General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
09-25-2006, 09:34 AM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bethesda,
MD
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
Well,
I have not received my board back from Spectrolutions yet but they are shipping it out today. Apparently the pitch and yaw gyros went bad so they replaced both of them. Glad it happened on day 28 so it was still under warranty.
Anyways, while waiting to get my board back, my other order arrived. I ordered various spare parts as well as the set of four new heavy duty motors. I must say that even though I have not flown them yet, they are pretty impressive compared to the standard motors that come with the DF. They feel nice and solid, have a much different encasing at the bottom of them as well as seperate soldering points, and appear to have some serious magnets in them. I can't wait to give them a test flight later this week when I get my main board back from Spectro.
I also ordered the camera stabalization arm that comes with the SAVS unit. I do not have a SAVS unit but my camera board is the same ping pong paddle shape with the battery mount off center. Basically from what I can tell I would need to order the diversity receiver and the the upgraded camera board and then I would pretty much have a SAVS unit since I am flying with a DF V Pro.
Anyways, about the SAVS stabalizer arm. I am a little bit dissapointed. I think that some of my dissapoinment is regarding my personal level as a hobbyist. The arm comes with a peice of foam for the camera, three wires (which appear to be 22 guage as opposed to all of the other wires which appear to be 18 guage), a carbon fiber rod, four standard rubber bands, a camera housing, a couple of screws, and a rubber tube of some sort to anchor the arm to the frame. So all in all - maybe $50 in parts and that may be generous. Although it may cost DFI a signifigant amount of money to manufacture the camera housing and the anchor frame but those two are the only "custom" parts. All other peices of the stabalizer hardware could be bought at a hobby shop for less than $20.00 easily. I also understand the word profit and recognize that DFI does have to make money. Business is business after all.
It does state very clearly on the DFI website that soldering is required for this peice which is also not a big deal although I do hate soldering. The soldering involved requires you to take your existing cable that connects the board to the camera and cut it in half and solder the three wires on each end to the wires that came with the stabalizer arm. Not a huge deal but it did take me some time because my soldering skills suck. My level of enthusiam as a hobbyist is not at the level where I look forward to replacing motor mounts or feet when they break on my DF because I always have to desolder the motors etc. Let me just say that for $120.00, I think that DFI should just crimp on the camera power connectors on both ends of the wires for the stabalizer hardware. Why they do not do this I have mo idea but it would have made me feel a little bit better about spending $120.00. Heck, maybe even make it an additional option for those of us with lame soldering skills
.
I have also been looking for some very small pin connectors for the 18 ga wires in the harness. I would live to use a very small pin connector on the excess wire that is around the motor connection so that I do not have to do any soldering to replace a motor mount or support foot. That would be a great improvement.
That's it for now. Once I get my board back this week I will take a test flight with the new motors and provide feedback.
--
Mo
I have not received my board back from Spectrolutions yet but they are shipping it out today. Apparently the pitch and yaw gyros went bad so they replaced both of them. Glad it happened on day 28 so it was still under warranty.
Anyways, while waiting to get my board back, my other order arrived. I ordered various spare parts as well as the set of four new heavy duty motors. I must say that even though I have not flown them yet, they are pretty impressive compared to the standard motors that come with the DF. They feel nice and solid, have a much different encasing at the bottom of them as well as seperate soldering points, and appear to have some serious magnets in them. I can't wait to give them a test flight later this week when I get my main board back from Spectro.
I also ordered the camera stabalization arm that comes with the SAVS unit. I do not have a SAVS unit but my camera board is the same ping pong paddle shape with the battery mount off center. Basically from what I can tell I would need to order the diversity receiver and the the upgraded camera board and then I would pretty much have a SAVS unit since I am flying with a DF V Pro.
Anyways, about the SAVS stabalizer arm. I am a little bit dissapointed. I think that some of my dissapoinment is regarding my personal level as a hobbyist. The arm comes with a peice of foam for the camera, three wires (which appear to be 22 guage as opposed to all of the other wires which appear to be 18 guage), a carbon fiber rod, four standard rubber bands, a camera housing, a couple of screws, and a rubber tube of some sort to anchor the arm to the frame. So all in all - maybe $50 in parts and that may be generous. Although it may cost DFI a signifigant amount of money to manufacture the camera housing and the anchor frame but those two are the only "custom" parts. All other peices of the stabalizer hardware could be bought at a hobby shop for less than $20.00 easily. I also understand the word profit and recognize that DFI does have to make money. Business is business after all.
