TBS VENDETTA FPV Racer Revision 2016-09-24 Full carbon fiber ready‐to‐fly 240‐size fpv racer Full carbon fiber monocoque, quick swap arms, solder-free repairs, ready-to-fly as 240-size fpv racer, for 5" props. But it doesn't stop there! Sporting the brand new TBS Triumph antenna in combination with the TBS CORE Pro and TBS Unify Pro, the TBS Vendetta allows you to configure every parameter of your FPV racer via R/C stick commands! Each drone comes tuned and test-flown by our professional tuning experts.
Table of content Attention Disclaimer Overview Quick Start Guide - BNF set Setup Opening the frame Installing radio receiver Installing video antenna Binding radio receiver and system configuration Adjusting camera tilt angle Mounting receiver antennas Attaching frame arms Putting on propellers Mounting battery Mounting HD camera Flight modes Rear LED status lights Repairing arms Configuration OSD Boot up Initial R/C calibration Entering OSD configuration menu Changing VTX channel Changing VTX power level C
Specifications Type: 240-size quadrotor FPV racer Arms: Quick-replace 3.5mm chamfered carbon fiber arms, MT30 3-pin connectors Propellers: HQ 5x4x3 propellers Motors: Cobra CM2204 2300kV motors Battery: 1000 to 2600 mAh 4S LiPo battery pack - 1300 to 1800 mAh recommended Power drive: TBS POWERCUBE with TBS COLIBRI RACE, fastest F3 CleanFlight board available, 2S-6S capable Bulletproof 30/50A BLHeli 14.
Attention Thank you for buying a TBS product! The TBS VENDETTA is a new racing multirotor aircraft from Team BlackSheep (TBS). It features the best design practices available on the market to date. A general rule for RC aircrafts is that they must be controlled always under sight of view, check your RC regulation to keep up to date with regulations. Please read this manual carefully before assembling and flying your new TBS VENDETTA quadcopter.
Overview The following diagram shows the main features of the TBS VENDETTA and the internal layout.
Quick Start Guide - BNF set The following steps will get you setup and ready to fly quickly. It is a condensed version intended for experienced pilots. Each step is elaborated in more detail in this manual if you are new to this. You will need to mount the arms, install a R/C receiver, configure the flight control, potentially adjust VTX frequency, insert the battery and install the propellers. This section requires the following equipment.
Setup Getting set up and ready to fly is a quick and simple task, as mostly everything comes pre-built from the TBS factory. When using TBS equipment, it is mostly plug & play to get ready. Follow these easy steps and you will be shredding the sky in just a few minutes! Opening the frame The insides are protected by a very strong carbon fiber body. By removing the front canopy, all the internals easily slide out. 1.
Installing radio receiver Any small radio receiver will fit on the designated bottom area of the frame. It must be smaller than 50 x 23 x 6 mm - a FrSky XSR receiver is used in this example. There is a free servo cable that connects to the flight controller. Note that carbon fiber blocks radio signals and the antenna has to go outside the body. 1. Prepare the receiver connector cable so that it can connect to the provided servo connector or re-solder the cable to suite your particular receiver cable.
Installing video antenna If you are planning to bind the receiver, it is very important that you temporarily attach the VTX antenna before proceeding to the next step. Or you can leave it till the end of the build and attach it before connecting the battery and setting up the receiver. The antenna is mounted horizontally on the TBS VENDETTA to minimize shearing off the connector on impacts and causing damage to the internal components. 1.
Pairing the radio and receiver is covered in the manufacturer's instructions. The initial setup of the COLIBRI and CORE requires the FPV video feed to be up on channel Band A CH1 5865 MHz. All the configuration is done via the R/C radio sticks as prompted on the OSD screen. In order to make the VENDETTA recognize the type of the R/C signal (SBUS, PPM, SPEK), the COLIBRI has to be set up with the correct protocol.
Mounting receiver antennas The kit comes with two plastic tubes and two rubber bits to mount normal coax receiver antennas. 1. Re-insert the internal frame into the body and align it over the screw holes on the front, re-attach the camera canopy and two M2x9 hex screws 2. Use a small pick to lift out the antenna cables through to the top 3.
4. Attach the rubber bits to the plastic tubes and feed the antenna cable through 5.
Attaching frame arms The arms for the TBS VENDETTA easily installs on the bottom of the frame, motors already installed. As the arms are identical, either one can be installed in the front or back slots - they will only install in one direction, there is no way to make any erroneous installs. 1. Position the arms with the curved arms facing away from the center, align the arms with the MT30 connectors, making sure they line up perfectly 2.
4. Then, place the plastic arm plate covers over the connectors and exposed solder joints - the “I” notch in the plate facing away from the center 5. Secure with the plate with one M2x9 hex screw.
Putting on propellers The provided propellers has two rotational profiles, counter-clockwise and clockwise. Getting these right is important for a safe and proper first flight. The kit comes with two sets of three-blade 5x4-inch propellers. 1. Separate the propellers into two batches, with the letters facing up; counter-clockwise and clockwise 2. Use the picture above to install the propellers on the motor shafts and use the provided M5 locking nuts to securing them in place.
Mounting battery The battery mounts on the rear of the frame and allows for a wide range of batteries to be used. Two rubber pads and straps keeps the battery protected and in place during flight. It is important that you adjust the position of the battery as needed to achieve perfect center-of-gravity, which is in the middle of the frame. 1.
