All the mistakes I know not to make

Beginner Mark

New Member
Alright, Have fun with this:
Versed in slot cars, control line, RC cars, gas powered cars, real cars, vintage audio etc...
Decided drones would be a fun thing, right?
So, here are the mistakes, ending with the problem, as follows:
1) Decided to get a starter drone as low cost as possible, since I'll likely destroy it.
2) I am an ebayer. I sell and buy. Most times results are outstanding, for those of us with patience, other times, just like being a con mark who believes it is the deal of a lifetime, well, we all know how that goes.
3) Where do i go? ebay of course, and I know little of drones.
4) Yet, I check out reviews online of beginner/kids drones. What could go wrong with online reviews, right?
5) Back to ebay; Based on online reviews I find a Ruko B7K: "New in box:. $50.00 + 15 shipping & tax. great, sounds good, cheap, huh?
6) Again, I know better than all the above; So, I buy it now! Way to go! It gets better.....
7) It arrives, quick shipping, I take a quick look (time is a challenge these days, I'm a health care provider). The box looks new, all packaging looks factory-mostly, all the gadgety stuff is neatly packed in each little slot, gotta go to work.
8) I provide positive feedback based on cursory visual inspection, and I know better.
9) Couple of long shift days later: Lets play with this thing. Read manual. Charge batteries (hmm, manual says a couple hours to charge-they charge in about 15 minutes. OK, so the guy tried it out & changed his mind, right?
10) Following manual for pairing controller & all that, test flight is on at the dining room table. Good idea!
11) Let it idle on the level table, reinforce self orientation to controls, time for liftoff. Props accelerate as manual says, it lifts off, & no matter how familiarized I've been sure to be with the joysticks, it flies backwards into my wifes favorite Bonzai tree. Man, this thing is great at trimming Bonzai trees! Lucky for me, my wife is very cool & we just about fall off the chairs laughing our asses off. She had accurately predicted I'd fly it into something, and is very pleased with herself.
12) OK, back to the manual. There is a fine tuning of trim to joystick controls procedure. That should do it!
13) Go through the trim procedure & should have control now. Nope. Flies backward.
14) Take the nasty little bastard to the basement with more available flying room & no easily destroyed items or killable life forms.
15) Try as I might it only flies backward. Even backward turning, changing pitch/yaw etc. Will not fly forward and is hard to fly backward as it insists on descending. Headless mode has no effect. Hmm.
16) Figure out blades don't hurt & don't break skin, by catching it. Learn to hold it in hand and work joysticks with one hand. Yup, it will turn, left-right, power up & down, but will only fly nose up and eventually stalls down.

So, seller won't help, already gave + feedback (guy must have known), ebay won't help due to feedback, Ruko won't help & no longer has B& controllers as accessories since production has ended.

Any thoughts? Where to find a replacement controller, joystick, can the joystick be replaced (not opened controller yet, probably shouldn't), what I'm doing wrong etc. Please, other than: "What a dumbass", I already know that part.
Mark
 

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