Post by swampfox201 on Jan 29, 2007 2:55:07 GMT 1
Hello everyone. Here is how I modified a camera and hobbyzone drop module to take aerial pictures. The camera I bought also has a movie mode but the quality and fps wasn't very good.
First of all I wasn't the genius that figured this out -I'm not that smart
I found it somewhere else on the web. If I can find the site I will post it here but right now its not bookmarked.
Second, doing this can ruin your camera and everything else connected to it so solder with care.
I bought an Aiptek sd pencamera for around $30. You will also need to buy a 128mb or smaller SD card Here is the link for the camera--
www.shopping.com/xPR-Aiptek_Pencam_SD~r-1~CLT-INTR~RFR-www.google.com
The other parts- micro switch and 5v voltage regulator I got at Radio Shack.
The idea is to use the button on top of the transmitter to take pictures with the camera attached to the airplane. To do this you have to buy a hobbyzone drop module. Take it apart. You will see an electromagnet that is used to drop the parachute. When you press the button the electromagnet is deenergized allowing the parachute to drop. What we need to do is snip off the electromagnet and solder the leads that are left on the board to a 5volt micro switch. The micro switch will be energized until you push the button. The micro switch will be what triggers the shutter. There are two sets of contacts on the switch. I think you have to wire the camera to the normally closed ones - experiment to figure out which ones. Here is a picture of the drop module and the micro switch.
img246.imageshack.us/img246/9053/1003024xf7.jpg
Next you have to wire the micro switch to the camera. Open up the camera by removing the two little screws on the bottom. Next remove the two screws that hold on the battery holder. Notice the switch that is connected to the shutter button. Right below the switch are two very small solder joints that you will wire the micro switch to. You can test this out by using a piece of wire and short circuiting between the the two solder points- the camera should take a picture. The hard part is the points are so small and it's very touchy getting the wire you are soldering on to stick. Make sure to use some flux. Afterwards I used a hot glue gun on the joints because the connection is so fragile. Here is a picture of the wires after they were connected.
img218.imageshack.us/img218/8646/1002907mz9.jpg
Next use a sharp knife to cut a slot in the camera case to route your wires through. It's tricky to get it put back together because there is very little room to work with so take your time.
Now cross your fingers and test it out. If it works you can also modify the camera to work without the 2 AA batteries. There are two reasons to do this. First is weight. No use hauling those two AA batteries around when there is the flight battery just sitting there. Second the camera will shut off after some 30 seconds if you don't take a picture when running off the AA's.
Take care of this problem by using another pair of wires and soldering them to the drop module where the wires coming off the airplane attach to the drop module board. It is the two outside wires. Use a voltage checker to see which is positive and negative. Here is a picture of where they are attached.
img440.imageshack.us/img440/2673/1003025tp9.jpg
When you used your voltage checker you probably noticed that the voltage at this point is something like 8 volts. That is too much to power the camera so in between the module and the camera you have to add a 5v voltage regulator. Next the hard part. The wires now have to be soldered inside the camera to the little wires that are on the backside of the USB port. Here is a picture of the USB port before I connected the wires. Sorry I forgot to take one with the wires attached.
img440.imageshack.us/img440/6585/1002912fi5.jpg
It is the part with the big clip attached to it. You will solder the positive wire to the very far right wire on the USB port as it appears on the picture and solder the negative wire to the outside case of the USB port.
Now the camera should power up when you plug in the drop module to the x-port and it should beep and take a picture when you press the button.
Now for mounting the camera. Ive tried several locations always using rubber bands to hold the camera on. Under the belly works good but you have to get very high to capture a big area. On top of the cowl works ok but you get the prop and it makes black lines in the picture.
img181.imageshack.us/img181/5999/image0108fo3.jpg
The one place I know not to put it is centered on top the wing. Must destroy a bunch of lift and my worst crash was because of this. Here is where I have it mounted now.
img246.imageshack.us/img246/4760/1003006ey2.jpg
The other day I took her up high and took 70 pictures on two stock batteries.
img440.imageshack.us/img440/3590/img0052uc3.jpg
Kinda long I know but maybe it will help someone out.
