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Hey guys! So I've been watching a lot of aerial videos lately and it got me really curious about drones (quadcopters). I wanted to see if any of you guys have done extensive research on the different products available. I've been looking at the DJI phantom 2 and that seems to be the best choice by far. It's a RTF model, and with the GPS it seems to be extremely simple to fly. Am I missing anything??
Between the copter, gimbal and GPS components, it should be just under $1000 dollars. And then another $400 for a gopro (anyone got a discount code? I lost mine). I know I can recoup a fair amount of this cost by making videos of my parents child care centers right off the bat. Also my best friend's mom is a house stager and is really well connected with the local real estate agents, so I think I could get a lot of gigs doing real estate tours.
Basically I'm looking for justification of the purchase and any additional info you guys have. Is there a better option than the phantom 2? Am I in over my head as a beginner?
I've seen a lot of people use the Phantoms before. I don't have a whole lot of knowledge about it. The only drones I have used have been ones my buddy built from parts he bought. He made a HexCopter (6 rotors instead of 4) from parts he bought from china so they were super cheap. Thing has GPS, autopilot, camera stabilization, real time video feed, can fly higher/faster than a quad copter. And if you lose a motor the thing can still fly itself with the other 5, might even be able to land itself on 4 if 2 go out. I don't have the specs of it or where he got the parts on hand but I'm sure I could get them from him if you are interested!
TheWingmenI've seen a lot of people use the Phantoms before. I don't have a whole lot of knowledge about it. The only drones I have used have been ones my buddy built from parts he bought. He made a HexCopter (6 rotors instead of 4) from parts he bought from china so they were super cheap. Thing has GPS, autopilot, camera stabilization, real time video feed, can fly higher/faster than a quad copter. And if you lose a motor the thing can still fly itself with the other 5, might even be able to land itself on 4 if 2 go out. I don't have the specs of it or where he got the parts on hand but I'm sure I could get them from him if you are interested!
thanks but I don't think im ready to put one together from scratch
Hey dude if you're just looking for one to use with a gopro... theres one that was on kickstarter which was really fucking cool. Pretty cheap as well, give it a look for sure.
Bmo.thanks but I don't think im ready to put one together from scratch
Honestly doesn't seem that hard if you're willing to take the time, everything just sorta plugged together. But I understand that haha I wouldn't know where to start without doing research.
I suppose I'll put some knowledge in here. I have worked for an aerial film company for over a year now and have been flying for longer, I have built right around 6 multi's (Quadcopters, tricopters and hexacopters) and I hate the Phantom. Not to discredit DJI, the Phantom 2 with a H3-2d gimbal is an awesome product, but the people who fly them are morons who don't know what they are doing. Which is understandable for a beginner, however I highly recommend you learn how to fly a "Trainer" quad before you hop on the hype wagon. The only reason I have built 6 multi's is because I have crashed the previous 5 and rebuilt them or I'll build a new one. You are bound to crash eventually. My recommendation is if you want to get into the hobby build your own, if you only want one for the sole purpose of getting good GoPro footy, then buy a Phantom. However, building your own will be cheaper in the end. If you get a phantom, get a toy quad or a trainer software to learn how to fly before you rely on your GPS and Intelligent Orientation Control and the quad takes off at a million miles an hour. Either way, it's going to take some research and I am happy to help ask any questions. Here is an aerial video I worked on last year in Boulder with some professional unicyclists. https://vimeo.com/75238440
Stud_Muffinif you only want one for the sole purpose of getting good GoPro footy, then buy a Phantom.
this is me. I have been fascinated with all things RC my entire life, but i really dont find copters that interesting. Its strictly the potential for phenomenal footage that intrigues me. What is your current setup? Is it for gopro or DSLR or??
I'm usually one to go for the DIY side of things, but my research into the world of RC has been filled with intimidation and confusion. Ive had minimal experience with circuit boards and soldering, I dont understand all the technical radio, electrical and mechanical jargon, so it usually just gets me more confused. Do you have to find a firmware to use if you make your own? how do you modify it to fit your needs? does the battery size correspond with the motor size? does the gimbal work with the on board computer or is it its own separate entity? can you use any gps or flight control components? How do they interact with the drones computer? Thats why I focused on the phantom, as it seems to have everything I would need wrapped up in a pretty product. I feel like I would need a pro to hold my hand throughout the entire process of DIY, as I'm not passionate about drones enough to put in the many hours of research needed.
I can definitely appreciate the need to learn on a trainer. Is there a cheap model you would recommend?
Bmo.this is me. I have been fascinated with all things RC my entire life, but i really dont find copters that interesting. Its strictly the potential for phenomenal footage that intrigues me. What is your current setup? Is it for gopro or DSLR or??
