Posted: 2/22/2026 9:40:59 PM EDT
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I'll go first. @JoeRedman asked me about this in another thread, and I thought it was worth a new one. I recently built out a long range search and rescue quad ("Nocteryx"). It sports a dual camera gimbal head with night vision and thermal cameras, and both IR and visible floodlights (one on each front arm, interdependently controlled). It's intended to loiter overhead to find people (I'm a volunteer search and rescue drone pilot). I wanted something that could stay airborne long enough to fly a grid, and hover in place while I switch cameras over to the thermal for victim identification. Efficiency was pretty important here but not critical as it's not intended to go ultra-long range and I don't plan on not having LOS during a SAR op (hence the 2.4 instead of a 900). I might put a 2.4/900 diversity receiver on it later, but those 900 antennas kill the compactness when the arms are folded - needs more testing. Parts list: Frame: Speedybee Mario 8 Fold Frame FC: TBS Lucid H7 FC ESC: Tekko32 F4 Metal 4in1 65A ESC (AM32) BEC1: MATEKSYS 12S Pro BEC - 9-55V To 5V/8V/12V - 5A (configured for 12v for thermal camera, NV camera, and VTX power) [with a 470uf 25v capacitor] BEC2: MATEKSYS Micro BEC 6-60V to 5V/9V/12V-ADJ (configured for 5v for the Seed XIAO and Gimbal) [with 1000 µF low-ESR capacitor] VTX: AKK Ultra Long Range 3W VTX Updated Version Antenna: TrueRC Singularity Long Camera 1 (NV): Axis Owl Pro Camera 2 (Thermal): Axis 640 Thermal Imaging Camera - 640*512 60FPS 40MK Micro Controller (for gimbal control and thermal pallete selection): Seeed Studio XIAO RP2040 Cam Gimbal: Medlin Pro FPV Tilt Gimbal Gimbal head: custom 3d printed in TPU for AMS Battery: Lumenier NAV 6000mAh 6S 18650 Lithium-Ion Battery - XT60 Reciever: RadioMaster XR3 Nano Multi-Frequency Diversity Receiver - ELRS 2.4GHz Motors: GEPRC 2812 ~1000 KV Props (Control): HQProp 8x4.5 CCW and CW props MR 8X4.5R(CW) Props (Endurance): HQProp LR8X4.2X3 (1CW+1CCW) Black-Glass Fiber Reinforced Nylon Main capacitor: 2200 µF 35 V low-ESR cap on the XT60 leads GPS: Matek M10-Q series (e.g. M10-Q 5883) RemoteID: Phoneix UAS mRID LED Flood (IR): Lumenier Pill LED Module - Infrared IR LED Flood (VIS): Lumenier Pill LED Module - OVERT Buzzer Locator/GPS Prearm: VIFLY GPS-Mate Other custom 3d-printed parts: side panel armor (CA6-CF), Intake throat/capacitor moutn (CA6-CF), XIAO mount (PETG), motor wire sleeves (TPU for AMS), VIFLY GPS-MATE mount (TPU for AMS), GPS/mRID/antenna rear mount (TPU for AMS), landing gear (TPU for AMS). Both the gimbal and thermal camera color palette are controlled via the XIAO micro controller. It takes a TX feed from the ELRS receiver, parses the signal, and depending on the channel will either move the gimbal servo or craft a packet to send to the thermal camera to adjust the color palette (took about 300 lines to code to get that working reliably). Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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some in progress shots Attached File Attached File Attached File This was the rats nest of power lines I had to clean up. Attached File |
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Oh shit, I’ve been wanting to build a thermal FPV drone. Can you post some vids of the thermal cam quality? I’ve been eyeing this cam but have no idea the image quality. Attached File |
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Used to race with a group out of Cincinnati but covid shut down all the fun so I only fly occasionally now. By occasionally I mean rarely. My last build (basically all the parts are discontinued now): Hyperlite Floss 3.0 frame with TPU turtlemode fin PYRO 32F3 45 AMP 4in1 ESC Hyperlite F4 flight controller Hyperlite 2207.5 - 1722 KV motors Rush race VTX Foxeer cam mounted at 50 degrees.  I like to go fast.  HQ 5.1x4.3x3 props give a good balance of speed, control and efficiency 6S 1250 mah batts I have a set of Orqa FPV.One goggles with rapidfire module which were the top of the line when they came out. Digital was just making its entry when I got out of the game but I haven't kept up with the latest goodies. AFAIK analog is still the choice for racing. I have two identical builds for redundancy if I crash out during a race, and a third that's almost identical except it's running Tmotor F60 1750kv. That thing is a beast with high pitch props. I have the VTXs and receivers mapped to a 3 position switch on my radio so I can plug in all 3 drones at the same time and have two on standby while I fly one. Crash it, flip the switch, and immediately take off with the second one. I run pretty high rates on my transmitter with no expo so I can do quick 180s and corkscrews. Spent a lot of time in velocidrone sim to git gud. I qualified for the MultiGP global finals but didn't attend because there's no way in hell I'd stand a chance against all the 15 year old prodigies.  