Newbie-> from U818 to Bugs 3...and the learning to fly process for me

Roger EWing

Roger EWing

Too many hobbies
Quick short background

I got a U818 Drone for Christmas. To make a long story short: I got to where I could control it some if no wind. But moved to a windy area, and it is lost.

Recommendations for a drone that handles wind better, has no automated controls (ie. altitude hold, or any others), and a great tip on this forum to find a great price on one led me to a Bugs 3.

Arrived today...
So I have put it all together, and charged the battery, and read the (very poor) instructions. I found one Youtube Video, from which it said the Bugs 3 was NOT for beginners.

But given that I want to really learn how to control one (what if the automated stuff fails?), the good recommendation, many good videos about how great it is, I have it in hand and ready to go.

First flight...inside? Really, inside? Oh No!

Even the instructions said to start inside. But, I don't recommend it.

I am not sure yet how it should respond. What I found was what I saw in that video I mentioned: it would rise, and do it fast if you aren't careful. So my thoughts were to first get it to hold a LOW altitude. It was like a frog...up...down...up...down...up...(I'd swear I wasn't bobbling the control)...But then it also was drifting forward. So I though I need to trim. But next thing I know it goes behind me, and in my fumbling around, I took it straight to the 12' ceiling. Glad my wife wasn't here.

So, I'll be heading outside for my first learning experience (well, technically second experience).

Regarding trim, something I read, or saw on a video, tonight said it shouldn't need to be trimmed. I'm not sure that is the case.

What I will be trying to achieve first (unless someone chimes in and directs me otherwise)

Take to back yard, where wind is typically blocked some by my house, and practice just getting it up, maintaining altitude, and trying to hover without drift.

I plan to post in this thread during the learning experience. Hopefully it will ultimately help other newcomers as the plod into this thread. And hopefully good advice will come to me too.
 
Roger EWing said:
Even the instructions said to start inside. But, I don't recommend it.

I am not sure yet how it should respond. What I found was what I saw in that video I mentioned: it would rise, and do it fast if you aren't careful. So my thoughts were to first get it to hold a LOW altitude. It was like a frog...up...down...up...down...up...(I'd swear I wasn't bobbling the control)...But then it also was drifting forward. So I though I need to trim. But next thing I know it goes behind me, and in my fumbling around, I took it straight to the 12' ceiling. Glad my wife wasn't here.

So, I'll be heading outside for my first learning experience (well, technically second experience).

Regarding trim, something I read, or saw on a video, tonight said it shouldn't need to be trimmed. I'm not sure that is the case.

What I will be trying to achieve first (unless someone chimes in and directs me otherwise)

Take to back yard, where wind is typically blocked some by my house, and practice just getting it up, maintaining altitude, and trying to hover without drift.

I plan to post in this thread during the learning experience. Hopefully it will ultimately help other newcomers as the plod into this thread. And hopefully good advice will come to me too.
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Indoors: NO with this quad. Outside in more space, but KEEP IT CLOSE. Chop the throttle and let it fall if things go badly, the Bugs 3 will take a fair bit of punishment without breaking unless you are very unlucky.

Fast rise: Yes. The good news is if you can keep from breaking this quad (it's pretty responsive, even in low rate), you're golden. It will force you to get better and more precise.

Trim: It might need a bit of trim, but your fine motor control skills won't know the difference at this point. Calibrate the gyro's and go at it.

Maintaining altitude and hovering without drift: Precisely this. not to harp on it, but again: fine motor skills, tiny movements to correct it in the direction you want it to go. Once you are hovering more or less stably, start flying patterns with the nose away from you: boxes, then S's. YouTube "learning to fly a drone" for more tips.

You skipped a step by grabbing the Bugs 3 at this point, so you will need to mod your learning plan a bit (see the above). But you chose a good quad.
 