I'm usually one to go for the DIY side of things, but my research into the world of RC has been filled with intimidation and confusion. Ive had minimal experience with circuit boards and soldering, I dont understand all the technical radio, electrical and mechanical jargon, so it usually just gets me more confused. Do you have to find a firmware to use if you make your own? how do you modify it to fit your needs? does the battery size correspond with the motor size? does the gimbal work with the on board computer or is it its own separate entity? can you use any gps or flight control components? How do they interact with the drones computer? Thats why I focused on the phantom, as it seems to have everything I would need wrapped up in a pretty product. I feel like I would need a pro to hold my hand throughout the entire process of DIY, as I'm not passionate about drones enough to put in the many hours of research needed.
I can definitely appreciate the need to learn on a trainer. Is there a cheap model you would recommend?
For training you could probably pick up something cheap at a local hobby shop. Otherwise there are computer programs like RealFlight that you can use to practice your flying "I've done this before to practice before flying planes/copters for real"
Bmo.this is me. I have been fascinated with all things RC my entire life, but i really dont find copters that interesting. Its strictly the potential for phenomenal footage that intrigues me. What is your current setup? Is it for gopro or DSLR or??
I'm usually one to go for the DIY side of things, but my research into the world of RC has been filled with intimidation and confusion. Ive had minimal experience with circuit boards and soldering, I dont understand all the technical radio, electrical and mechanical jargon, so it usually just gets me more confused. Do you have to find a firmware to use if you make your own? how do you modify it to fit your needs? does the battery size correspond with the motor size? does the gimbal work with the on board computer or is it its own separate entity? can you use any gps or flight control components? How do they interact with the drones computer? Thats why I focused on the phantom, as it seems to have everything I would need wrapped up in a pretty product. I feel like I would need a pro to hold my hand throughout the entire process of DIY, as I'm not passionate about drones enough to put in the many hours of research needed.
I can definitely appreciate the need to learn on a trainer. Is there a cheap model you would recommend?
Yeah, I'd say a phantom is perfect for you. You can get phenomenal footage with it, but it takes practice to get usable stuff, fortunately DJI knows their stuff and sets you up with a copter that gets you great footage out of the box. We use a S800 with a Sony NEX and a 3 axis Brushless gimbal. (Basically the preceder to the MOVI) I personally just fly a GoPro right now, but my next build is targeted for a GH sized camera.
Let me try and answer all these questions. I'll start off with the basics of how a Multi works ect...
I couldn't find a good diagram, but this will work. So I'll try and use the Phantom as an example for everything here. So basically, the quad consists of the motors, speed controllers, flight controller, receiver, propellers and battery source. The flight controller is the brains of the operation, it gives directions to the motors to make the heli fly how you want to. The Naza flight controller on the phantom makes things pretty simple (I use the Naza on my 450 quad) You will still need to run it through the software to calibrate the esc's and the gps ect... But it is fairly simple to figure out, my first few heli's I basically programmed the controller myself and normally ended up flipping the heli over. Next up, the speed controller. The speed controller is connected to the Flight controller and controls the speed of the motors. They are rated by amps, the ones on the phantom are 30a and the bigger/ more power powerful motor, the higher amps needed in your speed controller. Ok the motor: these things took me forever to figure out. The DJI motors on the phantom are like 2214 920kv motors. The first 4 numbers are the size of the motors, and the KV is the speed in which the props spin. So for a fast quad you want high kv and a smaller prop with a large pitch. For a slower heavier lifting quad, you want a low kv motor like 350kv and like 15" props or so. Finally the receiver, the receiver is what connects to your transmitter and plugs into the flight controller. They range from 4 channels to 14, for the Phantom you need about 6. For the battery, the phantom normally uses a 3s 11.1v 2200mah or so. 3s is the number of cells in the battery and the mah are how much juice each battery has. The more Mah in a battery the longer it will last but the heavier it will get kind of thing. Thats kinda of the basics, so on to the Phantom.
The Naza/Phantom has three flight modes, GPS, Altitude and Manual mode. I know that says atti and atti, but it should have manual. In Manual mode you have full control, if you go forward it will keep going forward until you back. In atti, the copter is very stable, if you go forward it goes forward but then it will return to a hold when you let off the stick. GPS does the same thing as atti, but is even more stable. However, in GPS other signals can mess up the heli, so I stick to Atti. In IOC(intelligent orientation Control) no matter what way the heli is facing if you hit back it goes back same with every other direction. It is pretty easy to fly, but you will crash eventually and having experience prior will help you to crash later than sooner. once again thats basic. Last thing for now, the gimbal.
