My First Build - Tadpole 3inch "BABYFROG"
By bricked_fpv on Sep 10, 2020
UPDATE (11/3/20): Check out my edit using this quad.
This is my first ever build. I started with a Mobula6 but soon found that I really wanted to build a quad from scratch. This stack is a very tight fit in the frame and i might even go back later to try and give it more room but so far it is working OK. I really wanted to get telemetry working so I hooked up my receiver using Fport but found out that the way Iflight wants it wired and setup wont allow for telemetry even using Fport. I still want to figure that out if anyone has suggestions. I have only done one maiden flight so far and haven't even used it FPV yet. I will update this as I get more time on this quad.
The full build was actually a little heavier than I expected at 120g AUW which is over what FPVCycle recommends for the motors but hopefully it will work out. I think the frame is a little heavy but I really like the look of it.
Right now I am just running stock PIDs on BF 4.1 without RPM filtering but this is something I will definitely look into when I get some time under my belt with this little guy. Hope you guys like it.
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Great build! I don't think there's a reasonable way to use the Tadpole frame and get down to the FPVCycle spec for weight. I wouldn't worry about it though. I've built toothpicks in the weight spec and ones that are heavier. You won't regret going with the Tadpole frame. You chose top of the line parts so you'll definitely have a good time.
Two notes: Definitely ziptie down the XT30 lead. If you have a battery ejection, it will rip the pads off the ESC board. Also, if you are having poor video performance, it's because of that Emax nano antenna. I've used that antenna on three different builds and had either okay video or bad video. Switching to a cheap whip monopole antenna performed better in most cases. Again, if your video is fine, then don't worry about it.
Thanks! I have been out flying probably half a dozen times now and am pretty happy with the performance. You are right that the weight doesnt seem to be too much of a problem. Also, I'm getting 8-10min flight times but I'm sure that will drop when i get more experience and can rip harder haha.
Good note on the XT30. Right now I'm just tucking it between the two velcro straps on the battery strap to keep it out of the props but it may still rip off the ESC in a crash. I'll look at fixing that. I do have some video issues in certain places i fly but i thought that might be because of the VTX (it's part of the whole stack and not terribly expensive). I'll try swapping antennas though since that will be a much easier thing to try!
I love this tadpole frame but the one thing i dont like is that the camera i am using seems to protrude past the aluminum frame which makes it pretty useless if i crash head-on into something. Maybe my camera has too long of a lens? If you have any suggestions, i would love to hear.
Thanks again for the comments. Always appreciated since I am a newb!
8-10 minutes of flight time is insane. I get about 5 minutes. Maybe it's those FPVCycle motors. They're awesome. I bought about a couple dozen motors from that shop for other quads I fly.
Yeah, if I could change one thing about the Tadpole, it would be the camera cage. My cameras don't completely fit either. Luckily, lenses are cheap and easy to replace. You should shop around if the camera poking out bothers you.
Try lots of different video frequencies. Theoretically, Fat Shark 4 should work best, but Raceband 1 works for me. Then try another vtx antenna if changing freq's doesn't help.
Let me know if you need help with anything. I remember having a ton of issues when I started FPV. I'm thatpoindexter on Reddit.
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