Quad Blade 350QX w/ New Tarot T 2D Gimbal

[yardner]

The 350 QX is new and got a GroPro 3 Silver for Christmas, put the GoPro on it and took a couple of videos and said, what the Hey! Lets see if i can put one of those Tarots on it.
Works real well, as advertised.
Only been able to take a couple of test flights, but it looks promising.
Anyone else in this Sleepy Quad / Try Copter forum have one of these?

Anyway, just wanted to share.
Thanks,

[video=youtube_share;_i3Q2w_6_po]http://youtu.be/_i3Q2w_6_po[/video]

 

[Slobberdog]

I got the 350 qx but not got the go pro would like one though,

 

[yardner]

Yes, i really like it. its a fun and easy quad to fly.
was looking at a F450 and my guy at the LHS said no, you need to get the Blade 350QX.
He knows me and knows pretty much my skill level so i followed his advice and i'm glad i did.

Now if i can get the software for the Tarot T 2d working I'll be More happy ( hint - hint ?) anybody no something about getting there ( Tarot) software running?

Thanks,

 

[pvolcko]

Cool rig and gimbal. What additional software do you need to setup with it? Seemed to be doing what it should.

I have a 350QX on order (bought off a sale on another forum) and just bit the bullet on a Hero3+ Black off ebay. Haven't decided on a gimbal yet. Thinking beholder lite (direct from manufacturer sale going on through Jan 10 is very tempting) but may go with something else that can use my older GoPro Hero (1).

Will eventually upgrade to a 500 size quad or hex to rig up for FPV in addition to AP.

 

[yardner]

Thanks pvolcko.
Yes, it is working well but Tarot has the TILT default set at 0 degrees and you can change that in the software. i just want to set it so it tilts down just a couple of degrees. and i cant seem to get them to talk to one another.
Was hoping that maybe someone here might have one and know what i'm doing or Not doing wrong.
below is a screen shot of the Tarot software and its telling me that its not plugged in when it is
lower left side : Com port open successfully, please connect YXZ-BMGC! If anyone has any ideas i'd give it a try

Thanks,

 

[pvolcko]

Did you select an actual com port in that drop down box right to the left of the "open com port" button? Usually have to do that and then click the button, in other sortware at least. When you first connected the gimbal did it bring up the "installing device" messages and/or ask for drivers?

 

[yardner]

Did you select an actual com port in that drop down box right to the left of the "open com port" button? Usually have to do that and then click the button, in other sortware at least. When you first connected the gimbal did it bring up the "installing device" messages and/or ask for drivers?

pvolcko
yes i did try but nothing pops up in the com port box. but i think i did find the problem in another link. its a Windows 8 compatabilty issue.
you have to go throu several steps, but they say you can make it work. i messed with it a little bit tonight but didn't get it working, but have not given up yet.
anyway, if anyone knows of a better way i'll give it a try.

 

[yardner]

pvolcko
yes i did try but nothing pops up in the com port box. but i think i did find the problem in another link. its a Windows 8 compatabilty issue.
you have to go throu several steps, but they say you can make it work. i messed with it a little bit tonight but didn't get it working, but have not given up yet.
anyway, if anyone knows of a better way i'll give it a try.

Up dade on My Tarot T 2-D gimbal.... Got it working with Windos 8.
1st download the Tarot software. then click on the link below and follow the instructions on how to do the work around to get it working on my Win.8 laptop.

http://leftbraintinkering.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/usb-to-serial-prolific-2303-device.html


It is a bit of a pain but follow directions closely and you should be ok and get it to work. Please note that even once you get the sofware working you cannot change the the angle offset from 0 to a bit down in the software, it won't let you change it to a negative value. You have to do this by editing the bgsc file in the manner I stated below[/I]


Now to ajust the tilt from the Tarot default setting, follow the instuction below
Special thanks to IEATSRT from Canada for ALL of this heplful into.

Open the file that contains the software and all the other folders. Open the config folder, you will see a file that says gopro. Right click it select copy, then right click again in same window and click paste. It should say gopro copy. Now you will still have the original file to load should anything ever go wrong. Double click the copy file, or right click and open with notepad. A bunch of parameters will show up, Then just change the PITCH_MAX=0 to something like PITCH_MAX=-20. Then save. Now open software, click load config, select the gopro copy file and then write settings to flash and should have some down tilt. If too much or too little go back and change the value in the .bscg file as you just did, if you change it in the software it will revert back to a default and the - value will be lost. If anything goes wrong you can simply load the original gopro config file and will be back to factory settings.

My 350QX is working fine for me, being this is the 1ST quad i've Ever flew. And others are kind of right about that it can get kind of boring as for as flying. But as a beginner AP platform its starting to work real well.

here's a short video i took today just to check out my new tilt setting. Please notice no prop blades show up in the video.
Please enjoy.......

