I am looking for a reasonably priced quadcopter. As all the cameras on the sub £100 are pretty poor so I thought about using my SJ4000 instead.

Has anybody tried this and can recommend a copter & fixing options.

Thanks

Anybody help??

Look up the syma x8g if you want footage on the cheap, otherwise build your own from hobbyking parts, you could come close to dji phantom functionality for £200.

+1 to build your own; I’ve just built one of these bad boys; [video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F8KYWaL2iQM[/video]

Nice footage.

Cool, who can point me to what I need to get from Hobby King?

Start here, I did.

http://myfirstdrone.com/build-your-first-quad/

Spend a bit more on a GPS flight controller, this will give you more stability and a return to home feature.

Make sure you get spares – landing legs, props, possibly arms, you will break things.

Spend a bit more on a GPS flight controller, this will give you more stability and a return to home feature.

And learn how to set home correctly else it’s a return to China / last known home feature!

One more thing, if you go for it remember that these things are dangerous. Anything that you self build will be significantly more powerful than a ready to fly machine, imagine bolting four hand blenders with carbon fibre blades to a frame and then throwing at someone. So stay away from people and pets with it, especially in the early days when you are learning to fly.

I had no idea I wanted one of these until I saw that ‘Norway’ video up there.
Just watched a video on how to build that Mini Tricopter.
All looks doable.
Shame there isn’t a ‘buy every part needed’ button on the site, but it looks like it would be about £200 with GoPro/Mobius on top. Does that sound right?

That’s about right, but you can do it for less.

http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/store/__66873__S500_FR4_Glass_Fiber_Quad_Copter_480mm_PNF_Combo.html

plus a cheap radio, batteries and a charger would have you in the air for about 160 then add your own camera.

Although if you are not interested in mounting a camera then look at 250 class racing drones, you could probably put one together a little cheaper. (Smaller, so less expensive batteries and motors required.)

that Norway video! I must have one of those. Presumably they’re using some kind of FPV camera/goggles?
Watched the build video, looks like an ace project to cheer up this shitty month.

How easy is it to add a feature to track someone/thing? I presume the function of the puck/tag/keyfob part of those drones could be done by a smartphone?

Careful but the CAA is monitoring footage and actively seeking to prosecute anyone who violates the regulations regarding drone usage in the UK, get caught you’ll get fined. They’re really starting to clamp down, drones as toys will soon be a thing of the past.

I’ve got a pair of NAZA lite (upgraded to NAZA) flight controllers which I’ve given up on since purchasing the Phantom.

Building your own is fun and I believe can have better more flexible results than an off the shelf machine. However since I got my phantom I have discovered the ease of flying it compared to the one I built. Perhaps more of a reflection of the constructor, but the phantom is way better. Lot on ebay now as people upgrade to the phantom 3.

[video]http://youtu.be/MvF49R_ZX5E[/video]

Just don’t fly it over skiers

That was annoying. Just added to the Daily Mail article I know is coming titled ‘drones cause Cancer’
Putting it overhead anyone is asking for trouble, it breaks one of the most important rules. These things don’t glide back down when something goes wrong.
The fall.

I don’t know what you’re looking to spend / throw away ? 😀

If it’s filming you’re wanting to do then you’d be better off with something that can also lift a gimbal. (Phantom) The downside of this option is that it’s really a filming platform and not going to go fast in any direction. 10 m/sec across the ground if there’s no wind, 6m/sec ascent & a paltry 2m/sec decending. This catches a lot of people out. The footage is excellent though filming either through a GoPro or on the Phantom 3 through DJI’s own camera.

2nd hand P2’s can be had for a fraction of the original price on ebay as a lot of folks have upgraded to P3’s Plenty options available to carry a gimbal and camera.

The other alternative if you want more flight performance is to buy a sport quad & fit a camera to it. Faster more exciting footage like the Norway vid.

In two years of ownership my Blade had 3 failures in flight all ending up in partial destruction & my Phantom’s had one “fly off” Lucky to get it back as it decided to disappear into a massive field full of high crop.

You’ll have fun for sure 😀

D.

