ddaver

My Feedback: (3)

Hey Everyone,

I'm a new guy here. After reading many posts re: aerial photography, I have purchased a 1500mW system from spylinker through EBay. ($124.00 inc. S&H) It includes Camera, Tx, Rx power supplies and cables. Unable to tell what kind of camera it is, it is described as free gift in the ad. It is a 1.2 GhZ system. I plan to mount it in my Sig Kadet Sr just as "Fubar One" has (love those vids on your site.

Sure would like to know how you mounted the camera on the servo to get 180 degree direction. I have a JR xp662 6 channel radio and only have retract and gear channels open. Any help here would be appreciated.

I'll keep everyone posted on the progress of this project and on the performance of the system.

Also wanted to recognize the nice work of "Rucanunes" and others that I've seen on this board.

ddaver

closetflyer

Keep in mind that 1.2ghz systems are operating in frequency of illegal operation (systems are actually just below 1.2ghz). Not even HAM license allows to operate legally, since frequency band is reserved for AVIATION use.

Not a place you want to draw attention from, post 9/11

ddaver

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for the tip "closetflyer". I had no idea. I live in a very rural area of northern WI. Our field is 10 miles away from a grass landing strip on a golf course, the next closest airport is 50 miles away.

Can anyone tell me which frequencies require licensing or are restricted. I am not going to pursue a HAM license for the 30-40 minutes a month that I expect to use the system. I am considering a 2.4 Ghz system with a ccd camera as an upgrade.

ddaver

steve_molmer

ddaver
Got some new for you.
If you are using a 1.2 GHz tx for video in the US., the FCC can give you a fine for more than $10,000 and a 3 year jail term......
Thank Im joking.....
A few months ago a guy was using one out near Dobbins air force base, the air force traced the signal to him:
took him and his equipment and confiscated his video stuff.
The FCC was called in and now he is facing charges.

If you are looking for good range and for clear video use a good 1 watt transmitter ( do not exceed 1 watt of power...) at 2.4 GHz and a high gain
low nose amp on the receiver,.
This type of setup is completely legal and you wont get into any trouble.

P.S.
The fcc can see you on the 1.2 GHz range, because the military uses it and is very unforgiving to people they find on it.
They are not in the mood to play games.....

W4UAV

Quote:
Sure would like to know how you mounted the camera on the servo to get 180 degree direction.

Here you go:
http://mypage.yhti.net/~dmcdnld/s148retract.htm

Converted two so far!

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

My father converted one using this info also with great results.
I used the pan&tilt setup from Servo City which is basically a plexiglass plate with a large Hitec compatible servo arm. The plate screws down on the servo arm. I used that super plastic type velcro to hold my camera to the plate. The servo is mounted in the wing just like an aileron servo. I added 1/4" balsa sheeting with a lite ply doubler between the ribs of the first wing bay under the wing.
Such as:
Camera Servo!
This servo is slaved to channel 7 and a variable switch on my 9C but you really dont need 180 degrees for a wing mounted camera. I have tested it with the gear switch and it works fine. 180 degrees would show you either mostly the front of the plane or mostly the rear if mounted near the fuse such as the way mine is.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Ok, this is the picture I was trying to show:

Apparently, my website is case sensitive!

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

Gettin pissed!

SUPERSPORT

So hundreds of people buying these from e-bay are breaking the law? All of you guys in here are talking about doing illegal stuff?

ddaver

My Feedback: (3)

Thank-you
Dan and Mike
Soldering servos not for me though. I have all JR stuff anyway.

...........and a note to Steve..........
I heard it was a garage door-opener that brought down the shuttle. My C-band sattelite dish receives channels from 1.13GHz through 1.25GHz. So will I be able to pick up my aerial shots on my TV?

Thanks again fellas

ddaver

SydDythers

My Feedback: (5)

I actually took a frequency meter to the 1500mW Spylinker rig and found it to transmit at a frequency within airport radar (at least here in canada).

So I can't imagine it would be too fun having the spooks from the CRTC (Canada's FCC equiv I believe) and Transport Canada on your ass at the same time.

The field I am planning to fly at in Toronto lies right underneath Pearson Airport's airtraffic pattern. So I pretty much tossed the piece of junk in the garbage.

The new spylinker system seems to have some dipswitches on the Tx so you may be able to fiddle with it so that it will transmit in a legal range.

reznikvova-RCU

SydDythers ,
You are correct about the switches.( all my Tx's have them)

I will check the frequencies and report back.
I hope this solves the "legal" issues associated with the 1.2ghz systems.

Best regards,
Vova Reznik

reznikvova-RCU

Ok, heres what I found with the manual included with the 4 channel receiver:

1st channel 1.08 ghz
2nd 1.12ghz
3rd 1.16ghz
4th 1.20ghz

closetflyer

Here is bandplan published by FCC (small portion listed here)
960.000 - 1215.000 Aviation Service NAVAID/DME
960.000 - 1350.000 Land-based Aero NAV
1240.000 - 1300.000 Amateur 23 Centimeters
1350.000 - 1400.000 DoD

Congratulations Vova, you have solved "legal" issue with 1.2ghz equipment... it is ILLEGAL.

David

reznikvova-RCU

Dont buy one then.

