Page 70 - Build Your Own Quadcopter_ Power Up Your Designs with the Parallax Elev-8

Chapter 3: Building the Ele v-8 49

Figure 3.22 for this hole position. This new hole will allow you to thread the LED
power leads through the boom in lieu of being outside of the boom.
Warning: Drill the hole on one side only. Do not drill through the boom.
5. One end of each boom (item 4) has two holes spaced about 1 in apart. Slide an
assembled motor mount on this end of each boom so that the motor leads go through
the boom tube. Holes in the motor-mount top and bottom plates will line up with
the holes in the boom.
note: Position the boom so that the extra hole drilled in step 4 is facing downward.
6. Secure each motor-mount assembly to the last hole in its boom with a 1-in (2.5 cm)
pan-head screw (item 2) and a lock nut (item 10).
7. Thread a 1-in (2.5-cm) pan-head screw (item 2) through the second hole in each boom
and motor-mount assembly. This screw does not use a lock nut. Instead, self-tap the
screw into the shorter leg of a landing gear (item 11) aligned parallel to the boom.

Boom Accessories
Your Elev-8 Quadcopter Kit comes with two options for accessorizing the booms: checkered
tape and adhesive-backed LED light strips. These accessories are optional but highly
recommended. You can apply either, both, or none to the booms. Many people choose to put
white LED strips and black/white tape on the front booms, and red LED strips and red/
white tape on the back booms. This makes it easy to identify the front and back of the
quadcopter during flight. If you wish to use both, apply the checkered tape before applying
the LED light strips.

note: The decal application differs from what I mentioned in Chapter 2, but it does make sense and
I would concur on placing the decals and LED strips as instructed.
1. Cut each sheet of checkered tape in half lengthwise to make four pieces. Apply a
piece of tape around each boom. This will make two red/white booms and two
black/white booms.
2. Locate the black and red 22 AWG wires in the Elev-8 Electronics Kit and the
additional wire if you have decided to add a light controller to the quadcopter.
3. For a non-light-controller installation, follow this step:
Cut each 22 AWG wire into two pieces approximately 9 in (23 cm) long, and then
strip ∕4 in (0.6 cm) of insulation from each end. You will have four black leads and
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four red leads for your LED tapes.
4. For a light-controller installation follow this step:
Cut each 22 AWG wire into two pieces approximately 14 in (35.6 cm) long, and then
strip ∕4 in (0.6 cm) of insulation from each end. You will have four black leads and
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four red leads for your LED tapes.
5. Locate the two LED tape strips. The yellowish LEDs shine white, and the clear LEDs
shine red. Cut each strip in half along the solid black line. See Figure 3.23 for
confirmation of where to cut. Cutting in the wrong place will destroy the strip.
6. Each LED tape section has tiny (+) and (–) contacts on one end. Solder a red 22 AWG
lead to each (+) contact, and solder a black 22 AWG lead to each (–) contact. Label
the ends of each wire pair to indicate which boom they are attached to, i.e., “left rear
boom.”
7. Thread the red and black wires through the hole that you drilled in the boom, as
shown in Figure 3.22. Push the wires toward the center, away from the motors.
8. Peel the backing off of an LED tape section, and position it along the underside of a
boom (over the checkered tape), with the wires pointing away from the motor.