It does state very clearly on the DFI website that soldering is required for this peice which is also not a big deal although I do hate soldering. The soldering involved requires you to take your existing cable that connects the board to the camera and cut it in half and solder the three wires on each end to the wires that came with the stabalizer arm. Not a huge deal but it did take me some time because my soldering skills suck. My level of enthusiam as a hobbyist is not at the level where I look forward to replacing motor mounts or feet when they break on my DF because I always have to desolder the motors etc. Let me just say that for $120.00, I think that DFI should just crimp on the camera power connectors on both ends of the wires for the stabalizer hardware. Why they do not do this I have mo idea but it would have made me feel a little bit better about spending $120.00. Heck, maybe even make it an additional option for those of us with lame soldering skills
.I have also been looking for some very small pin connectors for the 18 ga wires in the harness. I would live to use a very small pin connector on the excess wire that is around the motor connection so that I do not have to do any soldering to replace a motor mount or support foot. That would be a great improvement.
That's it for now. Once I get my board back this week I will take a test flight with the new motors and provide feedback.
--
Mo
09-26-2006, 11:51 AM
#3
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bethesda,
MD
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
Here is one from their site but I will take a picture of the bottom of mine tonight. That is where you will see the difference.
09-28-2006, 10:45 AM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: , NETHERLANDS
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
looks prettygood, brushes can be replaced on them also?
Are they broken-in and timed by DFI or do you have to do this yourselve?
Are they broken-in and timed by DFI or do you have to do this yourselve?
10-29-2006, 05:21 PM
#6
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
Hi there,a new draganflyer from holland here.
I recently purchased the DF V Ti pro (without the eyecam stuff) with the heavy duty motors included.
Well,i havent really been able to fly the machine alot because of bad weather but does anybody have an idea what the DF can
lift with these heavy duty motors? and do they consume more power compared to the stock ones?
I recently purchased the DF V Ti pro (without the eyecam stuff) with the heavy duty motors included.
Well,i havent really been able to fly the machine alot because of bad weather but does anybody have an idea what the DF can
lift with these heavy duty motors? and do they consume more power compared to the stock ones?
10-31-2006, 10:51 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: salt lake city,
UT
Posts: 168
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
Question on the heavy duty motors, do you have to solder them or are the connection screw mounted? Be handy to get rid of the soldering.
Scott
Scott
10-31-2006, 02:08 PM
#8
My Feedback: (40)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Saskatoon,
SK, CANADA
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
Scott, the heavy duty motors also require soldering.
dutchie, the Draganflyer can haul up to 7oz. By 7oz it is very difficult to fly, and even a good pilot will crash often.
Adam Glatt
Draganfly Innovations
dutchie, the Draganflyer can haul up to 7oz. By 7oz it is very difficult to fly, and even a good pilot will crash often.
Adam Glatt
Draganfly Innovations
11-01-2006, 08:06 PM
#9
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: mountain view, CA
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
So if i lift a 4.5oz camera with the DF and HD motors, will I be crashing all the time. I just need a steady platform for stills and a little video to go from 1-150 feet up. Or should I be using a T-rex 450xl setup? I was thinking a DF is easier and smoother to fly.
11-14-2006, 01:08 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Atlanta,
GA
Posts: 1,514
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
The new motors have specific pairing that must be matched for proper flight. The gold bottom pair are for the front and rear rotors and the silver bottom pair are for the left and right rotors. The colored wire on the left and right motors should be attached to the terminal directly opposite to the red dot just like the standard motors. However, the black wire on the front and rear motors must be attached to the terminal opposite to the red dot or they will spin backwards. I found this out the hard way by getting no lift and one of the those miswired motors won't spin up now. [>:]
The magnets in the new motors are very strong. I had one of those 1" flash drives hanging around my neck and when I bent over the SAVS to look at something one of the motor's magnets just grabbed a hold of my flash drive! I mean it made a smacking sound it hit so hard. Well, my first thought was, there goes all of my files on that drive. I immediately checked it and luckily they were all still there. I bet those motor magnets could erase a tape or two if they were left next to them.
The magnets in the new motors are very strong. I had one of those 1" flash drives hanging around my neck and when I bent over the SAVS to look at something one of the motor's magnets just grabbed a hold of my flash drive! I mean it made a smacking sound it hit so hard. Well, my first thought was, there goes all of my files on that drive. I immediately checked it and luckily they were all still there. I bet those motor magnets could erase a tape or two if they were left next to them.
11-24-2006, 03:26 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Fredericksburg,
VA
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
Weird... I just got my DF back from Mike's shop and I specifically asked for a quote on replacing my stock motors with newer ones, if available. They wrote back saying there were no new motors for the DF. Bummer! And that was only within the last month. Oh well. Maybe I will get that done if/when I need repairs again.
Allen
Allen
11-24-2006, 03:46 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Atlanta,
GA
Posts: 1,514
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: General impressions - Heavy Duty Motors - and some other stuff
AeroRecon, I think the new motors are only sold directly from DFI. To all that convert to the newer motors, don't forget to upgrade to a 15A fuse or you may be making some unscheduled landings. 