[video=youtube_share;C6gWuadWIGs]http://youtu.be/C6gWuadWIGs[/video]

I hope some of this Info helps.
Thanks,

NOTE: i made an edit on this post - link was not working, should be fine now.

 

[pvolcko]

Nice.

My 350QX showed up along with the HEro3 I ordered. Just got the order for the gimbal in and it is direct from TRD (beholder lite) so may take a litttle time (they've been slow to respond lately due to traveling to China).

Anyway, I mounted up both my old Hero (original) and my new Hero3+ and found that the quad likes to tilt forward. It will hold roughly in position in "green" mode since it is using GPS to hold a rough position, but in "blue" stability mode there is no GPS hold as far as I can tell and as a result it tends to wander forward steadily at a pretty good clip. I've tried resetting accelerometer calibration with no luck. It holds position fine without the camera on there, but since it's mount point for the camera is so far forward of CG, it tends to pull the front down and it crawls forward in hover. I can use trim to dial it back into a fairly stable hover, but if I switch out to "red" agility mode with that trim in place it will shoot backwards.

So, Yardner, I'm wondering if you also have this forward tilt and crawl issue? In your first video of the gimbal it looks like you custom mounted it and put it much further back, closer to CG. This may have eliminated the issue for you.

 

[Stambo]

My 350QX is working fine for me, being this is the 1ST quad i've Ever flew. And others are kind of right about that it can get kind of boring as for as flying. But as a beginner AP platform its starting to work real well.

Try some lights and night flight, or FPV.
Boring goes away really quickly.
As well as my little ones I have 2 450 sized quads, one for night flight and one for FPV.
If you go FPV, make sure you have plenty of memory card space. I believe the older GoPros used to shut down when it is full.
Gives you a sick feeling in your stomach when video goes away while FPV flying.
Lucky for me when my video went away I was nearly home so I looked around and spotted it.
Note to self, make sure the battery that runs the cam and video tx is charged before flight.

 

[pvolcko]

350QX has some pretty decent lighting on it out of the box. Makes for some fun night flying.

 

[yardner]

Nice.

So, Yardner, I'm wondering if you also have this forward tilt and crawl issue? In your first video of the gimbal it looks like you custom mounted it and put it much further back, closer to CG. This may have eliminated the issue for you.

Yes, is did try to mount it a little further back, but if you do this the blades and booms have more of a chance getting in the shot (frame). thats why i wanted to be able to program a little tilt into the Tarot gimbal. after that it looks real good, no spinning red blades in all the shots. it is still a little front heavy.
I found with mine that if i give is a little of time, in stabilty mode, solid blue light/ gps lock, that it will hover in place even with it beeing a little from heavy. But yes you are right, just after it gets airborned it still tends to want to Crawl forward. I just try to hover it in one place for a little time and it seems to Find its center and starts to hover like it should. i did like you and messed with the trims at first but set everything back to the stock setting because i found it seemed like the GPS sometimes want to fight with my trim settings, if that make any sence...

Hey look try this, mount your Gopro on the stock mount but leave it (gopro) OFF, Wifi OFF and fly it around a little. some people have reported that they have been getting RI from there Gopro's that mess up the QX GPS. Just another thought.

I hope this helps. and good luck with you Beholder gimbal, please share some videos when you get some.

- - - Updated - - -

Try some lights and night flight, or FPV.
Boring goes away really quickly.
As well as my little ones I have 2 450 sized quads, one for night flight and one for FPV.
If you go FPV, make sure you have plenty of memory card space. I believe the older GoPros used to shut down when it is full.
Gives you a sick feeling in your stomach when video goes away while FPV flying.
Lucky for me when my video went away I was nearly home so I looked around and spotted it.
Note to self, make sure the battery that runs the cam and video tx is charged before flight.

Stambo,

Lights ? Night Flights ? FPV ? What is this Black Rabbit Hole you're trying to LURE me into ????

yes, i have been catching myself late at night looking at all the Tx and Rx stuff for FPV and have been telling myself. Just Say NO! Just Say NO?
well no for now anyhow lol

 

[xokia]

Yes it is a Rabbit hole just like the helis. I agree that these quads are kinda boring if you just fly them around. They require no skill. I kind of relate it to riding quads over dirtbikes. The quad is for someone who needs training wheels

You really just kinda push it around the sky. I've done the night flying its fun for maybe 30 min then back to boring. So I got sucked into FPV now I should be getting my video tx and screen in the next week or so.

 

[Tasajara]

Your video looks GREAT...nice and smooooooth.....


I like the Tarot gimble I have one myself, for the money they work great...