Proxxii
Well-Known Member
On your first build it might seem like you can just choose what type of props you want to throw on your model... If props selection doesn't seem like a big deal to you now let me try to shed some light on the subject.
I am currently still flying my first build. When I finished putting this together for the first time no doubt I was EXTREMELY eager to get in the air and go balls to the walls and be just like Mr Steele. Oh what a wake up call!!! Hint: PIDs are not fun to try and tune if you have the wrong props on.... I've spent countless hours trying to get a good tune on my (BUDGET) 250mm frame I intended on calling a race setup. After an entire 3 weekends and 30 mins on week days on lunch break of trying to "Fine Tune" my quad I was getting to the point where there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Of course it was flyable, and I was starting to think maybe it's because I bought cheap parts. Maybe I am stupid and can't figure out how to tune because I'm not smart enough. IF YOU DO and/or HAVE FELT LIKE THIS IT'S YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! It's mostly like has to do with WAIT FOR IT,,,,,, Your PROPS!!!
Everyone I admired on Youtube was flying 3 bladed props so why shouldn't I? They are the best aren't they? Welllllllllll maybe if you have nice motors in the 2204/2206 range they can be. But if you're like me you didn't have much to get into this hobby with. I went with the DYS 1806/2300kv motors because lets be real, learning to fly I didn't want to wreck a motor that was well over $25-40 each. The DYS 1806/2300kv motors are GREAT budget motors. You can buy them as low as 10$ each and range up to 14$ each. So when my first motor died (ESC failed when I plugged in my Lipo and shorted my motor out) I wasn't too sad. Since my PIDs were feeling "OK" I was satisfied at the time, I wanted to just have fun and go fly, and to not worry so much about tuning anymore because things weren't going to get any better that I could notice. Well I crashed all my props and figure i'd try something new. Maybe the Props that had come with my motors? THAT'S CRAZY TALK!! Well what do you know? She was flying better than usual and it got me thinking about props. So I went on a small quest to find the right prop because 50--x3's were questionable and the 6040's handled better but I still thought my motors felt sluggish. I was using Dalprop 5045x3 props and let me tell you, these props are heavier than most but the added thickness to the blades gives for VERY solid power. But I still wanted to try and stay with the 50--x3's (I was in denial)... Gemfan's are thinner and way a lot less, although brittle I was willing to take the compromise. They flew alright I had realized the 6040's still handled quite a bit better and had a bit more power on punch out. Well I tell you what, when those gemfans were all gone. I figured I may as well go down to the 2 bladers for sure and 6 inch blade were still a bit much, so i dropped down to 5inchers and I don't know how to put this, but I only felt 1 thing.... Amazement! I picked up some Dalprop 5045's, they are very stiff, although still a tab bit heavier than the avg prop but its been 2 weekends of ROUGH flying and quite a few crashes. Not 1 prop is broken yet, nor has a prop bent or had it balance thrown off. They are solid! My PIDs? That's a laugh! When I said my PIDs were the best they were going to get with the 3 bladed props I think I was right because on my first flight with the new 5045 props it was so locked in I felt like a school girl. It was beautiful and as long as I'm flying 1806 motors from here on out it's Dalprop 5045's for me!
Sorry this was so long but I felt like many people might have been and will continue to be in the situation I was in. I can only hope this post wasn't passed up dew to its length and that it helped some of the newer fliers out there.
I have footage of the Dalprop 5045x3's and footage of the Dalprop 5045's I will upload them sometime today to show how drastic adding just 1 blade to a 1806/2300kv motor can be....
I am currently still flying my first build. When I finished putting this together for the first time no doubt I was EXTREMELY eager to get in the air and go balls to the walls and be just like Mr Steele. Oh what a wake up call!!! Hint: PIDs are not fun to try and tune if you have the wrong props on.... I've spent countless hours trying to get a good tune on my (BUDGET) 250mm frame I intended on calling a race setup. After an entire 3 weekends and 30 mins on week days on lunch break of trying to "Fine Tune" my quad I was getting to the point where there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Of course it was flyable, and I was starting to think maybe it's because I bought cheap parts. Maybe I am stupid and can't figure out how to tune because I'm not smart enough. IF YOU DO and/or HAVE FELT LIKE THIS IT'S YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! It's mostly like has to do with WAIT FOR IT,,,,,, Your PROPS!!!
Everyone I admired on Youtube was flying 3 bladed props so why shouldn't I? They are the best aren't they? Welllllllllll maybe if you have nice motors in the 2204/2206 range they can be. But if you're like me you didn't have much to get into this hobby with. I went with the DYS 1806/2300kv motors because lets be real, learning to fly I didn't want to wreck a motor that was well over $25-40 each. The DYS 1806/2300kv motors are GREAT budget motors. You can buy them as low as 10$ each and range up to 14$ each. So when my first motor died (ESC failed when I plugged in my Lipo and shorted my motor out) I wasn't too sad. Since my PIDs were feeling "OK" I was satisfied at the time, I wanted to just have fun and go fly, and to not worry so much about tuning anymore because things weren't going to get any better that I could notice. Well I crashed all my props and figure i'd try something new. Maybe the Props that had come with my motors? THAT'S CRAZY TALK!! Well what do you know? She was flying better than usual and it got me thinking about props. So I went on a small quest to find the right prop because 50--x3's were questionable and the 6040's handled better but I still thought my motors felt sluggish. I was using Dalprop 5045x3 props and let me tell you, these props are heavier than most but the added thickness to the blades gives for VERY solid power. But I still wanted to try and stay with the 50--x3's (I was in denial)... Gemfan's are thinner and way a lot less, although brittle I was willing to take the compromise. They flew alright I had realized the 6040's still handled quite a bit better and had a bit more power on punch out. Well I tell you what, when those gemfans were all gone. I figured I may as well go down to the 2 bladers for sure and 6 inch blade were still a bit much, so i dropped down to 5inchers and I don't know how to put this, but I only felt 1 thing.... Amazement! I picked up some Dalprop 5045's, they are very stiff, although still a tab bit heavier than the avg prop but its been 2 weekends of ROUGH flying and quite a few crashes. Not 1 prop is broken yet, nor has a prop bent or had it balance thrown off. They are solid! My PIDs? That's a laugh! When I said my PIDs were the best they were going to get with the 3 bladed props I think I was right because on my first flight with the new 5045 props it was so locked in I felt like a school girl. It was beautiful and as long as I'm flying 1806 motors from here on out it's Dalprop 5045's for me!
Sorry this was so long but I felt like many people might have been and will continue to be in the situation I was in. I can only hope this post wasn't passed up dew to its length and that it helped some of the newer fliers out there.
I have footage of the Dalprop 5045x3's and footage of the Dalprop 5045's I will upload them sometime today to show how drastic adding just 1 blade to a 1806/2300kv motor can be....