Jackson said:
I think hovering is way overrated.
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Meh...to each his own. The most talented guys I've ever seen fly all had mastered great basics. I see a lot of sloppy flyers in videos. At the end of the day, whatever ends up making it fun.
 
Jackson said:
I think hovering is way overrated.
Click to expand...
Rick M said:
Meh...to each his own. The most talented guys I've ever seen fly all had mastered great basics. I see a lot of sloppy flyers in videos. At the end of the day, whatever ends up making it fun.
Click to expand...

I suspect it is 'overrated'. However, I am in the mode of learning, and I'm finding while it may be overrated, it is not easy, especially with wind. I think being able to do that is a good first step for me.

I am putting together a video, hopefully with a bit of fun added, showing my first day of flight, using up 3 batteries. I'll make it not too long.
 
Roger EWing said:
I suspect it is 'overrated'. However, I am in the mode of learning, and I'm finding while it may be overrated, it is not easy,
Click to expand...
Learning to hover first does not really help, just cuz ' it is not easy' doesn't mean it should be mastered first. Just like flying indoors with mainly all yaw turns doesn't really translate to real world sport flying. Fly the thing around, as long as you can keep it in the air you'll soon be hovering.
 
Jackson said:
Learning to hover first does not really help, just cuz ' it is not easy' doesn't mean it should be mastered first. Just like flying indoors with mainly all yaw turns doesn't really translate to real world sport flying. Fly the thing around, as long as you can keep it in the air you'll soon be hovering.
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Day 1 - Outside - Goal was to try to hover

Well, I had an interesting 3 batteries of use flight session.

My goal was to learn how to hover, but in short order became just trying to keep it in the air. I was glad I had watched a video of another guy's first flight doing the hop like a frog. So I wasn't as discouraged as I might have been.

It was a windy day. 13-15mph with over 20mph gusts. I was thinking my back yard was sheltered from that...but then maybe it would have been worse if I were in the park that swallowed my u818a.

Here's a few things I learned (Let me know if my 'learnings' are not correct assumptions):

  • Yes, tiny movements of the throttles was in order, however...
    • Moving forward with results as described below may require more lift
    • If for some reason the drone is falling fast, then much more lift was required to keep from crashing to the ground (I had many crashes to the ground, some harder than others)
  • I found maintaining an altitude (hovering) virtually impossible.
    • I tried just taking it up a bit, let go of the throttle so that I was not affecting it. It would always drop...unless a good gust came along
    • So, I find I have to CONSTANTLY be focusing on altitude
    • I found that moving forward it would drop. So, the drone drops at the nose when moving forward, and it's like the air then was pushing it down. So to move forward I would have to also just barely move the throttle for altitude to keep it from going to the ground.
    • Same more or less for flying backward.
  • It obviously, most definitely, requires concentration and focus on both throttles at all times.
  • I found that with the constant maneuvering of the up/down throttle, I would ever so slightly push it left or right, and occasionally no so slightly, and next thing I know it is facing a different direction, and pushing forward on the forward/backward throttle would result in a surprise direction.
So, I put together the video. It is 9 minutes long, and you may not wish to spend your time on it. It shows the gyrations I put the drone through, some of my thoughts, and some of the damage that came to the drone. Speaking of which: the motors have what appears to be a silver cover over them. ON one of the motors, after a fairly hard drop to the patio, now gets jarred up a bit on every landing (all of mine at this point are not particularly light), and it will keep the propeller from spinning. I have to push it down. I suspect I'll need to purchase another motor. I don't know if it would be warranted at this point. I'll probably try to check into that. Actually, I need to study it...maybe there is an allen bolt (tiny) that is supposed to hold it and is loose.


I did just one battery's worth of flying today. I didn't start out as bad as yesterday, but not a whole lot better. I am getting better at keeping it from falling all the way to the ground.

That motor getting the cover out of place each landing is a problem.
 
