Best rc vehicle batteries according to redditors
We found 434 Reddit comments discussing the best rc vehicle batteries. We ranked the 218 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 434 Reddit comments discussing the best rc vehicle batteries. We ranked the 218 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Oh no, you didn't get extra batteries!. If I may, let me pass down some wisdom:
Congrats, just got mine 2 months ago.
SeeMeCNC forums are awesome. Start reading every new post.
Best upgrade I've done: PEI Bed
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013HKZTA
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Y7D5NQ
~$30 in upgrades; all my prints stick and pop off with ease. Also, the underside of every part is glassy and smooth. So good.
Buy "feeler gages" to assist with leveling the bed.
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Proto-J000AA-Master-Feeler/dp/B001HWDOK8/
My bed leveling process is kinda like this:
Let's see, what else. If you can spare the cash, I moved to Simplify3d for all my slicing needs ($100~$150 for the license). Love it. If you can't afford it, maybe you'll find a way.
Also, get ready to do a bajillion calibration runs. I mean it, don't be in a rush.
Find a nice 20mm box off thingiverse or whatever, and you're gonna want to print that repeatedly while you dial in your settings. Once that's set, move on to the hollow pyramid, or the 5mm stairs.
I seriously printed at least 20 of each of these while I dialed in my settings:
ASAP, move over to PLA. Prints so much nicer for me than ABS.
Oh, before you go to PLA, make sure you print 3x of the layer fans housings (not just 1x) and order up 2 more of the "squirrel cage" fans (centrifugal fans) from SeeMeCNC. edit: I spliced the single pair of layer-fan wires into three right at the connectors, I didn't bother running extra wire for them.
Oh, and one other big improvement I made was putting connectors in-line with the hot-end and for all the fans. This way, if I have to replace a fan or upgrade the hot-end I don't have to cut and splice wires, I can just pop it off and connectorize another new one. Here are the connectors I used:
That was probably too much info -- just take your time and try not to get frustrated while you get things all set up. It is not a plug-'n-play object, it requires care and feeding.
... oh, and have fun! Whatcha gonna print?
Yeah but it's gotta be affordable, and not fake. I've tried searching for available graphene batteries or systems and so far there isn't really anything you can buy that seems not sketchy. I'm also not impressed by any of the stats that come with some of the less sketchy ones i/e actually rated and not just fake reviews. Until that "graphene" battery has specifications that dictate it's significantly better than anything else I won't buy it. They are always claiming graphene is crazy amazing with super storage and fast charge times but when it has barely more than standard battery storage I get a bit skeptical. I found one which says it's a graphene battery but it's only 14v 1.3 Ah and it weighs 176 grams. While numerous other standard type batteries like this one have the same exact specs but actually weigh less at 155 grams. Which makes no sense considering the supposed capabilities of graphene and perks for using it. Which leads me to believe that it being advertised as graphene is a bit of a stretch towards and outright lie.
The charge time really isn't all that bad. It'll charge back up in 10-15 minutes. I really thought it'd bother me but I'm totally okay with it. This is the perfect starter copter to learn how to fly these things.
If it's really a deal breaker and you're okay with spending more, one of the cheapest way you're going to get significantly improved flight time would probably be a Hubsan X4, a 5 pack of batteries, a simple charger, and a prop guard for about $70 before tax.
I'd call that step 2 in the hobby though and would absolutely recommend the Cheerson CX-10 as step 1.
you wouldn’t have heard it but someone else could’ve noticed
Hm. That’s disappointing, but not shocking.
Is that a 3S 2200 mAh 25 C Gens Ace pack?
If so, it should be plenty powerful to run your pick of two Foamblast Valkyries or Krakens, or MTB Neo Rhinos. Foamblast, OutOfDarts, and Containment Crew are probably the largest US-based retailers of the motors, though you might be able to find smaller Etsy shops and what not that are more local.
I’d also recommend picking up a different Set of flywheels and cage; metal flywheels perform a bit worse than stock ones, and the canted cage is prone to whirlibirding darts. Kuryaka’s Daybreak wheels and Cage combo for $25 is a pretty great deal, and will hit 150 FPS with a 41 mm cage and Valkyries.
That print does look rather large to me though. Lets assume it took 20h. I've assumed an average power consumption of 62 W [1].
Thus, the total print would require 1240 Wh.
The most commonly sold RC battery on amazon.com offers 2200mAh at 11,1V which equals to 24,42 Wh per battery. [2] I'm pretty sure you can run a printer on 11,1V without a step-up converter. You would need 50 of those, and that is not going to fit the box that he packed at 0:23.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cR1IvZCZo5U
[2] http://www.amazon.com/Turnigy-2200mAh-20C-Lipo-Pack/dp/B0072AEY5I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458235448&sr=8-3&keywords=lipo+battery+3s
Just about.
As the others are saying, get some foam board and build a Flite Test Tiny Trainer from the free plans. You can build this as a glider and throw it around until you're confident with the controls, then add a motor to make a trainer - and then build the 'sport' wing and upgrade the battery to make it aerobatic.
Others are recommending the FS-i6 transmitter, which is a good choice as it'll be good when you get a few more models - but you can go a little cheaper if you don't mind only having one model. $32. If you stay in the hobby you'll definitely want something better before long though - but if you get serious you might want something even better than the i6. After a few years most people are using transmitters in the $100-$300 range.
Here's a 1806 motor $9
Here's a 12amp ESC with a BEC $7 - many quadcopter ESCs don't have a BEC, which you need to power your servos.
Here's a pack of 5 servos for $11 so you have a spare
Two 2s 800mAh batteries for $20
Here's a $11 charger - this is another item you'll want to upgrade if you get into the hobby, so you can charge bigger batteries, or several at once.
4 props for a $1
That's $91, leaving you a bit for foam board, hot glue, music wire (for push rods) and postage.
These links are for reference - I've not tried this exact stuff, but it matches the requirements of the plane. With a bit of hunting you might find the same things even cheaper - especially as I ignored the postage.
Buy cheap and buy twice. Save your money and get good stuff. The extra money you'll spend will be less in the long run when you factor in having to upgrade all of your current equipment when you start getting serious and realizing you shouldn't have gone cheap.
I was in the same boat as you. I only had roughly $700 to spend, and for me, that's a lot of money. I picked out most of the components you did and read reviews, watched videos, and did nothing but learn, learn, learn. After dozens of hours researching and learning new things, what I found is that if I wanted a drone that a) Flew good and b) was fast and c) was responsive - I was going to have to spend more and go quality. The adage "Buy cheap and buy twice" rings true in life and holds doubly true in this hobby. In the end, I decided to go the quality route. I ended up spending ~$475 on my quad and picking up a second job to pay for the TX and goggles. It's ultimately up to you, but if you want to freestyle, go fast, and end up racing. I would strongly recommend not going frugal in regards to your quad. It's what the vast majority of people told me not to do and, even though I spent way more, I'm glad I listened and built a top quality high end quad that's going to last.
My Build:
RotorRiot Alien 5' Frame
KISS FC & KISS ESCs
EMAX 2205 2300KV (aka Red Bottoms)
TBS Unify Pro HV
HS1177 camera
ImmersionRC Spironet Antennas
HQ 5x4x3 Props
Taranis X9D Transmitter and matching X4R Receiver
Yes, you want a 2s lipo battery with similar mah rating something like [this](http://www.floureon.com/ 7.4V 2S 3300mAh 35C Li-Polymer Lipo RC Battery Packs with T Plug Connector for RC Airplane RC Helicopter RC Car RC Truck RC Boat UAV Drone FPV(1PC) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ1JWH8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nUF7AbJ0Y30J0) should work
Hubsan x 4.Basic version(7mm motors no cam)Get 4 spare motors,5 pack of 380 mah batteries and a bunch of walkera ladybird props.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS5Y6G4/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00FDNI0SI&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1E1N0BMES63B2X4ZFCZP
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=walkera+ladybird+props
http://www.amazon.com/Tera-Quadcopter-Spare-7x20mm-Hubsan/dp/B00TI1ANQ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1465070478&sr=1-1&keywords=7mm+hubsan+motors
amazon will do it, and you don't even have to say please.
