(Part 3) Top products from r/fpvracing

I want to start by saying I’m not affiliated with Amazon, nor are any of the links affiliate links. I’m just a guy that looks for good bargains and wants to share what I found.

Background:

I live in Austria and I’ve been flying micros, the TinyHawk, Mobula7, M80, and a custom 65mm since the beginning of the year in my apartment. Austria has super strict laws regarding UAV’s and you need an expensive license to fly anything larger than 250 grams. Under 250g’s, you’re free to fly as you please as long as you’re not flying around a populated area. I decided to go with micros for the time being to keep myself under the radar and get my flight time in before I eventually move back to the states in a couple years.

I’m generally a price conscious person and I’ll spend a lot of time looking for good deals, usually through Banggood. I’ll stuff something in my wishlist and wait for it to go on sale, the transmitter I got for 85€, goggles for 40€ etc. So, when I started looking for a backpack to become a bit more portable and fly away from my apartment, I got a bit of sticker shock when I saw the prices on “quad bags”. A buddy of mine suggested the bag he has, the Lowepro Quadguard BP X2, but at 110€ it would be the most expensive piece of my FPV equipment, additionally I needed something that would be able to hold my 15.6” laptop that I need for school, which the BP X2 does not have the space for. I looked at the other big budget backpack that is recommended around Reddit, which is the Realacc Backpack, but again, no space for a laptop.

After digging and digging, I decided the best way to go would be to get a camera bag that has a laptop sleeve. Enter the AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop Backpack. I want to take a moment to say that there are 3 AmazonBasics bags that have the same description, only their dimensions are different, I’ll link the backpacks at the end. Fortunately, I decided on the backpack a few days before Prime Day and was able to pick it up for 27€. At the time of this writing, it is not on sale and is listed at 34€. I got it in and opened it up and immediately spent the next hour trying to arrange the padded walls to fit everything that I wanted to stuff inside. The timing was perfect because I would be going back to the US for a 3-week trip to visit family in 5 different states and I could run a nice torture test on it.

Items I brought in the bag for the 3 week trip:

15.6" Laptop, 3” Spare Props, QX7 Transmitter, EV800, Diatone R349, Mobula7, TinyHawk, Sunglasses w/ Case, Lipo bag with 16 1s batteries and 2 4s batteries, charger for EV800, 65mm Spare Props, Lipo charger, spare parts, mouse, magazine, school book, 7" tablet, charging wires for tablet and laptop plus adapters, pens, and screwdrivers.

Review:

Pros:

• Price! 27€
  
• The size was just about perfect. I say just about perfect with two caveats that are not enough to make them cons. I would have liked the top of the backpack to not taper in. The base of the bag is deeper than the top of the bag by a few centimeters. Similarly, the top of the bag also curves in on the sides a bit. Not enough to take away points, but enough that it is noticeable.
  
• Zipper feel. It’s a funny item to include, but the zippers feel really good, not overly robust, but incredibly smooth.
  
• Large laptop sleeve, good for up to a 17” laptop.
  
• Straps felt secure, additional straps for across the chest and waist are provided to help distribute weight. I found that I didn’t need the waist strap and there is no way to remove it without cutting them out, I was usually able to fold them over themselves to keep them out of the way, but I would have preferred to not have them. I did use the chest strap, however.
  
• Adjustable interior pads. These were really convenient; they gave a lot of options for configurability. I ended up not using the two longest pads though.
  
• Front pocket held a surprising number of items.
  
• The bag stood upright on its own with it fully loaded.
  
• Fit as a carry-on underneath the seat of every plane I was on, including some small regional jets! (some planes were tighter than others)
  
• Did I mention the price??
  
  Cons:
  
  
• Side pockets are fixed with a Velcro cover. This may not be a con to some people, but I would have rather had a mesh pocket with elastic. That would be much more versatile for my usage, that being said, I was able to stuff my laptop charger into the two pouches. (Main cable in one, and the brick in the other. My brick is pretty small, only 80cm or so YMMV).
  
• No straps on the outside of the front of the backpack to strap a larger quad. You could buy one of those adapters from ebay.
  
• It does have a feeling of being a little cheap, in my travels I didn’t have any fraying, but other reviews I read have reported fraying and seams unraveling after only a few months. I was generally quite mindful of the bag and didn’t throw it around too much.
  
  

  Overall:
  

  
  You can’t beat it for the price. If you’re a budget conscious flyer like me, and lets face it if you stuck around to read all of this than you are, it’s a no brainer just go and buy it.
  