So this is a 2 axis Brushless gimbal, DJI just introduced their 3 axis Gimbal. But on the phantom, they include a gimbal controller in their flight controller to make things simple, but basically its got two brushless motors that keep the whole thing stable, you can set it up so you can change the roll and pitch axis of the gimbal. Later on you can make your bird a FPV setup where you can have a monitor that shows you what the camera sees.
For a trainer, any beginner 4 channel quad will work or like Wingman said a computer software with a transmitter is a good place to start also. This is the toy quad I learned to fly on http://www.amazon.com/WL-Toys-V959-Quadcopter-Channel/dp/B00AZEALUK Kind of cool with the little camera, but anything will work.
I wrote this fairly quickly, so I apologize for the errors, but feel free to throw any questions at me.
IF it's solely for using a gopro with, just get the pocket drone I linked above... A phantom will run you 4x the amount and the pocket drone's already been successfully funded by a longshot. The price is pretty unbeatable in my opinion... plus it just looks convenient in that it's collapsible
Stud_MuffinYeah, I'd say a phantom is perfect for you. You can get phenomenal footage with it, but it takes practice to get usable stuff, fortunately DJI knows their stuff and sets you up with a copter that gets you great footage out of the box. We use a S800 with a Sony NEX and a 3 axis Brushless gimbal. (Basically the preceder to the MOVI) I personally just fly a GoPro right now, but my next build is targeted for a GH sized camera.
Let me try and answer all these questions. I'll start off with the basics of how a Multi works ect...
I couldn't find a good diagram, but this will work. So I'll try and use the Phantom as an example for everything here. So basically, the quad consists of the motors, speed controllers, flight controller, receiver, propellers and battery source. The flight controller is the brains of the operation, it gives directions to the motors to make the heli fly how you want to. The Naza flight controller on the phantom makes things pretty simple (I use the Naza on my 450 quad) You will still need to run it through the software to calibrate the esc's and the gps ect... But it is fairly simple to figure out, my first few heli's I basically programmed the controller myself and normally ended up flipping the heli over. Next up, the speed controller. The speed controller is connected to the Flight controller and controls the speed of the motors. They are rated by amps, the ones on the phantom are 30a and the bigger/ more power powerful motor, the higher amps needed in your speed controller. Ok the motor: these things took me forever to figure out. The DJI motors on the phantom are like 2214 920kv motors. The first 4 numbers are the size of the motors, and the KV is the speed in which the props spin. So for a fast quad you want high kv and a smaller prop with a large pitch. For a slower heavier lifting quad, you want a low kv motor like 350kv and like 15" props or so. Finally the receiver, the receiver is what connects to your transmitter and plugs into the flight controller. They range from 4 channels to 14, for the Phantom you need about 6. For the battery, the phantom normally uses a 3s 11.1v 2200mah or so. 3s is the number of cells in the battery and the mah are how much juice each battery has. The more Mah in a battery the longer it will last but the heavier it will get kind of thing. Thats kinda of the basics, so on to the Phantom.
The Naza/Phantom has three flight modes, GPS, Altitude and Manual mode. I know that says atti and atti, but it should have manual. In Manual mode you have full control, if you go forward it will keep going forward until you back. In atti, the copter is very stable, if you go forward it goes forward but then it will return to a hold when you let off the stick. GPS does the same thing as atti, but is even more stable. However, in GPS other signals can mess up the heli, so I stick to Atti. In IOC(intelligent orientation Control) no matter what way the heli is facing if you hit back it goes back same with every other direction. It is pretty easy to fly, but you will crash eventually and having experience prior will help you to crash later than sooner. once again thats basic. Last thing for now, the gimbal.
So this is a 2 axis Brushless gimbal, DJI just introduced their 3 axis Gimbal. But on the phantom, they include a gimbal controller in their flight controller to make things simple, but basically its got two brushless motors that keep the whole thing stable, you can set it up so you can change the roll and pitch axis of the gimbal. Later on you can make your bird a FPV setup where you can have a monitor that shows you what the camera sees.
For a trainer, any beginner 4 channel quad will work or like Wingman said a computer software with a transmitter is a good place to start also. This is the toy quad I learned to fly on http://www.amazon.com/WL-Toys-V959-Quadcopter-Channel/dp/B00AZEALUK Kind of cool with the little camera, but anything will work.
I wrote this fairly quickly, so I apologize for the errors, but feel free to throw any questions at me.
Hey dude, thanks for the super useful post!
Could you please outline what hardware and software your friend used? I'm looking to build a dron capable of carrying a small camera like a GoPro, and I need a place to start.
