Good deal on 350 size quadcopter
1This Groupon Deal looks like a pretty fair price. Walkera QR350Pro quadcopter with Devo7 transmitter and... I'm going to say from reading the specifications... it seems to include a G-2D gimbal also. All for $299 with free shipping. This is Walkera's answer to the Phantom 2, complete with 5200mAh battery and 25 minute flight time.
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Ya, the closer I inspect the Groupon product description... the more I think this is a good deal. Of course, being Groupon, "free shipping, free returns" so I'm in for one.
Hobbyking has the same bullet points. I bet that the groupon writers we're so fond of skipped over the relevant sentence "compatible with the G2D gimbal"
I can't make the url work at all. But including it just in case it's just me: 58351_Walkera_QR_X350_PRO_FPV_GPS_RC_Quadcopter_DEVO_7_Mode_2_Ready_to_Fly_.html">http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/_58351_Walkera_QR_X350_PRO_FPV_GPS_RC_Quadcopter_DEVO_7_Mode_2_Ready_to_Fly_.html
@djslack You are probably correct, copywriter just took the specs verbatim from another source. Even without the gimbal it's about $50 less than the cheapest one I could find. Plus... as I said... Groupon's free returns policy counts for a modest premium. I'll let my order stand and see what shows up.
Sales tax kills the deal for me (and with most all other groupon deals).
@garyhgaryh Ya, with sales tax it came to $317. But I paid with Discover card which gives 5% cash back for Groupon purchases, dropping my net cost to $302. If, as Groupon writeup claims, it arrives with G-2d gimbal and WiFi (VTX) it's a $700 configuration for $300. I can dump the G-2d on Craig's List for $55 or $60, my net cost drops to around $250 for a waypoint capable autopilot 25 minute flight drone. Or... if it's not the config Groupon is claiming... they send a call tag and my net cost drops to $0!
@garyhgaryh Oh ya, added bonus: it'll pair with the Devo F12e right out of the box. If it has the VTX as they claim, I'll have FPV right on the TX.
Dang that was fast! Groupon already shipped this thing! Wow.
DAMN IT. I just bought one smh
I was starting to get hooked on this deal (hook line and sinker), but am a bit suspicious on what I'm actually getting. On groupon, there are two of the walkera deals. If I was just a guy looking for a walkera quad, I'd see this deal and think one had a remote and one doesn't. The one we are talking about seems not to have a remote. Also, if you look on amazon, the $399 list price walkera has no gimbal. The gimbal equipped quad with fpv has a list price of $799. https://www.groupon.com/browse/san-francisco?lat=37.6941&lng=-122.08635&query=walkera&address=castro+valley%2C+ca&locale=en_US
From the page:
Walkera Ready to Fly Quadcopter with GPS
...
Specifications
Those interested in aerial photography can use this quadcopter’s built-in GoPro camera mount to capture stunning bird’s eye views of their surroundings. Others can simply marvel at the copter’s smooth maneuverability afforded by high-tech brushless motors and built-in GPS.
GPS Control System
Built-in GPS ensures your Devo7 2.4Ghz transmitter knows exactly where the quadcopter is at all times, allowing for smoother, more precise navigability. This feature also lets the quadcopter hover with grace and stability when the throttle rocker is set to the middle position.
One-Key Return Home
With the push of a button, the quadcopter will automatically return to its starting point, thus negating your need to send smoke signals.
@garyhgaryh It's pretty clear that the copywriter thinks I'm getting a gimbal, VTX and Devo7. I'm dubious that's what the other folks at Groupon have in mind. But it's their dime, so I was willing to throw the dice. Same deal on the G-3d/G-2d gimbal. I doubt a 3d will show up.... but if it does, what a find, ya?
@ruouttaurmind I totally agree with you. If I go by that, it looks like you got their fpv model with gimbal and maybe a camera. The picture on groupon only shows the quad and no remote. Their other deal specially mentions the remote so I'm confused as well cuz the desc of the deal you posted makes it sound like it includes the gimbal and wifi capability. Let me know how it goes.. I was driving and thinking about this deal. Even if it turns out to be their non-gimbal and non-fpv version it's still a good deal if it comes with a remote. 5200mah battery! Ah, too bad it doesn't use the xt-60 connector. If I did get that, I would make an adapter so it'll use both types of discharge plugs so the batteries will be compatible with both phantom and the 350pro
@garyhgaryh That will probably be my first mod on it converting it to xt60. Here's to hoping.
