Help building my first quad/hex copter

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Dave M

Well-Known Member
Hi. Ok so i am completely new here and have read a TON of information these drone clones. So basically im down to a few questions and if I could get these cleared up i can get down to ordering the parts need for my first build. Any input is welcome!

1. If i were to use carbon fiber as the frame, would i have to insulate the motherboard from the frame as to prevemt conductivity? Is there anyway to ground it? Or should i just use it for the wings(the arms that extend out to the motors and props. Ive seen the higher end quads using carbon fiber but how do they go about using the material?

2. I plan on making a hexcopter most likely due to the reliability and other raisins. I want to buy the cc3d(if its a typo forgive me!) FCB for its good reviews and because its inexpensive. What is the difference between the cc3d and something like a qx800 watera FCB? Of all the reading ive done i cant recall finding the difference that makes one more expensive than the other.

3. This question is one thats killing me and ive searched for everywhere. Could i use qx800 motors with any FCB? (fligh contrl board) or a kk2.1 board? Or are more pricey motors picky on what FCB's they work with? A more relatable question would be, can i use expensive parts with cheaper parts when building a quadcopter!hexcopter? Provided the voltage is adjusted to power accordingly right?

You dont have to answer each question! Sorry for the long list of stuff. I hope this clears things up for newbies like me. Thanks for your time guys

-Dave
 
holtneil

holtneil

Well-Known Member
Moderator
Hi mate and welcome to the forum , can we not call it a drone as there fire rockets and spy on the baddies , quad or multirotor is nicer lol
All carbon frame is the best and what we use is plastic stand offs they do them in hobby king
What do you want this to do just fly ? mount a camera ? this will tell you what FCB to use the cc3d is cheap but can be a major pain to set up
As for walkera stay away the helis they make are over priced crap and the quads are not going to be any different ,there is much better out there
as your going for a multirotor its not going to be cheap to build so you may as well you the best you can afford to get this will make it more stable and the whole thing last a lot longer
Have you got a transmitter or do you need to buy one
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
holtneil said:
Hi mate and welcome to the forum , can we not call it a drone as there fire rockets and spy on the baddies , quad or multirotor is nicer lol
All carbon frame is the best and what we use is plastic stand offs they do them in hobby king
What do you want this to do just fly ? mount a camera ? this will tell you what FCB to use the cc3d is cheap but can be a major pain to set up
As for walkera stay away the helis they make are over priced crap and the quads are not going to be any different ,there is much better out there
as your going for a multirotor its not going to be cheap to build so you may as well you the best you can afford to get this will make it more stable and the whole thing last a lot longer
Have you got a transmitter or do you need to buy one
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome and response! Hah my apologies on the drone part ill stick to the actual names like quad etc. I knew that it wasnt one but still saw it called as such and thought that maybe you guys would prefer it that way lol!

Yes i will not be paying +1k for something i could most likely make myself for a bit cheaper. I actually decided to buy the full naze32 board. I thought about the acro but am probably going to add a gps and a camera later on.

I kmow you said to stay away from those overpriced multis, but I would like to know what reason is there for doing that? Obviously its mainly brand that you're paying for but what does a $2k multi (almost wrote drone lol) have over one you build yourself for $300? Does it have higher payload? Better/sturdier frames? Does the FCB do more things or is it faster or more able to be intergrated to other upgrades(gps/electronic add-ons)? Better motors/ecs? Or battery power? Because frankly what ive noticed is that all multis fly the same, last in the air around the same time and if built at home can more or less carry the same payload if not more.

Another thing is, ive seen Walkera qx800 motors and esc's on hobbyking along with lots of walkera parts for really cheap!! The motors were about $35!!! Each. If i used those on the naze32 full/acro, would they work? Could i just throw in dji parts and walkera parts together and build something for less than $300-500 and have multi just as good as the $1-2k ones?

