Better flight times with hexacopter - help!

[mdntblu]

I have a F550 style hexacopter.

I'm running the Outrunner 1000KV motors (http://www.ebay.com/itm/301123699421), with a 3DRobotics APM 2.6 and GPS and telemetry, the blades are 10x5, with a 3-Axis gimbal and GoPro (http://www.ebay.com/itm/261420903129) and a lightweight skid.

I'm currently going to try the Glacier 30C 3300mAh batteries in parallel (2x) and also have some Turnigy NanoTech 25-50C 5000mAh batteries.

Do you think it's better to do the 2 Glacier's which weighs 540g or the 1 Turnigy which is 403g? Or even 2 Turnigy 806g.

I have no idea how much the entire hex weighs. I'd have to add everything up.

Frame : 478g
Motors: 288g
ESC's: 222g
APM + GPS: 45g
Skid: 145g
Gimbal: 262g
GoPro: 74g
FPV transmitter: 60g
-------------------
total with no batteries: 1574g
So either 2 glaciers total = 2114g
Or Turnigy x1 = 1977g
Or Turnigy x2 = 2380g

Is this too heavy for these batteries or current setup? Any other recommendations? I'd like to be able to get 12-14min flight time instead of 5-6 min.

 

[Motopreserve]

Doubling up the batteries is not going to give you double the flight time. At that weight, You probably need to look into trying some lower Kv motors which should be more efficient for your setup.

 

[mdntblu]

What motors do you recommend? Also would 4S batteries be better? I can't use 4S with the current motors so def will have to change motors if I want lower kv and use 4S.

 

[Motopreserve]

What motors do you recommend? Also would 4S batteries be better? I can't use 4S with the current motors so def will have to change motors if I want lower kv and use 4S.

4S will give you more power if you need it. The motor choice depends on what you are trying to accomplish. As a brand, I have been getting good results from SunnySky motors, both high and low Kv for different applications.

Check out the motors that can handle the AUW/thrust ratio, and find the most efficient for best flight times.

 

[AlienNet]

im flying a 700mm Quad with 5000mah 4s and getting 22 mins, my motors are Tarot 4006 620kv & props are 13x5, f550 can only handle 10" props but you can use arm extenders and probably get 12" on.

 

[Motopreserve]

im flying a 700mm Quad with 5000mah 4s and getting 22 mins, my motors are Tarot 4006 620kv & props are 13x5, f550 can only handle 10" props but you can use arm extenders and probably get 12" on.

Those are some great flight times! The other folks that are building the same Hex as mine (Tarot 680Pro) have been getting upwards of 25+ minutes. This is done with either the 3508 580 or 3xx kv motors. The max prop on this is a 13" - but Alien is correct, extending the arms will allow you to be able to fit larger props for better flight times.

 

[mdntblu]

Wow guys. That's amazing flight times. So i guess my biggest issue is my motors. I can probably use the same props just need slower turning motors. I guess i'll have to figure out what motors would work best for my setup. I'm guessing 500-800kv motors with 10" props would be best for me.

 

[mdntblu]

What about using these motors with the 10" props? Do you guys think this will help? I see that these batteries still only support 3s max battery.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131225910446

 

[Motopreserve]

Wow guys. That's amazing flight times. So i guess my biggest issue is my motors. I can probably use the same props just need slower turning motors. I guess i'll have to figure out what motors would work best for my setup. I'm guessing 500-800kv motors with 10" props would be best for me.

Youll want to do some research for the motors, and find what is most efficient, best for flight time and has the right amount of thrust. Most motors have some type of chart that shows these sea tails for various batteries/prop combination. Make sure you get motors that can handle the battery - even better if they can handle a range for growth (3S AND 4S). 10" props are sort of the In-between size - so your options may be a bit limited.

There are also extensions for these frames that allow for longer props, but obviously that's more investment - and will depend on how far you want to go with this particular frame.

 

[mdntblu]

I see. So basically my frame is just too small for the flight times and the weight I'm trying to accomplish?

 

[Motopreserve]

I see. So basically my frame is just too small for the flight times and the weight I'm trying to accomplish?

Thats where the research will come in. I know that 4S batteries with the sunnysky 2216 800kv will get you just shy of 500 grams of thrust/50% throttle with a 10" prop. This would be in the ballpark for you if you come in at around 2000g