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Want a super light AIO Module compatible with smart audio ? Boring to change manually the Vfreq/Vband ?. This V2 version of the Turbowing Cyclops is maybe for you: https://www.banggood.com/Turbowing-Cyclops-Mini-5_8G-25mW-48CH-AIO-FPV-Camera-VTX-Transmitter-Combo-Support-Smart-Audio-v1-p-1318070.html It’s a 3g module uncased up to 4.2g with the full protection. For the camera part, it’s based on a 700TVL CMOS Sensor and FOV will be around 110 degrees approximatively. 48CH channels are supported and transmitted with 25mW. Now 5 wires are here. The blue one is for the smart audio and must be connected to a TX pad of a free UART port of your FC. If you have a recent betaflight version installed, selected correctly the Smart audio protocol with the associated UART, you will be able to select the Vband/Vfreq from the OSD. This module can a good candidate to replace the original AIO system from the excellent UR65/Snapper 6. Specification: Output Power:25mw Supply Voltage:2.9-5.5v Frequency Band:5362-5945 Mhz Channel Customer:48 Channel Sel:Touch Switch Input Format:Ntsc/Pal Camera Resolution:700tvl Lens Angel:h:120°/v:100° Operating Temperature:-10℃~+60℃ Pcb Profile Dimension:14.5mmx12mm+15mmx15.6mm Miniature And Light Weight Design: 3g Total Weight: 4.2g Features: Compatible With Smartaudio v1 Protocol. Mounting Bracket Hole Position:Standard m2 Screw Hole Position. Package Included: 1 x 5.8g 48ch Fpv Camera & Transmitter 1 x English Manual Instructions: 1.Red And Blue Two Rows Lights Different Colors Blinking Combinations Will Move Position Of Thefrequency; 2.With Blue Led Lights Abcdef Expressed As a Frequency Group, With a Red Led Light 12345678 Shows As The Channel; 3.Frequency Selection:Long Press The Button For 2 Seconds To Enter The Frequency Group Settings, Press The Button To Change The Frequency Group From a To f, Select The Appropriate Options You Want Then Long Press The Button To Exit Frequency Group Settings; 4.Change Channels-Short Pressing The Button, Will Changes The Channel To 1 Through 8, Select The Appropriate Option To Complete the Frequency Selection. P.S I will try to resume little by little drone-maniac.com. I need to move forward, even if my heard is still broken by my father’s lost. I received a lot of support. I would like to thank you so much. It helped me a lot. View the full article

INTRODUCTION The Funsnap Idol is a new challenger in the category of selfie drone. It’s a new competitor for the Zerotech Dobby, Alphatech, Rcmoment drone and many many others. The Idol is a foldable brushless machine equiped of a 1080p@30fps 1/3″ sensor relatively easy to transport. You have officially a flight stablization done via GPS for outdoors and a camera/ultrasonic sensors more for indoors applications. The machine is relatively smart with a visual target tracking, gesture recognition and three basic selfiedrone flight modes. Let’s discover this machine. BOX CONTENT + 1 x Funsnap Idol + 1 x 2S 1800mAh LiHV battery + 1 x Charger + 1 x AC/DC Power unit + 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Instruction manual (English) The proprietary charger. A blinking blue light is here when charging and becomes solid as soon as the charge is done. Expect 1h to full charge the battery from a depleted situation. OVERVIEW First of all, the machine is surprizingly not small …. a 190mm unfolded and more with the full external dimensions (250mm). Not sure, it’s really compatible with selfiedrone applications. -FRONT VIEW The design is very similar to the RCmoment drone with a unique tube body and two latteral propguard/arm system. Good news, no occlusion at all for camera recordings whatever the tilt angle of the camera. -SIDE VIEW On each side, a small landing skid is here to stabilize correctly the machine on the ground. The left side presents a microUSB port where you can extract recorded photos&videos. There is a 8Gb builtin memory. No possibility to extend it, at least easily. You will need to power the machine to correctly access to these files. -REAR VIEW A unique power button. You must hold it more than 5s to power the machine. The light start from blue to red when fully powered. You will hear the ESC boot buzzing. -UPPER VIEW It’s really easy to unfold the machine and thanks to these four magnet pads… arms remain in place without problem. -BOTTOM VIEW For low altitude (<= 1.5m) and indoors flight, a small VPU and ultra sonic sensor are here to stabilize the machine. -WEIGHT More than 360g with the battery…… Clearly it’s heavy !!!!!! and no stablized gimbal in the menu…. Ok Ok one would say it’s a 180USD machine…. and free lunch for that price. Motors and props Some triblade props LiHV battery A Large 1800 mAh 2S LiHV. Expect 1h to charge it. Insert the battery by the front first then press the rear side until you hear to clips. To release the battery, it’s easier to fold first the machine to press the two latteral plastic clips. Camera module A 1/3″ CMOS sensor with 77 degrees of FOV… Not super wide… At least the gimbal can be controlled manually via the appz. Even a positive angle can be applied, around +15 degrees and almost -90 degrees. Ideal for the rocket selfie flight mode. Here is a raw video sample. As you can see no EIS …. but in windfree condition, results are not so bad. The camera sensor’s job is correct in term of color rendition and light sensifitivity. Strange thing, for some mp4 recording, we have a variable datarate or a fixed one to 30fps. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS AND DEMO FLIGHT You must download the “Funsapp Idol” appz available for both iOS and Android. For android, two important remark must be done. 1) For some of my Android 7 devices, the appz was not available in google play. I had to install the corresponding APK file manually 2) The connexion is done with a 5.8G WiFi link you must have a compatible 802.11 ac device but it’s not over… The link is done via the channel 153 and no possibility to change the channel. In practice, it means that a lot of europeans android owners…. you won’t be able to connect your device to the Idol….. It’s really a shame that there is no parameters/procedure to change this chanel. If you are living in US/China, you should have no problem of connexion. Proof of the poor instruction manual quality…. the password for the WiFi connexion is even not printed. Luckely, it’s the classic: “123456789”. For the first connexion, I upgraded the FC firmware. Be aware, the procedure is 5min long. You will have to wait until the machine autopoweroff. You can feel that the appz is far to be mature. For example, the top horizontal bar where current craft dynamic information are displayed is almost unreadable even with a 10″ tablet. I don’t like also the two top right button. One for the advanced features and for the craft setting. For the craft settings, you can choose between two speed modes, between mode 2 and mode 1 controls and to turn on/off headless mode. For the advanced features, we have a mix between the (intelligent tracking&gesture recognition) and the three selfiedrone flight modes: dronie/orbit and rocket. For the intelligent tracking, you need first to turn on this feature before to select a rectangle in the central area where is the target of interest is epected to be. Why this button is not directly available from the main interface ?. For the the gesture recognition..it’s even more pity…. There is no instruction at all about the pre-programmed gestures…. Incredible…. At least the associated visual algorithm associated with the target tracking works correctly…. but far to be fantastic. It’s not hard to loose the track especially with very strong sunrays. More ….. the machine only center the target via yaw moves but I didn’t observe any forward/backard/left/right movements…. to follow the target…. Concerning the three selfiedrone modes… the circular is not an orbit one !!! it’s just a clockwise 360 degrees self-rotation on itself…. It’s absoluptly not rotating around the person holding the smarphone/tablet…. Crap. The dronie and the rocket are more classic …. Two important remark: 1) There is no way to change one setting of these three flight modes 2) When turned on, these modes turn on then off automatically the video recording. The machine fixes GPS/Glonass satellites relatively fast and the stability of the machine pretty good. In another hand, the Idol is noisy…. it will be hard in a park to use this machine if it’s crowdy. Finally the most annoying point, especially versus competitors…. is the absence of EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization)…. Results are not bad in windfree conditions…. I didn’t observe major frame rate disorders especially for fast yaw mouvements…. but as soon as the wind will blow a bit more …. don’t expect miracle in term of video stabilization. The flight duration is also not impressive …. around 8-9min… CONCLUSIONS Unfortunatly the Funsapp Idol is not the selfiedrone of the year…. Too many drawbacks: heavy, large, no EIS, immature appz, poor flight time. More the advanced features can’t be tuned at all so hard to shoot your favorite snapvideo with. In another hand, it’s not a complete fiasco, the stabilization and the 1080p recording are not bad, better than the RCmoment drone for example but globally the zerotech dobby is still superior to this iDol. PROS + Correct 1080p@30 videos + Correct 720p FPV link + Foldable + Good & accurate Visual&GPS stabilization + 1-axis gimbal controlable via the appz CONS – No EIS – 5.8G FPV transmission incompatible with a lot of european Android (Channel 153) – Poor/incomplete appz where a lot of parameters can’t be tune (camera/selfie flight modes, etc…) – Not small – No real target tracking – Poor visual tracking performances – No real Orbit mode – Dronies flight modes force to stop the current 1080p recording – > 360g – Noisy – Propguard innefficient to protect fingers from bottom side – 8-9 min of flight time This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 179USD at https://www.banggood.com/FUNSNAP-iDol-AI-Gesture-Recognigtion-WIFI-FPV-With-1080P-HD-Camera-Foldable-RC-Drone-Quadcopter-p-1301722.html View the full article

