Author: Paweł
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ESP32 and multiple I2C buses
One of the advantages of the ESP32 microcontrollers over the competitions is dual-core architecture and two I2C buses. Yes, the I2C bus allows connecting multiple slave devices to single pair of SCL SDA wires. As long as slave device addresses are unique, everything will work just fine: OLED display, LM75 temperature sensor, MPU6050 gyroscope. However,…
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FPV meets corporation – DJI FPV Goggles V2 vs V1 and availability
Why can't I buy DJI goggles anymore All of you who tried to buy FPV goggles in the last three months might have noticed that it was not a trivial endeavor. Starting from the last December, the DJI Goggles and Air Units and Caddx Vistas availability was limited. To some extent, it was due to…
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QmuBeacon – ESP32 and LoRa based GPS recovery beacon and locator
Having a broken leg, limited mobility, and paid sick leave have some perks after all. I've finally found some free time to sit on the project I started, I think, two years ago: ESP32, LoRa based GPS beacon, and locator. You know, put it on an airplane and have a way to get the distance…
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Diatone Roma F4 LR: Long-Range on 4 inches
For years, long-range drones were associated with big and purpose build (mainly lightweight) quadcopters. With at least 7-inch propellers, but true long-range started at 8-inches or more. Times changed, and in the 2020, a new class of long-range FPV quadcopters emerged: light, dead-cat frame, 4-inch propellers, weight around 250g, and with flight times somewhere between…
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Prusa Smooth vs Powder Coated PEI Sheets
Prusa offers two types of steel sheet beds for their Prusa i3 MK3 series 3D printers: smooth PEI and powder coated PEI. The smooth PEI version is the default, but you can get the powder-coated PEI if you pay extra. It's not cheap but has one or two handy features: it works great for bigger…
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Li-Ion vs. Li-Po for drones and airplanes?
Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) batteries dominate the RC hobby. In like 98% of the cases, if you have a drone or RC airplane, or RC car, it is powered by a LiPo battery. The reasons are simple: they are high current capable, fast to charge, and have relatively high energy density. LiPo is, however, not the only…
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3D printing with a polypropylene (PP) filament
3D printing does not end on PLA, PET-G, and TPU filaments. Yes, they are great and work just fine for the majority of cases. However, there are more options than just the basic filament types. Polypropylene (PP filament) is one of them. Strong, but not stiff, can be used to make hinges, enclosures, and boxes.…
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What is the best flight controller firmware? Betaflight, Ardupilot, or INAV?
The question "What is the best flight controller firmware?" pops up here and there from time to time. Some say it's Betaflight. Some say it's Ardupilot. And reality? Reality is often disappointing, and there might be no one answer to that question. Every flight controller firmware has strong and weak sides. Ardupilot sucks on small…
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INAV for tracked rovers and tanks
INAV 2.5 introduced rover and boat support. However, INAV setup on tracked vehicles like tanks or with differential steering was never really working like expected. Turning was possible but only in forward or backward movement – throttle had to be not-idle. And that meant that turning in place was not an option. Luckily, the INAV…