Robbie
Senior Member
Appologies for the review style of writing I did this orginally for my website .
The Build
RCX 1407 3200kV
DYS XM Seris XM10A BLHeli mini 10A
Fr-Sky x4R
CS1563
TINY 600mW Tx
Naze32 Rev5
DAL Prop 3045
3S 450mAh/800mah 65-130C
I will be the first to admit that this is not the neatest build, but there in lies the beauty of the frame. It is forgiving and you can throw this together quickly. This build too me about an 1 hour 30 mins, compared to my atom which took a couple of days. Yes my atom looks a lot better but this is one is just as functional. When I turned it on (with no electrical tape and roughly put on heatshrink) everything worked!!! I have subsequently put liquid electrical tape in sensitive areas but only as a precaution unlike the atom it is not a necessity.
A few things to point out on the build. I have covered the outside in electrical tape, this is a neat trick I learnt, it helps to stop wires from getting caught in props. Due to the fact I am not flying far I have also tied both RX antenna together as there is no need for the diversity, I have not flown below 70Db yet. I also made a custom 5.8Ghz antenna as I have no need for big range and it saves a lot of weight, not to mention the durability. I took the paper off my X4R-SB and wrapped it in electrical tape, I was going to de-solder the pins like I did for my atom, but there was no need as the height of the stand offs allowed me plenty of space to mount the receiver.
The BLHeli ESCs are really nice and small, and fit on the arms very nicely. I see a lot of people going 20A but unless you are planning to run 4S (which is arguably unnecessary and self defeating for a quad this size) then there is no need to run the bigger ESC. I am running bigger motors than most people will likely use and so far my ESCs have been absolutely fine, even with sustained use of full throttle. Finally, XT30 plugs are probably the best plug to use on a build like this, they are cheap, reliable and they the are easy to solder onto batteries well; mine have worked a treat.
The Frame
First off, I would like to say that the Shrieker fixes perhaps our biggest issue the Atom and that is ease of the build. The High stand off allow for a nicely stacked naze and PDB. When it comes to the PDB you don’t have to buy a specialised one like the Atom, in my build I used a Thug PDB. It is is nice and simple, well designed and has space for a Pololu 5V. The 35mm board fits in very well, with the perfect amount of space given around it and unlike the RotorX it doesn’t feel squeezed in. There is even space for a heftier external LCfilter I nicked off an old plane, for the VTX (the small batteries on these things have horrific voltage sag). It is clear that Andy Shen tried to design a small frame with the average builder in mind, though it is almost as small as an atom it still feels very spacious and is easy to build on. There is also a bit more prop clearance than the Atom which is good and allows for a slightly messier build as well as the oversized HQ props. It is important to note that due to the fact I could build it with a normal PDB I did save about $25 dollars on fancy electronics, as everything I used was made for 250 quads apart from the camera, and even with that you can use a full size camera.
Pros
Cons
Flying
The frame flew beautifully, without a doubt on par with the atom. Like the atom and every other micro I have flown it turned on a dime and was nimble and forgiving to fly. The lack of momentum gives it more than enough power, but also makes you feel like a moth – the true test of any micro quad. The 1407s were absolutely brilliant and really came into their own with the heftier DAL 3045 props. I would like to give special mention to these props, they are perhaps the best I have ever come across!!! I crashed onto concrete with these props and the only damaged I had was a single blade was bent and that was it, I am still yet to break a prop in over 30 mins of flight time and plenty of crashes!!!!! This is unprecedented for props, I am genuinely finding it impossible to break these things, the frame is taking more a battering than these props.
The only downside to the flying experience was the extra weight which came with the heavier motors, props and my large LC filter. If I tried hard a could probably shave quite a few grams but it will never be as light as the Atom. However, the flying experienced was only damped slightly and there was only a hair in it. I could only tell when I flew each frame back to back. If I flew on different days I would not be able to tell. The bigger motors and props (1407 and 3045×3) I am using mean that the Shrieker has a higher top speed; but my atom’s 1306 and 3020×3 build has higher acceleration and is ultimately more nimble.
Conclusions
I found the Shrieker to be a really great frame! It is definitely the best frame to get if you are looking to get into your first micro quad, as the tightness of the other micros on the market makes them only suitable for experienced and neat builders. The flying was on par with atom and other micros I have tested, and as Brucey always says ultimately a frame makes little difference in flying characteristics, which is why I have concentrated so much on the build. My biggest issues are the pointed edges and the camera mount. I think either an adjustable camera mount on one 25-30 degrees would be preferable and those sharp edges I suspect are merely there for looks, or to slice someone you crash into (if your props don’t do it first).
