Blade 180QX FPV Mount

thingiverse

This is a fun FPV platform, transforming the Blade 180 QX into a thrilling experience. Mine weighs just under 2 grams when printed, making it incredibly light. The 180QX flies great as shown in the pictures. Some design considerations were taken into account: The mount can be applied and removed without tools via the canopy mounts. The camera can be mounted to preserve the 180QX center of gravity, keeping motor load even and maintaining agility. It's an easy print, requiring no supports. The honeycomb matrix design provides several benefits: Excellent strength/weight ratio Flexible mounting options: use zip ties, tape or other 3D printed parts Excellent heat dissipation for the main board and ESCs A 1.25 JST plug can be routed through the holes for convenient hookup to the 180QX accessory power pins Also included are 20-degree mounting pegs for small cameras. Consider them optional (see photos). You will need two if you decide to use them. Note that the 180QX is rated for 17 grams of payload - I've flown with more, but it loses much agility. The setup as-pictured adds about 7 grams and the 180QX carries it easily. My flight times are approximately 9 minutes (stock) to ~6 minutes fully equipped and camera set to 25 mw. Print Settings: Printer Brand: LulzBot Printer: Mini Rafts: No Supports: No Notes: Any printer should work, the design is an easy print. Post-Printing: Important: Cut small pieces of thin foam (or equivalent) and glue them to the 4 mounting pegs. This ensures a secure fit and helps absorb vibration (to reduce "jello" effect). You may want to open up the mounting holes a bit with a drill bit - use your hand to operate the bit. Note that the 180QX can easily power your camera from its accessory port. This is "the way to go" if you can manage it because you don't have to carry an extra battery or worry about your camera battery depleting separately. I built a JST -> MicroJST converter cable to connect mine. The camera I'm using is an Eachine TX03. Just about any lightweight camera should work fine.