I've really been working to get a really good sub-250g setup going on 3" or 4" that has a lot of functionality. Namely, I wanted GPS, some way to record 1080p60, and also to move away from linear VTx antennae, while still retaining a race/freestyle level of performance. Judging by the maiden flight, this will be the go-to setup that I fly, particularly since I'm now inside of Class D airspace to the ground, surrounding KGJT.
The stack was pretty time consuming to fit - it's a series of M2 standoffs that eventually connect to the Split Mini board, and the ESC and FC actually slip over using M3 isolation grommets, and are held in place with M2 washers. The stack is extremely tight and allows me to use an F7 FC with loads of UARTS. A Matek GPS sits on top - it picks up 10-12 sats with no issue, and GPS rescue seems to function well. I was able to get the compass to register on UART 3, however it jumps all over the place and no matter how I set it up, it never settled down, so it's disabled for now. I may try another unit, or just leave it disabled.
The TBS Unify Nano is the perfect solution for micro quads - I wasn't too impressed with the output power of the Mini Magnum VTx on previous 3" & 4" setups, so I'm pretty excited to couple the Nano with the also-new TrueRC Singularity, which gets me ~400mW out of a CP antenna for something like 3 grams.
APC props are pretty good compared to a lot of other 4" options (there aren't any real standout props like there are in the 3" range). I tend to gravitate towards lightweight and stiff, and these are least stiff. Preferable to the glass 4040s or any other 4" triblades I've tried. I also have some 4045 APC biblades that I will try.
I've had two Runcam Split cameras that have had the mode switch button just fall off after being pressed ~5 times. Fortunately, that's just enough to set everything up and then wait for a replacement board from Runcam. I noticed in the miaden flight (below) that it was somewhat out of focus, and I was getting some pretty rough jello. After checking the cam later, I found the focus lockring was also cracked and allowing the lens to vibrate around. Sketchy...
Overall, I like this setup and I'm looking forward to fine-tuning, and also using some of these things in future builds.
AirbladeUAV has done it again and this time they've brought long range to the 5" class! Based on the popular Transformer Mini, the new Transformer 5" Ultralight adopts a lot of the same design philosophies with larger props and more payload capacity. It can fly upwards of 20 minutes on a 4 cell Li-Ion battery pack and in ideal conditions it's got a range of over 4 to 5 miles. In this guide I'll walk..
Read moreWith the release of the DJI FPV Drone cinematic FPV has become a lot more accessible, but you certainly don't want to crash a $750 drone! The QAV-CINE Freybott is a compact, lightweight cinematic FPV drone that can take a hit and keep going. It's a lot safer to fly indoors and around people. With a naked GoPro or the SMO 4k you can capture some great stabilized footage. In this guide I'll show you..
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This is from a while back (your build), but I too fly a 4" on (both) those APC's and I have to say that this is one of the funnest combinations there is to fly. I do not have the 14XX Hyperlites, but I can see a 3-4" (why not 3/4" hybrid?) with them in my future. Maybe I'll save that for a winter build.