INTRODUCTION The SPCMaker S125 is the first compact (3″) FPV racer directly integrating the great Runcam Split Mini module. What does it mean ? It means that you can enjoy a great FPV feedback with a powerfull CCD sensor while recording simultaneously and without extra latency some 1080p@60fps videos !!!!. It’s a huge step forward in the FPV racing area…..Maybe in a couple of years, the 1080P resolution will be also for the FPV link. Whatever, with the S125, we have a 125mm machine with 1106/5500Kv 4S compatible motors, super strong 20A BLheli_S/Dshot600 ESC. As already mentioned the FPV/DVR part is based on the Runcam Split Mini. Two different FOV are associated with this sensor: one about 135 degrees for the FPV live part, a 160 wider for HD recordings. All the electronic is completly jailed into a pure 3K carbon structure where arms are 3mm. The machine can be found in BNF with two type of receivers: a FrSky XM+ (D16) and a FlySky AFHDS-2A. Let’s discover this potential new most advanced FPV racer. BOX CONTENT + 1 x SPCMaker S125 + 4 x 3″ props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Battery strap No spare props …. no instruction manual at all to help to bind the receiver, to set the VTX….. A real shame…. from a deluxe machine like the S125. OVERVIEW It’s compact…. 125mm machine… where the free room when the runcam split mini is installed is almost 0mm. Arms are 3mm and look strong even if arms looks not so large… -FRONT VIEW The runcam mini is connected to send the video signal to the FC & VTX modules…. But as you can see, no other connexion on the free RX&TX pads to control for example the camera trigerring via the remote… What a pity !!!!! You will need first to disasemble all the machine to access more easily to these pads and the UART3/6 pads …. -SIDE VIEW The microSD slot is located on the right side. First raise the metallic bar to insert the card until you hear the click. Thanks to this bar, the risk of ejection during a crash is mimized. The 40CH 5.8G VTX installed on top offers one unique button. The Vfreq/Vband/output power selection is done sequentially. Notice the Vfreq are sorted ascendly according to the following table The default Vfreq is the A1=5645Mhz. The selection is done as this diagram. Press 3s to enter into the Vfreq selection mode, then short press to cycle within the selected row. Long press one more time 3s to select the row… and one more time 3s to choose between 25mW and 100mW. The Runcam module is installed with a fixed angle about 30 degrees…. and no possibility to tune it Good news, a small caps is installed behind the buzzer-lights module in order to filter out most noise from ESC/motors. -REAR VIEW Two lights are jailing a buzzer. These lights are not programmed in Betaflight ….. What’s a pity. -UPPER VIEW The FrSky XM+ is attached to the 5.8G antenna via a zip-tie. The bind button is easy to access. -BOTTOM VIEW -WEIGHT 108g without the battery…. so about 18g more heavier than 120mm with classic FPV solution. A litttle bit less than 170g with a 4S 500mAh LiPo. Motors and props 1106/5500Kv Sunnysky motors. Very strong…… and no problem to support 4S setup. They are just warm after usage. Some 2840 props triblades are provided. They required 10mm M2 hexscrews. What a pity that no spare props are provided in the bundle. Camera module A raw video sample of 1080p@60fps recording UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHT The default PIDs of Betaflight 3.17 shows low values for P & D. They have been optimized for this machine. In another hand, BF 3.17 is quied old now and no possibility to enjoy the runcam protocol for example with this branch. As already mentioned, unfortunatly the FrSky XM+ receiver is not flashed with a modern firmware exporting the RSSI on the last channel. And no possibility to flash it directly without desodering the receiver from the FC. The Betaflight settings have been optimized for PIDs. You have to program your own OSD & flight modes and Lights preferences. When the battery is connected, the runcam split automatically starts the recording. Good news, even if the battery is disconnected while recording, most part of the file is not corrupted.!!!!! That’s great. In 4S, the machine hoover from 25% of throttle input. There is a huge amount of power available !!!!! Really impressive. No oscillation with maximum throttle inputs!!!! Great. More in 6-axis stabilized modes, no drifts at all. A really pleasante flyer. A small red circle point is here in the FPV signal to indicate when recordings is turned on. What is impressive is the super low latency of the runcam split mini….. ideal for FPV racing. More…. both FPV and 1080p offers jellofree rendering. In term of flight time, with a 550mAh 4S LiPo you can expect 3min30 of flight time. CONCLUSIONS The SPCMaker S125 represents clearly the most advanced advanced compact FPV racer. It’s powerfull, well tuned, durable and the runcam split mini is a great little combo. This machine would have been perfect if two minors details were there: i) The possibility to control the Runcam Split Mini via the FC… It need to solder two wires from the camera to the FC and ii) to flash the FrSky XM+ with a recent firmware to enjoy RSSI on OSD. PROS + Great and powerfull flyer + Most advanced 3″ FPV racer + Integrated Runcam Split Mini + Great FPV cam + Jello free for both FPV & 1080p videos + 20A BLheli_S/Dshot600 4S compatible ESC + Solid frame + Autorecording by default + Video files almost entierly saved even with a hard crash CONS – Runcam split mini not connected to the FC – Fixed orientation of the camera – FrSky XM+ not flashed the RSSI compatible firmware – No possibility to control the VTX via OSD – Partial occlusion of props & frame in the 1080p recordings – No instruction manual – No spare props – Flashed with an old BF version Dump_BF_3_17_S125 This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 229USD at https://www.banggood.com/SPC-MAKER-S125-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-Omnibus-F4-20A-Blheli_S-ESC-Runcam-Split-Mini-5_8G-40CH-VTX-p-1295246.html View the full article

A second FPV racer including a Runcam split mini is announced: https://www.banggood.com/IFlight-iH3-3-Inch-142_5mm-F3-15A-ESC-5_8G-FPV-Racing-Drone-w-RunCam-Split-Mini-1080P-Camera-p-1309177.html This one comes after the SPCMaker S125 (soon be reviewed @D-M). The dimensions are slightly larger (142.5mm). The iH3 comes with 1106/6000KV motors coupled with 3″ props. There is also a 15A BLheli_S/Dshot600 4-in-1 ESC board 3S maximum compatible. The flight controller is a classic F3 model in 20mmx20mm format. The full carbon frame offers at least 3mm arms section. The Runcam camera module is well protected from frontal crash and we have the possibility to uptilt the camera. The machine standalone weights 124g… so should converges about 160g with a 3S 550mAh LiPo. Three choices of receiver are proposed: a FrSky solution with the D16 XM+, a FlySky AFHDS-2A and a Futaba FASST. Specification: Brand Name: IFlight Model: iH3 Item Name: 3 Inch F3 5.8G FPV Racing Drone Version: PNP ( Without Receiver ) ; With Compatible Frsky XM+ Receiver With Compatible Flysky FS-A8S Receiver With Compatible Futaba FASST MINI SUBS Receiver Weight: 124.1g ( Not include battery) Hover Time: 5mins Wheelbase: 142.5mm Frame weight: 39g Bottom plate thickness: 3mm Top plate thickness: 2mm Vertical side plates thickness: 2mm Vertical side plates width: 19mm Standoffs mouting distance: 22mm Flight Controller & ESC: 20x20mm IFlight Mini F3 & 15A BLheli_S ESC Flytower – F3 Integrated with betaflight OSD, 5V@3A BEC output – BLheli_S firmware, support Oneshot, multishot, Dshot150, DShot300 and DShot600 Brushless Motor: IFlight iPower Force 1106 6000KV Motor Propeller: Emax AVAN Mini 3024 3-Blade Propeller ( Clear Red Color ) FPV Transmitter: IFlight Force Mini 48CH 25MW/100MW/200MW S.BUS VTX Camera: Runcam Split Mini 1080P/60fps HD recording & WDR FPV camera Antenna: Foxxer Pagoda Atenna ( SMA ) Recommend Lipo Battery: 2S 850mAh Or 3S 550mAh ( Not Included in package ) Package Included: 1x IFlight iH3 142.5mm Drone 1x LED w/ Buzzer 1x Strap for Battery 1x XT30 Cable 1x XT30 to JST Cable 1x Magic Tie View the full article

