What are /r/Multicopter's favorite Products & Services?

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Was there a crack in it before the impact? I saw a little glimmer.

They do sell tempered glass lense protectors. And you should consider buying session armor.

Lense protectors: https://www.amazon.com/Amobios-Scratch-resistant-Protector-Accessory-Lightwish/dp/B0157Q4L1U

Session armor: https://www.brain3d.co/products/gopro-session-exo-case?variant=5067999248414

RCA to HDMI Adapter , 5.8 Ghz Receiver

Haha thanks, not too sure why I spent the time making it. Just was really excited at the 3 day postage time instead of the usual 3 weeks.

But It's very possible that the AU warehouse will turn out the same as the EU or even the US warehouse which sucks. They all should stock high demand items at similar prices. Instead it's probably just going to be a whole lot of whatever this is.

Smoke-stopper, they protect from serious screwups in soldering and wiring. https://youtu.be/4z7yRG56aKM

But don't sweat it man, just scream it out, grab a beer or a fat one and chill. We all have to make mistakes to learn, everyone here has dumb shit we can claim too. Some cost us more or less and some cost us in different ways. It sucks no matter what though, that never changes. Also get a simulator and a cable to connect your tx to your PC to control it or the simulator time will be useless. Use the sim to practice risky moves before actually trying them in a flight and also as a way to fly when you're grounded for repairs or whatever. It's not the same feeling, but the practice will pay off in saved components very quickly I can promise you. My last tip is to get a hands free magnifying lens: either something in a stand/clamps to your desk or a headmounted setup like this for $10 on Amazon Prime:

https://www.amazon.com/SE-MH1047L-Illuminated-Multi-Power-Magnifier/dp/B003UCODIA

I paid CAD$5 for a right angled MiniUSB cable on Amazon, and it's one of the better purchases I've made. Now I can practice in the simulator with the radio held the way I hold it when I'm actually flying, which improves the overall experience. If you have a QX7 and use simulators, I can't suggest this strongly enough. This keeps the USB cable from digging into my waist, and reduces strain on the radio's USB port.

(Note: NOT an affiliate link, I'm just a happy customer.)

If you have an Android smartphone I recently got to use Lipo Buddy.

Nice app, tracks cycles, current state, reminds you of still charged batts, and can be associated to NFC tags: just scan the sticker on your battery and go - I find it super useful as I'd rarely remember to use it otherwise.

Looks like Caddx is trying to compete with the runcam split

Caddx Turtles

https://www.banggood.com/Caddx-Turtles-FOV-145-Degree-Super-WDR-Mini-FPV-Camera-1080P-60fps-DVR-HD-Recording-OSD-for-RC-Drone-p-1320281.html?rmmds=category

https://www.banggood.com/Affiliates-Program_hl23

That's what the

p=CG24181822629201506N

part of the url is.

I'll re-iterate because some people are really touchy. I love Stu and has done a lot for the hobby, but he is getting paid for these reviews.

It would be nice for him to point that out, because it seems a lot of people don't realise it.

I assume when you were talking about the "nuts and the motors" you meant prop nuts, right? If so, two helpful things there. First, after the nuts are used once or twice they will get a lot easier to put on. Second, invest in a 99 cent rubber jar opener. Any grocery still will sell them. Use that to hold the motor as you tighten it. You can also use it to guard your hands against prop blades to get a bit more torque. There are also these: https://www.banggood.com/Realacc-Motor-Grip-Pliers-For-RC-Models-p-1053444.html?rmmds=search

PLEASE don't put anything inside your motor to do this. You run the risk of torqueing your bell and destroying your motor.

Second, before you FPV... SIM. Spend at least 10 hours simming before you even try FPV. Acro mode FPV is a learned skill that really comes naturally to no one. There is nothing that helps to get better then just stick time... and the similator is the best place to learn.

It's a Walkera 150, I got it off Amazon for $220 RTF.

It had terrific editorial reviews, terrific website reviews, and terrific YouTube reviews so I figured it would be a good place to start.

This is a great Jarvis voice..

Using Tasker you could easily read out whatever speech you want into a wave file. Then it's just the work of naming/importing into the Taranis...it's on my list of things to do...eventually...when I have lots of time.

It would be easier to do in windows but the voice license is quite a bit more expensive.

If you can, grind a couple hours in simulators before you even try taking off with the real thing. I can recommend Liftoff - https://store.steampowered.com/app/410340/Liftoff/

If you cant go the simulator path - dont get scared of how hard/intimidating it is at first.

