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Mister Sinewave posted:Is it not as well made as it seems, or is that a comment about how our exchange rate sucks You still need a GoPro, and every phantom is a better deal
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Mar 11, 2016 00:15
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patentmagus posted:I've been using de-pinned KS-SERVO 8ch receivers to good effect. I solder them directly to the FC and then use double sided tape to stick then to the FC. I have a couple 4ch ones on order because rumor has it that they act the same in ppm mode as the 8ch. OpenPilot/taulabs/droning have better gps support than cleanflight, but apm is still better for autonomy. You can get a full pixhawk set with gps for 207 now
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Mar 11, 2016 00:17
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A Yolo Wizard posted:You still need a GoPro, and every phantom is a better deal Right now you can get a Phanton 3 Standard for $450 which isn't bad considering it is a 2.7K capable camera with 720P Downlink. Technically a upgraded Phantom 2 Vision+ in every way.
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Mar 11, 2016 00:23
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DJI got back to me with the same "we don't have a authorized repair/warranty program kthxbye" as last time. Motherfucker a list of existing ones is right there on your own web page 
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Mar 11, 2016 00:35
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I picked up a Helimax Form500 on special from Tower for just around $250. Really impressed with it so far, especially considering the price. It's got GPS, came with a 5000mAh 3S, a Tactic 8 channel transmitter, and a set of rails on the bottom. I've had fun doing basic air stuff, but would really like to level out the video footage I get from my GoPro. Is there a thread-recommended gimbal that might scratch that itch? I've got a JST plug up front that seems like it'd be perfect for that.
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Mar 11, 2016 00:39
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It's finally not windy or raining here, so I got to take out my untuned, brand new control board, brand new frame out for a spin. Once I get the PIDs dialed in I'll start doing more flow stuff, but I was just getting a feel for it. Also, my first video with the HD cam strapped on the hood and around the 4th time with the FPV gear. Learning to Dance I'm excited to get more practice and start doing some acrobatics!
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Mar 11, 2016 03:40
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Mar 11, 2016 16:26
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an AOL chatroom posted:I picked up a Helimax Form500 on special from Tower for just around $250. Really impressed with it so far, especially considering the price. It's got GPS, came with a 5000mAh 3S, a Tactic 8 channel transmitter, and a set of rails on the bottom. I've had fun doing basic air stuff, but would really like to level out the video footage I get from my GoPro. Is there a thread-recommended gimbal that might scratch that itch? I've got a JST plug up front that seems like it'd be perfect for that. Tarot t-2D is cheap and works well enough. It won't be DJI quality but it will certainly get you decent shots.
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Mar 11, 2016 16:32
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Just ordered 15 Flite test sparrow kits to build with the local air cadets. Should be interesting. Anyone else watch the Dubai races? What a loving bore. If we had that poor of a turnaround time at the races I attend the race director would be having a fit. The grandstands started off full but after the second race it seems they all decided they had better things to do. Kind of sad to watch what obviously took a ton of prep work to get going only to turn it off out of boredom.
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Mar 11, 2016 21:04
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I keep debating on getting an Osmo since I have the Zenmuse x3 from my Inspire 1. Are they worth the money?
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Mar 11, 2016 23:44
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New personal distance record. 6KM. Despite flying into a 30km/h wind. Could have gone further, but I wasn't liking the idea of landing in the dark in that wind.  And the OSD screen is being picked up by an Omni. 6km, Omni, 200mW, 5.8ghz. Worth every penny. Golluk fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Mar 12, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 01:10
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That is impressive as hell.
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Mar 12, 2016 04:27
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I have a hard time getting a decent signal at 100m with a 200mw 5.8ghz TX. TELL ME YOUR SECRETS
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Mar 12, 2016 05:22
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line of sight and good antenna
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Mar 12, 2016 15:39
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Golluk posted:And the OSD screen is being picked up by an Omni. 6km, Omni, 200mW, 5.8ghz. Worth every penny. Is your antenna an omni or do you mean something different by "Omni." ?
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Mar 12, 2016 16:28
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It's an omni-directional. Pair of these to be specific http://videoaerialsystems.com/airblade/ . I am starting to think this 200mW is likely running much higher though. I've heard of some being measured closer to 400mW. Also keeping my body between the radio Tx and the VRx seems to help. 433mhz to 5.8ghz is allot of separation, but when that 433mhz signal is 600-700mW 4 feet away, it's loud. Golluk fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Mar 12, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 16:41
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Golluk posted:It's an omni-directional. Pair of these to be specific http://videoaerialsystems.com/airblade/ . ... Ohhhhh - I like that site. Nice videos.
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Mar 12, 2016 18:26
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Took out my vortex 250 pro quad this morning to the field for the first time, this is seriously a nice plug and play kit and you can do all the settings through the osd and your radio. It was actually my first time flying fpv after flying my Zmr250 LOS for a year. Now I need to build some air gates...
