Building the $99 Pro FPV Racing Quadcopter

When UAVFutures published their guide on building a $99 Pro FPV Racing Quadcopter I was intrigued.  Could it really be done for that price?  Could I build it better?  Would the result at the end be substantially better than my first quadcopter?  There was only one way to find out; Build it! Continue reading Building the $99 Pro FPV Racing Quadcopter

Why you shouldn’t buy a Flysky X6B Receiver from Hobbyking!

FlySky users know there’s not a huge number of receiver options with battery telemetry, so when the FlySky X6B started coming available it was only the 2nd such device, the Turnigy branded iA6C being the other.  Unlike the Hobbyking exclusive Turnigy iA6C the FlySky X6B is widely available.  In this post I’ll cover the reality checks needed if you’re buying your FlySky X6B from Hobbyking. Continue reading Why you shouldn’t buy a Flysky X6B Receiver from Hobbyking!

Project: Quanum Trifecta Drone (Part 2)

The Quanum Trifecta sold through Hobbyking is a circa 295mm Tri-copter that folds for transport yet still carries 8″ propellers.  In my first post I gave a bit of background on the project and following on from that this post will give a rundown of the parts sourced for the build.

Continue reading Project: Quanum Trifecta Drone (Part 2)

Problems Updating EMAX Nano ESCs

When I ordered all the bits for my first Quadcopter build I didn’t do much due-diligence.  That’s how I ended up spending tens of hours trying to update the BLHeli firmware on the EMAX Nano ESCs.  This post takes you on my journey of frustration and enlightenment. Continue reading Problems Updating EMAX Nano ESCs

Quadcopter Propellers: Another Mystery!

When I embarked upon building my own drone I figured I’d have a lot to learn.  I now know more than I did a few weeks ago, and there’s more and more to understand.  This week I’ve learnt a tiny bit about quadcopter propellers! Continue reading Quadcopter Propellers: Another Mystery!

A quick Quadcopter Update

It’s been a couple of weeks since I started so here’s a quadcopter update.  I’m yet to turn a screw in the assembly process but have started the long hard road of research.  Yes that’s right I’m doing this backwards.  Research started about 10 minutes after I ordered parts and so far I’ve been lucky…  Continue reading A quick Quadcopter Update

Oops! I need more Quadcopter Parts!

Since my order last from HobbyKing last Sunday the quadcopter parts arrived and I started to do more research on my remaining needs to get myself airborne.

Sadly the killer prices of the “Cats and Drones” sale also ended on Monday so I’ve used the week to compose my thoughts and work out the remaining quadcopter parts required. Continue reading Oops! I need more Quadcopter Parts!

More Quadcopter Technology

As you all know I’ve grabbed up the enthusiasm and started to Build a Quadcopter.  In my first post I outlined some current and future requirements – the primary of which was adding the ability to do GPS guided “missions”.

What I didn’t mention was that I’d snuck a little extra quadcopter technology into my Hobbyking.com shopping cart as it was a great looking deal!

Continue reading More Quadcopter Technology

I’ve decided to build a Quadcopter!

I blame the weather.  It’s time for me to build a quadcopter.  Recently a friend has been talking about picking up a basic quadcopter and learning how to fly.  Naturally with both of us having an interest in these things it stirred my desire to drop expensive electronics from a height as well.

Cats_&_Drone_Landing_565x138

I’ve done a little bit of reading about them over the years, but had resisted until todays overcast weather and a “Raining Cats and Drones Sale” ad came up on the laptop.  Yes it was off to HobbyKing.com to see what bargains were on offer.

Continue reading I’ve decided to build a Quadcopter!

My Mini-Z Collection – July 2014

Pretty much as the collection stands after unearthing from storage!