New DJI Mavic just killed baby Gopro Karma and DJI Phantom 4 also ???

Hello to all of you drone enthusiasts and not only. It's been a while since I posted on my bog, but today I really felt to do so...What do we want from multirotors or drones? Some of us searching for thrills want speed and fly mostly smaller and more agile drones, some of us want good camera performance for our "artistic" side and therefor we need good camera outputs with 3 axis gimbals, all of us I think we want our toys to be small and portable but to stay a long time in the air alike, right?
Before going to today's subject for this post I want to let you know that I build a few multirotors myself, in various shapes and sizes...just a few examples:

• Flip Fpv pro with multiwii FC
• HJ Alien frame - think it was my first build
• 650 folding hexacopter with the "famous" back then Crius AIOP flight controller
• 650 class Tarot 650 carbon using an APM 2.8 flight controller
• 2x 250/280 "racing quadcopters" and will start building an Lumenier QAV R soon
• I also have a CX 10 and a Walkera ladybug, and not lastly...
• Dji Phantom 3 Advance

Building and programming the FC's are really a nice learning experience that will get you to a certain level of knowledge on how to debug and fly these RTF quads, unlike other guys that buy themselfes directly Phantoms and upload on different media channels how high or crazy they fly...sorry guys but this is my opinion...Now if you ask me why in the world I bought myself also a Phantom3??? The answer is very simple: IT JUST WORKS...yes, you heard me...last quads I sold were my Tarot 650 and my flip FPV PRO which both flew very well, but none of them could take pictures or record movies with one click on my Ipad, none of them could fly over 3km's like the P3A does, and none of them could stay airborne for 20 mins ( Tarot with lower kv motor and larger props could but in a much larger format)

So, today I have my P3A that I trust a lot when airborne and an Lumenier Qav R "race quad" for when I need to feel the thrill :)

Now back to the original idea...The drone industry is a new realm that has an increasing cash turnover and here DJI reigns supreme...Gopro on the other hand is of course our favourite action cam (where the budget allows it ofc) and they also rule that market...So they thought to wait and see what are the best offers in the market (drones like the P4, Yuneek, a.s.o) and speculate the weaknesses in order to release their product at the right time.

So, the Gopro Karma was announced on the 19-th of september and compared to the P4 it has foldable arms making it more portable, front mounted gimbal accomodating a gopro camera, a nice all in one remote including LCD and a nice handheld camera gimbal for the Gopro camera in the package. All this of course for an correct price including or excluding a Gopro hero 5 or Session 5.

The hype was on, all the guys that recently bought Phantoms were looking at the new Karma that came in a smaller more portable form factor, unlike the P3/P4 that has fixed arms and landing gear.

Now, to be honest, I really like my P3A and was not crying tears of despair for having it...at all...

But GOPRO's joy didnt last long...I am sure that DJI who owns this market, doesnt like any real competition and their higher management team  were pushing hard the Mavic project release earlier than scheduled, just to provide Gopro "la coupe de grace"...

They did this by  launching today the smallest and most portable drone in their portofolio: 

DJI MAVIC. This thing is kicking the Karma in terms of size/portability, flight time, the range of 7 km's !!!!!, sensors built in,  flight modes / options and ways of controlling it (via controller or only smartphone) I think it's worth mentioning the fact that Dji for the first time are offering FPV goggles, allowing to fly the Mavic as a racing quad, which could mean that DJI wants to extend their operations also into the FPV goggles, where Fatshark is the leader? We'll have to see...time will tell

What's more interesting to me is the "collateral damage" resulted from the launch of this new product that has similar or sometimes better characteristics than their hobby consumer top drone the P4. 

I think they realised that it is the only way to beat the Karma and they assumed the chance of doing so. Now, same like buying a new product, it is better not to jump on the first batch but wait for the first update, but that is only if you can hold you back not to buy it.

So, what package do you Guys like the Gopro Karma or the new DJI Mavic?

Official DJI release movie for the DJI MAVIC  link here and here

The small and compact remote

Please share your comments and thoughts below

Thanks

Vexio

Are Afro ESC with SimonK firmware that good?

Hello again,

As you might know, I have amongst other quads a Flip Fpv Pro-G version, the G standing for gimbal.
Since this is my main beater quad, I thought it deserves some better ESC's than the old(non SimonK) ones it had, so I got 4 from HK + the programmer for them.

Since the main benefit over the regular ESC's is the better refresh rate, meaning the commands from your flight controller will reach the motors faster and thus giving a more stable and "locked" feeling in flight, I was expecting to see a real improvement during testing.
To be honest I was a bit disappointed  since I could barely see a faster motor reaction compared to my old ESC's .
Since these have the original SimonK firmware I assume they should work as advertised, do they?
 Below is the movie I made...please check it out and let me know if anyone else had a similar issue with their SimonK Afro ESCs? Some other movies that I have seen on youtube showed a better motors response than mines...
I want to mention that my motors are Sunnysky X2212 / 980KV.
Thanks a lot !

