The canon Elura 2 that I’m currently using, is showing its age. One review I read was dated in 2000, so the camera is at least 10 years old.
The screen is not showing the colors correctly (very fiddly) and the quality is ok.
I’ve been looking around to find a decent replacement.
http://www.vimeo.com/forums/topic:7046
The Canon HV20 seems like a good option for low light work.
For the car PC, I will RMA the current intel board, and get an ASUS ITX-220 ($78)mobo. The reviews I read report it faster then the Atom N230 boards, and hopefully it will not break when I stick it in my car!
So between selling the Atom board (maybe $55?), and getting this new one, I should only be out $30-$40 or so.
For the HTPC, I wanted a mini-ITX boars, so I’ll get a Zotac GF8200 Mobo ($116), with an Athlon LE-1640 CPU ($48), and a low profile CPU fan ($25). Total = $189
Conversly, I could get a slightly larger case, and put a mATX mobo in there.Gigabyte GA-MA78LM-S2 Mobo ($67), Athlon LE-1640 CPU ($48), low profile CPU fan ($25), and a new case…
To make things even cheaper; make the current HTPC box dedicated to the projector. Movies and games. I can install XBMC on a USB stick to boot XBMC from it, or run windows for games, from the HD. XBMC will run beautifully since it has a tonne of horsepower under the hood.
For my workstation machine I can use ?? the VIA EN15000 mobo? (and rebuild the SageTV server on the VIA 1000 board)
UPDATE 01Feb2010: Kinda thinking I should spend my money on a Arduino controlled copter, mainly since that’s the direction I will be heading into in the future anyway, and this way I can totally reuse all the components in the future.
Cost breakdown for a tricopter from this thread:
| Item | Amount | Single [Euro] | Total [Euro] |
| Arduino Pro mini (m328p, 5V 16 MHz) | 1 | 16 | 16 |
| Accelerometer Breakout Board ADXL322 | 1 | 25 | 25 |
| Gyro Breakout Board ADXRS610 | 3 | 54 | 162 |
| TriGUIDE PCB (DIY) | 1 | 11 | 11 |
| Motors FC28-22 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| ESC (I²C) | 3 | 40 | 120 |
| …or standard ESCs in combination with my I²C->PWM converters | |||
| Props EPP0845 | 2 | 3.2 | 6.4 |
| Servo Bluebird BMS371 | 1 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| USB -> serial converter | 1 | 12 | 12 |
| Rec-Enc (recommended) | 1 | 30 | 30 |
| Frame | 1 | ? | ? |
| Lipo battery 3S 2200 mAh | 1 | ? | ? |
| TOTAL: | 400.5 |
This uses a Arduino CPU. The asselerometers and gyros are the expensive bits. Look for cheaper alternatives.
The Rec-Enc I can’t find. Look at this thread for a PPM converter. They use this converter priced at reasonable $25.
Read this for CCPM mixing on the Futaba 6ax
Tricopter build. Uses only a heli radio, and gyros. No control board. This is the one to try and build, since it’s simple. I can use the arduino board to do the CCPM mixing which the Tx would normally do.
Updated Cost breakdown:
DT 750 motor X3 http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…utrunner_750kv
$10.95 total $32.85
The review on Hobbycity.com rated this motor at putting out 40oz thrust. 3 of these would put out 120oz or 3.4kg pf thrust. That’s HUGE! Should be more then enough for me.
You can use any motor in the 600-1000kv range. The lower the Kv, the more resolution each step of the speed control will give you. Motors over 1000 Kv are more difficult to make stable. That said, some have used ducted fans and made it work.
Speed controls X3
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…d_programmable)
$9.23 total $27.96
BEC X1
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…oise_Reduction
$7.83
speed control programmer X1
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…ogramming_Card
$6.95 This just makes things easy, its worth $7
Battery X? this battery works great.
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…00mAh_3S1P_20C
$10.99
3.5mm connectors X2
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…idproduct=4136
$4 Total $8
Gyro X3
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…Digital/Analog)
$24.79 total $74.37
Yaw gyro X1
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…zo_Gyro/Futaba
$23.95
Better and cheaper yaw gyro is the EK2-0704 from ebay. only $12!
Volt warning A must have!!!!
http://hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store…ery_Monitor_3S
$4
This is $185, you still need wire, battery plugs, a servo.
——————
May have just made the build a little cheaper. Only 2 gyros required, and one headying (yaw) gyro. Need a couple of V-Tail mixers which are dirt cheap at $2.95.
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=6321
See diagram here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=2934020
This would bring the total down to $160 (plus materials to build the frame, say $30 in wood at the hobby store)
To do CCPM mixing, I could use one of these. It will eliminate the yaw gyro, so the price is right.
http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/products_id/27017/n/Ace-R-C-Heading-Lock-Gyro-w-E-CCPM-Mixer-TG6100M
The camera (on a gimbal) will need to track a subject some distance away.
The subject will have planted on them a GPS receiver with a XBee radio, and the camera will have a GPS receiver with a XBee radio, and controlling the camera rotation.
The sender unit (on the target subject) will be powered by a Arduino Pro microprocessor, sending GPS data through the XBee radio. an XBee radio hooked up directly to a GPS unit. Here’s how it’s done. Very slick.
The receiving unit (mounted with the camera) will also be powered by a Arduino Pro microprocessor. Using it’s own GPS unit, and the signal from the target GPS unit, a direction will be calculated and used to aim the camera, and constantly update the direction it is aimed so it always points towards the target. The receiving unit will also need to power 2/3 servos to rotate the camera and keep it aimed properly.
Parts List in order of purchase:
First, need just an Arduino board with one GPS. Learn how to control the servos and how to access the GPS data. Build a rig to allow the
Arduino Duemilanove USB Board : CND$31.77
Antenna GPS Embedded SMA : CND$12.68
Venus GPS with SMA Connector : CND$52.99
Total : $97.44 +S/H
Then get the other GPS unit and 2 XBee units.
Antenna GPS Embedded SMA : CND$12.68
Venus GPS with SMA Connector : CND$52.99
XBee PRO radio : CND$27.30
Total : $120.27
Bookmark list:
List of good sites to keep bookedmarked for future reference.
Comparison of Quadcopter control boards:
UAVP Flight Controller + 5 Sensors (ADXR) : US$407.50
UAVP Flight Controller + 5 Sensors (MLX) : US$405.50
This is the current shopping list for the Quaduino:
Arduino
Sum: $51.90
Sensors
Sum: $313.75
Accessories
Sum: $6.40
Motors
Sum: $132.40
Total sum: $504.45
RC Gear
To compare different CPUs
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/
I had a XBMC box made, but it would not play HD content, since it was not powerfull enough.
Then I switched to using the WD TV Live, but I really don’t like the interface…
So after some reading on the XBMC forums, I’ve found this post. Pretty much what I was looking for. A complete build that I could copy. Inexpensive at that!
I have the case, the ram, etc. All I need is the Mobo and a remote…
To be continued…