@DJMajickMan @garyhgaryh I grabbed an adapter from eBay that's about 1inch long (no wires, solid single piece). Thought I'd be happier with that than a permanent plug change.
@ruouttaurmind I think that's the way to go. I got a 5pk of xt60 plugs already, but the solid single piece (the one you got) would be preferable.
@ruouttaurmind It looks like the same version Walkera is selling on their site for $339. It also says it includes the gimbal. http://www.walkera.com/en/showgoods.php?id=2286 I just noticed it looks a little different. The legs and feet don't look the same in the pics.
@crapstick The one on Walkera site is BNF version. No TX included. Which is very possibly the one Groupon will be sending. Then issuing a call tag for.
@ruouttaurmind Ugh. Walkeras site is misleading. When I added the 339 version to my cart it didnt have a radio or gimbal for that price. Nevermind.
@ruouttaurmind haha. I didn't see your response till just now. I figured it out. It's so tempting, just in case the mistake is correct.
@crapstick I know, right?
I dont see anything in the discription that tells me the camera and gimbal come with it.
Also dosnt it take a 22 volt battery? The phantom probably wont like that.
@nltownsend843 "G-2D gimbal supports iLook/GoPro Hero 3". There is no implication that the camera is included other than the standard Walkera configuration with gimbal and VTX include it. It uses a 11.1v 5200mAh battery. The X4 and Tali use the 22v battery.
@ruouttaurmind
Ok, i couldnt remember on the battery.
ive delt with so much misleading bullshit lately with online orders anything like "supports" raises a red flag with me.
@nltownsend843
But if didnt just drop a grand into my phantom id give it a shot.
@nltownsend843 Exactly!
@nltownsend843 The groupon ad doesn't explicitly say it includes a gimbal, vtx, or remote. However, the bullet point references these things as if they are included. I honestly think they did a cut and paste thinking these bullet points are common for the 350 line of quads when, in fact, it is not. I would buy it, but I will end up sending it back if they are wrong. I know it's on their dime, but I'm almost certain this is what's gonna happen if I place the order. I can almost state with certainty this deal will not come with a gimbal or VTX (even though their bullet point reference these elements). It might come with a radio transmitter, but I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't come in the box. If @ruouttaurmind @DJMajickMan get it and it's their fpv model, I'm gonna order it in a heartbeat the day they post about it (as long as it's not too late/deal ended).
@garyhgaryh I'm with you. I don't think it will be as described. But I'll sure be grinning if it is! LOL!
@ruouttaurmind You know what gets me? If there is a vtx, they are talking about the including ilook camera that includes the vtx. And they mention the f7 remote, which includes an fpv screen.. This is such a good deal if it is.. I made a screenshot of the entire groupon because the bullet item indicates everything you said and then some.. the wireless vtx means it includes the ilook camera. I wonder if I should get in on this? Maybe they made a mistaken on their inventory and will send out the fpv version by mistake? I can technically keep it as it's as advertised... I can understand why you ordered it... will think about this over dinner.
@garyhgaryh Your wife is going to block this site in your router. LOL! There is a configuration of the QR X350 Pro called the GoPro edition. It has a gimbal and a VTX (probably the TX5803). No camera. As you know, the Groupon deal doesn't mention a camera, just gimbal and VTX. IF it truly is equipped with that stuff, odds say it's the GoPro version. As far as the Devo7... that's so easily confused with the F7 it maches the GoPro configuration as well. Moral of the story? They are describing the GoPro version, but sending me the BNF version with no TX. LOL! UPS says this mystery will be unraveled on Monday, June 1 when my package arrives from Buffalo, NY.
@garyhgaryh BTW, There is a Devo7 TX and a Devo F7 TX. Two different TX systems. The F7 has FPV screen. The Devo7 only has a monochrome LCD display.
Yeah, I got confused. When I looked at the amazon fpv version of the x350 pro, it sayd f7 remote. I thought the groupon also mentioned f7, but looking back, it says devo7. The f7 would be nice to have...
Maybe it's this one: It's 299 in the US warehouse.
http://www.banggood.com/Walkera-QR-X350-Pro-FPV-GPS-RC-Quadcopter-BNF-For-Gopro-3-p-916854.html
@garyhgaryh Yup, that's probably the one that will be showing up. The BNF version without a TX.
