DJI F450 First EVER Build

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Charlie.

Member
Apparently there have been some cases of the stock DJI props shearing of mid flight, and many people get better performance with "Graupner" props. Could someone point me to which graupner props I would need for a F450 carrying a gopro with a gimble and 4000mah 3S battery?

Oh and that's another thing, is there an advantage for getting 4S batteries over 3S batteries? I want to get the longest flight time possible whilst still remaining agile with the gopro/gimbal setup installed.

Thanks
 

C

Charlie.

Member
Just got another message from the person on eBay selling the landing gear and gimbal for the F450 and I can confirm that it is indeed this gimbal which is included.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/supper-li...sGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item2325011fa0

It says I need 2 x 28g servos and one 9g for shutter, but I don't see how the 9g shutter one will work? Where does it go on the gimbal? Not even sure it will be able to push the gopro shutter button when it's in its casing.

What are the best servos to get? I want to get the smoothest and most responsive motion possible.
 

P

Phil550

Member
tstrike said:
A year ago I was exactly where you guys are now. Don't waist your money or your time with that gimbal, spend your money on more battery, more battery equals more flight time, more flight time equals more skill, more skill equals less crashing, less crashing means less money spent buying cheap chinese repair parts, less time buying cheap chinese repair parts equals more time with significant other, more time with significant other equals more zug zug, more zug zug equals happier significant other, more happy significant other equals more understanding of what you're trying to do with these "toys".
Click to expand...

Charlie,

I'm with Tstrike on this...from my limited experience, if you buy the cheapest you can find you will almost always wish you had bought something better first time around at a later date.
Not sure why you want to operate the Gopro shutter remotely - it is quite stiff anyway. If you're shooting video, start it before you take off, if you're shooting stills, set it to timelapse, start it before take off and choose the best shots when you've finished.
I doubt if you will get the 'smoothest and most responsive motion possible' from that gimbal......

Just my 2 cents worth...
 

C

Charlie.

Member
Surely the servos are what affects the smoothness of the gimbal? They are all pretty much just 2 main pieces of metal which are moved up and down and side to side by servos. I do appreciate what you are saying though, but with my budget it's never going to be amazing. I just need a way of mounting my gopro and for £40 I am not to worried and who knows? Maybe it will produce good results!

Also I never said that I did want to control the gopro shutter remotely. It just said on the listing that you would need a 9g servo for the shutter button.

Can anyone give me battery advice from my questions a few posts back?

Thanks for all your replies.
 

T

tstrike

pendejo grande
http://www.servocity.com/html/s3156_servo.html this is a good servo for small gimbals (the gimbals aren't metal) and there's a bit more to it then your description, like pilot skill. Look at some of the videos guys are putting out with their straight up NON gimbaled 450 and disco frames, it's really impressive In the picture of the gimbal you're planning on buying they show the battery strapped to the center of the underside of the 450, unless you're having the naza mounted on the top plate, this won't work. Maybe think about a heavier battery because you'll have to counter weight the gimbal else your copter will be nose heavy. I use these http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=20848
with 9" graupners on a discovery frame, and only because it's the biggest battery that still fits between the frame plates. Every one's a little different though, I'd take the reco from whoever you're hiring to do the build.
 
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OneStopRC

OneStopRC

Dirty Little Hucker
Most people use 9.5" Graupner props, which seem to work good with the 450's. I am still looking into getting them myself... batteries, as I said in one of my earlier posts, I run the 3S 2650 LiPo which give me about 12 Minutes with my GoPro on board, about 15 Minutes without it.

You will get a little longer flight time with a bigger battery, but with a bigger battery on a 450 is going to add to the weight. Mine takes off fine, but you can notice the weight just from the GoPro, and at 50% Throttle, you should be able to maintain a hover in Atti mode, if your too much more than 50% throttle, I do not know how that will affect your Atti mode if your at like say 70% to maintain a hover... you see what I am saying?

Maybe someone else can chime in with this, I am not up with weight and lift ratios. I do know there is a payload limit to these air craft. I will look up on that to see what it is.
 

C

Charlie.

Member
If the Naza is in the middle on top of the bottom plate, couldn't the battery strap just fit over the Naza and hold the battery on the bottom? Not entirely sure about what goes where on the boards so will probably let quadcopters.co.uk work it out for me if I buy one :)

What am I looking for in terms of servos? I know that the faster operating speeds are obviously better for a gimbal, but what torque value is actually required to "turn" the gimbal? The ones Tstrike linked seem pretty expensive, and on some listings it says the recommended servos for gimbals like that one are futaba S3003 servos which are much cheaper (4 for £10).

With regard to batteries should I get the lightest 3S I can find with 4000mAh plus, a I do want reasonable flight times. The battery Tstrike linke seems really heavy for its size?
 


OneStopRC

OneStopRC

Dirty Little Hucker
I found this information in another thread....

With the GoPro HD camera and a 2200 3S Lipo
2 pounds 4 oz (1030 grams)
Max additional load is 570 grams or 1 pound 4 oz

Same setup but with a 4000 3S Lipo
2 pounds 11 oz (1225 grams)
Max additional load is 375 grams or 13 oz
Click to expand...


Found here.. http://www.multirotorforums.com/showthread.php?3957-stock-DJI-F450-max-load

Also this...