SMH. Another DJI Idiot and no I don't call all phantom owners idiots just seems they are the most used by the least informed. Please before you fly check out this No Fly Zone and if you are still not convinced Drone Confiscated

Edit: Looking at your post history you should know better so I'm guessing it was done with full knowledge of what you were doing.

Amazon. I use BNTECHGO brand and have no complaints other than its expensive for 10 feet of wire. But I didn't find much cheaper really. Any silicone wire will do.

I use https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CQJF3BS/ for ESC signal/all other low power wires on the quad. And https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TG1TRL2/ for ESC power.

For my next signal wire purchase I might go up to 26 or 28 gauge. The 24 isn't too big at all but smaller would work just fine too.

highly recommend purchasing a 3d printer if you are a hobbyist and have the room. It's another hobby within itself, but it opens so many doors! I make custom enclosures for all my electronics, I can repair broken plastic parts without having to go to the manufacturer, and you can even design your own consumable goods, like this hard drive bracket I made. I've printed a few quad bodies as well.

Printers have come down a ton in price, many people swear by the Ender 3, which is 230 dollars on amazon. I also see a lot of people mention the Creality CR10 and the Prusa for pricier alternatives

Qx7 controller, 4s lipo 1200mah-1800mah (gens or tattu are excellent brands), and a lipo balance charger (this one works pretty well, but lacks detailed diagnostic info for checking the health of your batteries link) and pretty much any 5.8ghz goggles you want (just get ones that you like/are in budget. One with a diversity receiver is a nice to have and allows you to use two different types of anttennas), and finally maybe a nice set of fpv antennas if you can get them.

Most importantly imo, buy the controller first and spend like at least 6hrs in a drone simulator using the controller, before you try and fly your drone. It's alot cheaper to crash a digital drone than your $250 one.

This is what you want!

The UI is different than the chrome app, but everything is there as far as I can tell. Just requires a micro USB cable and an OTG adapter.

How about cracking up the Hubsans, and stuff them with Micro MWC boards and CL-0720-14 motors. That fixes the motor issue and you can fly them with the same Tx as the Nano QX. Here is mine: https://vimeo.com/92576496 If you use v252 props, they have longer hubs and protect the motors shafts.

You can build it by yourself:

Alligator clips

Connectors

Maybe on Alibaba, direct from the manufacturers? http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Green-5030-ABS-Two-Blade-Propeller_60176972073.html

To be fair though, multirotor props aren't going to be mass-produced on the same scale as thumb tacks or plastic combs.

Yeah those little guys in particular have an operational range of about 30-50 feet. There's one critical problem with those toy grade flight controllers in that as soon as it loses its control link - it repeats the last control signal it got...so if your last control input was "full throttle" - well I think you get the idea.

If you want what I feel is one of the best and most stable toy grade copters out there right now - have a look at the JJRC H20

At $18 you can buy a bag of them.

I used them for a bit but they break way too easy. They don't really impact image quality but any impact that would break the lens on the camera wouldn't care if you were running the lens protector. I just ordered a bunch of these so when I break a lens I just put a new one on. http://www.gearbest.com/action-cameras-sport-dv-accessories/pp_216636.html?currency=USD&gclid=Cj0KEQjwl6GuBRD8x4G646HX7ZYBEiQADGnzusQeNCmWpZjzdXkMXUTLxg1bR89w2WQ5pEkUpdHalQQaAkV48P8HAQ

This seems to be a pretty up to date one.

There are various sites you can also use to monitor all commercial planes flight paths and see if you are near a common route. Although you shouldnt be flying higher than 400 feet so that shouldnt be a problem!

Wasn't much doubt haha. Not like it would be a 250. I don't hate Phantoms they have brought a lot of people into this hobby. I really wish more people would just follow the rules and not ruin this great hobby for the rest of us. It's not that hard to fly responsibly. I'm super careful where and when I fly. Always in a controlled environment and I have this saved to the homepage of my phone just to make sure I'm clear. https://www.mapbox.com/drone/no-fly/

I would take a closer look at your SD cards. Unless you must use the built-in format utility in the quad, I would recommend the "SD Card Formatter 5.0.1 by Tuxera". It's a free utility that is officially endorsed by the SD Association. I've been using it for ten years. It has solved so many SD card issues. I don't know exactly what it does differently, but it usually solves the problem for me.

Link: https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/

You got it!

Just FYI, I'm about 99.99% sure it doesn't matter whether the resistors sit between the positive pins and the bus or the negative pins and the bus. I'm even 95% sure you can mix it up (some have the resistor on +, some have the resistor on -) and it will still work as designed.

Check out this example I mocked up in Falstad's circuit simulator. It uses capacitors instead of batteries, but the same principle applies.