Flying: 8/10
Build: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
The Build
RCX 1407 3200kV
DYS XM Seris XM10A BLHeli mini 10A
Fr-Sky x4R
CS1563
TINY 600mW Tx
Naze32 Rev5
DAL Prop 3045
3S 450mAh/800mah 65-130C
I will be the first to admit that this is not the neatest build, but there in lies the beauty of the frame. It is forgiving and you can throw this together quickly. This build too me about an 1 hour 30 mins, compared to my atom which took a couple of days. Yes my atom looks a lot better but this is one is just as functional. When I turned it on (with no electrical tape and roughly put on heatshrink) everything worked!!! I have subsequently put liquid electrical tape in sensitive areas but only as a precaution unlike the atom it is not a necessity.
A few things to point out on the build. I have covered the outside in electrical tape, this is a neat trick I learnt, it helps to stop wires from getting caught in props. Due to the fact I am not flying far I have also tied both RX antenna together as there is no need for the diversity, I have not flown below 70Db yet. I also made a custom 5.8Ghz antenna as I have no need for big range and it saves a lot of weight, not to mention the durability. I took the paper off my X4R-SB and wrapped it in electrical tape, I was going to de-solder the pins like I did for my atom, but there was no need as the height of the stand offs allowed me plenty of space to mount the receiver.
The BLHeli ESCs are really nice and small, and fit on the arms very nicely. I see a lot of people going 20A but unless you are planning to run 4S (which is arguably unnecessary and self defeating for a quad this size) then there is no need to run the bigger ESC. I am running bigger motors than most people will likely use and so far my ESCs have been absolutely fine, even with sustained use of full throttle. Finally, XT30 plugs are probably the best plug to use on a build like this, they are cheap, reliable and they the are easy to solder onto batteries well; mine have worked a treat.
The Frame
First off, I would like to say that the Shrieker fixes perhaps our biggest issue the Atom and that is ease of the build. The High stand off allow for a nicely stacked naze and PDB. When it comes to the PDB you don’t have to buy a specialised one like the Atom, in my build I used a Thug PDB. It is is nice and simple, well designed and has space for a Pololu 5V. The 35mm board fits in very well, with the perfect amount of space given around it and unlike the RotorX it doesn’t feel squeezed in. There is even space for a heftier external LCfilter I nicked off an old plane, for the VTX (the small batteries on these things have horrific voltage sag). It is clear that Andy Shen tried to design a small frame with the average builder in mind, though it is almost as small as an atom it still feels very spacious and is easy to build on. There is also a bit more prop clearance than the Atom which is good and allows for a slightly messier build as well as the oversized HQ props. It is important to note that due to the fact I could build it with a normal PDB I did save about $25 dollars on fancy electronics, as everything I used was made for 250 quads apart from the camera, and even with that you can use a full size camera.
Pros
- Lots of space to build on
- Strong good quality carbon
- high standoff
- allows for slightly oversize HQ props
- The VTX holder at the back works really well
Cons
- Not a fan of the points on the frame, they seem mainly there for aesthetic purposes and have already started peeling and breaking – seriously considering sanding them down.
- 20 degree camera mount it not high enough tilt for a micro and experienced Pilots
- The Camera mount is so far back in the quad that you can see the front of the props and the front of the frame especially when using high FOV cameras.
- It is a couple of grams heavier than the atom but this isn’t a big issue
Flying
The frame flew beautifully, without a doubt on par with the atom. Like the atom and every other micro I have flown it turned on a dime and was nimble and forgiving to fly. The lack of momentum gives it more than enough power, but also makes you feel like a moth – the true test of any micro quad. The 1407s were absolutely brilliant and really came into their own with the heftier DAL 3045 props. I would like to give special mention to these props, they are perhaps the best I have ever come across!!! I crashed onto concrete with these props and the only damaged I had was a single blade was bent and that was it, I am still yet to break a prop in over 30 mins of flight time and plenty of crashes!!!!! This is unprecedented for props, I am genuinely finding it impossible to break these things, the frame is taking more a battering than these props.
The only downside to the flying experience was the extra weight which came with the heavier motors, props and my large LC filter. If I tried hard a could probably shave quite a few grams but it will never be as light as the Atom. However, the flying experienced was only damped slightly and there was only a hair in it. I could only tell when I flew each frame back to back. If I flew on different days I would not be able to tell. The bigger motors and props (1407 and 3045×3) I am using mean that the Shrieker has a higher top speed; but my atom’s 1306 and 3020×3 build has higher acceleration and is ultimately more nimble.
Conclusions
I found the Shrieker to be a really great frame! It is definitely the best frame to get if you are looking to get into your first micro quad, as the tightness of the other micros on the market makes them only suitable for experienced and neat builders. The flying was on par with atom and other micros I have tested, and as Brucey always says ultimately a frame makes little difference in flying characteristics, which is why I have concentrated so much on the build. My biggest issues are the pointed edges and the camera mount. I think either an adjustable camera mount on one 25-30 degrees would be preferable and those sharp edges I suspect are merely there for looks, or to slice someone you crash into (if your props don’t do it first).
Flying: 8/10
Build: 8/10
Price: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
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