SCX-200 Race Quad Build Log

[Flat4]

I've been eyeing up those red bottoms as well. I'm actually thinking of running the newer higher kv versions on this build with some lower pitched tri blades. The only thing that concerns me with the red bottoms is their amp draw. My current setups are already stressing my batteries, and that's with the rcx 2205 that have considerably less amp draw. True graphene batteries can't come soon enough.

I think building everything to handle 4s is a great idea, even if your not quite ready for it yet. You'd be surprised how quickly you out grow 3S, and doing what your doing is going to save a good chunk of cash in the long run.

 

[jipp]

yeah i did read the red bottoms draw about 2-3amps more than the RCX 2205. i like the rcx motors.. on my current build a 180 which if im up to it ill maiden this eevning.. or tomorow... im using the rcx 1806 ccw the ones for 6.00 a peice. heh. price was right.

so if the the redbottoms draw more amps that means you have to go up in battery right? so im guessing i would need something like one of these?

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...nt=8538133835&utm_medium=email&utm_source=EDM

i guess that means you have to go to 30amp esc too. and probably higher end pdb.. even tho iv been impressed with the matek brand..
but they are spendy compared to your normal pdb.. heh but they seem to do a lot. i have one version 3.0 but im just not sure how to hook it up so i did not use it on this 180 build ( but i am learning more and more each build.. i know on this build i learn if you hard solder your motors to your esc.. do not add heat to your heat shrink till your motors are turning in the correct directio9n. laughs. my original plan was to just flash them and use the software to manage motor direction.. but i could not get them to flash.. so the hour i wasted trying it took me a whole 5 mins to just unsolder the esc from the PDB, cut the heat shrink off, alternate wires, solder, add heat shrink, solder..
but that is part of learning i guess. you learn from ones mistakes and hope you do not make a bunch of them. LOL. also if you have problems with your RX talking to the software.. make sure you are using the correct protocol.. it took me a half hour to figure out i was trying to configure my TX using a single wire connected to the RX instead of all 6 ppm i guess it is or maybe ppwm.. heh.. that was sure slap up side of the head when i figured out what i was doing wrong.. safe to say wont happen again )

but yeah if the red bottom draw more amps.. it looks like by the end of the year with that new graphene battery tech.. things are gonna get exciting real quick. heh.. im not sure why they can charge quicker.. or is it like what we have now you can charge faster, but its safer just to charge at 1amp or 1.5 etc..

chris.

 

[mpbiv]

http://www.miniquadtestbench.com/emax-rs2205-2600kv.html

Those new EMAX RS2205-2600kv motors are beasts. Over 1300g of thrust on a 5x4x3 prop pulling 32A! Holy Guacamole.

I bought some of the newer T-Motor F40 V2s for this build (2205 2300kv), and I seriously re-considered my motor choice after seeing the thrust tests on the EMAX Red bottoms. But Flat4 is right, the current draw on those motors is a lot, and you really need good sized high C-rated batteries to feed them.

Now the RS2205-2300kv are a little more forgiving and still produce excellent thrust.

 

[jipp]

http://www.miniquadtestbench.com/emax-rs2205-2600kv.html

Those new EMAX RS2205-2600kv motors are beasts. Over 1300g of thrust on a 5x4x3 prop pulling 32A! Holy Guacamole.

I bought some of the newer T-Motor F40 V2s for this build (2205 2300kv), and I seriously re-considered my motor choice after seeing the thrust tests on the EMAX Red bottoms. But Flat4 is right, the current draw on those motors is a lot, and you really need good sized high C-rated batteries to feed them.

Now the RS2205-2300kv are a little more forgiving and still produce excellent thrust.

for my needs then it sounds like i would be better off going with the RS2205-2300kvs since im not racing etc yet.. just want to build a quality quad and try some high end motors.. so far iv only used emax 1806s, 2204s, rcx 1806s, 2205s version 1. these motors have treated me well I was surprised when i heard the hype the red bottoms were getting because you know iv thought of them as kit motors, good middle ground motors.. cobras, t-motors etc as high end.. but i guess it just goes to show.. if there is money to be made and a customer any company can put out some good motors for our hobby

i gave up on trying to get cobras since they were always sold out.

so i think i will put the RS2205s-2300kv to my martian 230 build list.

what ESC would you recommend with the RS2205-2300? im thinking maybe kiss 24a, or little bees 30a...

i would consider rotogeeks since they are brutes.. but they are huge compared to these DYS SN20 blheli, and SN16 Simon K, little bees etc..

chris.

p.s
so it sounds like the RS2205 - 2600kb will enjoy the new battery tech when it comes out this year. i think hobbyking is selling a graphene style battery too


http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...Graphene_1300mAh_3S_65C_LiPo_Pack_w_XT60.html

20 bucks. i wonder how this battery would Handel the 2600kv.

 

[mpbiv]

Basic build instructions

 

[airhawk]

Amazing build mpbiv looks great im also interested in those new emax 2600kv motors.I might just look into getting my own grame printed seems like its worth a shot. Also thanks for all the help on my shrieker 130 thread i would of messed up already if it wasn't for your help.
Thanks
-Airhawk

 

[mpbiv]

Well, finally get around to making a little bit of progress on this build. Shortly after making the video above, I got to work soldering all the motors and ESCs and placing them on the frame. Using Little Bee 20A speed controls and T-Motor F40 (2205 2300kv) motors.