Mid America Throwdown qualifier  MultiGP Global Qualifier  Mid America Throwdown Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Originally Posted By raverill: Oh shit, I’ve been wanting to build a thermal FPV drone. Can you post some vids of the thermal cam quality? I’ve been eyeing this cam but have no idea the image quality. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/421774/IMG_6761_png-3718112.JPG I'll have to figure out a way to capture the video. I use the GogglesX with an analog module and for some reason the goggles won't record from the module. From a thermal perspective, the image is very nice on the Axis 640. The trick with thermals is the FOV, which is always narrow compared to typical analog cams - it feels to me like about a 2.5-3x zoom (which is nice for my purposes, but for flying it's not great unless you're already in the air). I use the OWL Pro night vision cam to fly (it also works during the day but the image is a little washed out). I think this video is fairly representative of the thermal's capabilities, except that you can have very fine tuned control over the camera (but you'll have to program a logic controller to do that like I did).  Nightvision FPV flight, Axisflying 640 thermal cam and Runcam night eagle 3 I considered the Caddx thermal, but I really wanted a more night vision capable camera for takeoff and landing - I live in the mountains and we typically have to navigate some obstacles to get to search altitude. The reason I went with the Axis thermal was because it has better resolution, frame rate, and MUCH lower power consumption. Plus I'm not married to caddx's VTX and I could tie the axis into a dual-cam capable FC and switch camera feeds via betaflight. Though I have to admit the caddx AI enhancement is interesting (probably why it's such a power hog). If you're not looking for 40 minute flight times, or dual cameras then I'd almost want to checkout the caddx just to see the AI image enhancement. |
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Originally Posted By Blob: Used to race with a group out of Cincinnati but covid shut down all the fun so I only fly occasionally now. By occasionally I mean rarely. My last build (basically all the parts are discontinued now): Hyperlite Floss 3.0 frame with TPU turtlemode fin PYRO 32F3 45 AMP 4in1 ESC Hyperlite F4 flight controller Hyperlite 2207.5 - 1722 KV motors Rush race VTX Foxeer cam mounted at 50 degrees. I like to go fast. HQ 5.1x4.3x3 props give a good balance of speed, control and efficiency 6S 1250 mah batts I have a set of Orqa FPV.One goggles with rapidfire module which were the top of the line when they came out. Digital was just making its entry when I got out of the game but I haven't kept up with the latest goodies. AFAIK analog is still the choice for racing. I have two identical builds for redundancy if I crash out during a race, and a third that's almost identical except it's running Tmotor F60 1750kv. That thing is a beast with high pitch props. I have the VTXs and receivers mapped to a 3 position switch on my radio so I can plug in all 3 drones at the same time and have two on standby while I fly one. Crash it, flip the switch, and immediately take off with the second one. I run pretty high rates on my transmitter with no expo so I can do quick 180s and corkscrews. Spent a lot of time in velocidrone sim to git gud. I qualified for the MultiGP global finals but didn't attend because there's no way in hell I'd stand a chance against all the 15 year old prodigies.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qxnjBLqUgc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKpfvws_xoU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2C3Nqm_T00https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/160722/1000017335_jpg-3718117.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/160722/IMG_20190817_191829_156_jpg-3718118.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/160722/20190915_090328_jpg-3718125.JPG You racers and your crazy camera angles  . I never got into racing personally but the level of control you guys have is insane. I spent a lot of time in velocidrone too, my fav track was apocalypse freestyle.
