(Part 2) Top products from r/Multicopter

This is my iron. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It's not a great iron, it's a good enough iron, and you can get replacement tips pretty cheap. (I'm actually wanting to upgrade to a $150 Weller, but my iron still works fine. I want better heat control and thermal capacity, but this is one of those "if you can't explain why you need it, you don't need it yet" things.) I also bought this tip cleaner on the same order apparently, I prefer it to a sponge but it's not necessary.

This is the solder I bought most recently. It's honestly a little on the thick side, and multi-core would be better, but it was cheap and works fine. Without the rosin, you'd need flux; they etch the metal to remove the oxide layer that naturally forms and would inhibit a good joint. Thin solder melts faster and gives you more control over how much you apply.

There's other stuff that isn't strictly necessary, but is useful. I have a heat antistatic may on my work bench, and a cheap fume extractor set up behind it; I won't bother linking it because it doesn't have any kind of filter in it. The rosin smoke and the lead are both kinda toxic, so a well-ventilated area and/or a good fume extractor are important. I also keep flux paste, desoldering wick, a solder sucker, and a set of helping hands on my workbench, but I use all that stuff because I do a fair bit of electronics work, YMMV.

For references, Dave of EEVBlog fame has a three part tutorial on soldering which covers all the bases pretty well. He'll also leave you saying "sohldah" instead of "sodder," which is a fun way to annoy American EEs.

Edit: This is my workbench, for reference since I'm in that room right now. There's heat shrink on the helping hands, a trick I straight up stole from /u/bulbufet. It keeps the alligator clips from digging into wires, though the heat shrink has to be replaced periodically as the teeth will eventually work their way through it. And if you don't want to slap together a solder holder out of MDF, you can buy them, but where's the fun in that?

For something that small, an AIO camera would likely be best:

http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-TX03-Super-Mini-025mW50mW200mW-Switchable-AIO-5_8G-72CH-VTX-600TVL-13-Cmos-FPV-Camera-p-1104884.html?rmmds=search

The Tx03 is well regarded, supports every channel you could want, and plenty of power output.
A bit smaller option is the inductrix style ones - less power, but even smaller and a touch more durable: https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-Camera-Transmitter-Splitter-Inductrix/dp/B01LYAW6S6

As for monitor - couple options. Lots of people like the immersiveness of the goggle style rather than monitor. If you agree, the EV800 for $55 are a good start, but the VR D2 at $80 are an even better deal with diversity and a DVR to record your flights.


If you really want a monitor, IMO the best option is the Eachine LCD5802 - its not as cheap as some others (that can be found for as little as $60), but has a great OSD, great battery, DVR, dual receivers, etc.

You mention a voltage read out - that starts to get more expensive very quickly, as you need something with an OSD (larger, more expensive cameras) or a flight controller with OSD and separate VTx.

Ok, so there are a lot of things I'd probably change :)

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Motors - SabotageRC Booty 2306-2300kV, they're cheaper and significantly higher quality than the DYS you're looking at (they are made by DYS, as well, but with much higher quality components and build quality)

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ESC - beware Racerstar. Some things they OEM and you get a good product for a good price, but others you get significant drops in quality. I would pay a few cents more apiece and get Spedix ES-20 Lite ESCs.

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VTX - the one you selected is decent, but your soldering skills need to be up to par, the wires come undone from the VTX extremely easily and are incredibly difficult to reattach. I would recommend a few dollars more to get an AKK VTX with either larger pads or a connector.

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VTX antennas - There are better ones out there. Lumenier Axii is one of the best and most durable (and significantly lighter), pagoda antennas being slightly better in some regards but more fragile.

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Radio - The Turnigy Evolution is about the same price now and is a better choice than the FS-i6. Still uses the Flysky AFHDS2A protocol, so it will work with the receiver you selected (and there are now others that are good, as well). If the phonebook style radio appeals to you, then the i6 is the only cheap choice, but keep in mind it is a CHEAP radio, not an inexpensive one.

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Wire - I would suggest ordering some 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 gauge wire from Hobbyking (as much as they suck, they're the only place that sells lengths of wire inexpensively). Getting 1m of each wire in both black and red should only be 10-15 bucks IIRC.

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Power supply for charger - get a supply that is at least 19v and 200 watts, like this: https://www.amazon.com/MEAN-WELL-LRS-200-24-211-2W-Switchable/dp/B00YMA7I7C/ it is a few dollars more, but you can also run your charger at its full output, which will come in handy for charging your batteries in a timely fashion.

