Anyone else build Quadcopters or other multirotors?

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heres another

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i do a lot of rc stuff.

>>633788
>university is throwing a bunch of shit out from an old storeroom
>professor asks me if I want the frame of an old quadcopter, with motors but no controller
>fuck yes
>get to the storage place
>maintenance workers had thrown the copter across the room and smashed it apart
Oh well, at least I got four strong motors out of it, each about the size of my fist. What's a good inexpensive and easy-to-work-with material to make a frame out of?

I'm interested in this topic.

Could you tell us how did you introduced into this and what are you studying?

>>633788
>>633790
Is that a Flip FPV frame?

>>633818
Alu sheets, or fiberglass (don't use polyester, go with epoxy)

>>633818
>>633818
Depends on the motors, try to figure out their power so you can estimate the maximum weight they can lift (including their own weight of course).
Then search for a fitting material.
Fiberglass would normaly work, alu COULD, but only with some really efficient motors and you propably won't be abel to carry much weight.
Other than that:
Carbonfiber (it costs a lot more tho),
Magnesium (could be hard to get tho),
Balsa Wood could be worth a try (not as durabel, but lightweight, cheap and easy to machine).

Thats about it, i guess.

>>633820
I have always been into building things, and one day i just said fuck it, and started buying parts

I just wrecked my Hubsan X4 H107L and need something new around that size (preferbly something that uses 240-380mah lipo batteries, otherwise all my batteries and charger(s) would be without an use now). Wondering if I should just order a new H107L or get something else. ANy suggestions????

>>633820
Its a QAV400 and the smaller one is a QAV250
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHq7-AF0h-U

>>633872
you are probably going to want to stay with the micros like the hubsan, even my smallest copter the 250 you see above uses 1300 mah batteries

>>633877
you mean the one in the image? isn't that selfmade... I'm talking about prebuilt micro stuff of course. and to be more clear i also take helis into consideration. but all the micro helis i saw take 100-200mah batteries. i also dont want to spend too much.

i will soon build my own quad too by the way. I'm currently reading my ass through the forums and already learned alot of basics about software and hardware regarding quads.

>>633881
Yes its self made. You have to buy all the parts separately http://www.getfpv.com/ this site has most of the parts you will need

>>633883
>murrica
no thanks, i know where to get my stuff. due to border control and shit like that here I'll get them from hobbyking which has EU warehouses.

all I'm asking for is a micro heli/quad taht can carry 240-380mah batteries so that all my batteeries and chargers still serve a purpose now. does no one have any suggestions?

>>633788
>>633790
>>633793
How fast can those things go forwards?

>>633851
I think fiberglass is the most efficient and flexible. If it broke, all you have to do is cast a new part without any machining. Epoxy resin + 15% SiC fillings + 20% chopped fiberglass has the tensile strength as high as mild steel.

I'm trying to knock together my first copter, but I can't seem to find any good resources to read about how to figure out what bits give what thrust and estimate flight time. any hints?

>>633916
I have clocked it at 57mph on the GPS

>>633947
Join a forum made for it, ask a few questions, find new friends. I post a lot on fpvlab.com

>>633788
I'm currently in the process of building my first tricopter. I'm using a HK x900 frame, NTM 1100kv motors and Afro 30a ESCs.

So far, it's going swimmingly.

I've been reading forums and trying to put something together. how's this?


FRAME:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__54311__Tarot_680PRO_HexaCopter_Folding_Frame_3K_Carbon_KIT_.html

PROPS:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__51970__1355_Carbon_Fiber_Propellers_CW_and_CCW_Rotation_with_Dual_Mountings_1pair_.html

x4 (3 for use, 1 spare)


MOTORS:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__45281__4114_320KV_Turnigy_Multistar_Multi_Rotor_Motor_With_3_5mm_Bullet_Connector.html

x6

ESCs:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__2165__TURNIGY_Plush_40amp_Speed_Controller.html

x6

ESC programming card:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__2169__TURNIGY_BESC_Programming_Card.html

POWER CABLES:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__25486__5_5mm_Bullet_to_6_X_4mm_bullet_Multistar_ESC_Power_Breakout_Cable_.html


CONTROLLER:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9042__Hobby_King_2_4Ghz_6Ch_Tx_Rx_V2_Mode_2_.html

BATTERY:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__16226__ZIPPY_Flightmax_8000mAh_4S1P_30C.html

x2

BATTERY CHARGER:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__43038__HobbyKing_B6_AC_DC_Compact_LiPO_NiMh_50W_Charger_US_Plug_.html

FLIGHT CONTROLLER:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__30901__DJI_Naza_M_Lite_Multi_Rotor_Flight_Controller.html

Weight without batteries: 2071g (plus minor wires/straps, etc.)

Weight with two batteries: 3761g

>>633963
Decent build, i feel weary about the mulistars, ive heard they are crap, might be because im a bit biased and only use over priced Tiger T-Motors.

>>633885
Pls guise
Wat do

>>633964
eep, an equivalent tiger motor is pricey.

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>>633793
i do more

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I have had way more then this over the course of 10 years of RC, My current regional racing platform is probably worth more then this whole lot. Including my Custom Futaba 4PKS and Custom hand milled chassis.

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>>634410

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>>634411

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>>634414
Theres close to 5 grand sitting on this table in this one picture alone.

>>634416

and my b44

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>>634425

>>634427
and my lightning

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>>634429

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>>634431
and my b4. i could go on all day but i cant find pics/ too lazy to take more. of the numerous cars planes and helis I have scattered about. I wish i kept my Gold pan RC10 but its long gone.

>>634272
next time you claim to "do more" your gonna need more mega pixels then that Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can handle

>>634434
how fast are they and how much money did you spend on em?

>>634272
>does a lot of rc
>no heli
Why does everyone hate helis? They're faster than quads, can do 3d flying better, quicker

>>633851
This is the copter frame, and the motors. I straightened it out, but it's all bent and broken and I'm going to need to build a whole new one. The motors are Electrifly S-600. They seem to be pretty damn powerful, the website specifies the thrust as 19-21 ounces.

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>>634808
Forgot to post the picture.

>>634810
looks fucking terrible man, you suck. also frames are for noobs. seriously make it proper shape or just leave it.

>>634808
thats not powerful also it depends on the rotors
>falling for le chink sale bullshit

>>634813
>looks fucking terrible man
Because it's been sitting in a basement under piles of junk for several years and was sorely mistreated. I just grabbed it for the motors and because it was free, what do you expect?

>>634816
are you that faggot from the university where the prof gave him that? where some workers threw it around?

>>634817
The same, yes.
What, you saying I should have said "No I don't want free shit"? Who says no to free shit?

>>634818
i thought you made that shitty frame by yourself. anyway that frame looks horrible. made of metal, heavy as fuck. wouldnt even bother to set that thing up. maybe the engines are broken and will blow up your ESCs or some shit

>>634822
From what I've been able to find out, it was a failed student project from several years ago.
Looks like they tried to make up for the weight of the metal by using very thin aluminum tubing, which also made it pretty fragile. Have no idea yet what I'm going to build the new frame out of. Some lightweight fiberglass, maybe.
All the motors seem to work fine when tested with a power supply.

