Due to the total loss of my two previous builds (one still stuck atop a 75' maple tree in the middle of a forest, the other somewhere within a 100' radius area but I'm damned if I can find it, it's time to start again from scratch. I'm looking for a stable AP/Video platform capable of lifting a GoPro or Nex style camera, with decent flight times. I would quite like it to run on 3s or 4s... my previous 650 build ran fine on 3s but 4s would give me a bit more lift capacity.
Other changes from the previous 650: this will have an independent FPV camera, switchable to GoPro. Using the GoPro on the gimbal makes it very hard to be precise with yaw changes since it lags. Also OSD telemetry and possibly retractable gear.
This build will have some kind of lost copter alarm for sure...
Comments welcome on build/parts. Looking for hover times in the 12-14 minute range. Getting most of my parts from HobbyKing for convenience and because I like having all my orders in one place!
Not sure about the gimbal yet -- need 3D for sure, had the Feiyu Mini before but could not get rid of yaw wag on it.
Here are the stats on eCalc using 4108 motors, 2x 4s 5200 mAH Multistar batteries and 15x5.5 props
19m hover and 14m mixed
And with 2x 3S 5200mAH batteries and 17" props:
17.8 hover and 13.5m mixed
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Show stores (2)Guides & Reviews
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..
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With 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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Hey unSane, it's been a while. How's the AP coming along?
Well, I rebuilt this and my 500 but I have been really struggling to get the image quality I want... too many micro-vibrations and WAY too much time spent soldering and trying to get things to work instead of flying, while people around me are producing pro-quality footage with commercial drones. So with the recent price drop I bought a reboxed Phantom 3 Pro from B&H and I'm hoping to spend a lot more time flying and less time troubleshooting... we'll see. The other factor is that the Phantom packs easily into a hard custom backpack and that's something I've been unable to do with either of my builds. I'll keep flying them especially for more high risk things but I couldn't justify the amount of time I was spending on the workbench.
I looked at the 3DR Solo as well but for price/performance you can't beat the DJI stuff currently, whatever other issues there might be. $500 for the standard is insane, you couldn't possibly build anything close to it for the price.
Oh I know exactly how you feel. Trying to get a perfect result on my F450 burned me out. It's really tough to compete with the P3 in the AP department. I've been enjoying working on this site more than I enjoy working on my rig. I may just part it out and replace it with a 210mm. While I won't be getting majestic AP style video, it'll be a lot more fun to fly and the footage may just be more fun to watch.
BTW, how much did you get the P3 for?
I got the P3 Pro for $799 plus a hardshell backpack for $100 and an extra battery for $113, all open box stuff.
The B&H used department has a ton of used stuff, some at very good prices.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=dji&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&usedSearch=1&Top+Nav-Search=
Wow, great price! Been publishing some footage from it?
Don't have it yet!
Hope it arrives in good shape!