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mmntech

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
The community TV station just bought a Phantom 2 for areal video. They had it out today to shoot a football game. I was teaching the producer how to fly it safely. I'm amazed how stable they are. Flies like it's on rails.

Too rich for my blood though. Been eyeing the Quantum Nova from Hobby King. $299 all in. Looks like a Phantom knockoff but the reviews are decent enough.

Blanky said:
Well really I was referring to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nzY1Q4gea8 Lacking collective pitch control and cyclic the plane obviously cannot do everything a helicopter can. I never could hover one of these, it takes more practice than I thought it would.
Click to expand...

I had a Hangar 9 Tribute that was capable of doing that, but I never learned how. Was a great plane to fly though, but it's been stupidly discontinued.
 
Aikouka

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I've been really tempted to pick up 3D Robotics Solo quadcopter, but just like DJI's Phantom, it's also quite pricey ($1000 for just the quad, 4x as much as that Quantum Nova). However, the Solo and Nova have one advantage over the Phantom -- they use a GoPro. To me, the idea of using a separate camera gives me more value, because if I ever want an action-oriented camera to use for something else, I just snag the camera from the quadcopter and use it. To my knowledge, you cannot use the camera from the Phantom (it is replaceable though).

The Solo is definitely more oriented around photography than racing though. It also gets quite pricey when you add things in. The gimbal is $300 (3x as much as the Nova's gimbal); however, it does allow for remote GoPro control.

Going back to the Syma, I did see a video on YouTube where a guy outfitted the Syma with a camera for FPV control. Of course, you do have to buy something like the FatShark goggles, but those can also work with that Nova model when you want to upgrade to something more powerful. Probably the hardest part for some would be that you have to be able to solder.
 
Paratus

Paratus

Lifer
Jun 4, 2004
17,656
15,868
146
Aikouka said:
I've been really tempted to pick up 3D Robotics Solo quadcopter, but just like DJI's Phantom, it's also quite pricey ($1000 for just the quad, 4x as much as that Quantum Nova). However, the Solo and Nova have one advantage over the Phantom -- they use a GoPro. To me, the idea of using a separate camera gives me more value, because if I ever want an action-oriented camera to use for something else, I just snag the camera from the quadcopter and use it. To my knowledge, you cannot use the camera from the Phantom (it is replaceable though).

The Solo is definitely more oriented around photography than racing though. It also gets quite pricey when you add things in. The gimbal is $300 (3x as much as the Nova's gimbal); however, it does allow for remote GoPro control.

Going back to the Syma, I did see a video on YouTube where a guy outfitted the Syma with a camera for FPV control. Of course, you do have to buy something like the FatShark goggles, but those can also work with that Nova model when you want to upgrade to something more powerful. Probably the hardest part for some would be that you have to be able to solder.
Click to expand...

My Phantom 1 uses a GoPro. So does the base model Phantom 2. o_O
 
Blanky

Blanky

Platinum Member
Oct 18, 2014
2,457
12
46
Raduque said:
The first video is was more impressive, to me, because that's a full fuse plane. Foamies don't interest me in the least. That foamie was designed specifically for that, a plane's design can't naturally handle it like a CP heli can.

The X5C is a great starter quad. Hopefully you actually got an X5C-1 and not the X5SC-1. The S variant has zero wind handling abilities. The X5C-1 can actually handle a stiff breeze. I bought an S5SC-1 thinking it would be better than the non-S, and boy was I wrong. Look on Youtube for quadcopter101's videos on the X5SC-1.
Click to expand...
It was the X5C-1.

In my experience, the X5C-1 can't handle wind... at all. Don't get me wrong, because pretty much none of those cheap quadcopters can handle the wind.
Click to expand...
It might depend on what handling means. Strictly speaking I do believe you could take this out in 15 or 20 mph winds and keep fly it where you wanted to, though it will be a fight the whole time. I had no problem yesterday in light gusts and will definitely see how it is in a stiff breeze.
 
runzwithsizorz

runzwithsizorz

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
3,497
14
76
Paratus said:
My Phantom 1 uses a GoPro. So does the base model Phantom 2. o_O
Click to expand...
Currently, I'm using a GoPro on my Phantom 1. The new 7" monitor I just bought has a built-in DVR, (32gb SD card) so I can turn video on/off, or take screen shots. Now all I need to do is replace the heavy GoPro,(76grams), with a light weight mini cam, (14grams) AND I won't have such a wide fish-eye picture. :cool:
 
Raduque

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
13,140
138
106
Are you using the Gopro's built in wifi, or are you going to get one of those 5.8ghz mini VTX's that plug into the Gopro's HDMI out?
 
