quad copters

Author
Discussion

Davie_GLA

Original Poster:

6,521 posts

198 months

Wednesday 14th May 2014
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I was at a thing the other night and a chap there had a very impressive drone/ quad copter thing with go pro and compatible goggles.

I was amazed by the range of this thing and decided I want to get involved.

His was a dji phantom and very expensive. His tales of his destruction To get as capable as he is now was daunting So where do i start. A million hits on eBay etc. But I'm looking for a good starter kit.

Anyone into these things?

David.

bulldog5046

1,495 posts

177 months

Wednesday 14th May 2014
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It's a pretty big market. Where on the £50 to £20k scale are you looking at? smile

Second hand set ups are where you want to be IMO, I swapped one of my 700e helicopters for a DJI F330 with FPV kit onboard and still took cash my way. I think the guy was asking around £300 for the kit, it was worth 800-1000 new IIRC

gfunk

279 posts

211 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Phone Rc geeks near gatwick they have a good website and people you can talk to.

Jon1967x

7,175 posts

123 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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70-80 gets you a hubsan h107c. - it's quite small, the new edition has a reasonable camera built in for video and will let you play. You can also get a version with first person view (FPV) for 50 or so more if you want to watch the camera live on the controller.

I'd start there, you're much less likely to maim someone and your head will get used to the controls and spatial awareness

ajprice

27,312 posts

195 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I was at Harrogate model show at the weekend, part of it was for RC cars and copters. The quadcopters flying were anything from the tiny things that can land on your hand to big things with gopro mounts underneath (I looked it up later and it was some form of DJI Phantom, there are a few different models of that). This isn't helping the OP at all, but they are great bits of kit. The nearest I've got is one of those polystyrene flying helicopters for about £20 from Firebox hehe

andyr30

613 posts

185 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I've got a DJI Phantom Vision 2+ on order, just waiting on it coming back into stock.

The equipment it comes with looks awesome...no need for extra camera or mount, it's already there and ready to fly

LivingTheDream

1,753 posts

178 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Jon1967x said:
70-80 gets you a hubsan h107c. - it's quite small, the new edition has a reasonable camera built in for video and will let you play. You can also get a version with first person view (FPV) for 50 or so more if you want to watch the camera live on the controller.

I'd start there, you're much less likely to maim someone and your head will get used to the controls and spatial awareness
This!!!

I bought the Hubsan h107c a week or so ago from Amazon - £40 right now

Its amazing!! and lets you get used to the whole process without too much concern - parts are cheap.

trust me - its a bit nerveracking when you suddenly send it to 70-80 feet so i wouldn't want to be learning that with expensive kit.

The camera is pretty good actually.

Davie_GLA

Original Poster:

6,521 posts

198 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
quotequote all
LivingTheDream said:
This!!!

I bought the Hubsan h107c a week or so ago from Amazon - £40 right now

Its amazing!! and lets you get used to the whole process without too much concern - parts are cheap.

trust me - its a bit nerveracking when you suddenly send it to 70-80 feet so i wouldn't want to be learning that with expensive kit.

The camera is pretty good actually.
Dammit. I knew this thread would deliver!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hubsan-Quadcopter-Camera-R...

Goodbye Crual world (THe wife is going to go mental)

David.

Davie_GLA

Original Poster:

6,521 posts

198 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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JDMDrifter

4,039 posts

164 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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Davie_GLA said:
Dammit. I knew this thread would deliver!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hubsan-Quadcopter-Camera-R...

Goodbye Crual world (THe wife is going to go mental)

David.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh, i have spent loads this month on car parts, but i want it!

rxtx

6,016 posts

209 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I bought a DJI Phantom FC40 about two weeks ago now, it's excellent but you definitely need to spend some time reading the manual first, and unless you're used to flying things (I'm not), then it takes a bit of practice to get used to.