@garyhgaryh It comes with an X703 receiver which works on the devo7 remote. The f12e is usually paired with the x705 receiver. Will the f12e work with the x703 receiver?
@ruouttaurmind The groupon says it's RTF so it'll include the transmittor, battery, charger, etc. @crapstick verified it does come with a gimbal so this is looking like a good deal.
@garyhgaryh From what I've been reading, the F12e is compatible with all of the Walkera RX. I know the QR X350 Pro is definitely supported based on an instructional video on Walkera USA's website that tells how to install preconfigured settings files. In the example that's the model they use.
@ruouttaurmind ugh, you are making me poor if I go through with this order... what's another $300 right? I was gonna order another carbon fiber bike.. maybe I'll hold off on that...
@garyhgaryh Well, you already have a 350 class quad. A damn fine one at that. Other than the ability to use Mission Planner for autonomous flights, the Walkera won't do anything your P1 doesn't already do. The 2d gimbal (that may or may not come with it) doesn't provide the results you're looking for. Why not skip it and consider building a quad or hex around your Devo TX / RX?
@ruouttaurmind that's still an option.
They've since changed the image they are using on the groupon page. Gimbal no longer on the quad.
@garyhgaryh @DJMajickMan @ruouttaurmind @nltownsend843 @ignorant
@crapstick whoah nice! that's at least worth $75 there.
@garyhgaryh I just ordered one. Now to just add FPV and go hunt down the phantom!
@crapstick I read every review on amazon about the x305 pro. Alot of them just drop out of the sky because of solder quality. I wonder if they improved their QA... One guy has both a phantom and x305 pro and says the original phantom 1 is a way better quad. Of course there are haters too.. But this is a very good deal with the confirmation of the gimbal and remote.
I'm still dubious, but that is absolutely encouraging. Perhaps it also comes with the VTX as stated in the description. Maybe I ought to order another so I'll have spare parts for when this thing drops out of the sky. :-)
@crapstick I recommend waiting until it arrives before worrying about FPV. It's possible it may have FPV VTX pre-installed. If it doesn't come pre-installed, I encourage you to consider one of the Walkera VTX. This model is designed to support their VTX and will likely be plug-n-play. Possibly even supporting OSD telem? Walkera VTX are priced reasonably and seem well made, complete with an enclosure:
@ruouttaurmind haha
@ruouttaurmind it supports osd out of the box! It's in their controller so no need to worry about gimbal and osd. transmittors are cheap.. $30-$100 with most under $50.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks! I'm off to research their VTX system now.
@garyhgaryh Hopefully I get a decent one. However with my skills, I have proven I can make any quad drop the sky, lol!
@crapstick haha
So who got in on this so far? Me, @crapstick, @DJMajickMan, anyone else?
Anybody get theirs yet? I was waiting to see what actually came in, i know someone said they were supposed to get one today, but when i tried to track that thread down:
It's Here!!!! First impression was WTF no props, legs, and no cable for the balanced charger they provided. Then I turned the container over and found another section to be pulled out. Oh yeah and this Professional Gimbal. WOW that's where the real money went. I'll have to wait until clear skies as I'm not flying in scattered thunderstorms.
@DJMajickMan wow, not what I expected for a gimbal! What about the wifi feature? Post more pics please.
@DJMajickMan If definitely not a g-2d. You gonna keep this gem?
@garyhgaryh Yeah I'll use it as a play thing. As to wifi, that's an "Option" which leads me to believe not included in this cheap version. As to photo's I'll take more tomorrow as I'll probably take it with me to work and fly it some while the weather is good. Also like that it cam with 9" props instead of the DJI's 8's
@DJMajickMan Thanks for the update! Sucks it's not a real gimbal.
@garyhgaryh Of course now I'm wondering if the one they had for $80 more had the features they claimed this one had... Might still be worth the $300 if it flies well. I'll take it for a spin when it arrives on Monday and decide if I'm sending it back as "not as advertised".
@DJMajickMan What's the quality of the overall build and materials like? Does it seem as sturdy as the Phantom?
@DJMajickMan Does it include a remote?
@DJMajickMan Lame.
@garyhgaryh Yes Devo7 remote. Much Much nicer than the Phantom remote.
Comes with the cables there for Pitch, Roll, and I guess ground
And close up of the controller
@DJMajickMan looks nice! Thanks for the pics!
@DJMajickMan Ya, maybe even without the gimbal we're after havin a bargain.
