The new Laser has redundant Futaba 7003SB receivers so I wanted to create a platform to mount them on, a method of organizing the 4 antennae so that they were all in a different geometric plane so that no matter the orientation of the bird, I always have 2 viable ones that were 90ish degrees to the transmitter.
AutoCAD Fusion 360:
All of the design efforts were done in AutoCAD Fusion 360 and once I had the dimensions of the space, the dimensions of the receivers, and the diameters of the tubing I wanted to use for the antennae, I was set. The total design effort took about 20min. I added a little “Bling” with my signature and the name of the plane on the plate for fun. I also put a couple of holes in the plate so that I could run a couple small cable ties through the plate to hold the sbus network cables into the receivers. I exported the .STL files minus the modeled antenna’s for use in the Slicer.
Prusa Slicer:
In order to convert your 3D files called .STL files into usable G-Code for your 3D printer, you have to use what they refer to as a SLICER. This takes the model and converts the solid into a stack of X,Y coordinates that are about 0.20mm high in this case. So if your model is 25mm tall or 1″, then the slicer is going to carve it into about 125 distinct layers or more depending on your settings. I also set it up for a color change once the flat plate was completed so that the text and other features would stand out. I figured I would use black PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) filament first and finish the second layer with yellow. Once I was happy with the product, I dropped the file onto the network and into the Prusa Mini. The Prusa MKS3 was busy working on some retract repair blocks which I’ll show you in another article.
The Final Product Installed:
The Prusa Mini was done pounding out the receiver plate in about 2 and 1/2 hours which I started before I went to bed. The next morning it was ready to roll. I added the receivers with double stick servo tape and screwed it into the plane. She’s completely ready for maiden…
See you at the field!
