This blog will chart my adventures learning to fly and finally, share video's from the air...of various Maui, Hawaii and other locations. I hope you enjoy this blog and find it educational and entertaining. Thanks for being here! And for being responsive. On these pages will be featuring links to galleries of videos and photos taken with a RunCam2 attached to a Syma 8C drone. A companion blog that is mostly about learning to fly is at http://syma8c.blogspot.com
It was too late to strap the new Runcam2 Camera on my Syma 8C. In fact, the first thing after learning how to operate the camera, will be to fashion some kind of vibration proof mount, to attach it to the quadracopter. I bought the orange version to aid in keeping an eye on the drone when flying high against a blue sky. My intent is to capture amazing Maui sunsets from the air.
---- A Stereo Pair: Two Of My First Syma Camera Images From Video ---
Seeing this virtual 3D, REQUIRES A CROSS EYED VIEWING TECHNIQUE
Two relatively clear video frames from slightly different vantage points enable the Stereo Pair to be "seen" as virtual 3D - if you know how to look for it!?
Another NEW BEGINNING - ACTUALLY, back in 2012 is when my flying fun began. I purchased the Syma X1 (and gave a few as gifts) and learned to fly with many, many crashes before gaining pretty good control. With the Syma 8C's arrival, it became a whole new ball game. This is truly a CAMERA PLATFORM, with really good lifting power, range and handling once you learn a few things.
I hope this blog will be informative and entertaining. If something is helpful, let me know? If I make an erroneous statement, let me know? If you'd like more details, let me know? If you think its boring... well after all, IT IS a personal journal; a saga of my experiences.
Its always more fun to have the experience yourself, rather than read about the life of someone else...unless it stimulates you in some way? I hope this blog will do exactly that. If you're interested at all, I urge you to get your own quadracopter (Syma's are notoriously inexpensive and deliver lots of bang for the buck), a great investment in your own fun future. The Syma 8C Venture in white I purchased for under $90 on Amazon.It was delivered the day before Christmas.
I got in about twenty flights before a rather damaging crash (video above) made the first significant dent's. I lost control when a gust of wind carried the bird up, up and away, over the Kihei Public Pool complex and toward Pi'ilani Hwy. I feared I would lose the Quad to a soaking - if it dropped into the pool, or worse, crashed on the highway; possibly causing serious interference with traffic -if not causing an accident or damage to someone's vehicle.
Lucky Me! None of that came to pass. I put the bird into a spin to keep it hovering above the pool parking lot and cut the throttle, causing the drone to drop. I've not seen anyone mentioning this technique. Granted it was a desperate move to try and regain control and prevent harm.
I let it drop only 10 feet or so, before I gave it gas again - to recover from its "forced decent" so it wouldn't keep drifting toward danger. I kept it dropping straight down, repeating the throttle killing tactic and recovering flight, until I could see which way the quad was facing and land it. A building blocked my view so I had to time a fall and give it throttle to hopefully make for a softer landing. I had yet to learn how to control in Headless Mode. In fact I still have to practice that part of the learning curves.
My first Flight in Syma 8C
Unfortunately, you can't view this in iOS and you may not want to. Lots of false takeoff's and landing tests. Finally I get it up for a bit.
Flash must be used when inserting video via Blogger, preventing iOS rendering.
I got lucky alright with the roughest landing on Jan 5, 2015 - only 9 flights into my new hobby. I found the quad, safely doing a "handstand" with two feet up in the air, in the middle of the parking lot. There were solar panels that it might have landed on, but lucky me, the Quad missed them and landed in between.
The bird suffered a cracked landing gear, another was bent; but neither was put out of commission (video above). However the pod case protecting the cheap camera took a major beating. It was bent and broken so only one little "nipple" would fit in the "locking" mechanism on the bottom of the bird. the cracked case caused a camera tilt. I tried to fix with GOOP. Then later after another hard crash, the camera became inoperable, or rather, the remote would not keep it recording. Not sure why?
I've been trying to find out if there's a fix for the camera, which still worked well (I had mastered the "jello" wavering video effect with masking tape between the camera and its protecting pod). But now, the remote now only "pulses" the green light to red recording which should stay lit, but doesn't. The camera light snaps back to green and does not go into record mode.
I had to abandon the camera that came with this Quad, a great flyer at a fantastic price for those wanting to learn to fly. FYI, my ultimate intention: I plan to use this drone for skywriting with on-board Arduino and RGB LEDS (I plan to install).
To replace the camera, I had the 808 spycam left over from my Syma X-1 days. I used that to capture yesterday's last flight, almost out of control. I was nervous as can be! I began shaking uncontrollably as I tried to maneuver and remember which way to work the controls. I could hardly track which way the 8C was facing, taunted by the sunset winds up that high.
It was a trial by fire all right. My first flight was great. But when I got the drone back to the ground, walked back to my car, put my Mac on the roof to look at the recording on the Micro SD card, much to my disappointment, it didn't have the chip in the camera! I rushed home, just up the hill, fetched my rechargeable battery and charging cord for the 808, and rushed to get back to the park before the sunset. Then magic happened... everything for a reason.
I stopped at the end of the driveway to check the mail AND THERE WAS MY RUNCAM2 IN THE MAILBOX! I headed back down to the flying field and flew the almost fatal flight THIS TIME, WITH THE CHIP IN THE 808 Spycam. It had revived on the way down to my fly spot enough to make a recording. Here's that last video that the 808 captured, very poorly, during my highest and longest flight to date: 01/19/2016. Enter new camera and another NEW BEGINNING.
I was flying in my usual spot at the Wailea Kilohana Park Sunset spot! The quad kept getting higher and higher, up into the winds which I am becoming good at sensing. This is a very important consideration and part of keeping your bird safe and sound. The quad gets so high that it becomes hard to see which way its heading and subject to the unseen elements.
Should you rotate at all from the front and back alignment, you will have to really know your controls. I found this practice routine in this video (video) to be very good advice before you strap a $100 camera onto your drone.
I think I'm ready after a month of flying. I got the bird down safely banking left, right, spinning it until I had the lights lined up so the GREEN LIGHTS WERE FACING ***TOWARD*** ME and the RED LIGHTS ON FRONT, WERE FACING ***AWAY*** FROM ME. That "HOME POSITION" gave me a frame of reference for how to WORK THE CONTROLS to take into consideration the wind direction, to let the wind drift the quad back in the right direction; towards me where I finally got it to land.
But I was a nervous wreck. When it was way, way up there, I began shaking uncontrollably; trying to keep control and direct it safely back. I was under so much stress from arching my back and looking up, that the last mile - with my back hurting so much it was blocking my ability to think and concentrate, I fell to the ground to bring a bit of peace to my aching body and regain my concentration enough to fly the bird toward me and safely land. I had to lay flat out on the grass, rather than continue bending backwards trying to track the bird.
It came down to a perfect landing! It was the highest and longest flight yet! All captured in this crappy video (video). Now the next flight with a camera, will be with the Runcam2 I purchased for $94 APPROX. making my total investment around $180. I must say, I am having a whole lot of fun learning to fly and film. Flying my month old quadracopter is not yet second nature. But I can see how it soon will be. Until then, I will be very conservative in my flying with the high definition RUNCAM on board.
Have a fun and friendly day. Have any questions? Ask away!
Peter
PS: Here's my Runcam2 Photo Blog http://syma8c-maui.blogspot.com/ that will be more pictorial! However here is the actual beginning and where I'll often post my song and dance, telling it like it is: http://syma8c.blogspot.com