@ruouttaurmind Maybe we can remind them that they specifically said publicly on the twitters that it comes with it. See if they make good. https://drone.horse/forum/topics/good-deal-on-350-size-quadcopter#5560d1fb3e4029a00e2dde03
Did it come with the battery?
@nltownsend843 yes it came with the battery. you just have to supply batteries for the remote.
@DJMajickMan Have you had a chance to take it up yet?
@ruouttaurmind First flight was all of 6 minutes but I knew something was wrong with the battery as it was flashing red on the supplied balanced charger. And after 3 120 minute balanced charges didn't have it charged on my iMax B6 I decided to pull the balance cable and charge it that way and it finished the charge. I'll do another flight with this charged battery once the weather is nice enough. Rain chances every evening thus far for the week. Might be just cloudy tomorrow evening or Wednesday evening but I don't trust the weather around here so one day at a time.
Hey @DJMajickMan, @crapstick, and anyone else who got the Groupon deal, I wonder if this would fit in our QR X350 Pro quads? 7500mAh, 550g (the Walkera battery is about 365g so the difference in weight would be roughly equivalent to the weight of a cheap Chinese gimbal).
@ruouttaurmind i use the 5500 of that battery in my brushless stampede, its a good battery.
@nltownsend843 It costs a bundle @ about $100, but if it increased the flight time from roughly 20-25 min with the stock battery up to even 30 minutes of solid air time, it would be worth the buy-in.
A quick unboxing video of this Groupon QR X350 Pro.
@ruouttaurmind Thanks! It looks like it's RTF. Is it?
@garyhgaryh Yup, as RTF as the Phantom was. Quad, TX, battery, charger.
@garyhgaryh So you know I just couldn't wait to pop it in the air and see how it does. I was only in the air for a minute or so in front of my house. I don't want to upset the neighbors so I was up and back down in no time. My initial impression? Holy crap is this thing FAST. Seriously fast. Like a herd of wild drone.horses kind of fast. Cripes. I popped it up off the ground with about 20% throttle. The second it cleared the ground I jumped to 50% throttle to clear the prop wash from takeoff. Within a less than 2 seconds it was at about 60 feet and climbing very, very fast. At 50% throttle! It's a freakin' monster!
@ruouttaurmind stop making me envious!!
@ruouttaurmind @DJMajickMan I got mine. Also Gimbal-less. I noticed the front of the box says "Equipped With Brushless Gimbal" too. I guess it technically has no brushes. I twittered Groupon back. Hopefully they come through.
@Groupon We didn't get the Gimbal. Just a GoPro mount. Box even says there's one in there, its missing. Where is it? pic.twitter.com/AJqVzGOAAr— crapstick (@crapstick) June 3, 2015@crapstick I emailed them. They replied within a few minutes and said "we're sending you a return label". I asked to get the one I paid for, they said "we don't have any". But... they Groupon listing was still active at the time they said that, AND it still said "built in Wifi" and the gimbal bit. There will be no satisfaction from Groupon I'm afraid. So I must decide if I'm going to send it back or if it'll join the herd.
@ruouttaurmind What a bummer. I emailed them also. Haven't received a response yet. I'm going to return it. I'm tempted to fly it first, see how fast it is, but I don't want to risk scuffing it or something and having them charge me.
@crapstick My hat is off to you! I just couldn't resist taking it for a spin. LMAO!
@ruouttaurmind I tried and failed to get them to send me a gimbal. My only option is to return it for a full refund. It's still a good deal but I'm bitter. They're lame. The listing has not been updated and is still active.
@crapstick Ya, eff them. I'm packing it up in the morning and shipping it back. So I had to have one more flight before it goes back. Did I mention how fast it it? Wicked fast. Blistering. Burning up the skies kind of fast. Damn fast. And pretty stable too. I have to say, if I didn't already have four 350 size quads I'd be keeping it. Even without the gimbal and wifi it's a fair purchase at this price. It's got a solid and stable Loiter mode with a controllable and smooth stick response. But switch to Stabilize (manual) mode and the gloves come off. It's like having a Cadillac DTS... with a Power Shot nitrous system hiding in the trunk.
So I just downloaded the telemetry data from tonight's QR X350 Pro flight. Get this: Maximum horizontal speed was 21.115 meters per second. For you metrically challenged, that is just a hair over FORTY SEVEN MILES PER HOUR!
@ruouttaurmind Lol! 47 MPH! I have to try this thing out before I return it. That sounds pretty fun.