When the simulation starts, both capacitors are charged (one to 16.8V, the other to 14V). When you click on the two switches, it disconnects the power source and connects the two capacitors together. The voltages then equalize gradually, even though the two capacitors have the resistor on the opposite terminal.

I would encourage you to read the discussions in the threads that I linked (click the words). There has already been lots of debate over this.

The FAA has explicitly declared that using UAVs for commercial purposes is prohibited. The question is only how long until the FAA sends them a cease & desist or fines them, and whether they can successfully enforce it if it comes down to a court battle.

The FAA has been lax in enforcement but there have been cease & desist letters, and Trappy (a well-known FPV videographer) is in a court battle with them over a video he made flying around U of Virginia, who commissioned him and gave him authorization. They are attempting to collect a $10,000 fine from him.

edit: I googled 'trappy fpv' and this metafilter post summarizes it with source links pretty nicely: http://www.metafilter.com/132948/The-FAA-vs-Trappy

Yup, deep6 sells a battery waterproofing kit too and just says to smear dielectric grease on the connections. I'd be a little worried about submerging it with just grease, but making a removable waterproof cover doesn't sound easy either. I like the idea of replacing the balance lead with a waterproof connector and cap and having a balance lead adapter for charging... something like this maybe, although I would definitely want to limit charging current a RJ45 connector!

You could also just return the B6 to Amazon and get a B6AC. Literally the same charger with an AC adapter built in, mine cost me $50 with the Amazon tax. Also, if you want something to keep those goggles in, this is an exact fit, with just enough free space for 2 batteries and the antennas. Took me a long while to find a case for my D2s.

Eh I wouldn't expect a whole lot out of that. Seems like it's nothing short of toy quality. Don't plan on getting any decent video from it.

I would recommend, if you're not willing to drop the extra money for a higher quality drone, perhaps a refurbished Bebop drone off Amazon. They record decent video and have gps and all that good stuff, can also set flight plans where you map it out and it will take off and do the plan and fly back to you. Only downside is you have to use your phone to control it unless you want to dish out a few more hundred for the radio or you could use a gamepad connected to your phone also.

https://www.amazon.com/Parrot-Bebop-Quadcopter-Drone-Refurbished/dp/B06ZYJ4V9F/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1505843992&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=parrot+bebop&psc=1

Drone guard CS 300. Got it for ~$30 from Adorama earlier this year when someone posted it here. It's $63 at Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/DroneGuard-300-Lowepro-Quadcopter-Essentials/dp/B014CKW0BA

PSA! read before you buy OPs suggestions!

I agree with the stark GOT guy. Buy the waste fan not the next fan. The Op is not giving people the best option for fpv so always read comments like the OP himself suggested. Waist fan is way better for fpv than what the OP suggested. The waist fan has more way more venting power, better battery life, easier to use for a fpv pilot the neck fan . I use the clip fan, keeps me cooler and does not get in the way of neck strap. Too bad most people won’t see this. The better suggestions are in the comments. This works better for fpv pilots:

Get this instead of the neckfan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088BT4257/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It’s a better more usable fan than what the op is suggesting. I have this fan, it gets in the way when you use a tx strap. The waist fan blows this shit out of the water. To bad the op did not suggest this better option before he posted m. The best tips are in the comments

If you guys go with the OPs suggestion over the waist clip fan your missing out on a better life hack And easier solution that won’t annoy when you put on your tx

Satellites are over your head. Anything in the middle is bad. You can attached it OVER the battery: look at one of the latest GepRc croc baby edition

https://www.banggood.com/GEPRC-Crocodile-Baby-4-Inch-Analog-4K-HD-LR-Micro-Long-Range-4S-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-or-BNF-VTX-Caddx-Tarsier-V2-Cam-VTX-5_8G-600MW-GPS-F4-FC-20A-ESC-1404-2750KV-Motor-p-1749210.html?cur_warehouse=CN&ID=6230838

I don't know if these will be available in time or not but this kickstarter has the features you are looking for: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/airdroids/the-pocket-drone-your-personal-flying-robot

Wow, really hate all the rebranding then declaration of a "new drone". Thanks for the heads up.

And that is a huge price mark up, here it is for less than half that:

http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_279060.html

or

http://www.geekbuying.com/item/FQ777--954-WIFI-FPV-0-3MP-Camera-4CH-6Axis-APP-Control-MINI-Quadcopter---Black-358963.html

Definitely more amused than annoyed. Took me a second noticed but when I did I had a good laugh wondering how this came off the manufacturing line. I'll still use it and I'll have a free spare from banggood in like a month. Here's the product page to show what its actually supposed to look like https://www.banggood.com/Diatone-Grasshopper-160-G160-Carbon-Fiber-Quadcopter-Frame-Kit-w-BEC-Power-Distribution-Board-p-995924.html?rmmds=myorder

shit, i wouldn't even care about DVR at that price. DVR is nice, but you could always get one of those USB adapters and record on a laptop. this eachine usb receiver is only $21 right now on banggood.

it doesn't have to be a like for like with fatshark for my taste. i'll let fatshark and aomway and skyzone have the high end. i just want decent resolution, adjustable interpupillary distance, comfort and decent reception. i'd love a fan in there.

