Multirotor, multicopter and quadcopter discussion - The Drone thread

d_brennen said:
It really is a good idea to build your own IMO. You'll be thankful when you crash and need to fix it, you'll know how and why everything works together. And it will need fixing, gravity demands it.

If you want instant gratification with bells and whistles like GPS, perhaps look at the DJI Phantom range, but pleeeease don't do anything silly with it! ;)
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Sorry I got it wrong, I always imagined a RTF would be a kit but now you have pointed out the obvious I feel like an idiot!

I am totally happy with a kit, I enjoy putting things together.
 
My X4 has arrived, i gave it a little test last night but the battery only lasted a min, its on charge now next to me, cant wait to fly! from the quick go i had, the controls seem awesome, banking left and right, it makes sense compared to the other minit helicopters ive had
 
Tone1979 said:
Sorry I got it wrong, I always imagined a RTF would be a kit but now you have pointed out the obvious I feel like an idiot!

I am totally happy with a kit, I enjoy putting things together.
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Well, it varies by shop/mnfr but to my understanding:

RTF/ready to fly = no assembly, plug in batteries and go
AFR/almost ready to fly = might need bits put together, no soldering
BNF/bind and fly = model is ready but need needs suitable RX/tx pairing
Kit = all the bits you need minus stuff like flight controller, tx/rx

To keep you on your toes, some RTF packages (particularly "toy grade") will come with battery/charger, tx/rx and everything else where others are missing some or all of those :p

I'll post my current build in a moment, with pricing and links
 
d_brennen said:
Well, it varies by shop/mnfr but to my understanding:

RTF/ready to fly = no assembly, plug in batteries and go
AFR/almost ready to fly = might need bits put together, no soldering
BNF/bind and fly = model is ready but need needs suitable RX/tx pairing
Kit = all the bits you need minus stuff like flight controller, tx/rx

To keep you on your toes, some RTF packages (particularly "toy grade") will come with battery/charger, tx/rx and everything else where others are missing some or all of those :p

I'll post my current build in a moment, with pricing and links
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Thanks for this, very useful :)
 
ZMR 250 Carbon Fibre "CloneOut" frame - £24.80 -makeitbuildit.co.uk
DYS BE1806 motors x4 - £25 - HobbyKing Int / EMAX 1806 x4 - £40 - makeitbuildit
Props - 5030 - £1.50/pair - makeitbuildit (you'll need lots of these!)
Naze32 Acro - £19.50 - makeitbuildit
36mm PDB - £4.50 - makeitbuidit
Zippy Compact 1500mah 3s1p 35c - £8.90 - HobbyKing Euro (you'll want a few of these or similar)
FPV camera (Sony 600TVL) - £19.50 - SurveilZone (might want a wider lens)
Recording Camera - Mobius + 16GB SD - £50 - Banggood / Mobius (no Micro SD card) - £51 - makeitbuildit
5.8GHz VTX - £24 - makeitbuildit
5.8GHz VRX - £24 - makeitbuildit
DIY Video Goggles - £20 - HobbyKing UK (backorder)

*List will grow

Of course you'll need bits and bobs like an XT60 connector or two, lipo charger, spare lipos for VRX/goggles, TX/RX of choice, heatshrink and a soldering iron etc etc. This is by no means an exhaustive list, you can find these and different products at many sellers and I haven't taken any shipping into consideration, but you can consolidate this by hunting down more of what you want from one seller. I prefer to use UK sellers, if the price is reasonable for the support and speed of shipping, but China is so tempting...

e: If you are going into RC, do yourself a favour and get a good transmitter from the outset. I am using the FlySky TH9x-B myself (linky, £55), pretty similar to the Turnigy 9x but better in some respects.
 
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The things I had to add were the odds and sods like spacers for to frame, longer motor mounting bolts, XT60 charge cable, FCB mounting standoffs and screws, double sided tape, etc.

Its a pain to have almost everything and then have to wait for something small to arrive before you can crack on.

Also on the acronyms front, there is PNF, which I think is Plug and Fly and are kits like RTF but without batteries.
 
Received my 1806 RCX motors yesterday, hoping they will be a good boost on a 250 platform. Also got the 'pro' 250 frame from makeitbuild it so I'm building a second 250 now with a naze32 FC and the FPV gear on it.

Keeping my original FPV250 frame, 1804 motors with KK + shedload of LEDs as a LOS flyer, since my wife had some fun flying it :)

My flying wing is almost complete too. Having more fun building these things than flying at the moment :)

Also thinking about making a foamboard hovercraft next...
 
Still got my FPV250, not sure what to do with it. I had lots of issues with the 1704 motors, one of my Multistar ESCs magic smoked itself and then lost an RCX ESC in a similar event (different motor), so don't have enough bits to rebuild her at the mo. I'll probably resurrect her if/when I move away from the EMAX 12 amps that I am using currently, assuming they survive.
 
