Hello everybody,
I haven't been active on forums since a long time (5yrs or so) beacause there wasn't a subject that could intrigue me enough to do so. Then I bought a toy. '$11,- love you long time' the webshop cashier said. And he was right. Oh boy, I loved this toy. To be honest I'm not quite sure if it was mutual. But it yawed, flipped and whatever more like it was an Olympic gymnast dressed as a quadcopter!
Soon I decided this is my 'thing'. I started watching youtube videos about quadcopter steering, building and FPV racing till my eyeballs started bleeding. I practiced my love-you-long-time-toy as much as possible. I started reading reviews and blogs about starting FPV. I was hooked.
One day figured out that buying my love-you-long-time-toy in mode1 wasn't the wisest decisions in my life (soon you will learn my live is an array of unwise decisions). I didn't love my toy anymore. I said: 'dear Eachine H8 mini, it's not you it's me, I just need some more time and space for myself'. Eachine H8 mini understood. It stayed in the box. My research steered me toward one of it's relatives. The Eachine Racer 250. Then I saw Rotor Riot did a video on it, I got excited like a polar bear who just learned how to use a baby seal as puck while playing ice hockey. When I actually watched the video, long story short they didn't like it. This (and some other mediocre reviews) forced me to steer myself towards another model. The Falcon 180 came into sight; it had some critiques, but hey, in the segment of the market where I was aiming to do my first 'real' quad purchase there isn't going to be a perfect candidate. So I slept over it a few nights. All off the sudden I saw another quad on the retailers website (not sure if I can mention names here). There was a new kid on the block: Falcon 210. Soon I started to research this thing like three titted virgin. The developing team of the Falcon 210 spoke with people on forums, listening to their issues with the previous models (180/250) and promised to incorporated the solutions when possible. I was like, shut up and take my money. Here's €200,- for you, now give me my Falcon 210 and while on it also send me a set of goggles so I can FPV.
A week later and €400,- poorer (import tax added). My set arrived: The Falcon, the EV800 (goggles) and the I6 (transmitter). I charged up the lipo, called my FPV friend (he's on it since 1,5yr) asked if he could fast charge me some of his 3S lipo's and pick me up to go to the training ground. There I was flying LOS, trying to hover, breaking off landing gear (gosh that stuff is fragile), breaking props, cutting wires off of my batteries and having the biggest smile since ages.
The day after we did the same.
Next day my friend didn't have time to fly, so I went on my own. To another 'training ground'. I had to climb a fence though... Anyways, I put on my goggles and flew off. FPV hovering ain't so easy I found out.. So I tried to do some circling. While watching myself via the FPV camera I thought I saw horses walking around me, but I assumed I must have slept to short or something. When I took off my goggles there was a freaking horse 1 meter next to me staring at me with a slightly aggressive poker face like it was trying to say: ‘Got carrots? NO!? The f you doin' here then?!' I tried to be friendly, sticking out my hand but he averted his head with lightning speed. It was staring at his other horse friend, who was staring at me like: 'The f you doing here!?' I packed up, did a selfie with the first horse, climbed the fence and went to another nearby field where K9 training had just ended. I continued my take off, forward, 18o-yaw-turn and landing training there. When the lipos died i went home.
Since I have only one charger wich is a pretty basic charger imho. Charging the lipos takes ages! Thus that day no more flying, but the day after that day....
I went to a park, this park measures 1x1km, in The Netherlands we call this a huge park. I know, in some places in the world it's called 'backyard', but here it's huge. I cycled around to find a spot near an open field and close to a source of shade. Found it, claimed it, flied it. Flying went pretty well. I did some circles, some nice landings, some figure eights, I felt like I was a natural FPV pilot and ready for the next step...
