Apex is overrated
By SlightlyScratchedCorolla on Jul 21, 2021
This is gonna be a rant, apex fans please look away...
Alright yall, look... I know the apex is the shit. It's mad stiff, the arms look like they can take an absolute beating. And it's supposed to have superior resonance profile, per Chris Rosser. All good.
But for $100, the carbon cut quality is garbage, the tolerance is all over the place. I have built my fair share of frames now, this thing is only better than the $26 TBS source V in terms of cut quality. For $100, you get an extensive filing practice. I know tight tolerance is good, but for $100, you weren't supposed to file nearly every damn hole.
And those arm pressnuts, one crooked is my fault, two crooked still my fault, but three out of four crooked? Bye Felicia. Those countersunken stack screws don't sit flush against the mid deck no matter how hard I tighten the locknuts, leaving a gap between the arms and the mid deck. More filing? Cmon man.
I had frames from $49 to $99 they are all cut better than the apex. Chamfered edges, tolerance on point, with more versatile mounting solutions. But the apex gives me some fancy skids that I won't ever use, and a pile of porky carbon awaiting my finish.
It flies good, but gram for gram not better than my glide, remix, or banggod. And the motor protection is more minimalistic than it looks.
Maybe I shouldn't say it's overrated, but most definitely overpriced for its attention to details.
bUt THeM SkiiiiDzzzz! What about some QC big dawg?
Photos
Part List
Frame |
ImpulseRC APEX 5" Base Freestyle Frame KitClassic Black
(42 builds)
Racedayquads.com
|
$95.99 |
Flight Controller |
HobbyWing XRotor Convertible F7 Flight Controller HD DJI Plug and Play - 30x30 & 20x20mm
(7 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
|
$49.99 |
ESCs |
Hobbywing XRotor Micro 32bit 60A 4-6S 30x30 4in1 ESC w/ BEC
(83 builds)
Racedayquads.com
|
$84.99 |
Motors |
4 x BrotherHobby GOM 2207.5 1750KV/1920KV/2500KV Motor
(3 builds)
Getfpv.com
|
$99.96 |
FPV Transmitter |
FPV Drone Video Receiver Antennas for - Race Day Quads
(59 builds)
Racedayquads.com
|
$2.99 |
Receiver |
TBS Crossfire Nano Rx FPV Long Range Drone Receiver
(1484 builds)
Pyrodrone.com
|
$24.95 |
damn, sounds as bad as the clone. guess if i do it again, it will be another clone afterall. 🤦♂️
Did you get the Apex before Rossers' AOS-5 got released?
What do you mean you had to file the holes? Typically, most screw holes are tight and you have to screw the screw into them and the standoff. This is done on purpose for most frames because the operations vibrations of these are at frequencies that can cause the screws to grind carbon down. If the holes were misplaced that is another thing altogether, but then again you wouldn't have been able to assemble them.
I meant I HAD TO FILE THOSE HOLES. Those holes were too tight for even screwing down the damn locknuts, and the camera plate slots too tight the plate wont go in. And what about those stack screws that won't sit flush, creating a noticeable gap between the arms and the mid plate? Those are done by design too? BS. Like I know how this pressnuts thing work, I've dealt with them on other frames. It's quite damn literal and it looks like you just won't accept there could be bad qc on the impulserc side.
Thank you for sharing your build/review. It looks like you built two Apex quads, they were both that bad??
Just curious.
Both have bad carbon cut quality, I wouldn't complain if it's just one. I bought two Apex, but originally was just going to build one. After the first one went poorly, I had to open the second one to see if it's just a fluke. Apparently it's not. When I register the warranty online, both kits are from the April 2021 batch. I wonder if other batches were better.
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"Maybe I shouldn't say it's overrated, but most definitely overpriced for its attention to details." TOTALLY AGREE - now I assemble one of this frames... GOD .... I want to smash it in the wall.
Better mark4 will buy next time...