FPV Quad Copter

Anyone try out one of these?
Looks rather interesting now the snow is clearing.
Anything to watch for?
The local model shops do not stock them for some reason, suggested I look online!

Looking at one for my grandson!
Max.

Make sure you get a radio-controlled one, not IR-controlled, if you want to use it outdoors.

I suggest something along those lines:
http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-H...h-Camera-Mode-2-RTF-p-67794_html-p-67794.html
http://www.banggood.com/Hubsan-X4-H107C-2_4G-4CH-RC-Quadcopter-With-Camera-Mode-2-RTF-p-75824.html
And pick some extra batteries!
It doesn't stream the video, it just records it in an SD card for post flight view.
BUT it is cheap. Trust me, anything you buy them will break, since it is their frist aerial vehicle.
It's preferable to get them something that they will enjoy and don't fear of breaking too much. Don't forget that it's their first quad.
If they like the hobby, there's always room for upgrades.

I have some catching up to do, the RC of my youth involved building single channel superhet receivers!
One I am looking at can relay the camera view to my 10" Android pad.
ebay 221352102486
Max.

I think you'll find out that a beginner can't pilot well through a 10'' screen.

It's pretty much the same as driving a car on reverse with the rear view mirror. We always suggest the new drivers to turn their head around to get a better perspective, or else expensive things happen...

We bought the Hubson that ego linked to. It flies really well and has Microcontroller/accelerometer assist so it flies by itself - you just have to steer. Tiny size and many replacement parts on the web (props and batteries are essentially consumables).

Good quality for the price. Just be careful which aftermarket batteries you buy - dealers are calling things "Lithium Batteries" that could be anything from rocks to fire balls.

MaxHeadRoom said:

Anyone try out one of these?
Looks rather interesting now the snow is clearing.
Anything to watch for?
The local model shops do not stock them for some reason, suggested I look online!

Looking at one for my grandson!
Max.

Click to expand...

If I was younger, I'd buy a few of these copters from Hobby King:

https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking...ize_Nitro_3D_Helicopter_Kit_Torque_Tube_.html

Looks like a load of fun!

It is just the idea of having a view from the pilot seat that is attractive with FPV.
Some even fly to GPS coordinates.
max.

It is very attractive technology indeed. I should know, I'm atracted to it alright!

But understand that it is neither plug-and-play technology nor a cheap one - at least not yet.

You must know what you are doing to get remotely decent and consistent results.

But, to counter-balance my warnings, here is my favourite FPV video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5pazsq3Qto

Georacer said:

here is my favourite FPV video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5pazsq3Qto

Click to expand...

Stupid question: why propellers seem to be in pieces? Frame rate is not reason enough, I think.

Hello Max Headroom, just in case you don't already frequent the RC Groups website, here is the link for the multi-rotor discussion forum there.
http://www.rcgroups.com/multirotor-talk-659/?&

RC Groups is far and away the most heavily visited website for RC aircraft enthusiasts, and the folks there are extremely helpful with technical questions. A ready-to-fly (RTF) FPV quad-rotor like the Walkera QRX 350 will run you a few hundred dollars, BUT the $70 coax helicopter in this link below will take aerial pictures and video of startlingly crisp resolution, from altitudes as high as 500 feet, I kid you not.

http://www.rccontrolledcars.com/rc-...nel-2-4ghz-metal-rc-helicopter-w-video-camera

This coax helicopter is dead easy to fly, and will return to a stable hover if you simply take your hands off the controls. Just pick relatively windless days and a wide open area for retrieval, if you plan to fly this tiny bird really high.

While this coax helicopter is not an FPV platform, it allows me to record superb aerial video footage and still photographs at a comparatively small price, to whet my appetite as I assemble parts for by Bixler2 powered glider FPV bird, which is also discussed extensively in a dedicated thread, currently running 410 pages long, at the RC Groups website.

Apologies to anyone who remembers me raving about the UDI 13A coax helicopter here in this forum a while back.

atferrari said:

Stupid question: why propellers seem to be in pieces? Frame rate is not reason enough, I think.

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Can you tell me which second of the video you are referring to?

MaxHeadRoom said:

Anyone try out one of these?
Looks rather interesting now the snow is clearing.
Anything to watch for?
The local model shops do not stock them for some reason, suggested I look online!

