3p Mounting
Please reference these instructions for SLANTRANGE 3p systems regardless of your aircraft.
Mounting kits for M100, M200, M210, and M600 aircraft are available in the SLANTRANGE shop
Key Points
- The field sensor and AIS are directional and must be oriented forward throughout the flight
- The field sensor and AIS must be mounted parallel to one another, and oriented nadir in flight. This is accomplished by mounting at an offset to match aircraft forward pitch in flight
Procedure
The field sensor and AIS are directional and must be oriented forward throughout the flight. The button faces forward on the AIS; the power plug and AIS connector face forward on the 3p field sensor. Ensure your mission planning software turns your aircraft 180 degrees after each pass, in a "lawnmower pattern" DO NOT fly forward on one pass, crab to one side, and then fly backward on the next pass.
The field sensor requires cooling airflow while in operation; mount on the aircraft so cooling airflow reaches the sensor. Do not leave the field sensor on for extended periods of time without cooling airflow (e.g. for several minutes on the ground before takeoff or after landing), and do not leave the battery connected when not in use.
The AIS must have an unobstructed view of the sky, and the white dome should point directly upward (zenith) when in flight. Mount the AIS on top of the aircraft, making sure propellers, antennas, batteries, cables, etc. will not cast shadows on the white dome.
Mount the field sensor to compensate for the forward tilt of the aircraft in flight by angling the mounting bracket. The angle needed to maintain the sensor’s downward (nadir) orientation will vary based on multirotor weight distribution and velocity. For reference, a DJI Matrice M100 flying a SLANTRANGE sensor at 8 m/s requires an 8 degree mounting angle offset on average.
Another key difference between the 2p and 3p systems: The AIS must be mounted parallel to the field sensor. DO NOT mount the AIS flat to the top of a rotary wing aircraft. If you are using a rotary wing aircraft and your field sensor is mounted at an 8 degree angle to look directly downward (nadir) during flight at a given speed, you must also mount the AIS at an 8 degree angle upward as shown below. The AIS must be oriented with the button towards the aircraft nose, and the white dome towards the aircraft tail.
Power
Connect the field sensor to a power supply, either its own external battery mounted to the aircraft, or the aircraft’s onboard batteries via a power wire harness. The sensor will boot up as soon as power is connected.
The 3p is designed to accept 9-36V or a 3-6 cell battery. A rough estimate to calculate the sensor's "on-time" is to calculate battery's total capacity and then divide by the sensor's power draw of 11W. The 11W is only drawn when the system is taking pictures (green light blinking); when the system is in standby it is drawing < 2W. For example, a 14.8V 1300mAh battery will power the sensor for approximately 1.75 hours of data collection (14.8V x 1300mAh = 19240 mW or about 19.2WH, 19.2WH / 11W = 1.75 hours of 3p "on-time").
Make sure the power cable running from the aircraft or external battery to the field sensor, and the AIS cable running from the field sensor to the AIS, are secured so they cannot contact the propeller blades in flight.