hi
(i am completely new to the world of rc)
i am making a tricopter for my college project.
i have a few queries

1. if i use remote control rx/tx do i need to do any other sort of programming of any controller ( is any micrcontroller required)
2. instead of using remote control(readymade) , can i make it through micocontroller and zigbee (programming is not an issue)
3. if i do make this remote on my own what sort of controls do i have to keep in mind
4. where can i buy parts online, i already have 3 bldcs and 1 servo motor , i need gyroscopes and escs but i cant find gyroscopes online
5. what sort of design should i make and what materials should i use
6. can i get a ready made frame from anywhere (in india)
7. finally what factors are to be kept in mind , aerodynamically

thanks

4. http://www.nex-robotics.com/products/sensors/gyroscopes/l3g4200d-3-axis-digital-gyroscope-with-voltage-regulator.html

Welcome on the board my friend. I liked the way you have posted topic. Well i have few points that i am posting here.

1. Yes, make sure you are in ACRO mode and not in HELI mode for first start.
2. Yes, in RC world(hobby itsself known DIY, Design, Produce and Use) everything is possible if you know what you are doing and what you want out of it. Generally readymade radio is more user friendly and cheap and if it's computer programmable you will get additional AUX channels and DR, EPA, EXPO.
3. You need basic 4 controls for tricopter. Roll, Pitch, Yaw and Throttle.
4. If you allready have 3 BLDC motors make sure you have all required specs like max apm draw by motor(selection of ESC and Battery depends on it). You can buy HKV2.1 or HK3.0 board and programme firmware yourself to satisfy project terms. Board has ATMEL microcontroller. Indian LHS list is available over forum.
5. For arms you can use aluminium or wood. And for center plates you can try any plastic sheet, plywood sheet. If you use such materials you can show it in project report that frame design is economical plus point of that project.
6. I don't have any LHS in mind that selling tricopter(quad frames are widely available) frame, the reason is mechanical joint of yaw servo. This work is complex and requires skill else you will experience servo jitter issue later.
7. From my personal experience you have to be PATIENCE and PRECISE when dealing with multi. Please check build logs of Astha sir and T-copter of Admin SLS. You will get many useful info over there.

if i order from hobbyking.com do i have to pay any extra customs duties ??
everything is very cheap on that site even after adding delivery charges .

Please have a look at this tricopter build log.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1725494

so i have started working on my tricopter
this is what i have so far
   Turnigy Talon Tricopter (V1.0) Carbon Fiber x1
   Turnigy 5000mAh 4S1P 14.8v 20C hardcase pack x1       
   HobbyKing Programming card for BlueSeries Br   x1   
   HobbyKing 20A BlueSeries Brushless Speed Con   x3
        HobbyKing Multi-Rotor Control Board V3.0 x1    
   USBasp AVR Programming Device for ATMEL x1
        KEDA BLDC 1270kv x3
        nex robotics servo x1

1. I have ordered most of it through hobby king . will i be having problems for customs duties ??
2. how is the build so far?
3. My friend has a 2.5ghz 6 ch tx/rx but i am trying to make my own ...
4. can you tell me some good resources where i can study the aeliron, rudder , pitch settings etc that i have to program into the receiver that i will make using zibee

Well the stuffs are good, i would suggest that you shud have ordered the kk2.0 board instead of HK V3.0 its much better with no gyro pots, which shipping method did you choose for shipment EMS or Registered Air Mail??

Airmail. ... Ems was too expensive

Why a hardcase LiPo pack??? I thought it was used for cars, etc. It adds a lot of weight I guess.

with air mail you have less chances of it getting stucked with customs, btw vineet has a point (and i dont know how i missed that) why did you choose hard case battery??

no other options were available for the power(and also i had no clue). and the battery weighs 500gms all other weigh around 300gms ...
all the motors combined give a thrust of 3.2 kgs with 9x6 props , would i be having any probs?

hmmm give me the link of the motor..

hmmm are you sure that this motor supports 14.8 volts (ie. 4 cell battery) ??

From the data given in the link i dont think it can support a 4 cell battery

wahi.. and the motor for a tri or quad is NTM or DT750

Please don't use 4S battery with this setup bro. Max amp is 15A. Don't worry 3S batteries available at indian LHS.

the order has already been placed . why won't it work ?

your motor is not suited for 4 cell battery as per data sheet..

the windings burnout if it is given higher voltage than specified..

could you suggest any other battery?

any 3S battery with a rating greater than 2000mah with 30C discharge would work.
if you want more flight time take a higher mah cell

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__17253__Turnigy_nano_tech_5000mah_3S_35_70C_Lipo_Pack.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__11946__Turnigy_nano_tech_2650mah_3S_35_70C_Lipo_Pack.html

will this do
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9465
this is for the same price as my previous battery

yeah that will do

i asked hobbyking to change my order to the other battery and they did !!!!
ne idea how much time will it take to ship ??

once its printed it will be shipped quickly

My tricopter configuration is
KEDA TR2826(1270kv) * 3
Turnigy Multistar 20A ESC *3
turnigy Multistar tricopter power distribution
Turnigy 3300mAh 3Cell LiPo
and KK2.0 Multi rotor LCD board
hobbyking digital microservo

I tested the the board to run with motors one by one and they worked just perfectly.
But when i hooked up the entire setup on my frame (turnigy talon tricopter) and connected the battery , white smoke started to come out one of the ESCs and its ground wire melted ...
My flight control board also got affected ...... there was no burning, marks or any kind of visible damage on the board ,,,, but now the board isnt working ( no display on the lcd )
The LCD backlight is just on ... but nothing comes on the screen .. and even the buzzer does not beep when i press any buttons....
This is the second time this is happening to me .... where am i going wrong ?
Is there any way to save my board ??
Please HELP !!!!!!!