Dear Meh.com buyers, please find some of these...
7After playing with the Syma quadcopter in my Fukuwhatsit, I'm feeling the need for a fancy schmancy multi-rotor with GPS and all the snazzy features. Something like the Cheerson CX-20, Quantum Nova, Walkera QR x350, Blade 350 QX3, Flying 3D F8... I know they're out there for a bit under $300, but if you could bring some home in the neighborhood of $200 I'd surely be grateful. Heck, I'd even take a gen-u-wine DJI Phantom 1 for that price point.
Hugs and kisses.
Your pal,
Ruouttaurmind
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@ChadP is all about drones and trust me he's been putting the same thoughts in our buyer's heads for a while now.
This thread is now about posting your favorite/the best drone videos
@JonT If you need an idea for the photoshop prize, the DJI Phantom Drone would be splendid.
@lichme Phantom? Go big or go home. DJI Inspire 1 FTW...
@JonT I'm chuckling at the thought of a multi-headed buyer and someone standing behind whispering quiet suggestions into each one in turn. That must be how you get all the good stuff!
Funny thing is, the Accu Force for sale here last year made me do some research and I didn't like the IR controls. All the reading led me from helis to quads to drones, and eventually I purchased a DJI Phantom 1.1.1 for $379 from B&H. Of course now I'm so afraid to fly it and lose it on the first flight that it's still sitting in a box. I purchased a cheapo Syma X4 quad from the local Fry's sale (same price as getting it from China e-stores) and crashed it so many times that the DJI is still sitting unopened.
Meh should make use of this fear by first putting up a good drone deal, and then the next day putting up a trainer quad.
Oh and as a tip to your buyers, DJI just phased out the Phantom 1.1.1 2.4GHz and introduced the Phantom 5.8G in its place. Maybe there would be a nice cache of the older one somewhere :)
@Odi are you flying Mode 1 or Mode 2, you might prefer/have better luck with one over the other.
@Ignorant I'm using mode 1: http://www.symatoys.com/Tools/download.ashx?id=162 Left stick for throttle and yaw, right stick for lateral movements. Mode 2 is simply swapping yaw and left/right, I think more for RC airplane hobbyists. My main issue is keeping it at a constant level, I apply too much throttle and it hits the ceiling, or reduce it by too much and it drops like a rock. Ironically, the best control I've had over it was when the battery was running low, I was able to keep it hovering until it didn't have enough juice to stay airborne. I've been waiting for a chance to try it outside, taking the ceiling out of the equation. I've kept it in low speed and have no problem adjusting lateral movements to keep it in place. I haven't played with yaw at all yet.
@Ignorant I believe DJI has also discontinued the FC40... that'd be a good'un too.
@Odi looks like they found a cache somewhere, $315 today while DJI just this past week dropped the price to 349 closeout... Ordered one even though the first one I bought is still unopened
@Odi I grabbed one in the first few orders. Seriously considering buying a second one before they sell out. Keep the battery and props... maybe even the motors. Sell off the TX, FC, GPS, ESC's and shell on the 'bay. So basically after the proceeds I get my spare parts for free.
I'd like a DJI Flamewheel 450 or if meh really wants to get fancy a TBS Discovery Pro.
Thanks
@Ignorant F550! Bigger is better, ya! Would love a hex, but would be prolly triple the cost of a basic quad.
@thismyusername This is phenomenal! Is there anything else out there like it?
@luvche21 how about this: :D
@thismyusername Seems it would be pretty creepy at night if you didn't know what it is!
@thismyusername Sweet video, but it's hard to appreciate the movement of all the quads with all the unnecessary slow-motion.
@daveruybal ok how about
@thismyusername I've really enjoyed following those UPenn folks over the years - slick stuff.
@thismyusername LOVE LOVE LOVE
Not a very good vid, but it's about all I've got right now with my cheapo Syma X5. It just arrived from China on Friday. $47 including P&P.
I'm surprised this guy never got shot down:
@luvche21 spectacular stuff - all shot with a DJI Phantom 2 with GoPro. That guy put his stuff at risk for the greater good!
