11
votes
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Beginner looking to try a DIY plane, any suggestions on a kit?
Probably the easiest way to get started building planes these days is with foam board models, such as those popularised by FliteTest. Foam board is a 5mm thick non-beaded polystyrene foam sheet with a ...
- 7,428
10
votes
What should I look for when choosing an FPV camera?
When choosing an FPV camera, there are several things that you need to look out for:
Sensor Technology
Most modern FPV cameras use a CMOS sensor. These are digital sensors that generally tend to have ...
- 4,422
10
votes
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What are good specifications for a intermediate medium priced quadcopter?
Okay, as someone who has just recently passed through this stage, here's my take on it. Almost all of the considerations below stem from the maxim that the best drone for you is one that you will fly ...
- 2,997
10
votes
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Are there any alternatives to BetaFlight?
Among open-source options, Emuflight, INav & Ardupilot (different focus) Butterflight (mostly defunct), Raceflight (mostly defunct). There is still Cleanflight and Baseflight, which are the ...
- 846
9
votes
What should I look for when buying FPV goggles?
There are several factors that are important for what FPV goggles are right for you:
Type
The first thing you’ll notice is that there are two main types of FPV goggles: slimline and box.
Slimline ...
- 4,422
8
votes
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Drones for spelunking?
If it were me, there are two different kinds of drones I would want. A tiny whoop and a cinewhoop.
Tinywhoop is a loose definition of a very small drone that's about 3 inches wide with guards/ducts ...
- 525
8
votes
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ESCs for inverted flight?
ESCs loaded with recent versions of BLHeli (BLHELI_S and BLHELI_32) will support reversible motor direction, either through ...
- 6,018
8
votes
Reasonably priced FPV Drone for beginner
let me clarify a few things that may help you decide on direction, if any, to take. Your question is not really something anyone can objectively answer because you need to consider what your level of ...
- 1,068
7
votes
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What should I keep in mind when picking my first drone?
An important first step to take when getting into drones is learning to fly them. The very first drone I would recommend to someone is a cheap drone that can be used to learn to fly. It can be ...
- 5,792
7
votes
what HD cameras should be used and for what purpose?
I don't know about all the cameras, but here is my opinion.
If you want the best video quality you can get today and not be too heavy for a 5" FPV drone, then you want the GoPro Hero 8. That will ...
- 1,160
7
votes
Learning how to fly a 3" quad
Throttle scaling is not training wheels so don't feel back about using it. It's never fun to fly a quad with a throttle that is too touchy.
Another option is throttle expo which you can turn on in ...
6
votes
Accepted
Finding a ready-to-fly Taranis compatible, Eachine compatible, S4 compatible under 200€ drone
I think the Cidora SL5-E is a very good choice. What you need to look for is the "BNF" suffix in the description which stands for "Bind and Fly". In that case a receiver is already ...
- 486
6
votes
Beginner looking to try a DIY plane, any suggestions on a kit?
I recently started flying myself (Approximately once a week over the past few months) and can recommend a flying wing made out of foam (Expanded Polystyrene (EPP)) with an electric pusher prop and a ...
- 295
5
votes
Accepted
How do I pick my gear when getting started with FPV multirotors?
There are quite a few aspects of FPV, so a I’ll give a summary here. I’ll try to be concise so if any extra info is required or wanted, please let me know.
The first thing to look at when you’re ...
- 4,422
5
votes
Accepted
What propellers should I get for my drone?
The first step to getting the right propellers is to figure out what size propellers will fit your drone. What you can do is measure the distance from the center of the motor to the closest thing (...
- 5,792
5
votes
How to determine the lowest safe ESC current rating for a drone build?
I think most people just copy other builds, and step up a size if they burn out any ESCs.
If you want to be more scientific you could test one motor with a watt-meter to measure the current draw. ...
- 7,428
5
votes
Good beginner 6-ch radio with configurable controls under $80
From what I've seen and experienced, the FlySky FS-i6X (or the i6 version for a little less) is the "gold standard" ultra-budget RC radio. I own two (funny story for some other time), and ...
- 6,018
5
votes
Good beginner 6-ch radio with configurable controls under $80
While ifconfig is right to recommend the Flysky FS-i6 because it has everything most pilots ever need, I should add that the next step up is only just above your $80 price point.
The Taranis QX7 and ...
- 7,428
5
votes
Proper rotor fastening (Nyloc nut)
@JacobB's answer that you just need to tighten the nut more is correct, but I just want to explain why it (feels like it) is stuck when it is flush with the top of the motor shaft.
Nyloc nuts, or ...
- 2,664
5
votes
Please recommend a soldering iron for hobby use
Experience: I worked for HP R&D for 31 years soldering and building boards as an Electronic Engineering Technician.
First you need to decide if you are working on surface mount parts or through ...
- 51
4
votes
How to determine the lowest safe ESC current rating for a drone build?
You can calculate the rating using one or both of the following equations; just rearrange and/or substitute values as needed:
P = I x V
Power (Watts) = Current (Amps) x Voltage (Volts)
V = I x R
...
- 6,056
4
votes
Accepted
Drones to fly indoors
This depends - do you want to fly FPV or LOS, angle or acro?
For the LOS angle, I absolutely love the Hubsan X4 H107C. It’s relatively cheap, flies smoothly and is really robust. There is also a ...
- 4,422
4
votes
Free simulators to use when actual RC flying is not possible
For quadrotors, there are simulators for racing drones, such as the DRL one Velocidrone.
For camera platform drones you have droneSimPro, Liftoff or DJI's own one. There are loads of them, and the ...
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4
votes
How do I pick my gear when getting started with FPV multirotors?
Here is my advice for getting started in FPV.
Step 1: Get a Radio, Fly a Simulator
The first step is to buy a quality radio. Pilots who are used to video game controllers might like a FrSky X-Lite ...
- 1,160
4
votes
Accepted
Is WiFi drone control protocol standardized?
Since no one has answered this question in pretty much a day, I'm gonna spread my half-knowledge now :)
I have never heard of a standardized wifi drone control protocol. However, I wouldn't be ...
- 577
4
votes
Accepted
Motor size and Kv advice for ZD550?
There are a lot variables when it comes to building your own drone, so there will be a variety of motor sizes and Kvs that will work.
I think the recommended motor size for the ZD550 is 3508 (like ...
- 5,792
4
votes
Accepted
Budget drone capable of lifting 0.5 - 1 kg and flying ~2km radius
The flight you describe is 100% illegal in the US requiring 107/commercial license + BVLOS waiver. BVLOS waivers are very rare, 61 issued searching the DB for "107.31" here: https://www.faa....
- 1,068
4
votes
Estimate position of a balloon attached to a quadcopter
The simple answer would be a potentiometer, as used for position feedback in a servo. You apply a voltage to the outer two contacts and measure the voltage at the moving, middle connection.
The next ...
- 7,428
4
votes
Accepted
Proper rotor fastening (Nyloc nut)
I've had the same thing happen when using these same motors and props (and others). The propeller seems to get stuck at a point where it is not flush with the motor. From my experience, the solution ...
- 5,792
4
votes
Accepted
What is the advantage of using more motors?
Adding more motors will generally give you more power, meaning you can lift more. You will however need a bigger battery to get the same hover time, since more motors will use more power as well. So ...
- 2,664
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