WKM or Naza with GPS

[Warlock]

I know that WooKong is very good and does a good job, but it should for that kind of money. The shop I am buying my DJI F550 from sells either system, and I was just going to bite the bullet and go with the WKM system. But the owner of the shop was plain about telling me that yes Wookong is serious stuff, but the new Naza with GPS does everything the WKM set up does and he told me that if he was watching two different 550's at the same time one with WKM and the other Naza, he would not be able to tell the difference as far as return to home heading hold etc. About the only thing WKM does that apparently Naza does not is have waypoint capability he tells me.

And it's pretty compelling as he sells the Naza set up for over $600.00 less than WooKong, and hence could make a lot more money from me but does not think its that nessesary for my purposes. He did say that any real high end "very expensive" equipment most definitly need Wookong. He is just trying to save me some money which is pretty rare these day's and especially when a dumb *** like me is ready and willing to go all the way just to lower the worry factor some, at least in my mind.

Money is not the issue, I can afford what ever I want, but that doesnt mean Im punchy or anything:tennis: $600.00 is a lot of money, and if the Naza system is really good and does what WKM does, all the way, would I be good to go, you all think? Or just play it safe and go WooKong?

 

[Aviator]

I have the Wookong and a friend of mine the Naza GPS. I would have got the Naza but I am flying a heavy lift Octocopter and was not sure the Naza would cope with something so big? if you have a 550 then go with the Naza, there really isn`t a major difference

 

[Warlock]

Thanks a bunch. I just have had a lot of bad experiences with my previous quads compared to the good times. And I just dont want to leave anything to chance. And the shop selling me the 550 agrees totaly with you, and must be a good outfit because there is a $600.00 difference in price and they did not want to over sell me. He said that Wookong is great, and it ought to be. But does nothing Naza cant but for way point. But for the high end of things like your machine, its what you want.

 

[Dreamweaver]

All depends if you want waypoint or not...i jumped straight in and got a WKM because i really wanted the waypoint and hopefully the 'follow me' functionality for filming my other hobby....also right now you get a free 450 with it.

That said i'm starting to sport fly my WKM and i can see it ending in tears.

Money no issue...get both

~Mike

 

[sim_io]

If you take octocopters and waypoints out of the equation naza is at an advantage -$600 and lighter (no IMU box) its all integrated in to the naza + the gps thingy. There's no reason to get a wookong unless you're doing octo or in serious need of waypoints.

 

[Warlock]

Well gentlemen thanks for the help here. As long as Naza lands its self if the transmitter signal is lost, and actually does return to home, and has something like heading lock, and lands its self when the battery starts to get low, I'm up for that. Gees, I ask a lot dont I ?

 

[eladberger]

For the FH-H800 hex to lift 2Kg camera with the DS02 gimbal, would you go with the Naza or WKM? I don't need the waypoints but I do need it for low experience pilot and it need to deal with wind as I'll be using it for aerial videoing.
Cheers

 

[VINHEX]

Does the Naza have go home thought it was only hover, cool if it does not sure that it has it though..

 

[Pinballer]

I've got the wookong and it does all the RTH, failsafe and best of all intelligent fly. However if I started from scrach again I would defo just buy the Naza GPS and it does all the same things now and the waypoints are wasted on me.

Oh btw I fly a 550 with gimbal and camera.

Hope this helps

 

[Warlock]

I have ordered a new F-550 with a high landing gear for my camera mount under it. I went back and forth about weather to get the Naza set up with GPS or WKM. I have done a lot of research on both systems. For me my first consideration was the cost. After all WKM is about $700.00 more expensive than Naza. Naza can do most of what WKM can do maybe short of waypoints, but waypoints are not something I'm interested in now. My brother has a Gaui 500 with Wookong and now a DJI F-550 with Wookong. He has never once had even the slightest problem out of either machine and he and I are both fairly new to this hobby.

Not one time has either machine crashed nor even did anything like close to crashing and I witnessed his Gaui 500 my self on vacation a few months ago. I could not believe he was actually going to try to fly that day. The wind was blowing hard enough to blow your cap off your head, a flag was standing straight out in the park were we were.
All my personal experience with helicopters has taught me that wind is not your friend even a little wind can be real bad. I thought my brother was taking a huge chance, and told him so. I could wait for a calm day and did not want to see his Gaui dumped. But he has had no experience with lessor machines and Wookong is all he knows about. He said that short of a major storm that might get him hit by lightning he never considered the wind an issue! He flew it all over the park with not one care nor concern with the wind, as the wind did not affect the Gaui at all. It could hold a steady hover with next to no lateral movement and it just sat there rock steady in a 20 mph wind.

So much more investigating went into play when I got home, seeing is believing. What I have found is, Naza is good but not the rock of dependability Wookong is. The Naza system will at times get a mind of its own and veer off one way or the other suddenly. As well RTH can be pretty good 5 times in a row and scare you to death the 6th time! I dont want to be scared to death even one time out of a hundred! I have had plenty of that with my last 3 quads.