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Originally Posted By Blob: Used to race with a group out of Cincinnati but covid shut down all the fun so I only fly occasionally now. By occasionally I mean rarely. My last build (basically all the parts are discontinued now): Hyperlite Floss 3.0 frame with TPU turtlemode fin PYRO 32F3 45 AMP 4in1 ESC Hyperlite F4 flight controller Hyperlite 2207.5 - 1722 KV motors Rush race VTX Foxeer cam mounted at 50 degrees. I like to go fast. HQ 5.1x4.3x3 props give a good balance of speed, control and efficiency 6S 1250 mah batts I have a set of Orqa FPV.One goggles with rapidfire module which were the top of the line when they came out. Digital was just making its entry when I got out of the game but I haven't kept up with the latest goodies. AFAIK analog is still the choice for racing. I have two identical builds for redundancy if I crash out during a race, and a third that's almost identical except it's running Tmotor F60 1750kv. That thing is a beast with high pitch props. I have the VTXs and receivers mapped to a 3 position switch on my radio so I can plug in all 3 drones at the same time and have two on standby while I fly one. Crash it, flip the switch, and immediately take off with the second one. I run pretty high rates on my transmitter with no expo so I can do quick 180s and corkscrews. Spent a lot of time in velocidrone sim to git gud. I qualified for the MultiGP global finals but didn't attend because there's no way in hell I'd stand a chance against all the 15 year old prodigies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qxnjBLqUgc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKpfvws_xoU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2C3Nqm_T00https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/160722/1000017335_jpg-3718117.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/160722/IMG_20190817_191829_156_jpg-3718118.JPG https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/160722/20190915_090328_jpg-3718125.JPG Whoa! anytime I think I’m getting good I watch videos like this and realize, nope not even close to this high level skill set |
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5” 8s build: T-Motor F7 pro FC Hummingbird 305 80A AM32 ESC 8s AOS Supernova 8s 2207 1570kv FlyFishRC 5” frame O4 Gaoneng 8s 1100mAh 120C bats ELRS 2.4GHz HQProp 5x4.3x3 O4 air unit pro Sounds like the hardest part with 8s is charging, I think I will buy some hota T8s and a Meanwell LRS-600-24V DC power supply, hooked up to a HolyBro XT60 power distribution board. From there I could connect multiple Hota T8s |
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Originally Posted By JoeRedman: @gearsmithy --Thank you for the excellent write-up! NP, if you're thinking of doing something similar feel free to PM me. I had to do a lot of brute force testing to get this to work reliably. Happy to help you short circuit that frustration. |
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Latest build Triton Squishy frame Kiss Ultra V2 Voltara 70a ESC DJI o3 Axisflying Supafly Bandos 2207.5 1860kv SMC 1400 6s batteries Gemfan 51433 props DJI Osmo nano 
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I like my Glocks like I like my women; 19, hard bodied, and in my pants. - NY_Shooter
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
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Originally Posted By TotalUnRecall: Latest build Triton Squishy frame Kiss Ultra V2 Voltara 70a ESC DJI o3 Axisflying Supafly Bandos 2207.5 1860kv SMC 1400 6s batteries Gemfan 51433 props DJI Osmo nano https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/262514/IMG_6123-3721647.jpg I don't know whether to fly that or lick it. ETA: Please tell me you named that "candy crusher" |
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Originally Posted By gearsmithy: I don't know whether to fly that or lick it. ETA: Please tell me you named that "candy crusher" Nah. My kids name my quads and pick the colors. That's the Incredible Drulk as my son calls it.
