Project:

A video transmitting kite with a remote controlled 180 degree pan/tilt camera.

Designer(s):

N8UDK / N8QPJ

Description:

Well it warmed up yesterday here in Michigan so my friend Jeff (N8QPJ) and myself Chris (N8UDK) tested out our new ATV kite. The kite design is a Delta-Conyes (it combines the efficiency of a delta with the stability of a box kite). The wing span is a huge 13 feet! Two major advantages of a kite so large is that its' increased lift allows us to fly the heavy, two pound payload and it also flies in much calmer winds (5 mile-an-hour). Oh and people really seem to like big kites!

Some Technical Information:

The payload consists of a one watt PC Electronics transmitter (439.25 MHz out) attached to an horizontal dipole antenna. The camera (which has an attached plate with my callsign) is mechanically attached to two Futaba servos allowing the camera to pan and tilt. Servos are normally wired to a radio controlled (RC) receiver but this only allows them to rotate 90 degrees. To improve the rotation range I programmed the Scott Edward's Electronics Counterfeit Stamp computer and SSC servo controller circuit to scale the outputs of the Futaba receiver on the kite. Another benefit with this design is the servos stay in there current position even when the RC transmitters joystick is let go. For reception we used the M2 egg beater antenna (with ground plane option) attached to a Radio Shack 8mm VCR / 5" color TV tuned to cable-ready channel 60. The video was a perfect P5 (i.e. crystal clear)!

Hardware:

• Sun Oak 13-ft Seminole DC kite
• 250-lb. Kevlar line
• 15.6 Volt nicad battery pack
• PC Electronics TXA5-RC 1 watt transmitter
• ATV Research BC-1200A b/w camera
• Scott Edward's Electronics Counterfeit BASIC-programmable Controller
• Scott Edward's Electronics Serial Servo Controller
• Tower Hobbies Futaba S3002 servos
• Tower Hobbies Futuba transmitter and receiver
• Custom made "Inverted V" dipole antenna
• M2 440 egg-beater antenna
• Radio Shack 8mm VCR / 5" color TV

Hardware Sources:

• Into The Wind (800) 541-0314
• P.C. Electronics (626) 447-4565
• ATV Research (800) 392-3922
• Scott Edward's Electronics (520) 459-4802
• Tower Hobbies (800) 637-6050
• M2 (209) 432-8873

Conclusion:

The kite works flawlessly and the video is perfect. It is one of my favorite projects because it's quick to setup and we don't need rocket motors, helium, etc. to get an aerial view. Recharge the batteries and were ready to go again. Also once the kite is up a thousand feet or more, it can be tethered and remain in the air unattended for hours.

- Chris Oesterling N8UDK

Fig 1.0 - Received transmission from the ATV kite (flying over a park)