Which Quadcopter for a Newbie?

benjammind21

Junior Member
Hey, I'm new to quadcopter and all and was hoping for some help. I've been looking around for a while and can't seem to find a good answer. What quad should I buy? I have saved up about $600. I am completely new to rc flying and have no experience. At first I was thinking about getting the parrot AR drone 2.0, and now the parrot Bebop drone. I want to use it mainly for fun to fly and maybe take some arial video or photos, I'm not expecting professional quality photos. I don't mind a bit of a challenge when learning to fly it, but I don't want it to be so hard that I can't fly it. I want it to come with everything in the box and ready to fly. Are there other quads I should be looking at like the DJI? I would prefer to have a camera on board and not a GoPro, because I don't really want to spend that much more on a GoPro. Any help would be great. I'm eager to start flying. So what should I buy and from where?

Thanks so much!
 

mikemacwillie

Senior Member
If you want out of the box, ready to fly, something like the Turnigy SK450 might be a good idea. I'd skip the DJI products; the automation will encourage you to not learn to fly, and the value for money isn't great.

But first, it's a good idea to get something small that can take a crash. The Hubsan X4 is a great starter. It's much less intimidating to learn the controls and orientation if you know crashing won't hurt it.
 

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
Welcome to Flitetest!

I suggest you start cheap. Once you learn to fly, build your own. Once you can build, fly, crash, repair you own copter, your concepts of flight and what you want will be DRAMATICALLY different.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...rl=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=quadcopter
Try the Hubsan or Syma or Nanos that are <$100 to learn on.

Our hobby is addictive to people who love to fly. It tends to get boring and expensive for people who don't. I recommend you start out cheap and light and find out for yourself before you spend $600 if you love to fly.

DJI is for people who want to be in the air but who don't like to fly and have the money for an aerial robot. As a result, DJI products fly themselves and are VERY expensive. You can build a copter that does loops and spins and rolls and goes 50mph for <> $200 but the DJIs fly themselves, tend to run $800-$2000 and will never do these things.

You really want more experience before you spend a bunch of money as the cost and flight experiences are VASTLY different.

I started out on the Syma X1:
http://www.amazon.com/Syma-Channel-...F8&qid=1419959399&sr=8-13&keywords=quadcopter

It will never carry a camera but it is hard to break, everything comes in the box, it won't break your kitchen window when you slam into it and it costs <> $30. By the time you are bored with this (gift it to a kid) you will have a whole new understanding of copters and you will know what type of copter you really want.
 

IFlyRCstuff

Flyer Of Many Things
First, learn how to fly. Anything made by syma is almost always great. The nano qx is also good, and you can turn off self-level. I would learn how to fly, then ask of you want to build or to buy. Cameras, learn the basics first, then go out. The syma x1 was also my first quad, and it is still alive, 2 years later. If you do decide you want a camera later, go with a high quality one, not the "only 50$ and a camera" quads, but the "high quality with etc." quads like dji.
 

makattack

Winter is coming
Moderator
Mentor
I agree with everyones advice here. First learn to fly on something inexpensive. I learned on a nanoqx. If you really want some aerial photography to start with, some of those even have built in cameras. The blade 180qx can be bought for around 150-200 with a transmitter and camera. It's a little bigger than the nano, and less protected, but still within reason for cost.
 

benjammind21

Junior Member
Thanks so much for all of the help so far. I've ordered the Syma X1 to learn on. While waiting to get here I've been looking into where I want to go after learning how to fly this. Like I said, I for sure want to be able to have a camera on board. If I go about building where do I start. Any articles, kits, or anything else would be helpful. Also, if I decide not to build, what should I look at. If I want to build, are there any cheap kits to learn on? Thanks again, you are all so helpful!
 

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
Check out the Knuckle H Quad from FliteTest. The frame is solid enough to carry motors large enough to lift a GoPro. You can run 700-1000 KV motors on one because of how the frame is assembled. It also handles low frequency vibrations and crashes well.

It is also cheap and easy to build and repair.

I built mine small by chopping 2" off the booms. I run 1450kv motors and spin 8045 rotors. My setup isn't a huge fan of lifting a GoPro but it can and has and I live at 6,300 ft above sea level.

Enjoy the Syma. Learn in low mode and practice platform landings and figure 8s where you have to keep orientation as the copter is coming towards you. Just don't get carpet, pet hair or sand in those gears. :)
 

benjammind21

Junior Member
I got my Syma yesterday! Flying it (and crashing it) has been a lot of fun. When I took it out of the box it was set to mode 1, so that how I've been flying it mostly so far. Should I be learning in mode one or mode 2? Is there a difference other than preference?

syma_cont.jpg

Also the controller has "Fine-tuning" buttons. I can't figure out how to use them. I see on the LCD screen some dots show up if I hold one down, but I don't see it doing anything to the copter. How should I fly to best learn for a future bigger and better quad?
Thanks for the help
 

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
Mode 2 has the throttle on the left stick.

Is your throttle on the right or left stick?

Fine tuning is trim. Use trim until you can take your fingers off all but throttle and the copter stays (reasonably well) in one place.

Learn to hover, spin and platform land with the tail of the copter facing you. As you progress, start flying so that the copter is not facing away from you but to the side. When you get good, start figure eights where the copter is facing toward you for a little. Getting good at flying towards yourself will take a lifetime to master.
 

AirNoFair

Junior Member
The Syma X1 is a great quadcopter to start off with and it's a really durable quadcopter too. I've crashed mine from 40+ feet in the air on to concrete after I lost signal and only one of the booms were cracked, it still flew flawlessly though. As previously stated definitely start flying in the Low mode because it's not nearly as sensitive or agile. Once you get comfortable flying in low mode with light winds and maneuvering through, over, across, and beyond obstacles try the High mode and it adds another level of fun to the experience. I'm in the starting process of building a trip copter now but the Syma X1 is still a thrill to fly.