If you're going to pay that much for a BG frame then get either the Martian II 220mm or the Frog 220m. They're much nicer. Try 1500mah batteries, not 1800mah. The Infinity 4S 1500mahs are popular. For a starter rig just get the VTX03 and use the included dipole. It works surprisingly well. Don't get 2600kv motors, get the 2300kvs. You'll have longer flight times and more prop options. I'd also get the Frsky XM+ for the cost and size savings. You don't need telemetry with an OSD board anyway. And finally, I recommend the Eachine EV800's over the VR008. They're higher resolution and only $5 more.
I don't know about the quality of the Dinogy batteries. I think the Infinities are a safer bet. I tried both the VR D2 and the EV800 and the EV800 is much more comfortable. It also places the screen at a much more comfortable viewing distance. The VR D2 gave me a lot of eye strain, but that is not the case for everybody. For the price the EV800 is a great value, but if you want diversity and a DVR then you can try the VR D2.
I'd still opt for a better frame though. The one you picked is a fairly old design. Another one to consider is the GEP-LX5 Leopard. I'm building one of those myself.
I can always do the DVR mod for the EV800s.. I'm competent enough to do that.
I'm not disagreeing with you regarding the frame per se... I just want one that's easy to build on for my first frame. Ideally, I want to move to the pod look like the GEP-LX5, but I want to stick with top-mounted batteries for now. The Martian II is nice, but I don't want that ugly ass red PDB... I've read that you can exclude it, but I don't want to compromise structural integrity... I could always coat the sucker in liquid electrical tape, or spray paint it blue...
Check my Wizard Killer build. I excluded the PDB and it's not compromised in the least. I hit a tree head on the other day and that frame is holding up like a champ.
Well... That's pretty much exactly what I want to build... color scheme and everything... I love the paracord insulation idea. I mean it's nylon so no conductivity issues.
Check out my revisions. I think I'm still going to go with separate ESCs for my first build. Perhaps for my second build, I'll do the 4in1s on a GEP-LX5 frame.
Swapped out the VTX03 for a TX526? You've got an SMA antenna listed but that VTX uses RP-SMA. Another thing that's nice about the VTX03 is that you can essentially use any antenna you want with a U.fl to SMA/RP-SMA, but really that dipole works great. Your PDB uses a linear regulator which will get hot. You should look for a board with a switching regulator as it produces less heat and offers cleaner power. I'm using a 4-in-1 with a switching regulator on my next build which will give me 5v at up to 3a to power my FC, camera, VTX and RX. It also has a current sensor, so the Omnibus F4 V2 wouldn't be necessary. You could save about $10 and simply opt for the F3 Omnibus which can be fully powered by that 4-in-1 plus you get a current sensor and voltage readout.
I went with the F4 V2 because I do want a barometer... that is, unless you can convince me otherwise. I do plan on letting my daughter fly this a little bit, and would like to have auto leveling capability. Should I just opt for a PDB that doesn't have a current sensor?
I believe all of the Omnibus boards have a barometer, but I don't know a single person who uses it. That would be for altitude hold, not auto-level. The accelerometer handles auto-level. For a first board you're perfectly with with the Omnibus F3. A current sensor isn't necessary, but it can be nice to know your mah usage during a flight. The F4 Omnibus V2 has it, but I haven't tried that board. This Leopard build will be the first time I've used a current sensor.
Oh and I'd be very wary of letting a child fly one of these. I'd make sure she's competent with a micro brushless FPV quad as well as a sim. These are extremely fast and somewhat dangerous.
I completely agree. She'll be using my micro brushless at first, and then sim, and then highly supervised with this... perhaps I'll just build her a micro of her own... on the super cheap.
Looking at your list now I'd just try to get a switching regulator in there. Either via a PDB or 4-in-1 ESC. It'll make your system run much cooler, especially going into summer.
That's been the case against 4-in-1s for the past couple years, but I've got 3 builds using a 4-in-1 and I've never had an issue. A lot of people lose arm ESCs due to prop strikes which isn't a factor when using a 4-in-1, but the main thing that I like about them is they save about 16 solder joints.
I've heard it come up many times, but that is a helpful post. I can tell that my FC gets really hot when I power it for a period of time when using the linear regulator.
The 4-in-1 on my Wizard Killer doesn't have a regulator, so I had to use an external regulator to power my camera and VTX. If you want to add LEDs then use the ports on the Omnibus. That'll allow you to control them with Betaflight.
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on this build... I'm settled on most components, but I'm considering another frame... I know the Martian II is easy to build on, but I feel like I can handle a more difficult build with my background in electronics... What frame do you suggest?
That's kinda where I was leaning... I'm only concerned at that point with having the battery on the bottom, and also with maneuverability of the smaller frames...
Another thought regarding the racerstar shot30a 4in1 ESCs.... The motor layout seems to be backwards... Don't you want the battery connections in the back where motors 3 and 4 are?
