Greenhorn First Quadcopter Build

[mema8610]

Hey, RC enthusiasts

First of all I want to apologize for my English, I live in Belgium so I don 't talk English that often.
Lately I was reading about RC vehicles, especially quadcopters. At first the "information" I 've red was overwelming n what parts you all need en which ones are "good" and which are "bad", but after lots and lots of reading watching YouTube vids it came pretty clear what parts and equipment I needed. So I 've put a list togheter for all the parts that I am planning to use, the main goal is just to build a "cheap" H-Quad for just some flying in the park and maybe a little racing, money isn 't the problem here but it would be a bit stupid to give out 600 - 700 € for my first ever quadcopter that I probably will crash in the first 5 min. of flight .

This is my list on every part I think is needed for a quadcopter with FPV ( I know this isn 't the most high-end equipment, because I can always add and/or replace it, I use to start somewhere so just begin at the bottom of the ladder and work my way up)
(eveything will be purchased on HobbyKing)

If you have any suggestion or advice of some kind I would love to hear it.

PARTS LIST

FRAME
- SLICK 220mm Quad-Copter Composite Kit (13.59€)

COMPONENTS
- Hobbyking KK2.1.5 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board With 6050MPU And Atmel 644PA (17.59€)

- Afro ESC 12Amp Ultra Lite Multi-rotor Motor Speed Controller (SimonK Firmware) Version 3 (4x7.99€=31.96€)

- DYS BE1806-13 Brushless Motor for Multirotor (2300KV) 24g (4x7.70€=30.80€)

- Gemfan 5030 Multirotor Propellers One Pair CW CCW (Black) (2x1.05€=2.10€)

- Gemfan 5030 Multirotor Propellers One Pair CW CCW (RED) (2x1.05€=2.10€)

- Turnigy 1300mAh 3S 25C Lipo Pack (3x7.99€=23.98€)

- Hobby King Quadcopter Power Distribution Board Lite. (3.11€)

CONTROL
- Turnigy 9XR Transmitter Mode 2 (No Module) (40.18€)

- FrSky DJT 2.4Hhz Combo Pack for JR w/ Telemetry Module & V8FR-II RX (31.99€)

- Turnigy 9XR Safety Protected 11.1v (3s) 2200mAh 1.5C Transmitter Pack (10.39€)

CHARGER
- Turnigy Accucel-6 50W 6A Balancer/Charger w/ Accessories (18.39€)

- Hobbyking 60w Power Supply (7.99€)

FPV
- Quanum Complete FPV Bundle Set w/ Goggles, 5.8GHz 32ch Video TX & RX, CP Antennas and Camera (PNF) (79.99€)

- Turnigy 2200mAh 3S 20C Lipo Pack (6.80€)

CONNECTIONS + ACCESOIRES
- 15CM Male to Male Servo Lead (JR) 26AWG (10pcs/set) (1.52€)

- 6 LED Strip White (1.52€)

- 6 LED Strip Red (1.52€)

- Turnigy Receiver Controlled Switch (5.80€)

- 5.6mm x 12mm M3 Nylon Threaded Spacer (10pc) (0.69€)

- M3 Nylon Nut (10pcs/bag) (0.55€)

- Turnigy Battery Strap 330mm (2x1.27€= 2.54€)

- D-Buzzer - HobbyKing® Discovery Buzzer (2.35€)

- Peel-n-stick foam double sided tape 10x5inch 4mm thick (0.95€)

- XT60 - JST Female in-line power adapter (1.54€)

Total: 339.20€+ Shipping (77€)= 416.20€

 

[Craftydan]

Mema,

Welcome to the forum!


BUY MORE PROPS!

MANY MORE PROPS!


This guy will be twitchy and not particularly friendly for a new pilot, but not impossible to learn on. You *WILL* crash. If they sell replacement arms, consider picking up a set while you're at it.

Also, pick up a USBASP adapter, if you don't have one already -- the stock KK2 ROMs are horrible, and the hacked ROMs from either Steveis or RC911 have fixed the worst bugs, improved how it flies and added extra features. Stock is good enough to test the hardware for function, but I wouldn't trust it for flying for very long. Additionally, you'll be able to use the USBASP on the 9XR to further update the radio if need be.

When you get ti in, feel free to post a build log, we'd love to see how it comes out (and we can lend a hand if you get stuck on something ).

 

[mema8610]

First of all I want to say tbank you for the quick andere helpful reply for the kk2 board, but what about the rest of the parts are they good (receiver, battery, transmitter, ...), and thank you for the kk2 suggestion but I' ve no idea on how tot flash the ROM and stuff, so what is the worst thing that could happen with the stock firmware.

 

[Craftydan]

While there are a near infinite number of combos that do not work, there are MANY combos that will, and what you picked should work. The reason I didn't comment on the other parts is they should do fine.

There are plenty of tutorials and videos on how to re-flash a kk2 board, and honestly, it's not that hard. Depending on the computer you use, the hardest part will be installing the driver for the USBASP device.

What's the worst that could happen? Far less stable flight. I don't mean a minor improvement in stability. There are may things you can do that a novice wouldn't know the difference, but a skilled pilot can clearly see the improvement . . . this is not one of those. As a novice pilot trying to learn how to fly, you will see the improvement in stability, and you NEED that improved stability.


On a second glance at your parts list . . . consider higher rating C batteries. On my 250 quad, I can use 3S 1300 30C, but prefer the 35C -- you'll get a more consistent performance from the battery from takeoff to landing, where on a low C-rated battery, as the battery drains your performance will drop dramatically, and the airframe will become sluggish as progress through the flight. Batteries won't last forever and if you keep flying you will eventually gravitate to the higher C packs as you purchase replacements . . . but why wait?

Also, one of the first things you will want to do to tune your airframe is de-vibe -- remove as much vibration as you can. Your first step in that? Balance your props . . . Tedious, but completely worth it. Your airframe will go from buzz to whir with everything balanced and she'll fly *MUCH* smoother. So get a prop balancer -- the hand balancer will work just fine, but balance it between two drink glasses on a level table. I'd skip HK's magnetic balancers -- the balancer shaft is frequently out of balance, which makes the whole setup worthless.