TEST: Mirarobot S60

[Drone News]

INTRODUCTION

The Mirarobot S60 is a new Tinywhoop class brushed FPV quadcopter. The same principle is here, i.e. a ducted prop guard system protecting and improving the stability of the machine. One originality with the S60 is the introduction of the flight mode selection between angle (6-axis stabilized) and acro via a shoulder button on the radio. No betaflight FC in the S60, it’s a RTF model coming with a proprietery FC, a 600TVL CMOS 120 degrees – 25mW/48CH for the FPV rig. This machine enter into the competitition between many other TW clones, for example with the KingKing Tiny6. Let’s have a look to this new FPV compact machine.

BOX CONTENT

+ 1 x Mirarobot S60
+ 1 x 200mAh/40C 1S LiPo with JST sh 1.0mm connector
+ 1 x Transmitter (using 3xAA batteries not included)
+ 1 x USB charging cable
+ 1 x Instruction manual (English)

No spare props in the bundle …. strict minimum. It’s not a big deal since your have a solid and efficient prop guard system. You have the possibility to order the S60 with 1,2 or 3 LiPos.

OVERVIEW

The machine is compact, a 63mm in diagone even if it’s not a perfect X- machine, the front-rear axis is shorter than the left-right one.
The plastic seems solid and this machine look much more solid and durable than a Tiny 6 for example.

The main caracteristics

-FRONT VIEW
The machine is more flat than competitor. The camera is jailed between the two front ducted system.

-SIDE VIEW
No USB port visible anywhere

-REAR VIEW

-UPPER VIEW

-BOTTOM VIEW

The 5.8G linear antenna and the unique Vfreq/Vband selection button for the FPV part.

-WEIGHT

20g standalone so it’s 0.5g less than the Tiny 6

A little bit less than 26g in total weight (so 2g more heavier than the 24g advertized in the instruction)

Motors and props

Classic 6mmx15mm coreless brushed motors are installed. But no information about their RPM performances. Probably some standard ones

classic 30mm quadriblade props are installed. No spare ones in the bundle.

The Kinkong Tiny 6 triblade edition should improve the flight time

LiPo

JST-sh connector with 1.0mm of pitch between connectors

Camera module

A classic 600TVL CMOS camera is installed with FOV nearby 120 degrees (M7 lens thread). Unfortunatly, the lens is not oriented with a positive pitch value

48CH channels spread into 6 different bands

One unique button. Short press to cycle between the eight Vfreq. A green ligth shifting on a column can be guess through the canopy. If you long press on it, you will cycle betwenn the 6 supported Vband. A red light is associated with the Vband selection

A modding is possible to correct this problem. If indoors it’s not a big drame, outdoors in acro it can be one.

You can access the FPV rig part by removing the four tiny screws

Seems no possibility to set the camera in NTSC/PAL system

Disassembling

A simple and thing copper wire as monopole 2.4G linear antenna. The wire is jailed into front left ducted guard. If installed more vertically,
the control range should be boosted.

Transmitter

A gamepad style radio with two unique shoulder buttons. The left one is used to (re)bind the quad with the TX. The right button is to select either the angle stabilized mode or the acro mode. When the angle mode is selected, the front red lights are turned on (and off when it’s acro). No 360 degrees flips, headless, or one key return. Other buttons are used to trim the direction but there is a way to recalibrate the radio control (not to level the machine).

In general I am ok with gamepad style transmitter. The two sticks are short and flat with powerfull springs. For a thumber like me it’s not super easy to have a precise control with especially over [-50%,50%] interval. As you will see in the videos, especially in acro, the machine can be hard to control.

3 x AA batteries feed the radio. Ni-Mh batteries are working with

Good news, the RF chip is based on the CC2530 model so… potentially the radio protocol can be one day deviated.

Despite the patch antenna, the control range should be very good. The CC25xx chip is the one used by FrSky for example

UNBOXING, ANALYSIS AND DEMO FLIGHT

The lipo insertion is easy but longer models won’t be compatible except if you change the lead power cable. When you turn on the quadcopter and the machine, the radio is already bound. No beep is emitted and no need to push up and down the throttle stick like happens often for toyquadcopter. After 3-4s, you will be able to push the throttle.

The camera rendition is correct for a 600TVL camera but clearly the light sensitivity is a bit below the average. Nothing catastrophic but hard light changes will be a problem for the camera. The machine hovers from 45%. It’s not a beast of power but at least in angle mode it’s stable. No jello in the video and no specific drifts observed. The control range is excellent (> 100m), several walls can be crossed without any dropout. The FPV range also is good for the a 25mW model. In angle the machine is stable enough to enjoy tiny space adventures.
When the acro mod is active, flight caracteristics change unfortunatly. First the pitch rates are very important and a large value of expo is preset on the radio. It means sunddenly the machine can pitch foward/backward strongly… and since there is possibility to orient the camera with a positive angle… it can be problematic. More after such mouvement, there are some bouncing backs/instability …. really can be not enjoyable. More a thumber won’t probably super precise controls with this radio. We can hope one day the radio protocol will be hacked for DeviationTX/OpenTX one day.

A new outdoors in acro

What’s a pity that settings can’t be changes in the FC… at least for the acro mode. The motors are not also 100% innocents… probably the lack of power represents another brake for acro flying.

CONCLUSIONS

A good indoors FPV machine in angle mode where both control and FPV range will strong enough to cross all the house. The FPV rendition without being one of the best is largely enough to have fun. For outdoors flights, especially in acro… the machine is not super stable with a lot of bonce backs. Usage of another transmitter would probably help a lot for the acro control.

PROS

+ Stable and precize FPV machine in stablized mode
+ Good 2.4G radio control range
+ Good FPV range
+ Super durable frame
+ 4min of flight time
+ Good 200mAh/40C LiPo

CONS

– Not enough stable/powerfull in acro mode
– Light sensitivity of the camera not among the best
– Camera installed without a positive pitch angle
– Radio sticks not super adapted for thumbers

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 60USD at https://www.banggood.com/Mirarobot-S60-Micro-FPV-Racing-Drone-Quadcopter-Acro-Flight-Mode-Switch-with-CM275T-5_8G-720P-Camera-p-1209375.html

Cet article TEST: Mirarobot S60 est apparu en premier sur Drone-Maniac !!!!!!!.

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