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Why not use the Raspberry Pi camera? In my experience, it's a really nice camera, it's going to have the most first-party support, the lowest latency and highest frame rates.
It uses the on-chip H264 encoder on the RasPi, so it eats very little in terms of resources. And it's light!
I've done some OpenCV processing with it, albeit streaming from the Pi using netcat to an external server.
I could supply some video taken from it if you want.
The Erle Robotics team just posted this $200 smart drone build using a PXFmini and Pi Zero.
If you have trouble sourcing a Pi Zero (www.whereismypizero.com) it's also compatible with the Pi 1/2/3 and some of the Odroid boards. Runs ROS/APM on Debian so you can play with computer vision and all kinds of fun stuff. You'd be hard pressed to get much cheaper than this build with that much functionality.
Awesome, it looks like this FC + ESC supports 4s. Do you have any particular type of FPV drone you're going for? Racing, freestyle, long range, etc?
On the face of it all, this looks fine. You'll need to make sure you pair your motor with an appropriate set of props. I'm new at the details on what to choose, but I've found looking around at sites like amazon, getfpv.com and racedayquads.com has some good pairings to choose from. Here's, for example, some props that claim to work well with 2205 motors: https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-3-Blade-Propellers-1406-2205-Brushless/dp/B07RCD7X61
Ah ok.
Then forget what I said about tying the drone down to calibrate it, that only applies to copters. You'll want to fly manually ans switch over to automatic once it's gained enough height, and switch back to manual if there's anything fishy.
Well, wiring the APM to the plane should be pretty straight forward. Basically it's the same as connecting the RC receiver, but instead of connectiong everything to the receiver you connect everything to the APM and the APM itself to the receiver.
If you want to solder the APM yourself, it's soldering conn headers and pins onto the assembled board. You have to have a sort of steady hand (or just try a few times), but there's not much to do wrong apart from having to solder some stuff again if you fuck up. I highly recommend checking all connections with a multimeter when you do them.
What telemetry are you planning on using? Both XBee telemetry and 3DR Radio work very well with the APM, 3DR seems to yield better results than the XBee from what I've read (using the XBee myself as the 3DR wasn't out yet).
Depending on what kind of movies you want to do I suggest you look into building/buying a camera gimbal, otherwise you can only do flyover type movies (With a gimbal you can do sideways tracking and stuff like that). And check the freight capacity of the plane before buying a camera.
And check the laws of your country/area. In most places you have to be within sight of the drone and you have to be able to switch over to manual controls at any time.
That said, cool project! Please upload a video once you're done :)
Okay so I found a 4 in 1 esc that seems great, but I will need to switch from the AIO FC to this one right ? And to buy a PDB since it's not included on non AIO FC ?
OK, thanks everyone for the ideas - super helpful!
Sounds like there are two basic approaches: make reliable electrical contact on landing, or use wireless charging.
Direct contact would allow for faster charge, but weatherizing would be a bigger challenge I think. All kinds of things can happen outdoors, and a short would be no fun. I guess the circuit wouldn't need to be charged...
Wireless is lower current, but it's attractive to be able to easily weather seal both the transmitter and receiver coils with thin plastic - no muss no fuss. Also: since the quad will have four feet, it seems reasonable to expect I could have a coil in each foot and thereby get 4x the charge rate - that would give me about 2000 mA with four receiver units something like this: https://www.banggood.com/Qi-Wireless-Charging-Receiver-Charger-Module-Micro-USB-Mobile-Phone-Charger-Board-DC-5V-2A-10W-for-Electronic-Diy-p-1675886.html?cur_warehouse=CN&rmmds=search
I could even use commercial chargers for the base, rather than DIY transmitters.
So the wireless route feels like it might be the one to explore - assuming I can figure out a landing approach that makes good contact.
So, next question: anybody know how accurate of a landing I can achieve with ardupilot? 😀
I'd bet you'll make the kit a lot cheaper if you spec it out yourself and get some of the parts in bulk.
You also left out a lot of important details. What are they going to be doing with these? Writing code to add new functions, just flying them, aerial video. Those things change the scale of the quad dramatically.
These days micro-brushed quadcopters are dirt cheap to make, but have very limited capabilities. 3D printing is also a lot of fun for having the freedom to design your own things for example I made this ( http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:384566 ) simple quad for grabbing video and this ( http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:532808 ) modification that adds a gimbal.