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Mar 13, 2016 00:31
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Follow-up to my earlier question: got a buddy coming out to West Africa from the US so I can finally get some stuff delivered here. What's the best quad nano-copter (those quarter-size ones) under $50? Just want something tiny for flying around the living room to get some practice, and amaze my Liberian colleagues with the power of tech. Additionally/alternately, what's a decent nano-quad for dirt cheap that might survive at least a couple days? I might take a few utter cheapies up into the bush as gifts for some friends up in the villages, with the caveat that it's basically a disposable toy that will fall apart after a week or so.
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Mar 13, 2016 15:24
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:Follow-up to my earlier question: got a buddy coming out to West Africa from the US so I can finally get some stuff delivered here. What's the best quad nano-copter (those quarter-size ones) under $50? Just want something tiny for flying around the living room to get some practice, and amaze my Liberian colleagues with the power of tech. Cheerson CX-10. They're $10-20, and nice and durable. Buy two, or buy $5 of props on ebay before you go.
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Mar 13, 2016 16:22
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Nerobro posted:Cheerson CX-10. They're $10-20, and nice and durable. Buy two, or buy $5 of props on ebay before you go. And if you want higher end, yet still flyable indoors, with better outside flying. Check out the Hubsan X-4. Again, a bag of spare props would be a good idea. Roughly twice the price/size though. Still fits in the palm of your hand. Transmitter is bigger and much easier to use. Or, you can just get the X4 transmitter and use it on the Cheerson.
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Mar 14, 2016 05:18
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Golluk posted:And if you want higher end, yet still flyable indoors, with better outside flying. Check out the Hubsan X-4. Again, a bag of spare props would be a good idea. Roughly twice the price/size though. Still fits in the palm of your hand. Transmitter is bigger and much easier to use. Or, you can just get the X4 transmitter and use it on the Cheerson. +1 on the Hubsan X4. The remote alone is worth the purchase over a lot of others with their toy remotes. The latest version has an even upgraded remote with more info about trim and battery on the display. Plus the range on the thing is nuts. (well outside of visual except the little LED's and I have never lost control).
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Mar 14, 2016 18:16
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The X4 is the only drone I own, so I can't really give a basis for comparison, but it is fun as hell. I've never lost connection, it can deal with a moderate breeze, and it's withstood a lot of bad piloting without breaking. Definitely buy replacement props though.
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Mar 14, 2016 18:59
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 Turnigy Graphene 1300mAh 3S 45C LiPo Pack w/ XT60 Would buying two or three of these along with a pack charger be a good investment for a first battery buy? Refer to my FT Versacopter build post from earlier.
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Mar 15, 2016 23:58
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Flavor Truck posted:
They're only $3 more than the nanotech, so I guess I can't really say no I have the thunder power charger with the built in power supply, which turnigy makes a clone of Here, but it appears to be on backorder. moron izzard fucked around with this message at 01:54 on Mar 16, 2016 |
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Mar 16, 2016 01:52
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A Yolo Wizard posted:They're only $3 more than the nanotech, so I guess I can't really say no Hmm, that does look nice. It's 50 bucks for the power supply effectively. But an extra 20-30 bucks to get it all in one? I'd say its worth it.
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Mar 16, 2016 03:01
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Flavor Truck posted:
SMC packs are supposedly really good. That test is prior to graphene series being released, so I am not sure how they stack up. I am waiting for some 4s packs from them now. http://www.smc-racing.net/index.php?route=product/product&path=67_121&product_id=235 As far as chargers, I prefer having multiple charge ports available to one charger and a parallel board. I have just never trusted parallel boards at all. http://www.headsuphobby.com/SkyRC-Quattro-B6-Balance-Charger-with-T-Plug-Charging-Leads-G-865.htm is a very nice charger. To power it you can buy a server power supply off ebay and modify it yourself or you can buy from somewhere like this http://www.lipoconnectionsolutions.com/12v-Power-Supplies_c13.htm I have always been a big fan of buying nicer stuff for your ground kit, why spend $250 on a plane that could be a total loss from a crash, but then cheap out and buy a $30 charger that you will use for years to come.
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Mar 16, 2016 14:08
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I just bought a power supply from http://lipoconnectionsolutions.com/ - their 12v is cheap as chips. I ended up getting the 24 volt w/ a 12 volt option. way cheaper than the other seller I was looking at (feather merchant RC)
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Mar 16, 2016 15:41
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A Yolo Wizard posted:I just bought a power supply from http://lipoconnectionsolutions.com/ - their 12v is cheap as chips. I ended up getting the 24 volt w/ a 12 volt option. way cheaper than the other seller I was looking at (feather merchant RC) Yeah, I have had mine for about 8 months, never had a problem. Mine is a Dell power supply (62amps at 12 volts), he apparently had his supply on those dry up since he uses a different model now. I got it on sale for like $32 shipped with 2 sets of 4mm bullets on it. I was going to do my own but that same power supply was $20 shipped on ebay and I would have had to solder it all myself. It isn't as pretty as something like an e-fuel, but an efuel is $90.00 for 17amps at 12 volts. When I am charging 4s batteries at 8.8 amps, it sounds like a jet taking off though. It barely hums when I am doing 3s batteries.
