Drones: Anybody Got One (Or Two -- Or More?)

[MikeK]

I'm surprised that at the phenomenal rate this new technology and subsequent hobby has grown there is never any mention of it here. I would think by now there should be a separate forum for those who enjoy flying these heli and quad copters.

 

[Sunni Man]

I own and fly a Blade 350 QX3 ......

 

[Pogo]

I own and fly a Blade 350 QX3 ......

Kewl.

Can I haz it?

 

[Sunni Man]

Kewl.

Can I haz it?

No way Jose.......

 

[saveliberty]

Put a GoPro camera on it, the stock is tanking!

 

[alpine]

waiting for the new models to come out...

 

[MikeK]

I own and fly a Blade 350 QX3 ......

That's a good one. I know it has a GoPro camera but I'm not sure if it's gimbal-controlled. I know someone else who has one. He says it takes very good video.

I know it's GPS controlled, which is critically important. Does it allow very stable hover?

 

[Sunni Man]

That's a good one. I know it has a GoPro camera but I'm not sure if it's gimbal-controlled. I know someone else who has one. He says it takes very good video.
I know it's GPS controlled, which is critically important. Does it allow very stable hover?

Best bang for the bucks in my opinion. Has advanced features and easy to fly. 1) has GPS homing 2) night lights 3) has a 10' safety circle so you can't fly it into yourself.

I started out buying the model without the camera and added the camera later. (No use tearing up your camera while you are learning to fly)

Because a person needs to get good at learning to fly before they get a camera. Because you are going to crash while learning.......and crash again when you think you're hot stuff and got it down. ......

 

[MikeK]

That's a good one. I know it has a GoPro camera but I'm not sure if it's gimbal-controlled. I know someone else who has one. He says it takes very good video.
I know it's GPS controlled, which is critically important. Does it allow very stable hover?

Best bang for the bucks in my opinion. Has advanced features and easy to fly. 1) has GPS homing 2) night lights 3) has a 10' safety circle so you can't fly it into yourself.

I started out buying the model without the camera and added the camera later. (No use tearing up your camera while you are learning to fly)

Because a person needs to get good at learning to fly before they get a camera. Because you are going to crash while learning.......and crash again when you think you're hot stuff and got it down. ......

I saw my neighbor's grandson flying a Syma x5c quad and it fascinated me, so I bought one and flew it indoors and out for almost a year. It's a $50 toy and has no sophisticated features, but it does fly and keeping it in the air is good for keeping one's reflexes alive (and it drives my Yorkie nuts).

I've been tempted to buy a DJI Phantom 3 (Advanced) or a Yuneec Q500 but those birds cost quite a bit for something I won't use that often and will represent a substantial loss if I destroy or lose it. So I've decided that because this technology is advancing so rapidly, and the prices of these high-end quads keep coming down, it won't be long before some relatively inexpensive ones start showing up with sophisticated features.

More recently I bought a JXD509G which is another toy-grade quad that is an exact miniature of the Yuneec Q500 and is a good example of advanced features at reasonable cost. I paid $100 for it, plus $20 for a couple of extra batteries.



This bird features FPV with its own very clear monitor screen, headless mode, one-button RTH, and barometric altitude control that works rather nicely. It is a pleasure to fly. The video isn't great, but I'm really not interested in that (which is really why I haven't sprung for a DJI Phantom).

I'm waiting for a good quad with all the above features, plus object avoidance to show up at around $500. I'm also concerned with a minimum of required software tinkering ("firmware" updates, etc.) That is a very big turn-off for me because I'm not a computer geek. Each time I've been on the verge of buying a DJI or Yuneec I think about all the tinkering needed to get it going and I give up on the idea.

Does yours require much of that?

 

[MikeK]

That's a good one. I know it has a GoPro camera but I'm not sure if it's gimbal-controlled. I know someone else who has one. He says it takes very good video.
I know it's GPS controlled, which is critically important. Does it allow very stable hover?

Best bang for the bucks in my opinion. Has advanced features and easy to fly. 1) has GPS homing 2) night lights 3) has a 10' safety circle so you can't fly it into yourself.

I started out buying the model without the camera and added the camera later. (No use tearing up your camera while you are learning to fly)

Because a person needs to get good at learning to fly before they get a camera. Because you are going to crash while learning.......and crash again when you think you're hot stuff and got it down. ......

I saw my neighbor's grandson flying a Syma x5c quad and it fascinated me, so I bought one and flew it indoors and out for almost a year. It's a $50 toy and has no sophisticated features, but it does fly and keeping it in the air is good for keeping one's reflexes alive (and it drives my Yorkie nuts).

I've been tempted to buy a DJI Phantom 3 (Advanced) or a Yuneec Q500 but those birds cost quite a bit for something I won't use that often and will represent a substantial loss if I destroy or lose it. So I've decided that because this technology is advancing so rapidly, and the prices of these high-end quads keep coming down, it won't be long before some relatively inexpensive ones start showing up with sophisticated features.

More recently I bought a JXD509G which is another toy-grade quad that is an exact miniature of the Yuneec Q500 and is a good example of advanced features at reasonable cost. I paid $100 for it, plus $20 for a couple of extra batteries.

Here's video I plucked off YouTube to give you a general idea:



This bird features FPV with its own very clear monitor screen, headless mode, one-button RTH, and barometric altitude control that works rather nicely. It is a pleasure to fly. The video isn't great, but I'm really not interested in that (which is really why I haven't sprung for a DJI Phantom).

I'm waiting for a good quad with all the above features, plus object avoidance to show up at around $500. I'm also concerned with a minimum of required software tinkering ("firmware" updates, etc.) That is a very big turn-off for me because I'm not a computer geek. Each time I've been on the verge of buying a DJI or Yuneec I think about all the tinkering needed to get it going and I give up on the idea.

Does yours require much of that?

 

[Sunni Man]

If I had the bucks to splurge. I'd buy a Yuneec Typhoon over a DJI Phantom 3.
Setting side by side, you can see the Yuneec is the superior quad.

I started out with a $60 toy quadcopter and flew it in my living room for several months until I broke it. I went to the hobby store to buy another one. Another customer was there and advised me not to buy another toy quadcopter. I didn't know this person from Adam.
He then said he wanted to show me his quad. We walked out to his car in front of the store. Where he pulled out his Blade 350 QX3 and he let me fly it right there in the parking lot.
It was soo easy to fly compared to the small toy grade quad I had been flying.
I was totally hooked and went back into the store and bought one without the camera. (like I said before, learn to fly before you worry about a camera)
It flies great and and does everything I need in a quad.
Be sure to buy an extra battery.
You wont be disappointed. ......