Welcome to the weekly r/multicopter discussion thread. Feel free to ask your questions that are too trivial for their own thread, make a suggestion on what you'd like to see here, or just say hi and talk about what you've been doing in the world of multicopters recently.

Don't forget to read the wiki, where you'll find details of suppliers, guides and other useful links.

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Old question threads can be found by searching this link.

On my morning walk I found this in a thrift store. I couldn't resist and even though I know little or nothing about electronics, the possibility of making a drone always caught my attention.

https://preview.redd.it/f7gk4osniu3e1.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ec299b8d4fd29ca724419235283f09db35fa6d6d

I paid $25 for it, I think it's worth it. But it doesn't come with a battery or controller. I also do not know the state of its internal components, nor what they are.

Can you help me understand what I have? Is it worth getting the missing pieces? How would you test the components without the battery?

https://preview.redd.it/4775id8uiu3e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8bfc37abeea83130492e84da04ade1ee031f689

https://preview.redd.it/67lcyc8uiu3e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6bb7418e9453ec6d2b46da0c014aa9fd3c8ac34

Something that caught my attention is the few channels it uses, is that ok?

Nasa, core and gimbal?

https://preview.redd.it/n7n06d8uiu3e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c750e9513d392455220117768413ced39b76497f

https://preview.redd.it/n2ee9d8uiu3e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ecde9bcea0678dca9e5283e1e126361ea5a4f94

Thank you very much!

https://preview.redd.it/od0o3ec2qs3e1.png?width=508&format=png&auto=webp&s=7bd23d5b9d95b0b611b20a2be8418e41ba502b17

Hello folks, I was looking at those to run with RCTimer 5010 260kv, if you like the link here it is:
https://www.rctimer.com/search/?Keyword=16x5.5
From my googling it says the left is for durability and strength while the right are for stability and smoother flights. Is it true? If you used these T style props I would like to hear the differences. It doesn't have to be RCTimer anyway just your knowledge

Hi people, and apologies if I'm asking in the wrong place.

I want a camera drone to take about 5 minutes of video, that's all. Everything I need could be achieved by a drone which could simply climb 100ft, hover a minute or two, and come straight back down again. I don't want features, controls, buttons, zooms, knobs, instruction manuals. I just want up - hover - down.

It would need decent image quality and must be sub-250g. It must be operable without a smart phone (let me say that again - no apps). It must therefore be capable of storing video to an on-board memory. I could live with "blind" flying as all it's going to do is hover in a fixed position.

And did I say cheap? As far as I can see no-one seems to occupy this space in the market, everything out there has more functions and features than you could shake a stick at. I've looked at kites, Birdies and so forth and not yet found something which would do the job adequately. I want something very cheap and unbelievably simple (I mean like 1950's simple...) Any suggestions? Any constructive thoughts gratefully received.

*******************************************************************************************************
THANKS EVERYONE for your replies.

I'm not sure I've really found the answer but at least we've explored the options. I like the low-tech solutions - kites, balloons, parachutes - but with weather outside my control I feel they may be a bit hit-or-miss. Maybe I just have to bite the bullet and shell out for a drone which is up to the task. I'll take a look after Christmas when people are shedding gear which they have replaced.

Hi everyone,

I'm brand new to building drones and am hoping to get some advice. I'm working on building an open-source FPV drone for a school competition, where I need to pilot a drone through an obstacle course to pick up and drop small plastic dinosaur toys (around 7 inches in length and about 100-200g in weight) on a target. I've already modeled the claw, which will be 3D printed and powered by a D89MW Servo connected to the LED channel, most likely mounted using longer screws on the existing flight controller stack.

At the moment, I’m looking at a 5" drone kit on GetFPV (https://www.getfpv.com/beginner-diy-fpv-drone-kit-qav-s-2-joshua-bardwell-se-5-hd-ready.html?cmid=eHZ3Y2tBWGYrQWM9&ats=ZFNOTFdoUEM1V2s9), along with the recommended parts listed on the site. However, the overall cost (including goggles, camera system, and controller) is more than I’m willing to spend, especially for a project that doesn’t need high-end quality.

Here’s what I’m wondering:

• Is the kit good enough for carrying a payload (claw + dinosaur) without sacrificing too much stability or power?
• Are there any cheaper alternatives to the camera system that can stream to either an iPhone, Oculus VR headset, or both? I don’t need a high-resolution feed, just something functional as most of the piloting will be in actual line of sight.
• Is there a less expensive drone controller option that would still be reliable for controlling the drone?

Additionally, if anyone has suggestions for other ways to cut costs without compromising the drone’s functionality for this specific use case, I’d appreciate any insights. I’m aiming for something that can run for about 8 minutes and won’t completely break under pressure, but I’m open to any budget-friendly alternatives.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Looking at getting this drone but I don’t know what goggles work the best with it that doesn’t cost hundreds. I’ve also considered the

iflight f5 v2 fpv drone

What goggles and analogue controllers would allow me to fly the drone without breaking the bank? What batteries can increase the flight time?

