Newbie Wisdom ( the hard way )

H

HDtallrider

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone. I have been learning to fly Quads this winter with a HeliMax 1si. I have not missed hitting a single thing in my house! Getting pretty good now. Go about a dozen flights before breaking a prop guard. I like flying so much that I decided to go larger and build my own. I am using 450 arms on a spyder style frame which gives me a 500 quad. Here is where the hard ( and expensive ) lessons started. Like everyone else I read about starting out I let price rule in my purchase decisions. A good example is props. Of the 16 props I bought ( 3 sizes ) I was only able to balance 7. The others were so far out, or worse yet, drilled off center that they hit the trash. I have since gotten a shipment of APC props at 5 times the price but they are all perfect or nearly so. In trying to correct all the purchase errors I made my $250.00 build is now over $500.00! Along with this build I have started a 700mm copter that I am going to do right. No sacrifices on quality this time. The 450 is up and running and when the weather breaks I'll see how many props I can break!! LOL I gues my point to anyone doing their first build is if it looks to good to be true it likely is. Safe flying!!
 
Lol, This sounds familiar. I was planning for $250 for my build. I am now around 520, and plan to upgrade very soon. this is all before my first real flight with that quadcopter.
 
I feel ya brother! Although mine is operating and set up I haven't flown it yet. I have hovered it inside just to check that all was well, but it is way to large ( and noisy ) for indoors. The last time I flew anything RC outdoors I only had 1 channel! It's been a long time. I figured the $250.00 on this build was affordable enough to wreck a few times while refining my skills. At $500.00 plus this is gonna be a expensive learning curve. This quadcopter thing started as a hobby. Now it's a disease!
 
HI mate the phone apps are ok for fun but what your hands/finger and brain need to learn is the real transmitter and quad or the real transmitter and a sim , The brain needs to learn to control the quad with out you thinking about what you need to do
 
I find that sim, lacking, like you say I just cant get to grips with using a touch screen for control, I pity the ar 2.0 people...
 
I agree. That is why I have been so busy destroying my 1si. I played with the app a bit and, since I'm not a gamer, I don't think I will be relying much on it. It is kinda fun, though. Something to do while the batteries are charging. All of this is very new to me. My first Tx and Rx were kits from Allied Radio. They were single channel. The first one was pulse!! I could only turn right. the prop was turned the plane left. I am so old......... That was the last time I flew rc.
 
I must be near your age to as a kid I could not afford RC so I had a control line plane called a Phantom , and when I hit my 20s, the only rc heli you could buy was a nitro or gassa and was £800 ,come to think of it they ant much cheaper now lol
 
Yeah. I did a lot of control line flying. I'm 65 and happy to be here. The only problem I have is this quadcopter thing is starting to eat into my motorcycle trip budget! Can't have that.
 
Ha! You're a funny guy! Fortunately that was a rare occurrence. When it did happen the crash was immediate and spectacular. The only thing that usually survived was the engine. Think of it like a arm breaking on your quad at about a hundred feet. Gives new meaning to "trashed".
 
I have half of an engine for those little planes, I bet if you had the other half it'd still run. What did they use as a fuel again?
 
A mix of nitro, alcohol, castor oil and some other secret ingredients. Some of those planes were not so little. The last one I flew ( early 60's ) had a 55" wingspan with .90 power and 75' steel wire for control line. I was kinda scrawny then and it nearly dragged me away! RC is much better. Less physically demanding. That was actually the last time I flew anything until I got my 1si a couple of months ago.
 
Hi now days we would need an office chair that spins with the plane for a laugh did you see what hobby king did with an office chair
 
Good read. I'm in my first setup. Last time I flew something that went up was vietnam in the weeds circling with control line. My really really crazy friend and I built, flew and crashed... all in the same day. Sometimes more. But it was cheap. I always dreamed of being free of those dizzy control lines.

I have a HK Sk450 with Taranis + so I have just doubled my confusion. Geeze! Things have changed! I started with $250 budget. That's not working??? I wonder why?? Don't care now... I'm hooked! I can see where I could have made better choices but so far I'm happy.

Looking forward to many hours of reading and learning and getting this thing off the table and in the air. Anyone from Florida and wanna test this thing? Yea.... I can see this it burying itself 2 feet deep.

I'll take a picture when I do...... but I hope not.
 
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