How I will survive without you ?….. View the full article

INTRODUCTION After the excellent Happymodel Snapper6, here is a new 65mm microbrushless FPV machine, i.e. the URUAV UR65. To make short, it’s based at 90% with the same incredients: same Crazybee F3 board, same AIO FPV module, same bundle… only the frame and the KV of the 0603 motors are differents. For the UR65, we have a machine 3g lighter but with slightly slower 0603 motors: 17000Kv vs 19000kv. The crazybee integrates a 5A (peak 6A) 4-in-1 ESC BLheli_S/Dshot 600 compatible, a builtin 2.4G FrSky (D8/D16) or Flysky (AFHDS-2A) receiver? The FrSky export the Vbat & RSSI via telemetry… of for both RSSI is also sent for the OSD directly via SPI connexion. The AIO is a good 700TVL CMOS model with a builtin 48ch/25mW VTX. So a lot of similarities with the snapper6 in a first glance. Let’s discover the UR65. BOX CONTENT + 1 x URUAV UR65 + 3 x 250mAh 1S LiHV with JST pH2.0 + 1 x USB parallel charger + 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Screwdriver + 1 x Wrench prop remover + 2 x Spare rubber bands + 1 x Instruction manual (English) WIth the standard version, a parallel charger is provided. The charger accept DC input from 7V up to 25V. In the field, you can use a 3S-4S battery with a XT30 connector. Two switches are here one to select between the LiPo/LiHV modes and the second to select between 0.2A or 0.6A charge. A bag with spare elements… exactlement the same contents as for the Snapper 6. The rubber bands are useless since the battery is hold directly via the tray. OVERVIEW The full detailed list of all elements: It’s clearly a super compact 65mm machine… 100% of the size of the original TinyWhoop but this one is brushless. A direct comparaison with the Snapper6. The top canopy plastic structure is identical…., same props, same AIO module. Only the lower frame is different with a full nylon plastic solution for the UR65 while the snapper6 mixes carbon and aluminimum elements. -FRONT VIEW The duct sytem is now larger fully nylon based. Even arms are in plastic…. Since the duct system is attached to the frame in two different points and thanks to the flexibility of the nylon and the ultra light weight of the structure…. the durability is in practice pretty good…. Dislike the Snapper6, no need anymore to reshape the aluminimum guard after a big crash -SIDE VIEW Thanks the two latteral screws, the AIO FPV module can be uptilted up to +15 degrees. From the rear holes, at least the VTX button can be reached. -REAR VIEW The UR65 uses a JST ph2.0 connector…. -UPPER VIEW The linear antenna is installed vertically via a small dedicaced hole. What a pity, they didn’t also drill another one for a more direct access of the Vfreq/Vband selection button. -BOTTOM VIEW The microUSB port of the Crazybee F3 board is located bottom…. not the best location to level your machine when connected to Betaflight. Be aware, the three screws holding each motors tends versus multiflights to pop out…. It’s strongly advised to secure them with a locite thread lock. The 2.4G antenna is installed bottom…. Try to straight it vertically to maximize the control range. Good news versus the snapper6, the battery is now installed into a dedicaced tray… No more rubber band as for the snapper6 As for the snapper6, motors are directly attached via a 3p 1.25mm microJST connector. It’s super easy for maintenance/upgrade -WEIGHT 27.3g !!!!!!! in comparaison with the snapper 6 So more than 3g saved…. about 10%. It’s a huge difference… The massive argument for the UR65. Motors 0603 motors up to 17000Kv … so 2000Kv slower vs the snapper 6 model LiHv batteries 250mAh LiHV battery…. rated 30C… They are good in practice but don’t go too low with. LiHV batteries are know to loose faster than LiPo their charging capacity. AIO Camera FPV module The same 700TVL CMOS NTSC camera module of the Snapper 6. If you raise the front right canopy side, you can guess the ultra tiny micro switch used to bind the receiver….. This one is hard to access…. and it’s strongly advised to remove first the top canopy module. A unique button not easy to access via the left hole. The selection is classic. Short press to cycle inside the eight Vfreq of the current selected Vband. Long press to cycle within the 6 supported Vbands. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHT The machine comes with BF3.3. Be aware if you want to upgrade. There are two versions of the CrazyBee F3 board one for the FrSky, the second for the flysky. Dshot600 is selected by default. The originality with SPI connexion, first you can turn the builtin receiver into D8 mode (FrSky_D) or in D16 (FrSky_X). For both… the Vbat & RSSI is sent by telemetry and the RSSI is also here for the OSD… Important remark, since there is a SPI connexion for the receiver, DO NOT APPLY THE RSSI ON THE LAST CHANNEL in the receiver panel… it will block the RSSI to 50%. The default OSD settings display a lot of informations…. probably too much IMHO. Some elements can be removed. Since there is no builtin buzzer, you can apply the poor’s buzzer trick by 1) increasing the beacon level strengh (~200) then 2) thanks to the “set beeper_dshot_beacon_tone = 1” command, you can assign a switch to this “buzzer”. But to be working, you need also 3) to flash the BLHeli_S “16.67RC Dshot_cmd” firmware via BLheli_configurator or BLheli_suite. The PIDs are the default ones … and default flight modes just select angle and acro….. First take off and the machine left the ground from 55-60% of throttle input… not so bad… It’s silent and no drift in angle-6 axis stabilized mode can be observed versus time… That’s a really positive point. As soon as the push the throttle to maximum… really punch out are pretty good for a 1S machine…. one the best I ever observed…. I can’t imagine how good will be with the 0603/22000Kv racerstar motors. The machine flips and rolls great !!! What a pleasure for a such small machine to have a machine 100% acro compatible. More for indoors, it’s so tiny that you go everywhere and have super precize control…. I much prefer this UR65 than the 75mm boldclash B06 pro for example… It’s almost as powerfull but more agile and compact… The good news it’s a indoors trainer only…I was able to fly with in presence of moderate wind (~20 km/h) and no big impact/chaos…. I was impressed. The flight time are in average about 3min…. Not so bad. The FPV feedback is also good, with a good light handling for a CMOS sensor…. No problem from this side. No problem for both the control range/FPV to reach 100m… Cherry on the cake, the current meter helps a lot to manage your LiPo to not go beyound 230-250mAH for example. One more time, to not abused of these LiHv batteries…. Despite multiple crashed, I didn’t observe any major stress on the full plastic based frame. CONCLUSIONS This URUAV AV65 is currently one my favorite machine …. it’s so small that it’s impossible to hurt something/someone… no problem with any restrictions. The machine is strong enough to enjoy acro…. it’s stable, fly great in acro…. Good FPV and control range and the flight duration about 3min is also really acceptable. To make short, I highly recommand this machine for both Indoors/outdoors application….. I can’t imagine this machine with 22000Kv motors. PROS + 27.2g AUW !!! + 0603/17000Kv motors strong enough for acro + F3 w/OSD + Well tuned out of the box + No drift in angle mode + FrSky SPI receiver w/ RSSI for OSD & Telemetry + Good AIO module + Uptiltable camera + ~3min of flight time + Good LiHV battery + Silent CONS – Micro bind button hard to access/press – No top direct access of the AIO button – Motor’s screws easy to loose. Need to be thread locked This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 97USD at https://www.banggood.com/URUAV-UR65-65mm-FPV-Racing-Drone-BNF-Crazybee-F3-Flight-Controller-OSD-5A-Blheli_S-ESC-5_8G-25mW-VTX-p-1295884.html View the full article

Clearly inspired by the MJX Bugs 3 mini, here is the Eachine copy-cat version with the EX2 mini: https://www.banggood.com/Eachine-EX2mini-Brushless-5_8G-FPV-Camera-With-Angle-Mode-Acro-Mode-RC-Drone-Quadcopter-RTF-p-1301880.html It’s a full plastic based 2S FPV cruizer including also an acro mode to perform basic flips & rolls. Of course everything is proprietary… no possibility for example to tune any setting in betaflight for example. The idea is to have a 100% working machine out of the box … without any extra work/binding procedure…. 100% intermediate flyers oriented. It’s a 2S machine with a 850mAh Lipo advertized to offer close to 10min. The FPV camera is clipsable. It’s a basic CMOS sensor based with a builtin 24CH/25mW VTX. Versus last generation of RTF FPV cruizer… this EX2mini integrates an “acro” button… to push the machine into its limits. The FPV and control range is announced to be around 200m. Description: Brand Name: Eachine Item NO.: EX2mini Item Name: 5.8G FPV Brushless RC quadcopter Frequency: 2.4G Channel: 4CH Gyro: 6 Axis Motor (x4): Brushless 1306 2750KV Propeller:3025 Charging time: About 3-3.5hours Flying time: About 8-10mins Control distance: About 200-300m Quadcopter battery: 7.4V 850mAh Lipo Transmitter battery: 4 x 1.5V AA battery ( not included ) Size:22*22*6.5cm Package Size: 26.5 x 14 x 22.5 cm FPV Camera: C5810 5.8G 25mw 24CH ( optional) FPV Dstance: about 200m FPV Monitor:4.3 inch 5.8G ( optional) Color: Black Features: * 2.4GHz Technology Adopted for Anti-Interference. * 4 Channel which can do ascend, descend, forward, backward, left sideward fly, right sideward fly and rolling 360°. * 6-axis gyro which can have more stable flying and be easy to control. * 5.8G FPV with C5810 HD camera are tuned amazingly to capture stunning pictures and videos from the sky. * With 1306 2750KV Brushless motor, make your flight more powerful. * With Angle mode, the aircraft can perform flips and rolls if you press the rolls button and operate the control stick. * With Acro Mode, requires flexible manual control during flight, which is great for acrobatics such as flips and rolls. You can flip and roll your aircraft by operating the control sticks. * Innovative 4-in-1 Electronic Speed Controller makes racing aircraft more agile and more adept at sudden maneuvers including sharp turns and hard braking. * With LED lights making the flight more spectacular especially in the dark. Function: Up/down, Forward/backward, Turn left/right, Sideward flight, LED Light, Headless Mode, One Key Automatic Return,H/L Mode Package Included: 1x Eachine EX2mini RC Quadcopter 1x Transmitter 1x Battery 1x Charger 4x Blade 4x Protection Cover 1x Screwdriver 1x FPV Camera( optional) 1x FPV Monitor( optional) 1x FPV Goggles( optional) View the full article

A new brushless selfiedrone is introduced by the new HighGreat compagny with Highgreat Mark: https://www.banggood.com/HighGreat-Mark-VIO-Positioning-4K-WIFI-FPV-With-13MP-Camera-Foldable-RC-Drone-Quadcopter-p-1301491.html It’s a 200g machine similar in size to the zerotech dobby, promised to fly during 18min able to shoot videos 4K@30 & 1080p@30. One originality is the absence of a GPS+barometeros sensors in favor of a new VIO system: a pure visual solution able to stabilize precisely the machine indoors & oudoors. More all the terrain elevation crossed during the flight is recorded in order for example to have precise RTH. There are some specfic selfie flight modes: Orbit, circle, dronie and Helix. There is also a target tracking/follow me vision based. From the specification, I am surprized to see no mention of builtin EIS… coz I don’t see any sense to integrate a VIO if videos are full of jellos without EIS… More I hope also there is a 1080p@60 modes. Well… we need extra precisions for the last two importants… but if there are here…. can be a serious zerotech/alphatech competitor. Wait & See. Description: Item Name: HighGreat Mark RC Quadcopter AIRCRAFT: Dimension(Battery &Propeller Included):148mm x 148mm x 48mm Dimension(after Folded) :148mm x73mm x 48mm Wheelbase:210 mm Weight(Battery &Propeller Included):200 g Max Ascent Speed:2 m/s Max Descent Speed :2 m/s Max Horizontal Speed:3 m/s Max Service Ceiling Above Sea Level:4500m Max Flight Time:18min(no Wind) Hover Accuracy Range (In Safe Mode) : Vertical:±0.1m Horizontal:±0.1m Operating Temperature Range:0~40℃ CAMERA: Lens:FOV 75°; F/ 2.2 Sensor:CMOS;1300 MP Electronical Shutter Speed:Auto Image Size:3840×2160 Still Photography Mode:Auto Video Recording Resolution;4k 30fps /1080P 30fps Storage Format:JPEG,MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) Supported SD Cards:EMMC 16G Storage Capacity:EMMC 16G Operating Temperature Range:0~40℃ BATTERY: Weight:60g Capacity:1300mAh Energy:9.88Wh Max Charge Voltage:8.7V Quick Charge:2.0A Nominal Voltage:7.6V Type:LiPo 2S Operating Temperature Range:0~40℃ LIVE VIEW / APP: Live View Quality: 720P Live View Working Distance:≈50m Live View Working Frequency:2.4G / 5.8GHz Latency:200 – 300ms Required Operating Systems:iOS 8.0 or later / Android 4.1.2 or later Feature: – Quickshot – VIO Positioning – Remarkable Memory – Gesture – Active Track Package Included: 1 x Quadcopter 1 x 7.6V 1300mAh Lipo Battery 1 x Charger 1 x Manual View the full article