I was told betaFPV was a good choice but after looking at videos of the beta fpv brand, the video looks shit

I’m using a raspberry pi pico for esc control and need a way to get telemetry from the esc for data. What is the telemetry protocol on escs and can the raspberry pi pico support it? I’m using a Lumenier razor pro f4. Can I have pwm esc input and use the telemetry wire? I’m not using Bidirectional Dshot? What protocol is the telemetry

Hey, fellow drone pilots! I’m curious about the time you spend processing drone data each month. How many hours do you usually dedicate to it? Would love to hear about your experiences!

If I plug in o3 with this broken antenna will if fry my vtx? Or should I just send it?

Welcome to the weekly r/multicopter discussion thread. Feel free to ask your questions that are too trivial for their own thread, make a suggestion on what you'd like to see here, or just say hi and talk about what you've been doing in the world of multicopters recently.

Don't forget to read the wiki, where you'll find details of suppliers, guides and other useful links.

If you want to chat, then the Discord server is located here (an invite link is here if you haven't already joined)

Old question threads can be found by searching this link.

I got a Tinyhawk 2 that I have been flying around, I noticed that whenever I crash, or even disarm from 2 feet up, the VTX shuts off and I cannot see the camera. In order to see it again I have to take out and put the battery back in. is this something that is configured in BetaFlight and can I use a controller switch to turn it back on? or is there an issue with the VTX itself?

I’m working on a prospects project in my high school business class and I need an issue to solve. I figured, what better than something FPV related?

One example I thought of is how many people don’t want to get into FPV because they just can’t stand wearing goggles. What if there was some sort of helmet, like a “tactical” bump helmet with NODs, only instead of NODS you have flip down goggles? That way you can store extra batteries as counterweights, too. I’m also considering some sort of “tight space inspection” business, where I fly a small whoop of some kind into tight spaces like attics, crawl spaces, or between walls to help people get an extra set of eyes somewhere you would normally have to tear something out or become a contortionist to get to.

I want to buy this product: https://thinkrobotics.com/products/s100d?variant=48918767010109

Datasheet of the product: https://sub.cube-eye.co.kr/data/[meerecompany]%20S100D_datasheet_rev0.5.pdf

This product has two versions D100DM and D100DS. the only difference is the interface, D100DM is MIPI CSI 2. and D100DS is USB2.0. but the price difference is almost 120 USD. My question is

1. How can interface alone can create such difference in price.

2. both versions need additional power supply along with these interfaces. i was wondering which one would be easier, MIPI CSI 2 15 connected to ras pi 4 8gm or usb 2.0 connected to pc.

Hi everyone, so I was looking into getting some use of a couple of 716 coreless dc motors lying around and I found this FC, the module goes for about 16$, and they offer a "kit" of these for an affordable 26$. I can't find any more information about it, so I thought I'd ask some more experienced members. From what I have seen, these are usually spare boards from commercial toy drones that are now being repurposed and sold as diy kits.. but I'm not even sure which one this is from, to look up more details.

The full kit in question

The specs were as follows:
MCU: STM32F411CEU6

• IMU: MPU6500
• Barometer: BMP280
• OSD: AT7456E
• Firmware:MATEK F411
• Brushing Motor Supports: 615 716 816 820 8520
• Battery input voltage: 1S - 2S (3.0V-8.4V)

And apparently it has a version of betaflight onboard? [uavbb]

Pinout

So I just need a battery, tx module and fpv module to make this work? Also, what even is this? Is it a spinoff of the popular betaflight f4? I'm not even sure, I'm very new to the hobby. Would any kind of receiver/vtx module work? Are there any considerations?

What do you guys think about this as an entry point into the hobby? I'm well aware that brushless motors would be much more reliable, but the entry costs are a bit prohibitive.

Thank you! :)

I can’t seem to get my new Integra goggles to connect to my Runcam link VTX. I have removed WTFOS and updated them in DJI Assistant 2 to the latest version, which the patch notes say gives it support for these goggles. I have my goggles running on the latest firmware version and set to “fpv air unit.” In the bottom corner it says “connecting to FPV air unit” in orange (not 03 unit) and then after a while says “connection failed. Try to link goggles to aircraft or Menu> status to change aircraft models.”

I have tried it with binding mode on the VTX (solid red LED) by holding the bind button and it refuses to work. Is there some kind of trick I’m missing here?

Edit: I'm a total doofus. Turns out when you first bind the goggles, you actually have to BIND the goggles by holding the power button down until it connects. Only problem now is, the VTX is connected but giving me a completely blank screen and I have no idea why.

Edit 2: I know why, the VTX antenna is completely severed. Anybody have recommendations for replacements?

My 8-inch build will pull 200 amps at full throttle. For the most part, I will never go above 90 amps because I use lithium-ion for long-range. However, sometimes, I will use Lipo and may full throttle it. Is 12 AWG not enough for this amp draw? Furthermore, should I use an EC5 over an XT60? My only concern is that for long-range, 10 AWG will weigh more.