I'd advocate something running Tau Labs if they are going to do any programming, since the code is really well written and easy to change. Naze32 flight controllers and cleanflight are a cheaper alternative if you don't need more advanced autonomous features. Ardupilot gets cheap but probably is the most capable of the open source projects.
I bought one of these a month ago and would highly recommend it for anyone looking for a bag on the cheap.
Radio - As stated, I fly the (Flysky i6x)[https://www.banggood.com/Flysky-FS-i6X-2_4GHz-10CH-AFHDS-2A-RC-Transmitter-With-X6B-i-BUS-Receiver-p-1090406.html]. I would not tell anyone NOT to get one, but I also wouldn't push it on anyone who thought they might get big into the hobby. It works perfectly, but it is not as programmable or open as many higher end transmitters.
I'm sure I'm forgetting things. I didn't link any frames, because I 3d print all my own frames, but there's a ton of frames of every size and style on Banggood (who you might have noticed I use a lot.) This one (here)[https://www.banggood.com/Diatone-Q450-Quad-450-V3-PCB-Quadcopter-Frame-Kit-450mm-p-942100.html] is what several of my quads look like. The 3D printer files I grabbed are, I believe, a direct clone of this particular frame style (I believe originally sold by DJI). This is a common photography platform, but will require tall legs to be able to support a gimbal under it.
If you made it through this, I congratulate you. ( I had to break it in to 2 comments because of length restriction )
> FY680 iron man
Man, either Tarot naming conventions are dumb or retailers are lazy, but looks like that might be the exact frame I have. Hobby King's listing for it is definitely the exact frame I have, which was listed as a FY690S on Ali Express where I bought it.
Either way, those motor mounts (with a screw through the arm) are apparently much more reliable than any of the motor mounts relying only on clamp force to stop the motor mount pivoting.
I'm using Eachine EV800D googles... they're pretty good, all-around.
As far as box goggles go, though, the FXT Vipers might be better.
A close tie between my 25-in-1 precision screwdriver set (cheap and does the job) and my U-wrench (which I started using after accidentally destroying a brushed motor while removing a prop).
Balloons don't produce very much buoyancy lift, so you end up needing quite a bit of volume. Here's an online balloon sizing calculator I found.
I bought it based on these findings, apparently 360m+ can be expected outdoors with PCB antenna, and up to 4KM with external!
The chip is ESP8266, impressive little thing.
Yes, that one should work fine. If you can invest a few extra dollars, the XM+ is an actual Frsky product and has excellent range.
I'm slightly out of the loop, but it's my understanding that F4 based flight controllers (which run Betaflight) are one of the best available today.
Here's one fairly plain example: https://www.banggood.com/Betaflight-F4-Flight-Controller-STM32-F405-MCU-Integrated-OSD-p-1103940.html
Alternatively, while it'd be a lot more expensive, you might maybe want to take a look at a flight controller like the Pixhawk Mini that runs ArduPilot, which allows for full autonomy (fly missions via GPS waypoints, use more advanced fly-by-wire controls, etc).
holy shit! preordered!
(...but not from the shitty affiliate link, here's the direct link https://www.banggood.com/IRangeX-iRX-IR8M-2_4G-8CH-Multi-Protocol-Transmitter-With-PPM-S_BUS-Mini-Receiver-p-1226058.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN)
There are lots of variants of the omnibus f4 on banggood, like this one neither built in PDB, current sensor etc. If you are set on inav, it would be a good choice.
The SPRacing F3 is also well supported by inav but has fewer ports for connecting accessories to.
However, as the other poster said, pixhawk really is the way to go for larger, autonomous control quads, which looks like what you are building. For example, if your radio connection fails, or you lose orientation, you will want to be able to return to launch and land autonomously, if nothing else. Smaller quads simply disarm and fall to the ground - for larger ones, this would cause a lot of damage, and potentially be dangerous. Inav can do this, but pixhawk is king.
Here's a Micro Pix for $48. You could throw it in the Micro Skyhunter airframe. It's $60 for PNP.
Not at all, all of those parts are severely outdated (and not very good when they weren't) except for the transmitter.
Check into the wizard 220 if you don't mind waiting on shipping for a bit.
I switched it over to "other", thanks for the input!