All my multi-rotor experience in the USA is limited to personal experience with my two DJI Phantoms, and I quit flying them domestically when they started cracking down so hard, as it would be really difficult for me to be believed in an administrative hearing that I wasn't shooting commercially, based on what I do for a living.
We have used multi-rotors or "drones" (and I use the term loosely - most people have no idea what a true drone is) extensively outside the US in more than a handful of productions - in fact, I've lost count how many times - and now we fly the s1000 series (with modification) from DJI commercially. It is easier and a hell of a lot cheaper to fly a multi-rotor and get a steady follow shot than it is to hire and use an experienced steady cam operator, and we have more "latitude" in the shot. With the new low noise / low draft blades it makes them utilitarian . . . Interestingly, although they have become "utility" outside the US, specifically when it comes to getting aerials that we would have used a helicopter or a mast for several years ago, MANY of the directors and DPs we work with are starting to shy away from their use as a "high" aerial platform and finding ways to use the tech differently - the "drone shot for the sake of a having a drone shot" has now become over-used and unless the footage is needed for a specific VFX sequence or the shoot can't happen any other way, we most often use a multi-rotor in place of a simple jib. Again, cost is the major factor. It is easier and faster with a well equipped multi-rotor. But, the platform is not the "end all" and it can't be utilized all the time. There's no one magic bullet to creating magic.
@Pavlov then you should be a bit pleased that the FAA did not go as far, clamping down, as expected in its proposed rules.
A friend flies a DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ out west and has created some Natl Geographic quality stuff in the Rockies - all with a $1,200 toy. The problem: his neighbors started complaining (privacy issues) so he can't fly it in his own beautiful foothills neighborhood. I mentioned he should offer free fly-over video of their properties for when they sell their homes.
@Pavlov It's like the drone is starting to become this era's Video Toaster star wipe. Glad to hear someone's using them to a better purpose.
@RedOak Yes and no, the real limitation for my industry is 1) having the operator have the multi-rotor in sight at all times (not just a spotter) 2) the height limit and 3) the 5 mile rule - any idea how diffcult it is to be 5 miles from an airport or heliport in a moderately populated city? Heliports at hospitals are going to count under the new rules apparently . . . it makes things difficult. Although, I feel they will end up adding an additional exception for flights under 50 feet - which means we can use a multi-rotor in place of a jib a LOT more in the US and save a ton (and bill more for the new technology). The way I see it, if I'm not using the platform above the tree line, it should be okay for production no matter where I am located. But, I'm not the FAA, and I have a lot to lose. So, I follow the rules. There are two firms in my same city that have had their equipment stripped by the FAA for not following the rules in the last six months . . . I'm not poking the bear. Plus, frankly, 75% of what we do is too damn expensive to shoot in the US anyway - everyone takes it overseas. Hell, most of Hollywood is moving to India and Ireland, Australia, NZ . . . too expensive to shoot a lot domestically on budgets over $10 million - more bang for your buck going outside the US.
@RedOak Oh, and they need to define drone properly. Even the FAA can't get it right . . . < /end rant >
@jqubed Holy crap - Video Toaster - I banged Kiki Stockhammer from NewTek at a trade show once so hard she shook on stage for two days. I couldn't walk straight for a week. The NewTek guys were amazing, they are actually responsible for why Topeka KS has as many strip clubs as they do . . . Long, but true story. They saved exotic entertainment from extinction in that little city back in the day. ( http://www.patswayne.com/kiki/ )
@Pavlov wow two confiscations in the same city, much less one - the FAA must have a lot of surplus resources in your town. Can't imagine them spotting/catching anybody but the most blatant/in-your-face flyers in our large metro market. Especially when they are flown at "reasonable" altitudes.
@Pavlov Uh, I think I won't click on that link while I'm on a station computer.
@jqubed The link is safe for work. BTW, for the record, I am NOT http://www.patswayne.com - that was just the first link I found that had a bunch of Kiki pics from the 90's.