INTRODUCTION The JJRC H62 is the new revision of the H6x’s selfiedrone serie from JJRC. From the previous revision, the altitude hold positionning and 720p WiFi with a large FOV were already here. With the H62, for the first time, a visual based target tracking/follow me is added… incredible for a cheap toyquadcopter… Clearly the VPU is strong enough to compute basic computer vision primitives. The H62 is still a brushed machine with foldable arms super easy to transport. The FPV link is done in 720p resolution via WiFi and it’s always a good news when now we can see (at least) a wide angle lens installed on the 2mpx sensor. The H62 is actually controlled only via the iOS/Android Appz. Let’s have a look to this new toyselfiedrone. BOX CONTENT + 1 x JJRC H62 Splendor + 1 x 1S 850mAh proprieatary LiPo with JST connector + 1 x USB charging cable + 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Screwdriver + 1 x Transportation bag + 1 x Instruction manual (English) OVERVIEW Like the H60, H61, it’s a rectangular selfiedrone with one unique power button installed on top. The plasic quality is in the average…. relatively flexible but far to be the best material I saw. Folded it’s larger than any 6″ smartphone, more similar more in size to an iPhone X. -FRONT VIEW On front, 2 green lights can be found… ideal for LOS condition flights. In fact, don’t dream to perform FPV with… the associated latency is too important for this application. -SIDE VIEW No presence of a microSD slot …. so no possibility to save inboard the native 720p resolution with a constant framerate. -REAR VIEW -UPPER VIEW -BOTTOM VIEW All lights are installed bottom The good news as predecessor, the battery is removable. You just need to slide bottom the plastic tab on the battery and extract the battery. The battery connector uses a classic JST so… it will be not hard to transplant another LiPo into this plastic casing The super tiny camera used the VPU in altitulde hold -WEIGHT Almost 93g… since there is a gear system, it’s not a big deal to raise 93g Motors and props 8.5mm coreless motors are installed horizontally. A 90 degrees gear system is here to drive the large prop installed LiPo A proprietary 1S 850mAh LiPo ending with a JST connector. In practice, if you need to replace the LiPo, you can install a new fresh model inside the batery plastic casing. Camera module A large FOV lens with approximatively 120 degrees. Good news, the lens can be downtilted a bit to -15degrees approximatively As you will see, the color rendition of the 2mpx sensor is pretty, the image sharp and precize. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS AND DEMO FLIGHT Both the control and the FPV feedback is done via a simple 2.4G WiFi appz. The layout is classic but the major novelty can be found in the bottom left side part. Two button for the follow-me. The lower one allows the target selection via rectangule. This one must defined inside a central yellow one. The secong button runs the tracking. The H62 will first of all centers the tracked target then i f the target moves in x-y axis, the H62 will follow gently. To optimize tracking performances, it’s recommended to downtilt a bit the camera. As you can see also, there is also a selfie mode rotating the machine of 180 in yaw axis and inverting associated command. There is also the possibiliy to shoot photos one by one or in a burst sequence. Classic takeoff/landing are here as soon as there is an altitulde hold stabilization system. The 720p rendition is good and thanks to the wide angle the dynamic range adaptation is smooth. Good color rendition and the FPV video is pretty sharp. My only concern is about the sporadic freezing of the FPV link time to time. It can be solve main probably at least in close range conditions by optimizing the 2.4G antenna location for a more vertical position. In windfree condition the machine keeps pretty well its position… the new VPU sensor helps a lot the baromter. Unfortunaly, it’s another story in presence of wind. In this case, the H62 will slide a lot in the x-y axis…. No miracle without GPS. A good news, the H62 is relatively silent…. The machine is easy to control via the virtual sticks…. Of course rates are adapted to offer the best non-shacky videos we can obtain with a machine without EIS. Definitively it’s not a sporty flyer and the max speed seems bounded to 3-4m/s maximum. One more time don’t expect miracle in wind conditions. The good surprize come from the result of the visual tracking system. As soon as the target is select via the green rectangular and the tracking started….. the detection box is surprizingly pretty accurate for a 50USD machine. IMHO it’s as accurate as the Zerotech dobby for example of 3-4 times more expensive model!!!! . This model at least follow at minimum the target via yaw mouvement. If the machine is 3-4m higher the target and the camera downtilt a bit, the H62 will follow the target as soon as the target is moving relatively slowy: walk or very slow jog. Sometimes if the altitude is not correct, the H62 don’t move…. Only the target centering is done in the yaw axis. The flight time is about 6-7min…. I found the battery warning comes relatively soon (about 4-5min)… you can expect to flly a good extra minute from this alert. CONCLUSIONS For 50USD and in windfree conditions, the JJRC H62’s results are impressive in term of visual tracking….. really it’s as good as 3-4 times more expensive machine. The machine is stable, silent and the 720p FPV link good thanks also to the presence of the 120 degrees FOV. Clearly we want to see next a version with a builtin DVR to record natively the 720p video…. or even better a deluxe version with a 1080p sensor. PROS + Efficient visual target tracking + Visual assisted altitude hold + 720p WiFi Link + 120 degrees FOV + Foldable + Silent + Good Appz + Cheap + No builtin battery CONS – No builtin DVR to record 720p videos directly – Not wind resistant (must be used in very calm wind conditions) – Only ~6min of flight time – Sporadic FPV freezes This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 50USD at https://www.banggood.com/JJRC-H62-SPLENDOR-Foldable-Selfie-Drone-WIFI-FPV-With-720P-HD-Camera-Altitude-Hold-RC-Quadcopter-BNF-p-1284127.html View the full article

A new foldable selfiedrone from Xiaomi will be lunch pretty soon. The builtin camera shoots 1080p@30fps video (with EIS according the video sample below). There is a specific noise reduction algorithm to improve the general rendition. The idol includes some AI for gesture recognition and target tracking. There are some specfic flight modes: 360 panorama, 45 degrees flips among them. The FPV feedback is done via a WiFI 720p link. The machines includes also GPS, barometer, ultrasonic anti-collision sensors and VPU for position stabilization. The dimensions are 226 x 114 x 28 and the total weight will be around 360g with battery. The expected flight time is about 10min. The machines should start to be shipped around the 14th june. Seems to be a very interesting selfiedrone especially of EIS is really efficient. First introduction price seems unrealistic low: 120 euros but for the associated kickstart project. Source: https://en.xiaomitoday.it/funsnap-idol-e-il-nuovo-drone-di-xiaomi-dotato-di-riconoscimento-ai.html View the full article

Remember my last SeByDocKy’award ? The excellent Happymodel Snapper6 ? A great 65mm brushless FPV racer with strong 0603/19000Kv motors and the excellent F3 Crazybee flight controller Here is new machine based on the same architecture/FC: https://www.banggood.com/URUAV-UR65-65mm-FPV-Racing-Drone-BNF-Crazybee-F3-Flight-Controller-OSD-5A-Blheli_S-ESC-5_8G-25mW-VTX-p-1295884.html Same FC with a builtin FrSky D8/D16 receiver, same 250mAh LiHV batteries same 0603 motors but slightly slower (17000Kv vs 19000Kv). In the other hand the frame full nylon based is close to 3g lighter !!!! With the battery the total weight is announce to be around 27g… It should compensate without problem the little lost in motor thrust. The Crazybee FC is a great board with builtin 5A ESC, builtin receiver in SPI mode (FrSky or FlySkyà, super stable even in angle mode. The AIO module is the same than the Snapper6, based on a 700TVL NTSC CMOS camera + 48CH/25mW VTX. At least for the FrSky version, the machine displays the RSSI for the OSD but also export it via telemetry. More it also includes a current sensor. The machine is proposed with two type of bundle: a standard with one unique battery or with three batteries and a charger. I can image how sporty can be this machine with the Happymodel 0603/19000Kv motors (some 22000Kv from racerstar are also announced). Wait & See. Specifications: Brand Name: URUAV Mode Name: UR65 Item Name: 1S 65mm Brushless Whoop racer drone BNF Wheelbase: 65mm Size: 81mm*81mm*36mm Weight: 20.5g(without battery) Weight: 27g(with Original 250mah lipo battery) SE0603 KV17000 Motor Mode: SE0603 KV17000 Configu-ration:9N12P Stator Diamter:6mm Stator Length:3mm Shaft Diameter:F0.8mm Motor Dimension(Dia.*Len):F9mm*15.5mm Weight(g):1.8g No.of Cells(Lipo):1S Flight controller Firmware: Betaflight_3.3.0_Crazybee Betaflight target: CRAZYBEEF3FR(Frsky version) CRAZYBEEF3FS(Flysky version) MCU: STM32F303CCT6 (72MHZ, 256K FLASH) Sensor: MPU-6000(SPI connection) Board size: 28.5 * 28.5MM Board weight: 3.5 g Power supply: 1S battery input (DC 3.5-4.35V) Built-in 5A(each) Blheli_S 4in1 ESC Dshot600 ready Built-in Frsky receiver with telemetry(D8/D16 switchable) Built-in Betaflight OSD(SPI Control) Built-in Current meter Max 14A Built-in 5V 0.8A BEC with LC filter Built-in voltage detection BLHELI_S pass-through Ready Heading LED Ready Onboard 4in1 5A ESC Power supply: 1S LiPo/LiPo HV (4.2v/4.35v) Current: 5A continuous peak 6A (3 seconds) Support BLHeliSuite programmable Factory firmware: O_L_5_REV16_6.HEX Default protocol: DSHOT600 Frsky receiver Version SPI BUS receiver Frsky D8/D16 switchable Compatible both D8 and D16 transmitter Channels: 8ch or 16ch Failsafe support No ground interference ( Transmitter and receiver 1 m from the ground): 300m Flysky receiver Version SPI BUS receiver Protocol: AFHDS and AFHDS-2A Switchable Channels: 8ch(AFHDS) or 14ch(AFHDS-2A) No ground interference ( Transmitter and receiver 1 m from the ground): 300m Failsafe support AIO Camera&VTX Output power: 25mw Frequency: 48CH Input voltage: 3.3V 5.5V Current consumption: 300mA(type) Camera resolution: 700TVL Field of view: 120° Video Format: NTSC Antenna: RG178 antenna Frequency: 5.8GHz 6 bands 48 channels With Raceband: 5474 5945 MHZ Size: 13.9″12.0mm ( L*W ) Weight: 3g Lipo Battery Capacity:250mAh Voltage:3.8v Continuous Discharge Rate: 30C Instantaneous discharge rate: 60C Size: 60mmx18mmx7mm Weight: 6.5g Connector: PH2.0 Features: Betaflight support , multi flight mode: ACRO/AIR/ANGLE Powerful Brushless motor and Smooth ESC Betaflight OSD support ,easy to get RSSI , Voltage and other info from your goggles Adjust the settings and the PID of the flight controller via OSD Frsky version support both D8 and D16 Frsky transmitter Flysky version support both AFHDS and AFHDS-2A protocol transmitter Full telemetry function ready Head lights ready Camera angle adjustable Real Bind and Fly version Package Included: Basic version 1 x 65mm Brushless whoop Frame 1 x Crazybee F3 FC (Frsky and Flysky option) 1 x 5A 4in1 ESC 4 x SE0603 KV17000 Motor 1 x 31mm propeller(4cw+4ccw) 1 x AIO Camera & VTX 1 x 3.8v 250mah 30C/60C battery View the full article