The Tarot bag for a 500 size rc heli

      Hi Guys
I received some time ago a really nice looking and practical bag for carrying a T-REX 500 class heli. For the smaller helis up to 450, you can, let's say improvise using some other bags, but the 500 is already quite big, so in my point of view a decent bag is needed.
This one I got from miracle-mart and is not the one in the picture on the link but is this one which looks like the Align bags.
So far I had no issues, material is fine, zipper also feels well built...
I also made a short review on the rcg forum, link here
And this is where you can get the product for only 13.5 USD !!!, link here
I attach below some more pictures that hopefully will make you decide on this bag:

Top view with my VCTRC 500 FBL resting inside

Doesn't come with included pockets but it has the velcro in place for add-ons

Enjoy the short review on my youtube channel and let me hear your way of carrying your 500 size helis.



What I liked:

• looking good(better than the pictures on the miracle-mart website)
• good build quality
• enough space inside

What I disliked:

•  wish it had also pockets inside for small bits and pieces(at least it has the velcro in place already)

The smallest mini quad I have, Cheerson CX-10

The versions available

Hello again dear friends,
Even tough I prefer the bigger, more stable quads and helis, Banggood.com offered to send me this tiny mini quad, offer which I couldn't refuse...I was curious about this, since it is almost as big as my Crius Aiop flight controller I use in another project, and I think it is amazing how small things got in this hobby.
Please check below the youtube movie I uploaded and let me have your comments or questions...
I guess a test flight video will follow, so stay tuned :)

http://youtu.be/1p68X3-Xi3s

Syma X5C, the affordable quad with camera

After having several quads and a hexa I thought the X5C will fill a gap in my line of toys, by being not too big but still quite stable and be able to take a movie also...
And I was quite right...Bigger than my Ladybird, but smaller than my flip, the new Syma X5-C is a nice and an easy to learn on quadcopter...I would say that even if you start on quads, you can have a basic reading on the manual for the transmitter operation, and be able to take off and land safely...
The quad is light at under 70 grams, it has a 6 axis gyro, meaning it can be hand thrown( I don"t recommend this) and the camera can be operated from the TX, cool huh? :)
It also has led"s under the arms to help with orientation, but I would suggest swapping them instead of the defaults-orange in front and green in the back.

Please use the below link to purchase it, it is from banggood, for which I would like to thank for providing this sample, and they send it with free shipping everywhere in the worls...

http://www.banggood.com/Syma-X5C-2_4G-4-Channel-Remote-Control-RC-Quadcopter-p-913827.html

I will upload later, a flight test and a camera footage since many people asked about these points...
Fly safe...
I like: 
-price
-design

I don"t like:
-battery compartment under camera
-flight commands with a tiny delay

WL TOYS A959 RC Buggy

Hello Friends,
Even if this blog started as "RC HELI...." here I am lately posting about multirotors and today, surprise: and RC buggy...Bare with me on this one :)
I guess all boys at a certain age dreamt of  having an RC car at some times(and other things I will not mention here :)... Mine was a Peugeot 205 with the Ari Vatanen sticker on it, but that car wasn't meant to be mine back then...Many years later, here I am being the owner of an 1:18 scale buggy from www.banggood.com, for which I thank them...It's a 4WD buggy from WL TOYS called the A959.

 Funny thing is that for WL toys it all started a few years back with the V911, from which I also own one, and I guess with good management decisions they expanded into multirotors and now RC cars...I guess many of us were surprised when the L959 came. It looked like a real RC car that could wheelie on throttle, isnt't that something ? I looked at that but banggood (Sami at that time) suggested this smaller 4WD, and I liked the idea to be honest...
Just a few hours ago, I filmed the unboxing but I could only play a bit in my apartment, but wow what an acceleration this beast has....AMAZINGGG, I cannot wait to go outside and see really how it performs...A piece of advice still: since this buggy uses a brushed motor, take it slow on the throttle, untill the motor's brushes settle in.
The buggy has a claimed "maximum velocity " of 50 km/h (yes, you read correctly) and it uses a 2.4 Ghx tx/rx system. I like already the nice suspensions which are not too soft like the L959 seems to be, and the grip on the tires is also good.
What I don't like is that in order to access the battery you have to open 2 metal pins to remove the canopy, install the battery, and later switch the buggy on, again from under the canopy.
Not very convenient but maybe a cost saving idea for WL Toys?
I want to end this post in a positive note and tell you that I am very excited about this buggy, and I hope it will be a nice and funny ride alltogether...

