What tethered systems are out there?

Hardware Other Hardware
1

Hey, i am looking for a tether system for my quad (around 4kg, 1200w max).
all the systems are found are around 25.000$ which is honestly too much for me.

Any advice, or DIY sollution?

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2

Well, if that price range is out of your reach then tethered systems are out of the question. The only sub 20K is the Elistair Light-T. It has no automatic winch but capable to provide 1200W continous power for 60/70meters tether.

You can try DIY but only if you familiar with high voltage. Usually the mains voltage is transformed to 600-800V DC sent thru the tether cable then transformed back 50V…(Assuming a 12s system)

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3

Copting GmbH has a system that might cover your needs.

4

Dear aamadeuss,

We can help you to develop a low-cost solution. Please provide more insight into the problem.

Thanks & Regards,
Mohit Gupta

5

Sir, currently I’m working on same project. Would you mind clearing few of my doubts on the subject.

6

Hey Mohit, I’m encountering same issue. Need help.

7

Valofly has very robust systems, with 24/7 capabilities and up-to 2500W

8

First of all, thnx for responding Sir.

You are right but, I’m looking for a comparatively cheaper option. Just wanna know about options/ alternates that can be used in place for expensive Tether cable.

What guage or material of wire for powering a drone which has power requirement of 300w.

Currently I’m using a 12v 200Ah inverter battery with local electrical wire of 2.5 mm dia. But, it works only for 5 to 7 mtr. Anything beyond this results in power loss.

I wanna improvise something at local level. By using some, speaker wire, SMPS etc etc.

Suggestions please

Regards

9

You can’t just work with DC for that.
There is a thing known as voltage drop and especially with DC it is greater over a length of cable than AC. That’s one of the main reasons way all the household power is AC as usually electricity has to travel over a long distance from power station to consumer.
Also the higher the voltage the lower the loss. - That’s why there are HV powerlines in excess of 400,000V.
So in order to make it work you would need to increase voltage and use an AC system which then in drone is converted back into DC at much lower voltage. All this with energy reserves available, low weight, high efficiency and safety in mind.
That’s why those commercial systems are so expensive.

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10

I saw projects and articles for here in people are converting 230v ac into 400vdc on ground only and then on drone end a dc to dc converter further lowers the voltage as per drone requirements.

My question here is, how to decide going for
AC (low volt) to AC(high volt) at ground or low AC to high DC on ground. Assuming length of tether around 20 meters. And for 100 Meters ?

11

The ground side is not really important as you are flexible in regards to weight & size.
The engineering challenge is on the drone side as you need to work out what the easiest and most efficient way is to convert back to usable DC power levels.
The additional consideration is then how would that affect the required cable. I.e. higher voltage less conductive material required but more insulation needed. - This also becomes a safety matter as any damage to cable would become very dangerous.
On the other hand lower voltage requires higher current and so more conductive material = more weight.
Then there is the more practical consideration that DC voltage will create a magnetic field which almost certainly impact on FC. …but at higher voltage a lesser current is produced = lower magnetic field = less impact on FC.