[TowerTalk] Fwd: the future of antenna and tower inspection

[Jim Lux]

On 4/15/13 10:33 PM, Grant Saviers wrote:
> piling on,
>
> the leads/antenna could be small gauge with power sent via high
> voltages/low current, since the motors could be PWM driven with the
> onboard processor or a simple buck convertor..  Taking out the LiPo
> battery saves weight too.  Any Maker's that have hacked one?   btw
> having flown a MEMS gyro in a rocket, I don't think the MEMS gyros are
> stable enough for long term unattended hover positioning, so periodic
> radio position control would probably be needed, or maybe a GPS lock.
>


I think optical station keeping would be easiest.  Most of these things 
have a video camera looking down, so what you'd do is set up a colored 
target, and it would try to keep it centered.



Of course, a Kiteoon would be easier.

from TT, April 4th, 2003, WB6WIK writes
Hi Mirko,

I've paid about $200 for a kiteoon, locally.  The 8-to-9 foot diameter 
WX balloons are usually about $30 each, so a kiteoon is definitely more
expensive -- but, the kiteoon is reusable, whereas the latex WX balloons 
are not.  Once they stretch from use and the He starts leaking through 
the latex (which it does, within about two days), the WX balloons are 
good for the garbage bin.