>>634828
Dude I'm building a hexacopter with a friend and we're building the frame from 3d printed plastic chunks with cylindrical cut outs. Then you just but fibreglass rods, cut them to size and fit the whole thing together. If you don't have a 3d printer you can get a company to print them pretty cheap

>>634828
>>634837
Can I ask You guys and others here why you like multirotors so much? From what I've heard Helis are faster, more agile etc. Why build those multirotors with bad aerodynamic?

>>634840
Maneuverability and stability. I haven't actually built one yet, this is my first one but they just seem to be a lot more maneuverable. Also the mechanics are not as complex, you just have 4/6/8 rotors and you simply slow some down to create different movements, whereas with a heli you have a complex gyro-thing in the main rotor to allow you to tilt it, pretty awkward to make yourself.

But this is just my understanding, I'm pretty much a complete amateur.

>>634755
>implying i dont heli

1sec, i'll assemble the mases

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>>634843
THIS FUCKING FEEL WHEN

>>634840
Dude , are you serious?

A quadcopter is like an helicopter but with FOUR motors.

As far as I know, they are also better to control and a nice implementation of a Control System if you are an engineer and will program it.

>>634853
>A quadcopter is like an helicopter but with FOUR motors.
dude, are you serious?

It is nowhere near as simple as that. Helicopters are faster, end of story. try to find me a quad that can go over 250kmh. you can't. fastest I've seen is 130. and the only quads that can do proper 3d tricks like a heli is that stingray quad which basically works like a helicopter, though it isn't nearly as quick as some helicopters I've seen.

>As far as I know, they are also better to control and a nice implementation of a Control System if you are an engineer and will program it.
this is the only valid argument i know of. this and they're tougher and easier to maintenance.

>>634853
and already the fact that you connect a center part with 4 arms means shitty aerodynamic. a heli is merely a single part in the middle of the rotor so it's less air resistance.

>>634850
>blade mcpx
nice, I've been thinking about getting the walkera mini CP to get into 3d flying, though from what I've seen it seems to lack alot of power. for example when you wanna do a flip to it you have to go high up in the air and as you do the flip you travel alot of way too. i've seen helicopters on youtube do flips literally in mid air, maybe changing position by a few centimeters. seems impossible with such a small heli, or can the mcpx do this?

here's an example of what i mean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AluijV5unBA

does this have to do with the momentum or such? because the rotor seems huge while heli is small and beginner stuff like mcpx or walkera mini CP don't have such small body compared to rotor or is it really just power

>>634853
>doesn't even remotely have an idea of physics
a fatass truck with 500hp is like a ferari!!!!!!!!

>>634853
>i literally have no idea how helicopters work

>>634858
i bought it of a mate, waiting for a sektrum module to arrive. only flown my quads, but its been good practice, especially flying front facing.

that pisses me off that i find front facing hard, its not even a slight problem with my cars but as soon as its in the air it seems my mind goes blank.

>>634865
>that pisses me off that i find front facing hard, its not even a slight problem with my cars but as soon as its in the air it seems my mind goes blank.
same here, especially when you're under stress because that thing is about to crash.

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Heres my av hexa 1000mm

I have also hand built a 3 axis cf gimbal


I have been building av quads hexes and octos for 2 or more years


If you have questions I can answer them

>>634869
The hexa is built from a combo of 4 different cheap kits and some tubing from the internet.

The landing gear is unfinished but im fabing that myself

>>634869
what motor/props/batteries do you use?

>>634869
What are you doing with them, like do you just fly them for fun as a hobby or do you sometimes have an actual use for them?

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>>634872
Right now im using multistar 420kv motors and 6s with 14 inch props.

>>634874
I flew my old mark 2 for a cariety of commercial events and shit. Made more than enough to pay of the copter and start a new one.

Most people are more than willing to pay 1500+ a shoot.


Heres the old mark 1 from eons ago

>>634879
Typos all day.

Posting from my phone, soz

>>634879
What did you exactly have to do with your quad during those events?

>>634879
>1500 per shoot

sign me up m8

>>634883
Normally I would shoot footage of real estate or cross coubtry races that sort of thing. My copters never had the capability to carry a camera good enough for advertisement work, which is what the hexa is for (will carry black magic cinema camera)

I hope to shoot some high budget adverts and make that $

I got offered 5k to work on a toyota commercial back in 2013, but couldent carry the camera they wanted.

Still I do this more for fun than cash, and im pretty happy if the copters pay for themselves and their replacements.

>>634879
How did you get the initial work? Did you advertise or what?

>>634840
Helicopters developed a bad reputation for controllability. I don't know if it is still true now that we have multi-axis gyros and autopilots and all the rest.

Quads are relatively recent, and have pretty much always been designed around automated control systems. No bad reputation to overcome.

(Well, except for DJI's magic flyaway problem. I saw one video where the copter suddenly decided to fly about a mile out over the ocean before returning to its home point, all on its own initiative. WTF, why would anyone still buy them, knowing that their autopilots go haywire?)

>>635171
Do companies like DJI have anything special to offer anyways? Isn't it all marketing BS and overpriced or do they really have features you can't or just hardly achieve with selfbuilt stuff?

would you recommend someone just buying a quad as a beginner or building one from nothing?

I have zero experience with building or flying

>>635204
Get some cheap chinkshit like a hubsan x4 v2

>>635202
DO NOT buy dji they are a shitty company and they make SHIT parts.

The best copters are the ones you build yourself. I can guarantee it.

>>635204
Build it yourself.

I cannot stress this enough. Building one is really quite easy, and if you ever get stuck just email me or start a thread - Id love to see some other sensible people in this hobby.

Also build your first one small. 450 size is perfect. The first one I built was a 700mm with 12 inch props and I was wayyy to scared to fly it properly.

I would also recommend to anyone who is new to quads to by the 1SQ copter to practice with.

Its expensive but dear god ill it teach you to fly properly, and its indestructible.

The Chinese ones will form bad habits in your flying. I have several, and they are all super clunky and don't fly like the real thing

>>635207

Please dont do this. chinkshit can be good for your coordination but nothing more. They are generally super clunky and unresponsive, and dont fly like your homebuilt 450 will.

Once again, while there may be others, but I taught myself to fly really well on the 1SQ (I could fly before, but its what made me good enough to fly confidently)
Also when you build your quad you need to think a little long term.

I think I could do a pretty cool youtube vid or stream or something on the process for you guys if enough people are interested....

Here is a video of a quad I built to prove 600mm quads could take smooth video. I would still recommend at least 800mm if you want to shoot video.

Unfortunately there are some gimbal probs, but to be honest its what you get for trying to wind the motors yourself.

Uh also please don't stalk me?
http://youtu.be/rB6jhShYRIk

#longestchinpostofmylife

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>>635235
What about Blade? Can you actually have features like return to home and that control mode that the copter will pitch and roll relatively to your remote rather than the copter itself like the blade QX has?

I don't plan on getting a prebuilt quad like that, just wondering.

I'm not the guy you replied to btw, I already have a little experience, though I only fly a hubsan x4 h107l so you can't really consider this real experience.

>Please dont do this. chinkshit can be good for your coordination but nothing more. They are generally super clunky and unresponsive, and dont fly like your homebuilt 450 will.
Exactly, but you gotta remember that the Hubsan X4 H107L is waaaaaay smaller than 450. Way smaller. so it's only natural that it will be way slower. basically all i ever do with this thing is try to fly as fast and reckless as possible indoors for some fun and tease my dog in the garden with it. pic related. as far as i know you can't self build a quad this small.