I pushed my throttle forward together a with my other stick. I was approaching the speed of light! I got scared so I tried to break and turn in one movement. But it didn’t break… It went up up up and away! Out of video signal reach. I released my sticks. I held my breath. A few seconds later video signal came back into my goggles. The footage was upside down so I tried to turn it back up, upside up. Turning went so slow (I didn’t adjust it in Cleanflight yet because my FC wouldn’t connect) I tried to give a little throttle hoping my quad turned around before hitting the ground. But my throttle thumb wasn’t subtle as I thought, instead of turning I saw a my quad moving rapidly in a horizontal orientation out of video signal, again! This time the signal did not recover.
I took off my goggles and ran towards the crash site. While running towards there I realized the place is huge and really divers! I mean there is grass, mud, bush, hills, freaking big trees like in the rainforest and city work is riding around with tractors and last but last least there is a lake which could house the monster of Lochness! Having zero idea where my quad fell I started asking people in the park if they’ve seen a quadcopter. Most people tought I was referring to a Pokemon. Since no one has seen it. I have no clue where to search I started searching on my gut feelings. In the bush, (looking) up in the trees, in the grass, in the mud, around the lake, I even instructed the city workers what to look out for. After two and a half hour of fruitless research I went to peddle boat rental guys and ask if they have seen a quadcopter go submarine. Luckily they replied negative, and they stare at the lake the whole day (to assure none of their clients drown). Another hour I searched for a needle in a haystack, ruining my shirt and penetrating my belly while climbing a fence, getting stung by all sorts of plants and accidently killing a frog by standing on it I called it a day. An expensive and informative day, but not my day.
Now I wonder what to do: Buy another Falcon 210 ARF, it’s only €100,- without import tax. Buy parts and build up my spare Falcon 210 frame, which would cost me also approximately €100,- but probably don’t add import taxes. Or build something completely new like a Diatone ZMR160 which also cost me around €100,-? Like I said before my choices aren’t always the wisest so maybe you guys/girls can help me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance.
*I'll post this also on RCgroups just to see which forum I like best.
I haven't been active on forums since a long time (5yrs or so) beacause there wasn't a subject that could intrigue me enough to do so. Then I bought a toy. '$11,- love you long time' the webshop cashier said. And he was right. Oh boy, I loved this toy. To be honest I'm not quite sure if it was mutual. But it yawed, flipped and whatever more like it was an Olympic gymnast dressed as a quadcopter!
Soon I decided this is my 'thing'. I started watching youtube videos about quadcopter steering, building and FPV racing till my eyeballs started bleeding. I practiced my love-you-long-time-toy as much as possible. I started reading reviews and blogs about starting FPV. I was hooked.
One day figured out that buying my love-you-long-time-toy in mode1 wasn't the wisest decisions in my life (soon you will learn my live is an array of unwise decisions). I didn't love my toy anymore. I said: 'dear Eachine H8 mini, it's not you it's me, I just need some more time and space for myself'. Eachine H8 mini understood. It stayed in the box. My research steered me toward one of it's relatives. The Eachine Racer 250. Then I saw Rotor Riot did a video on it, I got excited like a polar bear who just learned how to use a baby seal as puck while playing ice hockey. When I actually watched the video, long story short they didn't like it. This (and some other mediocre reviews) forced me to steer myself towards another model. The Falcon 180 came into sight; it had some critiques, but hey, in the segment of the market where I was aiming to do my first 'real' quad purchase there isn't going to be a perfect candidate. So I slept over it a few nights. All off the sudden I saw another quad on the retailers website (not sure if I can mention names here). There was a new kid on the block: Falcon 210. Soon I started to research this thing like three titted virgin. The developing team of the Falcon 210 spoke with people on forums, listening to their issues with the previous models (180/250) and promised to incorporated the solutions when possible. I was like, shut up and take my money. Here's €200,- for you, now give me my Falcon 210 and while on it also send me a set of goggles so I can FPV.
A week later and €400,- poorer (import tax added). My set arrived: The Falcon, the EV800 (goggles) and the I6 (transmitter). I charged up the lipo, called my FPV friend (he's on it since 1,5yr) asked if he could fast charge me some of his 3S lipo's and pick me up to go to the training ground. There I was flying LOS, trying to hover, breaking off landing gear (gosh that stuff is fragile), breaking props, cutting wires off of my batteries and having the biggest smile since ages.
