Using carbon fiber sheet and tube stock I fabricated a new GPS mast today.
It’s removable for transportation, about 2 and a quarter inches taller than the usual one that was supplied with my kit (Hexsoon EDU-450) and it weighs about 10 grams less.
I don’t recall seeing anyone else fabricating a GPS mast - so I don’t know if it’s all that common. I have seen mention of some 3-D printed masts.
Are there any rules of thumb I should consider before a test flight?
My goal was to get the GPS antenna and magnetometer (its a Here-3) a bit further from electrical interference - and to be more rigid and reliable than the one that came in the kit.
I built these with some thin wall 10mm aluminum tube and 3d printed ASA brackets. They are nice and stiff, I plan to make the bottom bracket pivot for easier transport.
They mount to the gps using the clip pockets and rear screw so you can’t get the alignment wrong (unless you overpower the alignment screw and tearout it’s hole).
The Al tube was about 35% the mass of similar diameter CF tube I could get. It is much less sturdy (but still very stiff), although if this drone lands on its head, no tube is enough.
It is a custom frame I designed for the research project I work on. We are planning to open source it though (waiting on the university to decide what license they want to use).
Here is the link to our overview page for those interested: Confluence