@RedOak Both were confiscated by local authorities after the idiots posted on Facebook and one sent his footage to local media. The FAA sent an "administrative injunction" to local PD to hold the equip - then they (the FAA) from their regional office in my city visited the two formally and swept up the remainder - one guy has 95% of his gear back (he lawyered up) the other guy just took the hit and is busy overseas.
@Pavlov Oh, I thought that would be the story of how Newtek saved the strip clubs. Sounds like she had an interesting career for awhile.
@Pavlov Sounds like the stories I've heard of OSHA dinging reporters for not wearing safety vests by simply watching TV. If you're going to do something you shouldn't, don't make it easy to get caught.
@jqubed I actually think she's back at NewTek now.
@jqubed Yes, I've never understood people that want to brag about the shit they do which they know they shouldn't.
@Pavlov So, you're just going to leave us hanging on the reason why there's so many strip clubs in Topeka?
@dashcloud There aren't as many as there once were, but for a city / county the size it is, there are an abundance. In the 90's they wanted to ban exotic entertainment in the county. NewTek funded a huge PR campaign to keep the clubs - they were customers and their clients from out of town loved them. And NewTek was Topeka's crown jewel at the time and they said publicly that if the clubs went, so did they. If not for NewTek stepping up, the clubs would have been obliterated in the county. Surrounding counties passed stricter ordinances, so that left Topeka and Shawnee county open for development, and they multiplied. For as ass backwards as Kansas is, and as bible banging , the county now is in a corner - the clubs are tolerated, but so is the Phelps family, which may make Topeka one of the more tolerant cities in the entire US come to think of it.
To overthrow Kim Jong Un, we just need to airdrop DJI Phantoms into North Korea:
Actually lost my accu force heli yestoday... Sad day I think it on a tree I think
If you are looking at a great into an entry level quad copter at a reasonable price that is an AMAZING value for its price, the Hubsan X4 is an awesome investment. It has a novice mode that restricts the controls a bit to allow you to get a feel for controlling a quad copter and when you feel confident enough you can set it to expert mode which will allow you full control to whiz every which way, do barrel rolls and all sorts of fun things. There is also a more expensive version with a camera attached if you like. I have one and love it so much!
http://www.amazon.com/Hubsan-H107L-Channel-2-4GHz-Quadcopter/dp/B00IZC6C8E
@Saffer49 Absolutely a great start. I had already ordered the Syma X5C-1 when my Fuku arrived with a Syma X1, so I got to play with that while I waited for the Syma X5 to arrive from China. I was very impressed with how well the X1 flies for a relatively inexpensive toy (about the same price point as your Hubsan X4). Now, after experiencing the inexpensive quads I'm finding myself wanting a bit more operating range and a stabilized camera gimbal.
saw this a couple months ago. a guy flew his drone through Chernobyl
I've been flying model helicopters for a few years now, so this whole drone fad just doesn't do it for me. I've seen guys fly upside down through a hoop with a camera on board, and then go fishing with it. These drones are like paddle boats compared to the jet skies of 3D helis.
@DonberKon honest question: then why don't more people use RC helicopters to get these kinds of aerial shots? Is it the difficulty in controlling the helis?
@JonT If they're "real" RC helicopters, no gyro gizmos, they are far more difficult to fly. But for the gyro/gizmo loaded helicopters, I believe they don't offer anywhere near the stability as a camera plaform vs. quad/hexa/octa's.
I saw I guy in a local park walk up to his gps-anchored octa while it was flying, pull it down 12 inches, and it immediately rose back up to the original spot.
Yeah the full 3D (which is to say the ones with variable pitch rotors like the fancy 1:1 scale helicopters) are very difficult to learn. There are fixed pitch ones that just speed up and slow down the rotors to change lift, and they are way less sensitive and easier to fly. Still tougher than quad rotor "drones."
Am I the only one who saw this on the home page??
@Foxborn The thread was from a month ago. I bumped it because it was on the home page, in case anyone had subscribed to it.