So i havent done any EE in a VERY long time, will probebly need to relearn it all, but i have gotten back into R/C hobbies. Picked up a Nitro Buggy and an electric helicopter (to learn to fly then move to nitro) The buggy has a longer range then my radio setup (CAR :: HELI) and the Heli im afraid im gina fly it out of range and have it fall out of the sky. so i got to thinking. Id like to find a way to use the control interfaces i already have (the control units) but replace the traditional FM radios with cheap pay as you go cellphones. i thought cellphones because not only do they have massive coverage but they also solve another problem, how to operate outside of visual contact. since cell phones are transceivers id be able to send a video feed back along with other telemetry data. I understand that this requires an intermediary, converting the controls signals into a format the phone can transmit and then back from the phone into a format the servos can use. Im just not exactly sure where to start. is this worth it? has it already been done? anyone have any input on what to look for or where to look for information on how to get started?
Not sure about the hardware, but for a cheap pay as you go internet plan go with O2. In my case, they won't let me go with the 3G network so I am limited to EDGE speeds, but because they don't think it is possible for my phone to connect to the internet (and as such have "disabled" it) I only pay for when I connect which is 10p. They don't charge me if I never disconnect and they don't charge me for any data. Win I know I can still get texts whilst connected but I am not so sure about calls.
You've got a pretty interesting idea, but I don't think it'll work terribly well. Have you ever heard an echo of your voice from the other end of a phone conversation? Cell phones take an extremely long time, in electronics terms, to transmit a signal. Human speech doesn't particularly mind even a full second of lag, but it would make your vehicles uncontrollable. If I were you, I would buy a shiny new Spread Spectrum system with memory for a few models, so you can pick up a compatible receiver whenever you buy a new heli (or get into airplanes, which are fairly excellent). You get all the benefits of using the cell phones - no frequency issues, small antennas, and long range - without the lag and short battery life. Unless you drive your buggy with a 2-stick controller, you'd be getting pretty expensive if you wanted to update both vehicles, but as long as the buggy is working fine at the moment there's no sense messing with it.
the radios i have are spread spectrum. im just trying to think of ideas i havent seen that i can "play with" I have heard an echo, i hadnt thought about that. maybe an idea for low speed aplications.
I would spend the money on a nice big 2.4 GHz amplifier, of questionable legality and maybe a 120 degree sector antenna, and have a nice 2000M range. Would not require any modding on the reciever, and the tx would just need a lead instead of an antenna. While cell phones could work, it would be a challenging project, especially if trying to transmit data over a voice channel where who knows what is going on as far as compression/decompression, and I would think a cell phones lag would be a bit excessive. Ever call yourself? its a good 200-500 mS lag.
What's your current radio hardware? I've been out of model flying for a good few years, but back in the day flying off mountains the range on the Futaba gear was quite a long way, over the other side of the mountain at least. I used to have a buzzer in the plane that went off when the radio was out of contact, and never once had that happen without switching off the transmitter. Although tried to keep the model within line of sight!!! I too thought about such ideas as yourself, but never got around to it. I think the best way would be first to just go for the video and then move on to the controls. If not just for time lag and losing signal, but also cos phones chew batteries and may not last an entire tank of fuel or gliding session. I'd love to hear of your success, maybe that'll spur me on to finding a new love for it Willing to swap photos for virtual cheesecake