Regarding building your own quad: I also planned to build my own quad though I'm still hesitating and got alot to learn on that matter. will a small 450 quad be very fast and responsive compared to smaller/bigger self made quads? I guess bigger quads may be able to lift a little more but aren't much faster and are less responsive as they got more mass right? i know you should learn first but I don't want to buy motors and other things twice, if i make a 450 quad I want it to be at the higher end of performance and not some cheap slow stuff. I'd just fly it carefuly to learn.

>>635260
If you can already fly pretty well and you want to work with more high end components so you don't have to re buy everything when you go a little bigger you could do a 600 size.

In my experience the bigger the quad the more stable and predictable it becomes. The most fun I have ever had flying a quad has been a 550-600 size quad.

But really it depends on what you want to do (video, fpv, just flying, etc)

>>635269
As for speed that depends more on the KV of motors/ prop size than on the quad itself actually

>>635269
>In my experience the bigger the quad the more stable and predictable it becomes.
well, i wouldn't be bothered if it was slightly unstable. my H107L sometimes is very unstable but i always manage to save it.

what i want is just a fast and agile quad, probably will try to do 3d flying as well. at least a few flips and something like that. 550-600 sounds huge, yeah they may be faster in terms of endspeed but wouldn't they be less agile than say a 450 due to all the mass?

>>635271
I know that, but say if you tried to optimize a 600quad for speed and agility and a 450 one which one would be more agile? doesn't the distance of the motors to eachother make a difference? also you can put bigger props on a bigger one right?

Personally I really like how agile small armattan quads are, here's an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5F-yJsZ0hM
it's 260 size, so way smaller. isn't a 450 clunkier?

>>635279
it isn't quite as agile as I remembered it to be, well here's another example of a zippy quad: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/05/this-is-the-zippiest-quadcopter-i-have-ever-seen/
I think it's just about 200 as well

>>635279
>>635286
>>635269

that being said, I tend more to building a smaller quad around 200-350 but please correct me if I'm wrong about them being more agile. I guess it would also be more problematic to mount FPV camera on smaller quads because as you said they're less stable.

>>635269
you still there mate? still don't know what size to get

>>635329
>>635289
>>635286
>>635279
>>635274
Soz, I have 3 uni exams tomorrow so my responses may be a little far between.

Smaller quads will generally be more agile, and actually are often FASTER than bigger quads. But I would stay away from anything under 450 mils for fpv, because mounting stuff gets really annoying, and your flight times go down like crazy.

Remember, the bigger the props and the lower your KV the longer (generally) your flight times will be.

For you, go with 450-500. If you want a bloody fast little demon of a quad build it from sub 1mm thick aluminum round tubes and run some higher KV motors. I have heard that is generally a pretty damn fast quad - though I have not built one that size myself

>>635344
thanks for the help and good luck on your exams.

>>635171
Found the video, BTW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_WulcOz_Vc
Turns out it was 1km, not 1mi.

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>>635235
What's the song in your video, dude? Who sings it? Me gusta.

>>635350
>scooter
Wow cool, young poorfags wasting their money on a shitty ridiculously overpriced quad

>>635235
>>635350
If you need 800mm to be able to record smooth video then why does the phantom dji2 record such smooth video even though it's only 350? I thought it was absolute shit?

>>635366
fact of the matter is anything CAN record smooth video.

It is just absurdly impractical to get something at 350 size to do it properly. That phantom has had a shit ton of work put into it.

The smaller the props, the higher frequency the vibration and the more violent the vibrations that get to the gimbal.

This means a lot of work to properly remove vibration.

We are talking carbon props that are meticulously balanced, high end bg and even then you will absolutely have to post stab the video.

And if you ever so much as nick the ground with the props you better cry, because you will have to completely re balance them.


On something like an 800 or 700 size the tolerances are MUCH higher. On my 1000mm hexa some minor balancing on the 14 inch CF props produce video that is so smooth there is absolutely no reason to bother post stabin it.


Also the heavier the camera the lower frequency and the smaller the vibration induced. With my hexa and full 3 axis gimbal + bmcc (weighs about 10lbs) there isnt really a need to run any dampening between the frame and bgmbal (I still do) since the oscillations are so low frequency and so low in magnitude. (think of the BG assembly as a pendulum)

F=ma


so lets say each motor produces 10N of vibrating force (arbitrary) notice that as soon as the mass gets relatively large, the acceleration shrinks to almost nothing.

10N=1kg*10m/s^2

or

10N=10kg*1m/s^2

If you want to shoot video in windy situations or at speed, you can forget about it on a small quad. I mean it might be possible, but the work would be absurd.

When I have some shots from my hexa done Ill post them for comparison, but it is much smoother than the video you linked. MUCH smoother.

>>635352
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziZoWgV21R4
Not the anon but a quick google search of the lyrics show the name of the song.

>>635512
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziZoWgV21R4
Totally didn't notice the post.

Thats the song tho

>>635388
>you have to put in much effort to make the camera stable on a small quad
So the dji is actually worth some money

>>635364
Not sure what you mean by that. IIRC the video is from Malaysia. Scooters are an ordinary, normal, common means of transportation there.

Same here where i live. All I have is a scooter and the subway, and my pay is in the top 20% of U.S. incomes. It just isn't worth having a car except to impress stupid sluts, and I can do that well enough without one.

>>635616
Point is that they're young and probably don't got that much money. You can't have earned a lot when you're around 20.

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>>635609
You will spend more than twice the price of the copter to make it even that stable. And the amount of work is stupid crazy, and that stability is far from ideal.

If you want to shoot good video it will take a lot of work regardless of what platform you use - it takes a ton of work to get big hexes and octos to film well even (between tuning, balancing both the gimbal and props). But on smaller quads you are looking at a multi month project if you haven't done it before.

Also you will essentially ALWAYS need to post stab your videos from a dji/smaller quad ( takes upwards of 4 or 5 hours per edited video)


Dont get me wrong, DJI copters are "worth some money"

Maby 1/3 of the price they sell at

But with shit materials and a mediocre flight controller, definitely not the absurd prices they charge you.

>>635669
How do you know if they did all that with the dji quad? Maybe it takes such footage right out of the box. I think they would've mentioned it if they did a lot of work

>>635669
quick example
dji phantom 2 ~900$


Zenimuse gimabal= ~700$
True CF props = ~100$
Prop balancer = ~50$
high quality low vibration motors = ~300$
Proper dampening system = ~100-800$

Setup and tuning = +-1.5months

And that's only to carry a shitty go pro

On a big quad
Aluminum = ~50$
APM 2.5 = ~250$
Props = ~150$
Motors+esc= ~400$
3xiPower BG motors = ~150$
Landing gear retracts = ~150$ (home made)
CF sheets + machining = ~150$
GPS = 50$

tuning= +-2-3weeks

You can carry a KILLER camera, you have a top notch controller, and you are just generally super cool.

>>635671
It does not.

They clearly have a gimbal (camera stays level at all times in flight) (700~ dollars at the very least) and very well balanced props. Probably cf.

I would wager more.

Out of the box the DJI phantom 2 has horrible jello problems (youtube it)

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>>635673
Wow you're right, look when he crashes into the trees and afterwards you can see the rotors shaking while it flies backwards

>>635673
someone told me that DJI are the apple of the quadcopter world

yes it works, and yes it looks okay but its waay overpriced and you can get far better for less if you put in some effort

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>>635672
I don't know what the fuck you're calculating but I paid $70 for my gimbal. $25 for a control board, $10 for two motors and a gimbal PTZ kit from goodluckbuy modified to carry a mobius.

