Clean DJI Phantom quadcopter with gimbal and internal FPV transmitter
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DJI Phantom with DJI Zenmuse H3-2D brushless gimbal, GoPro HERO3 Black edition, internal ImmersionRC 600mW 5.8Ghz FPV transmitter, and modified radio with pitch knob on back.
I’ve ben using my first DJI Phantom quadcopter now for about 6 months. It’s been on hundreds of flights, and I crashed it numerous times while I was learning to fly it, but it still works perfectly. I’ve replaced 2 of the 4 propellers and experimented with about a dozen vibration isolators, 2-axis servo-driven gimbals, and Rotorpixel brushless gimbal prototypes. Earlier this week, I shot an aerial surfing video using the old quadcopter (and a Rotorpixel HERO3 gimbal) that has since gone viral, making it onto Gizmodo, ABC news coverage, and more.
Rotorpixel gimbals aren’t quite publicly available, yet, but they will be soon. Keri is still struggling with gimbal controller availability (he’s gotten only 50 so far); hopefully, supply will increase, soon, and the store will go public. The Rotorpixel gimbal for the GoPro HERO3 will likely be around half the price of the DJI Zenmuse H3-2D, which retails for around $700 + required $70 DJI PMU v2 (power-management unit), and optional install by a distributor, which seems to be running around $90. If you’re interested in Rotorpixel gimbals, shoot Keri a message to get on the list.
Today, I put together a new DJI Phantom with the goal of integrating a brushless gimbal and FPV transmitter in the cleanest, tightest package I could manage.
Modifications
I purchased a second DJI Phantom with a DJI Zenmuse H3-2D brushless gimbal and did the following modifications:
1. Phantom radio modification: add a potentiometer and knob to allow for camera pitch control during flight
A couple moths ago, I wrote up a detailed post about how to add a pitch knob to your Phantom radio. All of those instructions still apply, but this time, I decided to mount the knob on the back of the radio so I could control pitch with the third or fourth finger on my right hand while actively flying. The Philmore potentiometer (linked to in the FPV post) is smaller than is the Radio Shark pot I used on the first radio, which allows for more versatile placement.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5O5FvOJtes]
2. Internal FPV transmitter integration
My previous Phantom had an ImmersionRC 5.8Ghz 600mW video transmitter velcro’ed to its side. This is convenient because I don’t always want to fly my Phantom using FPV (first-person view), but it does add bulk to the quadcopter, and is also a bit unsightly. This time, I decided that I wanted to mount the transmitter inside the Phantom’s plastic shell, installing an SMA bulkhead on the body for transmit antenna placement.
When I opened the Phantom up, I discovered that the new NAZA PMU v2 and Zenmuse controller take up quite a bit of space in the body. The two components are also encased in metal, which seems like a strange decision for internal components used in an application in which every extra gram of weight matters.
UPDATE: The Zenmuse GCU has a video out, so I can just wire it directly inside the shell without wiring to the external GoPro.
The DJI Zenmuse H3-2D installed requires the new NAZA PMU v2, so it gets a little crowded in the Phantom’s shell. I also crammed an ImmersionRC 5.8Ghz 600mW transmitter in there (shown with antenna attached).
Still, there is room for an ImmersionRC video transmitter to be stuffed in there. The ImmersionRC transmitter is a flexible unit when it comes to power input, and you can just attach the Phantom’s auxiliary power lead to the transmitter. I put a JST connector on the Phantom aux lead to facilitate the connection.
The transmitter has two other connectors that need to be ported to the outside of the shell. The FPV USB cable that connects to the GoPro HERO3 camera (cable available at ReadyMadeRC) won’t fit through any of the existing holes that DJI provides, so I cut my own on the side of the battery compartment using a Dremel and a small cutting bit.
The transmit antenna also needs to be connected to the transmitter. To do this, I purchased a 15cm SMA male to SMA female bulkhead pigtail, which is $5.49 at Amazon as of this article date. The SMA male end is ¼" in diameter, so drilling a 5/16" hole is perfect. I elected to drill this hole in the side of the battery compartment, as well; my transmit antenna has a right-angle connector, which makes orienting it downward easy. If you have a straight antenna, you can purchase an SMA right-angle adapter at Fry’s, Radio Shack, or online.
Be sure to place the transmitter in a location that allows your USB cable to reach the GoPro’s USB port with plenty of slack for gimbal movement. If your cable run is too short, it will pull on the camera when the gimbal moves, which will make the gimbal not so useful.
GoPro HERO3 Black camera, Zenmuse H3-2D gimbal, FPV cable attached to GoPro, and 5.8Ghz FPV transmit antenna on DJI Phantom quadcopter. Note that this cable goes away once you wire video internally from the GCU to the transmitter.
3. Small slots in the battery compartment door
Every Phantom owner has experienced that moment of panic when one connects the battery leads and only has a few seconds to close the battery compartment door before the Phantom’s IMU calibrates. Using a Dremel and disc-shaped cutting bit, I cut two rectangular holes into the sides of the battery door. This lets me put a battery in, close the battery compartment, and then connect the leads outside of the Phantom’s shell.
Connect the battery leads at your leisure! (again, ignore that GoPro video out cable—it is unnecessary)
These three modifications only took me a couple hours to do, although if you’re following along for the first time, it might take longer. Be sure to test each phase of the mods as you do them instead of trying to do them all at once. You want to make sure you know which step to troubleshoot, if you end up having problems. Also, you need to be able to solder to do this. If you are a soldering newbie, do a search on YouTube for soldering tutorials. There are a bunch of great ones, there. I’m a big fan of this cheapie soldering station on Amazon, which is $20 shipped on Prime. It works well.
And finally, do these modifications AT YOUR OWN RISK. You may end up with a bricked Phantom if you do something wrong! Good luck. 🙂