TDRacing13
Member
GPToys Aviax H20
Introduction-
Purchase Link- $39.99 (with coupon code WGH20) http://shrsl.com/?~9al9
The H20 Aviax appears to be almost identical to the GPToys Aviax model, the two models share all the same features such as headless modes and cruise control. The primary difference between the two models is that the H20 is advertised as being "Waterproof". Now before we go any further I want to note that the manufacturer claims the control board and the motors are waterproof, they make it a point to state that the battery is not waterproof. Based on this statement and my own personal experience I would say that completely submerging this model is not a good idea.
Specifications (as tested)-
*Note- all range testing is performed as a horizontal walk out, distance measurement is performed using a Bushnell scout 1000 rangefinder
Frequency- 2.4ghz
Battery- Quadcopter 650mah (2 included)
Transmitter 4x AA batteries (not included)
Flight time- 6:00 WITH prop guards
6:15 WITHOUT prop guards
LVC- 35 seconds
Charging time- 1hr with stock USB charger
Control distance- Dropouts starting at 155 meters, complete loss of signal at 160 meters
Unboxing
GPToys H20 Aviax Unboxing, flight, first impressions (Courtesy of GearBest.com) (9 min 4 sec)
Transmitter
The H20 Aviax features a full size WLToys style transmitter which happens to be one of my favorite style toy grade transmitters to fly with. The transmitter features a large back lit LCD display allowing the operator to quickly determine what rates they are in, how much trim has been added, and whether the LED lights are illuminated on the craft or not. The shoulder buttons are easy to reach without taking your eyes off the craft, however the buttons along side the LCD are not as easy to reach and are not labeled. Since the cruise control and headless mode buttons are very close in proximity it is very easy to accidently hit the wrong button with unintended results (typically getting stuck in a tree
)
Quadcopter
The H20 Aviax has a sort of mini Phantom look to it and features a faux GPS dome mounted on top, although most of its design features appear to be based off of the popular Syma X5.
At first glance the included prop guards seem as though they would work great, however in testing I found that they are very flexible and will actually hit the props during a flip causing the quadcopter to crash.
One great feature of the H20 Aviax is the quick change prop design, simply pull the locking pin and the prop comes right off. I am amazing that more companies are not using this method.
The LED lights are very bright with red in the front and green in the back assisting in orientation during both day and night flights. Since the body is painted silver the LEDs don't shine through the arms making night flights difficult, I have not tested the orange body so I'm not sure if the lights shine through any better.
The battery bay is definitely styled after the Syma X5 and gives you enough real estate for a larger battery. Included with the package is two 650mah 3.7v batteries
Features
Headless Mode- The headless mode in this quadcopter works surprisingly well. I found that as long as you did not crash the quadcopter after takeoff the quadcopter would remember its initial heading for the duration of the flight. If you do crash and plan on using headless mode as a "failsafe" be sure to point the heading where you want it and recalibrate the accelerometers.
Cruise Control- Cruise control is an interesting feature, it appears to work as designed but it is difficult to tell because there is no GPS on this model. The way the cruise control is supposed to work is the quadcopter remembers the last 40 seconds of inputs, once you press cruise control these last 40 seconds are replayed automatically. It is important to remember that you still have to control altitude during cruise control and the quadcopter does not have any means of determining where it is in space so it will collide with any objects in its path.
Video Review
*Coming Wednesday*
Conclusion-
Ignoring the “waterproof” claim, this is a great quadcopter. It may not be lightning fast but its smooth easy to fly style and long 150+ meter range makes this my go to quadcopter almost every day. If you have a friend that wants to get into multi rotors the Aviax H20 would be a great place to start. The only Cons that I can see is that it is on the slow side and the prop guards induce more crashes than they prevent. All things considered I would definitely recommend this quadcopter.