Edited to say, The Phantom was a proper mess after its wipeout. Keep some dosh back for repairs 😀

Is there ever a reason for the Fly off? Not had one yet but aware they can happen.

Careful but the CAA is monitoring footage and actively seeking to prosecute anyone who violates the regulations regarding drone usage in the UK, get caught you’ll get fined. They’re really starting to clamp down, drones as toys will soon be a thing of the past.

scaremongering. Stay away from people, buildings and aircraft and don’t make money from it, no problems. Issue is only with perceived dangerous use of drones, with a sly streak of protectionism of existing commercial air ops as an underlying theme.

Anything that you self build will be significantly more powerful than a ready to fly machine

I can confirm that. I built one a few years ago, before you could buy them as easily as you can now. I used an old 4 channel rc system I had, but something went wrong and all four motors turned on with my face not far from directly above it. Just missed me, went straight up for about 50m, then stopped and end up across the road in a few pieces. I haven’t re-built it.

Is there ever a reason for the Fly off? Not had one yet but aware they can happen.

Never got to the bottom of this. The Phantom was repaired under warranty by DJI which is unusual I’m told. The gimbal froze and there was no control over anything. 15 seconds later it was buried in the ground. It took ages to find as the GPS distance on the display when it crashed was miles out.

The official line was that something ??? Stray Wifi signals etc overwhelmed the signals from the remote control. However I was in the middle nowhere when this happened and stray Wifi signals don’t make the gimbal freeze.

I’m assuming it was a problem of some sort either with the flight controller or the Inertial Motion Unit (IMU)All firmware was up to date & the compass calibrated prior to flight.

It’s a mystery.

DJI are getting a lot of bad press at the moment on the rc forums about their no fly zone updates.

Why? If you’re not supposed to fly there.

Suck it up as part of the price of owning a payload delivery system.

scaremongering. Stay away from people, buildings and aircraft and don’t make money from it, no problems. Issue is only with perceived dangerous use of drones, with a sly streak of protectionism of existing commercial air ops as an underlying theme.

No you are wrong

The CAA are looking at the use of drones with increasing interest due to the illegal operation and complaints they have received. Dangers ? well there are several for one the blades will shred flesh and one dropping from the sky due to a failure isn’t good. Also I bet nearly all the people using them have no insurance or are aware of the law in operating an aircraft. Yes I said aircraft as that is what it is in the eyes of the law and how they and all model aircraft are regulated.
Hopefully the BMFA and the fledgling FPV association with the CAA can sort out some sensible rules and guidance.

Why? If you’re not supposed to fly there.

I agree, but the first version of the software seemed to include most of the US, and that annoyed lots of people (‘I paid for it, I can fly anywhere’).

No you are wrong

No, I am not.

I did not assert that the CAA were not ‘looking into it’, but, if, as you state, they are looking into the illegal use of unmanned aircraft such as, but not limited to, ‘drones’, then so they bloody should be; it’s in their remit. DOESN’T mean that drones as toys are a thing of the past, quite the opposite.

However, to stay legal, and therefore not attracting the interest of the CAA, all you basically need to do is;

Stay away from people, buildings and aircraft and don’t make money from it

As I said. There are other things, like staying within visual line of sight (common sense if you value your aircraft) and not flying near airfields (BLOODY obviously, although some people are stooooopid). Third party insurance is also sensible (but not legally required, yet) which is available by being a member of the BMFA. Your cover would be void if you were daft enough to do any of the above, however.

the you are wrong was in reference to your quote

scaremongering

There is no if the CAA are looking into the use of drones (quad copters etc) look at the BMFA website and their bimonthly magazine for more info.

You may not be aware but people are programming a flight path into the onboard autopilots and then sending them off. I have seen a clip of a drone being flown at Weston-super-mare which at some points must have been 3\4 of a mile from the operator defiantly not within visible line of site. Also to fly you need the landowners permission and if used frequently planning permission.

I have watched a guy fly a FPV racing quad and it looks to be lots of fun and have chatted to a coup!e of people who have the required permits to fly drones/quads commercially. They were all concerned about people flying illegally as it will end up on restrictions being introduced.