I'll ship one to you, $8 + shipping.
Every thermoelectric device I've seen consumes a pretty significant amount of power (~20W on one of the ones I've played with, which the one pictured looks very similar to). A LiPoly pack that can do that for an hour (with a suitable converter in between, I'm assuming ~80% efficiency) would need to be ~24Wh, for a 3-cell pack (nominal voltage 11.1V) this is ~2200mAh. Here is an example of a pack that can do that. The article also says they run it 5s on, 10s off, which would approximately triples that runtime to 3 hours (followed by ~4-5 hours charging, based on nearly identical packs I have for various things).
That said, the batteries shown in the article look more like a 2-cell pack of approximately 1100mAh (hard to guess though, since I can't see the pack fully), so they're either running much less power to the TECs than their upper limit, or they're not running it for very long (~1 hour).
So, it needs a decent sized battery, but if you only want to run it for a couple hours, it probably won't be too bad.
> Eachine Wizard x220
Tattu makes some good batteries, both 3s and 4s.
https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-11-1V-Airplane/dp/B013I9RLVK/ref=sr_1_6?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1495748569&sr=1-6&keywords=3s+lipo+battery
I have 3 Lumenier lipos and each one is great. Mine are 1850 3s, 2250 3s, and 2250 4s. For your size I wouldn't go past 1850 (and even that's a little long), they get pretty big and heavy after that. Worked good on my 280, but obviously that much bigger than a 220.
Special thank you to the crew at Tiny Whoop who consistently provide excellent customer and community support even though, someone at fulfillment may be a little colorblind hehehe. Without you guys and /u/JessePFPV this sub probably wouldn't exist!
 
24K Magic
Frame - Cockroach
Canopy - Tiny Whoop Razor skin 1of1 by Ben@TW!
Flight Controller - FuriousFPV AcroWhoop v2 FrSky
Motors - NewBeeDrone BDR Gold Edition 19,700 KV
Props - Rakon Heli Tri Blade
Power - Power Whoop 2.0 JST-PH
VTx- Crazepony 700TVL AIO Camera Detachable
Support Mods - Clear rubberbands to hide motor wires, 3M VHB tape for VTx mounting, dab of hot glue for Camera mounting
 
Dry weight = 19 grams flat
 
4+ minutes of flight time with Crazepony 230mah LiHV batteries and Crazepony 260mah/short LiHV
 
P.S. My kids thank you for all the candy!
 
Gen 8 in transit to me but I went ahead and ordered this Gens ace 7.4V 5000mAh 50C 2S LiPo Battery Pack HardCase and budget charger Lipo Battery Balance Charger Touch Screen Duo Discharger Dual Ac150w DC240W
Don't forget the extra bits and pieces like wires and heatshrink. For batteries I would suggest these (my link) instead. You will very quickly outgrow the 3S packs. Worth picking up a few batteries, otherwise you'll only have 5mins at a time. Also, the batteries you've chosen do not match the XT-60 connectors you've bought separately.
Charger is ok and is what I started with too, I would recommend picking up a parallel charging board too, so you don't have to wait as long/swap batteries while charging.
I'd recommend this frame it's a few $ more, but is very sturdy and spares are readily available because of how many people use it.
Amazon is great especially if you get fast shipping. Local hobby shops near you would also sell batteries, but they would be more expensive. However honestly, a local hobby shop most likely would sell batteries with banana plugs, and I don't think pre-made adapters that go from banana plug to XT30 exist premade, while you can easily find XT60-XT30 adapters. You will also need to buy a balance charger to charge your new batteries. These chargers make sure all the cells in your batteries are charged to equal voltages, which is important in terms of safety and increasing the longevity of your batteries. I ordered my own batteries and charger from Amazon and they arrived in a couple of days, so if you're comfortable with using Amazon there's nothing wrong with the batteries there. Heres an example of one https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-11-1V-Airplane/dp/B013I9RLVK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485569927&sr=8-2&keywords=3s+1300mah
Hello, I was just about to order a couple days ago, then figured I should ask you all here on /r/Multicopter if you have any recommendations for changes. I can solder and have tools, is there anything that I am missing here for a complete setup? Oh I also already own a Spektrum DX6i with two Spektrum AR610 receivers.
item | link | price
-|-|-
AV transmitter/receiver | Boscam 32Ch 5.8G 600mw 5km Wireless AV Transmitter TS832 Receiver RC832 for FPV | $35.63
Charger | Genuine SKYRC iMAX B6 Mini Dual Power 6Amps 60Watts Professional RC Balancing Battery Charger & Discharger (Version RCLITE) w/ Micro USB Port For RC Lipo Battery Cherge, Temperature Port | $36.58
Heat shrink | uxcell® 1 Meter 50mm Dia Ratio 2:1 Heat Shrinkable Shrinking Tube Black | $6.66
Flight Controller | AbuseMark Acro Naze32 Rev 6 Flight Controller W/ Straight / Bent Pin Headers, Breakout Cable, & Apex RC Products Nylon Standoffs | $39.99
Frame | YKS DIY Full Carbon Fiber Mini C250 Quadcopter Frame Kit for FPV Mini Quadcopter Part | $37.99
Motors | 4pcs EMAX RS2205 2300KV Brushless Motor 2CW 2CCW for QAV250 QAV300 FPV Racing Quadcopter | $78.79
ESC's | Crazepony 4pcs Littlebee 20A Mini ESC Oneshot125 Electronic Speed Controller 2-4S Brushless for FPV Multicopter Quadcopter | $39.99
Props | Hooshion® 16 pcs 8 pairs GemFan HD HQ 5030 5x3 CW CCW Propeller for Mini QAV250 Quadcopter (Black+Orange) | $12.59
Connectors | XT60 Drone Connectors 5 Pairs (5 Male and 5 Female) | $2.96
Battery | Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 20C Lipo Pack | $16.70
AV Antenna | Anbee® FPV 5.8Ghz Circular Polarized Clover Leaf Antenna High Gain Aerial Set w/RP-SMA Plug | $10.98
Camera | SC2000 600TVL D-WDR DNR Board Camera SONY Super HAD CCD for FPV, 2.8mm Lens, IR Blocked Filter | $33.99
| total | $352.85
Start by getting a line-of-sight drone and see if you like it first.
hubsan x4 (comes with a controller)
batteries
charger
prop guards+props
$55 to see if you like it.
When you break that, try repairing it. If you don't like that, then the hobby may not be for you.
Nah you want a minimum 50C constant, 50C burst is too low.
https://smile.amazon.com/1300mAh-Battery-Airplane-Skylark-Nighthawk/dp/B013I9T0T6/
or
https://smile.amazon.com/1300mAh-Battery-Nemesis-Skylark-Nighthawk/dp/B01N9H2I19/
Congrats on the new toy. Looks like a decent power system (Mamba Monster/Castle motor) I agree with the 4S for starters to help learn control.
The challenge is the ESC is wired with a single battery lead (looks like a Traxxas plug going into a XT60 adapter), so the previous owner must have run a single battery. 4S batteries can be more expensive than two 2S, for example from Amazon right now:
Plus you'll get half the run time with a single 4S battery (5000mAh) versus two 2S (2 x 5000mAh = 10000mAh).(Note: I'm not recommending Gens Ace brand as I don't have any experience with it, it is only for example purposes)
Any chance you have a buddy that can solder? If not you might be able to find an adapter but most are made with thin wire (thinner than the wire on your ESC) that won't support the current draw of the Mamba ESC. Some of my local hobby stores (LHS) will solder a connection if you buy the parts/battery there. You might check your LHS for help, and it is always good to make friends that know more than you about the hobby!