Anyway, as has been confirmed, the manual states 800g to 1.6Kg. To be fair, if there is any wind and it only weighs under a kilo, you have a struggle to get it to come down. My 450 weight is 1.2Kg and it handles better with a bit more of a payload on. Mine carries a GoPro, 2200 3S lipo, Immersion 600mw transmitter, Spektrum receiver,
Click to expand...
http://www.multirotorforums.com/sho...JI-F450-max-load&p=40245&viewfull=1#post40245

Mine right now is weighing in at....

With my Standard 450, standard 10" props, standard motors, standard esc's, Receiver, Naza on S-Bus and my 2650 3S.....

Without GoPro Hero 2 weight: 964g
With GoPro Hero 2 weight: 1077g

If you add the Gimbal + 116g + servos 28g x2 + Landing gear (can't find weight) + your extra battery weight. You should be withing the 1600g limits, easily.

For the amount your going to spend on it, it should be a nice, first timer quad. I got mine to practice with and to try and get some good aerial shots, I know we can get the best shots, but it is what it is and what we can afford. If your budget later becomes better, it would be easy to upgrade to a 550. All we would need is 2 more ESCs, 2 more motors and two more Props and the frame at $50.
 


OneStopRC

OneStopRC

Dirty Little Hucker

C

Charlie.

Member
I found a seller from Hong Kong selling the DJI F450 kit with the NAZA fc and the total cost comes to 380usd including shipping by EMS and the added 3.5% fee for paypal.

Equates to £234 at the moment here in the UK. The only downside might be if customs get involved and I end up paying 20% VAT on it. Would probably still end up being cheaper anyway, but then there is the issue of if I need to return it. The seller said they can declare a lower value which might reduce the costs if it does get looked at in customs.

Also why does the kit come with both 8" and 10" props?

Thanks
 

OneStopRC

OneStopRC

Dirty Little Hucker
My main concern would be if it is a rip off, I know DJI are Chinese, but there are some rip off 450 frames that are inferior to the DJI frame.

8" props are for 4S Lipos and 10" for 3S lipos.... according to the book.
 

C

Charlie.

Member
This is the sellers online shop (I found them on alibaba.com)

http://rc-fans.com/details.asp?prodid=3248

It says its made by DJI but I suppose that could just be a lie. If the kit wasn't made by DJI would there be any noticeable difference on the packaging or anything? I am pretty sure they would find it quite hard to fake the NAZA part of the kit though :)
 

P

pellen

Member
Charlie. said:
This is the sellers online shop (I found them on alibaba.com)

http://rc-fans.com/details.asp?prodid=3248

It says its made by DJI but I suppose that could just be a lie. If the kit wasn't made by DJI would there be any noticeable difference on the packaging or anything? I am pretty sure they would find it quite hard to fake the NAZA part of the kit though :)
Click to expand...

I guess it's mainly the frame that would be a fake...by just looking at the pictures in the link you provided, the top frame looks a little different than on my F450...but then on the other hand it doesn't look like they have taken those photos themselfs...it looks like a part of a smiley that has been cropped in the first photo :p
 

Lanzar

Lanzar

Member
i hope you are aware that you can pay taxes and customs fee at the end. and return will be a pain just because you wanted to save some eur. you could buy it while cristmass prices were up and save fev %.
dont save on transmiter , batteries and charger since you will be sorry later on. 6 chanels in not enough.
 

C

Charlie.

Member
Yeah I am going to get the Tunigy 9XR transmitter as I said in a previous post and that has 8 channels which should be enough for me.

Pellen yeah that does look like a smiley lol. They probably got the picture from someone else. What about the frame looked different? I could maybe ask them to send some real pictures and you could make a better comparison perhaps?

I think to get started I will probably buy just the F450 kit, Naza controller, Graupner 10" props, Turnigy 9XR with Frsky module and Rx and a 5000mAh battery and I will find some way of mounting the gopro although I think the landing gear and gimbal mentioned earlier could be a nice addition.

I can then add the GPS for the Naza and FPV setup for the GoPro once I get used to flying it.

That's the good thing about the gopro, you can output video and record at the same time so no need for a seperate FPV camera!

Thanks again :)
 
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OneStopRC

OneStopRC

Dirty Little Hucker
The top plate in that store is a lot different to mine, mine has 4 screws per leg in the top plate, that one has 3, plus it looks like piece sticking out of the sides where the legs meet up.

Pretty sure DJI have not changed the design, the box looks original, but that is what the Chinese do, they rip things off to look just like the original.

If I was you, I would find a retailer close to you and work them on the price. At least you will have some point of contact if you need help. It is your funding, I know your on a budget, but don't regret buying something you did not want.
 

Droider

Droider

Drone Enthusiast
If I was you, I would find a retailer close to you and work them on the price. At least you will have some point of contact if you need help. It is your funding, I know your on a budget, but don't regret buying something you did not want.
Click to expand...
Sound Advice +10

dont save on transmiter , batteries and charger since you will be sorry later on. 6 chanels in not enough.
Click to expand...

Again +10+

Ebay is ok for bits and bobs and I am sure there are lots of great sellers out there selling Genuine quality products BUT I have see the crap that people call clones, actually counterfeit products, anyone who rips someone else's hard work and R&D in designs aint going to think twice about ignoring you when you lovely new camera gets bladdered coz a captive nut popped out of his crap frame.. OBTW did I say I have seen this more than once! Best put the beer shop off for a couple of days and invest in the true Mcoy.IMO

Dave
 


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