Quadrotors and Multirotors

[OldBarKeep]

This is what I got. I have had to lay it down a few hundred times so far and it is still going good!

There are probably others, but the Walkera Ladybird is on sale right now for less than 50 bucks! I might order one just cuz it's cute. It's a teeny tiny little thing, but it'll get you started. http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...F_Mode_2_.html

[CousinLarry]

Originally Posted by OldBarKeep

This is what I got. I have had to lay it down a few hundred times so far and it is still going good!

There are probably others, but the Walkera Ladybird is on sale right now for less than 50 bucks! I might order one just cuz it's cute. It's a teeny tiny little thing, but it'll get you started. http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...F_Mode_2_.html

Keep in mind, coming from China will take a month to get here, and shipping costs will be a few bucks. Get the one I linked, have it in a few days.

[Chisenhallw]

Originally Posted by CousinLarry

take their advice. You have to walk before you can run.

Unless you have prior heli experience - and not a mall kiosk heli - you don't want a bigger one to start. If you have flown real RC heli before, go for a bigger quad because you'll transition easy. I've been flying helis for 12'ish years and picked the quad right up.

A good beginner quad - go to ebay and look up Ladybird V2 RTF. Often imitated, never duplicated! I've flown many micro quads and this is the best I've seen.

EDIT - Here ya go

It's about $60 shipped, order two or three extra batteries.

Once you can fly that thing around your living room in all orientations, and can do figure 8's and stuff, THEN spend money on a bigger quad. It flies great outside too, flew in up to 20mph wind with no problems.

Oooh, that just might be the ticket to annoy the cats! I might pick one of those up, thanks man!

In the meantime, I'm still going to work on my parts list for a big 'un.

Originally Posted by Saget

Exactly. You wouldn't tell your best friend to go buy a Hayubusa for his first bike.

...except it's more like I wanna cobble together a KLR.

[RomaDakota]

First serious RC craft.

[Ladukebob]

Originally Posted by RomaDakota

First serious RC craft.

Looks pretty nice. I think the local hobby shop has a kit for sale that looks just like the arms on yours. The kit is basically just the arms. Have you had a chance to try it out? Details man details!!

[DustyPockets]

This stuff has gone so far in the past couple of years.... And so easy to fly.

My scratch-built ugly duckling quad. Got my gear at Value Hobby, minus battery and receiver I have about $160.00 in it.

I get about 6 minutes with a 1800 3 cell. It will lift my GoPro but it struggles a bit.

Funds allow, going to get a HoverThings frame and build another one.

[RomaDakota]

I have been wanting to get into RC. Never really done any before. Headed to the hobby shop with questions and $$. Spent $$$$. I wanted a good sturdy platform that could handle payloads and a GoPro. I ended up with a DJI Flame Wheel F450, Naza M flight computer with GPS and a Spektrum DX8 radio.
The mechanical instructions consisted of an online 3 page manual and assemble videos (no voice); not too bad. The electrical interconnects were a bit of a challenge. I have not done any RC before and some of the syntax was new and challenging. Instructions did not include the Spektrum radio interconnects and the pigtail connectors had to be trimmed for fitment.
The software config, radio config prior to motor start brought the build to a halt later that night (beers might have also played a part). Next day, I started with a clearer head and was able to get things moving. It was certainly a challenge with poor instructions, literal Chinese to English translations and software that gave little feedback (no indication uploads to the cart computer took place or success) and was not intuitive. My favorite translation: "No correspondence requested, plug randomly"!!
We were able to get it flying that morning in basic altitude hold mode (basically hold altitude when controls neutralized). Later that day, I figured out GPS hold (holds altitude and spot over ground when controls neutralized - no wind drift). Built a simple camera mount and flew several more 12 minute flights (12 minutes with camera!). That night I was able to get the GPS return mode programmed. This mode allows the craft to return to launch point when commanded - cool! Tested today in a fair amount of wind and snow - worked fine.
Good -
Sturdy, capable and upgradeable (I plan to incorporate my own custom electronics)
Bad -
Very poor instructions, poor software (also Windows only)
No basic interconnects

Originally Posted by Ladukebob

Looks pretty nice. I think the local hobby shop has a kit for sale that looks just like the arms on yours. The kit is basically just the arms. Have you had a chance to try it out? Details man details!!

[Schmeds]

I can't seem to find a motor/control kit. That is, there are a zillion ways to make a frame, but I'd like to get started with schmeds-proof electronics that I know will work, given a certain max frame mass.

Anybody know of a kit? Motors, controller, rx, tx?

