High Performance MPX Foil/Self-righting Trimaran-The Test Model

Bummer, slot loading discs are silly, to save you time, here, the go pro manual, and the software and manual for the IGOTU tracker that you have.

http://cbcdn2.gp-static.com/uploads/product_manual/file/41/HD2_UserManual_ENG1.pdf

http://global.mobileaction.com/download/i-gotU_download1.jsp

 

MPX Testing and Development

DR-what is a driver?(solved) I'm also having trouble with the little devices apparent requirement to get a Google API Key, but I'm working on it.(solved) The device is being charged and will be ready in 2.5 hours.....(3:30pm EST)
Funny, the map that comes up on the "Where am I ?" screen shows precisely where I am with all the right geography but it calls this community "Cresent Beach" which is near St. Augustine!

 

MPX Testing and Development

Looky heah, I thought this would be fast and would fly but this is rediculous:

click and expand----

 

MPX Testing and Development

Anybody have a clue about how to upload video from a GoPro to YouTube?
Thanks to DR the igotU tracker is working perfectly-can't wait to sail and see what we can do! My next project is to take video with the GoPro and figure it out.

 

MPX Testing and Development

NOTE: Thanks to Jeff you can go to the first page of the Testing and Development section by going to the first post of the thread and clicking on the link near the bottom.

 

MPX Testing and Development---------GoPro

Bad news: my brand new GoPro does not work! The battery appears to have the right voltage but nothing happens when I push the power button. I called gopro and surprisingly got somebody immediately. I told him the thing had sat inside for a year and he didn't think that would matter. He wanted me to try some stuff including taking the SD card out and trying the power button(nothing) and then plugging it into the computer w/o the battery and SD card-just a small quickly flashing red light. So he said he will email me and "try to get me going as soon as possible". You can't get better than that.
But I was all set to take some video and upload it to my channel on youtube and then post it here........Maybe someday.
Correction: I purchased the damn camera in April of 2012! My mistake. See post 1335 below.

 

MPX Development------------UptiP foil+

Well, I 'm going nuts here waiting on the right weather-looks like it will be several more days. I've designed and built well over 20 model and full size boats of my own design and for the last 50 years I have never made a first test sail in over 4-5 knots of wind and I'm not going to start now. This is a brand new design from a clean sheet of paper and it's really important to know things like the balance of the boat before I get the thing into a dicey situation. If this thing is at all like my F3 then it's likely to do twice wind speed in 5 knots of wind. It probably won't be that fast but it's still critical to see that the basics are right before the first sail in more wind.
So ,last night, I was looking over things and re-watched the most recent AC 34 videos and all the Flying Phantom and GC32 video's I could find. And I was thinking what I might do differently to the UptiP ama foils now that I know more about them and how they function. Well, one thing led to another and pretty soon I came up with an idea/plan. Why not modify one foil in light of what I've learned since I designed and built the foils last year? That way I'll have an instant test when we sail the first time: new foil on port, old foil on the starboard side. Instant results with as good a comparison as could possibly be made-just tack or gybe to use a different foil since only one of the foils is in the water when the main hull is flying. I'll not only learn about the flying characteristics of both types but also about the pre takeoff characteristics when the windward foil is slightly immersed.
So I took the original pattern and modfied it the way I think may be an improvement: 1) raised the tip significantly higher,2) increased the radius between the "L" portion and the curved portion 3) added a 3" extention to the "L" portion of the foil. I decided to sleep on it and go over the pros and cons again this morning.
No doubt about it this is the way to go ,particularly since I am involuntarily beached. Not only that but I was even more excited about it this morning. I took the starboard foil out of the ama and ground a "V" cut in the under side at the radius until I was able to bend the foil to the new uptip position, and ground both sides of the tip and both sides in way of the "bend cut". Worked perfectly and I put the pattern on the table and wax paper over the table and set the "bent" foil on the waxpaper and taped it in place.
Carb job #1-I filled the "V" cut and carbonated the opposite side with pieces of 5.8oz cloth and uni. No carbon over the filled "V" cut because it needs to be ground tomorrow once the new radius is set.
Carb job #2-I used a small specially cut piece of "dragon plate"-thin carbon sheet- as sort of a pattern to layup carbon cloth and uni on both sides of the tip with the dragon plate holding the shape as part of the extension.
It's all done now and in my jury rigged aluminum foil oven(115 degrees F) where it will stay until tomorrow morning. I think that considering that I have the time this was a damn good idea and will make the very first sail even more exciting!

