DJIdude
Drone-lover, DIY builder, and huge DJI fan
OVERVIEW
This is a very affordable RTF quadcopter (less than $70.00 @ gearbest.com), with many features for the price. This drone features a basic FPV system which uses Wi-Fi to transmit live video feed back from the 0.4MP camera on the copter to your smartphone, which acts as the FPV monitor when the app is downloaded to your phone from the Google Play or Apple app store. This quad also has many more features, such as one-button "Automatic Return" (which is described in detail below), 6 axis gyro stabilization system, video recording and snapshot capture, Micro SD storage option, digital 2.4ghz remote control equipped with an LCD screen for indicating power and control settings, + many more features, which will be listed below. For the price you get a whole bundle of features. However, some of them do have issues or flaws. This quadcopter is classified as a mini drone, though it is quite large, and its dimensions are: 20cm long x 20cm wide x 3.6cm high, and the weight of this drone is 107 grams (close to 3oz.). The range and battery life are both above average, which allows plenty of flight time. This quadcopter is of average build quality, but does have some flaws. FPV range is good, but does not fully extend to control range. Overall, this quadcopter is a solid option for someone just starting out with wireless FPV and does have previous experience with drone flying, that doesn't need all of the newest features, and can put up with a few flaws. For less than $70.00, you get a lot of technology in this small package!
FLIGHT AND STABILIZATION SYSTEM
This drone features 6 axis gyro stabilization, but does not appear to work as well as it should.
It has a considerable control range, and from what I find, it's very close to the advertised 100 meters. The video feed also has very good range, but will start to fade when nearing the end of the control range.
This drone is fairly maneuverable on basic mode, but when switched to advanced mode (by pressing and holding the top left button on the remote), this quad is very fast, and the controls very responsive. One remark I would like to make is that this is NOT the drone to buy if you have never flown before, as it is a bit hard to control and keep stable in flight.
From my experience flying this drone, I notice that, in flight, it seems to be kind of unbalanced, and with way too much vibration. I think this is due in part to the fact that the arms supporting the motors and blades are a little too soft and flexible, possibly making them vibrate excessively.
One major downfall of this drone is that the included prop guards do not attach properly. When they are attached, they fit way too close to the propellers, which makes the propellers smack the guards and throw the quad off balance, potentially leading to a crash.
The large battery offers plenty of flight time (and can be increased by removing the camera), which seems to actually be longer than the advertised 10 minutes. I have found that, on average, I get from 10-12 minutes flight time depending on camera usage, and intensity of flight. The charge time for the battery is about 60 minutes, so I'd recommend buying at least one spare battery, so you can fly with one while the other is charging.
I like the size of the propellers, as they seem to provide the perfect amount of lift and overall maneuverability. One small thing I did notice is that the large gear that transfers the power form the motor to the blades is open and exposed, possibly making this an area where debris could be sucked in and caught inside the mechanism.
The pitch, roll, and yaw of this quadcopter in flight are all very good in advanced mode, making it very fast and maneuverable. At the back of the drone, there is a small blue LED that's extra bright, making it easier to tell the direction the aircraft is facing. This small added feature is very nice to have, especially when flying at night!
VIDEO
The video feed quality from this drone appears to be above average for only being a 0.4mp camera, though don't expect much out of it, as it's not stabilized, and has no video enhancement. The camera mounted below the battery on the underside of the quadcopter is very small, and has a slot on the back to accept a micro SD card for storing video and snapshots. The camera has a small wire sticking out the side, and is the transmitter antenna for the Wi-Fi video feed connection. If you wanted to do stunts with this drone, you can remove the camera to reduce weight, and improve battery life. The video is very wobbly, possibly due to the camera being adjustable, and not being stabilized in any way. The connection between the quadcopter and the smartphone appears to be good, though it will sometimes stop receiving video feed. Sometimes it's as simple as waiting a few seconds to regain the connection, however, sometimes you have to power of the drone and close the app, and then restart everything to reset the connection. In order to receive video feed on your smartphone, you must first have the HT-WIFI app installed and running. To get this app, either scan the QR code on the side of the box, or search "ht-wifi" in the google play store, or the apple app store. One huge problem I notice is that the drone's camera uses a video format unique to it, and video recorded on card cannot be viewed on a computer, therefore, making SD card video capture worthless. I have also frequently received an on-screen error message reading "NO CARD INSERTED" even when the card was inserted in the camera's reader. I've tried to save media to my phone also, though, that did not work either. This is the biggest flaw, as you are unable to capture or save any pictures or video with this drone's camera. One feature I do like about the camera is the adjustment for the angle, making it to where you can point the camera straight ahead, angle it down, or anywhere in between.