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Soldering iron - get a quality one, you're going to need it. https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/

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You should also get some no-clean flux: https://www.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-milliliters-Pneumatic-Dispensing/dp/B00425FUW2/

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Decent solder: https://www.amazon.com/MAIYUM-63-37-solder-electrical-soldering/dp/B076QF1Y85/

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And a tip cleaner: https://www.amazon.com/Hakko-599B-02-Wire-type-soldering-cleaner/dp/B00FZPGDLA/

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That should get you well on your way - still on a budget, but you'll hate yourself WAY less when you go to build it and have decent equipment. :)

Hey, I actually just got my Hubsan a couple days ago, but I've been flying it non-stop(at least until I have to charge my batteries again). I went for the crash kit, and also these extra batteries. They are 380 mAh, so you'll get a couple more minutes of flight time. Plus, if you charge all the batteries, you'll be able to go out and fly for an hour or so! If you want to charge a lot of batteries at the same time, this battery charger will do that for you.

I would try to find a large open space like a field without too many trees or a large parking lot on Sunday morning to practice on. I started out by just messing around with the controls(there is mode 1 and mode 2, you can google how to change the mode, but I find mode 2 is more natural for if you have RC experience, but not quads). If you spend some time just trying out the controls, I would try to bring it up a bit higher and starting doing turns and getting used to controlling your elevation while at the same time moving the same stick to the left or right to turn. It's a bit hard but it comes with a flight or two to get the gist of it.

The hardest thing to do is fly nose-in, when the orientation of the quad is not the direction you are facing. Learning all the controls backwards is tough, but keep at it. What works for me is to visualize the orientation of the quad in my head, and turn the mental image of it to decide which control I need to move. It should become muscle memory after a while.

Also, know the capabilities of your hubsan. The gyros can only do so much work, dont experiment with dropping it from high altitude(I learned this the hard way). Just go easy for the first couple flights, then if you're in an open space and comfortable with it, bring it higher and work on keeping your orientation at a longer distance.

Hope this helps!! Good luck with your learning! I'm sure you'll be flying in no time.

PS. When you get comfortable with normal mode, kick it up to expert mode when you're in a spacious area. Watch out though, suddenly changing the pitch or yaw can make the quad flip when you don't want it to!

The power leads, assuming you mean from the battery, do take a bit more but that seems like way too long.

if you don't, you need something with adjustable temp...
I've reached the end of the life of the tip for this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01712N5C4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But i'm just going to try and find a compatible tip and keep using it, the iron works "well enough"... Obviously the $100 stations are going to be better.

The real secrets are

• Get tip tinner or w/e it's called. Absolute, 100%, required. I thought my tip was broken or something because it'd oxydize in about 2 seconds after cleaning with a sponge... Yea stick it in this and clean it on the next tip, and it'd stay shiny and nice for minutes... big improvement over wiping on a sponge every 5 seconds
  
• Use the gentle brass cleaning instead of or in addition to a sponge. It does wear the tip down, especially with these cheapo tips, but between this and the tinner i would clean my tip once or twice per solder instead of MULTIPLE times PER solder.
  
  Those two things, + use 350 - 400 C, and soldering is almost fun now!

• Save yourself a few bucks and get the Hakko / Snip Combo.
  
• I beat the shit out of my 10 yr old radio shack fire starter, and now i LOVE my Hakko. To be prepared I found this video on how to take care of tips. I've been doing this guys method from the start and HOLY BALLS my tip is still in good condition after several months of use. I even bought extra tips from HK thinking i was going to need them. LOL.. maybe down the road or precision soldering.
  
• I know you said you have hex drivers, but i picked up this set due to my original hex set stripping. The Titanium apparently keeps from stripping.. have yet to strip them, so we'll see. Also good to have something at the bench, and an on the go set for the field. I actually have a multi-tool from HK for the field.. it's not titanium but it works.
  
• I also have a multi-tool ratcheting hex nut driver for my props.
  
• zip ties
  
• blue lock tight for motors
  
• personally i have yet to use or need a heat gun, if it's for shrinking heat shrink i simply use a lighter.
  
• little baggies for small parts. I label mine where these parts came from but not necessary.. e.g. Cobra motors, Naze32, Strix frame, etc.
  
• i picked up a cheap helping hands from Harbor Freight for like $3.. it comes in handy.
  
• Lipo Checker.. i personally got a Hyperion EOS Sentry 3 for $11.
  
• XT60 male/female connectors
  
• 12/14/18/20/22/26 AWG wire..
  
• Car bulb for smoke stopper.. this should be the FIRST thing you build.. it's saved me sooooo many times.
  
• electrical tape.. lots and lots of electrical tape.
  
• double sided tape.. foamed/padded
  
  probably more.. but all i can think of right now..
  
  
  

Some tips I learned the hard way:

• Don't get a GoPro mount just yet. Chances are you probably won't even use it until you're a much better pilot, and it will just add unnecessary weight when you're not using it.
  
• Get an F3 based flight controller (SP Racing F3 or similar) instead of an F1 (Naze32). If you're anything like me, you're going to try to get the most out of your quad and use all of the fancy technologies available to you (like an on screen display, or using SBUS and telemetry with your receiver, or LEDs, or whatever). When you go to add stuff on, though, you have to work with hardware serial ports, or UARTs; the Naze32 has 2 UARTs while F3 FCs have 3 available. Having that extra UART available will make a lot of things a lot easier, and the increased processing power on the F3 should allow you to use more software serial ports than on the Naze (meaning you can use more stuff simultaneously).
  