Well …. the first was more a less unusable due to its poor stability and very short flight time (< 2min)... Here is a new edition/evolution announced: http://www.airselfiecamera.com/press/ Basically they upgraded the camera sensor from a 5mpx to a 12Mpx model. The builtin memory is boosted also to 16Gb. In the other hands, the new totale weight is about 67g vs 61g for the first edition. I hope the battery model is also upgraded as well. Promised flight time are about 4min… but hard to believe. Except that, it’s exactly the same machine…. I guess there is still no EIS for the version 2…… I am one more time very sceptical. View the full article

We were all expected such kind of machine !!!! yes the first BNF microbrushless FPV racer with a builtin runcam split mini!!!: https://www.banggood.com/SPC-MAKER-S125-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-Omnibus-F4-20A-Blheli_S-ESC-Runcam-Split-Mini-5_8G-40CH-VTX-p-1295246.html Yes it’s SPCMaker who announced the first model with this S125. A 4S compatible 125mm machine equiped of 1106 motors. A F4 Ominibus w/OSD with MPU6800 gyros is integrated. 20AA 4-in-1 ESC BLheli_S/Dshot600 strong enough for 4S setup. With the 1106 motors, 2840 props are here to boost performances. Standalone without battery, the machine weights 103g so about 20g more heavier than the C120 model. The VTX is a 40Ch model with a programmable output power from 25mW-100mW. With a 4S 450mAh LiPo this machine should turn around 140g…. From the SPCMaker webpage, four choices of receiver are proposed: Futaba, Spektrum (DSM2/X), FrSky (D16), and FlySly (AFHDS-2A). If all drifts/oscillations from former SPCMaker machines are solved, this S125…. can be a hit. Wait & See… I am asking one for review but not sure I will be satisfied. Specification: Brand name: SPC MAKER Item name: S125 Size: 100x110x48mm Weight: 103g (battery not included) Flight controller: Omnibus F4 intergrated with OSD module Motor: SunnySky 1106 5500KV brushless motor ESC: Blheli_s 20A ESC (2-4S Lipo) Propeller: Kingkong 2840 3-Blade Propellers Camera: Runcam Split Mini VTX: 5.8g 25mW-100mW 40CH Receiver: Frsky/Flysky (optional) Packing size: 150x150x50mm Package Included: 1 x S125 FPV Racing Drone View the full article

Another super compact 120mm 4S compatible FPV racer from SPCMaker: https://www.banggood.com/SPC-MAKER-C120-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-Omnibus-F4-20A-Blheli_S-ESC-Foxeer-1000TVL-Cam-5_8G-40CH-VTX-p-1295245.html Like the Diatone GT-M2, we have a F4 omnibus FC with a builtin OSD. The 20A ESC BLheli_S 4-in-1 board is 4S compatible. 1106 brushless motors spin @5500Kv so 1000Kv slower than the Diatone model but in another hand, the frame look more lighter. Good news also 2.5″ props are installed. For the FPV section a Foxeer 1000TVL CMOS camera with a builtin OSD and a 40CH VTX delivering up to 100mW. The machine can be found in BNF edition with a FrSky XM+ (D16) or a FlySly AFHDS-2A solution. The frame is really similar to the last similar SPCmaker … But be aware, last SPCMaker products were pretty bad…. (bad gyros, poorly tested, etc…)… so we need absoluptly to wait. SPC MAKER C120 FPV Racing Drone PNP Omnibus F4 20A Blheli_S ESC Foxeer 1000TVL Cam 5.8G 40CH VTX Specification: Brand name: SPC MAKER Item name: C120 Size: 96x106x27mm Weight: 87g (battery not included) Flight controller: Omnibus F4 intergrated with OSD module Motor: SunnySky 1106 5500KV brushless motor ESC: Blheli_s 20A ESC (2-4S Lipo) Propeller: Gemfan 2540 3-Blade Propellers Camera: Micro Predator V2 VTX: 5.8g 25mW-100mW 40CH Receiver: Frsky/Flysky (optional) Packing size: 150x150x50mm Package Included: 1 x C120 FPV Racing Drone View the full article

At least a new non-FrSky microreceiver which offers RSSI for the OSD: https://www.banggood.com/IRangeX-Fli14-Flysky-Receiver-with-RSSI-Output-Betaflight-OSD-for-FS-i6-FS-I6X-Turnigy-Evolution-p-1294803.html The IrangeX Fli14 is a 1g FlySky module supporting AFHDS-2A protocol. The RSSI is exported on the (last) 14th’s channel. The receiver is of course compatible with most last FlySly radios. The control range is announced to be about 300m more or less indentical with any other FrSky D8 micro receiver. It’s a good news for all FlySly’s fans. Description: Brand Name: iRangeX Item Name: Fli14 RX Channel: 14 Protocol: AFHDS-2A 2.4G Mode: The second generation of an enhanced version of the automatic FM digital system Antenna Length: 50mm (single antenna) Input Power: 4.0-6.5V DC Weight: Only 1g Size: 19.5mm*12mm*5mm Color: Black Signal Output: IBUS RSSI Output: Channel14 No ground interference ( Transmitting and receiving 1 m from the ground): >300m Features: – Customized for Betaflight – RSSI Display Via OSD without any hack compatible with all Flysky AFHDS-2A protocol transmitter – Support RSSI Via Channel14(Aux10 in Betaflight) – Best for FPV Racing drone – Compatible with FS-i4, FS-i6,FS-I6X,FS-i6S, FS-i10,FS-iT4S, Eachine I6,Turnigy I6S, Turnigy Evolution Binding procedure: 1. Power for the Fli14 Receiver while press and holding the bind button 2. The LED will blinking fast , this indicates the receiver is in binding mode 3. Get the Flysky transmitter into binding mode , the LED on the receiver will getting to be solid and this indicates binding successfully Package Included: 1 x Fli14 RX View the full article

You just read the GEPRC Hummingbird review, here is another competitor from Diatone: https://www.banggood.com/Diatone-2018-GT-M2_506-Normal-X-Titanium-FPV-Racing-Drone-PNP-F4-8K-OSD-TBS-VTX-20A-ESC-Runcam-Cam-p-1294284.html Here also we have a F4 FC solution pushed up to 8Khz (with MPU68000), the same Runcam CCD microswift FPV camera butthe VTX is TBS protocol compatible (to change the VTX settings via OSD). The ESC are rated 20A and are 4S compatible ….. For motors 1106/6500KV but this coupled with 2.5″ props…. The performances should be incredible. The machine comes only in PNP version. Another detail… but a cap is directly installed on the XT30 lead connexion… Great to remove completly all motor’s noise from the FPV link. Specification: Brand name: Diatone Item name: 2018 GT-M2.506 Normal X Color: Titanium Fury F4 8K flight controller: MPU6000 Six-Axis; OSD; 16M Flash; 5V 2A BEC; Camera: Runcam micro swift VTX: TBS unify 5V Version ESC: F25 20A Current Sensor 3-4S Motor: Edge racing 1106 6500KV Propeller: 2.5 inch Please note: The PNP (Plug and Play) version comes without battery, charger, receiver or remote control. Package included: 1 x 2018 GT-M2.506 Normal X FPV Racing Drone View the full article