@crapstick It's a hoot for sure. A quad hot rod! Just be careful, the Devo 7 TX has lots of mode switches. Make sure you know which one to switch between Stabilize, Loiter and RTF (the MIX switch) and leave the others alone to avoid catastrophe. LOL!
I almost have myself convinced to keep it. I have a new in box Walkera G-2D gimbal that would plug-n-play on the quad and TX...
@ruouttaurmind wow that's fast! Tempted but I will stay strong!
@ruouttaurmind Lol! Thanks for the heads up. If I do take it up I'll be super careful and keep it out of the clouds.
I'm a sucker for a new toy. I couldn't resist and had to mount my G-3D gimbal on the QR X350 Pro. It was painfully easy. The quad is pre-wired for power and gimbal controls. Truly plug-n-play, it took me all of about three minutes to install.
Battery is charging now and if the weather holds I'll be on my way to the park for a flight time test.
@ruouttaurmind Just did my second spirited flight with it and got about 16 minutes flight time and got back to my car to find a cop there. :( didn't realize it was a middle school that was still in session that I was flying at. Damn these kids have nicer fields then my high school. No ticket just a warning. Pick a better spot to fly.
@DJMajickMan They're pretty peppy, aren't they?!? Glad you got off the hook with a warning. :-)
@ruouttaurmind When did you get the iLook cam? Do you like it? How's the vtx on it?
@garyhgaryh The iLook
@garyhgaryh @garyhgaryh The iLook+ came with the Tali kit. Tali, G-3D, iLook+ and F12e. The VTX seems to work quite well. I haven't pushed it to the extremes as far as distance, but in the 100 to 200 yard range it's crystal clear. Image quality is as good as my eyes are capable of discerning. A bit more color saturation than the GoPro pics I've seen, but my personal preference is for saturation over wash-out.
@ruouttaurmind Sounds like your spent a pretty penny for your tali (iLook+, g-3d, and f12e)... and sounds like a nice setup!
@garyhgaryh It's too nice for me to keep crashing it, that's for sure! LOL! I really like it and it flies like a dream, but it's not a sporty flier and I keep pushing the limits with it. I need to practice more discipline in my flights and use it for what it was designed to do... aerial photg.
Catastrophic in-flight failure of the QR X350 Pro today. And this time I was not at fault!
I was 8 minutes into a very gentle flight, hovering at about 300 feet in Loiter mode. I reduced throttle to bring it down and land (still in Loiter mode). At about 100 feet the quad sputtered, twitched, then inverted. Yes, INVERTED dropping like a brick.
Damage? LOTS of damage:
As far as the QR X350 Pro... The fuselage was smashed out of shape and is severely cracked in several places. The weight of the battery crushed the DEVO-M flight controller and pushed the battery out of shape. One motor shaft is bent at the threads.
My G-3D gimbal was smashed. Both arms that support the camera mount and motors are bent and twisted. The bracket that holds the camera onto the gimbal is broken. Surprisingly, it still wants to work. It seems the electronics and cables are all in good shape. So this might be a relatively easy and inexpensive repair (if the motor shafts aren't bent). Fortunately I chose not to install the G-3D parts I just received from Banggood, so I have most of what I need already.
The iLook+ camera was banged up a bit, but still functions well. The camera was recording at the time, but the file is unreadable. I REALLY need to recover this one. Perhaps Walkera would be willing to get involved in the file recover to help determine what caused the inversion.
I'm not exactly sure how to proceed from here. Obviously I'll contact Walkera support and try a warranty claim, but I don't hold much hope. Possibly the credit card I used to pay for the quad might offer purchase protection against accidental damage. That would be helpful. I'll contact them as well.
After each of my previous crashes I always consider what went wrong and how I can avoid repeating the incident. In this case... there is absolutely nothing I could have done!
@ruouttaurmind After reading the reviews of the x350 pro, this seems to be a common trend. Most attribute this "drop like a brick" behavior to cold or bad solder joints. It's too bad it happened to you. I thought you were going to return it?