Thanks! :)
MLJHey dude, thanks for the super useful post!
Could you please outline what hardware and software your friend used? I'm looking to build a dron capable of carrying a small camera like a GoPro, and I need a place to start.
Thanks! :)
I'll post up my setup and all the ones I have built. This hobby is addicting and stupidly expensive.
1. First heli built, crashed on first flight.
2. Same parts from first heli, new frame. Lasted about 10 flights, carried a GoPro pretty well.
3. Decided to go bigger, had trouble programming and eventually had an esc blow out on me. This one was a looker though.
4. This is my favorite little guy, designed the frame in CAD class and had it 3d printed, fun little guy to fly and light as a feather. Needs a new prop though.
5. Current heli, used the parts from the hexacopter. Added GPS, I had a brushless gimbal on it that I got for free, never got it to work right, so I just hard mounted the GoPro, gets half decent footy. Needs a gimbal and an FPV setup. But it is still going strong. Have learned how not to crash by now.
Here is my bosses bird that we use for commercial shoots, probably has about 15k invested into this thing after crashes and what not. Not his, but same model and camera setup.
Sweet thanks dude, I think Ill go for it after exams! Your bosses multi looks crazy, I would never trust myself to fly that thing haha. Do you think its worth getting all of the parts separately, or is getting a kit ok? Im worried it might be a bit complicated, but Im up for a challenge and will have a while to find out about all of the parts.
MLJSweet thanks dude, I think Ill go for it after exams! Your bosses multi looks crazy, I would never trust myself to fly that thing haha. Do you think its worth getting all of the parts separately, or is getting a kit ok? Im worried it might be a bit complicated, but Im up for a challenge and will have a while to find out about all of the parts.
I'd say go for a kit, but don't be afraid to get some spare parts. I ended up needing all sorts of little battery connectors and what not, probably took me a few months to build my first bird. Spent most of my time waiting for shipping on parts.
just about to pull the trigger on a phantom 2. can you guys help me out with my list?
Phantom 2
Zenmuse H3-(2 or 3?)D
GoPro 3+ black
and what else?
eventually ill pick up a monitor, but in the mean time I'll just use my iphone for fpv with the gopro. also gonna pick up a spare battery in the near future. anything else I need right away?
Bmo.just about to pull the trigger on a phantom 2. can you guys help me out with my list?
Phantom 2
Zenmuse H3-(2 or 3?)D
GoPro 3+ black
and what else?
eventually ill pick up a monitor, but in the mean time I'll just use my iphone for fpv with the gopro. also gonna pick up a spare battery in the near future. anything else I need right away?
I am in love with my DJI Phantom 2 and definitely suggest it. If you're looking for good gopro footy just stay with the Zenmuse H32D Gimbal. Mine works great!! However, your FPV on your phone could be sketchy because it messes with the transmitters reception to the copter. Definitely look into FPV monitors as soon as you have the money! Happy flying!
Thanks for the response! Just purchased the drone today. Soooo stoked. Gopro and prone should be coming in shortly. Went with the zenmuse H33D since it was a good deal in the package. Now to start researching monitors. Anybody know about the lilliput monitors? They run on canon 5D ii batteries which is great cuz that's what I have. Any other suggestions?
Made my first video! This was filmed on my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th flights, so I'm still learning but I'm super stoked with the quality of the footage already. Definitely need to pick up a CPL filter for the gopro and an FPV setup https://vimeo.com/98582110
I can't recall what it is called but you should get a screen that attaches to the remote that gives you a live view of the gopro. I think it would help greatly with getting good footage.
IMO gopro really blew it... with all the money they have they should have been busting ass to be the first to offer a reasonably priced retail drone to use their cameras with, that might have continued their complete dominance of the market
uni-cornI can't recall what it is called but you should get a screen that attaches to the remote that gives you a live view of the gopro. I think it would help greatly with getting good footage.
That's the fpv system, that he said in his comment before his video that he said he a intended to get
uni-cornI can't recall what it is called but you should get a screen that attaches to the remote that gives you a live view of the gopro. I think it would help greatly with getting good footage.
Just installed the FPV system, that was so stressful. Forgot to cover the wires before powering up and I shorted out the circuit, frying some components on the Phantom motherboard. I freaked out. posted on the rcgroups.com thread and some guy helped me out, and now its good to go!! should help immensely in framing future shots.
Meeting with real estate agents next week, can't wait to start making money!
Lessons learned: never rely on FPV when flying in the woods. Almost lost it multiple times haha. Also, never use filters on the gopro. Thought it would give better color in the sky, but it took all the color out of it and put a halo on every hard line. super annoying. Did my best to save the color but it's still not great