I'm pretty sure no one is going to admit failure rates but most of the time, when someone has an issue they are going to talk about it. As an example, there are lots of failure complaints on this AIO both on banggood and forums:
I think they are getting more reliable but its still a big price for one part.
Ground it to the 5v regulator's ground. I also recommend going w/ this camera because it is 5v-22v compatible, adjustable settings, and easier to mount.
You'll also need a battery. Most displays and VidRx will run on around 12V, so a 3S LiPo (or three 18650 cells in series) will suit nicely. If you have to make your own wiring harness, you might as well power the Taranis off it, too.
A sun shade is a good idea (though you'd still need to avoid anything like direct sunlight).
You can physically attach the monitor in a few different ways, the simplest being one of those aluminium brackets that goes on the neck strap loop and has a tripod mount at the other end. Could go all the way up to a transmitter tray and full harness, but it's just going to come down to a personal preference for what feels comfortable to use.
It would depend of you budget. I am using Radiolink pixhawk for hexacopter we built from parts with my son. No issues with the controller, but there are more reliable options if you are willing to pay more. Here are links:
And GPS
Less weight, and you can reduce your power cable size.
I couldn't find one that does 48v-14v (doesn't mean it isn't out there), but this one from Amazon does 48v-12v.
You should be able to run the drone on 12v, they're pretty comfortable with voltage changes. You'll basically lose the top end of your throttle, but you don't want to be maxing out the motors for extended flight anyway.
ETA: DC voltage will also provide less EMF interference to mess with your signal.
I think it's a great build if you want the experience of builfing a drone, and there is lots of documentation online for building an f450 frame quad. Yes the pixhawk is better and I would buy that instead, unfortunately I didn't do a lot of research before I bought my kit or otherwise I would have gotten it too.
I use the Tower app to plan my "missions" for the quad. I have a telemetry radio unit that plugs directly into my phone (with an adapter) for communication with the drone wirelessly. Basically I use Tower to plan a course, click upload to drone and put the drone in Auto and it takes off, does the course and lands automatically.
Sure, all transmitter modules work with a PPM input, so it shouldn't be too hard to write an app for your phone to output it. Fairly sure there are already app like that.
The Walkera Magic Cube (and therefore the app it uses) might work with a raw PPM input as well.
[Edit] Universal RC transmitter should do what you want on the android side, and I'm sure you could find others as well.
A telemetry kit will allow you to view flight data (position, altitude, battery charge, orientation etc.) as well as sending commands (waypoints, changing flight modes, basic controls), among other features, depending on the kit/software of course. Something like this with this, also works with a PC with the regular APM software.
Too many options! That's why I was hoping there was some "tried and true" connector everyone used.
​
I've browsed through there a lot and generally found that the connectors are either overly bulky or surface-mount only for the female end.
​
I'm going to try the JST-SM connectors, but at 2.5mm pitch they seem a little overkill for my #28 AWG wires. :)
450mm wheelbase is pretty large - looks like this is your quad?
https://www.amazon.com/YoungRC-4-Axis-Airframe-Quadcopter-Landing/dp/B0776WLHX7
The holes the FC is mounted on - are they one of the standard modern sizes? Like 30x30 or 20x20? Regarding the connections, modern FCs favor soldering pads over plugs, and serial protocols (like SBUS) as opposed to wiring the receiver's servo ports to individual pin headers on the FC.
It also doesn't look like that frame has a camera mount - I think the first problem you would need to solve for FPV is determining how you are going to mount the FPV camera; maybe something custom 3D printed?
I recently built my first quad from an old HeliPal Storm kit, and ended up scrapping the frame, the FC, and the ESCs - really the only thing that made sense to reuse for me was the camera and the motors; I have an older-style receiver that is currently battery-strapped to the top of my frame.
Actually, there's a decent chance you'll fry that... for brushless drone type motors, you need an ESC designed for them and you need to control it with a PWM signal.
Odds are pretty good your motors are going to draw more than 15 amps at some point, which is going to fry the bridge on that controller.
You need something like this, matched to the motor's voltage/amperage: https://www.amazon.com/Readytosky-Brushless-Controller-Airplane-Helicopter/dp/B07XB19PRV/
Hey all. I just wanted to thank you all for the information and the links. I have found the following on Amazon that I think will fit the bill for my needs.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081YXT86D/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A32A7V0ESA8D26&psc=1
​
Thanks again all
A hobby-grade battery charger that supports LiPo batteries. Most of them have banana plug outputs, some have XT60 outputs and so you'd need an XT60-XT60 cable.