Yep, that's exactly what learning looks like. Early flights in wind increase the degree of difficulty exponentially. That actually wasn't bad at all. The same over-corrections you are making with the throttle are the ones you are learning to avoid with hovering and "flying small". Keep at it! You're actually doing very well. When you start "losing it", give your brain a break for a minute or two, press reset, and start over. You will progress very rapidly at first, and have some setbacks that make you wonder. That's the normal learning curve.
 
Rick M said:
Yep, that's exactly what learning looks like. Early flights in wind increase the degree of difficulty exponentially. That actually wasn't bad at all. The same over-corrections you are making with the throttle are the ones you are learning to avoid with hovering and "flying small". Keep at it! You're actually doing very well. When you start "losing it", give your brain a break for a minute or two, press reset, and start over. You will progress very rapidly at first, and have some setbacks that make you wonder. That's the normal learning curve.
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I appreciate things feedback.

I'm curious...do you have any thoughts about the motor that keeps sticking?
 
Not sure what you mean by "motor sticking". Can you see if you can capture it in photo or video? Your learning curve looks normal, by the way. You will hit "fatigue" point where all your movements get bigger and all your mistakes are amplified. Put it down for a while at that point. Expect two forward and one back. With patience and persistence (and some replacement parts along the way) you will be zooming around soon enough!
 
Rick M said:
Not sure what you mean by "motor sticking". Can you see if you can capture it in photo or video? Your learning curve looks normal, by the way. You will hit "fatigue" point where all your movements get bigger and all your mistakes are amplified. Put it down for a while at that point. Expect two forward and one back. With patience and persistence (and some replacement parts along the way) you will be zooming around soon enough!
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Not sure if you watched the 9 minute video. Reference it sticking. But below is a video I just did of it. I am going to order a pair of spare motors, one for each direction.

 
IN fact, maybe that motor is sticking while in the air, and is the cause for some of the drops out of mid air. Sometimes it doesn't seem like it should be dropping, and other times I realize it should be.
 
Definitely not normal. I would pull the motor (screws on the bottom) and check to see if the little retainer clip on the bottom of the motor shaft is missing. At least, that's what I would expect to find. I haven't had to replace a motor on the Bugs 3 yet.
 
I just dropped the motor to look. The retainer clip remains. It seems that the shaft has some play.

I tried to insert an image, but after pasting it the image tool would only phase IMG. I don't guess it is really needed.
 
The 'very, very small allen screw' is what locks the bell to the top of the shaft on my motors. I think it's 1.5mm (they are all just sitting in a bag now.) You need to tighten it.

This is what I have.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/7Pcs-0-7mm...d=332408686457&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Some blue (medium threadlocker) is also a good idea.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Permatex-M...771706&hash=item238bf8338c:g:gTwAAOSwcqBZnd3d

Just a tiny drop, on the first couple threads is all that is needed (don't get it on plastic.) Also use it on your motor mounting screws.

build2-3.jpg
 
Jackson said:
The 'very, very small allen screw' is what locks the bell to the top of the shaft on my motors. I think it's 1.5mm (they are all just sitting in a bag now.) You need to tighten it.

This is what I have.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/7Pcs-0-7mm-3mm-Mini-Micro-Hexagon-Hex-Allen-Key-Set-Wrench-Screwdriver-Tool-Kit/131906789118?_trkparms=aid=555018&algo=PL.SIM&ao=2&asc=41375&meid=ecf8aafb7ff547a2bb27b7eae012687e&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&mehot=ag&sd=332408686457&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Some blue (medium threadlocker) is also a good idea.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Permatex-M...771706&hash=item238bf8338c:g:gTwAAOSwcqBZnd3d

Just a tiny drop, on the first couple threads is all that is needed (don't get it on plastic.) Also use it on your motor mounting screws.

build2-3.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks Jackson. I've ordered the wrenches.

I'm thinking the motor may be housed. No matter how I push it down, it really doesn't seem like a smooth rotation.

The quad had already had a rough life how.