> Last I checked there weren't many different kinds of Flysky receiver around and they're all kinda big.

1.2g small enough for ya?

https://www.banggood.com/Fiberglass-CC3D-Flight-Controller-Anti-vibration-Damper-Set-for-QAV250-p-953563.html

I have one in transit from china. I don't think I'm going to use it, though.

If you haven't found a solution in the meantime, I'll give you this one if you want it.

No, the way they set up the cable is non-standard.

The connector is a normal 2S balance plug on one end, and split into 2 2pin connectors for the batteries on the other side (I'm not sure what these connector types are called at this point, still fairly new). The wiring has the positive of one battery tied to the negative of the other through the center pin of the 2S balance connection, thus having them hooked up in series.

The confusion here is that with this configuration, you'd need to use a cheap 2S charger that can charge through the balance connector and ensure both batteries are plugged in when charging. This is kind of dumb and is confusing a lot of folks from what I've seen.

Depending on your charger OP, what I've done is cut back a bit of insulation on the positive and negative wires and solder on some new ones with banana clips that can plug into the actual charging output on my charger. Then plug the balance connector into the balance port as usual and charge at 2S.

DO NOT CHARGE AT ANYTHING ELSE.

Do me a favor and send a pic/model number of your charger? This is a pain in the butt for such an awesome micro but please please be safe with these.

EDIT: Here's the charger cord for reference jolars. You can see why it's confusing folks. https://www.aliexpress.com/item-img/High-Quality-Eachine-Tiny-QX90-Micro-FPV-Racing-Quadcopter-Spare-Parts-Charging-Cable-For-RC-Camera/32717877887.html

A Syma? Man get on Amazon and order this stuff called Corrosion X, get the HD version if you're near salt water. That shit will save electronics. My brother had just treated his X5C board with some and dropped his into a puddle deep enough to cover the props. He throttled up and flew away, water draining clear away.

Here's a Flite Test link that convinced me to put a can in my bag, I've saved plenty of electronics. https://youtu.be/s4z8QMgTEA4

Edit - here's the stuff I spray on my Syma X5SW and any electronics on my racer. Corrosion-X 90104 Heavy-Duty, 12-Ounce, Aerosol https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009H1AMG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_pV.2ybYP4ZQ3C

Yeah I'm using something similar, one of these UK MOLLE Assault Packs off Amazon, not had any problems with it so far, plenty of room for separating stuff into different compartments, comfortably carry a quad inside and one strapped to the back, along with all the other gubbins.

I hate this flight controller I have two and both are junk. One the receiver died in and the other had the 5v regulator die. I used the regulator below to fix mine.

Wolfwhoop PW-D Control Buck Converter 6-24V to 5V 1.5A Step-Down Regulator Module Power Inverter Volt Stabilizer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076P4C42B/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_bmQNCbRBK9HM8

There's a relatively recent app called PIDflight in the Play Store - and it works great, very intuitive and simple to use. I've been using it since beta release.

Here's the link: <strong>PIDflight</strong>

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ezio.multiwii&amp;hl=en

It's a free app, but you can pay to unlock more features. I forget what all is locked in the free, but I have the paid version.

You just hook up via an OTG usb cable and configure from your Android device. There's some screenshots to see what it looks like.

Technically, yes, what you will need is an EasyCap Device, micro USB OTG adaptor and use EasyCap Viewer for Android. HOWEVER, I would recommended using the Quanum V2 kit instead or researching LCD screens for FPV or car use (video feed when reversing) because the Android tablet setup will have a lot of latency compared to the other two. In my experience I've noticed a constant stuttering/frame rate drops when I used EasyCap Viewer on my previous HTC One M7 as well.

I have not, I would like to compare them though. I just won't buy anything from, hobbyking after dealing with their RMA system for 4 months over a defective Trifecta.

EDIT: It looks like Joshua Bardwell did test these so you may want to take a look at his review (Spreadsheet).

He is the gold standard by which I want to fly. I'm slowly getting the parts as they're available for [my own QAV250](/r/Multicopter/comments/28bxbg/my_phantom_drowned_just_received_this_in_the_mail/).