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote has a very good layout, and is the perfect size. This remote is very user-friendly, and easy to learn and get used to the controls. It includes a smartphone mount that attaches to the top of the controller, in the area where the antenna would go. Throttle/altitude and yaw/(left & right turn) controls are on the left stick, while pitch/(forward & backward) and roll/(move left & right) are on the right stick. This remote has trim buttons for all of the controls, a button for High/Low modes and Headless Mode, and a button for "Automatic Return." It has a green LED to indicate power and bind status, and an LCD screen to indicate control values, which is actually very cool and useful. The only flaw I notice with the control is that the power button is very loose, however, it is still perfectly usable. This remote uses 4 AA batteries, which last a very long time.
FEATURES
The drone has quite a few advanced features. Headless mode is included, and works very well. Under the rotor support arms, there are some clear plastic covers with bright white LEDs underneath that really help when flying at night. It is equipped with a 6 axis gyro stabilization system, which doesn't appear to work as well as it should due to the excessive vibration of the drone in flight. There is an "Automatic Return" feature, and when the button on the remote is pressed and held for 1 second, the drone just backs up, though it will fly right past you. This is not a very advanced feature, though it does work as designed. "Automatic Return" will NOT control altitude, will NOT land itself, and WILL fly right past you. For these reasons, it is only useful if you are able to immediately regain manual control (by moving right stick in any direction), as it will, if fully relied upon, fly itself into the ground, a tree, or any number of other obstacles. For landing gear, this quadcopter uses rubbery cones on the bottom of each propeller support, which actually work very well. The body of this quad is removable for service of the internal components, and possibly interchangeable with other covers. The connector used for attaching the battery to the drone is a very good design, and is easy to use. There is a clip below this connector to clip the wires into, which is also nice. The frame of the drone seems fairly durable, and seems somewhat crash resistant.
CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a very affordable, somewhat flawed, and feature-packed FPV drone. I would not recommend this to someone new to flying drones, however, it would be a good starter FPV quad for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money to get started.
I'd say this is an overall good drone, but is very specific to who should buy it. This is in the beginner's range of quadcopters, and it should not be compared to high-end drones, as it will not live up to expectation.
WHERE TO BUY
This drone can be found online on many different sites, however, from what I've found, gearbest.com sells this quadcopter cheapest, and offers a very good return program. The HongTai F802 FPV Wi-Fi Trppoer Drone can be found at http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_163711.html?wid=1 for less than $70.00
This is a very affordable RTF quadcopter (less than $70.00 @ gearbest.com), with many features for the price. This drone features a basic FPV system which uses Wi-Fi to transmit live video feed back from the 0.4MP camera on the copter to your smartphone, which acts as the FPV monitor when the app is downloaded to your phone from the Google Play or Apple app store. This quad also has many more features, such as one-button "Automatic Return" (which is described in detail below), 6 axis gyro stabilization system, video recording and snapshot capture, Micro SD storage option, digital 2.4ghz remote control equipped with an LCD screen for indicating power and control settings, + many more features, which will be listed below. For the price you get a whole bundle of features. However, some of them do have issues or flaws. This quadcopter is classified as a mini drone, though it is quite large, and its dimensions are: 20cm long x 20cm wide x 3.6cm high, and the weight of this drone is 107 grams (close to 3oz.). The range and battery life are both above average, which allows plenty of flight time. This quadcopter is of average build quality, but does have some flaws. FPV range is good, but does not fully extend to control range. Overall, this quadcopter is a solid option for someone just starting out with wireless FPV and does have previous experience with drone flying, that doesn't need all of the newest features, and can put up with a few flaws. For less than $70.00, you get a lot of technology in this small package!
FLIGHT AND STABILIZATION SYSTEM
This drone features 6 axis gyro stabilization, but does not appear to work as well as it should.
It has a considerable control range, and from what I find, it's very close to the advertised 100 meters. The video feed also has very good range, but will start to fade when nearing the end of the control range.
This drone is fairly maneuverable on basic mode, but when switched to advanced mode (by pressing and holding the top left button on the remote), this quad is very fast, and the controls very responsive. One remark I would like to make is that this is NOT the drone to buy if you have never flown before, as it is a bit hard to control and keep stable in flight.
From my experience flying this drone, I notice that, in flight, it seems to be kind of unbalanced, and with way too much vibration. I think this is due in part to the fact that the arms supporting the motors and blades are a little too soft and flexible, possibly making them vibrate excessively.
One major downfall of this drone is that the included prop guards do not attach properly. When they are attached, they fit way too close to the propellers, which makes the propellers smack the guards and throw the quad off balance, potentially leading to a crash.