SydDythers

My Feedback: (5)

I wouldn't paint all "1.2Ghz" devices as illegal.

Some may very well operate in the Amateur Band.

Spylinker is selling crap that may actually be legal to operate in Hong Kong but definitely not here. That said, buyer beware. I don't have anything against him.

Before you purchase a device, from anyone/where, make sure you find out the EXACT frequency it is transmitting over. Then cross check that with the FCC or CRTC or whatever regulatory body is in your country. They all have spectrum charts available on the web.

I guess I was wrong that the device was operating over the airport radar spectrum but rather, airplane navigation!

If you have one of these 1.2Ghz devices, it may be possible to change it's operating frequency by changing the coil (if it has one). But this is out of my realm.

Try going to http://groups.msn.com/rccam/_messageboard.msnw and joining this group. Many experts located there.

Fubar-One

My Feedback: (1)

With my setup, there was no soldering. Its just a standard servo that I am operating with a slider switch. It wont do 180 degrees but where I have it mounted, a full 180 would just show you mostly plane when pointed fore or aft.
My father did the mods to his for 180 degree travel but his camera is mounted inside the cockpit so he can look out the windshield and either side. Also operated with a variable switch.

modelav8r

I purchased one of the 800mW "1.2 GHz" Spylinker systems also. Checked it out on an HP Spectrum Analyzer, and it actally has several frequency spikes from (for my particular one) about 1080 MHz to about 1250 MHz with a 50dB spike about every 30 or 40 MHz, Also the entire spectrum loses about 10 dB of sensitivity when the Spylinker transmitter is turned on. This means that it is definately reducing your radio range. Try doing a few range checks with your plane at different positions on the runway and with the TV transmitter on and off and you will probably be scared to fly with it then. Although, I fly with it all the time, but have experienced a few "blips" in the air that I attribute to the TV transmitter. Just letting you know... the Spylinker is crap but it works. If anyone is interested in pics of the spectrum analysis with and without the transmitter, let me know.

modelav8r

steve_molmer

ddaver...
Look,
all I am trying to do is give a word of advice to my fellow hobbies here so we can keep this hobby from being taken away from us. The only way to
keep this hobby around is to use video transmitters that operated in legal freq. range.

I have worked in the communications industry for the past 15 years, and have been making and flying video platforms for about the same time frame.

I can tell you from first hand that the FCC is not the old CB radio hunters of old. since the new mandates at the beginning of this year they are looking
at clearing all unauthorized traffic from about 1.0 GHz to rear the 2.0 GHz range.

If you are broadcasting on an illegal frequency then you will eventually get busted.... also you are placing the hobby endanger
The choice is up to you...

SydDythers

My Feedback: (5)

Steve,

Your warnings are probably falling on deaf ears. People are people and they'll do what they are determined to. This is probably not the forum for the next comment but what the heck:

I give this hobby maybe five years before government starts licensing r/c hobbyists anyhow, and that's if they let us fly at all anymore.

How easy would it be to load up a 1/4 scale cub or equivalent with anthrax (sorry, I know it's a cliche) or some other biohazard and fly it over a large crowd of people a couple miles away at, say, a rock concert for example. Open the sprayer and say good night. That's just one of many nightmarish scenarios that we, unfortunately, have to worry about. And it doesn't have to be some terrorist group...could be someone that looks just like you and I but is completely psycho.

It's a sad world we live in...

CrispyCritter

My Feedback: (26)

Talking about loading a plane with anthrax will do more to hurt this hobby than a video transmitter whose signal won't even reach past the gate into the flying field. IMHO that was a very irresponsible post. If you don't like what we are doing to have fun then don't come to this forum. I prefer positive people.

Bruce

reznikvova-RCU

ahhem, a little bit too much exaggeration on the range of the system.

SydDythers

My Feedback: (5)

Relax Crispy

Look the only reason I mentioned it was because of these video systems. If you don't think it is possible then you have your head in the sand. I wish it was a different world we live in and I'm not trying to be a killjoy, just a realist.

There is no exageration of the systems range at all either. Try http://www.cyber-flyer.com. This guy has flown a .60 airplane to 24,000 feet using virtual headgear and camera equipment you buy over the net...that's 4.5 miles guys and gals. And just recently a group of guys successfully flew a model airplance across the atlantic. Saddam was known to be testing UAVs before getting his ass kicked.

It is amazing to me what cyber-flyer has been able to do and I think that it is really neat stuff. But he has also done it within the legal parameters set forth by his regulatory authority. Which is the point that myself and other on this thread are trying to make. Although the point seems to have been lost. The more you do to flout the fcc or whomever, the faster they are going to take our hobby away. I'm not a Luddite, quite the opposite actually. But who in their right minds would have predicted such a terrible awful tragic event such as the one that occured a couple of Septembers ago. But it happened even though we all refused to believe it could happen.

At any rate, keep flying, keep having fun but if you are operating one of these illegal systems, (which the 1500mW will go at least a couple miles with a good antenna), do us all a favour and chuck it because it puts all of us hobbyists in a bad light is all I'm trying to say.

Cheers mate,

Billiam411

So you're saying the 800MHz camera is actually 1080-1250MHz?

reznikvova-RCU

Billiam,
You mean 800mw, right?