INTRODUCTION The GEPRC Hummingbird is a new 110mm FPV brushless racer based on the 1106 motors/2″ props combo. There are a lot of competitors in this catergory. Among them the Aurora RC mini. As most of recent models, a CCD camera is now directly integrated, here a runcam model. The 48CH VTX can delivers different outputs power: from 0mW (for pit stop stage) up to 200mW. The Humminbird is massively 3K carbon based. At each arm’s extremity, 1106/6000Kv motors are installed. For the ESC, a 4-in-1 12A BLheli_S/Dshot600 solution. The machine can be found in PNP or BNF version with a FrSky XM+ receiver. Let’s check if this bundle represents the state of the art for microbrushless FPV racers. BOX CONTENT + 1 x GEPRC Hummingbird + 2 x Battery straps + 2 x Antenna tubes + 12 x Spare props (6 CW, 6 CCW) + 12 x M2 hexscrews + 1 x XT30 plug + 2 x Allen keys + 1 x Double side tape band A spare XT30 connector is here…. Why this one is not prefered out of box instead of the JST connector ? Maybe to be sure to not attempt any 4S tries ?. The instruction manual is only available online (attached below)…. No printed version. OVERVIEW The general structure uses an H design. Here is the full caracteristics of the machine. The Flight controller is neo-classic F4 Omnibus With 12A only ESC…. unfortunatly this machine can’t be run in 4S setup….. It’s confirmed to be a 110mm machine and all thickness measures are confirmed. 3mm for the arms… They look super strong. -FRONT VIEW The battery is installed beneath as for most FPV microbrushless racers. Unfortunatly, only 2″ props can be installed. -SIDE VIEW The microUSB port of the F4 board is located on the left side without any specific board alignement. Betaflight 3.2.1 is pre-installed with some fine-tuning in term of PID, light controls and OSD. For the VTX module located on the top tower layer, three lights are here, each of them can be red,green,blue. As we will see below, the VTX’s tuning procedure is different but not so hard in practice. Good news, thanks to the two latteral screws, the runcam FPV camera can be oriented from 0 degrees up to +45 degrees. More in case of frontal shock, the two latteral carbon plates protect the lens from most type of accident. -REAR VIEW The rear side welcome by default the JST connector… strange choice for a 3S brushless racer…. probably limiting the unload capacity of the battery. The FrSky XM+ antennas can be installed vertically via the 3D printed tube support. More a vertical columns of programmable lights is here and pre-configured. By default, you have a vertical scanner effect. It shows also left and right turns. -UPPER VIEW The unique VTX button is easy to access and the corresponding three lights as well. -BOTTOM VIEW Here a 350mAH 3S LiPo model is installed. 4min can be obtained with such model… Main probably a bit more with a 450 mAh model. -WEIGHT A little bit less than 120g with a 350mAh. Expect around 125g with a 450-500mAh model. Motors and props Branded directly by GEPRC, we have 1106/6000Kv. They are know to draw a lot of current and you need definitively a super good battery to feed completly the system. Be aware, the spare M2 hexscrews are only for the props…. They are too long for the motors Associated with, 2 full bags with 8 2035 triblades props inside. They are known to offer jellofree FPV feedback…. but with 1106 motors, is the 2″ only prop choice only represents the best solution ? Camera and VTX modules The classic micro runcam CCD model with a large FOV. If it’s a 600TVL only, it’s probably one of the best camera in the market currently. No real direct contact with the lens The camera can be uptilted massively for agressive FPV flights. The VTX controls is a bit different than usual. The principle is pass sequencially from the Vfreq, then to the Vband and finally to the ouput power selection instead of parallel selection for other VTX. It means you enter first in Vfreq selection…. then only here, you can enter into Vband selection and one more time from here to the Power selection. Everything is explained in the following scheme. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHT The FrSky XM+ must be bound in D16 non-EU mode. The bind button is easy to access from the rear side….. but first bad news, no RSSI exported to the last AUX12 channels. Fortunatly, the XM+ receiver is plugged via a 3positions JST connector It’s possible to disconnect it, then remove wires from the JST connector and use some pincher probes to flash a RSSI friendly firmware via a Taranis radio under OpenTX. After the flashing procedure, of course you will have to add manually the RSSI on both the receiver and OSD panels. Another strange thing I observed. In the configuration panel the IRC Tramp protocol is selected for the UART3…. but in practice, via the OSD when you try to apply new VTX settings, nothing change…. In practice there is no physical connection on the VTX to support this option. Despite being a 3S only machine, the machine is powerfull… and punchout really not bad at all…… but …. but immediatly a major concern can be raised. As soon as you input more than 35% of throttle, some video horizontal bands noise is here ….. and it’s really annoying. Probably linked with an inefficient voltage regulation from the BEC part… Don’t forget the 1106 motors draws a lot. The battery I used was only rated 30C…. so probably with a XT30 model based with a discharge rate > 45C… this noise will be limited. The machine flies pretty well… largely strong enough for any type of acro figures style. The control and the FPV range are great. However I also reported some little oscillations when recovering from a massive altitulde lost… Some little PID finetuning is still required for this machine. With the 350mAh battery i had in average about 4min of flight time. At least no problem of micro failsafe cut as we can meet with the default receiver of the Aurora RC mini. CONCLUSIONS The GEPRC is first of all a super strong and durable machine thanks to its great 3K frame. The CCD camera offers great FPV performances but unfortunaly corrupted by the motor’s noise captured by the BEC. The machine is powerfull despite being a 3S machine. In another hand I regret the usage of a 12A ESC solution only…. not strong enough for 4S setup and the JST connector in the lead connexion. With the XT30 instead, a super strong battery (>=45C) and main probably a 220uF caps soldered the Hummingbird can be one of the best 110mm in the market… but out of the box is not and I prefer a little bit more the Aurora RC mini or the 2″ version of the Emax babyhawk. Dump_BF_3_2_1 GEPRC-Hummingbird-Manual-EN-V1 PROS + Super strong frame + 1106 motors + Powerfull + Good CCD Runcam camera + Programmable light + FrSky XM+ receiver + 3 sets of spare props CONS – Video noise in the FPV link due to motors – 2″ props only – Default PIDs not perfect – JST default plug – Not 4S compatible (12A ESC only) – FrSky XM+ receiver not flashed with the RSSI compatible firmware – No IRC tramp direct support This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 189USD at https://www.banggood.com/GEPRC-Hummingbird-110mm-FPV-Racing-Drone-Omnibus-F4-12A-BLHeli_S-5_8G-48CH-VTX-RunCam-Micro-Swift-p-1245041.html View the full article

At least for the first batches, the lizard 105S suffered from some (minors) problems. One of them was the Jello effect due to the free gap inside the metal camera housing. Now it’s fixed from the last batch. A new camera & DVR update is now also available improving the general brightness sensitivity relatively poor for the first machines. You can find here: L105S_CAMERA_V1.1 Just insert the .bin in the root folder of your microSD card. Don’t rename the file…. power the machine. The blue DVR light should be solid. When the light is off, the flashing is done. Disconnect the battery and extract the microSD card. Eventually delete the .bin file if still present. View the full article

INTRODUCTION In the serie of Large FOV FPV goggles, after the semi failure of the Skyzone SKY03 and TopSky F7X, the long waited successor of the Commander V1 is here: AOMWAY COMMANDER V2. The new V2 edition got a 45degrees FOV !!! super immersive and uses classic 800×600 LCD screens far of HD performances of the two first competitors. More the DVR part is also updated for a more classic HMDVR architecture able to record NTSC/PAL sources into D1 720×576 format. As for the AC1, we still have a non removable builtin Diversity 5.8G RF module but now able to trigger up to 64CH divided into 8 different subbands. The AC2 is shipped with a RHCP cloverleaf antenna and a high gain patch plannar antenna. These AC2 are expensive and the price is close to the high-end fatshark models…. It’s a risk from Aomway… Let’s see if it can be a Fatshark killer… BOX CONTENT + 1 x AOMWAY COMMANDER V2 + 1 x 5.8G Cloverleaf RHCP antenna + 1 x 5.8G half-planner antenna + 1 x RCA to 3.5mm 4p jack cable + 1 x 2S-4S to DCin power cable + 1 x Spare facial mask + 5 x Aomway sticker + 1 x Screwdriver + 1 x Instruction manual (English/Chinese) + 1 x Transportation bag Like the AC1, the AC2 can be powered directly from a 2S up to 4S LiPo via their respective balancer JST plugs. Corresponding male JST connectors are given if you want to build your own DIY power cable. It’s a good point The main lead power lines are filtered with a 220uF caps. OVERVIEW The complete list of the features. We have 800X600 builtin LCD screen with LED backlight system. The main question is this 800×600 resolution enough to avoid pixelization effect on the screens ? In comparaison, the AC2 (right) is very similar to the AC1: same number of buttons, same location of them, same chassis in general. The main difference comes with the type of plastic used. Bye bye the deluxe soft mate model, now we have a more classic brillant material like the Sky02 V+. Versus my first V1 (first batch), now the V2 comes with a three points headstrap much more confortable where the LiPo can hold rear. Already pre-installed via a scratch system, a facial foam mask… confortable but not durable versus time. Two masks with different thickness are provided. The bottom side is also identical with a PS/2 connector for a headtracker connexion. Notice there is a pro version of the AC2 with pre-installed the headtracker module. The IPD sliders allow to reach up to 72mm versus 69mm for the first AC1 model. That’s a good news for large faces :). There is also a unique 3.5mm jack plug. By default, when the RF module is active, it’s an AVout. As soon as you turn off the RFmodule, this port becomes an AVin. Finally there is a microHDMI port to input any 720p/1080p sources. Notice, you will have first to select the HDMI (or HDMI3D) from the main menu THEN TURN OFF the RF module by very long pressing the central left joystick at center. You must hear two beeps (the first announce when you enter into the menu). -FRONT VIEW -SIDE VIEW Same DC port -REAR VIEW The basic foam mask. At least good news, when the Fan is turned on, the airflow is light and don’t dry eyes. The diopter section is upgraded for the V2… and is compatible with fatshark model. -UPPER VIEW Also the same buttons layout as for the AC1. From left to right we have a earphone plug in 3.5mm jack format, a microSD card slot accepting up to 32Gb card. I tested with basic miroSD cards… even not U10 and it works fine. Then the CH/Bands/Scan buttons. As soon as you short press on this button, it increases immediatly the channel value into the current selected Vband. IMHO it can be a problem… because the OSD Vfreq/Vband informations dissipear after 5s and as soon as you press this button, you may unselect the right Vfreq of your flying machine. I would adopt another strategy: i) of the Vfreq/Vband is not display, pressing this button first should first display the OSD info and ii) if the OSD informations are display increase the Vfreq number. Each time this button is shortly pressed, a small beep is emitted When you press this button more than 5s, you will be able to select the Vband. Now 8 subbands are available !!!! for a total of 64 channels. Each time you long press 5s, two beeps are emitted. Finally when you press and hold this button 10s, three beeps are emitted and the scanning procedure is lunch…. Just a basic “SearchA….” is displayed on top left…. nothing else… no progression versus channels… or even better no RSSI informations for each channel like the Skyzone procedure…. It’s minimalist. At least the all procedure is fast, about 8s… it’s quiet fast and the picked up signal is always the strongest. The “mode” joystick button got serveral functions as well. Up/down controls the brightness while left/right the contrast. Note that you can have independent settings of brightness/contrast for the RF or HDMI sources.. When you long press (4-5s) centrally the joystick, you enter into the main goggles menu. You can navigate with up/down directions and enter/exit into/from submenus with the right/left directions respectively. For the RF sources, by default you are in 4:3 aspect ratio mode but you can select a 16:9 stretching horizontally the central part cutting the top and bottom parts of the screen. Other options are available, especially for the headtracker. Notice there is two RF sensitivity mode, one so -called “FPV race” and the second “Long range”. The right “DVR” joysticks control the DVR recording and playback. By default the module is turned off… maybe a good idea if you are sure to never record and in order to save some batteries. So in practice, you will need to turn on first the module by long pressing centrally the joystick until you hear a beep. The “REC” message will be displayed on the top right section. To record, just press slowly… the “REC” will blink slowly every second. Repress one more time to stop recording. The REC msg will stay solid. When the DVR module is turned on first then if you long press centrally the DVR joystick…. you will hear two beeps and you will enter into the DVR/playback menu. This one is clearly based on the HMDVR architecture… we have exactly the same layout with with more restricted options. For example no possibility to select the file record format. We are stucked into D1 720×576 format. To playback recorded file, you have to press to the right the joystick when the “execute” suboption is selected. At least we can turn on the option to record automatically as soon as the RF module is on. The bay for the Headtracker module. -BOTTOM VIEW Same layout but now with IPD up to 72mm. In comparaison with the SKY03. Here the noze section is much more confortable/adapted for non-asiatic morphologies. No unconfortable feeling as for the SKY03 (none-fixed version) -WEIGHT About 30g added for the new V2. with a larger headstrap and an heavier patch plannar antenna, it’s not surprizing. ANTENNA A 8dBi half plannar antenna with a double layers system. BUILTIN DISPLAY As for the AC1, the AC2 welcomes a microHDMI port. First of all you need to select either HDMI-2D from the main menu. In general it can automatically display the HDMI but probably you will need also to turn off the RF module (very long press centrally on the left joystick until three beeps) A 720p source or a 2048×1152 source The rendition is pretty good…. Here is a 1080p example or 1080p Side By Side The 3D rendering is great !!! BUILTIN DVR UNBOXING, ANALYSIS AND TESTING A raw DVR recording for a basic NTSC CMOS AIO module CONCLUSIONS The Aomway Commander V2 goggles represents at least a serious competitor to the Fatshark HD3. The field of view is huge !!!, no specific blurring observed, relatively confortable whatever the type of face/noze you have. The builtin screens offers good results in term of brightness/contrast and color but not reach the top results of the SKY03 or Fatshark HDO. The RF sensitivity of the AC2 is also reported to be better than the AC1. More the builtin DVR module is one of the best actually. In fact, there is no real technical weak points for the AC2 except the introduction price… currently around 440USD …. so just 50USD less than the Fatshark HDO….. I am pretty sure the price of the AC2 will fall relatively shortly under the 400USD. If you own already a commander V1, is the upgrade a must to do… I will reply no if you are 100% satisfied with…. The 45 degrees FOV is a great feature for sure but probably no worthing 440 USD. If you never own a good FPV goggles, then the AC2 is possentially for you. PROS + 45 degrees FOV + No blur + Confortable facial mask + Larger IPD ajustement + Good Diversity sensitivity + Good builtin DVR + No DVR cropping for both PAL & NTSC sources + No frame lost/desynchronization with an external HD source + Good set of FPV antennas + 4:3/16:9 aspect ratio ajustement + Fast 64CH scan procedure (8s) + Fan not drying eyes + Diopter compatible CONS – Builtin screens not as precise as the Skyzone SKY03/FS HDO – Very Small amount of electronic background noise in RF mode – Color rendition a bit overwashed – No possibility to turn off the fan manually – No possibility to turn on permanently Vfreq OSD info – No RSSI feedback during Vfreq scan – Vfreq immediatly increased when Vfreq OSD info is off – Internal RF solution only – Expensive -(no powerswitch) These FPV goggles have been courtesy provided by AOMWAY in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 440USD at https://www.banggood.com/AOMWAY-Commander-V2-FPV-Goggles-1080P-5_8G-64CH-Headset-HDin-AVin-Support-Head-Tracker-p-1281649.html View the full article

