So here is what I have...

[jaythedeuce]

I must preface this with by asking for forgiveness about my absolute ignorance when it comes to this hobby.

I adopted this quadcopter



from a former co-worker that heard I had an interest in micro-control processors (Arduino and the like). He "claims" that he found it in a tree in the exact condition that I have it now. The frame appears to be solid and is good condition. There is some damage to one of the rotors but that seems to be easy to replace. The issue I am having is "What Now"?

I would love to get this beast airborne before the end of the high school football season to take some amazing aerial shots over the field and stands. Oh and the quad also came with a Poloroid digital video camera that I am assuming was mounted and functioning. I've included some pictures to give what ever helpful person some help on where I need to go next.

I can tell you that I do not have a radio control transmitter or receiver. All other parts are moving and would be assumed to be in good working order. That cannot be fully tested because the battery that is attached is dead and I am without a charger....

One can only assume that this will be a relatively inexpensive project to get off the ground seeing that the bulk of the work has already been done. That and I would hate to see my wife's reaction to a bank statement that included several hundreds of dollars "wasted" (her words not mine) on a "silly toy".

 

[Flippy]

I think you should package it up & ship to me! Nice find! - will be fun As a newbie I cannot help much but can you supply information on the board in the middle of the unit. It will establish what you need for a transmitter which others can ID Where was it found - someone would love it get it back - enter on craigslist or similar

 

[Hugh Hemington]

It looks like you've got a KK2 controller there in the middle. I see the Plush ESCs and I have a set of those same motors. After owning them, I have decided to never buy anything using grub nuts again... EVER.
Your friend found this in a tree without a receiver? I seriously doubt that! A receiver should have been connected to at least four of those contacts on the other side of the KK2 as the wires going to the ESCs, and this thing would not have left the ground without one.

Assuming everything pictured works, you're going to need the following things to get going:
1) A radio -- Turnigy 9x w/8channel receiver, or FlySky is good cheap option
2) Battery charger, for lipo batteries -- you probably have a 3S battery under there.
3) A "sports" camera if you want to take video. GoPro is the best, but most $$$. Astak is good, Mobius is fine too. They're not rare! Expect to pay around $100 for that -- maybe less.
4) An isolation plate, sometimes called a "clean/dirty" plate to mount the camera and damp vibration.
5) If you install the camera underneath, you may need longer landing gear. "Crab" landing gear is pretty cheap, about $20-30 at most.
6) If you've got prop damage, get a new set. Don't try to replace just one as you may get one that looks similar but flies differently.

Since you'd want to take video mainly down, you don't want the camera on top because you'd video the propellers. When you shop for that camera, consider something like a Boscam TR1. It takes HD video and stills, but also includes a transmitter, so you're set for FPV. First-person-view let's you see what the camera sees when it's up in the air, so you can aim your video better, and fly the thing better too. If you get that, you'll need the matching or compatible receiver and something to view it on. The cheapest is a Quanum LCD "goggle" kit (HobbyKing) at $30.

So, here's a list from HobbyKing (for reference -- buy wherever you want)
radio & receiver: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__19673__Turnigy_9X_9Ch_Transmitter_w_Module_8ch_Receiver_Mode_2_v2_Firmware_USA_Warehouse_.html?strSearch=Turnigy 9x
charger: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...essories_US_Warehouse_.html?strSearch=accucel
Boscam TR1: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__56990__Boscam_TR1_FPV_All_In_One_Camera_and_5_8_GHz_Transmitter_with_HD_Video_recorder.html?strSearch=Boscam TR1
Props: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=50027
Servo leads (to connect the receiver): http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__52325__10CM_Male_to_Male_Servo_Lead_JR_26AWG_10pcs_set_US_Warehouse_.html?strSearch=servo 10cm
(that's pretty much the minimum!)

Then if you get the mounting plate http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...hock_Absorbing_Mounts_800g_A8plus8x100g_.html
and landing gear (don't know what will fit from picture), you're probably looking at close to $50 total there. You'd be ready for FPV but not doing it until you get a video receiver and something to view it on. And this assumes a motor shaft isn't bent, the battery works, and the whole thing didn't get wet and fry up that tree (where it miraculously flew without a receiver). You'll still need a little skill to mount the camera, and probably screws and stuff, but this is basically what you're looking at to make this hand-me-down work.

 

[Hugh Hemington]

Oh, and one last note: If you do get this thing flying, don't fly it over a field with kids playing on it, or over stands with people sitting in them. This has to weigh several pounds and it has the glide slope of a brick. If it malfunctions (as it did before), it's coming down and you won't have any control over where it lands. A "dead stick" landing of a quadcopter is VERTICAL.

I'd recommend staying over one end of the field or the other, maybe above cars or an adjacent field -- just not over PEOPLE. If you live in a less uptight area, you might get permission from the school but I doubt they'd agree to it because of liability, even when all the kids are wearing helmets and pads.

If you decide to "cowboy" it anyway, try to paint the bottom to camo it against the sky and fly high enough that people won't hear the motors whine. That's likely to be 75 to 125 feet, but your mileage may vary. And then you NEED FPV, because you won't see it either.

 

[jaythedeuce]

Hugh it's is in fact a KK2 board. Thank for all of the links and advice. I am certain that there will be no cowboy actions and crowd surfing. The last thing I need is for loss of control and split someone's head open. I'll post build pictures and progress as they become available. Oh and we are going for launch from the wife!

 

[Hugh Hemington]

Good to hear we won't be reading about it in the news. It looks like you have a head start to a great hobby. Look forward to seeing how your refurb. progresses.