The large battery offers plenty of flight time (and can be increased by removing the camera), which seems to actually be longer than the advertised 10 minutes. I have found that, on average, I get from 10-12 minutes flight time depending on camera usage, and intensity of flight. The charge time for the battery is about 60 minutes, so I'd recommend buying at least one spare battery, so you can fly with one while the other is charging.
I like the size of the propellers, as they seem to provide the perfect amount of lift and overall maneuverability. One small thing I did notice is that the large gear that transfers the power form the motor to the blades is open and exposed, possibly making this an area where debris could be sucked in and caught inside the mechanism.
The pitch, roll, and yaw of this quadcopter in flight are all very good in advanced mode, making it very fast and maneuverable. At the back of the drone, there is a small blue LED that's extra bright, making it easier to tell the direction the aircraft is facing. This small added feature is very nice to have, especially when flying at night!
VIDEO
The video feed quality from this drone appears to be above average for only being a 0.4mp camera, though don't expect much out of it, as it's not stabilized, and has no video enhancement. The camera mounted below the battery on the underside of the quadcopter is very small, and has a slot on the back to accept a micro SD card for storing video and snapshots. The camera has a small wire sticking out the side, and is the transmitter antenna for the Wi-Fi video feed connection. If you wanted to do stunts with this drone, you can remove the camera to reduce weight, and improve battery life. The video is very wobbly, possibly due to the camera being adjustable, and not being stabilized in any way. The connection between the quadcopter and the smartphone appears to be good, though it will sometimes stop receiving video feed. Sometimes it's as simple as waiting a few seconds to regain the connection, however, sometimes you have to power of the drone and close the app, and then restart everything to reset the connection. In order to receive video feed on your smartphone, you must first have the HT-WIFI app installed and running. To get this app, either scan the QR code on the side of the box, or search "ht-wifi" in the google play store, or the apple app store. One huge problem I notice is that the drone's camera uses a video format unique to it, and video recorded on card cannot be viewed on a computer, therefore, making SD card video capture worthless. I have also frequently received an on-screen error message reading "NO CARD INSERTED" even when the card was inserted in the camera's reader. I've tried to save media to my phone also, though, that did not work either. This is the biggest flaw, as you are unable to capture or save any pictures or video with this drone's camera. One feature I do like about the camera is the adjustment for the angle, making it to where you can point the camera straight ahead, angle it down, or anywhere in between.
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote has a very good layout, and is the perfect size. This remote is very user-friendly, and easy to learn and get used to the controls. It includes a smartphone mount that attaches to the top of the controller, in the area where the antenna would go. Throttle/altitude and yaw/(left & right turn) controls are on the left stick, while pitch/(forward & backward) and roll/(move left & right) are on the right stick. This remote has trim buttons for all of the controls, a button for High/Low modes and Headless Mode, and a button for "Automatic Return." It has a green LED to indicate power and bind status, and an LCD screen to indicate control values, which is actually very cool and useful. The only flaw I notice with the control is that the power button is very loose, however, it is still perfectly usable. This remote uses 4 AA batteries, which last a very long time.
FEATURES
The drone has quite a few advanced features. Headless mode is included, and works very well. Under the rotor support arms, there are some clear plastic covers with bright white LEDs underneath that really help when flying at night. It is equipped with a 6 axis gyro stabilization system, which doesn't appear to work as well as it should due to the excessive vibration of the drone in flight. There is an "Automatic Return" feature, and when the button on the remote is pressed and held for 1 second, the drone just backs up, though it will fly right past you. This is not a very advanced feature, though it does work as designed. "Automatic Return" will NOT control altitude, will NOT land itself, and WILL fly right past you. For these reasons, it is only useful if you are able to immediately regain manual control (by moving right stick in any direction), as it will, if fully relied upon, fly itself into the ground, a tree, or any number of other obstacles. For landing gear, this quadcopter uses rubbery cones on the bottom of each propeller support, which actually work very well. The body of this quad is removable for service of the internal components, and possibly interchangeable with other covers. The connector used for attaching the battery to the drone is a very good design, and is easy to use. There is a clip below this connector to clip the wires into, which is also nice. The frame of the drone seems fairly durable, and seems somewhat crash resistant.
CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a very affordable, somewhat flawed, and feature-packed FPV drone. I would not recommend this to someone new to flying drones, however, it would be a good starter FPV quad for someone who doesn't want to spend a lot of money to get started.
I'd say this is an overall good drone, but is very specific to who should buy it. This is in the beginner's range of quadcopters, and it should not be compared to high-end drones, as it will not live up to expectation.
WHERE TO BUY
This drone can be found online on many different sites, however, from what I've found, gearbest.com sells this quadcopter cheapest, and offers a very good return program. The HongTai F802 FPV Wi-Fi Trppoer Drone can be found at http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_163711.html?wid=1 for less than $70.00
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