Catalyst Machineworks SuperLight

By Etolier on Sep 09, 2018

2  216  0

Originally I was going to build this as a 6S SuperLight, but the weight savings of 4S seemed too significant to overlook, and the more consistent power delivery of the 6S packs are lost on an inconsistent pilot like myself.

The weight is super low compared to my previous race setups (228g without battery), easily 60g lighter than my Mongoose, and well over 100g lighter than the Tokio X or the Oblivion. I don't even know the weight of my freestyle setups, but rest assured it's close to half as much as those quads. I think the low weight will pay dividends with the new Dal 5051C props, they seem intended for lightweight builds targeting response time and acceleration.

I absolutely love the Hyperlite motors - the gaps are tight but the motor still feels smooth. I also have a set of the 2205-1722 Team motors, which seem to have a different, solid, shaft on them (though I've heard they bend easily compared to the hollow shafts on the 2204 and other series). I'll likely use them for a 6S conversion on the Mongoose.

I wanted to use a Foxeer Predator Micro, but the sensor on the unit that I received was misaligned and the viewing angle was offset to the left (in testing I could see my left motor, but not the right). I disassembled it to confirm, there is a black lightshield material around the sensor that seems to be too thick to allow for the lens housing to seat flat against the board - so that ends up tilting the sensor relative to the housing and skewing the whole view. I took the nice Foxeer lens out and plopped it into an old CaddX Micro SDR1 in the bin, I was surprised by how clear the image was (compared to the CaddX's original lens) so I'm sticking with it for now. Focusing these lenses is pretty simple without any serious calibration charts or equipment - subjectively, the image clarity is excellent at all distances.

LEDs aren't usually something I go for, but the Hyperlite color scheme is so cool - I wanted to amp this build up a little to match that. Tinys Leds has great looking orange and UV super slim LED boards that I just wired in series with a fat solder bridge between them. I put them on top to illuminate the prop discs a little more, I liked that idea more than just having them be tailights on the bottom of the frame.

Photos

Part List

Frame

Catalyst Machineworks SuperLight (Norris Edition) Frame 5"
Getfpv.com
$79.99

Flight Controller

Kakute F7 & ATLATL HV V2 & Tekko32 4in1 esc (BLHeli 32) Combo (2 builds)
Shop.holybro.com
$125.00

Motors

4 x Hyperlite 2204-2522KV TEAM EDITION
Pirofliprc.com
$71.96

Propellers

5 Inch Drone Propellers for - RaceDayQuads (18 builds)
Racedayquads.com
$3.60

FPV Camera

Caddx Turbo Micro SDR1 1200TVL CMOS 2.1mm FPV Cam (21 builds)
Racedayquads.com
$24.99

Antenna

Lumenier Micro Dipole 5.8GHz Antenna (MMCX or u.FL)
Store.rotorriot.com
$6.99

Receiver

FrSky R9 Mini SBUS Long Range 900MHz Micro Receiver (26 builds)
Racedayquads.com
$19.99

Batteries

Tattu 14.8V 4S 1050mAh 75C LiPo Battery - XT60 (15 builds)
Racedayquads.com
$18.99

Radio

TBS Tango 2 Pro - FPV RC Radio Drone Controller (103 builds)
Team-blacksheep.com
$199.95

Radio

RadioMaster TX16S Hall Gimbals Built-in USB-C Multi-Protocol Module Radio PRIORITY SHIPPING INCLUDED (96 builds)
Heli-nation.com
$149.99

Radio

FrSky Taranis Q X7 2.4GHz 16CH Transmitter (Black) (263 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
$104.99

Goggles

ETHIX V2 GOGGLE STRAP (2 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
$15.95

Goggles

Fat Shark Attitude V4 FPV Goggles Anniversary Edition (20 builds)
Getfpv.com
See Site

HD Camera

RunCam 5 Orange
Shop.runcam.com
$109.99

Misc Parts

1.8mm IR block M8 Lens for Micro Predator Camera
Racedayquads.com
$9.99

Misc Parts

8 x Thin LED 3s - 6s (Tiny's LED) (2 builds)
Catalystmachineworks.com
$23.92

Video Receiver

ImmersionRC PowerPlay - FPV DVR (h264, 60fps)
Pyrodrone.com
$89.00

Video Receiver

SpiroNet 5.8GHz 13dBi LZR Antenna (RHCP)
Pyrodrone.com
$24.99

Video Receiver

TrueRC Singularity 5.8 SMA 90 Degree Long Antenna RHCP
Pyrodrone.com
$19.99

Video Receiver

SINGULARITY 5.8 stubby SMA - TrueRC Canada
Truerc.ca
$19.99

Video Receiver

ImmersionRC rapidFIRE w/ Analog PLUS Goggle Receiver Module (179 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
$149.99

Radio Module

TBS Crossfire Yagi 915mHz
Team-blacksheep.com
$49.95

Radio Module

TBS Crossfire TX - Long Range R/C Transmitter (9 builds)
Team-blacksheep.com
$208.95

Radio Module

True-MoX 915 |
Truerc.ca
$19.99

Battery Charger

iSDT D2 Smart Balance Charger (11 builds)
Getfpv.com
$129.99

Soldering Iron

TS100 PORTABLE SOLDERING IRON W/XT60 Power Cable (26 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
$58.99

Accessories

ETHIX Neck Strap (3 builds)
Team-blacksheep.com
$6.99

Accessories

FrSky Vantac M4 4mm CNC Aluminum GRAND LOTUS Gimbal Stick Ends
Pyrodrone.com
$11.99
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