Something like this is probably the cheapest: https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Balance-Charger-Discharger-Batteries/dp/B09YY94NJP or https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6-ac-dc-charger-5a-50w-with-us-plug-copy.html
That notch type thingy is specifically popular among DJI drones/motors size for sure would be 1045 props. This is an example although out of stock https://www.amazon.in/EnterprisesHD-Propellers-10X4-5-Black-1CCW-1pair/dp/B08CSXLG8J
lol I might just use this janky thing, basically a "wire loom"
and idk grab some step downs to power the controller?
Most people flying drones aren't using Spektrum. The latency is much higher than FrSky et al.
I still use Spektrum tho. This is the current general purpose Rx: https://www.amazon.com/Spektrum-SRXL2-Serial-Receiver-SPM4650/dp/B07P8N2SCB
Also reference this post for setting up the half duplex mode. Note that
I'm not for sure if this fits your requirements since I've never built anything similar, but I imagine this would have enough power to start those magnets https://www.amazon.com/GLOBACT-Brushed-Traxxas-Granite-Senton/dp/B09CKQWM7D/
I am working on an autonomous drone project for around $500.
I am comparing the system on 2 embedded boards.
Brains Raspberrypi 4 8gb Tang hex zybo z7 7020 rpi format board
Drone QWinOut F550 Airframe RC Hexacopter Drone Kit DIY PNF Unassembly Combo Set with Kkmulticopter Flight Controller for Beginners (No Battery and Remote Controller) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PRNMY2M/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_EQ5QNFF8SFTNF5W98QYR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I am looking for other people who are interested in this project.
I have identified open source algorithms and code for much of the build.
https://www.amazon.ca/Upgraded-Motors-1800KV-Brushless-Quadcopter/dp/B07BWJ3D92?th=1
Im working with those motors
Don't know if you're still having issues or your remote control Anaconda worked but a simple solution is something called the Scarecrow. It's a simple device that hooks up to your garden hose and sprays out a jet of water when it detects motion. You place a couple pie pans nearby it and when the water strikes the pie pan The Flash and the noise will keep any animal away. The garden scarecrow. Battery operated so can be by your pool and the worst thing is maybe your deck gets a little bit wet oh, as if that's really a problem. Best of luck
COSTWAY Scarecrow Motion Activated Animal Repellent https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MF8Y2O4/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_M759CGEJA0KG8ASXQWSG.
OK. The cheap readytosky monitor on Amazon actually works. Far from the best, but it's about the cheapest you can get.
Readytosky 4.3" FPV Monitor 48CH 480 x 272 LCD Wireless Receiver Monitor Built-in Battery with Sun Hood LCD Hood Shade for RC FPV Quadcopter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JBW44ZN/
I've used neewer and flysight. Both work better than the little cheap ones. But that sun shade is nice. Larger monitors help you see better.
On the model, the caddx loris and the runcam hybrids both give great images after the fact. Crazy good. But you still use the relatively crappy resolution 5.8ghz to pilot.
Your over the air video is limited by bandwidth. The HD systems get you to 720p. Analog is less, maybe equivalent to a digital 320x240. So as an inspection system maybe use your over the air video to pilot, but run an HD camera or an action camera for your high definition video to review after your run?
Next step up for piloting is one of the HD video systems. DJI is popular. More expensive than the analog 5.8 stuff, but nice resolution.
I think that flight controller should have come with a bag of wires with connectors.
But I think you're looking for a JST SH 1.0mm 6-Pin, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Micro-1-0mm-6-Pin-Female-Connector/dp/B01MQZGJ52
I have this one and it worked with my spektrum dx8 back in 2016. At the time I had the receiver soldered directly to my F1 flight controller.
I left the hobby for 6 years, now I'm trying to get back into it but everything is SO different.
So I bought a Mamba but I can't get a definitive answer I whether it will work with a spektrum satellite.
OP is flying a camera drone, not fpv. There's not much to be done.
OP, you can look into something like this if your antennas are flat like dji but it's not going to be revolutionary and you'll have to make sure you're always pointed directly at the drone
clean the board with CRC contact cleaner and seal it with RTV silicone CleanerRTV silicone
Alright thanks! I am using my Tango 2 so that should work out. Would this cable work?