• When assembling your quad, make sure you put your screws through the plates facing downwards with the nuts on the ground. It's a lot easier to use a socket wrench to tighten stuff than a hex wrench.
  
• If you're building a 250 quad first, use 220X motors instead of 180X motors. The 220X motors are bigger and produce more thrust than the 180X motors, which will improve your flying characteristics. Just make sure that the frame you choose can accommodate them; if you're starting out with a tried and true ZMR250, make sure you get the version with M3-sized arms.
  
• Make sure, among other things, you have the following equipment:
  
  
  • Soldering iron with a fine tip (these are replaceable, so if you already have an iron you can just get the tips). One with adjustable temperature helps a lot.
    
  • Solder
    
  • Soldering flux (I recommend a flux pen; you can get these from Amazon)
    
  • Desoldering wick
    
  • Solder tip cleaning wire
    
  • Soldering iron holder
    
  • Multimeter (useful for testing stuff). Make sure to also get a battery for it.
    
    
• If you're planning on using LEDs, get addressable LED strips (WS2812 or equivalent). Since my ZMR uses nonaddressable strips, I have switches on the strips, which tend to get damaged in rough landings.
  
• Get a spare motor in each direction and a spare ESC. You don't know when you'll break something, but when you do, you'll have a spare you can quickly switch out.
  
• Heatshrink looks better than electrical tape.
  
• Zip ties are your friend.

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?

• Makerfire RTF
  
  
• Eachine EV800 (How do these compare to the VR D2s?)
  
  
• Crazypony 220MAH or 250MAH (220 or 250 MAH?)
  
  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.
  

Brass all the way. This one is only $10. There are other ones that are cheaper that I have used, but I like the Hakko one best. It only costs as much as a few bags of props. I "dip my tip" before every joint and I have consistent heat and a good tin. A cleaner also helps extend the life of your soldering iron tip and heating element. The problem with using a wet sponge is that it cools the tip down every time and the iron has to heat back up to temp. This probably isn't a huge deal for occasional use, but for frequent use this constant heating/cooling cycle can cause the tip to wear out prematurely. A sponge is also more prone to holding contaminants unless you are regularly swapping it out. For example, if you have some excess solder the blobs will build up in the sponge. With a brass cleaner, they will drop down to the bottom and about once a month you can pull the brass out, and empty the holder in the trash. I started out using a wet sponge, and I also noticed that my tip didn't seem to get as clean as when I switched over to the brass cleaner.

For the majority of people just doing the occasional build I don't think there is anything wrong with a wet sponge. But if you are doing a lot of other electronics work or building / repairing more frequently, it's a good idea to get a cleaner.

Well, for one thing he's got motors rated for 2s batteries, and a 3s battery. ;-)

I'd grab some of these motors. You can use the rest if you like, but you might have an easier time starting with a more modern flight controller from around $16 to $22 or so.

For frame, I'd try something like this:
http://www.banggood.com/Realacc-X210-210mm-3mm4mm-Carbon-Fiber-FPV-Racing-Frame-w-5V-12V-PDB-p-1069204.html

You can get a cheap ZMR, but you'll probably want a PDB and end up not saving much, and won't be quite as nice a result.

Edit: ZMRs do have more room to work on though, which is nice for your first build. Could also get an ls-210 or crazypony pretty cheap and have more working room in a more modern frame. Your ESCs already have BECs and you're not planning on FPV, so you can get away with a $1 passive PDB or go for something fancier just for the buzzer and low voltage alarm you'll probably want anyway.

Cheerson cx-10 is a ton of fun. It is super cheap (see bangood or Amazon).

I have crashed this thing SO much, and have only had a few bent props, which are easy to bend back. It has 3 rates (slow, medium, and fast) and can do sweet flips. It charges very fast, and lasts for long enough to have some good fun.

EACHINE EV800 5 Inches 800x480 FPV Goggles Video Glasses 5.8G 40CH Raceband Auto-Searching Build in Battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FDGN8LI

$99 - I don’t have these but they turn up a lot on reviews of cheap/inexpensive starter goggles. I have an older/discontinued FatShark Transformer (also a box goggle) that is pretty good and was fairly inexpensive for a FatShark.

If you think you are going to like FPV at all you will likely want a better set of goggles very quickly.

I got this cheap temp control soldering iron. Its pretty nice. It comes with a few tip sizes and they are all pre tinned. It has a dial on it for temp control but its really only a wattage control that gives you an approximation of temps. But its better then not having a dial. Its not as good as something like one of those 90 dollar hakko stations but this would make a great portable iron with a DC to AC car adapter inverter.

https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4

I bought this Aoyue a couple weeks ago and its been pretty great. It uses the same style tips as the Hakko and came with a decently fine tipped one. I bought a thicker ended tip last week that is nice to use on heavier gauge wire but for motors and ESCs liked the fine tip better.