I changed my order from the Naza set up to Wookong and hope to get it in a few days. To me it was worth the extra money for the solid dependability and low worry factor. For once I just want to have some real fun and still have something left to fly again another day. My brother purposly left the Gaui in a high hover about 100 feet up and just let the battery go down. With my junk Xaircraft X650-V-8 that would mean disaster and a drop from the sky. All the Gaui did was land its self when the battery got low. At about 300 yards out and 150 feet high he turned off the transmitter, the Gaui came back and landed at his feet with in two feet of where it took off from and this in a high wind. I didnt need to see more.

 

[VINHEX]

In my opinion you made the right choice, excellent fun welcome to the mad house LOL.. Everyone has the favorite mine was the Wookong.. I cant afford to have two Hex' so therefore went with what I thought best knowing at a later date i can move the kit over to a S800 come on Christmas..

 

[ShanghaiPhil]

Hi all, this is kinda my first post to the forum... so here goes!
I'm a photographer based out of Shanghai and I have more and more clients asking me for these types of aerial shots for their product/factory/whatever (I'm a total newbie if you haven't figured that out already). So I got myself a F550 to practice and see if I could ever justify making the BIG jump to an octo with 6lbs of payload for my DSLR. Of course, being a n00b I didn't get a GPS... so, I crashed it more than once! And so now here I am as I have a client asking for aerial pics of their ship, out in the ocean... I feel like I went from baby step to neck high in it.
Straight to the point: 1) from reading this thread I feel like the extra investment - at least in regards to me and this being for my work - is worth it. 2) would taking off and landing from a metal surface (i.e. a ship) be an issue for the GPS calibration? or uneven ground, as I might be on a smaller boat.

 

[FlyGirl]

Hi all, this is kinda my first post to the forum... so here goes!
I'm a photographer based out of Shanghai and I have more and more clients asking me for these types of aerial shots for their product/factory/whatever (I'm a total newbie if you haven't figured that out already). So I got myself a F550 to practice and see if I could ever justify making the BIG jump to an octo with 6lbs of payload for my DSLR. Of course, being a n00b I didn't get a GPS... so, I crashed it more than once! And so now here I am as I have a client asking for aerial pics of their ship, out in the ocean... I feel like I went from baby step to neck high in it.
Straight to the point: 1) from reading this thread I feel like the extra investment - at least in regards to me and this being for my work - is worth it. 2) would taking off and landing from a metal surface (i.e. a ship) be an issue for the GPS calibration? or uneven ground, as I might be on a smaller boat.

Hi Phil.... Welcome! I know it can be done as I have watched this guys vids.

 

[ShanghaiPhil]

Thanks FlyGirl! ...though he did says he lost one of his quads! I hope I won't lose my F550... lol. no intention on that!!

But thanks, the video is awesome.

I guess that answers my question about taking off a metal deck, it doesn't affect the GPS I guess then... cool!

 

[soler]

Welcome ShangahiPhil,

I spend half my time in Suzhou so may be we will meet up some day, back again in November

Point 1 - I would make he investment if you are going to be putting expensive kit on it, I noticed a difference from moving from a NAZA to a A2 (some people have had bad experience with the A2 but mine is fine) Also with GPS it gives you the ability to return to home incase anything happens

Point 2) As the video above shows it seams not to be a problem, other people taking off from small boats have been recalibrating their compass on land before flying off the small boat. I would suggest that it probably is not a good idea to recalibrate the compass on a metal ship as this would probably have an effect on the compass more than the GPS.

Thanks FlyGirl! ...though he did says he lost one of his quads! I hope I won't lose my F550... lol. no intention on that!!

But thanks, the video is awesome.

I guess that answers my question about taking off a metal deck, it doesn't affect the GPS I guess then... cool!

 

[Twobits]

I have the Naza lite and I can not get it to arm the speed controllers. I am using a Spektrum DX5e for now (have a DX8 transmitter and a AR8000 receiver on the way.). I checked out all the channels on the receiver with servos, all 5 okay. I set the equipment up on the computer using the DJI lite assistant, set for a quad x standard, calibrated the sticks and the mode GPS/manual on the toggle switch, also okay. I first tried to arm with the sticks according to the manual, no joy. Then read that the small red wire to the Turnigy plus 30A (motors are Turnigy 2826's) should be cut and shrink wrapped, thought I possibly might have smoked the Naza but did not really think so because of it working on the computer, tried another Naza, no difference. Rechecked all connections more than once, any ideals would be appreciated!!!!

 

[ShanghaiPhil]

Welcome ShangahiPhil,

I spend half my time in Suzhou so may be we will meet up some day, back again in November

Point 1 - I would make he investment if you are going to be putting expensive kit on it, I noticed a difference from moving from a NAZA to a A2 (some people have had bad experience with the A2 but mine is fine) Also with GPS it gives you the ability to return to home incase anything happens

Point 2) As the video above shows it seams not to be a problem, other people taking off from small boats have been recalibrating their compass on land before flying off the small boat. I would suggest that it probably is not a good idea to recalibrate the compass on a metal ship as this would probably have an effect on the compass more than the GPS.

Solar, if you swing by Shanghai do let me know (Suzhou is not that far!!) I'd love to invite you for a couple of pints and drill you with questions!