MikeyC

836 posts

226 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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multicopters are becoming v popular, the toy ones are really gr8 fun !

however, the ones which are just a step up from those toy ones eg: DJI, need an appreciation of the potential dangers (but also some of the high points).
I really suggest you browse some of the forums eg and have a good read.

to highlight the dangers, if you don't like the sight of blood, plz do not look at the video (DJI Phantom bites back)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ji3Hii_LZOc

but don't let me put you off, I still have all fingers wobble

rxtx

6,016 posts

209 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I completely agree, I'm going to order some prop guards, I haven't taken it out of the garden yet (even when up in the air) and I certainly wouldn't fly it near people or animals.

These are going to be regulated sooner or later I think.

hidetheelephants

23,731 posts

192 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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rxtx said:
I completely agree, I'm going to order some prop guards, I haven't taken it out of the garden yet (even when up in the air) and I certainly wouldn't fly it near people or animals.

These are going to be regulated sooner or later I think.
R/C aeromodelling has managed to exist without much CAA interference for 40+ years; why are they going to wade in now? The current weight limits seem pretty sensible to me, and anyone flying anything in public is well advised to get some PL insurance, which is readily available and not expensive.

rxtx

6,016 posts

209 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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hidetheelephants said:
R/C aeromodelling has managed to exist without much CAA interference for 40+ years; why are they going to wade in now? The current weight limits seem pretty sensible to me, and anyone flying anything in public is well advised to get some PL insurance, which is readily available and not expensive.
I don't know, but quadcopters seem to have a quicker public take-up than planes/helicopters (which I believe are harder to control, real ones I mean rather than the stuff you get from firebox or wherever), and being relatively cheap in comparison plus more people buying them out of the R/C hobby usually means lowest-common-denominator reactions.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

254 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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I know someone whose teenage son flies one of these. His nearest neighbour has made it quite clear his shotgun will be out if it ventures over his land....hehe

ViperDave

5,520 posts

252 months

Thursday 15th May 2014
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hidetheelephants said:
rxtx said:
I completely agree, I'm going to order some prop guards, I haven't taken it out of the garden yet (even when up in the air) and I certainly wouldn't fly it near people or animals.

These are going to be regulated sooner or later I think.
R/C aeromodelling has managed to exist without much CAA interference for 40+ years; why are they going to wade in now? The current weight limits seem pretty sensible to me, and anyone flying anything in public is well advised to get some PL insurance, which is readily available and not expensive.
For most of that 40 years there was another 0 on the end of the price tag and they were flown in far off fields by responsible adults, now every teenager (and younger) gets one for Christmas and is flying it out of their housing estate back garden, not only that but they now have cameras fitted raising the privacy concerns of neighbors and also likely flouting the CAA's FPV flight rules.

I bet within 12 months there will be a big hoha over one of these, either filming something not welcome or injuring someone innocently going about their business.

Magic919

14,126 posts

200 months

Friday 16th May 2014
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CAA recently relaxed the rules, to give us 1000 feet height limit from 400. There are plenty of current rules that preclude flying near people or congested areas. I can't see a rule change happening, but maybe better enforcement.

Mutts

284 posts

157 months

Friday 16th May 2014
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I've got an ideafly iFly4 with a camera gimbal fitted(no camera yet). Been flying it at work as there is plenty of space around being out in the sticks.
but the fun thing is the Husban Q4. Tiny little thing but great for flying round the office & getting used to flying towards me.

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

215 months

Friday 16th May 2014
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rxtx said:
I don't know, but quadcopters seem to have a quicker public take-up than planes/helicopters (which I believe are harder to control, real ones I mean rather than the stuff you get from firebox or wherever), and being relatively cheap in comparison plus more people buying them out of the R/C hobby usually means lowest-common-denominator reactions.
Sadly I totally agree.

I reckon these are gonna be the new 'laser pens' of this generation. I reckon legislation will be coming our way pretty soon.

If kids were happy to shine lasers into aircraft cockpits, then how long before they start sending one of these up instead and there's an accident with a real aircraft?

Imagine if one got sucked into an aircraft turbine...