[biggziff]

Originally Posted by RomaDakota

I have been wanting to get into RC. Never really done any before. Headed to the hobby shop with questions and $$. Spent $$$$. I wanted a good sturdy platform that could handle payloads and a GoPro. I ended up with a DJI Flame Wheel F450, Naza M flight computer with GPS and a Spektrum DX8 radio.
The mechanical instructions consisted of an online 3 page manual and assemble videos (no voice); not too bad. The electrical interconnects were a bit of a challenge. I have not done any RC before and some of the syntax was new and challenging. Instructions did not include the Spektrum radio interconnects and the pigtail connectors had to be trimmed for fitment.
The software config, radio config prior to motor start brought the build to a halt later that night (beers might have also played a part). Next day, I started with a clearer head and was able to get things moving. It was certainly a challenge with poor instructions, literal Chinese to English translations and software that gave little feedback (no indication uploads to the cart computer took place or success) and was not intuitive. My favorite translation: "No correspondence requested, plug randomly"!!
We were able to get it flying that morning in basic altitude hold mode (basically hold altitude when controls neutralized). Later that day, I figured out GPS hold (holds altitude and spot over ground when controls neutralized - no wind drift). Built a simple camera mount and flew several more 12 minute flights (12 minutes with camera!). That night I was able to get the GPS return mode programmed. This mode allows the craft to return to launch point when commanded - cool! Tested today in a fair amount of wind and snow - worked fine.
Good -
Sturdy, capable and upgradeable (I plan to incorporate my own custom electronics)
Bad -
Very poor instructions, poor software (also Windows only)
No basic interconnects

There are some very good assembly videos on youtube for the Flame450 and the clones. GPS is something I want to play with on the hex I'll assemble if the stuff ever gets here from HK.

[biggziff]

Originally Posted by Schmeds

I can't seem to find a motor/control kit. That is, there are a zillion ways to make a frame, but I'd like to get started with schmeds-proof electronics that I know will work, given a certain max frame mass.

Anybody know of a kit? Motors, controller, rx, tx?

I chose these as they're all in the US warehouse so fast/inexpensive shipping

Flight Control Board
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

DT750 motors

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

Plush 30 amp ESCs or similar. The HK RedBrick and Blue get good reviews
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...to_39_Amp.html

batteries (you decide what you need here...balance weight/Mah)

RX, you can go with the Spektrum clone $14 units and a satellite RX for another $12

$65 for TX/RX combo http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s...arehouse_.html

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/s..._Spektrum.html

TX, Turnigy, Orange (cheapest options) Spektrum DX6 or DX7 or Futaba/JR for the gold standard. I bought a used DX7 for $100 and it works fine. I've got a bunch of Futaba 72MHz stuff that can also be converted to 2.4, but I didn't want to do that.

[Schmeds]

Sweet. Thx. So we're looking at ~250.

Seems there's some room here for someone that wanted to bring a lower-price kit together.

[biggziff]

Originally Posted by Schmeds

Sweet. Thx. So we're looking at ~250.

Seems there's some room here for someone that wanted to bring a lower-price kit together.

If you're thinking of selling a kit you'd better be ready to support the tech issues including the control boards....I'm not going down that rabbit hole!

I think my stuff from HK for the Hexacopter was ~$350 or so including shipping ($51..international warehouse) but I bought lots of spares and had 2 more motors, escs than you did and I bought carbon fiber booms per Saget's build.

Good luck..the H quad build noted earlier here gets rave reviews and is cheap..

[DakarNick]

I just bought some FPV gear for my quads. All 1.3Ghz (1280/1258Mhz).

300mW Tx for my Hoverthings
50mW pico Tx for my mQX (and other micro craft)
Rx
Go Pro video cable for live output
Mini 580 line camera for the micros
Extra BEC for getting 5V to the pico Tx and mini cam

All from Readymaderc and fpvhobbies

The mQX is single-cell 3.7V so I'll have to run a 7.4V LiPo and the BEC.



Still need a monitor but I'm researching those a bit more.

[biggziff]

Originally Posted by DakarNick

I just bought some FPV gear for my quads. All 1.3Ghz (1280/1258Mhz).

300mW Tx for my Hoverthings
50mW pico Tx for my mQX (and other micro craft)
Rx
Go Pro video cable for live output
Mini 580 line camera for the micros
Extra BEC for getting 5V to the pico Tx and mini cam

All from Readymaderc and fpvhobbies

The mQX is single-cell 3.7V so I'll have to run a 7.4V LiPo and the BEC.



Still need a monitor but I'm researching those a bit more.

Why 1.3 and not 5.8 ?

[DakarNick]

Originally Posted by biggziff

Why 1.3 and not 5.8 ?

5.8 has issues with going around large objects such as trees and buildings, so I have read. So, I figured I'd give 1.3 a shot. I wanted 2.4 but it won't work because I use a 2.4 Spektrum radio.