Enjoy!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013I9RSEU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apip_LAA5C6AxbPVsZ
Ok here are some u/supernippers use.
They are probably better than the last ones I linked, they were like $18 when he bought em.
The Traxxas ID charger can charge normal Lipo batteries as well as the Traxxas ID batteries. On the front of the charger there should be a little plastic cover, pop that off and it has the balance leads for a 2 and 3 cell lipo. As long as your non Traxxas batteries have a Traxxas plug it'll charge normal lipos. As for recommendations i personally use this and have about 50 runs on it and it still performs great.
hmm those should be fine. I also run like 5 of these in my mix of batteries:
https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-230mAh-Battery-Inductrix-Connector/dp/B01N0Z0ME2
They work great for me. Another thing thats super cheap and easy to try is swapping out the battery connector. I hear a lot of people talk about getting voltage sag making it hard to do flips and rolls and getting it fixed by just replacing the JST(1.25) connector. Never had the issue personally but I have seen a lottt of people talk about it happening to them.
Your local hardware store should have a multimeter for ~$15 - 20. Assuming you have a local hardware store... (If you want something off Amazon, I found this for a surprisingly cheap price of ~$15.)
You are certainly right, that battery has a deans connector. Edit: Deans connections are rather easy to test with multimeter probes, btw.
You're looking for a two cell (in series - 2s) lipo battery. All 2s LiPos put out the same amount of power to the wheels. A battery with a higher MaH rating results in a longer run time, but too big a battery will not fit in your vehicle. Edit: I personally buy my batteries from this ebay seller, I haven't bought many from them but I have been extremely satisfied with what I have bought. When you buy a battery, you can send him a message and ask for deans connectors, he'll solder them on for you before shipping, and it's even free on some of his batteries. (And on others, I think it's a $1.50 charge or something crazy low like that.)
If you're looking for a cheap charger, I got this with my Team Associated SC-10, there might be better options but it certainly gets the job done without breaking the bank. Make sure the switch is set to "LiPo" and the charge speed is correct.
Charge speed is related to MaH: 1,000 MaH battery is charged at 1 Amp, 2,000 at 2 Amp, etc. When in doubt, charge slower rather than faster; charging faster is not as safe, and may shorten the life of the battery.
If you want a good, decent quality lipo voltage checker, you can get this for $10, it's of much higher quality than these and for only a slight price increase.
https://www.amazon.ca/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-14-8V-Airplane/dp/B013I9T0T6
Would recommend these.
I use this battery for my stryfe with hellcats and it has worked great for me.
https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-11-1V-Airplane/dp/B013I9RLVK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497552006&sr=8-1&keywords=tattu+3s
It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!
Here is link number 1 - Previous text "3s"
Here is link number 2 - Previous text "2s"
----
^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete
You'll also need some Dollar tree foam, some music wire, clear tape, razor blades, ect. That setup will get you started with tons of room to grow. The one transmitter will handle 8 planes at least.
Yep, the real thing packaged in a factory box. It does not come with a battery though. I recommend the tenergy 380's on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HS5Y6G4/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1421780800&sr=1&keywords=tenergy. Also spend $7 on a 4 port charger: http://www.amazon.com/ThinkMax%C2%AE-In-Battery-Charger-Hubsan/dp/B00LGWQ4FG/ref=pd_bxgy_t_img_y
Thanks a lot. I was trying to do some research before posting and I guess I was looking at old information. how do these changes look?
Chassis: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Yokomo-1-10-RC-RWD-DRIFT-CHASSIS-YD-2S-Rear-Wheel-Drive-Drift-KIT-DP-YD2S/202804677855?hash=item2f3819ccdf:g:ExQAAOSwCMRczQcp
Motor + ESC: http://www.rcmart.com/hobbywing-quicrun-3650sd-135t-brushless-sensored-motor-wonisiki-hell-blaze-p-70973.html?cPath=1560_1301
Battery: https://www.amazon.ca/Gens-ace-Battery-HardCase-Approved/dp/B00WOAWHUK
Charger: https://www.amazon.ca/Meiyiu-Battery-Charger-Digital-Discharger/dp/B07NW99VLM/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=7.4V+2s+lipo+charger&qid=1571863442&sr=8-16
servo: https://www.ebay.com/c/1752440977
Gyro: https://www.ebay.com/itm/YOKDPP-302V4-Yokomo-DP-302-V4-Drift-Steering-Gyro-/123636436439
I spent about $150 dollars, and got everything from Amazon.
3S 4S Lipo Battery Charger, HOTRC... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QV1ZM1N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Tattu 14.8V 1300mAh LiPo Battery... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013I9RSEU?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
SKYRC SK-600092-01 4.3” FPV... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HMHS9W6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Spotter V2 Micro FPV AIO Camera... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078PK98HC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Grifiti Nootle Recon 5 Flex Arm... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KJL39QK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
SMALLRIG 30mm Diameter 1/4"... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081D1YGC?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
In the true spirit of the hobby, you should dump some cash in these. But really:
LiPo charger - $48 - Genuine SKYRC iMAX B6AC V2 Dual Power (6Amps, 50Watts): LiPo, LiHV, LiIon, LiFe, NiCd, NiMH, Pb Lead Acid AC/DC Professional RC Balancing Battery Charger & Discharger (Version 2) w/ Micro USB Port, Temperature Port, 2S-6S JST-XH Balance Ports https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ND7J38C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_htDxybG82Q702
2 batteries - $29 ea - Gens ace LiPo Battery Pack 5000mAh 50C 2S 7.4V HardCase 21 with Deans T Plug for RC Car Boat Truck Roar Approved https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WOAWHUK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1tDxybYW7ARFP
2 brushless combos - $43 ea. - GoolRC 3650 3100KV/4P Sensorless Brushless Motor with 60A Brushless ESC(Electric Speed Controller)for 1/10 RC Car Truck https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CCRZD1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LuDxybH8WPFP6
2 2.4ghz tx rx bundles - $38 ea - FLYSKY RC 3 CH Transmitter TX FS-GT3B For CAR Boat 2.4Ghz 2.4g w/ Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNJNXVY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LwDxybYGHVVE8
So at $280 they would both be fully up to date with lower end electronics. The sky is the limit.
something like theses if you have the money
What kind of capacity do you need? Maybe buy or make a 3sXp Li-Ion battery that has however many in parallel you want to fulfill your physical size/capacity requirements.Great Scott has a really great video on him making this but you can buy pre made packs too like these:
(Note that with any of these packs you will need a balance charger or a BMS that has charging function)
https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-11-1V-Airplane/dp/B013I9RLVK/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=3s&qid=1572316137&sr=8-5
https://www.amazon.com/FLOUREON-Packs-1500mAh-Battery-Truggy/dp/B074PPMFMC/ref=mp_s_a_1_24_sspa?keywords=3s+lithium+ion&qid=1572316188&sr=8-24-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFUSEcwSDg5RFlGQiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRJZD1BMDI1NzY2ODIxM0IwTURRTlU3MlcmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDg3MjQwNjM4VkJGREQ1QVpNQTQmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Well that mostly depends on budget. I got this Eachine Wizard x220 a few days ago, but I got the bind & fly version since I already have a radio. This thing is GREAT, my main quad I built about a month ago needs to be tuned and I didn't have time to today so I flew this instead for all of my flights and it is SHARP. The RTF version (the one I linked) comes with everything you need to fly but you'd also need goggles like FatSharks if you're willing to spend a lot on goggles or Eachine VR007's if you want something cheaper to start out on FPV with. I started with the Eachine's and they work fine, but after awhile the size will start to get annoying with no DVR and some other bells and whistles FatSharks have (I just got FatSharks a couple days ago and they're great!). And of course you would need a camera. The first GoPro session does 1080p60fps and it's only $200 so you'd be under $500. I'm not 100% sure this comes with a battery too though so you'd want a few extra 4S 1300mAh batteries and a charger for them (lot's of different options here so these are the batteries I use and here is the charger I use ). Just make sure you get batteries with an "XT60" connector and your charger has an XT60 charging cable. Here's a great video made by a fellow r/Multicopter user on how to safely charge LiPo batteries. They are no joke!
