23-Apr-2017, 03:17 PM
Heya folks,
ookay, quicklyquickly, I should be doing something else, as usual
But life experience tells me go where your passion is, sooo:
This is for Carl and everybody interested in a DIY ground station. I didn't know this wasn't all too common, and I had built it just the night before..
That's how it looks:
![[Image: JHI5aJ7l.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/JHI5aJ7l.jpg)
the tripod neatly zips onto the side of my backpack, which originally was a dslr-camera-backpack from Lowe. (450 whistler, I highly recommend it, it's virtually indestructible, all-weather-proof and super-practical, as it has various compartments accessible from the outside, but a completely removable compartment which can be accessed only from the back, so theft-proof in cities..)
The tripod used is a Cullmann Alpha 2800, it's really from the cheapo-line, but solid enough, extends pretty high and really lightweight aluminum tubing - perfect for our purpose! I got it online for around 25 bucks..
![[Image: GuNRvcyl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/GuNRvcyl.jpg)
![[Image: lhHi8AMl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/lhHi8AMl.jpg)
The ground station itself will fit into any smaller plastic lunchbox or comparable sealable container you have lying around. In case, they're really not expensive, just make sure the size fits more or less. i recommend that you can securely close it, too, and that the plastic is not too thin, as you'll have to drill into it an apply a few cuts. Otherwise, the plastic might tear.
You'll be sealing your holes and cuts with hot glue, what eventually makes the ground station itself pretty weather-proof. I really wanted to achieve that, as it will be the last item you dismantle when you're surprised by rain, quite regular happenstance in the mountains or Swiss weather conditions..
![[Image: qI52YmRl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/qI52YmRl.jpg)
![[Image: VefvsOsl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/VefvsOsl.jpg)
in order to fix the GS (ground station) onto the tripod, I used some rubber foam leftovers from packaging, cut them to size and created a little well inside the backhand side with a little torch. Be sure to do this outside, except you're into toxic fumes..
So open your tripod and twist the handle all the way up..
![[Image: 89BUoW1l.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/89BUoW1l.jpg)
..and fix it to the secured handle with some rubberized lipo-straps. I checked on the correct position of the straps and simply glued them in with the usual hot glue, if you inject it a little into the velcro, it'll stick like hell to it.. (..with the words of Robin Williams, RIP: "sticks like shit on velcro..")
![[Image: Llm2Lszl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/Llm2Lszl.jpg)
The GS itself features a Boscam FR632 - diversity-receiver from banggood OR YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER, and it performs really well, considering the price! The only problem is the DC in, which is really thin and, in my case, broke off after plugging it in just twice. No sweat, just pull off the cables from the plug and solder on some fresh ones, connecting it directly to an XT60-plug, which allows you using pretty much any lipo you have, as it accepts Voltage ranging from 6-28 Volts! Now how neat is that..
Just make some generous use of heatshrink in order to give it a little stability..
![[Image: PBgqdkel.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/PBgqdkel.jpg)
![[Image: rvkn5s4l.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/rvkn5s4l.jpg)
You'll need a couple of cuts along the side of the lunchbox if you want to fit in your cables as well - weatherproof-style. In my case, I routed the AV-cable out of the box, secured it with a zip-tie and some more hot-glue..
![[Image: gTxt9m7l.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/gTxt9m7l.jpg)
and run it back in for transportation. This is not mandatory at all, but if you don't, the av-cable's going to slinger around your backpack and may get caught up in other stuff. I preferred doing it this way..
![[Image: idl03RYl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/idl03RYl.jpg)
![[Image: PNYa4jzl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/PNYa4jzl.jpg)
otherwise, I can easily transport 2 x 1500mAh/3s lipos in the box. So I don't forget taking them along, and they're ready to use when I need them. Will give you plenty of reception-time, should last for the whole day, if your lipos aren't crap
The installation of the receiver is easy, I padded the backhand side of the inner box with a thin layer of rubber foam - again some hotglue to fix it - slided the receiver up and marked the outside for the sma-plugs to go through. Another reason to get a clear plastic box, as otherwise marking will become painstaking..
Once you've drilled the two holes, you can secure the receiver with the nuts and add some hotglue for sealing it off against humidity..
![[Image: BDJRzisl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/BDJRzisl.jpg)
The construction of the lipo-strap fixing system is as creative as you want. I took the mentioned piece of rubber foam, cut 3 horizontal channels into the sides and slid some zip-ties through them. Held the foam against the CLEAR plastic (..once more, get a clear box..) and marked 3 x 2 parallel little holes for the zip-ties. Fixed the foam first with ties & some more hot-glue, then marked 4 holes at the width of the lipo-straps at the side of the foam, connected the holes with japanese knife (..watch out, cutting resilient plastic's not trivial..) and fitted the straps through. Some-more-hot-glue to secure everything in the correct position and to make mounting quick & easy..
![[Image: 9lzhBgpl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/9lzhBgpl.jpg)
![[Image: YmuMeMhl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/YmuMeMhl.jpg)
Side-view of the receiver padding..