Even still, wouldn't the orientation force you to put the battery connector towards the front...? Wouldn't you want the battery connector pointing backwards since most collisions would probably occur in the front?
Pardon my ignorance... But aren't motors 1 and 2 supposed to be up front? How would you have the battery lead come out the back without putting stress on the solder joint y bending it backwards?
Don't worry about the motor positions. That's arbitrary and depends on how you connect the control wires to your FC. Just wire it up any which way and use the Betaflight "resource" commands to rearrange them on your computer. I'll be using this board on my next build and I just may put the battery lead on the side. It just depends on how long the control wire harness is.
But not always... I'm getting ready to pull the trigger like today... I need to get stuff on order before my wife burns through my budget with home decor...
I've since just gone straight to the tabs with the motor wires in recent builds. It's not worth the additional maintenance to go under the board like that.
If you're going to pay that much for a BG frame then get either the Martian II 220mm or the Frog 220m. They're much nicer. Try 1500mah batteries, not 1800mah. The Infinity 4S 1500mahs are popular. For a starter rig just get the VTX03 and use the included dipole. It works surprisingly well. Don't get 2600kv motors, get the 2300kvs. You'll have longer flight times and more prop options. I'd also get the Frsky XM+ for the cost and size savings. You don't need telemetry with an OSD board anyway. And finally, I recommend the Eachine EV800's over the VR008. They're higher resolution and only $5 more.
Changed some things based on your suggestions... What are your thoughts on the VR D2?
Would the goggles work in conjunction with the fpv watch for my daughter to see what I'm seeing?
Also, my PDB and FC both have current sensors... Is that going to cause an issue? Can I bypass one of them ?
Oh... And I'm getting the blue vtx antennae because of the color scheme...
I don't know about the quality of the Dinogy batteries. I think the Infinities are a safer bet. I tried both the VR D2 and the EV800 and the EV800 is much more comfortable. It also places the screen at a much more comfortable viewing distance. The VR D2 gave me a lot of eye strain, but that is not the case for everybody. For the price the EV800 is a great value, but if you want diversity and a DVR then you can try the VR D2.
I'd still opt for a better frame though. The one you picked is a fairly old design. Another one to consider is the GEP-LX5 Leopard. I'm building one of those myself.
I can always do the DVR mod for the EV800s.. I'm competent enough to do that.
I'm not disagreeing with you regarding the frame per se... I just want one that's easy to build on for my first frame. Ideally, I want to move to the pod look like the GEP-LX5, but I want to stick with top-mounted batteries for now. The Martian II is nice, but I don't want that ugly ass red PDB... I've read that you can exclude it, but I don't want to compromise structural integrity... I could always coat the sucker in liquid electrical tape, or spray paint it blue...
Check my Wizard Killer build. I excluded the PDB and it's not compromised in the least. I hit a tree head on the other day and that frame is holding up like a champ.
Well... That's pretty much exactly what I want to build... color scheme and everything... I love the paracord insulation idea. I mean it's nylon so no conductivity issues.
Check out my revisions. I think I'm still going to go with separate ESCs for my first build. Perhaps for my second build, I'll do the 4in1s on a GEP-LX5 frame.
Swapped out the VTX03 for a TX526? You've got an SMA antenna listed but that VTX uses RP-SMA. Another thing that's nice about the VTX03 is that you can essentially use any antenna you want with a U.fl to SMA/RP-SMA, but really that dipole works great. Your PDB uses a linear regulator which will get hot. You should look for a board with a switching regulator as it produces less heat and offers cleaner power. I'm using a 4-in-1 with a switching regulator on my next build which will give me 5v at up to 3a to power my FC, camera, VTX and RX. It also has a current sensor, so the Omnibus F4 V2 wouldn't be necessary. You could save about $10 and simply opt for the F3 Omnibus which can be fully powered by that 4-in-1 plus you get a current sensor and voltage readout.
I went with the F4 V2 because I do want a barometer... that is, unless you can convince me otherwise. I do plan on letting my daughter fly this a little bit, and would like to have auto leveling capability. Should I just opt for a PDB that doesn't have a current sensor?
I believe all of the Omnibus boards have a barometer, but I don't know a single person who uses it. That would be for altitude hold, not auto-level. The accelerometer handles auto-level. For a first board you're perfectly with with the Omnibus F3. A current sensor isn't necessary, but it can be nice to know your mah usage during a flight. The F4 Omnibus V2 has it, but I haven't tried that board. This Leopard build will be the first time I've used a current sensor.
Oh and I'd be very wary of letting a child fly one of these. I'd make sure she's competent with a micro brushless FPV quad as well as a sim. These are extremely fast and somewhat dangerous.