Anyway this is a GREAT quad to start with, the only downside to it IMO is that it uses the "FlySky" radio transmitter and receiver which is not that great. I started out with a different version of the one this has and my first quad lost signal and smashed face first into concrete from over 50 feet up. Luckily most components on these are tough as nails so it's a cheap fix, I just had to replace a GoPro lens (GET LENS PROTECTORS!) and a couple small parts. Anyway, I believe the radio in this one is a newer version that has had way less problems than mine, so if you get it maybe just range test low and over grass or something before going crazy?
If you want to watch a review of this quad, here's a great review made by u/uavfutures (same guy that did the LiPo video), who convinced me to buy it and I wasn't disappointed.
One more thing...have you ever flown a quad before or flown FPV? If not you may want to pick up a Blade Inductrix FPV and some goggles to get the basic idea down before you spend money on something you don't know how to fly. If you have any more questions let me know!
Some really popular LiPos that a lot of the pilots use are:
Tattu 4S 1300mAh 75C
Lumenier 4S 1300mAh 60C
Thunder Power Adrenaline 1300mAh 4S 80C
I bought these ones and they've worked out really well. They are slightly thicker than the OEM ones, but I haven't had a problem getting them in or out. I agree capacity-wise they generally don't provide much more flight time than OEM, but I've found I get significantly more time if I charge and then immediately use. Even charging in the morning for evening flying seems not quite as long. It's not just the aftermarket ones either.
I also have H107L, and have been super happy with these batteries. They are 380 mAh, which I wanted to try before jumping to 500 mAh. I have been super happy with them. I haven't timed it, but it does feel like I get quite a bit more flying time. But of course, the main thing that makes a difference is having five of them :)
Obviously you'll also want a charger. I was going to get the same combo that /u/jackthecat53 mentioned, but some of the reviews made it sound like the charger wasn't that good. So I got a separate charger, which seems to be doing the job, but it feels super cheap, it turns out.
At any rate, I am super stoked about these batteries, and the way-improved flight time I'm able to get.
Frame/Motors/ESC's - Target Hobby QAV210
Props - DAL 4045 Bullnose
Battery - Tattu 1300mAh 3s 75c
Flight Controller - Naze32 Rev 6
I was looking for a 4S with a high discharge rating, ordered 6 of these this morning. Tattu LiPo Battery Pack 1300mAh 75C 4S
Thanks again Spark_Tek. I am thinking the Senton is the way to go. Would this charger and battery work well with it? And would I need any other type of connector, concerns about ESP etc.
Also, after researching a bit, some ESP's detect low voltage and that is really important it seems with LiPo. Does the included ESP do a shutoff? The alarm things that get squished in don't appear robust.
iMAX B6AC Version 2 Digital LiPo
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGZZ40K
Gens ace 7.4V 5000mAh 50C 2S LiPo Battery Pack
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WOAWHUK
No problem, I ended up getting a JST-PH 2.0 plug for my Tiny6. Downside is you need new batteries unless you want to do some sketchy soldering.
These have been great though, plenty of power, and comes with the plug upgrade: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0Z0ME2/
I used this one in a build almost just like yours.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WHCQYXG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1521156038&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gens+ace+25c+3s+lipo&dpPl=1&dpID=5118RTKVUBL&ref=plSrch
I did just find this one too for roughly the same price, but better
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WJN4LG0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521156183&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gens+ace+25c+3s+lipo&psc=1
OK, I need to clarify this.
When the motors are not firing balls, and as long as I have my finger on the trigger, the motors will run great, and not slow down. So they appear to be working great.
However, It's when they are shooting balls that there is a problem. When they are firing the balls for a solid 10-15 seconds, the motors start to slow down, and sound like the battery is dying.
The battery has a 20C constant rating with 30C burst discharge rate.
The battery I'm using is this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072AEY5I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'll admit that I'm having to read up on the C rating right now. I don't know much about that. Is a 20C battery too low? Or maybe it's just not made to be held down continuously?
Thanks again with all the help you've given me. It really means a lot.
Those batteries are a little chunky for a 250. I have some and they are slightly bigger and heavier than my 2200mAh zippy compact but I like to fly 1500 zippy the best on mine. I got the 2206 motors on my h250cf 3k pro and just added 20a esc and 6040 props to it last night. It's a beast! I use that same charger and it's great. I say go with the 99$ kit h250cf pro kit.
I would also not recommended the flysky fs-t6 I was seeing brown outs with it and left negative review on Amazon for the product. I now use a taranis and it really is amazing! Here is my speed run this weekend. I need to tilt my fpv camera so I can go faster and see where I'm going. This isn't all she has by any means. This was warm up before I went tree cruising
RCX H250CF 3K Pro 3/1/15: http://youtu.be/p6pV1zKdQTw
>Thanks for the response! Which 1300mah batteries did you purchase?
>I have a chunk of amazon credit that I'd like to use to get the rest of my stuff (even if it comes at a slight premium), so I plan on getting my prop balancer, charger, etc from there if possible.
>This is the charger
>And I'm considering a few of these batteries
Does this require new batteries? Can you somehow modify a micro JST on a battery like Crazepony 220mAh battery to work with the JST PH 2.0?
So would this work?
Responding to your comments mostly... sorry for the wall of broken up text..
Attaching a gopro is more about the thrust of the quad than the strength of the carbon fiber. I would guess you could attach one to either build.
They will both likely be "overpowered" for you, but yea you'll grow into it.
I would argue the Racerstar ESCs are also more reliable than the Eachines.
If that's the matek with the OSD that shows your battery voltage, it's a great PDB (around $13 right now I think).
Haven't used an F4 board yet, but recently upgraded to the SP racing f3 and I sure do like it.
Props are cheap anyways and you'll be buying more at some point.
The Monster FPV cam should work great for you, there's a $25 clone of the HS1177 on banggood that would also work well.
Your vTx looks good. Make sure your antenna match the vtx port (sma or rp-sma) and check whether you need male or female.
YES get the 65C batteries. Though that rating isn't held to a standard for marketing them, you'll want some nice high-C, 4S batteries. I suggest both these Tattu 4S 1300mah batteries on amazon for around $25 (the price changes), and those infinity graphene 4s batteries on banggood (though it looks like maybe they took them off their site?). Get a few batteries, you're not going to want to have to charge every 5 min of flight you get.
I hear great things about the IMAX B6 charger here, but I personally use this Charsoon Antimatter 250W charger and love it. I grabbed a nice balance/parallel board for it and can charge 4 batteries in about 45 minutes. Just get one that people haven't had many problems with, and learn to safely charge lipos. Otherwise, there's a fire risk.
I have both the EV800s and the VR D2s. Got them for the same price (~$50) and like the VR D2s a bit better. But really, the EV800s are great. Again, make sure you get the correct antenna upgrades.
If you'll want to be flying a lot right away, maybe try to get 4 batteries. Otherwise I'd start with 2 if that's all you can afford, and get more later.