So you want to have around 2-3x more thrust than the total weight of the drone + payload.
7" might work, with what you've said they should have enough thrust. But I imagine tuning would be different on the flight controller. Flight time would be low but if you only need 10 min it might work.
It'd be better to just find some properly sized motors though if you can find some, a couple pop up on amazon which might work.
I see. I have these ESCs, a good deal more primitive than the single board ones I see some use, I don't think you can really intercede with the firmware on these.
I'm working on a very similar build and found the same problem. I found this thinking it would fix it but it hits the bolt heads for the arms. I'm working on a different version that has little cutouts for those.
I'd be happy to print an extra and send it to you if you want. It weighs about 5 grams so I can just pay regular first class postage, no biggy.
You should be able to cut off the side holes (not recommend) just stop right where the metal rings meet the board. You could also check out the (the vtx I personally use) rush fpv solo which is smaller, can fit on a 20 x 20 stack, is extremely reliable, and can do over 1 watt off out put power
I plan to use 2 way tape for everything.
Here is the camera and vtx I got. https://www.banggood.com/EWRF-TS5823-5\_8G-40CH-200mW-600mW-FPV-Transmitter-VTX-With-COMS-1000TVL-Camera-For-RC-Drone-p-1388365.html?rmmds=myorder&cur\_warehouse=CN&ID=558324
Here's one that I found in about 6 seconds. I have bought 1mm and 2mm heatshrink by itself in the past as well, so I'm sure you'll find that somewhere too.
just want it to have some camera vision capabilities. i think it would be fun.
this is the one that i am finalizing on. tx and rx come together.
Thanks. It is a Holybro X500 kit with a Pixhawk 4. https://www.banggood.com/Holybro-X500-Pixhawk-4-500mm-Wheelbase-Frame-Kit-Combo-2216-880KV-Motor-1045-Propeller-for-RC-Drone-p-1588063.html?cur_warehouse=CN&ID=529053&rmmds=search
I use it with my phone and an app called QGroungControl. Works great
I'm using this tx (https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-TS832-Boscam-FPV-5_8G-48CH-600mW-7_4-16V-Wireless-Transmitter-for-RC-Drone-FPV-Racing-p-975425.html?p=EM0306363706201312DW) and this vrx (https://www.banggood.com/SKYZONE-SKY02X-5_8Ghz-48CH-Diversity-FPV-Goggles-With-Head-Tracker-Front-Camera-Fan-2D-or-3D-HDMI-For-RC-Drone-p-1466959.html?p=EM0306363706201312DW)
Most short range drones use a 5.8 ghz technology for transmitting video to the operator.
However, some of the long range drones and wings use 1.2/1.3 gHz for video transmitter.
You can still use the above monitor but might need an external video receiver.
If they are not digital like the DJI system, they are transmitted on open channels , unencrypted.
One bit of advice, when you are watching such feeds for the first time , I would suggest sit down and watch it, some people get vertigo when they are watching such videos and may loose balance or tip over.
Good luck.
Eachine e010 is where I started cheap stable and upgradable. They can be converted to fpv and controlled with a multiprotocol module as skills improve. $12
If you feel like hobby grade parts the Mobula6 19000kv is great.
...or just get some [MR30 connectors](https://www.banggood.com/10-Pairs-Amass-MR30-Connector-Plug-With-Sheath-Female-Male-p-1040875.html?cur_warehouse=CN&rmmds=search)...
Have you considered the Flysky FS-i6x TX/RX? It is a bit of an upgrade over the FS-i6 and comes with the FS-X6B RX. You will have a hard time fitting in the FS-iA6 RX that comes with the FS-i6 in your frame.
Are you set on those ESCs? I think you will get a better experience out of a ESC with BLHeli_S.
I found a SPRacing F3 from here that came with silicone wires rather than the harder plastic wires that came with the banggood version.
With chinese new year around the corner, there should be deals popping up, but then will likely be delays in shipping.
On the flight controller, there's a 5v regulator that converts lipo voltage to 5v for the electronics. When you plug in a USB, it bypasses the regulator and gets powered by the USB's own voltage.