$7 for a pair of CF props, literally 80 cents for those vibration absorbing knobs that isolate the gimbal from vibration (which there is almost none of if you balance your props correctly, with a fucking dremel and two pieces of cardboard.

A 70 gram CF landing gear that you can modify to be retractable with $14 retracts costs less than $25. I've bought the landing gear in your picture too once, it was shitty plastic and weighed over 240g IIRC.

Aluminum 550 kit for $12, 4 ESCs for $35, a MultiWii (previously KK2) board for $30, two batteries for $10 each, receiver for $6, 9X TX for $75. FPV equipment goes for $60 for a 5.8Ghz receiver and transmitter, $16 for dedicated FPV cam.

Prices are all Hobbyking, Goodluckbuy and RCTimer.

You can be up in the air, with a gimbal and FPV, for $300-500. Without the gimbal a newbie to the hobby can build a good performing quad for $150 or less (not counting mandatory equipment).

>>635622
So? ZOMFG STOP SPENDING MONEY ON THINGS I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE! YOU'RE POOR, ACT LIKE IT!!!

>>635699
But it's not because as far as I understood all software features the dji offers can be legally obtained when building your own quad. That's not the case with Macs for example, can't get OS X on your selfbuilt PC legally

>>635699
And you can't really get far better than a Mac pro for example. Better but not that much

>>635622
scooters in Austin run about 1k for gas and 3k for electric

>>635709
That's not what I meant, I meant rather they shouldn't waste money.

>>635726
They run what???

>>635729
a normal Chinese gas one costs about 1k-2k with the electric ones costing 3k-5k

But with the electric one Austin energy gives you a $300 energy credit

I own a scooter because I don't need a car

>>635732
Yeah, so what? What's your point?

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>>635701
>compares a canter levered wooden gimbal with no proper vibration isolation to a 2 axis cnced, non CL 150T BG

Top Kek

7$ CF props? You did not but CF props unless they are 4 inches long.

Those vibration nobs literally do nothing but turn your gimbal into a pendulum. You are an idiot or using them mate - they have a damping frequency of like 60hz.

For my builds I ALWAYS use good components I trust. I often fly cameras worth more than a thousand dollars on large 3 axis gimbals. Dont try to compare the two. ( my build list was for a quad I would trust carrying a bmcc)

If you want an fpv rig why would you run a fucking gimbal on your flight camera

Is it turning?

No clue dog, looks cash doe

>follow mode for fpv

I wont even tell you why thats a bad idea

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OP here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Tkwt14ymY

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>>635938
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Tkwt14ymY
250?

FUAK thats tiny

clean set up too

Looks pretty stable, but if I were you Id go to Walmart and grab some of the one side hard one side soft mousepads and cut some strips of it.

That neoprene makes killer high frequency dampers, and weighs nothing

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>>635970

Yea its a blast, fits in my backpack, plus its packed with full power FPV gear

>>635970
>250 is now tiny
Are you living under a rock? Hubsan H107D is way smaller

>>635938
>>635974
Flight time of the 250?

>>636076
5 min or so
>>635970
probably the smallest full range FPV you can get, the hubsan has nothing on this.

>>636103
Wat range

>>636104
half mile or so

>>636266
furthest i have pushed is right under a mile, but i could have gone a little further

I'm putting together a y3 multi based on an HK X900 kit. This is my first r/c multirotor, and I'm stumped on what FCU to get. I'm torn between the HK KK2.1.5 and the HK MultiWii 328p.

Any suggestions?

>>635938
slow as fuck, boring

>>636351
KK is shit, has ONLY attitude hold option. MultiWii is just plain shit, too slow, too low resolution on the sensors. Get the HK APM one, 2.5 and 2.6 are super stable and the autotune option is awesome.

>>636466
What controller should I get if I want all the gimmicks?

>>636469
I got this, still waiting for it to arrive
http://www.goodluckbuy.com/side-pin-apm2-6-ardupilot-mega-2-6-external-compass-apm-flight-controller-board-w-cjmcu-108-h-gps-for-multicopter.html

I've seen all kind of controllers at our club and ArduPilot is by far the best quality/cost wise
DJI Naza is like a mac, you put it on, set 3 gain parameters and that's it, It works but you can't do anything to get more out of it. Plus it's sensor board will fall of inside the plastic case and plummets your copter into the ground. So as it was mentioned above, DJI is shit. Multiwii I've only seen it crashing, my friend spent almost 2 years to maiden and to set it up for at least decent flying. KK is a barebones thing, it can stabilize but nothing else.

>>636472
Which one has all the gimmicks (features like a blade 350qx for example) though?

>>636476
The Blade 350QX is a phantom knock-off and is shit. Don't even bother with it.
Arducopter firmware has Loiter mode which for example will make your quad go right when you move the stick right regardless of which way it is faceing.
Ready-made quads are bad and overpriced, you should avoid them as far as you can.

Just for comparison my build costs half as much as the Naza controller itself, not including FPV gear. That is a sturdy frame (HK X650F), 4 motors (DT900 from HK), 4 ESCs (HK blueseries 30A), propellers and the above mentioned APM 2.6 FC. FPV gear will be twice as much as the quad (including HoryzonHD camera), and then I'm still better off than a used Phantom or a Naza quad alone without any camera stuff.

>>636476
APM 2.5 and 2.6 knows everything, Manual stabilized, Attitude hold, Altitude hold, GPS stabilized, Autonomous waypoint flight and whatever you want to program on it. It's Arduino based.

>>636480
>The Blade 350QX is a phantom knock-off and is shit. Don't even bother with it.
I won't get any prebuilt quad, no matter if blade or DJI. though as far as i know the Blade 350qx is faster than the dji and has some cool gimmicks. how do i get all those gimmicks on a prebuilt

>>636490
>cool gimmicks
and this is why you need to read more on the subject.

>>636492
Yeah. Just wanted to know your personal experience. Shit like return to home and such, I know most controllers got GPS and altitude hold

>>636497
I use the OpenPilot CC3D FC with none of that, its pretty much just a gyro and accelerometer, the other stuff makes you fly like a girl

>>636498
yeah, i guess real men are able to bring their quads back even when the remote fails. something like a function where it automatically flies back when the remote fucked up would be nice you know

File: 1397883169050.png (90KB, 420x469px)

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If you want a good controller by either an
A) APM v2.5/2.6
B) the hobbyking knock off if you are on a budget


THAT IS ALL

>>634434
I guess hanging on to my -10CE was a good thing...

Also, reading over thread becasue my 7 year old really wants to get into quadrotors (dad does too)

>>636532
Well that's nice, a hobby is best enjoyed together with your wife

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Wait why is everyone saying the DJI NAZA flight controller is bad?

I've been flying/crashing/fixing my two quads that I got RTF (as gifts) for a while and I want to build a more powerful one myself this summer. I only understand the basics, but I want to give it a try and I have been doing some research.

I thought NAZA would be a good choice, for someone who has never done a build before. Would APM still be better? Even for a beginner?

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>>636561
here's a picture taken with the one on the right

I wish to build a more powerful and steady quad to take better pictures and not get blown around by wind

>>636513
real mens remote dont fail.