Battery: Floureon 2 Packs 3S 11.1V 2200mAh 25C RC is too heavy and too weak. Your 4 motors + 5045 triblades will draw up to 24Ax4=~100A of current and battery nominal capability is up to 2,2x25C=55A. Look for 1300mAh 45C or even better 65C.
For instance this Tattu battery:
https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-11-1V-Airplane/dp/B013I9RLVK/
Or even better this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-11-1V-Airplane/dp/B013I9SYC0/
These batteries are really good ones, will give you more punch than Floureon ones.
FC: Naze32 is a bit yesterday. If it is your first quad then probably you can use it. Better use SP Racing F3, like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Makerfire-Flight-Controller-SPRacing-Deluxe/dp/B01JS1Z38A
Understood. Thanks again. Are these cheap HV batteries? I'm really not bothered by the price.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072KJT9PF/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B072KJT9PF&pd_rd_wg=QnE4k&pd_rd_r=1ZCJWACNA2BAV50A6DN4&pd_rd_w=HCTZW
I use an alarm for my non-cutoff ESCs. It's very, very loud and lets you know to stop immediately when the pack is too low. Similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Voltage-Checker-Indicator-Helicopter/dp/B01DBZK7Y4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524389539&sr=8-1&keywords=lipo+cutoff
You just strap it in with the battery, it connects to the balance plug (the smaller one)
Yeah, unless you feel like replacing the batteries every few flights don't fly until you have a way to measure voltage. These are cheap, and work with the balance cords of the battery. They make a nice loud beeping noise. If you're flying out of audible beeping distance, you're probably flying too far.
Google the props, they are everywhere. I get the 5X sets. I hate waiting on parts so I order from the states.
This is the last set of batts I bought. They are working out very well.
Okay I'l definitely be buying the balancer/tester. It seems like all the chargers on hobyking worth buying are on back order. I was looking at this one on amazon because its fairly cheap would it be okay?
I’ve been using these with good luck.
1s batteries
I’ve also been abusing them pretty heavily. I’ve charged them to 4.35 instead of 4.2 with the LiHV charger that comes with the tinyhawk and I’ve left them charged for a while longer than I should. They’re cheap enough that if they wear out I’ll just buy more.
On YouTube there are some battery review shootouts where they compare performance but I’ve been more concerned about availablility than tracking down the perfect battery.
Hope this helps!
https://www.amazon.com/Gens-ace-Battery-2200mAh-Airplane/dp/B00WJN4LG0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511932976&sr=8-1&keywords=11.1+volt+battery
or
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-2200mah-3s-20c-lipo-pack.html?___store=en_us
Would 4 of these work? And can you explain the discharge? Do you mean once the battery reaches 80/100, I shouldn't drain it any further?
Yes charged separately of course.
Good, if it is not a problem, then I'll go for this solution.
No the pack do not have undervoltage protection, they will most likely just be basic Zippy or Turnigy batteries.
But I have some of these which beep when a cell is under a threshold voltage.
What baffles me is that I wonder how the people using these big, 10S batteries in model airplanes use for undervoltage protection. Do you have an idea?
Also the problem with the LiPo checker alarms that I have is that they simply beep when some cell is under a certain voltage. But it's not easy to interact with (it's possible" one can unsolder the buzzers and use the signal to trigger an event on a micro controler), but I'd like to find off the shelf alternatives.
If you know some, I'll take it^^
Thanks for answering!
Amazon makes a huge difference, price wise. What is your budget on a battery/charger?
Cheapest LiPo Charger- $22
3s 45c LiPo - $14
This a really cheap setup that will give you all the power you need.
or these https://www.amazon.ca/Tenergy-Battery-Channel-QuadCopter-Walkera/dp/B00HS5Y6G4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys&ie=UTF8&qid=1464649834&sr=1-1&keywords=380+mAh
They're usually for the Hubsan X4. Saw it at Radio Shack with the same connector.
http://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Battery-Channel-QuadCopter-Walkera/dp/B00HS5Y6G4
I use both chargers, since I'm recording pre-charge and post-charge voltage, I charge batteries in different slots on the chargers to see if the issue is the battery, or the charger.
Currently I have the two stock batteries 3.7V 350mAH and five new batteries [3.7V 380mAh] (http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00HS5Y6G4).
same thing was happening to me when I got my whoop, I was using those square batteries that come with the E010 and a single tiny whoop official stick battery(i've never charged to HV bc I don't feel like i need to)
my whoop would fall after a few seconds with the E010 batts but not with the good one.
Try some crazepony batteries off of amazon, they even come with an extended cable to solder on
https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-230mAh-Battery-Inductrix-Connector/dp/B01N0Z0ME2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523912747&sr=8-3&keywords=crazepony
there actually lighter than the stock 450 mah emax packs.. around 14 grams.. i think the emax pack was like 15 grams..
i get about 2 minutes with the 450 mah packs. i can only charge to 4.20v per cell tho i dont have a HV charger..
these are what i got. https://www.amazon.com/Battery-PowerWhoop-Connector-Rechargeable-Inductrix/dp/B07CHMM252/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tinyhawk+600+mah+battery&qid=1567634624&s=gateway&sr=8-1
you can also see a few of my flights that i posted on here where i get like 2.5 or 3 min of flight time.. when i land at 3.2v and put them on the batter checker they bounce back up to about 3.7 or 3.8 v..
Gens Ace
Tattu
I would replace the VTX you chose for the tx526 as you can change it's output power and it isn't as massive as the ts832 (you will most likely run into problems mounting it in the martian 220).
Like another commenter said, you should buy bigger motors, maybe rs2205s I can vouch that the rs2205s are practically indestructible and run very very smooth.
You should get 4s batteries, I use tattu 4s 1300mah 75c batteries on my martian 220 with rs2205s motors and just this week I got a shipment of cnhl Lipos.
You should get VR-D2 Pros goggles, they are much better bang for buck, diversity+dvr for 90$.
/u/4lch3my Just to follow up, I decided to keep the BFPV 260's and ordered their 230 LiHV for a somewhat long term comparison test. Opinion still stands, 260 BFPV aren't worth the extra weight and price compared to their 230 LiHV.
Was about to order more BFPV 230 LiHV's until I saw this. It's a shorter version of their original 260. Ordered a set, hoping it will give the same amount of flight time as the 260's that come with the E011's but with more punch. According to the specs, is the same weight as the regular length 230's.
So pumped, so much new shit on Amazon everyday, there should be another sub related to Amazon finds.
>AtomsIndustries
Hey, what would be the greatest thickness (by your best estimate) of battery that it can take?
would this work?
https://www.amazon.com/Lithium-Rechargeable-connector-Atomic-Market/dp/B01KJ07A2Q
I got these batteries and a new charger and am going to see if they work better. Those bigger batteries are almost as much as the quad weighs right now.
Man, you don’t fly much RC do you. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013I9T0T6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_7BnUBbJP8FSQT RC lipo packs are literally multiple pouch cells glued together, leads soldered to the end tabs. Definitely no circuits of any kind, and no hard case.
Ive flown well over a thousand hours of RC, built quite a large number of fixed wing and multirotor UAVs for fun, and I’ve worked on multiple large electric aircraft in my career. I am speaking from experience.
The bottom line is that SUAS / manned aircraft collisions are going to do a substantial amount of damage, as this study and others that test ingestion into turbofans (for example) demonstrate. But it’s silly to think of SUAS batteries as a bomb that will inevitably go off and start a fire. It’s possible, just like Jet-A fires are possible, under the right circumstances.
https://www.amazon.com/Turnigy-2200mAh-20C-Lipo-Pack/dp/B0072AEY5I/
Here's one for fairly cheap. From HobbyKing.
https://www.amazon.com/Gens-ace-Battery-2200mAh-Airplane/dp/B00WJN4LG0/
Here's a GenAce battery that works too.