All four motors and ESCs on the frame:


I like to direct solder and replace the heat shrink:


Soldered the ESCs to the PDB, and used a little sliver of heat shrink to help tidy up the wire routing:


Even found some time to connect the FPV camera to the PDB:


Now I need to solder a power lead onto the PDB, and then go through the BLHELI settings on each ESC before I install the remaining electronics including the Flight Controller (Lumenier Luxe F3 board).

 

[mpbiv]

Well here it is! Ready for it's maiden flight and some tuning. Already test hovered in the house


Decided to use another set of standoffs along with my 3D printed stacker plate to hold the TFR4SB receiver. It's a tight fit in this configuration and I could have probably just double-sided taped it to the LUX flight controller, but I wanted something more secure:


Ended up running the power lead out the side. Didn't intend to do this when I designed the frame, but it turns out there isn't much room to run it out the back with the vtx mounted the way it is.


UBAD 200mw vtx, fits like intended with not much room for anything else. Very easy to change channels, which is an intentional design feature:


Finally, a little piece of Velcro on the bottom to keep batteries secure:

 

[mpbiv]

Last but not least, final weigh in was ~285g without battery. Not bad, although I would have liked to been closer to 250g. With the exception of using lighter motors, I don't think there is much else that can be done to get down in weight, at least not without compromising the strength and function of the frame.

So as they say "The devil is in the details", and with this first prototype I have already spotted some areas of change and hopefully improvement. With that being said I have a new version in the works, being made through CNC Madness, that will hopefully be here in even shorter time frame than the Armattan versions. I am hoping the new version with the updates is even better assembly wise compared to this version.

The new version, I shall just dub V2 for now, mounts the vtx differently, with the antenna coming out the back of the frame instead of the top plate. If I designed everything right it should still allow for easy channel changing. I have also increased the standoff height by 5mm giving more vertical room in the stack/pod section of the frame. This in turn also led to a change in the camera side plates to accommodate the height change, also allowing something like 55* of total camera tilt (which is probably too much for me, but enough for some of the hot shoe pilots out there).

 

[mpbiv]

Finally got around to making some maiden flights. Here is one of the flights in my favorite park.

 

[jipp]

nice flying.. looks to be very nimble.

chris.

 

[mpbiv]

New Version 2!!!!

Decided to try a different vendor for my prototype frames, and CNC Madness did not disappoint! Only took about a week from the time I ordered to when I got the new frame pieces!









So as you can see from the above pictures, the VTX placement has changed drastically, and an additional carbon plate is used to hold it. Along with that change, the standoffs changed from 25mm to 30mm to create the extra room needed inside the frame for the VTX.

Now the top plate has been redesigned as well, but the cutouts have been carefully arranged to allow access to pushbuttons and dip switches on the most popular brands of VTX's out there.



TS5823 VTX:


FX799T/Lumenier/RMRC Cricket/etc VTXs:


UBAD/Hawkeye VTXs:


VTX Anti-rotation bracket prototype still in progress: I already have a design to lock the VTX orientation and allow full connection between the Antenna and VTX SMA. I just sent it off to CNC Madness to quote and I need to order the proper hardware from McMaster Carr, but if everything works out it should be pretty straight forward.

And something else is a brewing......................... an SCX-175??





That's right, a prototype for 4" props, which is pretty much the same frame other than arm length.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Damn that is sexy.


Still trying to decide on motors for a 4" Alien...

 

[mpbiv]

Damn that is sexy.


Still trying to decide on motors for a 4" Alien...

Have you narrowed down your choices yet?

I started out on Cobra 2204 2300kv, and they were pretty good. Eventually switched to EpicRC MN2204 2800kv which had a bit more kick to them. Definitely go for the higher KV motors, 2204/2205 2600kv and up seem to be the hot ticket.

 

[Twitchity]

Nice updates to the quad, mpbiv. That's a great turnaround time from order to when you received the new prototype frame from CNC Madness. The CF looks nice too, but I'm still a fan of the twill weave Armattan offers. Looks like I'll be waiting until you get the VTX mount sorted out before I place an order for a frame.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Have you narrowed down your choices yet?

I started out on Cobra 2204 2300kv, and they were pretty good. Eventually switched to EpicRC MN2204 2800kv which had a bit more kick to them. Definitely go for the higher KV motors, 2204/2205 2600kv and up seem to be the hot ticket.

I have the Cobras and am thinking about just putting them on. The new Cobra 1806 2800kv motors are out of stock and are my first choice today.

 

[mpbiv]

I have the Cobras and am thinking about just putting them on. The new Cobra 1806 2800kv motors are out of stock and are my first choice today.

Go for it!

Granted Cobra 1806 2800kv didn't exist at the time, but I had some Tiger MN1806 2300kv on a Tweaker and I wasn't impressed with them when compared to the torque of the 2204 motors on 4" props on my heavier Tweaker FPVA.

 

[cranialrectosis]

Go for it!

Granted Cobra 1806 2800kv didn't exist at the time, but I had some Tiger MN1806 2300kv on a Tweaker and I wasn't impressed with them when compared to the torque of the 2204 motors on 4" props on my heavier Tweaker FPVA.

All I see is out of stock... Not sure they exist yet.

 

[mpbiv]

First official race with the SCX-200 (prototype/V1)!

Managed to place 4th overall which was pretty good considering I didn't even have to race since I am already pre-qualified for FL regionals at the Miami event a couple weeks ago.

CNC Madness rocked it again and delivered me a new set of frames and the anti-rotation mounts within a week of ordering! So I made a video explaining all the changes I made for the V2 frame and explaining how the anti-rotation mount is assembled and works. I'm just waiting on Youtube as that video is uploading as I type this.

 

[Darkback2]

Awesome flying and a super inspiring build.

DB