4. When you are ready to tune and test fly, just plug in the XT60 cable to the XT60 socket in the middle of the quad to power up Mounting HD camera A GoPro, Mobius or Runcam be mounted on the front portion of the platform to capture HD footage using the large TBS straps. If mounting a GoPro, you can use the supplied foam mounts - two angles are provided, 10 ° and 30 ° . There are also many mounts available to have 3D printed from www.thingiverse.com for a range of different cameras.
Flight Controller Calibration Before the first flight, the FC needs to know the absolute flat and level position relative to the earth’s surface. Calibrating the accelerometer and gyro is easily done using a bubble/spirit level and stick inputs from the radio. 1. Power up the VENDETTA and radio, remaining disarmed for the duration of this process 2. Put the spirit level on one of the arms and put a pieces of paper underneath each arm to get an absolute level reference 3.
Repairing arms If you need to repair an arm after a crash or mishap, the process is quick and can normally be done in the field with minimum tools. 1. Detach the arm from the body and remove any debris or dust 2. Remove the two M3x6.5 hex screws holding the plastic cover under each motor, then remove the two M3x6.
3. Press lightly on the MT30 connector in order to pop it out of it’s socket on the arm, lift the wires out of the cable canal, slide the wires though the small gap near the motor mount and feed the MT30 through the hole in the center 4.
Configuration Changing settings on the TBS VENDETTA (CORE PRO, POWERCUBE, UNIFY PRO) is all done through the video transmitter and R/C radio inputs, using the sticks to navigate the menus and make changes. Further in-depth changes of the COLIBRI/CleanFlight flight controller can be made using the USB-interface. ● POWERCUBE manual: http://www.team-blacksheep.com/tbs-powercube-manual.pdf ● CORE PRO manual: http://www.team-blacksheep.com/tbs-core-pro-manual.pdf ● UNIFY PRO manual: http://www.
In order to navigate the OSD menus using the radio sticks, the POWERCUBE needs to know which stick (channel) corresponds to which action (throttle, roll, pitch, yaw). 1. The OSD will say “RC CALIBRATION REQUIRED”, to begin the process, keep both sticks on the radio in the center position (including throttle). 2. A countdown will start (ignore the “waiting for xxx” message) and the calibration process begin 3.
Changing VTX power level The default VTX power level is 25mW and is fine for all close proximity flight where there is no other FPV pilots around. In order to unlock higher power levels, you need to change your HAM callsign. Please note that this requires a HAM license in most countries, which you are obligated to obtain before increasing the power levels or switching to non-approved frequencies. 1. Go into the OSD and navigate to “VIDEO TRANSMITTER” and “UNLOCK VTX” 2.
OSD configuration The VENDETTA OSD is built around the full-fledged TBS CORE PRO OSD and detailed description of all the parameters is outlined in the official manual: http://www.team-blacksheep.com/tbs-core-pro-manual.pdf The following is a concise summary specific for the VENDETTA.
● ○ OSD Type - Vendetta/CORE PRO - ○ Factory Reset - Reset all CORE PRO settings to default Artificial Horizon - Uses the gyro and accelerometer to estimate level plane ○ ● Show Horizon - Off/Basic - Shows a line in the middle of the display to indicate level position Callsign - Personal HAM licence number ○ Show Callsign - Minutely/Always/Off - Display the HAM callsign and mm:ss timer on the lower-left corner ○ Enter Callsign - 0 to 10 characters - Enter your callsign, defaults to “TBS”
Receiver setup If you upgrade the COLIBRI firmware or reset settings, you will lose the connection between the COLIBRI and receiver. To setup the connection via CleanFlight or BetaFlight: 1. Open CleanFlight/BetaFlight and hit “Connect” 2. Go to the “Ports”-tab and enable “Serial RX” for UART2, hit “Save and Reboot” 3.
Flight modes With no flight mode switch, the default is ACRO-mode. If you are a beginner, it is recommended to add a two. or three-position switch to toggle between ANGLE/HORIZON/ACRO-mode. 1. Open CleanFlight and go to the “Modes”-tab 2. Now, select an AUX-switch from the dropdown menu, these linked to the channel (listed in “Receiver”) 3.
Firmware upgrade Updates to the transmitter and receiver are applied using our TBS AGENT software. This takes care of all the downloading of the latest firmware, verification- and upgrade process. Installing TBS Agent Download the installer from http://www.team-blacksheep.com/corepro/agent (Windows7/8, 64-bit required) no drivers needed to use the application, but an Internet connection is required to download the latest firmware versions.
Updating COLIBRI FC firmware Getting the latest firmware flashed via TBS AGENT is a fast and easy process. 1. Install the latest STM32 VCP drivers: http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/tools/PF257938 2. Open TBS Agent and click on the “COLIBRI” tab 3. Press and hold the “BOOT”-button on the COLIBRI board while connecting the micro-USB cable to the side of the main assembly to enter DFU programming-mode 4.
Good practices We have compiled a list of all of practices which have been tried and tested in countless environments and situations by the TBS crew and other experienced FPV pilots. Follow these simple rules, even if rumors on the internet suggest otherwise, and you will have success in FPV. ● Start with the bare essentials and add equipment one step at a time, after each new equipment was added to proper range- and stress tests.
● Improving the antenna gain on the receiver end is better than increasing the output power (except in RF-noisy areas). More tx power causes more issues with RF noise on your plane. 500mW is plenty of power! ● Try to achieve as much separation of the VTx and R/C receiver as possible to lower the RF noise floor and EMI interference. ● Do not buy cheap equipment unless it is proven to work reliably (e.g.