Juz's parking garage video makes my flying look like I'm hand holding a GoPro and walking.

EDIT: Added links

Or the PocketDrone.

Their Kickstarter.

The PocketDrone was the reason I go into multies in the first place. And I waited until the final hours to pull the trigger after much checking. It has a real TX or can bind and fly. It follows you by tracking the GPS signal from your smartphone, confirmed 20min flight time, 30-40mph. Will it get the perfect shot all the time? No. That's not what its for. If you run around a tree or a building, will it miss the tree or building? Probably not. Again, not what its for. Will it get a 'different' shot requiring only one person to operate? Yes it will. That's what these are made for. Will the next gens down the road have object avoidance? Most likely.

So what remains to be seen is how good is the GPS signal tracking. I hope to soon find out.

I just designed the product and its still available for free to download and print yourself (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:716578). I'm just glad it's being made available to those who don't have access to printers.

I'm not sure about the CF reference either, but as always, more goes into a product than the cost of materials. Design, printer time, packaging, additional hardware provided, etc. Additionally, I believe the pricing is based partially on the pricing of similar products already on the market.

Its only a quad but I have a hex version in the workshop. Here is my little enclosed 250 quad. 3d printed many parts. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:709135 http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2343103

I will say the starter pack or whatever it's called that comes with the TX module and the 3 pack of RX is a great deal. However when I ordered my crossfire all those kits were OOS and no store that I checked with would honor the pricing on the bundle. I also recall a time in recent months where nano RX were hard if not impossible to find, and if you did find them you were getting price gouged on it. I recently picked up 3 nano rx when they came in stock cause I didn't want to be grounded for a season due to something stupid like an RX being OOS. For the record I'm a happy crossfire customer, however the ELRS is simply a fraction of the price. Idk what you've been looking at but "slightly cheaper" than crossfire is an understatement. You can get a TX module and RX bundle, shipped from the US for $50.

&nbsp;

If you're willing to wait a bit longer (China shipping), you can get a kit with TX module and 3 RX, basically the equivalent of the $120 crossfire kit for $25. Literally 80% cheaper, not "slightly cheaper" at all.

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The board runs MultiWii. In MultiWii, "full acro" (or "rate" mode, or "gyro" mode, or "velocity" mode, or "agilitiy" mode) is the default. You can then add accelerometer assistance ("level" mode, "safe" mode, "stability" mode) if you want/need that. MultiWii cannot only fly fully in either mode, but you can also have a hybrid mode. Its called "horizon", and is basically acro with self leveling. Look at this: https://vimeo.com/92293745 Thats with the same software - just stick banging in horizon mode.

ive never gotten hair or debris literally inside the motors before. Usually its just tighly wrapped around the spindle between the top of the motor and the bottom of hte prop. You should be able to just pull any hair or junk off with your hands or tweezers.

The motors are very affordable on those quads. If you have physically damaged one I would recommend just replacing it. They are ~$1 each: http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters-parts/pp_129122.html

Turnigy Accucel-6 roughly $22-$25 http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=18066

Parallel board with 2 included batteries Bundle: 2-Pack of 3.7 volt - 180mAh 25C Li-Poly 2-Pack + Parallel Charging Board for Blade mCP X & mCX Lipos https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DGF3EYU/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_0fmFub108CEX5

This is what I picked up and both work great.

I like the banggoood infinity graphene 1500's because they are small light and you dont feel sag with them.

https://www.banggood.com/Infinity-4S-14_8V-1500mAh-70C-Graphene-LiPo-Battery-XT60-Support-15C-Boosting-Charge-For-Racer-Drone-p-1058084.html?rmmds=mywishlist&amp;cur_warehouse=CN

RDQ is another good option. The R-line is one of the more expensive but top of the line battery.

Great price on some 4s batteries, I already own 2 and they are fairly decent

https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Racer-250-PRO-FPV-Drone-Spare-Part-4S-14_8V-1100mAh-30C-Battery-XT60-p-1150117.html?rmmds=myorder&amp;cur_warehouse=CN

http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_362846.html

This Dubai Racer is a better value I'd say. It's a little more work to put together, but it's straightforward and you'll have to fix it when it breaks.

Hi mate. Welcome to the awesome world of multirotors and quadcopters.

thanks for such a well written post and giving so information. it makes offering advice so much easier.