  

  Links:
  

  Amazon.com - AmazonBasics DSLR Camera and Laptop Backpack Bag - 13 x 9 x 18 Inches
  
  Amazon.de - AmazonBasics DSLR Camera and Laptop Backpack Bag - 13 x 9 x 18 Inches
  
  Suggested Buckle Mounts for Backpack

I'm in the process of building my first FPV drone with my 11 year old son. Tools I owned or have purchased for this are:

A set of small screw drivers. I found a set in the bargain bin at NAPA Auto that had straight, philips, a few hex, a few sockets.

A decent electronics soldering station. Not the gun. I have a digital Weller that is easy to control, but the analog is just as good for these purposes.

A third hand. There are many different kinds. I got a cheap $5 one at Harbor Freight. Not great, but does the job.

Solder, de-soldering wick, flux (maybe)

Depending on where you're doing your work, might want an air-filter or fan.

A magnifying lamp is helpful but not necessary.

An assortment of board stand-offs/spacers is handy.

A good small pair of wire snips.

Wire stripper

A digital multimeter is not a bad idea.

Those are all the major tools you might need. Plus all the drone parts. batteries/charger. Radio/receiver. Camera/receiver(goggles or screen).

In short, it's a lot of stuff. The drone parts end up being the least expensive part, honestly.

Above links are just examples, not necessarily endorsements.

You mentioned you're on a budget, which I totally understand. Building is not the cheapest route, but it's been a lot of fun so far. People who've done it for a while tend to forget the cost of tools. Once you've built one, subsequent drones are relatively cheap. You can re-use batteries, the charger, most decent radios, even the receiver.

If you're not in a hurry, Bangood is a good source for cheap(er) parts. You're on your own for support, usually, but there's lots of help out there.

BONUS TABLE

All of the above is assuming you have everything required for building your quad if not below is a table with everything i think is necessary for building a quad. All these links will be from amazon

Part Type | Part Name | Quantity | Total Cost | Reason | Link
---------|---------|----------|----------|---------|----------|
Soldering Station | Hakko FX888D-23BY Digital Soldering Station | 1 | $100 | When it comes to working with quads and electronics you really don't want to skimp on the thing that's putting it together. A good soldering station can change your entire experience when it comes to building quads. For this reason we go with a Hakko once bought you will not need anything else later on. | http://www.amazon.com/Hakko-FX888D-23BY-Digital-Soldering-FX-888D/dp/B00ANZRT4M/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1458237822&sr=8-7&keywords=soldering+station
Hot Glue Gun | CCbetter® Mini Hot Glue Gun | 1 | $15 | You will use this more than you think, everything from securing your camera, antennas, etc to adding extra insulation to your components to ensure nothing falls off or gets ripped off. | http://www.amazon.com/CCbetter%C2%AE-Temperature-Melting-Flexible-Projects/dp/B01178RVI2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458237957&sr=8-3&keywords=hot+glue+gun
Velcro | VELCRO Brand - Sticky Back | 1 | $11 | Sometimes you need things to only stick for a bit then take it off. Velcro is pretty much self explanatory keep your vtx in place among other things | http://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Sticky-Back-Black/dp/B00006RSWT/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458238198&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=stick+yvelcro
Zip Ties | Heavy Duty Black Cable Ties | 1 | $11 | The corner stone of fpv IMO. These are keeping more quads flying than anything else. | http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Black-Cable-Ties-120lbs/dp/B003Y61A10/ref=pd_sim_60_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=41r7oTe3IpL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160,160_&refRID=1G5GJ28Z3M8JBJDW67RV
Solder | Miniatronics Corp 1064004 Rosin Core Solder 60/40 4oz | 1 | $12 | You are always going to need solder and this as the flux mixed in meaning it will be a very easy to use solder. | http://www.amazon.com/Miniatronics-Corp-1064004-Rosin-Solder/dp/B0006O933K/ref=sr_1_7?s=hi&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1458238393&sr=1-7&keywords=solder&refinements=p_85:2470955011
Velcro Straps | Reusable Dubbex Black Velcro Cable Ties | 1 | $13 | Can be used for pretty much anything like batterystrap, hold wires down etc. | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AW0BDNK?psc=1
Voltmeter | Blackcell DC 3.2-30V LED 0.56inch Panel Meter Digital Voltmeter | 1 | $7 | Eventually something is going to go wrong and you are going to have to ensure that your voltages are correct. You are going to need this to verify volt outputs and to figure out what they are when there is no documentation for what you are looking at | http://www.amazon.com/Blackcell-3-2-30V-0-56inch-Voltmeter-Two-wire/dp/B00ZZIXT8W/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1458238663&sr=1-6&keywords=voltmeter&refinements=p_85:2470955011
Desolder Tool | LyonsBlue Desoldering Vacuum Pump | 1 | $9 | Very useful for cleaning up to much solder or removing solder from contact pads to redo. Simply heat up the solder and suck it out. | http://www.amazon.com/LyonsBlue-Desoldering-Vacuum-Solder-Removal/dp/B003FHYL7I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458238959&sr=8-2&keywords=desolder
TOTAL | FOR | ALL | $178 | |