>>636577
real modelers take it into consideration what could happen when the radio link fails, or the quad gets lost in the fog/under the tree line/simply just loses orientation, and that is when RTH matters the most.

>>633788
How hard is it to build one from parts? I just want a decent flier that can handle low to mid winds and has potential to hold some sort of camera. I have experience building PCs(hurr durr pretty pleb) and I love putting things together. Never soldered anything but I can learn. Anyone can link me to any good info/sites, recommended builds? Thanksssss hopeful RC buddy in the making here.

What's the verdict on AeroQuad software?
I've got a quad off the ground for a grand total of a minute or so before crashing it. It cost me like 250 euro in total. I'm planning on upgrading it to a octa with FPV view. Before doing that however I want to know how decent aeroquad ranks in the world of RC. I want full GPS and autonomous flights in the future.

>>636595
real modelers know the limits of the craft and dont fly it out of range like a dumbass

>>634857
Your statement proves no points, A v-tail quad can be made to go faster than a heli by far. Also, by fast, some people mean acceleration. Another advantage is the fact that quads are intended to carry a load. One really bad thing about quads is that they will always be less efficient in comparison to helis due to the size of the props they have. I will be posting my octo that is currently mid build. 6'x6', weighs 8kg, made of aluminum, and with the current motors I have it will probably have 16kgs of thrust with 14" props.

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>>636823
Frame enclosed

>>636823
Motors are 820kv donkeys, Escs are the 70A red bricks from hobbyking, controller board is Ardupilot 2.5, have a gps module. Looking for more affordable batteries, currently have 3 5Ah 25c Turnigy's. For FPV, I'm thinking of http://www.foxtechfpv.com/foxtech-13g-1500mw-video-transmitter-p-1003.html and the receiver which is its pair. For a camera I was thinking of the KPC-650CH. I am also looking for an affordable infrared imaging system that I can use to locate wildlife in the area.

>>636830
>affordable infrared imaging system
Ras Pi is coming out with an IR camera soon. You would probably have to filter and post-process to detect heat signatures from animals, though, as compared to just warm trees.

>>636755
It's about the remote FAILING ffs

>>636694
What do you need octa and autonomous flight for?

>>636823
>a v-tail quad is faster than a heli
Citation needed. Come on, show me a v-tail that goes faster than 277kmh/172mph

TDR Henseleit 277 KMH 172 MPH Speed World Record …: http://youtu.be/MRh9vPYHY6M

>>636755

Dont get shitty remotes...its quite simple, If your not a cheap ass, the last thing on your parts list to fail should be your transmitter. You are probably a Spektrum remote user, and have accepted remote failure as one of those things you cant prevent.

>>636875
What's a good one? I hear people lauding Turnigy, then I read about how the firmware causes sporadic failures.

I always thought Spektrum was supposed to be a good one, German made.

>>636875
Bullshit, spektrums ARE good. And every transmitter can fail. Imagine there's some sort of atmospheric anomaly. Or someone puts up a signal jammer.

>>636898
>>636920
Turnigy 9X with ER9X and FrSky module is good, but buying an FrSky Taranis with OpenTX installed and 16! channels module with a possibility of adding another module is even better. Cost is mostly around the same since you will have to spend $150-200 on the 9X in the first place. Plus the Taranis have ball bearings on the gimbals. Get that and you'll be set for a while altough setting up a model can be a pain sometimes.
If you want to do more than FPV and multirotor, than I can recommend Hitec Aurora 9, german made, precision dual ball bearing gimbals and the firmware is easy to handle. 3.2km range guaranteed, we measured it at the local club.

>>636920
BTW Spektrum IS shit, DSM, DSM2 and DSMX is shit, the pots are shit and the support is shit. Receivers shut down at higher voltage than the indicated value (3.2V compared to 2.6 Futaba, 2.7 Hitec and 2.9 FrSky)
Don't get Spektrum, seriously, if you have one and want to fly multirotors and FPV, sell it and buy a decent Tx.
You WILL lose a model to that bag of shit

>>636977
agreed

>>636853
>hurf blurf guise this top end world record holding heli is faster than a hobbyist level quad

Not who you're responding to, but that's really kind of a bad benchmark of which is faster. A better one would be speed to cost. I'd assume helis would still win though.

I honestly don't know why this was ever an argument itt. If your main concern is speed, helis are straight up pleb tier. Get you some beefy EDF.

People don't get into multi-rotors because of speed. The stability and maneuverability of a multi-rotor absolutely shits on a heli, and helis have been relegated to being a compromise between the speed of a plane and the hovering/maneuver ability of a multi-rotor.

What's the cheapest quadcopter you can make yourself? I saw a ~70 dollar guide once, but LOST it.

>>637706
you basically cant build one for that, as 4 motors and esc's, even for cheap ones would cost over $80

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh5zJQDKOSQ

>>637578
>pleb tier
>harder to master
Pick one
tl;dr: quads are for noobs, helis are for pros who want real flying. Look at some world record 3D flying champions, their heli is rock stable in the air yet still does fancy 3d stuff

>>638310
this guy gets it

get back to me when you can fly your quadcoter upside down

>>638310
This. Multirotors fly thanks to gyro feedback. All that artifical stabilisation has made them noob friendly.

>>638331
There are some platforms that don't have a controller board. I've heard the flyer of one say that he prefers flying it that way as if something goes wrong, he can still bring it down safely(without killing people)

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>>638474
Well there is this older version of the quite popular Tricopter V2.5. Still needs gyro stabilisation for all axes.
I'm not denying that some helis and planes use that too. But they are atleast possilbe to fly without gyros.

>>638474
Woow. No seriously, then you should just get a CP heli

>>638326
>>638326
>get back to me when you can fly your quadcoter upside down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scj8_XEEL1A

>>638657
>stingray
Not a proper quad and still not as quick as a heli

>>633788
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scj8_XEEL1A
a guy I work with bought one of these (a pretty cheap one IIRC, it has a styrofoam ring around the whole thing) and I saw him fly it around at work one day. one thing I saw was that if you bump it into ANYTHING it becomes instantly un-flyable--it flips over and crashes.

the reason seems to be that the gyros only reset when you literally turn the quadcopter on--when you flip the switch on it. you have to put it on a level surface, flip the power switch and let it sit for like 5 seconds for the gyros to start.

he was flying it around in a warehouse and it got stuck a few times because he would try to fly through a narrow doorway or air vent and bump the sides. and then he'd have to climb up to it and put it on a level surface, and flip the power switch on it off and on again

this seemed to be a major drawback of how the thing worked, but it was cheap and maybe the expensive ones do better. plus his just had normal propellers, so it could not fly upside-down,,,, and half the time when it crashed its gonna hit the ground upside down :|

SERIOUSLY HOW MANY PICTURES DOES SHE HAVE ON HER FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
it are like 2000 or some shit n

>>638715
Hubsan x4 h107l is only 30 bucks and doesn't do that

>>638657
thats not you tho

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page 8 bump with crash pic

>flying with gopro and brushless mount
>going okay
>suddenly
>prop snaps 25ft up
>ohshitohhhhshiiiiiiitt
>crashes hard
>3 broken motor mounts, damaged gimbal mount, damaged gps mount, 3 damaged props

fugg, probably carrying too much gear for the cheap props to handle

>>640031
I know this would add more weight, but it'd be cool as shit if you had a panic button to press that would stop the motors instantly and inflate sturdy airbags to cushion a fall like that.

