Drone from China

theGreenOrange · Dec 3, 2016

Jtrjr said:
Yeah, I got a Tiny Whoop. Between my two little house dogs barking their @sses off chasing it around and trying to destroy it and flying it for a minute down the stairs, down the hallway, crashing it, having it land upside-down, then taking my goggles off, getting off my @ss to go down the stairs to get it, climbing back up the stairs, sitting my @ss back down, putting my goggles back on, only to see the flashing lights indicating that it needs a new battery, it's hardly worth it! Then the 3 hours to charge 8 batteries to do it all over again...I think they call it insanity.

I have to find one that lasts a bit longer and is a little more durable. I'll take a look at the one you mentioned.

Jerry

I have been using 380mAh batteries and I get about 4-5 minutes flight time. But I definitely spend 3 times as much time going to get it than I do flying. I think the tiny whoop is better for indoors due to the prop guards. I did get a bunch of batteries and a 6 way charger that does the job in about 45 minutes. The charger came with these 850mah batteries: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B014ZVUURM. I haven't tried these batteries yet. They claimed they were only 3 or 4 grams heavier than the 380mah ones, but they feel pretty heavy to me.

merdok · Dec 14, 2016

Well guys I finally took delivery of the VIFLY R220 today. Now I am a newbie but WOW! I am in love with this thing. The entire process was extremely easy and everything went very well. It is clear to see that from the first time I fired this thing up I am no longer playing with a $20 toy, you get in the way of this thing and its gonna make for a bad day.

I get about 8 minutes of flight time out of the batteries and I have determined that I need another charger. The goggles that I bought seem to be really nice. They are from Marvel Vision 5.8 GHz FPV goggles and you can see them at www.szfxt.com. There are also some videos on youtube about them.

Anyway, when I figure out how to really fly this thing I will post a video.

Jtrjr · Dec 15, 2016

Congrats! Really glad to see you got it and the goggles are good. Can't wait to see some pics and vids!

Jerry

theGreenOrange · Dec 15, 2016

Sounds good man, what's the trouble with the charger? You might check out the imax b6 charger, I am happy with it.

merdok · Dec 18, 2016

Its just a slow process to charge, nothing wrong with the charger

theGreenOrange · Dec 18, 2016

Most people charge at 1C (1.3A for 1300mAh, 1.5A for 1500mAh, etc) which takes an hour, roughly. Some guys charge at 2C which takes a half hour. Your battery should come specced with a recommended charging rate. 1C is better for longevity, but some guys charge at up to 2C.

merdok · Dec 18, 2016

My charger is a DHD 310B Lipo Balance Charger. Written on the charger is, Input: 11-18v-1.5A Balance Current: 0.2A Charging Current: 1A Balance Accuracy: 10 mV. On the battery it reads, 35C 11.1v High discharge Li-po Battery 100MAH.

It takes about two hours or a little more to charge a battery. They told me I could use a 4S battery as well and get a little more flight time out if it, wish I had of done that. I get about 7.5 to 8 min of flight time with a full battery. I am already down to 2 as my balance lead (I think I am calling that by the right name) got chopped off in a crash, the battery arched for a second when the wires touched. I guess it is very possible I did some damage to the battery but how would I know? Can i fix this? It looks like all i would need is the white connector piece that plugs into the charger, it just go pulled off. Do you think I could buy this piece at my local hobby shop? do you think they would sell these batteries that I am using there? I have already fixed the balance lead on my other two by using a rubber band to keep it tucked in during flight.

Sorry of all of the new guy questions but I don't really have anyone around here to turn to and I am learning this stuff on my own. Thanks in advance.

Jtrjr · Dec 18, 2016

Merdok,

I'm certainly no expert but will share what I know at this point. I would think you could repair the balance lead. You'd want to verify that there was no damage to the battery. The pins in the plastic ends can be removed by taking a small pin and pulling up on the tiny plastic Tab that holds the pin in place. Once you have the Tab lifted you can pull the pin out.

You may want to consider the following items to help with charging and checking the batteries:

Lipo Tester:

https://www.amazon.com/Floureon-Bat...F8&qid=1482074066&sr=8-3&keywords=Lipo+Tester

Decent Charger:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGZZ40K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Parallel Charging board for charging multiple batteries at the same time:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UBOAXEI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Using a decent charger with the parallel board will reduce your charging time.

You can probably find the batteries at your hobby shop but they'll probably be more expensive than buying them online. Also, be careful about selecting 4s batteries just yet. I'm fairly new to this as well but I'm using all 3s batteries right now. My research led me to conclude that although the 4s batteries pack quite a bit more punch they may make learning to fly for "beginners" like us more difficult. They also put more stress on your bird.

That's about the best I can share. There may be some more experienced folks here that can provide better answers.

Jerry

theGreenOrange · Dec 18, 2016

I agree with everything Jerry said. I do use 4S, but I made sure to choose parts like ESCs and PDB that can handle it. I doubt if the battery is damaged, but I guess it could be so it wouldn't hurt to test, and charge in a lipo safe bag. I always charge in a lipo safe bag, they are cheap on amazon.

merdok · Dec 18, 2016

Jerry,

Thanks a lot for the informative post, I really appreciate it. I am completely lost about the small pins on the battery balance lead. All I have now are 4 wires, three black and one red. They are exposed on the ends, just the copper wire is showing. At some point was there a metal pin that the exposed wire would fit into? And then this pin fit into the connector that fits into the charger? Sorry guys, I am brand new. Im reading some on my own but there is nothing like having a buddy or a mentor to show you the way, to help you not make those expensive mistakes.

