Skip to main content

Building the NAZA F550 Hexacopter - Pre-steps

So, I've ordered, and received the components (see my earlier post) to build my F550 Hexacoptor. So, now it was time to start building.

I ordered 3 pairs of Multistar 2212 920KV Motors. I got 3 boxes with the motor pairs.

The Multistar 2212 920KV CW/CCW Motor pairs with Props
The Multistar 2212 920KV CW/CCW Motor pairs with Props

The package came with the 3mm hex nuts to mount the motors, and bullet connectors with heat-shrink tubes to connect to the ESCs as well.

The propellers are 9043, and each box has an extra pair of props as well.

The 9043 Propellers that comes with the Multistar Motors
The 9043 Propellers that comes with the Multistar Motors



I got 6 Multistar 30A ESCs. They're smaller than I thought, which is even better.

The Multistar 30A ESCs
The Multistar 30A ESCs

Since I couldn't ship Li-Pos from HobbyKing, I managed to find a 3S 5500mAh 40C Li-Po from the local hobby shop - Hobby Tech Lanka.

The 3S 5500mAh 40C Li-Po from HTL
The 3S 5500mAh 40C Li-Po from HTL

I already had the F550 Frame and the NAZA-M Lite.

Bought the following items also before starting the build.

  • A XT60 Connector with wires (make sure you consider the correct gauge of the wire)
  • Double-sided Foam Tape (for mounting the components to the frame)
  • Wire Tape (for insulation)
  • Heat-shrink Tubes, if  needed
  • Cable ties (for cable management)

You also need a good quality soldering iron, solder, and flux.

But, before you start soldering, there's one important check to be done.

Since the bottom plate of the F550 Frame acts as the power distribution, it's always best to check whether there are any short-circuits on the frame before you begin. Any short-circuit might lead to damage to the electronics, fire, or even explosions of the Li-Po battery.

To check the frame, get the bottom plate (the one with the '+' and '-' pads), and use a multimeter to first check whether the '+' pads are not short-circuited to the '-' pads. Then, make sure the '+' pads are all connected together, and the same with the '-' pads.

The bottom plate of the F550 Frame
The bottom plate of the F550 Frame

Once we verified that, we are ready to start the build.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Selecting the Correct Gauge Wires for your RC Models

When we are building RC models (aircrafts, multicopters etc.), something we typically overlook is what type of wires to use to distribute power in them. Usually, we try to reduce the weight of the model, so we tend to go with smaller wires. But, we cant expect to put in small circuit-wires and have them handle the amount of power needed. If you look at the wires that comes in the output leads of a Li-Po, or the wires that comes on a standard XT Jack, you'll notice that they're quite huge. Large gauge wires on a Li-Po and XT connectors These need to be huge to handle the amount of amperage that goes through them. So, we should also consider the amperage, and the length of wire needed when selecting the size (gauge) of the wires.

What do the prop size numbers mean?

Have you been trying to shop for propellers - either online or at a hobby shop - and got confused of the numbering used to denote the size of the propellers? You see things like " 10 x 4.5 CW ", or " 8055 CCW ". What do these numbers mean? A 8 x 4.5 CW and CCW Propeller Set It's actually quite simple once you figure it out. The first number denotes the diameter of the prop (length from tip-to-tip). The second number denotes the pitch of the prop. Here, the pitch is denoted as a length, not a angle. Let's see how that works.

Li-Po Batteries Explained - Part 2

I explained about Li-ion batteries (the predecessor of Li-Po) in my earlier post ( Li-Po Batteries Explained - Part 1 ). Now let's see what these 'Lithium Polymers' are. Lithium-Polymer Batteries - The real ones Li-Po batteries - also known as Li-Poly, Pi-Pol, PLI and PLI - are a type of rechargeable batteries that uses same types of electrodes as the Li-ion batteries. The difference is with the electrolyte it uses. Instead of the liquid solvent used in Li-ions, Li-Po uses a polymer electrolyte. In the original design, which dates back to the 1970's, the electrolyte is a dry, plastic-like, thin film. It doesn't conduct electricity, but allows the exchange of ions between the electrodes. Theoretically, with this design, batteries could be made very thin (less than 1 millimeter) and to a variety of form factors. And because of the electrolyte being dry, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the safety of the battery will be higher because of no risk in