Will 78.75 work for the blaster? I don't want to spend 60 dollars on a charger. (Not cheap according to me) Is this a good voltage alarm?https://www.amazon.com/Virhuck-Multicopter-Battery-Monitor-Alarm/dp/B072JSLP66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542555192&sr=8-1&keywords=voltage+alarm&refinements=p_72%3A2661618011
Why would I need a bag? I just store the batteries inside my blaster.
DON'T get that kit - the pieces are ancient and on a 2200mAh battery that thing will barely fly.
Here's a suggestion: instead of a 5-inch, build a Whoop. The advantage of doing that is 1) it's much, much cheaper, and 2) you could fly the thing in the classroom if you wanted.
Shipping won't be a problem - we're getting everything from Amazon prime.
BetaFPV F4 FC - We start with this. My first thought was to use the much cheaper Silverware-based Lite board. However, the problem with that is getting a transmitter that works with it. So instead we're going to go with a Betaflight board. Part of what you can do is use the Project Mockingbird tune on it and explain how the settings impact flight.
Beta65S Frame (Package of 2) - Ideally, we would use the set that includes the frame and motors, but sadly that's currently out of stock so we're going to have to buy the frame and motors separately.
These 7x16 motors - The BetaFPV motors are better, but those are out of stock at the moment. Plus, you're not going to be racing this thing, so we're not going to worry about great motors for this project.
FPV Camera and VTX - Again, we're not going for the greatest quality here, just something that will work. If you have access to a 3D printer, you can print off a mount. Otherwise, we're going to secure this to the board with some outdoor mounting tape and small rubber band hair ties.
Props - We're going with 4-blade for thrust - You get 16 of them, so 4 pairs.
Now you have a quad. What's our total price (as of today on Amazon, all with Prime shipping)?
$87.94 - Yup, you have a Betaflight enabled quad with OSD for less than $100. And this quad will actually be a decent flying one too. The only thing you will need to solder are the power wires to the camera.
We also need batteries and a charger. For the charger we're going to go with a basic USB charger. Nothing fancy, but it will do. For batteries, these batteries will be fine for your purposes. And we get 4 of them. We're at $108.92, with Prime shipping.
Now we have our aircraft, battery, and charger. We still need a transmitter and some FPV gear. This is where stuff gets really expensive, but we have some options that will work for your project.
First, BETAFPV sells a really basic transmitter that uses FrSKY for $39. Normally, I'd say get a QX7, but we're artificially restricting ourselves to Amazon Prime for this. This really is a no-frills, toy-grade transmitter, but it works. And now our total cost is at $150.
For FPV, you have two options. The first is a bargain-basement headset. Here's one for $50. Is it going to be a great headset? Heck no! But it will work just fine.
The other option is to display the FPV feed on a TV. If you're going to do an in-class presentation, I'd go that way. Make sure you have a TV with an analog input though! Here's a cheap FPV receiver with analog output. $16! You don't get diversity, you don't get a great antenna, but again, we're just going for the basics. This receiver requires a 12V power supply, which could either be a 3S LiPo or a plug-in one. Since you don't have any LiPos, let's just go with a wall power supply. $13.
Either way, you're at under $200 all-in. For your project, you can show how to install Betaflight, show how different tuning parameters affect flight, and even fly indoors for an in-class demonstration! Plus, if you decide to get into the hobby, you can get yourself a QX7 and a better set of FPV goggles and have a decent quad for indoor flying.
I haven't included any soldering equipment - for this, you just need a fine-tip soldering iron. You just need to attach the four lines of the FPV camera to the board - red to positive, black to negative, the camera output to the camera input on the board, and the board video output to the VTX input on the camera. The connections will be VERY small, so this is where getting help would be a good idea.
For the camera mount, there are any number of them on Thingiverse that would work just fine. Otherwise, get some 3M mounting tape and the small rubber bands used for kid's hair. Put the mounting tape on the board and use the rubber band between the tiny little nubs on the side of the frame to secure the camera down. If you have access to a 3D printer, this camera mount will work just fine. 3D printing the parts can be part of your class project.
This would give you literally everything you need to fly, some opportunities to set up Betaflight and tune things, and is something you could actually use if you decide to fly FPV when the project is done. Plus, everything's on Amazon Prime so the shipping should not be a problem.
Sure: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XQ91ECA/
just so you know, this is the quality of an FPV camera and you will be getting breakup lines like this as bodies and stuff getting in the way will cause signal loss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU96HLe-hcs
​
​
Here is stuff you can use from Amazon for the AIO Fpv Camera
​
https://www.amazon.com/Wolfwhoop-WT05-Transmitter-Antenna-Quadcopter/dp/B06XJMQQ6Y/
​
https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-230mAh-Battery-Inductrix-Connector/dp/B01N0Z0ME2
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https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Charger-Channel-Inductrix-Connectors/dp/B074M6G2MD
​
Here is how to hook it up to a battery https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOcxdVX6zYk
​
On the receving end, I assume you will then want to output to HDMI? The best/easiest way to do this is to buy two of these dock kings and hdmi adapters, one for each camera. If you have power nearby you can use a regular 5.5mm DC jack power adapter like for laptops. Or you can buy the battery packs for them. You will also want at least 2 antennas on each receiver, 1 omni and 1 patch antenna pointing in the direction of the actors
​
https://furiousfpv.com/product_info.php?cPath=56&products_id=669
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https://furiousfpv.com/product_info.php?products_id=704
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https://furiousfpv.com/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=687
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https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-Antenna-Protective-Covering-Multicopter/dp/B01N9QM409
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https://www.amazon.com/RCmall-Accuracy-Directional-Circularly-Polarized/dp/B0772WJB5R
​
You will have to learn/read instructions on how to set each camera and receiver to their matching frequency bands
​
​
I would recommend wraith32 escs if you're going to spend that much money. They support a higher dshot and are rated for more amps.
https://www.fpvmodel.com/wraith32-32bit-35a-blheli_32-esc-dshot1200_g1271.html
You should get a Pagoda-2, it's designed to work with a case which protects the axial ratio of the antenna.
https://www.banggood.com/5_8-GHz-Pagoda-Omnidirectional-FPV-Flat-Panel-Antenna-LHCPRHCP-SMA-Male-p-1159835.html?rmmds=search
And lastly those batteries are good but they're cheaper on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-14-8V-Airplane/dp/B013I9T0T6
Seems like everyone is assuming he wants a kit and to build it himself, but I don't see that you said that. So, is that the case?
Will this be his first multicopter? If so, I would recommend something that is ready to fly (RTF) right out of the box. There are lots of good options, but I really enjoy my Hubsan x4 simply because how easy it is to get replacement parts. The price and reliability are nice as well ;)
You can put him together a nice "kit" with a hard case, spare parts, extra batteries for about
$175$135 on Amazon. It will be RTF, but also give him room to learn about the platform and repair mistakes.EDIT: Actually a little cheaper... if he has not flow before, this is a fun, cheap christmas present.
Complete Starter Kit for Hubsan x4 | ------------
---|---
Hubsan H107C | $54.00 |
Carrying Case | $24.99 |
Crash Kit | $17.50 |
5 Extra Batteries | $18.39 |
Battery Charger | $6.36 |
Prop Guard | $2.73 |
------------|------------
Total | $123.97
Correct, I bought this 3s battery and this 2s battery for my Rustler VXL. I had to modify the battery compartment and 3d print a couple spacers to get them both to fit properly.
No idea about the FC but pilots on YouTube appear to be using Cleanflight/Betaflight to configure settings. I'll be able to set self-leveling mode in that software right? Here its specs.