I've never done anything with RCs before and this was really my first experience soldering anything that mattered.

This was my first iron, though under a different branding. It's only $16, and it has a knob you can spin that at least loosely correlates w/ the iron's temperature.

I wouldn't recommend it, though. I splurged for a Hakko FX-888D a couple of months later and haven't regretted it once. It truly is a night-and-day difference. Working with my old iron was like pulling teeth. Working with the Hakko is effortless.

I'd definitely recommend an upgrade. If you're un(willing|able) to spend $100+ on a soldering iron, I'd recommend still getting the first one I linked, along with some Hakko tips. Hakko tips are about 10-20x as expensive as their no-name counterparts, and you absolutely get what you pay for.

Easily the most frustrating part of using my first iron was how quickly the tips would oxidize, even though I kept them tinned religiously. Hakko tips, when cared for, will last indefinitely. I wouldn't be surprised if nice tips + cheap (but temperature controlled) iron got you 70% of the performance of the all-Hakko kit.

Have you checked out banggood.com? A lot of quadcopter stuff there, pretty cheap too!

As for the motors, I've only used the Emax RS2205 2300kv. It's widely used by the community. As far as durability goes, RS2205 motors are incredibly durable.

For the frame, people started shifting towards 220's and lower. I would recommend a QAV210 clone or the QAV-R 220 clone. You can purchase spare parts off of GetFPV. Also, I agree with the unibody frames. If you break them, you'll have to replace the whole frame. That's why I went with the QAV-R. It hasn't broken on me yet!

If you're not doing racing, then a Naze32 Rev6 with strongly tuned PIDs should do the trick.

Littlebee 20a will do fine. You may want to upgrade to 30a if you plan on using 4S w/ triblade props.

As for the C rating, this video should explain it better than I do!

Sorry for the late reply. First of all, take all of this with a grain of salt. This is my first build, so I am by no means an expert. You should definitely look in to all this on your own rather than blindly trust my purchases.
Here are the tools I got in my Amazon order:

• Wire Stripper
  
• No Clean Flux Paste
  
• XT60 Connectors
  
• 60/40 Rosin Core Solder
  
• Loctite Threadlocker 242 (blue)
  
• Weller 40 Watt soldering station
  
• Solder tip cleaner
  
• Helping hand with LED
  
• Bullet connectors
  
• Liquid electrical tape
  
• Heatshrink variety pack
  
• Chisel tip for soldering iron
  
• Servo cables
  
• 12/14/16 AWG silicone wire
  
• Zip ties
  
  I hope this helps.
  
  

I got an Eachine screen, works great, 3hr battery life w/ built in battery, can be powered by lipo as well, comes with cables for lipo, and a wall charger as well, built in DVR, has a sun shield and diversity. Also, it autoscans channels, and shows snow "static" instead of blue screens. Works great for me. https://www.amazon.com/EACHINE-LCD5802D-Monitor-Receiver-Battery/dp/B01ANOOJ3Q/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1501113689&sr=8-13-spons&keywords=eachine+diversity&psc=1

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71urFLFATzL._SL1200_.jpg

Heat shrink, why only pick one size?

If you're planning on using a lot of heat shrink it might be a good investment to get a heatgun, although a lighter works just fine.

[Cable sleeves] (https://www.amazon.com/PET-Expandable-Braided-Sleeving--10ft/dp/B00ZATLUZ0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467915160&sr=8-3&keywords=cable+sleeve) on amazon, there are multiple different sizes you can pick from, a quick search will net you tons of results.

A Helping Hand can be nice, but isn't needed.

You'll need to get a wire stripper or an x-acto knife and a careful hand. A hot glue gun is necessary IMO, it will protect and insulate your solder points as well as hold cables down IF you don't have zip ties. Also get zip ties. I made use of a wood file I had so I could smooth out some of the sharp carbon fiber edges on my frame, just don't breath in the fiber dust. I keep my quad in a backpack, my tool and extra parts are all in a box under my desk. Organization is not my strong suit.

Get a Dubro balancer and these should work good.
Use any nailpolish and apply incrimentaly to the back of prop towards tip untill perfectly balanced.

Rctimer is a bit slow with shipping but the price and CS is worth it.

http://rctimer.com/product-665.html

Or Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Carbon-Fiber-Propellers-Pairs-1045/dp/B01I9EG08Y/ref=pd_sbs_21_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GT194G3NXFE9N4A476XT

This is a good balancer.

https://www.amazon.com/Du-Bro-499-Tru-Spin-Prop-Balancer/dp/B0006N72Y8/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1487510925&sr=1-1&keywords=dubro

I just bought a Makerfire RTF FPV, yay!