Thanks for your time
 
holtneil

holtneil

Well-Known Member
Moderator
Hi mate walkera are not very good on the QC the helis that they make take more money to get to fly than buy the right make the first time thats why parts are cheap they are not good at all , There are some very good makes out there and also some cheap wont last forever but will last long enough for it to be worth going with them , You can build a much better quad for $1k even better $2k , What you need to do is think in a years time what do I want this quad to be doing if it camera platform with FPV long range flying stable , top fail safe to bring it home not loose it then thats what we need to aim for now dont spend twice
Acro boards are for acrobatic flying its like 3D in the heli world not the starting point
Dji are one of the best they do great kits that your still enjoy building and at the end know its going to fly well , last well , this is why DJI quads are cloned so much
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
Ah awesome! yes I do want to mount a camera to capture nature and all that in the future, FPV would be fun! and I don't really care for acrobatics, I would like to just fly and fly fast if possible and for along time(20-40 min if not more). what board would you suggest for that, that is around the price of an naze32? I would like to get something with the capabilities of the dji inspire 1. That thing looks amazing as well as flies amazing. heres a link to it: http://dronesetc.com/products/dji-i...nt=976936681&gclid=CKy4ttvm38QCFZNafgodD5IAEw

Could I make a drone with the same capabilities for less $? preferably waaay less $(~$300)? lol obviously I wont have the camera, GPS, FPV or gimble installed. I just want it to fly like this thing does, smooth and also of similar quality. Do you recommend any parts? thanks a lot for the advice, im writing it all down to help me choose my parts.

Edit: I don't have a transmitter yet either, I was thinking a 2.4ghz would suffice but now ive learned about a 5ghz. not sure of the difference but am reading up on it at the moment.
 
holtneil

holtneil

Well-Known Member
Moderator
Hi mate 5.8g is long range FPV , transmitter will have to be 2.4g if FPV is 5.8g or no FPV then you can use 5.8g for long range
You can have a set up to do what the inspire can do but not that cheap , I would say save your money up for the complete DJI flame wheel set up , that comes with the NazaM , GPS, transmitter with gimbal control, E300 flight system ( motors ,props, BEC, LED status light) tall landing legs
the Naza m will also work the gimbal , flight time will be about 25/30 mins , and in full manual mode will do about 1 metre a second
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
Ah ok, ill buy a 2.4 flysky or frsky. I plan on making my own frame, props and landing gears. so all I would need is the electrical components
1. Brushless motors x4
2. ESC's x4
3. BEC
4. Flight Control Board x 1
5 Multiwii?
6. Battery
7. Standoffs
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
holtneil said:
Hi this is what I mean by kit just needs the transmitter even has a top gimbal
http://store.dji.com/product/f550-naza-m-v2-landing-gear-h3-3d
http://store.dji.com/product/f450-naza-m-v2-landing-gear-h3-3d
well I found some thing new to me DJI are using 5.8g for longer range you need to make sure FPV in not on same and control if you do go FPV
Click to expand...

Oh ok thanks! I did not know that you couldn't run FPV and the quad on the same remote/ frequency. that is crucial info!
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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Dave M said:
Oh ok thanks! I did not know that you couldn't run FPV and the quad on the same remote/ frequency. that is crucial info!
Click to expand...
Yeah, most people like to run 2.4 for quad and 5.8 for FPV. I did and it works great for me. I would suggest a 32ch tx for your FPV, that way it is compatible with almost any 5.8g receiver. You technically can run 2.4 FPV and controller, but you will get noise in your video, and terrible range.


Here is the FPV system I made, it also has a lot of suggestions for different budgets. If you want one for ~$200 it has fatsharks.
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
GJH105775 said:
Yeah, most people like to run 2.4 for quad and 5.8 for FPV. I did and it works great for me. I would suggest a 32ch tx for your FPV, that way it is compatible with almost any 5.8g receiver. You technically can run 2.4 FPV and controller, but you will get noise in your video, and terrible range.


Here is the FPV system I made, it also has a lot of suggestions for different budgets. If you want one for ~$200 it has fatsharks.
Click to expand...


