Thanks alot Hammer. Are you Peter (site admin)? I sent him/you an email about the UAVPSet software in English since I don't speak German.

I assume this software uploads configuration settings for PID control of each rotor to the PIC. Would be nice to have it in English though. Any plans?

As for the frame, couldn't build one if my life depended on it. I'm a programmer/developer and can use the soldering iron like it was an 11th finger but never used CNC machine.

I plan on ordering the frame kit with Wolfer motherboard and PIC. Sensors, motors/controllers, batts and RX will all be ordered from here or US. Ouch, that 20% tax is a killer[]

Cheers,

Yves

Nicoleto
Both my son and I have done this conversion and the resulting increase in performance is awesome. Weight is no longer an issue!
Gene

Thanks Hammer,
I'm on my way to go look and order stuff.
Happy Flyin,
Lacey

P.S. Quick question for ya Hammer...do you have anything that will work with the Spektum 2.4 ghz?
If not 72 mhz?

Ok HELP!!! ....I can't find it in English [&o]

Hi g-rock. Thanks for your reply. I was 99% sure it could be done but first I wanted to share the idea to see what all the DF users would think of it. I'm an electronic engineer and knew there was no problem by feeding the signal from the brushed motors to the Brush2less converter and finally to the brushless controller. However the idea of having GPS is driving me to switch to a UAVP. So I guess eventually I’ll sell my DF.

G-rock,
Can you post any pictures of that setup?.. I've been told by a lot of reliable sources that it can't be done on the stock DF board, including Mike at Spectro, He said that the flight board has to be reconfigured to be compatible with brushless motors. and he designed the boards.
I would love to see it, I'm sure most of us with DF's would.
Thanks,
Lacey

Hi,

I spoke too soon for with so many small helicopters being called Dragonfly I assumed the topic was about the GWS Dragonfly or similar sized machines. I just now realized that your talking about the Draganfly four rotor machine.

I would think that it would be possible if the Draganfly receiver is supplying a 1 to 2 ms pulse-width signal to each brushed motor built in ESC for there is even less current draw when using the Brush2Less for the receiver for it's brushed ESC's are no longer being used. The main problem might be an additional BEC required - the 4 brush-less ESC's would have their positive supply disconnected or they would fight each other and quickly burn out nor could any one of them supply the current required.

Even though the enclosed pictures are off topic, they may be of some use.

Gene

Hi g-rock. Although the helicopters are different, the electronics that run the brushed motors are alike (Of course the DF having more powerful electronics). The idea of the setup as you noted with your Dragonfly would be to put a converter a controller and a brushless motor in replacement of the brushed motor. The helicopter will still "think" that it has a brushed motor attached to it so the main board in some sense will be tricked and will perfectly work but wit less load because this time the load would be taken by the brushless controllers. Anyway, I realized that it would cost almost the same (taking the cost of the DF into account) to convert the DF to brushless than to buy a new brushless system with to much power and flexibility as the UAVP so I guess this time it is better to go the UAVP way.

Ok' breezed through the thread and now I have to ask, can the DF be converted to BL or are we selling it and buying a UAVP (what ever that is)?

Hi SAVS. I was about to convert my DF to BL but after reviewing the prices of the components I decided I’ve better spend that money on the UAVP. I’m not going to order the UAVP’s components right now. That is a project I’ll start on late may, early June. As for now I’ll keep and fly my DF as is and will research all I can about the benefits, flexibility and power of the UAVP. So in a few words, yes I believe the DF can be converted but for the price you’re better off by buying one UAVP.

Got a link (or several) to this UAVP?