I looked at the lipo tester but Im not sure where you plug it into. DO you just plug your battery into it like you would plug it into the drone?

Now, if I bought the charger and the parallel charging board from the links in your post do they work together? The charging board plugs int the charger and then your batteries plug into the board? Are all of the battery balance leads set up with the some connector to charge with?

Solid advice on the 3s vs. 4s and it is almost word for word from the company that I bought the drone from. Sounds like I just need a better charging set up and maybe a couple more batteries.

Thanks theGreenOrange, I am headed over there now to buy a charging bag.

Jtrjr · Dec 18, 2016

Merdok,

Watch this video for replacing the balance plug:

The Lipo tester plugs into the balance plug on the battery and shows the condition of the battery and each cell. Watch this:

Lipo charging (This will give you the idea):

Jerry

merdok · Dec 18, 2016

This is great! Thanks Jerry.

merdok · Dec 20, 2016

Man, I had no idea there was this much info on the batteries alone. I have been studying battery stuff all day and have learned a lot. Thanks to Jerry and the GreenOrange I will be buying a new charger as soon as I figure out exactly what I want. I also will be picking up a few more batteries.

I did a rookie thing the other day, this happened on the third flight. The balance lead was not tucked in and the propeller chopped it off. All I have now are the 4 wires left with exposed wiring on the end. I believe each wire was encased in a pin and the pins plugged into the white plug. I am hoping I can fix this but I haven't had time to get to the hobby shop.

This is one awesome hobby and I am really enjoying it. Battery life is too short and the charge time is too long but i am about to correct all of that. I was all set to buy a Phantom at the first of the year, and I probably still will, but these fast drones are just flat out a blast. I let my daughter wear the FPV goggles today, I'm still working up to that. She said it was amazing.

Thanks for all of the help I have received here guys, I really appreciate it.

Scott

theGreenOrange · Dec 20, 2016

merdok said:
Man, I had no idea there was this much info on the batteries alone. I have been studying battery stuff all day and have learned a lot. Thanks to Jerry and the GreenOrange I will be buying a new charger as soon as I figure out exactly what I want. I also will be picking up a few more batteries.

I did a rookie thing the other day, this happened on the third flight. The balance lead was not tucked in and the propeller chopped it off. All I have now are the 4 wires left with exposed wiring on the end. I believe each wire was encased in a pin and the pins plugged into the white plug. I am hoping I can fix this but I haven't had time to get to the hobby shop.

This is one awesome hobby and I am really enjoying it. Battery life is too short and the charge time is too long but i am about to correct all of that. I was all set to buy a Phantom at the first of the year, and I probably still will, but these fast drones are just flat out a blast. I let my daughter wear the FPV goggles today, I'm still working up to that. She said it was amazing.

Thanks for all of the help I have received here guys, I really appreciate it.

Scott

Yeah, I hate when the balance plugs get chopped off. Those pins are a little bit of a pain to work on, but definitely can be fixed just like you described. I would get at least two of the balance plugs when you go because those little tabs can break pretty easy sometimes.

merdok · Dec 20, 2016

Thanks Green. I was thinking about FPV, and I had an idea. Does someone sell a smaller indoor drone that is not all that expensive and could be hooked up to my FPV goggles? That may be a way for me to practice.

Jtrjr · Dec 20, 2016

Scott,

Sounds like you got the bug too! I'll have to post some pics of my "drone central" here in the house. I'm shocked that my wife (30 years) has been so supportive. I've taken over our dining room and my office is plumb full! I still love my Phantom 3 Pro's, my 3dr Solo and my new Mavic Pro but this racing stuff is just plain wicked!

We got a really short window today with low winds and 36F so I had to put the Mavic up as I haven't really had a chance to fly it since I got it. I'm hoping we get another window over the next few days so I can put the GT2 up. A little more nervous about that one as there's snow on the ground and you can bet your @ss if I put that one up it's probably going down too!

I did the same with the goggles, I let everyone else try them and then put them on. Now I wouldn't fly without them, it's actually much easier once you get used to them. The only issue I'm still struggling with is taking off and landing, especially with any tilt on the FPV camera. I am getting the hang of it but it's taking a while.

Good luck and I'm glad you're having some fun! That's what it's all about at the end of the day.

Jerry

theGreenOrange · Dec 20, 2016

Original one is the tiny whoop. Jerry can comment on those I think he has one.

I have an SRD101 from helipal. I am pretty happy with it. STORM Racing Drone (BNF / SRD101 / BetaFlight)

I just bought one of these for my friend for Christmas Eachine EX105 105mm Micro FPV Racing Quadcopter With 800TVL Camera Based On F3 Flight Controller Sale - Banggood Mobile

There are several others out there. They are fun, but these little bastards are tough to fly!

theGreenOrange · Dec 20, 2016

Jerry, I always get complaints when I take over the dining room! But usually not for the first few days

-Matt

Jtrjr · Dec 20, 2016

Matt,

Obviously, I wasn't clear. I took over the dining room about a year ago! I had to move all of my other drones into my office to make room for the FPV stuff in the dining room!

Jerry