Rc Reviewer
Member
This is my in depth review of the Fq-777 918C quadcopter. The review model was provided by Geekbuying in exchange for an unbiased review. I would like to thank them for this honest attitude, and I look forward to reviewing more products for them in the future. They have a lot of Rc products, cheap prices, and free shipping. I encourage everyone to look through Geekbuying, and you might find whatever your looking for.
To purchase this product and for more information:
http://m.geekbuying.com/item/FQ777-9...ck-362915.html
Okay, getting on to the review. The product comes in a small box, barely bigger than the quadcopter itself. That being said, it is well packed and protected. Once you open the box, the first item you find is the Users Manual. It includes a detailed guide to the transmitter as well as some basic charging information. It is written in relatively understandable English, as opposed to a lot of other product guides. Continuing on, the next item included is a small bag with a lot of contents. First of all, there are two spare propellers, one for each pitch type. Spare screws are not included for the spare propellers, although the screw size the propellers use is quite standard and easy to find. The landing legs are also included in the bag. They are about one and a half inches tall, and they are quite flexible, meaning that they won't crack if the quadcopter crashes hard on the ground. They also come down under the camera, and this is useful when not flying over grass areas, so as to protect the camera. To install the landing gear, you simply clip them into the four ports on the bottom of the quadcopter. They can be removed and installed easily by hand. Also included is a small Phillips screwdriver, which is useful for removing and installing the propeller guards and the camera, as well as the propellers themselves. One set of propeller guards are also included. To instal them, you simply snap them into place, then screw them in with one screw each, all of which are included in the package. I recommend only using the prop guards when flying indoors, as they will protect the propellers in case of a crash, while when you are outdoors, the decreased weight of the removed prop guards helps to fight the wind. The material of the propeller guards is similar to that of the landing legs, as they are lightweight and flexible, which are desired qualities in both.
A good quality USB card reader is also included. Since most computers do not feature micro SD card slots, you can simply plug the USB card reader into a USB port on your computer, then insert the card into the other end, and thus be able to easily watch the footage from the on board camera. Speaking of the camera, it is a 720p, 2 MP HD camera. It is cable of taking photos and videos. The recorded video is not the greatest quality, but it is comparable to other toy grade quadcopters. In fact, it has less jello wobble than most other toy grade quads. The camera has a micro SD card slot in the back. The included card is a 2 GB generic memory card. While 2 GB isn't a lot of memory space, you can simply transfer video from the card onto your computer, and free space on the card in that manner. The camera still photos are honestly not bad, and they seem like better than 2 MP quality. The camera uses a 3 pin plug system to interface with the quadcopter. This is great because you can use most other toy grade cameras with this quadcopter, while being able to use this camera in most other quadcopters. The camera can be removed and installed quite easily, by simply clipping it on to the bottom of the battery door, then using the two included screws to tighten it in place. The only negative of the camera system is that it has a slightly downward facing angle, meaning that the ground will be more prevalent in your recorded videos than the horizon. However, the angle is only about 15 degrees, so it isn't a very big deal. Obviously, on a toy grade quadcopter like this, there is no gimbal, so the video will shift every time you input pitch or roll controls.
As this product is a ready to fly package, the charger and battery is included. The charger is a black two feet long cable, with a yellow USB connector. To charge the battery, you simply insert the USB into a USB wall adapter or your computer. Then, a red light will turn on in the head of the cable. When the battery is done charging, the red light turns off. So, it obviously has a smart charging system which prevents the battery from being harmfully overcharged. The battery itself is a 3.7 volt, 600 mAh 1 cell Li-po. This takes about one and a half hours to charge, and the battery life is about 7 minutes. The battery uses a standard micro losi connector, so you can use other Li-po batteries from 300 mAh to 650. After one battery is used, I recommend waiting five minutes before using another battery, as they do get very hot with extended use. The battery compartment is quite spacious, so the wires will not likely fatigue over time.
The next item in the package is the transmitter. It is similar in looks to the controller of the well known tarantula x6. However, it is all black. It is always in mode 2, with the throttle/yaw controls on the left stick and the pitch/roll stick on the right. The yaw trim is located immediately to the bottom of the throttle stick, while the roll trim is right underneath the pitch stick. The button to the left of the pitch/roll stick controls forward and backward fine tuning. To activate and stop the video camera, you push the dedicated video button on the bottom of the transmitter. To take a photo, you simply press the button under the video button. Headless mode is activated by pressing the labeled button, and so is one key return. The on/off switch for the controller is located in the middle of the transmitter, and on top of it, there is a strange red switch that does not seem to do anything. To do a flip, you press and hold the right shoulder button, and to switch between high/low rates, you press the left shoulder button. The controller does use 2.4 GHZ control frequency, which gives it a range of about 70 metres. This is a little disappointing, as I was hoping to get closer to 100 metres range. There is a small antenna on the top of the transmitter. To power the transmitter, you simply unscrew the battery door in the back and install 4 AA batteries. Rechargeable batteries should operate just fine. In some other reviews I have seen on this quadcopter, some transmitters seem to have a small LCD screen on the bottom, and that was not the case with mine. Overall, the transmitter is satisfactory, and I do like that it is the traditional box style, not the new gaming style controllers some quads are coming out with nowadays.