Quick fix, get a 5v regulator board, very cheaply (something like this https://www.amazon.com/iFlight-Adjustable-Step-Down-Voltage-Regulator/dp/B0823QLMWC/ ) And wire the inputs to your lipo and outputs to your FC's 5v rail. This will externally power the FC.
That's a lot of useful info to digest.
I don't mind soldering but I agree with you, the easier, the better. So I will probably go with this: https://www.banggood.com/MAMBA-F405-MK2-Betaflight-Flight-Controller-F40-40A-3-6S-DSHOT600-FPV-Racing-Brushless-ESC-30_5x30_5mm-p-1345001.html?akmClientCountry=DE&rmmds=cart_middle_products&cur_warehouse=UK. The BEC is not included, should I buy it separately or I don't need it?
I like the CL1 frame but it seems hard to get here in Germany without paying a lot of shipping fees. How are the frames you indicated better (weight, robustness, something else)?
Sorry for the many questions and thanks!
things i tried without result:
-changed motor (so this isn't motor/solder fault).
-change ESC/Motor protocol (tried all)
the fc/ESC all in 1 it's new and doesen't seems to have any damage.
TBS Source 1 frame you could swap out for a URUAV UF2 5inch frame which saves you roughly £3
You have two chargers on the list. If the one you currently own only goes up to 3S but has a balance port you can charge the 4S battery in two stages by setting it up as a 2S battery and using the balance cable to charge 2 cells at a time. Not exactly something you should do but it would save you £37 for now. I advise you to get the charger eventually tho.
2vs3 blade props. If you want more flight time then stick 2 blade props. If you want more thrust then go for the 3 blade but it will make your motors run harder and suck up more power doing it.
Your radio is a toy grade radio. The LP stands for "Low power" which means it has a rough range of 100m. If you leave that 100m then it's up to the onboard FC as to what it does next. With the F4/F7 it most likely will just drop out of the sky. Saying that tho for small indoor use it would be fine aslong as you get a DSMX reciever. (Jumper R1 is not)
If i was you i would first buy a decent radio+charger which will cost you anywhere from £150-£200 for example a Jumper T16 + Imax charger. (Hold out on the T16 as the T18 is coming and for the same price very soon)
Then over the following weeks/months buy the frame, motors, battery, props then when you have everything buy the FC.
A 5 inch quad with F7 FC will cost you roughly £160 all in. You will then need to get the Radio and charger on top. Visit Banggood and look at everything under "Drone parts" and add to basket. Leave £150 for a radio and you should be good.
You can buy the 900 MHz or 433 MHz telemetry radios that were pioneered by 3DR. One attaches to the PC USB, the other attaches to flight controller. You can then send commands via mavlink if you use Pixhawk, APM, or similar. It would probably work on betaflight, but I am not familiar with that flight controller.
What do you want to do with it? Just buzz around and take some video? That's a decent setup once you get it all assembled, but won't be winning any races or doing much freestyle.
Any basic F4 based flight controller will make that work great. Most of the common ones will work with Betaflight as well as INAV. Both of which are firmwares that handle flight control, while Betaflight tends to be targetted towards race and freestyle, and INAV towards navigation via GPS/compass.
This is an example of a very basic flight controller which will do everything you'd need to run either Betaflight or INAV on that 500. Toss in a BN-880, which is a serial GPS + i2c Compass unit (which the above linked FC supports) and you can have INAV follow waypoint paths you specify.
You'd probably want some 10" props for those 935kv motors. They're pretty cheap.
I don't see any FPV gear in your list. If you grab a TX805 and a cheap camera like this, and a set of goggles, which can be as little as $40 or as much as you're willing to take out a mortgage for, and you could have a cool FPV system to learn to fly on.
Do you think this one would be any good? There's a lot of accessories included for $15, so I'm a bit skeptical about it.
Take a look and see what you think Link
Thank you again for the very helpful response. If I understand correctly, a battery like this would be even better on paper because it is 75c. Also for the antennas, I believe I understand what you mean, just want to double check my selection before I buy lol. If I buy 2 of this in RP-SMA it should be OK, as the TX805 comes with an adapter for RP-SMA Female? Thanks for all the help again.