@garyhgaryh Oddly, it seemed to be still under power when it inverted. I've disassembled the fuselage and had a look inside to assess the damage. Quality of components and assembly seems first rate. As does the quality of assembly and components in the Tali. I was going to return it, but after taking it for a few flights, then installing the G-3D and seeing what a good fit it all was, plus considering I could bind it with the F12e... I decided to keep it and liquidate the CX-20 and Nova, planning to keep the Phantom and Walkera. I guess the joke was on me. LOL! I just contacted my credit card company and confirmed I have "accidental damage protection" for 90 days from the date of purchase. So assuming the underwriter doesn't have some kind of exclusion for RC aircraft, I should be ok. I also reached out to Walkera, hoping they'll have some feedback and possibly provide repair service or repair parts. If the credit card underwriter denies my claim hopefully I can pursue a remedy with Walkera. Maybe even Groupon will consider a "product failure" return.
Here's a curious twist... after disassembling it and assessing the damage I found the compass and GPS connectors and some of the radio connectors were pulled out of the flight controller when the battery crushed the flight controller. I reconnected them, connected the battery and powered up the TX. It binds fine, searches for GPS and I can arm the system and spin up the motors. Dang. This thing looks like it was run over by a dump truck, but if I reassembled it I bet it would still fly! (at least for another 8 minutes?)
@ruouttaurmind wow! That's terrible! Glad you have protection options. Is that amex?
As for the file, i remember posting some options in another thread for file recovery and some others had suggestions too.
The search function is failing me at finding those suggestions, but i tried...
@ruouttaurmind That blows. Im sorry to hear that. I hope the CC company comes through. I decided friday to meet up with @ignorant and take mine out for a quick flight before sending it back. I charged the battery. Pulled all the parts and tools out of the box. Stared at it for a minute, looked at @ignorant, looked back at the parts. Then promptly chickened out. Put it all back and shipped it back. After reading this, I'm really glad i did.
@djslack Discover Card claims I have 90 days of accidental damage coverage. I put the chances of my claim being denied at about 50/50 because of the nature of the item in question, but it's worth a try, right? Thanks for the suggestions on the corrupted video file. I tried when the Tail crashed to recover that file, but was unsuccessful. This time though... I really need to see the inverted freefall ending in a sudden, dull thud. ;-)
@crapstick Ya, if you were still planning on sending it back, you did the right thing. LOL! I had decided to keep it. 25 minute battery life, sport tuned FC, higher payload than Phantom and the ability to do waypoint missions right out of the box... all at the same price we paid for the P1.1.1... it just seemed to make sense to keep it and get rid of some of the other quads. Well, my collection shrank by one today... but not the way I intended. HA!
@ruouttaurmind Deal site lists that it has a 1 year warranty if this helps.
@DJMajickMan It does. I've contacted Walkera corporate in China and Walkera USA looking for warranty info. I have yet to hear back from either. I suppose my next step is to contact Groupon and see if they'll take it back under warranty, or put me in touch with the supplier to make a warranty claim.
Here's some of the aftermath for anyone who's curious what happens when your quadcopter drives itself into the ground from a hundred feet.
This is the top of the fuselage. The quad was completely inverted and fully head-first into the ground. With that in mind, the plastic really looks much better than I would have guessed.
Here's the only sign of damage to the lower body. A crack at the screw point. I was amazed to find that none of the screws broke free or stripped out.
The weight of the battery (located under the power board the flight controller is attached to) crushed the flight controller against the top of the fuselage, crushing the FC housing and breaking the USB connector, but only dislodging a couple of the other connections. Although the GPS is mounted directly above the FC, GPS seems to have escaped without damage.
The battery is all kinds of wonky. The corner got crushed against the internal housing, and it's seriously misshapen with bulges and it's sort of twisted.
The G-3D gimbal... is a wreck. Every metal part is twisted, bent, gouged or broken. The electronics though seem to still be functional. I bodged it together as best I could and it's still trying to stabilize the camera! I thought maybe I got off with only a few bent support arms, but I've confirmed a motor shaft is bent.
@ruouttaurmind So that's what it looks like when you back over it with a 3 ton truck!
@ruouttaurmind That's brutal. Quad suicide!
@crapstick, @DJMajickMan The worst part? It was falling for... what seemed like two or three seconds. Long enough for me to run through the thought process "what are the odds of catching it, or at least deflecting it to mitigate my damage?" But being totally poweless to do anything else about it! LOL!
@ruouttaurmind haha! I am pretty sure I would have run to catch it and posted this story from the hospital. I think you made the right choice. That thing looks like it hit the ground pretty hard.
Groupon is offering a 10% discount code for Goods deals. That would reduce the price to $270, plus an additional 5% cash back on my credit card rewards. I'm going to try another one.
