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Posted: 4/24/2014 9:57:22 AM EDT
Let me start by saying that I have a LOT of experience flying R/C aircraft, but almost ZERO time with helicopters or quad-copters. I bought a Blade QX 350 a couple of days ago and spent about 30 minutes getting familiar with it. Yesterday afternoon I picked up a GoPro Hero . . . something else I have ZERO experience with and strapped it to the drone. Being supremely confident in my infinite flying skills, I headed out. The wind was gusty, but . . .
What followed was 45 seconds of, "this isn't going the way I planned." 
No drones or cameras were mutilated in the making of this film. |
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Posted: 4/24/2014 10:01:40 AM EDT
[#1]
It doesn't look too bad.
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Posted: 4/24/2014 11:02:56 AM EDT
[#2]
Since you're a quad newbie, maybe you should start in a garage with something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Syma-Channel-2-4G-Quad-Copter/dp/B0096SRMBC/ Way cheaper than dorking in your GoPro camera. |
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Posted: 4/24/2014 12:04:44 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Since you're a quad newbie, maybe you should start in a garage with something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Syma-Channel-2-4G-Quad-Copter/dp/B0096SRMBC/ Way cheaper than dorking in your GoPro camera. I've never been one who lets the risk of destroying expensive toys get in the way of overestimating my skill. 
Seriously, The day before (Tuesday) I spent about two minutes in safe mode before getting really bored and switching to stability mode. I flew it for about 30 minutes (two batteries worth) and was completely comfortable. I switched to agility mode and pretty quickly went back to stability mode. I found out that the WiFi on the Hero interferes with the GPS on the QX 350, so I turned off the GPS and that made it even more difficult to fly in the wind. I should have turned off the WiFi. 
In stability mode it flies a lot like the medium-performance fixed wing planes I've flown, so I'm still confident that as long as I'm not stupid (again) I'll have no problems with it. |
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Posted: 4/24/2014 12:16:52 PM EDT
[#4]
Looks like fun.
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Posted: 4/24/2014 1:13:04 PM EDT
[#5]
Beep.
Beep. Beep. |
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Posted: 4/24/2014 1:37:13 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I've never been one who lets the risk of destroying expensive toys get in the way of overestimating my skill. Seriously, The day before (Tuesday) I spent about two minutes in safe mode before getting really bored and switching to stability mode. I flew it for about 30 minutes (two batteries worth) and was completely comfortable. I switched to agility mode and pretty quickly went back to stability mode. I found out that the WiFi on the Hero interferes with the GPS on the QX 350, so I turned off the GPS and that made it even more difficult to fly in the wind. I should have turned off the WiFi. In stability mode it flies a lot like the medium-performance fixed wing planes I've flown, so I'm still confident that as long as I'm not stupid (again) I'll have no problems with it. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Since you're a quad newbie, maybe you should start in a garage with something like this? http://www.amazon.com/Syma-Channel-2-4G-Quad-Copter/dp/B0096SRMBC/ Way cheaper than dorking in your GoPro camera. I've never been one who lets the risk of destroying expensive toys get in the way of overestimating my skill. Seriously, The day before (Tuesday) I spent about two minutes in safe mode before getting really bored and switching to stability mode. I flew it for about 30 minutes (two batteries worth) and was completely comfortable. I switched to agility mode and pretty quickly went back to stability mode. I found out that the WiFi on the Hero interferes with the GPS on the QX 350, so I turned off the GPS and that made it even more difficult to fly in the wind. I should have turned off the WiFi. In stability mode it flies a lot like the medium-performance fixed wing planes I've flown, so I'm still confident that as long as I'm not stupid (again) I'll have no problems with it. It messes with a bunch of them. I fly them for fun and such; get a decent gimbal and vibration mitigation and you'd be surprized how good that video could look. I push it with my platforms up to and sometimes past the max gust advisories and get really decent feed.
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Posted: 4/24/2014 2:04:46 PM EDT
[#7]
JC, always entertaining.. |
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Posted: 4/24/2014 4:17:40 PM EDT
[#8]
I got a chance to fly one time before the storm rolled in. Wind was 10 mph gusting to 20, but it was manageable. I still have a LOT to learn about camera settings, etc. The actual flight starts at about 25 seconds.
This thing is going to get me arrested if I do all the evil things I'm thinking of.
ETA: There's no audio on this one on purpose.
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Posted: 4/24/2014 6:28:31 PM EDT
[#9]
Why are you out in only your socks?