 

MPX Testing and Development

Just heard back from GoPro: the camera is "way out of warranty" and the "only option is to buy a new camera". So the lesson is to check the damn stuff as soon as it gets here because I was right in the middle of assembling the boat when it arrived and let it sit for a year in the box, unopened. This is a hell of a way to waste $350-and the damn company didn't even offer to repair it-they must know whats wrong and feel they dodged a bullet. Of course I could be wrong, but the bottom line is that I cannot afford to buy a new GoPro so it looks like no onboard video-a damn shame.
Correction: I purchased the camera in April of 2012-not last year as I could have sworn I did.

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Pulled and ground the new foil and it looks real good. One more carbonation to each side of the radius and it's cosmetics. May have it painted tomorrow.

Pictures, L to R --1) foil before mods, 2) after mods(unfinished),3) from top after(unfinished):

 

That truly sucks about the camera! Maybe you could do a video or two about your terrible experience with GoPro and we could run it up the charts until they fix it. Out of warranty is one thing but a failure out of the box is unacceptable. The company is filing for an IPO in the $ billions as a premium provider -this is a bad time to treat customers like crap and a good time for such customers to make noise.

 

MPX Testing and Development

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Thats good info, thanks. I'm waiting for a reply to my "can it be repaired" e-mail following theres this morning*. I shouldna let it sit-but I couldn't see how that could be a problem. The tracker sat the same amount of time and works real well. I've probably got too much on my plate now to get in a fight with them but maybe somebody will read about this or see the GoPro sticker I put on the sail with the "X" over it if I don't get some help from them. Already looking at some other possibilities-no where near the potential quality of the GoPro but possibly transmited video from the boat with old robotic equipment.
I have access to a video transmitter from the 80's that cost $20 grand then-probably a grand or less now. The problem is it transmits on 2.4GHz-same as the rc trans. But the RC trans is spread spectrum so it may not matter.
And by the way-the camera is NOT "way out of warranty"-the so-called warranty expired April 4, 2014! Actually, it expired April 4th 2013. I was positive the thing was purchased in 2013, but it was actually 2012. See the "Update" post below. This is amazing-NO REPAIR outside warranty-so I've lost $350!! : http://goprouser.freeforums.org/gopro-offer-no-repair-service-outside-warranty-t783.html
* and another I just sent pleading with them to help.....

 

We have a Chinese guy here who will repair almost any electronic device for very little money. I am pretty sure you can find one in your city too.

 

They have a very low failure rate... and have all mess of interchangeable parts... surprising that it'd be faulty, I mean the reason they succeeded was because they we're fault ridden or complicated... I'll give you 10$ for it if you want though... haha and pay for shipping...
Also if you are trying to save cost...
http://www.kogan.com/au/buy/kogan-hd-sports-action-camera/

 

MPX Testing and Development

I've got a guy here that will take a look at it if my pleas go unanswered....

 

Sounds good for you Doug, You might have to get the anti gopro sticker made.

 

MPX Testing and Development-------$350 GoPro saga..

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I don't know-so far no reply.....
UPDATE: GoPro pointed out that I purchased the camera in 2012 not 2013 which I was positive I had done. Can't believe it's been two years! Thats good news because that means I only wasted $175 a year. They will do nothing, no repair, no nothing. Thats the final just now from GoPro.
"Funny" that the little tracker sat for the same amount of time and works perfectly. You would think I bought some sort of food whose "sell by" date had expired.
I had no idea that a Go Pro camera would die on its own if I let it sit. Of course, I'm 87.5% sure that they know exactly what was wrong with the camera-I should have stopped what I was doing and tested the thing when it came in. Too bad, very unfortunate.