New and have build questions

[chuddly]

I am completely new to quadcopters but want to build one. I dont need it to be super fast or anything crazy for acrobatics. I do want something that will carry my Gopro (hero3), is stable, a good long flight time(if I could get 10-15 min fully loaded i would be happy...more is always better LOL) and is fairly robust. I read the build on Oddcopter.com (http://oddcopter.com/2012/12/12/easy-diy-quadcopter-build-part-1-the-parts-list/) and thought about going that way because i like the idea of mounting my Gopro under the main plates to keep the props and arms out of the video shot. I would like put a FPV set up on it later down the road once i get good at flying it. The parts list is pretty much identical to the one on Oddcopter with the exception of a few things that are no longer available and those i just looked for the newer version. Below I will list out my needs/wants for easy reference.

Needs/wants
1. Long flight time (10-15 min fully loaded)
2. Able to carry video (I like the idea of underslung video mount)
3. Robust/resilient
4. Stable
5. Reasonably priced (its my first time in it...i want to see if I like it before i sink to much into it.)

Future planned upgrades
1. FPV setup
2. Gimble setup for Gopro.

I may be asking for the moon but im just trying to list out what i would like and see if you guys who are well versed (from what i have read here) can point me in the right direction. I have a 3d printer so i can make replacement parts (frame parts...dont trust it to make props) and do stuff like that. Also i have 90 acres so a place to fly isnt a problem at all and neither is portability. Thanks in advance guys...im really looking forward to getting my feet wet in this. I do enjoy tinkering but want something i can use and i dont CONSTANTLY have to work on.

Chad

 

[Motopreserve]

Hey Chad, welcome to the forum.

Seems man like you have caught the bug - and have certainly turned to the right place.

Coupke things i would suggest:

Look around a bit for frames. Many of the HK frames are heavy - and you will be constantly be fighting this issue if you start the build heavier than need-be. They do sell a few that are lighter (I think), and it's worth doing some research. To give an example: the HAL is 610g and the DJI f450 is 282g. It's a smaller frame - but may work for what you're trying to do.

Don't buy super-cheap props (HK plastics). APC and HQPROPS make inexpensive props that will be far better than the plastics, without the fear of them breaking mid-air.

Make sure you get a decent transmitter/receiver. Currently the Taranis is probably the best bang for the buck. The $50 Tx options are probably more trouble than they're worth - and it's $50 you'll probably wish you had put towards something you'll eventually buy.

Once you you start to hone in on your component list - head over to eCalc and buy a cheap subscription/membership, and plug in the numbers. It's helps to figure out flight time, payload, and most of all helps you understand the relationship between weight, batteries, motors and props.

Enjoy!

 

[SoCal Blur]

Hi Chad,

Motopreserve's suggestions are all good ones.

I came accross something recently that might be something to consider. Quadlugs (www.quadlugs.com) sells multirotor frames made out of wood (Cheap!). Sure they are a little heavier than standard frames but they can take abuse. It would be a great way to get started. Then once you're comfortable flying, you can transplant your motors, ESC, FC, etc. to a "real" frame. In the meantime, you may decide that you wanted an H Quad rather than a conventional Quad and you aren't out a lot of money when you decide on your final configuration.

 

[chuddly]

The frame is the dirt cheap part so im not real worried about that. I did come across HK's kit ( http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...adcopter_5X_Package_Mode_2_Ready_to_Fly_.html ) I thought "thats CHEAP" I dont know much about the components and how they would be??? My thought was that the DJI f450 is about triple that price...for like $200ish plus some time i could see how i like it. Maybe throw some taller landing gear on it later and upgrade a few things to get it to carry my Gopro. Any thoughts on that? Im sure that kit is nothing to write home about but it would/should get me flying. Then i can upgrade/build a second one down the road. Just a thought????

 

[Motopreserve]

The frame is the dirt cheap part so im not real worried about that. I did come across HK's kit ( http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...adcopter_5X_Package_Mode_2_Ready_to_Fly_.html ) I thought "thats CHEAP" I dont know much about the components and how they would be??? My thought was that the DJI f450 is about triple that price...for like $200ish plus some time i could see how i like it. Maybe throw some taller landing gear on it later and upgrade a few things to get it to carry my Gopro. Any thoughts on that? Im sure that kit is nothing to write home about but it would/should get me flying. Then i can upgrade/build a second one down the road. Just a thought????

I was just talking about the f450 frame - which is $32. It can take all the components that are used on the linked build from your first post, or even the components from this new link. The key that I would point out from this newer link (Hobby King RTF quad) is that you may end up with a subpar radio and props. You can do some research on the motors and ESC, I am not personally familiar with them.

But the price is cheap - and it may be the way to go to test out whether you like the hobby or not.

 

[SoCal Blur]

The frame is the dirt cheap part so im not real worried about that. I did come across HK's kit ( http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...adcopter_5X_Package_Mode_2_Ready_to_Fly_.html ) I thought "thats CHEAP" I dont know much about the components and how they would be??? My thought was that the DJI f450 is about triple that price...for like $200ish plus some time i could see how i like it. Maybe throw some taller landing gear on it later and upgrade a few things to get it to carry my Gopro. Any thoughts on that? Im sure that kit is nothing to write home about but it would/should get me flying. Then i can upgrade/build a second one down the road. Just a thought????

Chad, just keep in mind that depending upon where you live, the shipping costs from HobbyKing's international warehouse can make things that are "cheap" suddenly become expensive and then you may have to wait 3-4 weeks to get it as well. I only buy things from HK's USA/Canada warehouse (I'm in the US) because it doesn't come with crazy shipping costs and delivery is relatively quick.

 

[chuddly]

I checked all the parts from the Oddcopter blog on HK and it came out to $237. The frames are within a few dollars of each other so Im not real worried about that. All the parts i looked up from HK came from their US warehouse so shipping shouldnt be a huge issue. If you guys have another site you like to shop that you could direct me to i wouldnt be opposed to looking there also. Basically the Oddcopter blog rig comes out within $10 of the HK kit build and i think you get better stuff if you piece it together your self (i would swap out the props for the nicer ones that were suggested above). I think i would go with the f450 frame and then use my 3d printer to print some tall legs for it when i put my Gopro on there. I guess my real question is does this list look ok? Will everything work ok with the rest of it? what kind of flight time can i expect(I looked at ecalc but im lost on some of that). I guess if you guys would just look the list over and say "that should work" then im good. I just didnt want to buy a bunch of stuff and then figure out after much frustration that im not going to be anywhere near where i wanted to be. Attached below is a screen snip of the HK cart for parts (I would still change out the props and frame). Thanks guys...I know how it is with a new guy and all kinds of questions. But I really do appreciate the help before i jump in here.
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[Motopreserve]

That seems like it should work.

You may be better off running 9" props - since with 10" ecalc says you will be hovering at 35%. That's if you are using the lighter f450 frame. Of course if you load it up with more weight, then it offsets it a bit. The eCalc gives you low flight/mixed flight times - other than hover. But at 18 minutes estimated hover - you will probably be ok for just starting out and earning to fly.

You also might want to see about choosing the nano-tech batteries if you are going to be shopping at HK already. Decent for the money - and most people around here agree they are best bang for the buck.

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