Looking at one for my grandson!
Max.

Click to expand...

If first time flying then I think the AR Drone 2.0 is the easiest one to fly. It does not come with a remote control, you have to install on app on your iPhone or Android to be able to fly it through WiFi...

Next one after that is probably the DJI Phantom. This one you can attach a GoPro camera to it, and you can get really nice footage and it has enough power to also carry a transmitter for FPV.

After having an AR Drone 2.0, I am skipping the DJI Phantom, and I am doing the next thing after that. I am building my own F550 hexacopter. I spent about $2,000 on it so far, and I still was not able to fly it yet. I made so many bad choices and mistakes... now I have to replace the ESCs, motors, and get new propellers, and I am still not sure if that will fix the problem I am having... it would have been cheaper if I would just buy one already built and calibrated by someone that is professional. I thought it would be easy for me since I know programming, and electronics... yea, right!

Regardless of the choices you make (on what quad you buy), prepare to spend double it's price for extra batteries, props, and god knows what else!

atferrari said:

Stupid question: why propellers seem to be in pieces? Frame rate is not reason enough, I think.

Click to expand...

No, it's the frame rate... it's because parts of the CCD camera don't take a "frame" at the same time as other parts of the same CCD. The camera is probably divided in several small sections that take snapshot, and then the processing puts together all the parts to make the full (big) frame. This is why it looks like it's in pieces, it's because the propellers spin so fast that a piece of the CCD may capture the prop, but other parts of the CCD may not capture it...

I don't like DJI products. They remind me of the commercial practices of Apple, and I don't like that brand either.

Georacer said:

I don't like DJI products. They remind me of the commercial practices of Apple, and I don't like that brand either.

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Honestly I don't like it either! I think they overpriced their products, and they have their own bugs (like fly aways)
That's why I only got the frame of the DJI F550, but everything else is not DJI...

This is my current setup (that does not work)
DJI F550 frame, NTM 28-26A 1200kv motors, TURNIGY Plush 30amp ESCs, MultiWii PRO Flight Controller, Turnigy 5000mAh 4S 40C Lipo, Turnigy 9X Transmitter, 8x5 Carbon fibre props

I want to get new ESCs with SimonK firmware, new brand motors because the NTM's are way too fragile, and new props... well because I crashed many times and they have too many dents and scratches.

Hopefully after this it will finally fly OK...

Judging by my limited experience, most problems arise in electronic components in the embedded systems (Flight Controller, smart ESCs etc), caused by brown-outs, interference, bugs in the software or pilot error.
Mechanical and electrical components are much more fault-tolerant.

Your right! for example one of the first problems I had, it was the power wiring interfering with the compass of the Flight Controller, it took me a while a few crashes until I figured that out. The solution to that is to put the Flight Controller away from the power board, on top of the F550, and the battery under it...

My current problem is that I can't get the hex to be stationary, it drifts one way or another, and also I feel like there is a slight delay when I want to move it... so I think it's the ESCs, that's why I want to get more responsive ESCs with SimonK firmware, I hear that those are really good and fly very smooth.

By the way, another quad I like that competes with DJI Phantom and cheaper; it is the Blade 350 QX Quadcopter. I saw some videos with it, and it looks and performs awesome!!

I'm a fixed-wing guy, so I can't help you much with multirotors.

But in the case of magnetometers and GPS, make sure you somehow place them at least 5-10cm away from batteries and motor/ESC power wires.

CVMichael said:

If first time flying then I think the AR Drone 2.0 is the easiest one to fly. t...

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Thanks, As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have some catching up to do, I am hoping to get my grandson interested.
I dug out an old annual copy of one of my books, It starts out with the following:
'The year 1964-65 has been an eventful year in Radio Control and has seen some significant changes'!

Looks like my summer time has been allotted!
Max.

CVMichael said:

No, it's the frame rate... it's because parts of the CCD camera don't take a "frame" at the same time as other parts of the same CCD. The camera is probably divided in several small sections that take snapshot, and then the processing puts together all the parts to make the full (big) frame. This is why it looks like it's in pieces, it's because the propellers spin so fast that a piece of the CCD may capture the prop, but other parts of the CCD may not capture it...

Click to expand...

It looks that the "scan" developes starting at several places at the same time. That would explain the many parts of a propeller you can see at a certain moment.