Genoma said:
Received my 1806 RCX motors yesterday, hoping they will be a good boost on a 250 platform. Also got the 'pro' 250 frame from makeitbuild it so I'm building a second 250 now with a naze32 FC and the FPV gear on it.

Keeping my original FPV250 frame, 1804 motors with KK + shedload of LEDs as a LOS flyer, since my wife had some fun flying it :)

My flying wing is almost complete too. Having more fun building these things than flying at the moment :)

Also thinking about making a foamboard hovercraft next...
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Post up some pics when you switch the frame, I will also be interested how you get on with the naze over the KK as I keep thinking about switching.
 
IMO, do it. The Naze32 is an excellent controller and is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make tbh. It won't make you a better pilot but it does a hell of a lot better in the "dialled in" feeling that (IMO) is missing from the KK. I broke my Naze32 mini, can't wait for my new Acro to be delivered - don't bother with the mini unless you REALLY need small
 
Both times I ordered from HK international warehouse I added a Lipo this which gives you a fedex option, it's expensive but both times I have had the delivery within 6 days even with customs.
 
d_brennen said:
IMO, do it. The Naze32 is an excellent controller and is one of the cheapest upgrades you can make tbh. It won't make you a better pilot but it does a hell of a lot better in the "dialled in" feeling that (IMO) is missing from the KK. I broke my Naze32 mini, can't wait for my new Acro to be delivered - don't bother with the mini unless you REALLY need small
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Yeah I think I will give at some point I do like the sound of the GPS hold in the full version even though it's not perfect it would come in useful.
 
Just ordered a RE700 wifi extender for my Vision. Although people have had different results, Im hoping to get an extra 100 meters or so of FPV (touch wood).
 
d_brennen said:
I started my mini quad adventure with a Hobbyking FPV250 like several here. Its not bad, but the kit has been perpetually out of stock. The FPV250 frame is quite good to learn with, as they are pretty robust and cost about £6. The downside is that there isn't much space on them for great, so you need to be creative to fit your FPV stuff onboard. They also do an L version of the frame, which comes with 2 plates and some spacers, which form the cage for camera/vtx equipment. If anything, I buy the bits separately and make something much better than most AFT/RTF kits. What's your soldering/electronics experience like?
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Looking at the previous posts I can solder anything required, I've been running electric cars with lipos for yesrs. So apart from the out of stock frame and all the kit listed above has anyone got a good list of a starting point?
This is a fantastic resource, even better than on dedicated rc forums. Thanks guys.
 
From the top of my head. My shopping 250 quad list would be around the following. I'm sure others can pitch in with other ideas / builds on this.

Frame - FVP250 frame, or cheap carbon fiber, fiberglass equivalent
http://makeitbuildit.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=30&product_id=152
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin..._Sized_FPV_Multi_Rotor_kit_UK_Warehouse_.html
http://www.myrcmart.com/rcx-h250gf-fpv-quadcopter-glass-fiber-barebone-frame-p-8052.html

Motors - 4x 1804 or 1806 motors
http://www.myrcmart.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_179_243&products_id=7990
or 2 http://www.myrcmart.com/rcx-1804-24...p-6281.html?osCsid=chjfpavuu505u7sf2ipacd4cu6 + 2 http://www.myrcmart.com/rcx-1804-2400kv-micro-outrunner-brushless-motor-anticlockwise-p-6280.html

Electronic Speed Controllers -4x 10A or 12A ESCs (look for SimonK firmware)
http://www.myrcmart.com/rcx-12a-sky-simonk-brushless-esc-for-multicopter-24s-p-8051.html
http://www.myrcmart.com/rcx-10a-esc...d-for-multicopter-simonk-firmware-p-6074.html

Flight Controller - Naze32 or KK
http://makeitbuildit.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=73
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin...light_Control_Board_36x36mm_30_5x30_5mm_.html
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin..._Naze32_Acro_AbuseMark_FunFly_Controller.html
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin...ntrol_Board_With_6050MPU_And_Atmel_644PA.html

Leads
Flight controller to Rx cables
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-X10-10...sGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item2c815161a7
XT60 lead, battery to PDB
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/XT60-Conn...s_RadioControlled_JN&var=&hash=item4621b1c0a6

Radio Gear
Transmitter and Receiver. The OrangeRX 6 Channel radios are incredible value for money IMO. At this price it can just become a spare if you upgrade and it's perfectly useable.
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbykin...safe_UK_Warehouse_.html?strSearch=orangerx uk
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/..._Mode_2_.html?strSearch=orangerx t-six mode 2

Misc
Power distribution board url]http://makeitbuildit.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=79&search=power[/url] not essential, you can wire your own but this makes it much easier/cleaner
Zip ties (mini, small, medium types)
Soldering Iron, Flux, Solder

Optional / Future
FPV Gear and a Mobius camera for filming :) and if you want LEDs for orientation, consider some thin silicone wire, JST connectors and LED strips too.
 
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