>>640065
or just maybe... y'know... don't fly it around people?

>>640031
>buying cheap props
it's like buying a supercar that can do 300kmh and then getting tires that handle 200kmh.

>>640371
got some carbon fiber ones on the way soon, just need to measure up some new motor mounts

>>640065
>inflate sturdy airbags
use hydrogen, then you can watch it float away instead of smashing into the ground.

>>635701

>You can be up in the air, with a gimbal and FPV, for $300-500. Without the gimbal a newbie to the hobby can build a good performing quad for $150 or less (not counting mandatory equipment).


Can you point me into the right direction for a good manual how to go about one of these routes? I have some basic skill in soldiering and easy electronics, but nothing too advanced and I know shit about programming.

Is this even possible for something like me?

Install some cattle prods on it I'm sure thats legal somewhere.

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i didn't want to make a new thread but i guess since you guys can build quadcopters you'll be able to help me.
i want to build a cooling box (pic related).
i have a 12dc thermoelectric cooling pad, an insulated box, a couple radiators and a 12dc fan.

the thing is i want to regulate the rpm of the fan via an NTC (and maybe the power available for the thermoelectric cooling pad.

is this a good idea and why not? what would be better?

>>643063
seriously? why the fuck do you not want to make a new thread? get the fuck out of here, this thread isn't related to cooling boxes

>>633790
Is that a kit or did you buy it? How much did it cost?

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now with leds and 433mhz uplink.

also tidied away the esc's inside the frame

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>recently got a 450 heli
>spooled it up
>shit myself at 40% throttle

they sound like its gonna explode, plus if something goes wrong it could kill

I ordered a Hubsan X4 H107L on 6th may from banggood and it still didn't arrive. on the tracking website (DHL) the last status update was on 16th may and it says "The shipment will be transported to the destination country and, from there, handed over to the delivery organization. "

Did I just waste 25 bucks?

>>644705
no

>>644721
yeah, maybe the online tracking just doesn't display properly. had this with amazon before. though i ordered stuff from banggood before and it didn't take nearly as long

>>644724
should have just ordered frm your country, i did with my hubsan, from china, £25, uk 30 and next day deelivery....

>>644725
too bad i fucking cant order it from muh country. not the fucking BNF version. the RTF version is literally 85euros WITHOUT shipping.

>>644705
its ok, those chinks often don't bother updating the shipping info, it will say "dispatched to country of destination" and that will be the last shipping update

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An RC thread? Nice, my kinda thread.

Gotten into FPV multirotors. The little 250 sized ones for now. Looking into building a larger rig for stabilized aerial video within a year or so.

Haven't read the thread, I'll do so now. Just skimmed over most of the posts. Nice cars and multirotors gents.

Just uploaded a flight I made today. Nothing marvelous, just some easy going laps.

http://youtu.be/kgcVSB0bOGM

>>644674
Have you ever flown a helicopter? Knowing how to fly one is kinda required to know how to not kill someone.

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>>644811
A bit of flippin' with that little bad boy there for shiggles and giggles.

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Any reason I shouldn't get this?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/F450-Quadcopter-Frame-ESC-Motor-Propeller-APM-2-6-Ublox-6M-Compas-GPS-Assembled-/281296445959

>>644931
other than >ebay
none
buy it, have fun

>>644811
nice, how much did you spend and how is it compared to bigger ones? does itr have gps too

>>644811
helis are fuckin scary things

loud, blades spinning stupidly fast, and dangerous.

>>644674
>starts right away with some pro CP heli
enjoy crashing it

>>645037

ive been flying for a few months now, got orentation sorted, want a challange

>>645039
>challenge
like how to operate the sticks without fingers or without a head?

>>645043
exactly!

i understand how they fly, giving them plenty of room ect, getting it setup by exerienced pilots.

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>>644931
If you feel comfortable buying something like that off of a Chinese seller on Ebay wherein something could potentially go wrong and don't mind, go for it.

>>644998
I spent about $300 on the quad, I'm not gonna tally everything else required like FPV goggles, radio, batteries, chargers, etc.

It's a fun little thing. It fits into small places quite well and is durable as shit. I can't tell you how many times I've drilled it into the ground and had it tumble, only to replace a prop here and there, plug the battery back in, and keep trucking. No GPS on this little guy, I usually fly within under 2 minutes walking distance so no real need for it. I could put GPS on it if I wanted.

>>645036
Well duh. You have to kinda know how one handles, how much space you should give it, how to poperly set one up and the most critical factor is knowing how to hover. Shouldn't go with anything larger than a 250 sized CP unless you're comfortable with all that.

If you want a challenge, get a Blade MCPX-BL. It's a stupid powerful brushless helicopter that needs a buttload of room, but isn't gonna do a massive amount of damage should something go awry.

Related, my little BL.

>>645089
how long does the battery last of ur quad?

>>645089
ive got a mcpx too m8

>>645090
ive got a fairly efficent setup on mine, can get about 12 mins per 3700mah 3s battery, and 16 with my 5000mah 3s

running 900kv 2830 motors, with 1245 props, and frame weighing around 1.7kg all out. pulls about 24a when hovering, 40 when i punch it.

>>645092
nice. I should finally build my own quad but don't have the balls to -.-

it is also hard to decide on what controler and ESCs.

still waiting for my H107L to arrive. i received the other stuff which i ordered at the same time 1 week ago, i start to lose hope that it will ever arrive. them chinks probably scammed me.

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>>645092
Noice.

>>645090
About 5 minutes. I could get it to go longer, but I'd feel the weight penalty on this setup. I've got a better build that'll be started soon, full CF frame, much more powerful motors, it'll be awesome.

>>645095
Just stick to the Hubsan for now until you know how to fly. Best thing.

And don't worry about shipping time, many things can take a few weeks to a month to arrive if coming from China. Just be paitent.

As for the building aspect, all it requires is to read up on it all. It's not nearly as daunting as it seems once you've read a bunch of information and know what's what. Dare I say that multirotors are the easiest RC craft to build. They're mechanically simple which is why they're great. One control board, one frame, 4 motors and ESCs, some props, a receiver and a battery.

Take a read through this, it aught to help. Just remember though, that no amount of preparation and building will help you if you don't know how to fly, so get that down first.

http://forum.flitetest.com/showthread.php?7521-A-beginners-guide-to-multirotors-%28written-by-a-beginner%29

Here's a picture of my little scratch frame tricopter.

>>645100
>I've got a better build that'll be started soon, full CF frame, much more powerful motors, it'll be awesome.
same size?

>>645100
>Just stick to the Hubsan for now until you know how to fly. Best thing.
>Best thing.
I hope so, because this is actually my second one. I wrecked the first one. I hope the chinks will send it to me and that I won't get too much stress with the custom (germanfag here)

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>>645095
for me, i chose esc's on a number of reasons

firmware - must be able to flash firmware easily
weight - light as possible
amp rating - if a motor, pulls 20a, get something that can take that and more, my motors are rated for 18a, but i use a 30a esc
size - must be able to fit in tight spaces

also try and get ones where you can re-solder the leads, this was a godsend when re-wiring my H quad

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>>645102
Yessirree. An RD230.

>>645103
I say best thing because it's cheap and will teach you to fly. The only thing better than it I'd suggest would be a Blade NanoQX. I learned how to fly one one of them and still love flying it. The damn thing is stupid durable and far too light to even have any damage when falling.

