Noob Question...please advise.

[Toledodave]

I am new to Multirotor and building a Y650 Scorpion. I jumped in head first and so far its options are one of a kind with 35 series motors and carbonfiber booms and tail yaw tilt.  Im stumpped and question i have is how do i power the FC (Multiwii pro 2 w/Gps)  I have it flashed with Mega and Mounted. While getting my game plan for wiring i have stumbled due to my lack of knowledge and hoping someone here can help.

[Toledodave]

Here is a couple pics of my build so far.

[robshaw]

Wow. Looks awesome.

I would imagine like with most flight controllers you would best power it from a UBEC. A cheap device used to step down the voltage from your lipo to the 5 or 6volts required to power your flight controller. I believe you can also power from the BEC circuit on one of your ESCs but this seems to be the less preferable way.

[Toledodave]

Robshaw, thanx for the reply and info. I saw a ubec video but was under the impression it was for an aircraft with flaps and rudder and such as a fail safe to be able to glide with control with motor failure and such.  Ive even seen some power the board through the balance plug on the lipo. Not forgetting to mention looking over that particular board i dont know where to bring power in at other then the micro usb. Lol im confused  ive even ppl pulling power from the esc and dedicating it to the #1 motor controller on the board but the wii pro 2 doesnt even have motor #1 pin!   And even if i do the ubec method where does it go to the board. I would even run a seperate lipo and resist it to 5v but still have not a clue where the power would go. Im trying really hard to not ask such dumb question and do my own homework but im at a loss. Lol

[Toledodave]

Is it safe to assume the 5v 12c and the 3v 12c pin outs are my power ? If so what about the other two pins with it?

[SimonS]

Assuming that your ESC';s have inbuilt BEC';s (ie not ';Opto") then you don';t need to bother with a separate BEC unless you really want to.

The LiPo powers the ESC';s, the ESC';s power the flight controller.  Note that for some controllers it is important that only one ESC provides the power.  In this case, remove the red wire from the plugs and tape them out of the way.

[Toledodave]

Simon thankyou for the reply. Ok i have the Mystery 40amp controlers. Specs says their Bec is 5.5v. Does it matter which motor feeds the Board? As long as theirs only one feeding input? How then is the reciever powered also, from the board?

[Gaza07]

Hi Toledodave the receiver gets its power from the flight controller normaly the wire that links to the throttle is the only one that carry';s the power, did your scorpion come with carbon fibre arms or did you change them your self from the normal ali ones, its looking very good 

[Toledodave]

Gaza, hello. Thankyou for the reply. Do i understand this right. All three pinouts from throttle on Fc go to the Batt pinn outs on the reciever? Or just two i should say? 

      My scorpion is only a couple months old. Its the fiberglass version. I did some research before purchase and noticed complaints about short booms and i personaly didnt like the square aluminum booms so i chose the xtra long carbons from the HK talon v2 fame kits. And ordered tube mounts to fit. I chose round due to availibility and the need to use small flange bearings and thrust bearing for the tail yaw.  I ran a 6mm shaft through the tail so i could keep the tail servo in the body. Downside to that is my tail wires will have to be exposed unless i improvise a cover for them.

[Toledodave]

Gaza looking further into that reciver power, is it then imparitive that i check my sketch to see what my pins are asigned to or are the sketches smart enough to know better?  Because i dont know. Lol but im learnin fast!

[Gaza07]

Have you got a close up pic of your board and I can tell you the connections, the connections are setup in the sketch but you dont need to alter them, the 3 pins for throttle on the board Gnd/ Vcc / Signal connect to the throttle channel on the receiver you dont need to connect to the battery port as all the gnds and positives are linked inside the rx 

[Toledodave]

Im not at home at the moment but this is best i can come up with at this moment. I do have a good understanding with the rest i think but would still love to see your thoughts and compare mine and see how close i am. I will post another actual pic when im home. Other then the TX power for the Fpv i feel good about the build but not expecting much being my first build.

[Gaza07]

I cant see that one to well but basically you need to run the 3 wire servo type lead from the 3 throttle pins of the board to the throttle channel of the rx gnd to gnd vcc to vcc signal to signal, and the rest of them to the rx as listed but you only need to run from the signal pin of each channel 

[Toledodave]

Gotcha!  Thats even easier then i thought! Heres an actual pic with gps/sonar/bluetooth plugged in. Not sure if that BT module will stay since it dont link with Mega and flight planner dont like it either. :/

[Gaza07]

Which version of megapirate are you using ? the blue tooth can work with the planner but its tricky and can play up, your far better of getting a pair of the 3dr or rctimer radio modules 

[Toledodave]

Hmmm im not sure atm which Mega version but i remember his walkthrough suggested i DL his latest version from site with a link in his post in which i did so unless there was an update within last month should be newest version.  I wasnt sure what the 3dr was and ty for the suggestion. Im looking for one now.  Do you reccommend the 433MHz or the 900?  I also recently read of a builder using his 3dr on a mini usb and connected to his Smartphone (samsung note 2) which is what im writing this with.

[Gaza07]

Its 433mhz for the UK and europe and 900mhz for the USA as far as I know, what smart phone dod you use, I have a samsung galaxy s2 and the OTG adapter which allows me to use the mobile apps 

If you connect your board to the computer and click terminal it should show you the current version number installed 

[Toledodave]

I have the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Its hacked wacked and stacked too running latest Jellybean v17 , just couldnt leave it alone lol.  I did have the BT working when i was running the Multiwii software and the HK BT adapter. I figured just a different BT adapter was in order now. Im U.S eastern time and at work. I will check software version as soon as i get home. My GUI planner wont connect as long as the current BT adapter is connected to my aircraft. Not a big deal to disconnect was just adding info. I will be searching for a 900MHz 3dr in the mean time. Im expecting my FPV telemetry today. Found a 600 ma TX to pair with my fatshark dominator Rx board. Also all antenas should he facing down on my aircraft?   I notice different builds dont do that. Or the ones that dont face down are maybe only the BT whips pointing up?

[Toledodave]

Ok so i have ordered 3DS 915MHz  telemetey and should have here in few days  this is what i ordered: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=22315

[Gaza07]

Those modules should work fine for you you have to connect the air side one to com 3 and set the speed to 57600 in the firmware, cant help with the fpv question as I dont do it yet 

Although I seem to recall seeing that they have to be vertical either up or down but not horizontal laying on its side 

[Toledodave]

Great to hear and thankyou for all your info, it was a great help.  Im thinking i will get a list together and start a build thread on here and try to keep updating it there. Watch for me :)   this thing is an addiction already thinking about the next one lol is that wrong? Lol

[Gaza07]

Oh no thats not wrong it perfectly normal to be thinking at least one in front 

[Toledodave]

Would it be ok to power other components with the left over 5v wires in the bec leads from the esc';s? Like the gopro and the Fpv transmiter?