insufficient ground plane was limiting my antenna setup. Excited to try it on the drone next!
More than 3x the range in this test, just from adding those wire arms.
This suggests an insufficient ground plane was limiting my antenna setup. Excited to try it on the drone next!
0
0
0
1
34 minutes and 50 seconds of flight time yesterday.
Putting Centauri v2 through its paces. 💪
Putting Centauri v2 through its paces. 💪
0
0
0
3
Centauri with the new 2,200 mAh battery!
Down from the 3,300 mAh one I was using.
It flies like a CHAMP!
💪
Down from the 3,300 mAh one I was using.
It flies like a CHAMP!
💪
0
0
0
4
An Xbox controller, a laptop, and a radio. That's how you pilot Centauri!
Centauri is our open-source quadcopter ecosystem for learning how drones work. Over four weeks, we'll introduce its four main components.
First up: the transmitter.
🧵 1/5
Centauri is our open-source quadcopter ecosystem for learning how drones work. Over four weeks, we'll introduce its four main components.
First up: the transmitter.
🧵 1/5
1
0
0
36
The radio conversation goes both ways. Centauri can send telemetry back, and the transmitter's dashboard displays pre-flight information.
You can also update flight-controller tuning settings wirelessly, without plugging a cable into the drone.
4/5
You can also update flight-controller tuning settings wirelessly, without plugging a cable into the drone.
4/5
1
0
0
3
If you've written Python but never sent a command over radio, this is a fun place to start exploring! 🙂
Transmitter hardware and code: github.com/TimHanewich/ce…
#FullStackFlight
Transmitter hardware and code: github.com/TimHanewich/ce…
#FullStackFlight
0
0
0
2
Some updates for the Transmitter program are now live!
#1 = State of Charge estimator, which is then used to estimate the flight time remaining.
🧵
#1 = State of Charge estimator, which is then used to estimate the flight time remaining.
🧵
1
0
0
33
Centauri quadcopter v2 is now live!
GitHub repo fully up to date with the newest version, PCB tested and available for sale, and 3D-printed parts library updated!
github.com/TimHanewich/ce…
GitHub repo fully up to date with the newest version, PCB tested and available for sale, and 3D-printed parts library updated!
github.com/TimHanewich/ce…
0
1
0
8