I always think a taranis is awesome and highly recommend it.

it all depends on how much you want to spend. Now days you can really get flying including fpv for pretty cheap. something like this is pretty cool - http://www.gearbest.com/multi-rotor-parts/pp_427259.html and then combine it with some kylin head set and you are flying FPV for about $300 - but this is using your current radio

I have some build guides too if you are interested. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iURdanOCFIA

happy flying stew

It's a JST XH connector, you want a 4-pin of course.

http://www.gearbest.com/rc-parts/pp_26867.html?currency=USD&amp;gclid=CIX89f2fmMoCFdgWgQodJjQMWg

If you've depinned a servo cable, it's the same principle, lift and pull.

Thats about all its worth,if that.(plastic arms with fiberglass plates)

If you are going to build something somewhat serious look at other frames.

This is more like a reasonable price if you are considering.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/FPV-Quadcopter-X500-500-Quadcopter-Frame-500mm-Landing-gear-skids-for-GoPro-Multicopter-TBS-DJI/32498969921.html

Turns out it was a government employee flying it for fun, according to this report:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/white-house-drone-belongs-to-government-employee-flying-it-for-fun-report-2015-01-26?link=MW_home_latest_news

i use this http://www.x360ce.com/ to map all the channels to the right Inputs. my computer sees it as a controller, I had to get drivers for my spectrum radio for the pc to see my TX I Don't know if theirs something like that for Taranis

Try some of these on it, might help. https://jet.com/product/detail/1b9991f8531f4074b6a611b22406fc3c?jcmp=pla:ggl:brands_toys_games_a3:toys_educational_toys_a3_other:na:na:na:na:na:2&amp;code=PLA15&amp;k_clickid=89ea8db3-6fde-4244-9a0e-0eab9049378f&amp;gclid=CjwKEAjwwbyxBRCS74T049iEp...

https://www.banggood.com/3M-10-colors-Flexible-Neon-EL-Wire-Light-Dance-Party-Decor-Light-p-919545.html?cur_warehouse=CN

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Neon-Glowing-Strobing-Electroluminescent/dp/B003J99JW4

small inverter is the tricky part, but otherwise the wire is plentyfull in automotive aftermarket

Banggood for $120. Banggood support has been fantastic for the issues I've run into with my wizard.

if you've already got some goggles, just hang out a bit and see what comes of the EV100s. eachine pricing with fatshark style goggles. i'll be keeping a close eye on them. i'm sure the first batch will sell out super fast and it'll take a few months to get your hands on them if you miss it. i can't imagine these will be priced at $350, but that $99 price doesn't seem realistic if they are decent quality. i mean, for $350, that's in the Aomway and Skyzone territory and not too far away from Fatsharks.

Roughly 21x21x12(cm) with a ruler i had laying around

This case is on sale at banggood. Realacc Handbag for Q X7 Transmitter

There is also this thread from 5 months ago with some suggestions

Afaik flyksky can only work with receivers that support their protocol. If you find the fsia6b too bulky try this one. https://www.banggood.com/de/Flysky-FS-A8S-2_4G-8CH-Mini-Receiver-with-PPM-i-BUS-SBUS-Output-p-1092861.html?rmmds=search

hey man, looking good! For a camera + vtx on a budget I'd suggest the Super HAD II from Banggood (no OSD though) and the Eachine TX25 . If you have a few bucks more, I'd suggest a runcam swift 2 :)

agreed, its a completely stolen product, guaranteed they didnt get the rights for it, and they are insanely price gouging.

Here's the original product: http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_198340.html <$17

I have the X5c-1 and its awesome. Buy at least 5 batteries cuz they go fast. I highly recomment the quad. I got mine from here:

http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_73260.html

I paid like $60 shipped with 2 extra batteries. I used a coupon i found online to knock off like $5. I wish i had gotten more batteries.

Thats probably one of the best quads you can get for under $100

Its gonna cost more than that to lift a GoPro. You are looking more at $300.

This is a good copter and the cheapest ive seen that can carry a GoPro

http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_113550.html

Ive seen it as low as $250 shipped. Just gotta keep looking.

Maybe someone else has a cheaper option.

Edit: And quadcopters dont get much battery life. The one i linked will get 10-15min flight time on 1 battery. Building one is another story. Not to mention you need a way to stabilize the GoPro. A gimbal which themselves are expensive.

This is 100% absolutely correct. Even injected ABS would be a lot stronger than FDM and the nylon knockoffs are so cheap

Applying even pressure down They flexed about 1/4 inch at 30 lbs. discolored with vertical striations mid arm at 50 lbs and I was able to break one in half by hand in the thinnest dimension with mid-moderate effort. In the y dimension (2nd thinnest) they're substantially strong. I think I might be able to break it by hand, but it would be significant effort.

That all said this is abs after all and you can probably knock chips out of them with a screwdriver.