I saw the Makerfire team recommended these batteries in their Q/A on Amazon:

Crazepony 4pcs 250mAh 1S 3.7V 35C Blade Inductrix Lipo Battery with 4pcs Plastic Tubes

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSLAA9W

***note: They actually said 220mah when they posted the link to 250mAh, so I don't know which is wrong -- the link, or 220mah recommendation? What battery should I go with?

And this, to charge it:

Crazepony 1S Lipo Battery Charging Board Blade Inductrix Ultra Micro JST-PH Parallel Connect Plate mCX mCPX
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ID6U4LC


Now for my question:

Don't I need some kind of special apparatus to plug this into my wall?

Is that what this is thing is?:
Crazepony SkyRC Quattro 1-Cell 1S Lipo Battery Charger Blade Inductrix Discharger MX mCPX E-flite Connector

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IGK5RSA/ref=psdc_2234135011_t1_B01ID6U4LC

Is that $49 thing good enough? Overkill? Just right?

Thanks!

Best value I know of is a Devo 7e for $60 and flashed with Deviation firmware to get DSM2/DSMX support.

I ordered a EACHINE LCD5802D. Monitor, Diversity receiver, DVR all in one for $130. I don't typically fly by it, it's just there for spectators and to record, but I like it.

It's my experience that spectators are way more comfortable watching a screen than putting something on their face.

amazon link

Hakko 888D Soldering Iron. With this thing, soldering is actually fun. I look around just for things to solder with this baby.

EDIT: for reasons why it's great:

• temperature controlled: always heat your solder to just the right temp. Makes for stronger joints and you don't end up burning up all your flux. It also means when metal sucks out the heat, the controller gives it a boost so it stays hot.
  
  
• heats up in about 15 seconds.
  
  
• digital readout of current temp
  
  
• wire is very flexible. It isn't a nuisance when trying to make fine adjustments.
  
  
• pencil is very thin and easy to grip, but it doesn't get hot because the heating element is at the tip.

Ive been using this kit for the last year....

The cheap models actually work pretty well if you take care of the tip and use decent solder.
https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=pd_sbs_469_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CKT7F9WADDVDFTPZVZ9E

Ayoue 469

https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variable-Soldering-Station-Removable/dp/B00MCVCHJM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483544891&sr=8-1&keywords=aoyue+469

$30 very well regulated, compatible with Hakko tips. Excellent value.

Dual lock velcro also does a fantastic job at helping to hold a battery still if you're looking for a slightly more refined solution.

You can buy AIO (all in one) cameras that have integrated transmitters, and those will do you for getting started. I'm using this on a micro build and it's got great penetration (for an AIO) and plenty of channels:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MEGFK3S/

I can't vouch for quality as I haven't used one before, but here's a monitor that checks a lot of the right boxes. I'd start with a monitor and fly with that until you are comfortable and then switch to goggles. Goggles are where it's at.

https://www.amazon.com/EACHINE-LCD5802D-Monitor-Receiver-Battery/dp/B01ANOOJ3Q/

I never bothered balancing my ZMR250 props, but for my big S800 Hexacopter I decided to get a Du-Bro 499 Tru-Spin Prop Balancer. It works amazingly well, and I like to think that it helped reduce jello in my video.

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 Profess​ional RC Balancing Battery Charger & Disc​harger (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

You'll need a prop balancer. This one on Amazon is pretty high rated but may be more than you need plus pretty expensive. I have something similar to this and it works for me. After you get one just do a search on YouTube for prop balancing.

this one from amazon is also a great deal $9 with two day shipping if you have prime ;) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TUMDWG/

Seems fine, maybe even overpriced. I got these on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E6KMKIE/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They've been doing great. They had blheli flashed on them out of the box.

Just yesterday I replaced the body of my X4. I have never used a soldering iron before. The desoldering and resoldering of the motors is a piece of cake. You are going to want one of these... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000RB38X8?cache=11f46a07c09d9240592152877290bff4&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1412195317&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1 Good luck!

Thanks for the answers!

Part 1:
After thinking about Hubsan x4 vs Syma x1 carefully and researching on google, I still decided to go with Hubsan X4, mainly because I will probably have to be flying indoors since it's going to start snowing here pretty soon. :(

1. http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Mini-RTF-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E.
   
   I will also buy the propeller guard. What I am curious about is, seeing as the flight time is only a little over 5 minutes, what extra batteries should I get for it and what charger? Would these do?
   
   
2. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3GP1R2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A329XU3OEAWG5H
   
3. http://www.amazon.com/ThinkMax%C2%AE-In-Battery-Charger-Hubsan/dp/B00LGWQ4FG/ref=pd_bxgy_t_text_y
   
   Part2:
   Oh, that was my bad. A week or so ago, we were thinking about getting a hexacopter with a gopro and later upgrading it to be able to lift dslr devices, hence the second dslr gimbal. But seeing as gopro4 has some pretty good quality, we probably won't need to be lifting dslrs any time soon. Is the gimbal we get with f550 kit any good? Also, the f550 kit says we need to get a controler, but I have no idea which one.
   