Well probably their first internal tests were not as good as the DJI Spark results and walkera just removed the walkera Peri from their website…. With the semi-fiasco of the Vitus…. (the final official android release is still not here 1 year later …). Wise decision from Walkera. View the full article

A new deluxe 215FPV machine is announced with the Red Hare 215: https://www.banggood.com/RED-HARE-215mm-RC-FPV-Racing-Drone-with-OMVT-F4-OSD-BLHeli_S-35A-4in1-ESC-5_8G-48CH-VTX-960H-CCD-CAM-p-1288116.html We have probably the best current elements present in this machine: super strong 3K arm with 5mm arm for example. A super powerfull FC F4 based with a buitin OSD and able to control as well the VTX. 35A ESC are BLheli_32 compatible so for faster processing (DSHOT 1200 compatible ?). They handle without problem 5S setup. Motors are 2306/2500Kv. Clearly this machine is dedicaced for the 5S configuration. A powerfull 3A 5V BEC largely enough to power everything you want with. The FPV camera is a CCD model with 960TVL. A minijoystick installed rear is available to ajust the internal camera settings. The general design is pretty cool with beautifull curly shapes. Without battery, the machine weights about 293g… so with a 500mAh 5S setup at least 100g more. The machine is proposed in PNP of in BNF with a FrSky D16 solution or a FlySky ADHDS-2A one. It should be a real real beast machine. Specification: Item Name: RED HARE Wheelbase: 215mm Size: 19.5 x 19.5 x 4.5cm (without paddle) 29.5 x 29.5 x 4.5cm (mounting blades) Weight: 293g (without battery) Frame material: carbon fiber+aluminum Arm thickness: 5mm Bottom plate thickness: 3mm Other plate thickness: 2mm Supply voltage: 2-5S Flight controller: OMVT F4, omnibus F4(built-in switchable VTX) ESC: ROPTER BLHELI_32 32-bit 35A 4in1 ESC Camera: 960H CCD camera Motor: DYS SHU 2306 2500KV Propeller: Gemfan 5152 3-blade propeller Receiver: wothout receiver, flysky AFHDS 2A, frsky XM+ (option) OMVT F4 flight controller: Processor: STM32F405RGT6 Sensor: MPU6000 OSD video overlay: AT7456E VTX: 5.8G 48CH 600MW(PIT, 25MW, 100MW, 200MW, 400MW, 600MW) Receiver interface: DSMX and IBUS, PPM, SBUS Built-in 5V 3A BEC ESC signal support Dshot, Oneshot, Multishot, PWM Board size: 36 x 36mm Mounting hole: 30.5 x 30.5mm Weight: 8.7g Package included: PNP version: 1x RED HARE frame kit 1x OMVT F4 flight controller 1x ROPTER BLHELI_32 32-bit 35A 4-in-1 ESC 1x 960H CCD camera 4x DYS SHU 2306 2500KV motor 2x Gemfan 5152 3-blade propellers CW 2x Gemfan 5152 3-blade propellers CCW 1x LED strip light 1x TBS VTX antenna (inner hole) 2x battery strap 1x battery 3M sticker 1x 8mm propeller wrench BNF version: 1x RED HARE frame kit 1x OMVT F4 flight controller 1x ROPTER BLHELI_32 32-bit 35A 4-in-1 ESC 1x flysky AFHDS 2A/ frsky XM+ receiver (option) 1x 960H CCD camera 4x DYS SHU 2306 2500KV motor 2x Gemfan 5152 3-blade propellers CW 2x Gemfan 5152 3-blade propellers CCW 1x LED strip light 1x TBS VTX antenna (inner hole) 2x battery strap 1x battery 3M sticker 1x 8mm propeller wrench View the full article

INTRODUCTION The Happymodel Snapper6 is probably a new giant in the 65mm FPV brushless machine area. As you already know first attempts with super compact brushless motors (0603/0703 categories) didn’t really outperform brushed equivalent. More a lot of vibrations were here with the brushless solution. With the Snapper6, we have some 1.7g 0603 motors but spinning @19000Kv !!! With such speed, each motors are able to carry at least 2-3 extra grams individually versus 15000/16000Kv former models. Two types of receiver are proposed and directly integrated on the main flight controller board: i) a FrSky (D8 & D16) and ii) FlySky AFHDS-2A. Finally the Snapper6 is proposed in two bundles version: i) a basic with one unique battery and ii) the standard with a parallel charger and three batteries. I will review here the standard FrSky variant. BOX CONTENT + 1 x Happymodel Snapper6 + 3 x 250mAh 1S LiHV with JST pH2.0 + 1 x USB parallel charger + 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x Screwdriver + 1 x Wrench prop remover + 2 x Spare rubber bands + 1 x Instruction manual (English) WIth the standard version, a parallel charger is provided. Two switches are here one to select between the LiPo/LiHV modes and the second to select between 0.2A or 0.5A charge. The charger accept DC input from 7V up to 25V. In the field, you can use a 3S-4S battery with a XT30 connector. OVERVIEW The Snapper6 integrates the new Crazybee F3 board with a buitin FrSky (or FlySky receiver). Important, this one is not connected via SBUS/UART connexion but directly via SPI !!! It means faster responses. More… it’s possible to select either the FrSKy D8 mode or the FrSky_X D16 via betaflight… Impressive. The main board welcomes also a 5A BLheli_S/Dshot 600 ESC solution. The machine is super compact … 65mm. It’s impressive to integrate everything in a such compact place. The lower frame structure carbon based offers 1mm of thickness. Enough or not enough. For me it’s ok because first of all the machine is super light and secondly the carbon is reinforced by the aluminium prop guards. attached with. In comparaison with the HBRC HB68. The Snapper6 looks even more compact…. and with the Boldclash B06 It’s super tiny ideal for indoors training. -FRONT VIEW The top canopy structure is installed onto two nylon standoff and locked with two nylon bolds. The free room between is enough to insert a fine tip for tje bonding procedure or the AIO Vband,Vfreq selection. -SIDE VIEW The top structure allows to fine-tune the camera lens orientation. It’s great to switch between indoors/outdoors applications. The maximum angle is about 30-35 degrees. Small originality, we have some aliminium prop guard instead of classic plastic. It’s less flexible, bendable but more solid too… Probably, the prop guard will be bent in case of crash on very hard surfaces but the good news it should be super easy to fix the shape. -UPPER VIEW -BOTTOM VIEW Each motor are connected via microJST connectors. The microUSB port is also located there… so not ideal to reset the level in betaflight and also to press and hold easily the micro switch bind button if you want to power the system with a USB port. The battery is attached via a simple rubber band…. the presence of two small nylon screws don’t allow a perfect aligned installation. -WEIGHT 30.3g AUW !!!! impressive…. Motors and props One of the novelty… the introduction of the fastest 0603 motors spinning @19000Kv… so about 10-12.5% faster than the former generation. 31mm triblades props…. A good tradeoff between efficiency and flight duration. LiHV Three 250mAh LiHV model announced to be 30C for the discharge rate. They ends with a JST pH 2.0 connector. A standard for this size of machine. Camera module A 700TVL NTSC CMOS camera coupled with a 48CH/25mW VTX. The field of view is about 120 degrees . Via the larger rear hole in the canopy structure it’s possible to press the unique button thanks a thin screwdriver tip. Here is a raw video sample The light sensitivity is pretty good… above the average. That’s a good surprize. UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, BINDING, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHT The machine comes with Betaflight 3.3.0 so a super recent version. This choice is motivated in order to control the builtin receiver with direct SPI connexion. Thanks to this new way, it’s possible the switch the receiver either in FrSky D8 mode or in D16. Just great. Whatever the version the RSSI is exported to the OSD and even sent via telemetry for the radio. In general the machine is well configured out of the box. So it’s ready to bind… One difficulty is to press and keep it pressed the bind button located front right. It’s not easy even with a thin tip of a screwdriver. A lot of informations are available on the OSD… First the RSSI…. and more we have also current readings working fine. It’s great for a 65mm machine. The machine take off from 45% of throttle input …. and punch out are not bad at all for a 1S micro system!!!!! clearly far superior to any other 30g machines, especially to any brushed Tinywhoop machines. it means it’s acro compatible. No problem to recover from flips & rolls. The machine is stable and not drifting in angle or horizon modes involving the 6-axis stabilization. The machine can turn fast without typical micro rear altitude losts. More the machine is silent. The list of good news is not over. The AIO module works pretty well and handle light transitions above the average. Due to how is attached the top structure, maybe some little vibrations can be noticed on the the FPV feedback. In windfree conditions, this machine is super precize and fun… incredible for a 30g machine. With the 250mAh LiHV battery, flight durations are about 2min40 up to 3min. CONCLUSIONS To make short, it’s the best 65mm FPV machine actually. The list of the main qualities is long: acro compatible, stable, F3 w/OSD, builtin SPI FrSky receiver, silent, good FPV & control range. It’s well configured out of the box and durable thanks to it’s carbon-aluminium structure. I give to this machine a SeByDocKy’s award. PROS + 30.3g AUW !!! + 0603/19000Kv motors strong enough for acro + F3 w/OSD + Well tuned out of the box + No drift in angle mode + FrSky SPI receiver w/ RSSI for OSD & Telemetry + Good AIO module + Uptiltable camera + ~2min45-3min of flight time + Good LiHV battery + Silent CONS – Micro bind button hard to be pressed – Aluminimum prop guard can be bent after a crash dump_BF_3_3_0 This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 97USD at https://www.banggood.com/Happymodel-Snapper6-65mm-Micro-1S-Brushless-FPV-Racing-RC-Drone-w-F3-OSD-BLHeli_S-5A-ESC-BNF-p-1283482.html View the full article