Some dimensions and specs of the car:
Vehicle size (LxWxH) = 245x175x94mm;
Wheelbase  165mm
Wheelspan 105mm
Wheel diameter /width 61mm / 28mm
TX battery 4xAA
Car battery 2S (7.4V) / 1100mAh
Motor 390
Control distance 100 above is mentioned in the manual

Please enjoy the unboxing video I uploaded, and I will upload another video (at least) showing you how the buggy actually goes, and more pictures, so please stay tuned...


You can find this great product that banggood.com provided me, here:
http://www.banggood.com/Wltoys-A959-Rc-Car-1-Or-18-2_4Gh-4WD-Off-Road-Buggy-p-916961.html

Below is the unboxing video from youtube :



 Update: 19.07.2014 I just managed to get my shaft a bit of off-set which rubs against the electronic parts. Guess it happened when my wheels were stuck and I pushed still on the throttle...

I hope you find all the pictures you need below, pictures taken during transmission shaft dissasembling:

Maximum rear wheel travel

Maximum steering left

Maximum steering right

differential opened

Please check the unboxing and short review movie:



Please check the test drive video here:

My new Du-bro prop balancer

After a long waiting, finally my Du-bro prop balancer turned out.
I could have bought some cheap chinese clones but since I read many negative reviews, I decided to take "probably the best" prop balancer available.
I can only confirm the quality is great so far, and the fact that bigger props like 10, 11, 12 inch can make a full turn for me it makes a big difference compare to the other "magnetic" or whatever balancers...
I made a small "unboxing" basically showing all the bits and pieces that must be put together easily, and also showing the good manual showing you some tips for an effective balancing process.

Highly reccommended !

The new Fatshark Attitude V2 FPV goggles kit

After trying to fly FPV using my 7” lcd monitor from Bangood, it’s time to step up and become more “immersed”

to my quad by using some FPV goggles. I got some Attitude V2 kits, with camera, cables and polarized antennas, which are really

plug and play, all you need is a 2S or 3S li-po to power it up, really nice and simple.

Check out below the first time unboxing video and the package contents…

Since I was used to fly with an LCD attached on my Devo 10 with a bracket, I often took my eyes off the screen to look at my quad…

bad and distracting habit but sometimes necessary. At the first moment I put the goggles on I was pleasantly impressed with the image quality

they display from the small Fatshark CMOS camera bundled in the kit. Just a very small blue-ish colour around the lcd’s but barely noticeable

and due to the optics getting the wider FOV.

The Dominator goggles are supposed to have just a bit clearer picture (never tried myself) but the FOV is smaller and the IPD’s are not adjustable.

Fortunately the goggles suit me just fine on the largest IPD position, so definitely the Domi’s would have been no good on my bigger head…

Below you can see the individual detailed pictures with all the items that came in the kit.

The box's contents

Front view of the goggles

Left view

bask view looking in the goggles-you can see the green edge due to the adjustable IPD's

Right side

Top view

Underneath the goggles

The 600 TVL Cmos FPV camera bundled in the V2 kit(missing in the V1 Attitudes)

Backside of the 600 TVL

The bundled 250mW VTX for 5.8ghz

Filtering element allowing 2, 3 or 4S power

Stock antennas

Cloth for cleaning the goggles

Cables

more cables

still more cables :)

and the last of it...

Nice fatshark stickers

manual in good english

the kit's content detailed

the top of the box

a nice feature, actually someone checked that all is working, which was true

the polarized spironet antenna box

the polarized antenna set

These are the full specs of the kit:

·         New Trinity head tracker with 3 axis : pan / tilt / roll;
·         35 degrees field of view with backlit polarized technology
·         640x480 dots with 922k pizels VGA NTSC/PAL auto select
·         New generation Nexware receiver (AWEX682)
·         Adjustable PID (59-69mm)
·         Optional diopter lens inserts of -2, -4, -6 dp
·         Usable frequencies: CH1: 5740 MHz CH2: 5760 MHz CH3: 5780 MHz CH4: 5800 Mhz
CH5: 5820 MHz CH6: 5840 Mhz CH7: 5860 MHz
·         Comes with bundled Attitude V2 goggles,  600 TVL CMOS camera(with 2.8mm IR coated lens and 100 degrees FOV), 250mw VTX(5.8Ghz), filtered balance lead adaptor, 2 off 3dBi antennas, 3.5mm  JR cable, Futaba 6P cable, ezUHF cable, zipper case, leans cleaner cloth, AV cable and clear English manual.

A nice feature is that you can power the camera and VTX from any li-po varying from 2S to 3S or 4S, since it has already in the kit a filtered balance powered harness connector, so no more need for additional battery…

Also, since I want the best range for this setup I suggest the spironet polarized antennas, but I will test for range later and update the info here…

Hoped you find the info usefull and enjoy your version of the Attitudes V2 same as I did J

Fly safe and take care !