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I like my Glocks like I like my women; 19, hard bodied, and in my pants. - NY_Shooter
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
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Originally Posted By Jack841: Thanks for this thread. I've been wanting to build a drone despite my near total lack of experience. Where are some good places to source the parts, especially electronics? I've done lots of business with pyrodrone, race day quads, and getfpv. |
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Originally Posted By Jack841: Thanks for this thread. I've been wanting to build a drone despite my near total lack of experience. Where are some good places to source the parts, especially electronics? The places listed above are good. If you aren't in a hurry AliExpress is legit. It's hard to find everything at one shop these days but Ali has it all. I pretty much buy all my props from them since I go through props like crazy. I usually get them for about $2.30 a set vs $3.50-$4 at the big vendors.ETA: Building and programming an FPV quad for the first time can be overwhelming. Don't hesitate to reach out. |
I like my Glocks like I like my women; 19, hard bodied, and in my pants. - NY_Shooter
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
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Originally Posted By Jack841: Thanks for this thread. I've been wanting to build a drone despite my near total lack of experience. Where are some good places to source the parts, especially electronics? I would highly recommend learning to fly in a sim before you build your first drone and smash it to bits or fly it away. I learned that one the hard way. 
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Originally Posted By Jack841: Thanks for the replies gentlemen, I appreciate the pointers. If you're inclined to build your own, I'd highly recommend Joshua Bardwell's beginners kit. You can get it at getfpv.com and he has a whole series of YouTube videos that walk you through the process end to end. Once you've done it once you'll be itching for more complicated/specialized builds |
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Originally Posted By ColdboreDreamer: Are you guys all flying manually? I 'm digging into ardupilot for mission planning and wondering how you are finding going from simulated flight to real autonomous testing. I fly only acro except for tiny whoops indoors. I used velocidrone simulator to get good. Id say it's 90-95% accurate to real life. Definitely worth the money you'll save in broken and lost drones. |
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Originally Posted By ColdboreDreamer: Are you guys all flying manually? I 'm digging into ardupilot for mission planning and wondering how you are finding going from simulated flight to real autonomous testing. I only fly manually. That being said I have dabbled with GPS quads. While I can't directly answer your question, I can say that I would do my research and test one thing at a time in an open field. When I was satisfied things seemed to be working, I did a full longe range test over the Everglades and it worked fine. At some point you kinda have to trust the hardware. |
I like my Glocks like I like my women; 19, hard bodied, and in my pants. - NY_Shooter
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
NorCal Callsign: Hooligan
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Originally Posted By ColdboreDreamer: Are you guys all flying manually? I 'm digging into ardupilot for mission planning and wondering how you are finding going from simulated flight to real autonomous testing. What kind of autonomous flights are you thinking about? I've considered messing with doing autonomous missions but the time I would spend getting everything right would make me spend triple the amount of time on site. I don't do anything that needs to be repeated on multiple visits. |
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Originally Posted By baxt3r: What kind of autonomous flights are you thinking about? I've considered messing with doing autonomous missions but the time I would spend getting everything right would make me spend triple the amount of time on site. I don't do anything that needs to be repeated on multiple visits. Originally Posted By baxt3r: Originally Posted By ColdboreDreamer: Are you guys all flying manually? I 'm digging into ardupilot for mission planning and wondering how you are finding going from simulated flight to real autonomous testing. What kind of autonomous flights are you thinking about? I've considered messing with doing autonomous missions but the time I would spend getting everything right would make me spend triple the amount of time on site. I don't do anything that needs to be repeated on multiple visits. |
There are many like it, but this one is mine.
"Leaders love to point." - C. Hathcock
"Leaders love to point." - C. Hathcock