Yes, in the first link you will fin a lot o info about the UAVP also in the second link you will find the store where you can order all the components.

http://www.opensourcequadrocopter.de/

http://www.lipoly.de/index.php?main_...14&language=en

Here are some pics taken from one UAVP. Remember, the UAVP can lift heavi video or photo equipment.

http://www.uavp.de/index.php?option=...d=37&Itemid=55

Here are some videos as well

http://www.uavp.de/index.php?option=...d=35&Itemid=55

Hammer

Hammer - just a clarification - the main board with PIC chip can be set up to make use of the gyros, the accelerometer AND a compass, AND a GPS, AND a barometer? or is it gyros accelerometer, and One of the last 3 options (compass or GPS or Barometer)

thanks

After looking at the assembly manual I can answer your question. The board can handle 3 Gyros, one 3 axis accelerometer, one magnetic sensor (compass), one GPS Module, one parachute trigger, 7 LEDs, one beep and two auxiliary channels (servo channels) at the same time. I’m not sure about the barometric pressure module. It seems you’ll have to disable the compass in order to use that one.

You can see the assembly manual (PDF format) and schematics (Inside the manual) of the main board at:

http://www.uavp.de/index.php?option=...d=43&Itemid=52

Hi Nicoletto,

Brushless converters...........

I am familiar with the brushless converters you mention (the ones that just simply take the power leads that usually go to the brushed motor, and that signal powers a board that regulates power from a batter to a brushless motor). It looks just like an ESC with a brushless motor attached, but instead of taking a RX throttle signal, it takes the power leads usually intended for a brushed motor.

I too think it would work, and I have thought about it for some time.

What you suggest I believe allows the DF electronics to operate complete as they do normally. The brushless converter (which is a completely separate circuit to the board) would just pick up the signal going to the brushed motor. If the brushless converter board could pick up the speed variations (from the gyros adjusting flight) adequately, I can't see why it wouldn't work.

Perhaps someone can enlighten me more, but I can't see how the conversion would overload or affect the draganflyer board, as the addition of the brushless converters is a completely separate circuit. There is no further load on, or any other connection to, the original board.

Anyway, my two cents worth, and it would be good to see somebody sink the funds in and give it a go. I'll see if I can pick up one fairly cheap and hook it up to one motor to see if the concept works, but I am only a weekender if that, so may take me a while.

Regards to all

Anybody succesfully contacted the guys at lipoly.de ? I sent a mail but no reply yet since 2 days..
Too bad that the DF bl conversion actually might work now that my board is finally dead

Hi Flyingdutchie, yes I did contact them. The email you should use is: [email protected] or [email protected]
You can also contact them by filling out the contact form at:

http://www.lipoly.de/index.php?main_page=contact_us

Regards
Nick

Hi everyone, I’ve been playing with my oscilloscope and DF’s main board and I believe I found a way to take the signal directly from the controllers (soldering will be needed) so a brush2less converter won’t be needed for the brushless conversion. I’ll start doing some tests this weekend and perhaps next Monday I will post some pictures. Right now I do not have 4 controllers and brushless motors of the same specs so I will perform only bench test with only one controller and BL motor.

Hi Nicoleto
Any progres with your project?
I also have 4 motors and 4 controllers waiting to "listen" from you.
Have a nice weekend
Moti

Hehe...it is amazing to look back on this thread and see the progress that has been made on adding brushless to quad board's such as the X-UFO's chinaboard and X-base, and Draganflyer. They all mod very easily and fly great with the opti-isolator mod developed by Old Man Mike. Here: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6316400/tm.htm. I've done this mod on all the above board's and they all fly beautifully with tons of power using the recommended motors and ESC's that OMM used.
Nick, you were certainly on to something with your idea of going brushless on the DF! I originally tried the powerzone BL adapters on the XUFO chinaboard and they did not perform very well. There seemed to be too much latency in the motor's response to the gyro's inputs. The OMM opti-isolator mod works very well. It looks like you were on to something when you found the PWM signals for the controlers. I would have liked to have seen your ideas there too.
And now there is the Spectrolutions experimental brushless DF board. Here: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6531477/tm.htm and a very long extablished build thread stated by OMM here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=768115
Of course I know you are deep into Mikrokopter's now. I'm heading there too...slowly...)
Cheers,
Jim