The last product included in the box is the quadcopter itself. Just by looking at it, you can tell it is a Syma X5C clone. This one is extremely similar to the X5C; in fact, most of the parts are interchangeable. Even the range of the quadcopter is the same as the X5C. The only difference is that this one has the addition of headless mode and one key return, which the X5C did not. One interesting aspect of this quadcopter is how it looks and feels. It is all black with golden branding on the propellers, which make it very easy to see far away in the sky during the day. The quadcopter has a rubbery texture on the outside. It feels very nice and smooth, and it is slightly waterproof, so it should be fine if you land in a puddle. The quadcopter has very nice, bright lights, red in the front and green in the back. These help tremendously at dusk or in night flying. The battery door can be snapped on and off, which makes it easy to install the camera. It has open gears in the bottom, exactly like the Syma X5C. It is a good practice to keep an old toothbrush around and brush the gears every now and then to prevent dust and debris from accumulating. The motors are quite durable, and just like my X5C, none of them have ever burnt out. The Fq777 is also very lightweight, meaning it should be very durable through crashes and all. The on/off switch is located at the back of the quadcopter. When flying indoors, I recommend keeping the prop guards and landing gear on, to slow it down and protect it in case you bump into anything. You should also keep it in beginners mode. When you go outside and fly it, your better off leaving it in high rate, and removing the propeller guards. Doing this will enable the quadcopter to fight the wind much more effectively. That being said, this quad is too light to fly in winds over 7 mph, but that is pretty decent performance. The flips are quite fun, although they become sluggish when the battery power is below 50 percent. If the quadcopter is moving by itself a lot, you should try a recalibration. To do this, place the quadcopter on a flat surface, then pull both sticks on the transmitter down and to the right for three seconds. The light will flash, signifying that the quadcopter is stable. Speaking of stable, this quadcopter is great at it! It can almost hold a perfect hover for ten seconds, which is great for a non-gps toy grade quadcopter.
For purchasing and more information:
http://m.geekbuying.com/item/FQ777-9...ck-362915.html
To purchase this product and for more information:
http://m.geekbuying.com/item/FQ777-9...ck-362915.html
Okay, getting on to the review. The product comes in a small box, barely bigger than the quadcopter itself. That being said, it is well packed and protected. Once you open the box, the first item you find is the Users Manual. It includes a detailed guide to the transmitter as well as some basic charging information. It is written in relatively understandable English, as opposed to a lot of other product guides. Continuing on, the next item included is a small bag with a lot of contents. First of all, there are two spare propellers, one for each pitch type. Spare screws are not included for the spare propellers, although the screw size the propellers use is quite standard and easy to find. The landing legs are also included in the bag. They are about one and a half inches tall, and they are quite flexible, meaning that they won't crack if the quadcopter crashes hard on the ground. They also come down under the camera, and this is useful when not flying over grass areas, so as to protect the camera. To install the landing gear, you simply clip them into the four ports on the bottom of the quadcopter. They can be removed and installed easily by hand. Also included is a small Phillips screwdriver, which is useful for removing and installing the propeller guards and the camera, as well as the propellers themselves. One set of propeller guards are also included. To instal them, you simply snap them into place, then screw them in with one screw each, all of which are included in the package. I recommend only using the prop guards when flying indoors, as they will protect the propellers in case of a crash, while when you are outdoors, the decreased weight of the removed prop guards helps to fight the wind. The material of the propeller guards is similar to that of the landing legs, as they are lightweight and flexible, which are desired qualities in both.
A good quality USB card reader is also included. Since most computers do not feature micro SD card slots, you can simply plug the USB card reader into a USB port on your computer, then insert the card into the other end, and thus be able to easily watch the footage from the on board camera. Speaking of the camera, it is a 720p, 2 MP HD camera. It is cable of taking photos and videos. The recorded video is not the greatest quality, but it is comparable to other toy grade quadcopters. In fact, it has less jello wobble than most other toy grade quads. The camera has a micro SD card slot in the back. The included card is a 2 GB generic memory card. While 2 GB isn't a lot of memory space, you can simply transfer video from the card onto your computer, and free space on the card in that manner. The camera still photos are honestly not bad, and they seem like better than 2 MP quality. The camera uses a 3 pin plug system to interface with the quadcopter. This is great because you can use most other toy grade cameras with this quadcopter, while being able to use this camera in most other quadcopters. The camera can be removed and installed quite easily, by simply clipping it on to the bottom of the battery door, then using the two included screws to tighten it in place. The only negative of the camera system is that it has a slightly downward facing angle, meaning that the ground will be more prevalent in your recorded videos than the horizon. However, the angle is only about 15 degrees, so it isn't a very big deal. Obviously, on a toy grade quadcopter like this, there is no gimbal, so the video will shift every time you input pitch or roll controls.