   The FPV you recommended is this one, right?
   
   
4. https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__66474__Skyzone_Plug_N_Play_FPV_500_Set_With_TS58500_TX_RC832_RX_Sony_700CCD_and_C_P_Antennas.html
   
   We would probably need to get an aditional controler with LCD screen, right?

Kockoff QAV 210 frame from Amazon. Cheap, light and fairly durable.

http://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-Carbon-Quadcopter-QAV210-QAV250/dp/B016ZZN6IQ

Love my PZ0420M, it has the best picture ive found yet.

Littlebee or DYS ESCs should work fine (littlebees give more power, but DYSs are cheaper)

This is the highest rated one on Amazon. Amazonians don't always give the highest rating to the best product though.

You have no idea how helpful you are!

I only have 1 question left to ask, I was looking at the deviation transmitters specifically this Walkera : https://www.amazon.com/Walkera-DEVO-7E-Control-Transmitter-Channel/dp/B00B3OCRTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484613948&sr=8-1&keywords=Walkera+devo

On the deviation page it says it supports flysky : https://www.deviationtx.com/

so would that amazon linked transmitter work with the flight controller you linked here : http://www.banggood.com/Beecore-F3_EVO_Brushed-ACRO-Flight-Control-Board-DSM2-For-Inductrix-Tiny-Whoop-Eachine-E010-p-1089021.html?rmmds=search

If so i think i will be going with one of the walkera since they are more in my budget.

i use the eachine 7 inch screen ,its like 90 bucks

https://www.amazon.com/EACHINE-LCD5802D-Monitor-800x480-Receiver/dp/B01ANOOJ3Q

i got it cheaper than 139 but its a good screen.

Walkera Devo 7e. Not the best, but with the deviation open source firmware and a few hardware modules, that one radio can operate on over a dozen protocols. You can easily increase the transmitting range 10x with a bit of soldering. I've been using it on my quads for 5 months now, hasn't let me down.

Ah okay gotcha. Also I realized I can get tons of discarded circuit boards from work so those should be enough practice material for me. I was looking at an iron like this https://www.amazon.com/Vastar-Full-110V-Soldering-Iron/dp/B01712N5C4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483622458&sr=8-4&keywords=soldering+iron . Looks like it would be okay and is 60W

http://www.amazon.com/Kyosho-Z8006-Vibration-Absorption-Sheet/dp/B002U2GS2K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420353994&sr=8-1&keywords=kyosho

Great stuff!

the hakko 888 is the be all end all:

http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-Digital-FX888D-CHP170-bundle/dp/B00AWUFVY8/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1421042769&sr=1-1

best soldering iron ever.

http://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variable-Soldering-Station-Removable/dp/B00MCVCHJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1452476844&sr=1-1&keywords=aoyue+soldering+station

Best $30 I ever spent.

I use this on my rev6 and it fly's great now. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002U2GS2K/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469241249&sr=8-1-fkmr0&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=kyosho+anti+vibration+pad

Both goggles and antenna are budget products but work better than nothing. I got the gogles before I learned just how much cheaper I could get gear on Bangood or GearBest. In hindsight, I would have gotten goggles with diversity antennas.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FDGN8LI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oF-UAbZJSTJ5Y
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJ75TS1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_nD-UAbWP28NCK

That is not an electronics soldering iron. Depending on your budget, i'd recommend either this aoyue at $30 or this aoyue at $90 if you want a nice high quality station. The nicer one has the advantage of exact tempature measurements and also comes with a ton of extra sized tips.

As for the frame, its really not common to break arms as a beginner. Its REALLY hard to break an arm and you have to be going really fast and hit something really hard. The reason you may have read about arms breaking is because most beginners start with some cheap frame built with bad/thin carbon. The QAV250 wont break easily (although i've heard of the skinny part in the top frame breaking, but that can just be glued/taped back together).

Unless you absolutely need it to be portable this hakko was a huge quality of life increase for my hobby building
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00AWUFVY8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1456806658&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=hakko&dpPl=1&dpID=41KfFMZyi9L&ref=plSrch

The little orange one is a Cheerson cx-10 and this kit from banggood. Really fun little things.

the best ive found that look like they will fit are these:
http://www.amazon.com/380mAh-Battery-Hubsan-Walkera-Genius/dp/B00B3GP1R2/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1417381176&sr=1-1&keywords=husban+x4+battery

they appear to have the same connector and almost double the capacity, and possibly the correct physical dimensions, but im not really sure.

Here, 4 genuine littlebees for $40 bucks. $10 each, free shipping

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E6KMKIE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought these guys and they are going to be delivered today! hopefully i can fly my quad for the first time today!

Sounds like an MLG setup. I'm thinking about something like this, do you think I'll have any problems with it all being powered by a 3S battery?