Yeah, so I used the parts from OP's post but the enclosure is designed around these external parts. I have my model on my desktop, which I've yet to unpack (all still in boxes) since I just moved to another State, so if you are interested, I'll post it for you tomorrow or the day after. If interested, here's more pics of my build.


external parts list:

momentary push buttons

LCD screen

rocker switches

/u/Chulaluk \^ so much this. i picked up a set of M3x6mm & 8mm with drive head of 2.5mm and it makes a world of difference. The larger drive head is SO much better.

Also, i have me a set of Neewer and they are awesome, and inexpensive.

Here's my suggestion:

• Hakko FX888D Soldering Station
  
  
• Hakko CHP-170 Micro Soft Wire Cutter
  
  
• MG Chemicals 63/37 No Clean Leaded Solder
  
  
• MG Chemicals No Clean Super Wick Desoldering Braid
  
  How to use it and getting your soldering technique right:
  
  
• EEVblog #180 - Soldering Tutorial Part 1 - Tools
  
  
• EEVblog #183 - Soldering Tutorial Part 2

Currently flying with Goldbat 4S from amazon and they seem to be doing well. Using Racedayquads brand for 2s and 3s packs for my tiny whoop though.

Also this is the charger I have, I use it to charge everything from my 1s tiny whoop batteries and up. It is super easy to use and comes with a power supply.

https://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-Balance-Charger-Discharger-Connectors/dp/B00466PKE0

I recommend picking up a parallel charging board but you can always do 1 at a time charging if you don't get one.

this is the one I have https://www.racedayquads.com/products/power-genius-2-in-1-parallel-charging-board-2-6s-xt30-xt60?variant=19431389200497

This came up in another discussion form on this topic found here...
http://www.meetup.com/Cville-FPV/messages/boards/thread/49425825

Reviews are decent, specs are good, and price is also good.

http://www.amazon.com/Jovision-300Q-Camera-Surveillance-CloudSee/dp/B00DNBCLUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449063900&sr=8-1&keywords=4CH+USB+CCTV

Electronics kits is the way to go. Buy something recenable cheap and try to make it work. Try not to shake on your hands...

https://www.amazon.com/Elenco-FM-88K-FM-Radio-Kit/dp/B004YHZE0G/ref=sr_1_3?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1469015634&sr=1-3&keywords=build+electronics

Also buy these, that will rescue you when you use too much solder...

http://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-5-Feet-2_0mm-1_5m-Desoldering-Braid-Solder-Remover-Wick-Cable-Wire-CP-2015-p-49770.html

Wash your hands, and dont worry too much about the fumes. It is a problem if you solder every single day, but you will be soldering for a short time, every month only.

Also one of these will help you, not burning your fingers.

https://www.circuitspecialists.com/content/98947/zd-10f-0.jpg

Yeah those are cold joints and could come loose at some point. I will say I am a decent solderer and I had issues soldering the signal ground on the BF board.

Flux is magic and you need to order some ASAP. For stuff like pads and holes I like a liquid flux pen. Amazon

Regarding charging multiple lipos using your charger:

You could pick something like this up: https://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Parallel-Charge-Adapter-Lipoly/dp/B005I5GLQ4

This would charge multiple batteries at once. Just make sure that the amperage is set correctly for how many batteries you're charging. I assume the batteries are 150mah with a 3C charge rating, so if you're charging only one battery, then .45amps. 2 batteries would be .9 amps, etc.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking regarding the USB charger port. If you're referring to the microUSB port on the B6AC, then I believe that's for data transfer only and would not attempt to charge the lipos using the USB charger. Any regular USB port or USB charger that's meant to charge USB devices should work to charge the lipos, though.

Yes, we use these...

https://youtu.be/lgDxnJv2mFI


.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007YKMSZY/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1457935062&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=orange+soccer+goal&dpPl=1&dpID=41rJO8tT7pL&ref=plSrch

I recommend a left 90degree angled usb cable so it doesn't stick out really far. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004NNTV6O/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Good call. I just ordered one of these LCD voltage gauges will install with a momentary switch so I can see my power. I haven't gotten it low enough to cut out.

On my dominator v2's there is a micro hdmi port and I can plug them into my hdmi port on the laptop. I use a http://www.amazon.com/BlueRigger-Speed-Micro-cable-Ethernet/dp/B0060AU5MW

Here they are