The day after we did the same.
Next day my friend didn't have time to fly, so I went on my own. To another 'training ground'. I had to climb a fence though... Anyways, I put on my goggles and flew off. FPV hovering ain't so easy I found out.. So I tried to do some circling. While watching myself via the FPV camera I thought I saw horses walking around me, but I assumed I must have slept to short or something. When I took off my goggles there was a freaking horse 1 meter next to me staring at me with a slightly aggressive poker face like it was trying to say: ‘Got carrots? NO!? The f you doin' here then?!' I tried to be friendly, sticking out my hand but he averted his head with lightning speed. It was staring at his other horse friend, who was staring at me like: 'The f you doing here!?' I packed up, did a selfie with the first horse, climbed the fence and went to another nearby field where K9 training had just ended. I continued my take off, forward, 18o-yaw-turn and landing training there. When the lipos died i went home.
Since I have only one charger wich is a pretty basic charger imho. Charging the lipos takes ages! Thus that day no more flying, but the day after that day....
I went to a park, this park measures 1x1km, in The Netherlands we call this a huge park. I know, in some places in the world it's called 'backyard', but here it's huge. I cycled around to find a spot near an open field and close to a source of shade. Found it, claimed it, flied it. Flying went pretty well. I did some circles, some nice landings, some figure eights, I felt like I was a natural FPV pilot and ready for the next step...
I pushed my throttle forward together a with my other stick. I was approaching the speed of light! I got scared so I tried to break and turn in one movement. But it didn’t break… It went up up up and away! Out of video signal reach. I released my sticks. I held my breath. A few seconds later video signal came back into my goggles. The footage was upside down so I tried to turn it back up, upside up. Turning went so slow (I didn’t adjust it in Cleanflight yet because my FC wouldn’t connect) I tried to give a little throttle hoping my quad turned around before hitting the ground. But my throttle thumb wasn’t subtle as I thought, instead of turning I saw a my quad moving rapidly in a horizontal orientation out of video signal, again! This time the signal did not recover.
I took off my goggles and ran towards the crash site. While running towards there I realized the place is huge and really divers! I mean there is grass, mud, bush, hills, freaking big trees like in the rainforest and city work is riding around with tractors and last but last least there is a lake which could house the monster of Lochness! Having zero idea where my quad fell I started asking people in the park if they’ve seen a quadcopter. Most people tought I was referring to a Pokemon. Since no one has seen it. I have no clue where to search I started searching on my gut feelings. In the bush, (looking) up in the trees, in the grass, in the mud, around the lake, I even instructed the city workers what to look out for. After two and a half hour of fruitless research I went to peddle boat rental guys and ask if they have seen a quadcopter go submarine. Luckily they replied negative, and they stare at the lake the whole day (to assure none of their clients drown). Another hour I searched for a needle in a haystack, ruining my shirt and penetrating my belly while climbing a fence, getting stung by all sorts of plants and accidently killing a frog by standing on it I called it a day. An expensive and informative day, but not my day.
Now I wonder what to do: Buy another Falcon 210 ARF, it’s only €100,- without import tax. Buy parts and build up my spare Falcon 210 frame, which would cost me also approximately €100,- but probably don’t add import taxes. Or build something completely new like a Diatone ZMR160 which also cost me around €100,-? Like I said before my choices aren’t always the wisest so maybe you guys/girls can help me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance.
*I'll post this also on RCgroups just to see which forum I like best.
If it wasn't for the fact that you mentioned the Netherlands, I would have sworn you were Zenteg resurfacing with a different username (that's an inside joke BTW) And to sway your decision of which forum to join, we are MUCH smarter than the guys on RCGroups. I myself am employed by the Canadian government as a Bottle Rocket Engineer. Welcome to the jungle.