Glutton for punishment? Probably. What I should probably do is build my own with top shelf parts and be done with it. But alas... I'm going to try one more time. I really liked the performance of this one. The speed and power, the flight time and the ease of use. It clocked 47mph for Pete's sake! And... it'll go from 100 feet to the ground in two seconds flat! LMAO!!!!
@ruouttaurmind why not buy a 350 or 450 frame and new FC and rebuild from the parts that survived? just a thought. ;)
@DJMajickMan I considered that. The only parts I can really salvage are three motors and the radio TX and RX. I'm not that keen on trying to reuse the ESC's and would probalby opt to sell them on eBay along with the GPS and compass modules. But... all that depends on if my credit card company will cover the accidental damage, and if they do, will they want the broken bits back. I should know by the end of the week.
@ruouttaurmind man, I'm kinda tempted by that at $270, although the little kit ought to satisfy my want for a sporty flier so maybe I'll just exercise restraint.
Here's hoping the first one was a fluke.
@DJMajickMan By the way, have you done any firmware updating for yours? I was researching the problem I experienced and discovered there's a version 1.7 firmware update available that is supposed to drastically improve handling and GPS/Compass performance. Also, I discovered there is a known issue with LV cutoff situation that is easily resolved by disabling LV cutoff in Mission Planner (wish I had read that one about a day earlier). Then the addition of a simple LV buzzer like the one below serves the same purpose without risking a premature LV shutdown.
PS: The LV cutoff situation apparently can occur even with nearly fully charged batteries. I'd say it's very likely that's what I experienced yesterday. I tested my battery voltage when I got back home. I had 11.85v on no load. Well above safe operating levels.
@ruouttaurmind I don't recall installing firmware updates so I'll check that when I get hom. Already have the buzzers two installed for my dual setup on the Phantom.
@DJMajickMan Where didyou put your buzzers? I put mine on the leg.
@garyhgaryh Since I'm flying dual I wanted to see if they are draining at the same rate and figured this was the best way to test that. Also to have the audible alarm warning when I'm getting low. Don't know how long the alarm lasts on low battery but it also might work for tracking down the craft should it fall from the sky far away from me. I have mine attached with velcro on the bottom of the quad one facing down one facing back. Are your alarm speakers facing up or out?
@DJMajickMan I think the speakers are the two lumps above the led, right? If so then out.
@garyhgaryh They are. But I think the audio comes out of the un covered section. Although when I first tested them it was loud so it may not matter.
@ruouttaurmind Upgraded to firmware 1.7 last night going to try and take it for a flight today. We were already running 1.6 out of the box. And from what I've read it was firmware 1.4 and below that had the problems. I'm still searching for any information about issues with firmware 1.6. I have read a few that indicate we should probably open these things up and lightly pull on each motor power cable to see if they come loose and re-solder if necessary.
I guess I'm just stubborn. Or maybe I'm just not that bright. The groupon 10% discount offer EPIC3 expires today, so I went ahead and ordered another one. Groupon price was $269.99 using the discount code. I also get another 5% cash back on my credit card, dropping the final price to $256.50. Even without the 2D gimbal it was supposed to include, that's a fair deal. I paid almost exactly that price for my Cheerson CX-20 with half the flight time and 1/3 the speed and agility.
The very first thing I'm going to do is upgrade the firmware. Second thing is to disable LV shutdown and install a LV buzzer. Hopefully this will help avoid a repeat performance of last Sunday's show.
@ruouttaurmind did the coupon expire yesterday or today? That discount would cover ca tax and would be a good deal! Your video shows how responsive it is and makes me want one except for the fact it literally fell out of the sky.
@garyhgaryh looks like it's expired.
@garyhgaryh, @djslack Ya, yesterday was the last day so I went ahead and pulled the trigger.
@DJMajickMan, I just found out we can replace the radio receiver in our X350 Pro with a Devo RX705 or RX706 and receive telemetry data from the radio.
The data reported is somewhat simplistic, but it includes GPS location, altitude, speed and battery voltage. Of course you need a telemetry capable TX to receive the data (F7, Devo 10, F12, etc). I don't think the Devo 7 is capable of displaying the data.
In my case I already have a F12e, so I only need to get my hands on a RX705 and I'm good to go. I can set my TX to do a LV alarm also. It'll buzz and vibrate when I reach whatever LV threshold I've set in the TX, so I can safely disable the LV shutdown in the X350 Pro and still receive warnings.