As for insurance useless flying in a remote location you would be stupid not to have any.

Raising people’s awareness of the dangers and legal position and the fun is detailed here
https://bmfa.org/News/News-Page/ArticleID/2322/Drone-Aware-initiative-launches-at-the-Drone-Show

and hopefully there won’t be a reoccurrence of this,where a young boy lost an eye
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-34936739

I have built in the region of 40 multirotors over the last few years and have spent most of my life around RC aircraft ( and everything RC) as my father owned a model shop and is a renowned model builder.

I would look at the dji F450 Naza lite combo if you want to build something yourself.

Here is some of my fleet

I don’t want to decend into an argument about semantics, but a statement that includes “careful… Get caught you’ll get fined” and concludes with “drones as toys will soon be a thing of the past” is clearly scaremongering. Neither are demonstrably true, and the fact that some more stringent rules are probably in the offing (the US has just commenced a compulsory registration of all UAVs over about 100grams) does not logically lead to the conclusion that the hobby is dead. That is scaremongering. It is perfectly possible to operate model aircraft including drones both with a reasonable level of safety and within the current legal framework.

I totally agree with the idea of registering as is done in the states, and find that most people who fly within the law have no issue with it either.

As the safety officer at our BMFA club we regularly see new members who arrive at field with no ideas of the laws that exist around model flying an in particular multi rotors

I totally agree with the idea of registering as is done in the states…

Cautiously agree, so long as it is done right. It would be just like the government to thoroughly screw it up though, making it onerous and expensive for the hobbyists who are already responsible and safety conscious, whilst doing nothing about the pillock who buys a quad off eBay and buzzes people on the beach. But if done exactly like the States have come up with; ie a $5 one off charge to register the pilot (free for early birds) and as many aircraft as you like, just having to be marked with your unique serial number, I could support that.

nice and wordy reply but just admit it you are wrong

the CAA have prosecuted a couple of people so far and the following is a quote from the police

Chief Inspector Nick Aldworth, from the Met’s Specialist Operations Command, and lead officer on the misuse of drones, said the public should be aware of the regulations surrounding drone use.

“As drones become more widely available, it’s important that anyone using this type of small aircraft understands that there are strict regulations on how and where they can be flown and that police, in partnership with the CAA, will look to prosecute anyone who does not follow these rules.

there is more info on restrictions on drones here and the legal situation regarding filming people and the data protection act

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11541504/Where-is-the-legal-line-in-flying-drones.html

https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Aircraft/Unmanned-aircraft/Small-unmanned-aircraft/

Drones are not and have never been toys other than the very small indoor ones.

Model aircraft have been flown for many years safely under the control of the BMFA unfortunately the vast majority of the drones are flown with no regard or knowledge of the law or of safe operation of their craft.

The status quo will not continue if there are more incidents.

Have you tried FPV racing Pacemaker ? I have seen a couple of videos where they were racing through trees which looked like lots of fun.

nice and wordy reply but just admit it you are wrong

🙄 😆 Right back at you, bud. Telling me I am wrong is not the same as proving that I’m wrong. I’m not even sure what it is you think I’m wrong about anymore, but I stand by what I wrote.

Have you tried FPV racing Pacemaker ? I have seen a couple of videos where they were racing through trees which looked

Yes, the smaller quads in the photo (Gravity 250 and Emaxx 250) are both used for racing , there are some multi story car park races in Halifax on a night and where our club is in York, we have an MX track on the land so use that with gates and hoops to fly through.

Great fun !!

Out of interest are there any quadcopters available suitable for indoor use with a 20-30 minute flight time rather than the usual 6-8 minute? Preferably under £200…

20-30 minutes is unrealistic for a wired in battery ‘micro’ sized quad, due to the tiny weight tolerances involved. If you go a tiny bit bigger, to the 180 sized quads you get to swappable batteries, which with a few spares means you can be constantly airborne (depending on your indoor piloting skillz, of course…)

Ace, lots to investigate

Glad I bumped the zero reply thread

if u read the links and have a basic ability to understand what is written you will see your scaremongering comment is wrong.