Wolf Whoop vtx

Eachine EV800 goggles

Anbee Antenna

What about liquid tape (or is it pretty much the same thing as this)?

I was planning on mostly coating my flight controller board with it.

3M dual lock velcro walmart carries it, way better then regular velcro

paired with some good rubberized straps itd be safe to say if the battery moved after a crash thatd be the least of your worries

I have a question for FPV,
Can I use a Diatone Sp3 VTX with HS1177 Sony 600TVL Camera and Eachine EV800 Goggles all together? Also I'm planning on using the TBS Triumph Antennas

Get the Hubsan x4(107L). It is AMAZING. Don't be fooled by its small size and inexpensive price. I would wager it goes over 25mph, can do flips, and is amazingly tough. I crash quite a bit while messing around and it always amazes me what it will take. So far since 7-11 I have broken 2 propellers and lost 1.

I would recommend getting the bigger batteries and some extra propellers - especially if you plan on flying inside. I also picked up a 2 slot battery charger so I can charge 3 batteries at once.

I hear good things about this guy:
http://www.amazon.com/Du-Bro-499-Tru-Spin-Prop-Balancer/dp/B0006N72Y8

Yep, that's the one (it's partially put together on my kitchen table right now). I'll tell what I bought and let you decide what to get (I overbought since I have nothing to start with). Keep in mind that I am completely new to the RC hobby and this is my first quadcopter build.

laptop screws for the motors

nylon spacer kit

Nylock nuts for the props

Velcro straps

XT60 connectors to make power lead

Wire to make power lead

zip ties

heat shrink

Like I said I overbought but I think this will work for me (for example my batteries have an XT60 connection).

Some other stuff I got because I'm a newb and want my quadcopter to light up the sky:

Helping Hands Magnifier -> this works very well

Learn to solder kit -> it helped me

Pretty lights

https://www.getfpv.com/dtn-pico-ph2-micro-paraboard.html (more on the way)

https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-Battery-Charging-Inductrix-Parallel/dp/B01ID6U4LC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510939122&sr=8-3&keywords=crazepony+parallel+board&dpID=41fwQN1hWpL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch (cause this is an unofficial account and I'm not here to just promote this company)

1. Turnigy Accucel 6 charger
   
   
   
2. power supply with correct polarity and fitting connector (not included with charger)
   
   
   
3. Micro Losi parallel charing harness (looks like serial, but it's for parallel charging)
   
   
   
4. female JST to 4mm banana plug
   
   and while all of this is on the way, read about parallel charging because LiPo batteries can and will burn your house down if you are careless.
   
   DO NOT have batteries connected without it plugged into your charger. If the banana plugs touch and short the batteries, you will have problems. You will want to unplug the JST connectors instead, because it is much safer.
   
   Learn about C ratings, parallel charging and safe lipo storage.
   
   In a parallel configuration you want your charger to think you're charging a single cell lipo with the combined capacity of all of the batteries. For your 1C charge rate: 240*5=1200mAh/1000=1.2A, so you would select 1.2A and leave the default 3.7v(1S) configuration.
   
   You could also purchase a serial balance harness for those situations where the voltages of the batteries aren't close enough.
   
   This was a really rough write up, and I may edit it a bit. But it's 5 AM and I just wanted to spit it out.
   
   Grrr, I rattled off a bunch of information and the edits didn't take.

The receiver gets its power from the server leads that go from the receiver pins to the receiver itself.

You do not need additional power for the receiver from an ESC.



ALso for charger I bought

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00466L0BW/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


It will work with batteries up to 6s.

It does not come with an AC adapter so I had to buy this as well

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TUMDWG/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


They seem to work well together.

Just get a 1s balanceparallel board, make sure the plugs match the batteries you have and follow the normal rules of all batteries at very close to the same voltage and such when using it.

Just get the right one and you'll be ok.

In my opinion, you should cancel that and go for the H210

From my experience in the past, frames that have many parts that assemble together usually cause flight stability issues because of vibrations whereas unibody frames like the one ive linked, have less issues and look cleaner.

Ok that makes sense. This is the one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLG0J8K

Here is the link to the parallel charger:https://www.amazon.com/Crazepony-Battery-Charging-Inductrix-Parallel/dp/B01ID6U4LC

And here is my lipo charger(works fine with all other lipos):
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/imax-b6ac-v2-professional-balance-charger-discharger.html
 

http://m.banggood.com/Matek-Systems-PDB-XT60-W-BEC-5V-12V-2oz-Copper-For-RC-Multirotors-p-1049051.html

I've always used Matek http://m.banggood.com/Matek-Systems-PDB-XT60-W-BEC-5V-12V-2oz-Copper-For-RC-Multirotors-p-1049051.html

They don't have the same one I use on there though I get mine from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FLG0J8K/ref=sxl1?qid=1465279423&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65

I use the accucell 6. cheap, seems to work well. charge times are as expected, but the post about parallel charging from u/fryfrog seems to speed that up.