>>645104
>firmware - must be able to flash firmware easily
see, you even gotta flash the fucking firmware of the ESCs. such a pain in the ass. why cant you just buy them with simonk which is apperently the best

>>645105
>The only thing better than it I'd suggest would be a Blade NanoQX
i took it into consideration but heard that it is absolute shit. Less flight time, less speed, less everything. only thing nice is the built in rotor protection.

>the damn thing is stupid durable
haha, I wish.

>and far too light to even have any damage when falling.
Are you a Hubsan shill?

Don't get me wrong, the H107L IS nice and durable... but not "stupid durable". if you fucking crash it at high speed it will get wrecked like mine.

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>>645113
>such a pain in the ass. why cant you just buy them with simonk which is apperently the best
This is why you gotta do your reading. There are plenty of sellers selling ESCs with SimonK preflashed. Some however like that gent and myself, like to have the ability to do so ourselves so we can adjust settings to our needs.

>>645114
>i took it into consideration but heard that it is absolute shit. Less flight time, less speed, less everything. only thing nice is the built in rotor protection.
Eh. I haven't flown a Hubsan to know the difference, but the fact that it's readily available at plenty of LHS is a plus, and they use the same battery that most of Blade's UMX line uses, meaning I can use those batteries for a variety of micro craft.

Which leads to the second point, you're mistaken. Those other points were about the NanoQX, not the H107L. I have no idea where you got that idea. If you crash the NQX at high speed, it'll bounce off of whatever it hits, you pick it up, and continue to fly

>>645120
>This is why you gotta do your reading. There are plenty of sellers selling ESCs with SimonK preflashed
and none of those are in europe right? fuck i hate importing shit. expensive as fuck, no warranty and it may never arrive

>>645123
Uh, what is google? You can get them from the fucking European HobbyKing warehouse.

>>645125
no you cant i just looked up

>>645127
Pardon me, you're correct. I assumed they were available in all the warehouses.

Either way, order them from the international warehouse. Shit, HiModel has a bunch of BLHeli ESCs that are dirt cheap you could use. If you don't wanna import $40 worth of ESCs, then buy something prebuilt and save the hassle.

>>645131
but what if i never get them or the custom doesn't give it to me ;_;

>>645133
One: what makes you think you wouldn't get them.

Two: why wouldn't customs give them to you? So long as you don't break any importation laws, which hobby parts don't break for the most part, you're fine.

>>645134
>Two: why wouldn't customs give them to you?
I've heard of several cases where they didn't give you lipo batteries just because made in china or something and they are dangerous. solely due to that.

now ESC isn't a battery, though sometimes they say that a german manual IS required (an d it must be german, not english or anything) otherwise they wont give it to you. or you need some fucking certificates first. and good luck asking HK for a bunch of certificates which they obviously dont have because otherwise they would have sent them you anyways.

oh and you're not allowed to translate the english manual to german yourself. in this case you must ask HK as well to send a german one and of course they fucking wont have one.

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>>645160

ive had 46 orders from hobbyking, never once had an issue

i am
>>645104 >>644674 >>643281 >>640031 >>634850 >>634272

>go flying
>working fine
>land for 3rd pack
>accidently snap gps mast


got some nice pics, and took a nice video,

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550 size aluminum frame, 1400g AUW /w 2200mAh, DIY mobius gimbal and CF landing gear.

Tried to go as light and budget as possible for the size. Barely had time to work on it the past months. Nowadays I see 250 size quads with front mounted gimbals. Would've been a much cleaner solution for my goals.

How'd I do?

Seems that this is the right place to ask instead of making a new thread.
There is a competition in my city of sumo robots, 3 Kg category, what would be a good pair of motors?

>>645293
I would recommend electric type motors

>>645163
>never once had an issue
What country are you in? From your written English, I'm guessing USA. In case you didn't notice, the person whining about problems is having them because of his country's Customs laws (as in "Customs and Border Patrol" for USAians) requiring that manuals be available in German.

I've seen similar problems in other countries where packaging didn't have required labeling (such as the EU's new "electronic waste recycling directive") and so were rejected by Customs.

>>645406
uk mate

just charging up for another run

bmup with video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFJGdwuh2Bs

>>633959
>I have clocked it at 57mph on the GPS
You do know GPS readouts are based on mouse movements captured from children playing online games released by the Jewish media conglomerate right?
Artificial satilites, who the hell believes that shit

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New to multirotors, the last RC plane I built/piloted was a balsa p41 kittyhawk in 1994.

So, looking at FPV systems I have no idea where to begin. Looking for 1km range, any advice?

>>646418
The Kittyhawk/Tomahawk/Warhawk was P-40
There is no such thing as a P-41
Get your shit right!

Regarding your question, the answer is the ImmersionRC 600mW 5.8GHz set. You must order circular polarized or "cloverleaf" antennas for it. Don't mess with fatshark goggles, get a 7" LCD, you can mount it on your Tx

>>646418
if you want range, you want a large frame, low kv, high cell count and large prop size, probably 400-600kv 35xx size, on 4s with a 15" prop

>>645408
It's funny, because the UK is where my company always ends up having problems with Her Majesty's Customs service. "Oh, you must pay our 20% duty on imported goods, pip pip cheerio you Asian swine!"

>>646478
>company

theres ya praaaablem

usually they declare goods waaaay less than what it is, ive ordered a tx and 7 rx's worth >£400 and they labled it as $50

>>646478
why u no free trade agreement with china? its not like the UK manufactures anything anymore and needs to actually protect its industries.

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Anyone played with the Crazyflie? i just saw one in a shop this evening, and I'm wondering how hard they are to fly.

They also don't make it really clear how to control them. There's one R/C system they say will work, but you have to reflash the R/C transmitter first. There is some mention of using Linux to control it remotely, and some mention of using an Android phone, but I haven't been able to find a single site that gives clear directions on what is necessary, how to get the software, whether it will work with my Samsung Tab 3 or not, and so on.

Picrelated.

I'm also a little put off by their selling a "10 DOF" copter, but then saying that they don't provide any firmware support for the new sensors they added to the old 6DOF. What good are the sensors if you have to figure out everything from the firmware on up?

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gonna go for another flight

>after crash,had to glue gps mast
>glue failed me
>the master engineer inside me thinks of this

close enough

>>646654
Never underestimate the power of zipties and gaffer tape. The Army is held together by those.

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Finally got a shiny carbon fiber frame in for my build. She's gonna be a beauty when all's said and done. I've got the frame sitting in a box of everything else that I'll be using for the build, it's staring me down every time I look at it.

>want a cheap quadcopter, but powerful
>look at arducopter
>200+ dollar for the controller board alone
>get aeroquad board instead
I just found out the APM boards are sold for around ~60 dollar if you don't look at the official store
Fuck this gay earth

>>647818
If you wanted one for just fun flying, you could have gotten a Multiwii controller. Cheapest ones are like 15 bucks.

>>647823
I wanted FPV in the future.
I'm probably going to get an ardupilot now.
Just gotta replace, like everything except ESCs. Those work fine.

Me and some friends are building a quadcopter, my friend has a Sony AS15 Action Cam and I was wondering if anyone know a good gimbal for this cam?