Pros-
Long range
Smooth stable flight
Usable headless mode
Water “tolerance” reduces risk when flying around water
Easy to change props
Cons-
LEDs don’t shine through body
Prop guards are not effective
Introduction-
Purchase Link- $39.99 (with coupon code WGH20) http://shrsl.com/?~9al9
The H20 Aviax appears to be almost identical to the GPToys Aviax model, the two models share all the same features such as headless modes and cruise control. The primary difference between the two models is that the H20 is advertised as being "Waterproof". Now before we go any further I want to note that the manufacturer claims the control board and the motors are waterproof, they make it a point to state that the battery is not waterproof. Based on this statement and my own personal experience I would say that completely submerging this model is not a good idea.
Specifications (as tested)-
*Note- all range testing is performed as a horizontal walk out, distance measurement is performed using a Bushnell scout 1000 rangefinder
Frequency- 2.4ghz
Battery- Quadcopter 650mah (2 included)
Transmitter 4x AA batteries (not included)
Flight time- 6:00 WITH prop guards
6:15 WITHOUT prop guards
LVC- 35 seconds
Charging time- 1hr with stock USB charger
Control distance- Dropouts starting at 155 meters, complete loss of signal at 160 meters
Unboxing
GPToys H20 Aviax Unboxing, flight, first impressions (Courtesy of GearBest.com) (9 min 4 sec)
Transmitter
The H20 Aviax features a full size WLToys style transmitter which happens to be one of my favorite style toy grade transmitters to fly with. The transmitter features a large back lit LCD display allowing the operator to quickly determine what rates they are in, how much trim has been added, and whether the LED lights are illuminated on the craft or not. The shoulder buttons are easy to reach without taking your eyes off the craft, however the buttons along side the LCD are not as easy to reach and are not labeled. Since the cruise control and headless mode buttons are very close in proximity it is very easy to accidently hit the wrong button with unintended results (typically getting stuck in a tree
Quadcopter
The H20 Aviax has a sort of mini Phantom look to it and features a faux GPS dome mounted on top, although most of its design features appear to be based off of the popular Syma X5.
At first glance the included prop guards seem as though they would work great, however in testing I found that they are very flexible and will actually hit the props during a flip causing the quadcopter to crash.
One great feature of the H20 Aviax is the quick change prop design, simply pull the locking pin and the prop comes right off. I am amazing that more companies are not using this method.
The LED lights are very bright with red in the front and green in the back assisting in orientation during both day and night flights. Since the body is painted silver the LEDs don't shine through the arms making night flights difficult, I have not tested the orange body so I'm not sure if the lights shine through any better.
The battery bay is definitely styled after the Syma X5 and gives you enough real estate for a larger battery. Included with the package is two 650mah 3.7v batteries
Features
Headless Mode- The headless mode in this quadcopter works surprisingly well. I found that as long as you did not crash the quadcopter after takeoff the quadcopter would remember its initial heading for the duration of the flight. If you do crash and plan on using headless mode as a "failsafe" be sure to point the heading where you want it and recalibrate the accelerometers.
Cruise Control- Cruise control is an interesting feature, it appears to work as designed but it is difficult to tell because there is no GPS on this model. The way the cruise control is supposed to work is the quadcopter remembers the last 40 seconds of inputs, once you press cruise control these last 40 seconds are replayed automatically. It is important to remember that you still have to control altitude during cruise control and the quadcopter does not have any means of determining where it is in space so it will collide with any objects in its path.
Video Review
*Coming Wednesday*
Conclusion-
Ignoring the “waterproof” claim, this is a great quadcopter. It may not be lightning fast but its smooth easy to fly style and long 150+ meter range makes this my go to quadcopter almost every day. If you have a friend that wants to get into multi rotors the Aviax H20 would be a great place to start. The only Cons that I can see is that it is on the slow side and the prop guards induce more crashes than they prevent. All things considered I would definitely recommend this quadcopter.
Pros-
Long range
Smooth stable flight
Usable headless mode
Water “tolerance” reduces risk when flying around water
Easy to change props
Cons-
LEDs don’t shine through body
Prop guards are not effective