I use this power supply http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003TUMDWG/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-LTB-400-4-Ounce-Electrical/dp/B000FPAN2K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418599916&sr=8-1&keywords=liquid+electrical+tape

Liquid electrical tape

Specifically, this is the one I've been using.

This and Helping Hands

You'll also need:

• Transmitter
  
  
• FPV camera + 5.8ghz video transmitter + circular polarized antennas
  
  
• FPV goggles/screen
  
  
• Lipo batteries + balance charger + power supply
  
  I've linked some budget options for each.

The OG product.

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Dual-Lock-Reclosable-Fastener/dp/B007OXK1AK/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=3m+lock&qid=1557450379&s=gateway&sr=8-5

I was just buying the little ~$5 pack at HomeDepot when I needed it, but that only gets you about 6 inches.

I think this is the same stuff. I need to go to HD tomorrow and verify I was buying 250/250. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007OXK1AK

IMO weller has gone the way of many. you're paying an extra $30 for the name.

i use this for everything, including SMT

I bought 5x 380mAh extra batteries and the 4-battery charger.

http://www.amazon.com/Walkera-DEVO-7E-Control-Transmitter-Channel/dp/B00B3OCRTY



This is the devo 7e that is modify-able correct? Does this price seem right?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FZPGDLA/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480774918&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=solder+clean&dpPl=1&dpID=51B7RqNpe1L&ref=plSrch

No camera, less than $330

They would get one of these to practice on first. Plus, some of these students are actually working toward their pilots license.

I think I found every thing I need BUT the monitor... I have a old monitor with AV Input and think it would work together. Could you verify for me that this would work? Transmitter and Receiver; http://www.amazon.com/Boscam-600mw-Wireless-Transmitter-Receiver/dp/B00GWFUTSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1458916841&sr=1-1&keywords=Boscam+32Ch+5.8G+600mw+5km+Wireless+AV+Transmitter+TS832+Receiver+RC832+for+FPV . Antennas; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LGM2U0E/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GY2Z49QY5CYG&coliid=I2Q0X05BO1EAUM Output cable from go pro; http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GYA8TLW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GY2Z49QY5CYG&coliid=I2B4TIU2YASIRA .

these little bees

this fc

This [one](Crazepony Matek PDB Power Distribution Board 5V 12V BEC Output for FPV Multirotor Quadacopter ( 36mm*36mm, Version 3.1 ) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLG0J8K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ri1nybR286W6Q)

sorry, its the LHI 210

it seems as though the price has gone up, it was only 20 when i bought it

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016ZZN6IQ/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Depending on what you're looking to mount I've found this stuff is excellent for flight controllers! It's chased at least a few ghost problems out of a couple rigs. Kyosho Z8006 Zeal Vibration Absorption Sheet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002U2GS2K/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_2l4Yub0BA34CD

You could try this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MCVCHJM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I found lots of recommendations for it when I was shopping for a better iron and have been using it for over a year now with no problems at all.

I have a stupid question about ESCs. A lot of the videos I see, it states if you have a BEC on the ESC that you need to take out one of the wires that connects to the flight controller. Well the ESC's I'm looking at

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__65153__Turnigy_Multistar_20A_V2_ESC_With_BLHeli_and_4A_LBEC_2_6S.html

seems to have to be updated with their adapter (which I don't mind getting) but the adapter uses the third wire. What are my solutions here? If it matters, I'm going to be going with the SP f3 Deluxe for a FC. I might have heard wrong though about removing the wire, if I did, please let me know

Edit: I also don't know if this matters, but I plan on going with a Matek 3.1 PDB

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLG0J8K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2CVAC8HPAQ7L6&coliid=I340F0A14LFORD

That may be the case, which would suck. Look into one of these. You can charge 1-6 batteries and it treats them as a single one cell battery. More convenient and less convoluted if you ask me.

Lol, I opened that FC 10 mins ago and there were in 2 in stock, then I check again 5 mins later and it's 1 and I'm like oh shit, just ordered the last one.

At school they have a https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-25-watt-pro-line-soldering-iron is it a piece of shit or would it get the job done? If not, I was looking at https://www.amazon.com/Aoyue-Variable-Soldering-Station-Removable/dp/B00MCVCHJM/

Also can you fly the thing without goggles?

Mount the FC on top with Kyosho Z8006 Zeal tape. Dont worry about protecting it, if you have a bad enough crash that it would madder, you'll probably bend a few pins anyway.

Mount your battery to the bottom with a standard battery strap. I cant tell if you built this to fold or not, but if you didn't use the space between the two plats for your power harnins. If you want to build a clean plate system under it you can do it later, they tend to just be a pain fir your first build.

If you're looking for a super-tiny quad that's still a blast to fly indoors, check out the Cheerson CX-10. It's ridiculously cheap, takes a beating, and you can typically get 5-7 min per flight. Only takes around 20 min to charge, too.