Appreciate the response. I do have a question, I was recommended the Eachine E013 goggles and the Eachine TX805 as my VTX. I was wondering about the antenna. I see that there are some very cheap options on banggood ($2), but some a bit more (10$). Is this something I can cheap out on a bit, and how do I choose the right one? I know that I need SMA connector (I can choose male or female) for the VTX and an RP-SMA connector for the goggles(Can't tell whether I need male or female), but nothing past that. Thanks again!
This is an easy to assemble kit that requires battery, transmitter and receiver and runs a Pixhawk 4 autopilot, which would communicate through Mavlink. I have never used it before, but it seems like it would be the closest to a ready to fly in the sensible price range.
Additionally, you can get a set of Eachine box goggles for about what you'd save by ditching the cardboard goggles and downgrading the Mamba stack.
These would be heaps better than cardboard goggles, still fairly cheap, and you could, again, pass them on to a friend to get them into the hobby when you eventually want to upgrade. If you get them, also get an upgrade antenna that matches whatever antenna you get for your video transmitter on the quad.
Keep in mind that SMA and RP-SMA are different, where one has the pin on the female side, the other has it on the male. Just take note of the connector on each item and order the appropriate antenna.
I've also just found this:
A VTX module that seems to go down to 0.01mW, although their power consumption/benchmarks don't seem to test for that.
If you want to learn to fly and are not AS concerned with DIY, check out the following:
Its a fully functional micro FPV with the goggles and battery and transmitter and everything for under $100. Once you get a feel for flying and navigating, you can use the goggles on another unit, as they're a standard 5.8ghz setup.
I forgot to mention the Power Distribution Board. Something like this will is cheap insurance for power distribution issues, and is actually required with that SPRacingF3 as I believe it requires a regulated 5v power source. These boards will distribute power from the battery out to the ESCs, and also provide a method for stepping down the higher battery voltage to 5v for accessories like the camera and flight controller. Many flight controllers have regulation on board for stepping VBAT (battery voltage) down to 5v, but I always prefer to use one of these boards, if space allows. They are purpose built with chunky components and are cheaper than a flight controller if it happens to burn up.
For anyone else in this situation. Step 1 is to watch a youtube video on the materials you need, the temperatures required, and the techniques of tinning. Step 2 is to buy something like this and ruin those before you ruin a $50 FC..
To OP: I don't mean to sound condescending, and I applaud your courage to try this without experience. I ruined a number of Radio Shack DIY projects when I was younger, myself, and it IS a valid way to learn, but a pretty expensive one.
The camera and transmitter don't need to be matched. That VTx looks alright yeah. It also supports changing transmitter power remotely by connecting it to your flight controller.
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The goggles do need to support the video format from the cam ie PAL or NTSC but most are good with both.
The VRx (often built in to goggles) needs an antenna that should be polarisation matched with the antenna on the drone (ie both LHCP, both RHCP, or both Linear (LH/LV) ). The connection type (SMA, RP-SMA, etc) is just the plug on the VTx or VRx and needs to be the same on that antenna and that plug but the one on the VTx can be different from the one on the VRx.
IMO you should either make your own or get the eachine ev800d which I've heard is the cheapest set worth having. I made one from this super cheap kit
I would suggest any F7 based FC with i2c pins, and you can add a compass after the fact. An F7 with OSD, PDB, Blackbox, Accel, Gyro and Baro are a dime a dozen (or more like $40) and you can slap a $5 magnetometer on it.
https://www.banggood.com/Matek-System-F722-SE-F7-Dual-Gryo-Flight-Controller-w-OSD-BEC-Current-Sensor-Black-Box-for-RC-Drone-p-1379603.html I like this FC. It has a few UARTS for GPS and such, and a bunch of other features, including Gyro, Accel and Baro.. It lacks a compass (magnetometer), but you can easily add that to the I2C pins with:
If nobody has any better suggestions I may go for the linked. It's not flat but for $20 it'll work.
These are $88 and prime. Not sure of the quality but worth the try. All the other product like gps etc. Are the too.
NEEWER® APM2.5 APM Flight Controller Board For Multicopter APM2.0 ARDUPILOT MEGA 2.5.2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EOGMNN8/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_FxrGub0J52NCZ
Solar wind was just a tongue-in-cheek reference to "random problems". It's odd that the charger acknowledged the warning, and powered through.
