Just thought I would update this thread since its been awhile and I just finished my second tricopter. I didnt go all out crazy on this one and managed to do this one cheaper than what just the flight controler cost for the original drone. This one is not a drone but just a Rc copter since it cant do autonomous flight and has no video.(I’m really gonna miss all those GPS features) But in the long run I wont feel as bad destroying a 300dollar copter as opposed to my 1k+ drone.
I just finished building it and havent even done the maiden flight but I think it will be flyable on the first go since its a much simpler Flight controler.
Of course there was a couple issues I ran into first being I forgot to order a extension cable so they have to share one for the time being. The other issue I ran into was that the new reciever they sent me does not work at all, So again I had to steal my working one off the drone to get this thing setup.
As well The drone did get some new goodies. My OSD (on screen display) came in which will allow me to view all the flight telemetrics and gps info right through my goggles as I’m flying it in real time.
I’ve been kicking around the Idea for the drone of running 2 3watt IR led and getting a lens for the camera that doesn’t filter it so I can kill the visible lights and still have night vision.
Introducing the flying flashlights big brother! I was really shocked at how much bigger it ended up being but should make for a very stable platform for the gopro I”m sure I’m getting for xmas. The new copter is aluminum and fiberglass the old drone is pure Carbon Fiber
No GPS, only auto crash with parts spread and bent to kingdom come! A good flight for shaky ole me is to hover and try to land the dang thing in one piece.
The kits are $35, no radios or controller, batteries, chargers =$300 over a year from buying used! Your set up and rebuild time, priceless.
The sad thing is there are thousands of these broken things hiding in closets world wide.
Mine, still in one flyable piece, with SAR dog…
Shop for spares cheap, you will need them!
First time set up is a joy, as like a light, no manual included!
SAR Dog you say? Hmm, I wonder if there could be any SAR applications for this technology in future. For example, flying over avalanche debris with a RECCO looking for buried victims for example.
Don’t know about SAR but defiantly a possibility with FLIR and IR sensors with video using a Quad. I suck up a battery in 5 minutes but full 3D flying will get 30C battery toasty in 3-4 minutes at 30 amps peak. Dog hates it at hover :bigsmile:
Right now Amazon wants to have FAA authorize package delivery VIA Quads. They might as well arm them as easy to take down by package looters at ground level. Someone posted a China pastry shop using these for local delivery.
Funny, we’ve just been discussing legal and moral philisophies in another thread. This is a whole new dimension in that regard too. For example, locally we have an area that is closed from spring to mid summer to allow a local family of wolves to den undisturbed by Paparazzi Photographers. Here’s one of the pups after it came out of the den last year:
Now of course, you could fly around in the closed area and as there are no laws (well, in fact there may be one law that might be enforceable that prohibits the harrasing of wildlife), and snap pictures with impunity on your GoPro or some other camera? In fact there are a growing number of closed areas, such as baited bear traps, etc., where these devices could be used to check the trap without someone having to contaminate the area with human scent. (If cell towers do not cover it that is, as most traps now have a motion triggered GSM capable camera pointed at them).
I’d like to get one for myself, but not if it means I’m going to end up like all those hapless operators you refer to in the earlier post!
How the heck does that thing fly upside down without driving straight into the ground? I would have never thought that possible! Do the blades diagonally reverse or sumptin?
Yep it’s all about pitch, Collective pitch birds like that are able to have both positive pitch ie normal flying and negative pitch which allows the upside down flying.
on another note I got bit by one of my micro heli’s earlier, got a sore finger now :_(
The other half of the story is that you get to program the transmitter for inverted 3D or just to trim the hedges. The video is when all dialed in with skill and practice. Now search U tube for RC heli crash videos. In one instant a $1k helli is very bent. Flashlights a bit safer, no?
I get the impression that even with those expensive ones with the ‘return home’ feature, they often simply vanish, never to be found again. That would be even worse than a damaged one you could at least repair. Is that really a common occurrence?
Only some Quads have the return home feature, not the 3D helis which are sport competition based. Search Amazon reviews for the DJ Phantom. There were some cases of gone with the wind but may have been user setup error?
thanks to you I’m a happy owner of wltoys v959 and v222
I’ve built a tricopter v2.5 already and waiting for turnigy 9xr, frsky tx/rx with telemetry, megapirate board, gps, bluetooth, miniosd and boscam 600mw fpv set… to feed this baby I have three 2200mAh batteries and to charge them icharger 106
I’ll need to buy a gopro cam but I’m looking forward to flying it!
Will look forward to a review on that one, it looks great.
I found out recently that where I live (in a National Park), flying these is illegal. Apparently the law that covers that goes back to when hang gliders became popular and because so many were launching from mountain tops, and they banned all types of non commercial flying activities. I guess what that means if reality for these would be you do not do it from the side of the road where you are easily seen.