Actually, no, Hover cannot use your current location to determine if you're in a No-Fly zone. They use a UIWebView to display MapBox.com's Don't Fly Drones Here map: https://www.mapbox.com/drone/no-fly/. Otherwise, it just pulls weather information based on your location and a jazzed up RSS feed from various sources.

I was (and still am) making an iOS App that does exactly what the FAA is now going to do with B4UFLY, which actually does use your current location to determine if you're in a no-fly zone. If the FAA were truly interested in supporting the multirotor community, they should provide an open API for accessing their TFR data and ESRI shape files. Currently, we have to scrape their announcements page to get this information.

Just FYI, it's the USS Iowa, a WWII era battleship that is now a floating museum in the port of LA (San Pedro). AFAIK, it's no longer owned by the Navy. Regardless of that, it would seem that the port is restricted due to the proximity of the Long Beach Naval Complex. The radii around the airports is a bit large, in my opinion, as I fly well within these zones (under 400') and have not had an issue. Obviously I'm not flying anywhere near the runway approaches, though.

http://camelcamelcamel.com/UDI-U818A-2-4GHz-Quadcopter-Camera/product/B00D3IN11Q?utm_campaign=chrome_ext&amp;utm_source=&amp;utm_medium=camelizer

Good deal but it was never the full price or close to it.

I mean not sure about your specific quad but keeping one of these around has done me well:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XYSR249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_BMATKDSZNK7Y2WCYDTM2

Just search m2 m3 set and see which one you like

Right? I love this blue. It’s sainsmart “neon cyan,” here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/SainSmart-Flexible-Filament-Dimensional-Greenish-Blue/dp/B08K79Y8N1

I’m using a very modded maker select plus. Finding the right guide plate for TPU was key. Cheap printer but prints TPU great after that mod.

Only $100 on Amazon and it comes with the pick n pluck foam.

Spray it with a coat of plasti dip once the layout is set so the foam doesn't fall apart with use.

Pelican 1500 Case with Foam for Camera (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DYV9H/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_jvDDvb0GPQHQR

Here's some that ship via Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E9HM7NC/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1944687442&amp;pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&amp;pf_rd_t=201&amp;pf_rd_i=B005FAPYXS&amp;pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_r=QGZ6F6JXSQ8DRTGM8ADM

amazon will do it, and you don't even have to say please.

I'll ship one to you, $8 + shipping.

Yeah that'll work for now, just be careful not to create a short. Seriously, please be careful. These batteries can dump a lot of current very quick and will burn you best case, worst case burn your house down. In the future you'll probably be better off to pick up something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Jrelecs®-Charging-Banana-Phantom-Battery/dp/B00XBSBYCG

On Amazon its cheaper to buy them in 2 packs than 1. Can get them much cheaper on somewhere like HobbyKing but with shipping it might be a wash.

Available at amazon as well, 100 for a little over $6. I typically use 2, one over each side of the battery.

https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Black-2-Inch-91140/dp/B001E1Y5O6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1480944790&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=velcro+strap

Order a couple of e010 frames and a carbon fibre X brace. You can get it all on Amazon.

You will break more frames so just go with the cheap and easy to replace, then you wont feel so hesitant to push yourself.

I have the rakon frame and while I love it wish I had not purchased it over more e010 frames.

/Edit the brace: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0PCQRL/ref=cm_sw_r_taa_sd5LybZ07AM98

> waterproof transmitter

Big plastic ziploc bag? I've never tried that, or the RC hand warmers that I've seen on amazon and ebay.

I'm sure I could have found something better but I ordered this on amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N8SK48Y so I didnt have to pay hobby king shipping. only $20, it checks the cheap box. I used it for building a micro and had no issues, didn't overheat and burn a lead.

Adjustable temp, has 2 fine points (and others), a stand, tweezers, and solder sucker. Came with solder, enough for a first project to get you started.

I would recommend a hubsan X4 LINK

This is what i first bought, and I dont regret the purchases. It is a simple, RTF drone that is ready to go out of the box. While it does not have FPV, it is a great, VERY durable platform to learn how to fly on. It wont break easily WHEN it crashes. In addition to that, you can very easily take it apart, and repair any broken parts(on the off chance something breaks) with readily available crash kits and replacement parts on amazon.

Assuming you saw one on the set for some film stuff, I assume you're interested in a more AP-style rig like a DJI product. Most of the people here are more interested in a DIY "racing/freestyle" FPV miniquad, a smaller, mostly carbon fibre build that's intended to be fast, responsive, and an immersive flying experience. So, your first decision is whether you're after a more casual photography rig or a quicker, racing quad.