![[Image: rOHX37vl.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/rOHX37vl.jpg)
Antenna mounts: I decided to give the circular polarized an additional little rise, since everything fits into the box so neatly. For the directional antenna of your choice, I added a flexible connector which allows me adapting the angle..
![[Image: JTKpSGel.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/JTKpSGel.jpg)
The whole thing plugs into your fatshark-goggles over the included av-plug next to the power supply plug. It's on the headtracker-module, but actually an AV-in. No need to access the clumsy data-port. For use, just turn off the Rx switch on the bottom and select the av-channel, and you're good to go!
Hope this was of any help and it could save someone some research,
enjoy, fly safe and have fuuu-huuunn!!
ookay, quicklyquickly, I should be doing something else, as usual
But life experience tells me go where your passion is, sooo:
This is for Carl and everybody interested in a DIY ground station. I didn't know this wasn't all too common, and I had built it just the night before..
That's how it looks:
the tripod neatly zips onto the side of my backpack, which originally was a dslr-camera-backpack from Lowe. (450 whistler, I highly recommend it, it's virtually indestructible, all-weather-proof and super-practical, as it has various compartments accessible from the outside, but a completely removable compartment which can be accessed only from the back, so theft-proof in cities..)
The tripod used is a Cullmann Alpha 2800, it's really from the cheapo-line, but solid enough, extends pretty high and really lightweight aluminum tubing - perfect for our purpose! I got it online for around 25 bucks..
The ground station itself will fit into any smaller plastic lunchbox or comparable sealable container you have lying around. In case, they're really not expensive, just make sure the size fits more or less. i recommend that you can securely close it, too, and that the plastic is not too thin, as you'll have to drill into it an apply a few cuts. Otherwise, the plastic might tear.
You'll be sealing your holes and cuts with hot glue, what eventually makes the ground station itself pretty weather-proof. I really wanted to achieve that, as it will be the last item you dismantle when you're surprised by rain, quite regular happenstance in the mountains or Swiss weather conditions..
in order to fix the GS (ground station) onto the tripod, I used some rubber foam leftovers from packaging, cut them to size and created a little well inside the backhand side with a little torch. Be sure to do this outside, except you're into toxic fumes..
So open your tripod and twist the handle all the way up..
..and fix it to the secured handle with some rubberized lipo-straps. I checked on the correct position of the straps and simply glued them in with the usual hot glue, if you inject it a little into the velcro, it'll stick like hell to it.. (..with the words of Robin Williams, RIP: "sticks like shit on velcro..")
The GS itself features a Boscam FR632 - diversity-receiver from banggood OR YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER, and it performs really well, considering the price! The only problem is the DC in, which is really thin and, in my case, broke off after plugging it in just twice. No sweat, just pull off the cables from the plug and solder on some fresh ones, connecting it directly to an XT60-plug, which allows you using pretty much any lipo you have, as it accepts Voltage ranging from 6-28 Volts! Now how neat is that..
Just make some generous use of heatshrink in order to give it a little stability..
You'll need a couple of cuts along the side of the lunchbox if you want to fit in your cables as well - weatherproof-style. In my case, I routed the AV-cable out of the box, secured it with a zip-tie and some more hot-glue..
and run it back in for transportation. This is not mandatory at all, but if you don't, the av-cable's going to slinger around your backpack and may get caught up in other stuff. I preferred doing it this way..
otherwise, I can easily transport 2 x 1500mAh/3s lipos in the box. So I don't forget taking them along, and they're ready to use when I need them. Will give you plenty of reception-time, should last for the whole day, if your lipos aren't crap
The installation of the receiver is easy, I padded the backhand side of the inner box with a thin layer of rubber foam - again some hotglue to fix it - slided the receiver up and marked the outside for the sma-plugs to go through. Another reason to get a clear plastic box, as otherwise marking will become painstaking..
Once you've drilled the two holes, you can secure the receiver with the nuts and add some hotglue for sealing it off against humidity..
The construction of the lipo-strap fixing system is as creative as you want. I took the mentioned piece of rubber foam, cut 3 horizontal channels into the sides and slid some zip-ties through them. Held the foam against the CLEAR plastic (..once more, get a clear box..) and marked 3 x 2 parallel little holes for the zip-ties. Fixed the foam first with ties & some more hot-glue, then marked 4 holes at the width of the lipo-straps at the side of the foam, connected the holes with japanese knife (..watch out, cutting resilient plastic's not trivial..) and fitted the straps through. Some-more-hot-glue to secure everything in the correct position and to make mounting quick & easy..
Side-view of the receiver padding..
Antenna mounts: I decided to give the circular polarized an additional little rise, since everything fits into the box so neatly. For the directional antenna of your choice, I added a flexible connector which allows me adapting the angle..
The whole thing plugs into your fatshark-goggles over the included av-plug next to the power supply plug. It's on the headtracker-module, but actually an AV-in. No need to access the clumsy data-port. For use, just turn off the Rx switch on the bottom and select the av-channel, and you're good to go!
Hope this was of any help and it could save someone some research,
enjoy, fly safe and have fuuu-huuunn!!
![[-]](https://intofpv.com/images/collapse.png)
