Newbie's stresses :/

zx6rdave

zx6rdave

New Member
Hi all, as u can guess im a newbie to the forum an have come to seek help and advice to get me going in the skys. I have for the last 2 months, been researching these exciting flying things and have decided that I really wanted one Ooooo about 2 months ago lol
Now I understand i'd prob be better off buyin a DJI Phantom as its got everything a newbie needs to get goin....BUT.... Ive been looking at getting summit along the lines of the F450 but would need the GPS, RTH features etc etc....
Ive also looked at getting the bundle as a kit form an building it myself but am a lil frightened that ill bugger it up or get the wrong stuff....
My long term goal is to get airborne an fly FPV with a set of fatsharks but where do i begin? What quad should i be lookin at?
Ive been advised that the Dji Phantom FC40 would be ideal....for now...but also heard that the range isnt that great?
In short....H E L P !!!!
Thankyou in advance for any replies, plz help this noob get off the ground :D
 
Let me preface this by saying that I'm no expert, but I have a F450 kit on the way I'm building from scratch. Barrier to entry wasn't much more than a Phantom, about $300 plus the cost of a Tx/Rx. There really aren't THAT many parts that make up a multirotor. I own a RTF hexacopter, but enjoy the technical stuff so I wanted to try my hand at building a quad.

That's where I'm going with this - how technically minded are you? Do you enjoy the process of researching, learning and building, or is it simply a necessary evil in order to get up into the skies with FPV? I will say that by figuring things out by yourself definitely teaches you a lot about how everything actually works. I enjoy knowing how to put something back together for that day when you inevitably crash and need to rebuild.

As long as you're not afraid to hold a soldering iron, DJI actually has a few video clips to show you exactly how to build the F450: http://www.dji.com/product/flame-wheel-arf/video

So, what kind of person are you? Would you enjoy the journey or do you just want to fly ASAP?
 
Thankyou Nate H....... I have to admit the kid inside of me wants to simply get airborne but the real me likes to find out how things work... they say if it isnt broke, dont try to fix it but I love to tear things apart to see how they work, so in that sense I suppose my urge to buy a kit an build it myself is bursting to have a go.... Im not the biggest soldering fan but its one of them ' the more you do it the better u get' situations.....
I taught myself how to take apart an rebuild computers, motorcycle engines, iphones and a whole other things so im sure quad building will be a breeze?
My main concerns are things like the ESC's ..... ive read about 'flashing' them to get better performance? Tuning the transmitter to setup the quad properly? These are a couple of things that baffle me a tad, obviously not knowing the ins an outs of the hobby. Im currently scouring ebay an other sites for a quad to buy an come across a few but they list them stating they need proper setting up etc Ive also seen a £900 setup ( f450 ) inc fatsharks, long range equipment etc the 'ultimate package'.......
The options are endless an I just dont know where to go......
I dont really wanna spend good money on basics if i can spend the same or a little more buying summit better suited to what I ultimatly want from a quadcopter.....
Sorry to bore you.... :p
 
It sounds like you'd be just fine putting one of these things together based on your past experience. I learn so much from these forums and YouTube - there's always a resource to look to when asking questions on how to do technical things like tune a gimbal or setup a Tx. You're not the first person looking for info on how to build a quad from scratch (myself included)!

I've had a pretty good experience with HeliPal so far. The Storm Drone 6 I ordered came setup and flies well. They're having a DJI sale right now which is what temped me to pick up the F450 with the Naza-M Lite. I'd say go with something simpler to start out with. With the rate multirotor tech is advancing, there's always going to be that new gimbal, transmitter, antenna, goggles, etc. In 3 months, it will all be twice as good at half the cost. It can be expensive to say the least...

Honestly, it was a little stressful to learn to fly with the $1,200 (+ GoPro!) Storm 6 hex right off the bat - the more money you sink into something, there is also a chance to lose it all in a crash. So good so far, but I think that by the time I master the basics of flying and develop how I like things setup, I may want to move in another direction than that first big blind investment. Looking back on my hexacopter purchase, it's a great machine, but I sometimes second-guess blowing so much money upfront.

But, don't let me stop you from spending you own hard-earned money :)
 
Hi Guys.
zx6rdave I'm about 2 months behind you, and very similar in experience and mindset!
I dont really wanna spend good money on basics if i can spend the same or a little more buying summit better suited to what I ultimatly want from a quadcopter.....
Click to expand...
ditto ditto ditto!!!
Nate H some good pointers and advice, thanks!
What I think this forum needs is two things:
1) A Glossary of Terms to explain to the newbs like me what all the abbreviations mean. I'm having to put one together as I go. And
2) A Build Tree. Along the lines of "This prop goes with these motors and will give you these characteristics". "This motor will go with these ESCs and you can do this with them". "To control this motor with this ESC you need this FCB and you can do this with it". And so on.

I realise that 2. will be an ongoing project but it will help newbs, and upgraders take the guesswork out of their builds and help them estimate the costs.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Andy a.k.a fixit9660.
 
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