Sounds good - will likely pick one of these up. RTF is preferred but I have a feeling I'll eventually purchase some tools for switching out the TX later. Is all the equipment below compatible and do you recommend I purchase anything else?
This is going to be three quads in less than a month... but this hobby is too much fun. Hopefully this E010 lasts awhile before I purchase a Wizard.
https://www.amazon.com/Lithium-Rechargeable-connector-Atomic-Market/dp/B01KJ07A2Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492922237&sr=8-2&keywords=lithium+battery+jst
These are what I use, and if you have prime they ship quick.
I think the stock X4 comes with a 280 mah battery but I read that the 380's were a good compromise of performance and flight time. I'm going to go with these from Amazon.
I need an 11.1v lipo that will fit in my crane stock, and I hear that the side tubes in those stocks only accommodate for 9.6v batteries, and that 11.1v nunchucks will stick out the butt plate. I found this lipo, its rc spec and should be the right size to fit in the space in between the two tubes in my crane stock. Can anyone offer advice? Thanks!: https://www.amazon.com/Gens-ace-Battery-2200mAh-Airplane/dp/B00WJN4LG0/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_21_bs_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FPZ0KEZ1JZ9ETRYRB9X6
Which batteries did you get? I like the TEnergy Batteries:
http://www.amazon.com/Combo-Tenergy-Battery-Channel-QuadCopter/dp/B00HS5Y6G4
As opposed to these I found on banggood:
http://m.banggood.com/5-X-Upgrade-25C-3_7V-380MAH-Battery-For-Hubsan-X4-QR-Ladybird-p-69895.html
For a 22v(ish) lipo stepped down to 12V (for use with a laptop car charger), you would at minimum just have to buy a pack of automotive crimp connectors and a pre-soldered XT60 connnector, then just crimp on the 2+2 input+output wires on the buck converter. A low voltage buzzer would be good too.
(The reason it would probably be easiest to run 22V->12V->19V instead of just 22V->19V would just be for added protection from chinesium buck converters, swappable batteries, and not having to muck with charger-sensing circuitry with makes like Lenovo)
Although one of those laptop power banks or AC power banks would do the job just fine with a compatible lappy as well.
This one works for 3S, use the white pins to plug into this charger Turnigy E3 Compact 2S/3S Lipo Charger 100-240v (US Plug) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XU4ZR06/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_H37LDbABH7DXM
And to test the battery use to see if all the 3 cells are charged https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XQ91ECA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_w17LDbKHFASJ3
I basically have the same truck you are looking at. I have a slash ultimate and run gens ace batteries in it. Venom is also good. 3s 5000mAh 50c is about the max battery you can run stock so that's what I went with. Works good just need to watch temps and get a cooling fan.
[Good Battery I use](Gens ace 5000mAh 11.1V LiPo Battery Pack 3S 50C with XT60 and Deans Plug for Traxxas RC Cars https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JCSOJIY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_lGXTzb57JN7W7)
> I ended up with a bunch of 550mah 3S batteries: can I use them to tinker with this build?
I suspect you would get a minute of lackluster performance from those batteries on a 5" quad. However, those are great bats for a 2" build. So save them.
> Battery options once I'm 100% ready to fly?
Amazon sells Tattu and Infinity Graphene 1300 mAh 4S batteries that would work well with your rig. Ensure you get a high C rating (60+).
> Prop options?
Those DAL props are great. Other options are the HQ 5x4.3x3 props.
> Extra wires?
I have never needed to buy extra wires. You'll collect plenty from parts you buy.
> I feel much more comfortable dealing with this kind of merchant.
There are other reputable merchants with US stock at competitive prices. Examples are heli-nation.com, getfpv.com, racedayquads.com, etc. The amazon/ebay merchants are mostly just buying from the overseas guys and upping the price. But I understand the sentiment.
As far as checking your build. You'll probably need to buy an XT60 connector and wire to solder to the FC/PDB (Like these). You'll need need some battery straps (Like these). You'll need a vtx antenna (rec: Foxeer).
Do you have a battery charger?
Do you have FPV goggles?
Sure.. After all the reviews that I have seen.. The better flight time vs weight vs good punch... Are 205mAh, 230mAh.. Higher C rate better punch...
Ej:
Crazepony 4pcs 205mAh HV 1S Lipo Battery 30C 3.8V for Tiny Whoop Blade Inductrix Micro JST Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU0H1U0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_q.lPzbF7TJ2RP
Crazepony 4pcs 230mAh HV 1S Lipo Battery 30C 3.8V for Tiny Whoop Blade Inductrix JST-PH 2.0 Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0Z0ME2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_X.lPzb1J1Q3H8
IMPORTANT : Be sure that connectors on the batteries that you get are JST-PH 2.0, or PowerWhoop Connector..
[4 batteries and one JST-PH 2.0 connector] (https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-230mAh-Battery-Inductrix-Connector/dp/B01N0Z0ME2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499974130&sr=8-1&keywords=power+whoop+battery)
I went with a Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 20C Lipo Pack for the controller with this charger and they are XT60
Could I use the same charger for the Quad packs? I have not pulled the trigger on the Turnigy nano-tech 1300mAh 3S 45/90 Lipo Pack yet.
I'm guessing the recommendation for the 1800mah 25-35C is to fly slower at first right? We would by flying FPV but not racing it so I think that's probably a good recommendation.
Since we are already using 2200mAh 3S 20C with an XT60 connector could we just use the same exact pack for the quad? It's rated at 20 constant, 30 burst and we could always use a spare for the controller if we go with a lighter battery with higher discharge for the quad later.
We aren't carrying a GoPro or anything so it would probably support the 2200.
My battery is a gens 11.1v rechargeable battery
Just these "crazepony" ones I picked up off Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I2JSKCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_s0EuybKXV7H72
No idea how much they draw, but I'm using this 2200mAh 20C battery with no issues:
https://www.amazon.com/Turnigy-2200mAh-20C-Lipo-Pack/dp/B0072AEY5I/
Your diagram is exactly how I wired mine, only difference is I spliced together the negatives to save wire. Should be good to go.
Perfect!!! I decided to use that!
Can you let me know if you see any problems with this list?? Anything I can improve?? Anything I don't need??
Frame, PDB, FC, Motors, ESCs
Extra XT60 Battery Connectors
Props
Standoffs
2mm Gold Bullet Connector
Cable/Zip Ties
DIY FPV Kit
Tx/Rx
Tx/Rx to USB Adapter
Drone Battery 1 (heavy) 2200mAh
Drone Battery 2 (light) 1800mAh
FPV battery 1500mAh
What's the cheapest way to be able to get voltage to show on my FPV setup?
-Would I be able to use this voltage checker/warning buzzer?
What about a cheap lost model buzzer/discovery buzzer?? Can I use a switch on my Tx to make the alarm sound??
Is it overkill to get 3 batteries total?? 2 for the drone (So I can keep flying when one is charging) and 1 for the FPV reciever/display?
Thanks for the help!!
I should be getting http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XHS4BKM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01 tomorrow, but the batteries I ordered were out of stock until the weekend, so they won't be coming in until next week http://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Battery-Channel-QuadCopter-Walkera/dp/B00HS5Y6G4/ref=pd_bxgy_21_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JAY6NC0TAPFCTAF2GMD
Edit: Just noticed you have the x5sc which doesn't look like this particular charger would work for either...
You're spot on for the propeller measurements. One thing to keep in mind is almost everyone runs 5" props, so you'll have a lot more options if you build based around that. The only benefit you can find from 6" is if are intentionally trying to do efficient flying for more time, otherwise you won't really see much of a difference.
The additional benefit of smaller props is that you can go a bit smaller on your build, which means less force across the frame when you land and less breaking. I find that 4mm arms are the sweet spot for durability, 3mm is just a little bit low for anything above 150mm. Removable arms are even better while learning, so you don't have to replace the entire frame if one breaks.