I did about 3 battery flight yesterday. I did improve, but I still get a suggestion that I need to stick with old cars.

I need to get it to a large open area with no obstacles.
 
Roger EWing said:
No matter how I push it down, it really doesn't seem like a smooth rotation.
Click to expand...
You won't know until you get that grub screw tightened.

You should have waited on the Bugs till you had the basic muscle memory established, banked turns (for one) need to come second nature. I learned on light, inexpensive quads they usually can take a beating. I'm also a big proponent of contrasting front props. Took me more time that I thought to get the hang of it.

I told my neighbor to get one of these for his kid, new tech (motors stop if the meet resistance etc.) and flys like a dream, in high rates it's quite sporty. It's about a 10" square.
https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-E3...RC-Quadcopter-RTF-p-1134307.html?rmmds=search

All the parts are available also.
https://www.banggood.com/search/eachine-e33.html

This one is a sweet little flyer, but it has to calm outside (it's little.) I've had two, still got one flying.
https://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_164620.html

It's nice to have a fleet. :)
 
Roger EWing said:
Thanks Jackson. I've ordered the wrenches.

I'm thinking the motor may be housed. No matter how I push it down, it really doesn't seem like a smooth rotation.

The quad had already had a rough life how.

I did about 3 battery flight yesterday. I did improve, but I still get a suggestion that I need to stick with old cars.

I need to get it to a large open area with no obstacles.
Click to expand...

If so, motors aren't too expensive. Jackson is right, you skipped a step or so going to that quad, but it needn't cause you too much pain. If you can find one of the Bayangtoys X9's he linked, it will be a good step. You don't have to fly only one, and you don't have to only enjoy the most sophisticated quad you have.

Don't stick to old cars if you want to fly quadcopters, too! We all break stuff, and "bench time" is part of the deal. Every time you have to do a repair, you're learning something that will help you in the future. With enough persistence, you will be flying like a pro.
 
Well, regarding what Quad I'm with now, my interpretation on that other thread was the strongest suggestion was the Bugs 3, especially (I presume) the fact that I have to fight winds. A lot of the time where I'm at it's 13 mph, with gusts above. At any rate, it is what I have now. We'll see what happens next.

I did get the new motors and got the new one installed. Hadn't received the wrenches for tightening yet.

I went across the street to the park today. With the new motor, I did not have it falling out of the sky like it was doing (sometimes it really seemed to be falling out for no reasing...which I originally though I was doing something wrong). I had only a couple relatively hard landings, more related to it getting turned around and my then pushing wrong direction on controls. But, no obstacles to fight. So I did a lot better flying out, and back. Started some fly out, hover, turn around, fly back, etc. I only have 3 batteries, so 45 min max flying. I'm also experimenting with faster/slower accelleration forward and backward, and trying to maintain a relatively level altitude (I don't think a consistent altitude is possible with this drone...at least not yet with my little experience).

So, with a motor that isn't sticking, and a good size area w/o fighting obstacles (interestingly tonight it wasn't too windy...9-10 mph) I don't look quite so much like an idiot :p

I do think that another one of the motors is starting to fail. I can spin it and hear a tick tick tick as it rotates (not really a tick...but something sounding like rubbing).

I may consider some more batteries. I had 7 on that small drone. But they were 5 min batteries, but I had multi chargers and could have 3 charging while I used the other 3. Not too long of a wait to have fresh batteries. The batteries on this one, while lasting 15 min, are very slow to charge. I do have a 3 charger ordered...but I think it is synchronous charging, not parallel.

Appreciating the feedback guys.
 
JFYI for anyone reading this as they start the learning process:

I am finding it useful, of course, to check out drone learn to fly videos on Youtube. One of the things I've covered tonight is to understand how to know which way you are heading, and how to recover. Quadcopter 101 has a few great videos. This is the one that I think will help me a lot, as I find myself turned from where I think I'm heading.
 
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