GoPro Time Lapse Setup
The problem: I want to record still images for a few hours with my GoPro camera using the suction cup mount and waterproof case but the battery is flat and I have to start recording in the next five minutes.
The solution: Drill out the side of the waterproof case where the USB cable would normally plug in. Now with the camera mounted in the non-waterproof case, on the suction cup, I can plug in the external power source usin a nano-tech 2650mAh battery. I know you can the skeleton housing with the sides cut out but a) I need a solution now, b) the skeleton housing costs just as much as the waterproof housing and c) Most of the stuff I do doesn't need a waterproof housing anyway.
Timelapse GoPro extended by external power source
Ran the GoPro from about 2pm till 8pm on the upstairs balcony. I'm not sure how long the GoPro battery would last so I hooked it up to a LiPO 2650mAh battery via a uBEC. I checked the charge before and after and it had used about 40% or about 1060mA. I think the GoPro battery is 1100mA so it would have been pretty close to dead flat.
time lapse build video – extra 300
What started out as an instructional video on building a foamy, turned into a time lapse video of the build. I used Vegas Pro to capture, resample and speed up the playback to condense a few night work into about 90 seconds video. I built it out of 5mm foam core artboard which overall I think comes out too heavy. During the build, I used a heatgun to remove the cardboard layer from the ailerons and rudder. This came to about 45 grams of weight removed from the plane. Imagine how much I could save if I skinned all the cardboard from the foam and used a few CF rods for stiffness instead.
My suspicions about the weight was confirmed with a maiden flight on Sunday past. It flew ok and would hover but needed about 90% throttle to do so. I think I'll try to lighten this version and build another one without the cardboard skin.