In either case, most of the other comments seem to say "buy something small and cheap and start learning", and I'll second that advice. Most of us here fly "FPV", wearing goggles that show us what a small camera on board broadcast. Before you can do that though, you need to learn the basics of flight, ideally "line of sight", without the goggles.

The Hubsan gets recommended a lot (H107L) because it was one of the best, cheap quads out there. They're $32 on Amazon and are a good starting point. Make sure to grab some extra propellers and a couple more batteries, flight time is about 5 minute of casual hovering.

For a little less though, I cannot recommend the Eachine H8 Mini enough. It's smaller, a little more responsive, and just as durable. Once you're more familiar with the basics of flight, too, you can try out "rate" (manual, no auto-leveling) mode with this one too for about $10 and some time flashing firmware.

From there, once you get used to the basics of control, you can start adding in cameras and goggles and practicing FPV. Eventually, you can work your way up to a larger miniquad.

And always feel free to ask more questions if you have them!

</rant>

That thing looks awesome. How did it fly? My first "multirotor" was this micro heli that I got it from Amazon in 2012 when they were first starting to put gyros in the micros. The little guy still flies really great too. Since I've watched quadcopter tech advance so quickly I wonder how much better the helis have become since 2012. I haven't heard anything about them in recent years. I'll have to look into them and see if they've gotten into FPV now.

One other thing that helps: Separate flux. I use a $10 flux pen from Amazon, just a light pass of extra flux really helps the joints come out cleaner.

Also, for XT60 and other heavy power leads, I use a butane iron and just work quickly. I have the ISO-Tip one, and it's great for the heavier stuff and can be used in the field in a pinch. Just be careful with them, it's pretty easy to overheat the smaller stuff and damage the boards.

Remember the goal is to get both parts to soldering temperature, then add solder. To me it looks like the XT60 pins got hot but not the pads on the PDB.

Next time try starting with a tiny drop of solder on the tip of the iron, not to solder the parts, but to help the heat flow into the joint. Make sure the iron is contacting the pin and the copper pad, let it heat a few seconds and touch the solder to the other side of the joint. It should flow around and into the joint.

Buying from FPV sites tends to be more expensive in my experience.

I've been happy with this kit, and a similar M2 kit I got on amazon.

They will not, the mounting holes on the Vista are m2 only.

Also thx, I have no idea why I kept calling them 2mm above but knew it sounded off lol

edit: This is the kit I got https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W6GMK58/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1

You'll need the 20mm ones, but I found it more difficult and expensive to source just those ones. Pick up a similar kit and forget about it lol

The other screws you took out, do threads look like they were putting locktite on screws? If so can be good to touch iron to screws to heat them up a bit to deal with locktite. I don't think they would have used locktite but also shouldn't be torqued down so much its difficult to get screw out. I dunno.

Other suggestions work, dremeling a slot is the if-all-else-fails solution.

Generally with quads if you're rounding out a screw you're doing something wrong.. either using crappy hex driver or torqueing stuff down too much.

FWIW will just throw this out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZKLW41F

Get good set of hex drivers with machined tips. If you have something like this already then in general stop torqueing stuff down so much. ;)

Depending on which part of the world you are in, you can pretty easily find a XT60 to XT30 converter : https://www.amazon.in/HRB-Connectors-Wireless-Connector-Adaptors/dp/B07QQXKB22

Buy some longer screws, then you can space the boards out a little more. Just measure the gap you have between the top and bottom plates of your frame to make sure you don’t buy ones too long.

I have a Mamba FC/ESC stack and I changed the screws on my TBS Source One frame to something like 30 or 35mm screws. You can buy small volumes of M3 pan head screws from Amazon or EBay. I would also suggest Nyloc nuts, they won’t come off, unlike the plastic ones in your pic. Screwing them only half on is a bad idea IMHO.

Edit: I also use these instead of the plastic pillars/standoffs that you can get. With long screws and these you can really control the spacing between boards (I do still use the gummy’s that come with each board).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LAH7UBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_K09fFbEVM09WD

This one:
https://www.amazon.com/Wera-Kraftform-Hex-Plus-Professional-Screwdriver/dp/B00365EYJO/
A little bit cheaper in Germany where I bought it:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00365EYJO

FPV Freerider is good. I learned acro on that for a few weeks before buying Liftoff on PC and eventually flying my quad.

Don't even have to buy one. Free ones are available . I've used and liked that one. I'm sure it's not the most realistic, but it will get the basics under your thumbs. Plug an x-box controller or other game controller into your phone or tablet with an OTG cable Like this and you'll get an even more realistic feel.

Thats the cheapest way to Sim, assuming you already have a USB controller of some kind. If you just want to understand the controls, that's what I'd recommend.

For realistic Sims, of course, spend some money.