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Author: Klaus

RUMLog, Macbook and IC-718

In Singapore you need to get approval from the authorities for your type of radio, you intend to buy, before you can actually buy it. So in order to avoid any problems, I selected the ICOM IC-718 HF transceiver, as I knew it was approved before and available from stock.

Now, setting up my station, I was looking for a good logging program, running under OS-X on my new Apple Macbook (early 2015). I decided for RUMLog, as it is free and offers all features I need for my casual operation.

To connect to the IC-718, I use a Icom CT-17 CI-V CAT Programming Cable with a Prolific chip set.  The drivers can be downloaded from their support webpage and work without problem under OS X El Captain (10.11.3). Now frequency and operation mode are automatically transferred to RUMLog.

9V1KG

In Dec 2015 I received my amateur radio licence with the call sign 9V1KG for Singapore from the IDA. After 15 years inactivity I am back on the air.

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First version of my shortened 15 m dipole. Latest version see here.

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Telescopic whip antenna

Project XE180 – Miniquad FPV

After I just completed my first own-built quad-copter, here a few details to share about this project. Having the DJI Phantom 2 V3 for aerial photography and a ready built 250 Storm racing drone, I was looking for a FPV mini-copter to fly indoor and outdoor, using brush-less motors and a robust carbon frame. My choice was XELITES ‘s  XE180, a 180 frame (motor to motor distance 180 mm).

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How fast can a quadcopter fly?

Introduction

Racing drones are becoming more and more popular, and it would not only be interesting to know, how fast they can really go, but also which parameters have a major impact on their maximum speed. When I searched in the net, I couldn’t find clear answers and had to work out something by myself; so here is my model. To be clear, my intention is not to get absolute precise numbers, but more to understand the physics behind, and to have a tool to get realistic estimates and comparisons of flight parameters for different quadcopter models. If you are not interested in the details, just scroll down to the end of the page, where I show the final formulas and some calculated examples.

Continue reading How fast can a quadcopter fly?