I completely agree. She'll be using my micro brushless at first, and then sim, and then highly supervised with this... perhaps I'll just build her a micro of her own... on the super cheap.
Looking at your list now I'd just try to get a switching regulator in there. Either via a PDB or 4-in-1 ESC. It'll make your system run much cooler, especially going into summer.
Only thing I don't like about 4in1s is the inability to replace a single ESC. Do you know of a pdb with a switching regulator?
That's been the case against 4-in-1s for the past couple years, but I've got 3 builds using a 4-in-1 and I've never had an issue. A lot of people lose arm ESCs due to prop strikes which isn't a factor when using a 4-in-1, but the main thing that I like about them is they save about 16 solder joints.
Is this what your concern with linear regulators stems from?
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2790167-OMNIBUS-F4-LDO-woes
I've heard it come up many times, but that is a helpful post. I can tell that my FC gets really hot when I power it for a period of time when using the linear regulator.
Since this 4in1 ESC has a 3A 5V BEC, there's no need to include one like you did in the Wizard Killer build, right?
Also, if I want to add some LED bars, can I wire those directly to the FC, or pull 5V from the 4in1?
The 4-in-1 on my Wizard Killer doesn't have a regulator, so I had to use an external regulator to power my camera and VTX. If you want to add LEDs then use the ports on the Omnibus. That'll allow you to control them with Betaflight.
Also check this out regarding RSSI on the XM+ rx!
Yep, it'll support RSSI, but not telemetry. It's a great little RX.
With this 4in1 ESC, how would the FC be powered while still being able to see VBATT in the OSD?
For the current sensor, I'm guessing you use the other connector cable, and wire that lead to the CRNT pin on the F4 (V1) FC... yes?
Sorry for all the questions...
Never Mind... the manual answered my questions... I'm dumb...
I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on this build... I'm settled on most components, but I'm considering another frame... I know the Martian II is easy to build on, but I feel like I can handle a more difficult build with my background in electronics... What frame do you suggest?
The Race Frog is nice, but you could also consider the GEPRC Leopard. GEPRC does a nice job and produces quality frames.
That's kinda where I was leaning... I'm only concerned at that point with having the battery on the bottom, and also with maneuverability of the smaller frames...
Bottom mounted batteries are just fine. I don't mind either way, and if anything a smaller frame will be more maneuverable.
Another thought regarding the racerstar shot30a 4in1 ESCs.... The motor layout seems to be backwards... Don't you want the battery connections in the back where motors 3 and 4 are?
It's become a lot more common lately to plug the battery into the side.
Even still, wouldn't the orientation force you to put the battery connector towards the front...? Wouldn't you want the battery connector pointing backwards since most collisions would probably occur in the front?
Like this?
Actually it looks like this one is designed to go out the back. I've never seen a battery lead up front.
Pardon my ignorance... But aren't motors 1 and 2 supposed to be up front? How would you have the battery lead come out the back without putting stress on the solder joint y bending it backwards?
Don't worry about the motor positions. That's arbitrary and depends on how you connect the control wires to your FC. Just wire it up any which way and use the Betaflight "resource" commands to rearrange them on your computer. I'll be using this board on my next build and I just may put the battery lead on the side. It just depends on how long the control wire harness is.
Don't the control wires just plug directly in with that wire harness?
And.... BangGood is out of stock... FML...
They usually get parts back in stock quickly enough.
But not always... I'm getting ready to pull the trigger like today... I need to get stuff on order before my wife burns through my budget with home decor...
It looks like it'll be in stock in 3 days. This is the one you're referring to right?
Whiffles knows shit, QuadBaumer!
Oh... I know. Why do you think I'm asking him 20 million questions? ;)
Mr Whiffles, sir... I have updated my build. Would you mind taking a look at it? I'm digging the idea of the Matek FC and PDB combo...
That should do the trick, but I recommend the DAL cyclone 5046 props. Those 5048s might be a bit much for those motors, nor are they as proven.
Check out the build, so far...
Awesome, is everything working so far?
Haven't started her up yet... still wiring. Should I have booted up the FC first?
I usually like to test things as I go along, but make sure you check for continuity with your multimeter. You don't want any shorts!
I've been doing that. I actually initially soldered the battery lead backwards. That would have been tragic...
Ouch, just be careful!
Right?! It was a bonehead mistake that I'm almost ashamed to admit...
Kind of wishing I had done the motor wires like you did in your GEP130 build...
I've since just gone straight to the tabs with the motor wires in recent builds. It's not worth the additional maintenance to go under the board like that.
All done!
Awesome, take it for a test flight yet?
I have not... it was almost midnight when I got it done... now I'm nervous to power it up...
Make sure you test the motor positions and rotations without props on the bench.
Definitely! I'll do the electrical tape trick.
I usually just spin the motors up to around 1040-1050 and rub the sides of the bells to feel the rotation.
Sounds dirty... ;)