The link in the OP just worked for me (ie the deal isn't expired). Not sure if that's because I'm a new groupon member, if the deal never expires (it says "Never expires" on the "My Groupons" page) or some other reason. Anyway -- I'm very excited that I caught it!
@aacero just the extra 10% off code is expired. Congrats on your purchase!
@aacero Great! I have no doubt you'll enjoy it. Just don't forget to upgrade the firmware before your first flight, and check the low voltage shutdown settings (using Mission Planner software). Make sure the LV shutdown is disabled.
So got 21 minutes out of it this morning with just light playing. One thing I'm finding frustrating is the right stick movement doesn't match the quad. It seems to stay in a north south east west direction regardless of the direction the quad is aimed. So If I'm flying the quad away from me (right stick forward) and turn the nose left and push the right stick forward it's still flying away from me only now it's flying the quad off to it's right. Thought this may have been a stick adjustment I'd accidentally made in my last flight but it didn't seem to change no matter what direction I had any of the sticks in.
Going to have to do some research on this and get that fixed as it's no bueno in my book.
@DJMajickMan That sounds like headless mode, or course lock in phantom terms. Check your transmitter mode switches.
@djslack I flipped every switch individually and tested it and each time the same results :( May be an issue with Firmware 1.7 since I did just upgrade maybe I need to run a calibration over again so that it resets the switches.
@DJMajickMan Definitely sounds like IOC mode (aka: super simple mode, headless mode, course lock mode) Have you downloaded Mission Planner yet? Grab mission planner and have a look at switch settings. Something in the new firmware setup may have caused all the switch settings to revert to this mode.
Here's another deal: http://m.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_113550.html?utm_source=shareasale&utm_medium=shareasale&utm_campaign=shareasale
This one gets the ruouttaurmind stamp of approval. The CX-20 was the first "smart" quadcopter I bought. The build quality is somewhere between "toy" and "really good toy". But it has a ton of features that all work as designed. It uses the APM 2.52 flight controller and ArduCopter 3 firmware. GPS, compass, full featured 7 channel TX, and includes a 2700mah battery and a cheap but functional balance charger. It has 12v and 5v power ports on the bottom of the fuselage for gimbal, VTX and accessory connection. Loiter location is better than Phantom, though it's a bit more twitchy in loiter mode than Phantom. Mine has the exact same motors that my Phantom v1.1.1 has (verified by manufacturer's marks) and uses the same self-locking rotors, so upgrading to 9443's or 9450's is plug-n-play. Best of all, right out of the box you can plug in a USB cable to the APM flight controller and use Mission Planner to program and upload autonomous auto-pilot missions. Easy to fly, easy to upgrade and cheap and easy to repair. A+
@ruouttaurmind I must resist.. I must resist. So many good deals lately.
@garyhgaryh I encourage you to resist. :-) I was looking around my office last night while uploading that video, counting drones and parts and pieces and tools and batteries and thinking "maybe they were right... maybe that intervention WAS necessary?"
@ruouttaurmind Sounds like alot of our hobbies: counting ------ parts and tools and pieces thinking "maybe they're right.. maybe that intervention WAS necessary."
Wow that was fast. Today I received a check in the mail for my QR X350 crash. Payment in full from the insurance underwriter for my credit card's "accidental damage" coverage. That's such a relief!
And to make a good situation better... they don't want any of the bits back. So anything I can scavenge becomes spare parts for the new one that's due to arrive on Friday. At a minimum I'll have a Devo 7 TX, three motors, at least a couple ESC's, and a RX703 receiver. Plus some smaller stuff like indicator LEDs, spare landing gear, battery charger, rotors, rotor cap nuts... a few small things like that. It's possible the DEVO-M flight controller can be salvaged with a repair to the USB connector, but I'm not equipped to do the surface mount soldering required.
Sweet.
@ruouttaurmind nice! Guess a credit card with damage protection is a handy thing to have when experimenting with expensive quads that may crash themselves.
Not that I'd use it if I crashed it on my own.
@djslack I surely wouldn't have made a claim if I was just being an idiot and it was all my fault.
@ruouttaurmind lol no, but my first thought before i followed through with logic was "man, that credit card is a great deal! I could crash anything!"
@djslack That reminds me of the Jerry Seinfeld bit about rental car insurance. "Ya, you better give me the insurance because I'm gonna beat the heck out of this car". LOL!