I don't have specific recommendations for active balancers, having never used one personally, but as an example: https://smile.amazon.com/Heltec-Inductive-Equalizer-Balancer-Transfer/dp/B09BFJL1B6/ref=sr\_1\_6
I didn't weigh the frame alone before adding all of the electronic bits onto it, but the finished quad weighs 410g. The battery alone is 138g of that, so lets say another ~40g is wiring, microcontroller and receiver. That leaves 232g for the frame. The official Hovership Thingiverse page lists the frame weight at ~133g with all hardware including motor screws though.
I've made a note to try the color prop idea for orientation, thanks!
There are no motors on your list.
What lipo battery are you planning buy ?
The IMAX B6 charger in your list is a cheap clone version. The failure rates of these clones is high. They have poor quality control. And some are at worst very dangerous. Search Youtube 'Imax B6 clone problems' to see what i mean. I seriously recommend the 'Original' IMax B6 version for safety reasons. You don't wanna take any chances when it comes to charging lipo's. Cheaping out on the charger is not worth it.
You could save some money on the PDB board. I doubt you'll need the current sensor or the 6S rating. This Matek board will do the same thing just fine as long as you don't go higher than a 4S lipo. https://www.banggood.com/Matek-Systems-PDB-XT60-W-BEC-5V-12V-2oz-Copper-For-RC-Multirotors-p-1049051.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN
Consider 3 blade props instead of 4 blades as those will draw more amperage and give you less flight time.
Hmm, that's a weird old design. This looks like around the same size and is much more modern and easier to hook up: https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-ATX03-Mini-5_8G-72CH-025mW50mw200mW-Switchable-FPV-Transmitter-w-Audio-p-1141121.html?rmmds=detail-left-hotproducts__6&cur_warehouse=CN
Any thoughts on this for a starting place?https://www.banggood.com/Diatone-2018-GT-Tyrants-630-4S-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-F4-8K-OSD-TBS-800mW-VTX-50A-3-6S-ESC-p-1337642.html?rmmds=search&cur_warehouse=CN
I would probably switch to 1700kv motors down the road, but this would guarantee that everything is compatible starting out.
Thoughts?
That has a camera, but no goggles. If you really want a full package for under $100, get this. If you upgrade to another quad later you'll be able to reuse the goggles but not the radio.
The FC/ESC combo is specifically for brushless motors. If you want to use brushed motors, you can't use that ESC. Some specialty flight controllers have "brushed ESCs" built in (i.e., they have a single transistor that turns the motor on/off), but in general you can not connect the motors directly. For video there are some usable all-in-one solutions for under $20. (Note that these are not recommendations for these specific parts, I just pulled up some random ones to give you an idea what to look for.)
I would check out some newer flight controllers.
For example this has a built in OSD, has a newer more powerful processor and other new features. I can't personally recommend that FC because I haven't used it, but I am aware of it lol...
I've went down the route of buying all the cheap slightly older stuff before only to end up having to buy it all twice. I kind of regret not buying one of the bind and fly kits so that I could just get on with flying, and then go about building my own once I learned a bit more!
https://www.banggood.com/Matek-Systems-PDB-XT60-W-BEC-5V-12V-2oz-Copper-For-RC-Multirotors-p-1049051.html?rmmds=myorder&stayold=1 is this the PDB you are using? If so, should it be that the XT60 plug is just bad for that brand? Does your new one work and for how long?
> https://www.banggood.com/FrSky-2_4G-16CH-Taranis-X9D-Plus-SE-Transmitter-SPECIAL-EDITION-w-M9-Sensor-Water-Transfer-Case-p-1134370.html?rmmds=detail-bottom-alsobought__1&cur_warehouse=CN > > Is this the Frisky Qx7 I need to buy? Do you have a certain vendor you recommend or do you think banggood will suffice? > > Do you have any other resources you could recommend to me as a beginner needing to soak up as much knowledge as possible? > > Thanks in advance.
Is this the Frisky Qx7 I need to buy? Do you have a certain vendor you recommend or do you think banggood will suffice?
Do you have any other resources you could recommend to me as a beginner needing to soak up as much knowledge as possible?
Thanks in advance.
Would you recommend that transmitter with the ev800d goggles?
I'd recommend Pluto drone to you. It is low cost, robust and nano config.
However, you'd have to separately procure the FPV camera and couple it with any FPV goggles.
It won't be the best for competitive drone racing but ideal for you to begin with and make a lot of mistakes on.