Hello,
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Today I finally had some time to play a little with my drone again, so I thought I would tell you a little about how we tried to modify it in order to attach a different camera to it. But first I think it's a good idea to say a few things about the drone itself.
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![1.IMG_20180217_145806.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaG6h3DR1jKEJvxSydoQMpbj9amwzep78izzXK5nn9vcJ/1.IMG_20180217_145806.jpg)
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It's a Hubsan H501S that I bought last year because I'm interested in aerial photography, and to have some fun flying around. I always wanted to see places from higher up, imagining I could fly :) Plus it comes in handy if our goats manage to somehow run away when nobody's home and we need to find them :)
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Keep in mind technology has advanced much in this time, so today you'll probably get a much better drone for the same money.
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The drone is a pretty basic one, no collision avoidance, no predetermined GPS flying points, no autonomous flight other than "return home" and "follow me", but it is very easy to fly, very maneuverable, is stable and hovers quite well. It is a joy to fly around, darting over terrain, the first person view gives quite a feeling :) The controller is easy to use and intuitive, only the display could be bigger, or better yet it would be great if you could connect it to a smartphone. It has a range of around 300 meters and can stay in the air for almost 30 minutes on one battery. On a calm day :)
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![2.IMG_20180217_135131.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSMXAUUL7n4U9jtov9yW7DgyES6zJSNctp73kZUUgDNqy/2.IMG_20180217_135131.jpg)
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It has a 1080p camera, but the quality is somewhat poor, especially the movement in the videos and distant objects in the photos. It's also fitted directly into the drone, it doesn't sit in a gimbal, so it can't be tilted in any direction. So all the shots are level and you can't really look around where you want. You get what you pay for, but it's a really great drone to start with, if you're interested in this sort of stuff. I didn't want to destroy a DJI worth 800 euros on the first flight, as I never flown a drone before.
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![3.IMG_20180217_160439.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmXnej96fb3kfhuZiRwMzAPd72NPLUuQcMbu8AoDs7pWyA/3.IMG_20180217_160439.jpg)
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I saw a few videos on the web where people attached a frame with legs onto the bottom of the Hubsan, so it can then carry another camera fitted underneath. People make this thing using a 3D printer, and supposedly it works very well. My neighbor is also a big fan of everything flying, and an even bigger enthusiast when it comes to drones. We discussed the idea, but a 3D printer isn't just gonna fall out from the sky for us to use.
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But, as incredible luck would have it, one day a month ago he happily told me that a friend of his just bought a basic, little 3D printer :) He said he would help us build something similar to what we saw on the internet, and today I finally had time to put the pieces together.
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![4.IMG_20180217_144101.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmezkGo7Uu6X6J5SQu9EQFrDfcy5h7PA6bmyvqtuBZTHSJ/4.IMG_20180217_144101.jpg)
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The frame is built from three different sets of pieces. Legs to keep it higher from the ground so it can lift off and land with a camera underneath, feet for the legs to cushion the impacts on landings, and a square frame to keep everything sturdy and to attach a camera to it. I think I'll make another post detailing the making of these parts, drawing everything in ProEngineer and working with the printer. This 3D printing technology is quite fascinating.
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![5.IMG_20180217_150109.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPDZCKhosMbMdRxEMKNVdiqjVdAdZFf3ZGVBuZsbDTH2B/5.IMG_20180217_150109.jpg)
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It looks quite flimsy, and actually feels so as well, but it does hold the drone of the ground. It took off and survived the landing unscrached as well, so it seems to work well. It also flew around without any problems. I did hit a different problem though, hehe. Somehow the holes in the feet are to small so the legs don't fit in :) It's back to the drawing, but it's not a big deal. We'll fix it and try for real when everything is good. I also don't have the camera to attach at the moment as I lent it to friend, so I don't mind a little delay :)
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Bellow are some of the pictures I've taken when I took it for a spin.
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![6.HBS00007.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQykyAfLdwqoqmuczf5VtLu8KgJ468Whq8gKjUoVe3SjW/6.HBS00007.JPG)
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![7.HBS00013.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZtYabqHFAL4ZWQbqXWACP6hwsqpU7VwX3BHHxSzb5seY/7.HBS00013.JPG)
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The standard camera actually makes quite good photos of objects or landcape close to the camera.
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Also, with the first photo I would like to participate in @juliank's #smartphonephotography contest.
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Enjoy the rest of the day and have a nice sunday :)
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*Photos taken by me, first five with my Huawei P9, the last two with Hubsan H501S*