Xiami will introduces a new quadcopter…. not an advanced video plateform as we could expect, but more a super compact brushed 720p WiFi machine: https://www.banggood.com/Xiaomi-MiTu-WiFi-FPV-With-720P-HD-Camera-Multi-Machine-Infrared-Battle-Mini-RC-Drone-Quadcopter-BNF-p-1286780.html It’s compact, a little bit less than 100mm. The video signal is broadcasted in 720p format via WiFi. In term of stabilization… only done by a simple altimeter. No extra VPU. 10mins of flight time are promised. Finally as extra feature, the possibility to produce a IR battle with different MiTu. If no EIS is here, I didn’t see any real interest for this machine versus all other 720p WiFi toyquadcopters. Description: Brand: Xiaomi Item Name: MiTu RC Quadcopter Battery: 920mAh Flying Time: About 10mins Charging Time: About 60mins Camera: HD 720P Image Resolution: 1600 * 1200 Video Resolution: 1280 * 720 Quadcopter Size: 91 X 91 X 38mm Quadcopter Weight: 88g Controller: APP FPV Signal: WIFI APP System : IOS & Android Features: – 720P HD Camera Built in 720P camera are tuned amazingly to capture pictures and videos from the sky. – Precision Hover The new indoor altitude hold feature enables the drone to fly steadily and smoothly in the indoor environment – 360 Degree Air Tumbling You can get 360-degrees Flip, continuous roll for perfect action and wonderful performance. – Multi-machine Infrared Battle The MITU RC Drone has multi-machine infrared battle fuction, enjoy yourself with your friend. – Headless Mode With Headless Mode,no need to adjust the position of aircraft before flying . Package Included: 1 x MITU RC Quadcopter 1 x Battery 1 x USB Charger 6 x Propeller 4 x Protective Cover 1 x Manual View the full article

Sometimes you need to reset your priorities in life…. and mine are now more focused on to help my father to win its HUGE battle against C….R. I will update less often drone-maniac.com from now but don’t worry some tests will come pretty soon….. Cheers your relatives as much as you can… View the full article

INTRODUCTION The Fullspeed Beebee-66 lite is a super compact 66mm brushless FPV flyer. Coupled with 0703 motors, the main electronic is based on the TeenyFish F3 Omnibus board. Now it includes an OSD chip directly programmable via Betaflight. The main board also integrates 5A BLheli_S/Dshot600 ESC for 1S applications only. For the FPV part, a basic 600TVL NTSC camera 40CH/25mW VTX AIO module installed on a 3D printed camera support. The machine can be found in PNP format or in BNF with the three classic choices of receiver (FrSky D8, Flysky AFHDS-2A, Spektrum DSM2). As for all ultra compact microFPV racer, we will see of the weight will be light enough to be compatible with 0703/15000Kv performances. I will review the PNP version. I decided to install the uFrSky D8 receiver: https://www.banggood.com/OpenSky-8CH-SUBS-Super-Micro-Compatible-Receiver-for-Frsky-X9D-Plus-p-1165368.html a super light FrSky D8 receiver under 1g and able to offer RSSI for both OSD & telemetry. BOX CONTENT + 1 x Fullspeed Beebee-66 Lite + 1 x 260mAh LiHV battery with microJST pH 2.0 + 4 x 40mm props (2 CW, 2 CCW) + 1 x LiHV charger + 1 x 90 degrees microUSB extender + 2 x Rubber band The bundle is reduced to the strict minimum. No spare props or battery and even no instruction manual. OVERVIEW The design is basic “X” 66mm machine with the lower frame 3K carbon based with 1mm of tickness. Maybe it’s not strong enough but if you fly it over soft/ground surfaces, no real risk to break the frame. -FRONT VIEW No propguard for the Beebee-66… so props need to be particulary robust. The AIO module is not protected as well… The main protection is basically the super lightweight of the combo. -SIDE VIEW The camera module is uptilted with an angle about 20-25degrees. No possibility to tune it. The microUSB port is located on the front right side. You will need absoluptly the microUSB 90 degrees extender to plug you own cable, especially with props pre-installed. For the PNP version, you will need also to remove the four super tiny nylon bold… it’s a long and precise process. -REAR VIEW No specific light. The main cable ends with JST pH 2.0. Maybe the wires are too short or the battery too long but you will first to push forward the battery for the connexion then re-install it centrally. -UPPER VIEW -BOTTOM VIEW Two latteral carbon notches are here to install one of the two offered rubban band. You will need to double loop the band around these notches. -WEIGHT 31.4g !!! with the uFrSky receiver….. Not bat at all. Motors and props Fullspeed branded, we have 0703 motors announced to spin @15000Kv. We can expect even more performances with a 20000Kv version. Maybe in the F4 edition. 1mm shaft section. The racerstar 40mm props are directly compatible with these 0703 motors. The triblade 40mm props are solid. LiHV 2018 is the LiHV transition from LiPo. Here we have a 260mAh model with a discharge rate of 30C. I hope it will be strong enough to handle the voltage drop under load. It’s the same battery as for the HBRC HB68. Camera module A basic AIO module, 600TVL CMOS NTSC only camera. You can select up to 40CH divided into 5 different subbands. Disassembling Before to install the SBUS receiver, first I tinned a bit the three pads. I cutted also partially the 2.4G antenna and trimmed to 32mm. You will need first to remove the four nylon bolds Then the four nylon standoff to retrieve completly the FC+AIO module. The RX connexion pads are on the bottom side Solder the receiver on the GND,+5V and RCin pads according to Here is the result UNBOXING, ANALYSIS, CONFIGURATION AND DEMO FLIGHT The machine comes with a recent Betaflight V3.2.3. Any serial receiver must use the UART3… so don’t forget to turn on the corresponding serial in the port panel. Be aware, the board got a specific alignements. You must apply a +180 degrees on the roll axis and a -45degrees on the yaw axis. Luckely all these settings are done out of the box. For the uFrSky receiver, you need also to turn off the sbus inversion in the CLI by the command: set sbus_inversion=off then save . The OSD informations are well configured by default but can be a little bit optimized in the layout and informations displayed. More particulary, with the uFrSky receiver you can add the RSSI. Don’t forget in the receiver panel to turn on the RSSI on the AUX5. You can take of from a 55% of thottle inputs….. not impressive but from 55% up to 100% you have enough powerlift to climb fast and perform basic acro flips and rolls figures. Good news for 6-axis stabilized mode, no real drift observed…. so a good news for beginners. The machine can be fast and bank well without the “rear-right fall” symptoma…In windfree conditions, I am impressed by the stability of this 31.4g machine. Well everything is not perfect. First the AIO camera offers poor light sensitivity and strange color adaptation. For example the sun looks like a black hole…. sign of a bad light sensitivity. sometime the colors rendition are completly wrong…. Don’t worry, it’s still flyable like this… but it’s far to be the best AIO module. The second and more major negative point is the poor flight time despite the LiHv battery…. only about 2min-2min15s of flght time….. it’s so little. I think the machine can accept a 300-330mah battery. Maybe the duration can be extended up to 3min with. Both the FPV range and control range are good…. I really like the performance of this 0.7g receiver very solid connexion despite 3-4 wall crossed and cherry on the cake the RSSI is even exported by telemetry. With a little voltage divisor, you can even retrieve the Vbat if connected to the D pads. It’s also strongly advise to increase the volume of the ESC and reduce the delay to 1mm. With this trick you can hear the machine within a radius of 5-7m… It’s already no so bad. CONCLUSIONS Pretty fun little machine without any major drawback. It’s strong enough for basic acro flight style… it’s stable, fast and the uFrSky receiver represents the perfect compagnon for it. Can be used both indoors and outdoors but for indoors, you will need to stock even more urgently some spare 40mm props. The main negative point is the poor flight duration, just a bit more than 2min. PROS + 31.4g AUW + F3 /w OSD + Stable + Powerfull enough for basic acro figures + No Jello + Almost no drift at all for 6-axis stabilized modes + LiHv battery w/ the uFrSky receiver + Good range of the uFrSky receiver + RSSI for both OSD & telemetry + Vbat telemetry possible CONS – 2min15s of flying duration – Poor light sensitivity of the AIO camera – No spare props – No instruction manual dump_BF_3_2_3 This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude. You can find it actually for 110USD at https://www.banggood.com/Full-Speed-Beebee-66-LITE-RC-Drone-FPV-Racer-ARF-Omnibus-F3-OSD-5_8G-40CH-4-In-1-6A-Blheli_S-ESC-1S-p-1239529.html View the full article