Blanky

Blanky

Platinum Member
Oct 18, 2014
2,457
12
46
runzwithsizorz said:
Currently, I'm using a GoPro on my Phantom 1. The new 7" monitor I just bought has a built-in DVR, (32gb SD card) so I can turn video on/off, or take screen shots. Now all I need to do is replace the heavy GoPro,(76grams), with a light weight mini cam, (14grams) AND I won't have such a wide fish-eye picture. :cool:
Click to expand...
Does the gopro record at its regular definition when hooked up to a TX for FPV?
 
runzwithsizorz

runzwithsizorz

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
3,497
14
76
Blanky said:
Does the gopro record at its regular definition when hooked up to a TX for FPV?
Click to expand...
Just now saw this question, sorry. Recording *inside* the GoPro? yes.
Recording at the base station, (monitor, like I do), yes.
For *viewing*, many monitors, and goggles are limited. Mine isn't bad at 1024x600
 
runzwithsizorz

runzwithsizorz

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
3,497
14
76
Raduque said:
Are you using the Gopro's built in wifi, or are you going to get one of those 5.8ghz mini VTX's that plug into the Gopro's HDMI out?
Click to expand...
The built in wifi sucks for range, and reliability. However, for parties, family gatherings, etc it's kinda fun to wear my GoPro headband, and people can tune into it with their smart phones, and snap away. Talk about some candid photos :sneaky: . With regard to that mini vtx, I have one. It is 250mw, and has 3 times the range of wifi, and in, *line of sight* maybe 1/2 mile. I only use it for my r/c buggies though. I no longer launch my $300, 80gram GoPro up into the sky, to perhaps never be seen again. I now use a $30 18gram camera, that does almost everything the GoPro does, PLUS, it has night vision.
Something to note, you will need an external battery to power that mini vtx, The GoPro does NOT power it. I bought a 1 cell 1400mah battery that will power it for over 2 hours, you can see it here;
minivtx_zpswx5u1sva.jpg~original



minivtx_zpswx5u1sva.jpg.html
 
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Jeff7

Jeff7

Lifer
Jan 4, 2001
41,596
20
81
Kaido said:
Looks so awesome:

anL4UJN.gifv
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Darn, no info on where that is.
(abandoned stadium, just flying without permission, etc??)



I wonder if there's going to be businesses with indoor areas to accommodate this sort of thing: Basically just a large, open warehouse for this kind of thing.


If I've got it right, the latest from the Academy of Model Aeronautics says that racing a quad FPV requires a spotter....at least for commercial operators. Yeah, that's a problem. :\ Hopefully it expands to include recreational use, though I'm sure the FAA wants all RC aircraft to simply vanish.
And you have to maintain the quad within line-of-sight of the spotter at all times.
The spotter can't be just anyone either. The person needs to be capable of taking the control from you at any time and guiding the quad to safety, so they need to be somewhat familiar with the controller. Damn again.
(My idea of "regain control" is "turn off the controller and auger that baby into the ground.")

All of that seems to be concerning outdoor flying though. Flying indoors? I guess the rules are up to the property owner. (Assuming your aircraft isn't powerful enough to survive a trip through a closed window and keep going?)


A decent flight-sim or space-sim PC game keeps sounding better and better.
 
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Paratus

Paratus

Lifer
Jun 4, 2004
17,656
15,868
146
I picked up FPV stuff for my Phantom. Now I have to find the time to solder it in and get my ham radio license.

It's going to be a while. :(
 
RossMAN

RossMAN

Grand Nagus
Feb 24, 2000
79,030
438
136
I want a fully loaded RTF (ready to fly) drone with FPV goggles to hit $300 and flight time of at least 40 minutes.

Maybe another 2-3 years, sooner?
 
Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,647
13,823
126
www.anyf.ca
Been toying with the idea of buying a drone for a while now. Might pull the trigger depending on what kind of tax return I get. They really do look like fun and I like the idea of getting some cool aerial footage and stuff. Downside is that the government keeps wanting to regulate them, so I fear it will come to a point where they'll be super impractical to use. For example in Canada you can't use it to generate any kind of income. They're also looking into adding more regulations, so who knows what else will be restricted.

I might also look into what it takes to build my own, there are a lot of prebuilt parts you can buy which saves a lot of work, like propellers, motors etc.

The thing that's making me worried of if I buy like a phantom is that they seem to require a phone too. So if my phone is not compatible then I'm stuck also having to buy a new phone so I can get the FPV and so on. Some of the cheaper drones seem to come with their own screen and everything though, so I might start with that, and can always upgrade the motors/props/battery on the cheap one.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,726
7,302
136
RossMAN said:
I want a fully loaded RTF (ready to fly) drone with FPV goggles to hit $300 and flight time of at least 40 minutes.

Maybe another 2-3 years, sooner?
Click to expand...

Yeah, if a full kit was $299, I'd spring for that, but right now it's easy to spend well over a grand for a nice setup...drone, spare parts, transmitter, battery, FPV goggles & transmission system, etc. And I know I'd be crashing it often, hahaha :D
 
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