As this product is a ready to fly package, the charger and battery is included. The charger is a black two feet long cable, with a yellow USB connector. To charge the battery, you simply insert the USB into a USB wall adapter or your computer. Then, a red light will turn on in the head of the cable. When the battery is done charging, the red light turns off. So, it obviously has a smart charging system which prevents the battery from being harmfully overcharged. The battery itself is a 3.7 volt, 600 mAh 1 cell Li-po. This takes about one and a half hours to charge, and the battery life is about 7 minutes. The battery uses a standard micro losi connector, so you can use other Li-po batteries from 300 mAh to 650. After one battery is used, I recommend waiting five minutes before using another battery, as they do get very hot with extended use. The battery compartment is quite spacious, so the wires will not likely fatigue over time.
The next item in the package is the transmitter. It is similar in looks to the controller of the well known tarantula x6. However, it is all black. It is always in mode 2, with the throttle/yaw controls on the left stick and the pitch/roll stick on the right. The yaw trim is located immediately to the bottom of the throttle stick, while the roll trim is right underneath the pitch stick. The button to the left of the pitch/roll stick controls forward and backward fine tuning. To activate and stop the video camera, you push the dedicated video button on the bottom of the transmitter. To take a photo, you simply press the button under the video button. Headless mode is activated by pressing the labeled button, and so is one key return. The on/off switch for the controller is located in the middle of the transmitter, and on top of it, there is a strange red switch that does not seem to do anything. To do a flip, you press and hold the right shoulder button, and to switch between high/low rates, you press the left shoulder button. The controller does use 2.4 GHZ control frequency, which gives it a range of about 70 metres. This is a little disappointing, as I was hoping to get closer to 100 metres range. There is a small antenna on the top of the transmitter. To power the transmitter, you simply unscrew the battery door in the back and install 4 AA batteries. Rechargeable batteries should operate just fine. In some other reviews I have seen on this quadcopter, some transmitters seem to have a small LCD screen on the bottom, and that was not the case with mine. Overall, the transmitter is satisfactory, and I do like that it is the traditional box style, not the new gaming style controllers some quads are coming out with nowadays.
The last product included in the box is the quadcopter itself. Just by looking at it, you can tell it is a Syma X5C clone. This one is extremely similar to the X5C; in fact, most of the parts are interchangeable. Even the range of the quadcopter is the same as the X5C. The only difference is that this one has the addition of headless mode and one key return, which the X5C did not. One interesting aspect of this quadcopter is how it looks and feels. It is all black with golden branding on the propellers, which make it very easy to see far away in the sky during the day. The quadcopter has a rubbery texture on the outside. It feels very nice and smooth, and it is slightly waterproof, so it should be fine if you land in a puddle. The quadcopter has very nice, bright lights, red in the front and green in the back. These help tremendously at dusk or in night flying. The battery door can be snapped on and off, which makes it easy to install the camera. It has open gears in the bottom, exactly like the Syma X5C. It is a good practice to keep an old toothbrush around and brush the gears every now and then to prevent dust and debris from accumulating. The motors are quite durable, and just like my X5C, none of them have ever burnt out. The Fq777 is also very lightweight, meaning it should be very durable through crashes and all. The on/off switch is located at the back of the quadcopter. When flying indoors, I recommend keeping the prop guards and landing gear on, to slow it down and protect it in case you bump into anything. You should also keep it in beginners mode. When you go outside and fly it, your better off leaving it in high rate, and removing the propeller guards. Doing this will enable the quadcopter to fight the wind much more effectively. That being said, this quad is too light to fly in winds over 7 mph, but that is pretty decent performance. The flips are quite fun, although they become sluggish when the battery power is below 50 percent. If the quadcopter is moving by itself a lot, you should try a recalibration. To do this, place the quadcopter on a flat surface, then pull both sticks on the transmitter down and to the right for three seconds. The light will flash, signifying that the quadcopter is stable. Speaking of stable, this quadcopter is great at it! It can almost hold a perfect hover for ten seconds, which is great for a non-gps toy grade quadcopter.
For purchasing and more information:
http://m.geekbuying.com/item/FQ777-9...ck-362915.html