First of all I wasn't the genius that figured this out -I'm not that smart
I found it somewhere else on the web. If I can find the site I will post it here but right now its not bookmarked.Second, doing this can ruin your camera and everything else connected to it so solder with care.
I bought an Aiptek sd pencamera for around $30. You will also need to buy a 128mb or smaller SD card Here is the link for the camera--
www.shopping.com/xPR-Aiptek_Pencam_SD~r-1~CLT-INTR~RFR-www.google.com
The other parts- micro switch and 5v voltage regulator I got at Radio Shack.
The idea is to use the button on top of the transmitter to take pictures with the camera attached to the airplane. To do this you have to buy a hobbyzone drop module. Take it apart. You will see an electromagnet that is used to drop the parachute. When you press the button the electromagnet is deenergized allowing the parachute to drop. What we need to do is snip off the electromagnet and solder the leads that are left on the board to a 5volt micro switch. The micro switch will be energized until you push the button. The micro switch will be what triggers the shutter. There are two sets of contacts on the switch. I think you have to wire the camera to the normally closed ones - experiment to figure out which ones. Here is a picture of the drop module and the micro switch.
img246.imageshack.us/img246/9053/1003024xf7.jpg
Next you have to wire the micro switch to the camera. Open up the camera by removing the two little screws on the bottom. Next remove the two screws that hold on the battery holder. Notice the switch that is connected to the shutter button. Right below the switch are two very small solder joints that you will wire the micro switch to. You can test this out by using a piece of wire and short circuiting between the the two solder points- the camera should take a picture. The hard part is the points are so small and it's very touchy getting the wire you are soldering on to stick. Make sure to use some flux. Afterwards I used a hot glue gun on the joints because the connection is so fragile. Here is a picture of the wires after they were connected.
img218.imageshack.us/img218/8646/1002907mz9.jpg
Next use a sharp knife to cut a slot in the camera case to route your wires through. It's tricky to get it put back together because there is very little room to work with so take your time.
Now cross your fingers and test it out. If it works you can also modify the camera to work without the 2 AA batteries. There are two reasons to do this. First is weight. No use hauling those two AA batteries around when there is the flight battery just sitting there. Second the camera will shut off after some 30 seconds if you don't take a picture when running off the AA's.
Take care of this problem by using another pair of wires and soldering them to the drop module where the wires coming off the airplane attach to the drop module board. It is the two outside wires. Use a voltage checker to see which is positive and negative. Here is a picture of where they are attached.
img440.imageshack.us/img440/2673/1003025tp9.jpg
When you used your voltage checker you probably noticed that the voltage at this point is something like 8 volts. That is too much to power the camera so in between the module and the camera you have to add a 5v voltage regulator. Next the hard part. The wires now have to be soldered inside the camera to the little wires that are on the backside of the USB port. Here is a picture of the USB port before I connected the wires. Sorry I forgot to take one with the wires attached.
img440.imageshack.us/img440/6585/1002912fi5.jpg
It is the part with the big clip attached to it. You will solder the positive wire to the very far right wire on the USB port as it appears on the picture and solder the negative wire to the outside case of the USB port.
Now the camera should power up when you plug in the drop module to the x-port and it should beep and take a picture when you press the button.
Now for mounting the camera. Ive tried several locations always using rubber bands to hold the camera on. Under the belly works good but you have to get very high to capture a big area. On top of the cowl works ok but you get the prop and it makes black lines in the picture.
img181.imageshack.us/img181/5999/image0108fo3.jpg
The one place I know not to put it is centered on top the wing. Must destroy a bunch of lift and my worst crash was because of this. Here is where I have it mounted now.
img246.imageshack.us/img246/4760/1003006ey2.jpg
The other day I took her up high and took 70 pictures on two stock batteries.
img440.imageshack.us/img440/3590/img0052uc3.jpg
Kinda long I know but maybe it will help someone out.