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Posted: 4/24/2014 6:33:37 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Why are you out in only your socks? Because he's too old to go barefoot. 
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Posted: 4/24/2014 6:34:18 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Why are you out in only your socks? 'cause no one wants to see my toes.
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Posted: 4/24/2014 6:38:11 PM EDT
[#12]
See???
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Posted: 4/24/2014 6:48:18 PM EDT
[#13]
Were the beeps at the end the auto-destruct sequence countdown?
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Posted: 4/24/2014 7:00:58 PM EDT
[#14]
A Blade 350 was my first experience in the multi rotor world.....hadn't done much RC flying at all. The smart GPS flight modes make it pretty dummy proof for a dummy like me. I didn't let that stop me from strapping a $400 GoPro on it and sending it up in the air a couple hundred feet
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Posted: 4/25/2014 3:54:59 AM EDT
[#15]
I started with the phantom, and have branched out. Adding a cam and then going FPV is really something. It's not quite the same as flying, but good enough for me as I get older and can't afford the flight time anymore...
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Posted: 4/25/2014 4:19:00 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Were the beeps at the end the auto-destruct sequence countdown? They're to let everyone in the area know that the pilot is an idiot and just crashed. They're louder in person than on the video. |
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Posted: 4/25/2014 4:26:13 AM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I started with the phantom, and have branched out. Adding a cam and then going FPV is really something. It's not quite the same as flying, but good enough for me as I get older and can't afford the flight time anymore... I hear that. I saw one video of a guy wearing goggles that were connected to the camera to give a virtually real experience. The GPS in the QX 350 and the WiFi in the Hero don't like each other, so until I get really good at flying the WiFi will stay off. 
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Posted: 4/25/2014 7:36:51 AM EDT
[#18]
Sounds like a FatShark setup. I have a couple of those...loved the emersion feel of it but had to stop because I lost total situational awareness. Now I run to a monitor, but can piggyback the goggles to my kids or friends to watch through. (note: I actually made I guy I work with puke while wearing them!)
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Posted: 4/25/2014 9:57:17 AM EDT
[#19]
What is the operational limit to your system?
Looks like a good way to spot game from the air. 
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Posted: 4/25/2014 10:59:29 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What is the operational limit to your system? Looks like a good way to spot game from the air. Altitude is relatively unlimited. At least 1,000 feet or more. Horizontal range is limited by how far you can see the drone. I guess that if you had a good enough camera system it could be flown beyond visual range. I've had it high enough that I could barely see it and about 1/4 mile away horizontally. The biggest limitation is flight time. With the camera attached it's only about eight or so minutes. Without the camera it can go between 12 and fifteen minutes. The batteries take about 40 minutes to recharge. |
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Posted: 4/25/2014 12:25:28 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted: What is the operational limit to your system? Looks like a good way to spot game from the air. Depends on his TX/RX and batteries. I've seen (never did it myself, its against the law don't you know) off the shelf quads hit 1,500 + feet and still climbing when ambient conditions took out the airframe (small size & weight vs. multiple direction wind forces). I've ran my system well beyond visual at 50ft.
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Posted: 4/25/2014 2:39:12 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Altitude is relatively unlimited. At least 1,000 feet or more. Horizontal range is limited by how far you can see the drone. I guess that if you had a good enough camera system it could be flown beyond visual range. I've had it high enough that I could barely see it and about 1/4 mile away horizontally. The biggest limitation is flight time. With the camera attached it's only about eight or so minutes. Without the camera it can go between 12 and fifteen minutes. The batteries take about 40 minutes to recharge. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
What is the operational limit to your system? Looks like a good way to spot game from the air. Altitude is relatively unlimited. At least 1,000 feet or more. Horizontal range is limited by how far you can see the drone. I guess that if you had a good enough camera system it could be flown beyond visual range. I've had it high enough that I could barely see it and about 1/4 mile away horizontally. The biggest limitation is flight time. With the camera attached it's only about eight or so minutes. Without the camera it can go between 12 and fifteen minutes. The batteries take about 40 minutes to recharge. ^ This guy rules, he will get something interesting built up out of it, I'm sure of it! |
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Posted: 4/26/2014 11:21:49 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: They're to let everyone in the area know that the pilot is an idiot and just crashed. They're louder in person than on the video. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Were the beeps at the end the auto-destruct sequence countdown? They're to let everyone in the area know that the pilot is an idiot and just crashed. They're louder in person than on the video. |
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