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Mar 16, 2016 15:53
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nerox posted:I have always been a big fan of buying nicer stuff for your ground kit, why spend $250 on a plane that could be a total loss from a crash, but then cheap out and buy a $30 charger that you will use for years to come. Because for a lot of people, it's add to the entry price and a $30 charger can still last you a long time. I only just bought a new charger (The Reaktor 300W mentioned above) and got along just fine with my previous 50W charger. It was only really the larger lipos (5000mAh+) that was an issue.
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Mar 16, 2016 17:20
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Had a touch of excitement with a grossly overpowered DAL180 (multistar 2204 2300's and a 3S, 45C battery). I flew the thing into a semi clear area of my backyard and switched it over to autotune flight mode (hobbyking ,icro APM clone). The dang thing twitched around in the air a bit, as expected, then rocketed straight up and turned into a dot in the sky. Remarkably, the receiver never lost contact and I was able to slowly bring the dot back. The receiver is a KS-Servo 8ch and transmitter is the internal transmitter of a Taranis X9D. The speed with which it gained altitude is awe inspiring. This build is in serious need of tuning because it twitches around during regular hover and the twitches don't settle out. I've already turned the "P" value of PID down as far as the config tool lets me. I can only think of three things to try. One is just iterating manually through PID settings and hoping for clue. Two is trying to set the maximum output to the motors to 500 or something and trying autotune again. Three is getting a 2S battery and trying autotune again. There are no cameras or GPS installed yet. It does have compass and barometer though. Any other ideas?
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Mar 16, 2016 21:58
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Ditch the APM and get something with software designed for overpowered miniquads. If you want autotune look for something that runs dronin firmware.
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Mar 16, 2016 23:45
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helno posted:Ditch the APM and get something with software designed for overpowered miniquads. I think your suggestion will simply result in the same problem after a rebuild with a different FC. There isn't anything bogging down the APM and PID control isn't exactly taxing.
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Mar 16, 2016 23:57
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I'm not kidding. Newer flight controllers do so much better of a job with miniquads compared two an 8 bit APM. I used a pair of them on two different miniquads in the last year. All the tuning in the world would not get something that would hover well and fly fast and turn aggressively. Buying a pair of Naze 32s fixed that in a hurry.
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Mar 17, 2016 00:11
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patentmagus posted:I think your suggestion will simply result in the same problem after a rebuild with a different FC. There isn't anything bogging down the APM and PID control isn't exactly taxing. Yeah but it's a DAL180, the APM is the exact wrong FC for that build. If you had a 250+ and wanted to do FPV but also have a decent video platform mayyyyybe APM would be the way to go but definitely not sub 250. You can definitely get the APM working, but if you get a cleanflight board there is like an entire forum full of people over at rcgroups who have built your EXACT parts list(no matter what it is) and can tell you exactly how to get it running perfectly. I was sort of eyerolly at everyone making GBS threads on every non-cleanflight board at first too, I was convinced CC3d was the only way to go, but there is a reason for it's popularity. CF/BF boards and software is simply the best and easiest route.
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Mar 17, 2016 00:11
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Yeah, stick a Naze32 on it and be done with it. Also pretty sure that the DAL 180 is designed to use 3S or 4S, so you might as well learn to fly it on a 3S 
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Mar 17, 2016 01:24
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OK OK, Thank you all. I'm convinced - no more APMs and stick that new-in-bag naze32 into the DAL180. It just sucks to take all that APM experience and flush it. I've been avoiding the shift for too long, I guess. Oddly, I went from naze32 -> APM because of autonomy and trying to standardize on an FC and related software for all my builds. That was a while ago though, back when parrot's AR drone was a thing. Regarding 4s LiPo, I shudder to think what 4s / 45C batteries would yield. I had to remap the throttle so that the thing didn't launch insanely from a little up stick. I'd rather have more mAh than volts. Is cleanflight preferable to librepilot for beasties like twitchy overpowered racing quads? How about for autonomy?
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Mar 17, 2016 02:05
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There's no point in autonomy on a mini/micro quad. They're meant to be flown 'manual' via FPV. Cleanflight is good, but I reckon Betaflight is better. Most mini's seem to work right out of the box with Betaflight.
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Mar 17, 2016 08:01
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ImplicitAssembler posted:There's no point in autonomy on a mini/micro quad. They're meant to be flown 'manual' via FPV. The newest build of Cleanflight has most of the good changes of Betaflight merged in(Air Mode etc...). I'd stick with Cleanflight for now so you don't have to deal with any potential issues of using Beta software. You can always re-flash to Betaflight in the future if there's a killer feature you're missing.
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Mar 17, 2016 11:11
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I spent hours last night programming and tweaking my Taranis and testing it with Liftoff. After significant trial and error, I now understand the difference between Mode 1 and Mode 2, the NA/EU throttle stick-side difference. At first, I was flying using my right stick as throttle thinking to myself "This can't be right, why isn't the adjustable stick my throttle?" Practically kicked myself when I read about the difference and figured out how to switch my channel functions around. This is pretty cool.
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Mar 17, 2016 18:09
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