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>>647824
Were you looking to do long range FPV, where you'd actually require GPS and a compass for OSD? Just be aware either way that any full GPS setup is gonna cost at least $60, and chances are most will cost a fair bit more. I suggested a cheap Multiwii controller to learn how to fly. For learning line of sight all you need is a board with gyros, and of course an accelerometer is just an added bonus for self level. You can still do FPV with the basic equipment too with no need to complicate it with GPS, it'd just require a little more caution.

Hell, you can probably score a deal on a full Naze32 board and a GPS for around $70 if you look hard enough. Add 15 bucks for a MinimOSD and you've got a full control setup for FPV for under a hundred bucks.

>>648008
Any cheap gimbal will probably work. You could get one of those brushless gimbals off of GoodLuckBuy that go for like 70 bucks. Unplug a couple wires to rotate the gimbal and you can set it up like this gent did with his Mobius.

why should I build a quadcopter instead of a tricopter?
Wouldn't a tricopter be lighter thus more flight time?

>>648022
All depends on what you're looking for.

A tricopter could end up being lighter, but it's also producing less thrust because of one less motor. That said, yaw authority is unrivaled on a tricopter in the multirotor world and can be very smooth, which is great for 'swoopy' shots when flying FPV, and there's also less prop wash to get in the way when making fast descents. They can also be folded up nice and small, like in David Windestål's design.

Quads on the other hand could carry a little more when considering the same size and components, are easier to build and are a touch more crash resistant as you don't have to worry about the tail mechanism.

If I were to build a larger FPV rig myself with the intent to capture general flight and FPV footage, as all I fly right now are the mini-H FPV quads (see >>647786 >>644811) I'd build a tricoper. If I wanted an acrobatic flyer or something that can lift a brushless gimbal for smoother shots, I'd go the quad route.

I've got a little acro tricopter too that I felt like building for shits and gigs, might I add >>645100. Shit's fast.

http://youtu.be/Fv-fxuHsgjg

>>648023
>>648022
Ah, forgot to add too that tricopters are a little easier to determine orientation over a traditional X quad, which make for slightly easier LOS flying.

>>648025
But tricopters are more complex because they require a servo on one motor to rotate it. The weight savings isn't much (if anything) and the added complexity can be a killer if the servo mechanism, the motor mount, the pushrod, or anything else comes loose.

>>648131
That's why I said it depends on what the gent is looking for.

A quad is going to be more durable and be less mechanically complex than a tri, that's common knowledge. If it comes down to learning how to fly, a standard quad would be best simply for durability and how easy it is to build. A tricopter has it's uses, it just depends on what you want. TBS use their quads to get some crazy footage just as others do with their tricopters. It's really just a matter of preference.

Not to mention, it doesn't matter if the mechanism itself or motor/motor mount fails, if something happens to one motor/prop/mount on either, it's coming down regardless. This only becomes somewhat negated when you move to hex/octocopters with controllers that can give some semblance of control with a motor failure.

There's also a V-tail quad, which is somewhat in between the two. Mechanical simplicity of a quad, orientation and tail authority similar to that of a tri, the issue becomes how you mount the rear motors at the required angle.

>>648170
>This only becomes somewhat negated when you move to hex/octocopters with controllers that can give some semblance of control with a motor failure.
If you programmed the PID controller in any way that's stable, it should auto-stabilize within milliseconds after failure.

Place to buy FPV rig that's not outrageously expensive (or hk as they're always back ordered)?

Place that goes into fpv setup/components with some detail?

>>648363
try goodluckbuy or banggood, get tips on what to buy on RCGroups.com

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>tfw thinking of selling my quad and getting this

anyone had any experience making a quadrature with some sort of surveillance using any type of arduino? when I get the money up, I believe my first build will be something like that

>>648655
does something like this have remote viewing capability?

>>648726
Yup. It's how you fly it, through the little camera on top. It's like sitting in the cockpit of one of these things. See >>644811

>>648727
Awesome. I have got to start a build.

What type of processing unit is involved in something like that? Could the user view the feed remotely? What's the borderline for stepping into legalities here. I'm sure there's something.

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>>648911
i use a 5.8ghz transmitter, and a 6" display mounted on my monitor.

look up fpv

I'm planning on doing the same, except i want to control the camera yaw and pitch with the Oculus rift.
The only issue is sending the actual command to the quadcopter. Not sure what to use.

>>648911
Read up on FPV, there's a load of shit to take in before you can even consider FPV, like which frequency is best for you, the pros and cons of each, which frequencies are actually legal for use in your area, interference with radio systems, and the list goes on.

I use goggles myself. Love that full immersion experience.

>>649043
You could wait for the Parrot Bebop drone. I'm not a fan of prebuilt OEM style machines personally, but you're able to hook up the Oculus Rift to it when flying to get that type of control for your view.

>>649059
>You could wait for the Parrot Bebop drone. I'm not a fan of prebuilt OEM style machines personally, but you're able to hook up the Oculus Rift to it when flying to get that type of control for your view.
It's more a problem of range really.
If i could up a radio to a PC that would be great actually.

>>649138
you can, mine has a 433mhz link to the pc, can fly it via a game controller

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Got all the parts amassed for a build.

Gonna be nice to get it together over the coming weeks.

>>649482
Care to edit this picture with a legend and tell what each piece is? I understand I could research it myself and have but I like explanations from an actual person.

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>>649520
Pour voux.

Not gonna go into detail as to what each does, there's loads of information on the web that can explain everything plenty better than I care to do just a google search away.

>>649545
>blutooth module

what control board?

Let's say you had a gorillion PC fans or similar ducted fans.

Could you theoretically do something not unlike the Harrier jump jet, using one big turbine and some ducts rather than four independent rotors?

>>650022
no

>>650029
Is the thrust just too low to be useful?

What if you had a genuine jet?

the torue on those motors are too low

>>650022
>>650033
>>650039

the harrier jump jet can't jump

>>650039
But they still spin at fairly high speed, isn't that good enough to get the air moving?

>>650042
fUCK

>>650048
my props on a quad spin at around 6000rpm and they are 12" or about 300mm, my pc fans spin at 800rpm for 120mm

>>650050
I thought that the pressure differential gets higher when you link a lot of fans up in series? So like, six fans 120mm going at 1000rpm linked together would be enough to at least clear the crumbs off your desk, right?

>>649999
I dunno, some cheap $7 module off of Ebay. It'll be used to communicate with the flight controller for tuning purposes.

>>650048
The amount of air they move is a very small fraction of the air that a normal prop+motor setup on a quad would use, with plenty of other reasons why not to use them. You can try it all you want, we're letting you know you'll fail if you try.

>>650094
I'm not talking about using just one, I mean a bunch in series to increase the pressure output.

What if I got metal fans and basically made an afterburner/turbofan?

>>650105

If it cannot lift itself off the ground then putting a ship load of them together, with losses in the ducting, is not going to magically allow them to get off the ground.

>>650107
> with losses in the ducting,
Huh?

Then how the hell do turbofans and the like work?

>>650112

By being properly designed. Throwing together a bunch of shit will only leave you with a big pile of shit. Not a diamond.

>>650115
So what would make it "properly designed", then? I know that they lose a bit of efficiency if you don't have perfect blades/vanes but surely there is still enough of a pressure increase to help, no?

>>650123

It doesn't matter how you spin it. If you have a device capable of producing 1% of its weight in thrust, get a bunch of them, and stick them together, what you end up with is a group of devices that, collectively, produce only 1% of their total weight in thrust.