Know How... 121

We're going to Mars! Well... eventually, choosing the right Electronic Speed Controller for your quadcopter, Adobe Premier Garbage Matting, and find the best transmitter for your RC adventures.

Get to MAAAARS!

This morning, NASA SCRUBBED a test flight of the Orion Space vehicle

• Orion can carry 4 people
• It more closely resembles the Apollo era vehicles than the space shuttle
• It was originally designed to take humans back to the moon as part of NASA's "Constellation program" that was cancelled in 2010
• The first test flight with HUMANS aboard is scheduled for 2021
• The cost is projected to reach $19-$22 billion

The Test Flight

• On top of a Delta IV Heavy Launch Vehicle
• 1.63 million lbs of spacecraft and fuel.
• It's a 4-1/2 hour flight
• Orion will do 2 laps around the planet before splashing in the Pacific Ocean
• It will do elliptical orbits: The first will be as high as the ISS (270 miles), but the second will be 3,600 miles.
• The primary purpose of this test flight is to see how the heat shield performs
• The shield will reach temps of 4,000 degrees as it speeds into Earth's atmosphere at 20,000 mph
• First launch of a US deep-space spacecraft since the Apollo missions in the 60's and 70's
• First US vehicle capable of launching humans into space since the shuttle was retired in 2011
• No one born after 1935 has been to the Moon #SadFact

Choosing a Electronic Speed Controller

Thanks Padre & Bryan for your episodes on quadcopters. I like to know about the tech rather than just assembling it.

I've got all of my components except the electronic speed controllers and I'm stuck.

I've seen dozens of models on Amazon & I don't know which is the right one to get.

I'm using Emax 2213 980kv motors. I'm considering a "Hobbypower 30 Amp" for $17.95. Will this work for me?

Is there a better one that I should be looking at? Is there really a difference between electronic speed controllers?

-- Garret J. (Milwaukee, WI)

1. Amperage
2. SimonK Firmware (Talk about Response Time)
   • Most "normal" ESCs will receive information from the controller 400 times a second (400Hz)
   • The max is 500 times a second. (The pulse-width of the PWM signal is 2ms, so there can only be 500 per second.
   • SimonK firmware max out at 500Hz refresh AND removes a bunch of background junk that works on planes and helicopters, but not on multi-rotor craft.
   • FOR EXAMPLE: In "normal" ESCs, there is an averaging function that allows the ESC to approximate throttle response to reduce wear and tear on gearboxes and airframes.
   • That's great for planes and helicopters, but can be horrible for multi-rotor craft.

Padre's Favorite ESCs

• F-30A Fire Red Series "SimonK" (RapidESC)
• F-20A Fire Red Series "SimonK" (RapidESC)

Shane Walsh - Premise Networking

"I was thinking of putting wire in every room of the house with a patch panel. I was wondering how the patch panel works. Must all the ports in the front of the patch panel be connect to the router? Are am i just better of get a switch?"

-- Episode 79 of "Know How" Premise Wiring

Radios

The FlySky T6 Transmitter + Receiver

• Inexpensive
• Relatively feature-filled
• No diversity. No Satellite

The Futaba 6J Transmitter + Receiver

• Diversity antenna
• Failsafe features
• Flight time is built into the transmitter
• Bare Bones, but cleaner signal than the FlySky T6

Connect with us!

Don't forget to check out our large library of projects at https://twit.tv/shows/know-how.

Tweet at us at @padresj, @Cranky_Hippo, and @Anelf3

• Transcripts: Know How... 121 (Transcript)