Wow!!! thanks man that's gonna help a ton with my FPV setups!!!! I had no idea about the fpv goggles! I thought an ipad or something expensive was the only way to watch video. I will try to remember the question I had for fpv and let you know as soon as I can remember it. thanks again
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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Anytime ;-). I burnt out one tx, bought another, then found out it was not compadible with my reciever and they gave the wrong specs on the site where I bought my rx. I got the 32ch combo and it worked great, took a total of 5 minutes to un-box and setup.
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
@ GJH105775 Awesome
@holtneil Got those on the way to my place as we speak! thanks

This is what I have so far. if you guys see something that can be changed for another better item or if something doesn't look right and will probably fry my motors then feel free to help lol. thanks.

FCB: Either cc3d or kk2.1. unless you guys have a suggestion that is around that price but better quality.
Motors:D2826-6 2200kv Outrunner Motor
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24239__D2826_6_2200kv_Outrunner_Motor_US_Warehouse_.html
Battery: 2200 mah 3s 45c(55 )-or anything that can give me a good 15 min flying time or more
will this do it?
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...Flightmax_2200mAh_3S1P_45C_US_Warehouse_.html
BEC's: Do I need just 4 or will the ones on the motor be enough? or do I need the ones on the motors plus 1 standalone BEC?
ESC: turnigy plush 30a esc 5v bec (I assume these come with bec in each)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141093410595?_trksid=p2055359.m2763.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Low voltage alarm:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...ly_Low_Voltage_Alarm_2s_4s_US_Warehouse_.html
PDB:Will this one work for this setup?
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/..._Power_Distribution_Board_USA_Warehouse_.html
3.5mm Gold Connectors:
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/..._Connectors_10_PAIRS_20PC_USA_Warehouse_.html

What types of extra wires will I need? I cant seem to find a good answer for that am I missing anything?
 
holtneil

holtneil

Well-Known Member
Moderator
HI mate male servo to servo leads to connect receiver to FCB
dont use connectors they add weight and fail
ESC has a bec so this will power the receiver and FCB
Looking that the motors 2200kv thats a 250 racing quad motor if your having a 250 frame a 3 cell 2200mah may not fit its long, most use 3/4 cell 1500mah on that size frame the motors are rated 3 cell they may run 4 cell and not get hot its a try it and see , so look at frame and if you can mount battery on top or under the belly then go for the 2200mah if it will fit , your have to check this or your not be able to use the battery
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
[QUOTE="GJH105775[/QUOTE]

Man that was extremely an useful chart. Ok so i decided on a crius all in one pro v2. But if i were to buy the cc3d would autohover be something i could code in? Or is it something that doesmt come in the fcb like the crius does? The crius i found was like 38$ On ebay while the cc3d was 33 at HK.

Crius fcb: http://m.ebay.com/itm/251869436114

Another thing is, i was hoping for my quad to be a 450 sizewise. What would i need to change for that to be possible
 
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Dave M

Well-Known Member
[QUOTE="holtneil,[/QUOTE]

Ok ill make sure to buy male servos to servos cables and not the pins. Would i have to change the power distribution board? It looks like it works with pins. Are there any other cables im missing.

What change do you guys suggest for it to be made into a 450 and battery. I guess thats all i need so i can finally order the parts :). Thanks Holt and GH
 
holtneil

holtneil

Well-Known Member
Moderator
Hi mate if your talking about the pins for the FCB your need these to plug servo leads in to
Plastic stand offs to mount FCB
Hobby king do a 450 flame wheel( DJI CLONE) for about £10 they also do a 550 DJI clone
Your better off looking at the frame and FCB then give us links so we can work out what motors ,esc ,battery etc
 
GJH105775

GJH105775

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Yeah, I like choosing the needed props first then motors, then frame and ect. Around how much do you want to lift? GoPro + gimbal?

450 quad frame can use up to 17'' props, you may be looking at around 12'' or so.
 
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