I have normal Prime, but not sure if the stuff that shows as Prime eligible for me is the same as the one-day eligible stuff for you. That being said, if I had to build a drone from Amazon right now, I'd go with:
Frame 1 or 2 (actually have this one from a previous build)
ESCs (I prefer separate ESCs rather than 4-in-1 or all-in-1 in case anything breaks)
Flight controller
PDB
Props 1 or 2 depending on what your motors can handle, should be able to do either based on that kv and measurement
Receiver (assuming you get the QX7)
Video transmitter
Camera
Batteries
Charger
Balance board for charging multiple batteries
Left out motors since it sounds like you have some in mind. This kind of build will have plenty of power, probably hover at around 30% throttle if I had to guess, so just keep that in mind. You can tone it down manually by getting some less aggressive propellers, in the flight controller max throttle, or on your transmitter max throttle, but I recommend just getting used to it. Also mess around in simulators, there weren't any when I started out and I would have probably saved a few hundred in parts if they were (though parts back then were like 8x the cost they are today).
I live in Canada also :P
That's still cheaper though, I'll keep that in mind for next time. Thanks.
https://www.amazon.ca/Tattu-Battery-1300mAh-14-8V-Airplane/dp/B013I9T0T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505498334&sr=8-1&keywords=tattu
I recentally bought a hhkb hasu bt controller but didn't realize i had to buy the battery until it shipped today. will this work https://www.amazon.com/Lithium-Rechargeable-connector-Atomic-Market/dp/B01KJ07A2Q for this?
it's in serie. Do you mean one of this? https://www.amazon.com/GoolRC-Battery-Balancer-Charger-7-4-11-1V/dp/B00CF93RF4
These are what I'm using, are they shit?:
https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-220mAh-Blade-Inductrix-Battery/dp/B01I2JSKCK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479707579&sr=8-1&keywords=crazepony+220mah
So as to where to get stuff... this will get you started if you haven't already.
I'll have more time in the week to finish out the part list including some misc components you'll need like batteries, battery straps, and battery non-spark battery connections.
Your receiver has to be the same protocol as your transmitter.
The battery you chose must have the same plug as your ESC (I use XT60, probably the most common). You can actually solder new connectors onto your battery or ESC but this can be a bit dangerous if you're inexperienced.
Those are pretty much the only two compatibility issues you may run into. Use a known powerplant (motor/prop combo) if you're inexperienced as pairing motors and props can get a bit complicated (kV, prop, power, battery voltage all are factors). The 2200kv turnigy motor with a 6x4 prop plugged into a 30A esc on 3 cells is tried and true.
For example these would work together: motor, ESC, Battery.
Good luck.
1300mAh 75C and 1550 mAh 75C. This is my first build and my FC is about a month out so I couldn't tell you how they fly, but the reviews are decent and they're an okay price, even with the Amazon Tax.
Yes, I believe it was 3m to 1f xt60 connectors. I soldered 12 AWG wires to these connectors and effectively ended up with a 10s6p battery. The biggest difference besides range is that I can ride longer before the speed drops from voltage sag. The additional weight lets me lean more when I'm carving.
It should of came with one. Did you get the $200 one? Best bet would be Amazon 3 days.
(3 s)[https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013I9RLVK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486858191&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=3s+lipo+battery&psc=1]
(4s)[https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013I9RSEU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486858270&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=4s+lipo+battery&dpPl=1&dpID=41BMq3RoUYL&ref=plSrch]
Get a pack of these voltage checkers. They're cheap and do what you need them to do. I personally recommend never letting them drop below 3.2 volts per cell, otherwise you're simply inviting danger. If it drops below 3.0 you run the risk of them never charging again. One of the flaws of lipos, can't let them get too low or else you're fucked
Check out Gens Ace.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00WOAWHUK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492268944&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=gens+ace+lipo&dpPl=1&dpID=41r0nHzSG-L&ref=plSrch
Go for https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07CHMM252?aaxitk=XKE-2jiUWPpddvFZq6XLXw&pd_rd_i=B07CHMM252&pf_rd_p=731c2082-c3b6-4ec5-ba3b-337a0516607d&hsa_cr_id=1085279830701
The extra bit of cable is better suited for the Tinyhawk :)
I just burned out an ESC on a quad I just finished building :(. What's the best way to determine the cause?
It's a this ESC powered by this battery with this power distribution board. Thanks in advance!
The thing is my project is going to be mobile, so I have to give it an external power source.
This is what I bought to power the whole thing, and I know I'm going to need some boot converters for this, as it looks like there's 4 pins I have to work with plugging in (like a red and 3 black) instead of two.
Yep. Gotta learn how to do that as well.
For now, I'm not going to worry about video. When you say OSD, do you mean something on my end to display video? Or do you mean something on the drone to read voltages?
I thought I had to use something like THIS to beep to alert me when it's low, but yeah, I'd prefer it to read out on the LCD display on the RC controller... If that's what that screen is for??
I was fine with the speed, the runtime of the stock nimh pack was the main reason I upgraded so quickly, stock run time was about 7-10 mins..
l run my Truck at least once a day ,more on the weekend, there's a BMX track down the road I've been jumping it at as well
I bought this charger and battery it's got almost 25 mins of runtime charges in about an hour or you can buy a larger nimh pack for it (with the stock charger it will take a while tho)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAFQ0Q4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZ1JWH8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The price point of the arrma vorteks allows some room to get better batteries as compared to the rustler for example within a budget like 225-250$ and with the arrma lineup you can do it for around200$
Thanks for the response! Which 1300mah batteries did you purchase?
I have a chunk of amazon credit that I'd like to use to get the rest of my stuff (even if it comes at a slight premium), so I plan on getting my prop balancer, charger, etc from there if possible.
This is the charger
And I'm considering a few of these batteries
It seems that indeed we want to replicate the 'astronaut backpack' from your event company, though probably with a more Dr. Seus visual. Fortunately weight isn't much of an issue. We perform as a group so we can just rotate the backpack between performers. The "ideal" solution would be to use something like drill batteries so we could swap them out as needed. I really have no idea how much power a bubble machine would use relative to the energy stored in a car battery.
So to check if I'm reading this right
If we went with a SLA battery, which is a lot cheaper than a LiPo battery for the same amount of power, we'd need...
One other concern is that if the bubble machine is on a moving person, most bubble machines have a shallow resevoir and will slosh easily. How was the bubble astronaut setup?
Edit: Also I'm trying to do electrical math for how long batteries last, and brain is melting a bit. So just using examples
Bubble machine : http://amzn.com/B000LXTKMK
Battery : http://amzn.com/B0072AEY5I
The bubble machine draws 500 milliamps of power, which is .5 amp. The battery has 2200 mAh of power. So if I’m reading how it works correctly, it’s a matter of just dividing the milliamps of power into the mAh and you get about four hours of power. Is that right?
I dont think it was a mechanic problem I think it was an electronic problem. I still have the stock servo, remote, and receiver. But i got a different battery which is this:https://www.amazon.com/FLOUREON-3300mAh-Battery-Evader-Airplane/dp/B06ZZ1JWH8/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1510587110&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Floureon+7.4V+3300mAh+2S+25C+Li-Polymer+Lipo+RC+Battery+Packs+with+T+Plug+Connector+for+RC+Airplane+RC+Helicopter+RC+Car+RC+Truck+RC+Boat+UAV+Drone+FPV and it might be the problem. Those are all i already said the motor and the esc and the servo and the receiver which is why its probably the battery.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BZG33PG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A385B2OBZAJZO4
and
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072AEY5I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3AR95NHANJAX6
Which battery/charger would you get?