First FPV and goggles for special needs child

[srexy]

Hi everyone - new to this forum and looking for some advice. My son is 7 years old and loves speed. He's a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy so things can be difficult to get him that need for speed. He likes watching FPV videos of things like Red Bull air racing and down hill mountain biking and has expressed interest in drones. He doesn't have the coordination to fly one on his own so I'd be flying for him, but I was hoping to get one that he could wear a set of goggles and have the effect of flying in the first person view.

Does anyone have any suggestions on a couple things:
1. A good entry level drone that would work with goggles
2. Suggestions on light weight goggles that will fit a kids face.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer or other sites/threads to look for ideas.

 

[tevek]

Depending on your level of skill and budget, there are a lot of choices out there. I bought my first racing drone package, a Wizard x220 with goggles for AUD $380 and it's a great learner package. I couldn't use the goggles due to my rubbish eyes but they are certainly comfortable and light weight (VR 007). You could also go down the DJI product road if you are after a quad with more user friendly features that you can run goggles with. Mavic Air or the Mavic Pro, Phantom Pro, but you are looking at well over AUD $1000, but you can focus on flying and giving your son a possibly better experience as you can use your phone/tablet to watch your flight at the same time as using the goggles. I currently have 7 quads which are either racing drones or the DJI product, so I can fly depending on where I am and what I'm doing at the time. If you able to borrow a friend's quad or drop by at a hobby shop and try out a package, it may help particularly with the goggles. Coming up to Xmas, there are a number of packaged specials doing the rounds (Parrot Bebop with goggles for under $600 popped up in my news feed this morning), pretty sure there is something with your name on it. Your son and yourself are in for a treat! Good on ya.

 

[Wayno52]

Hi and welcome srexy, wow firstly let me say you sound like an absolute legend of a father.
With challenges like that in life almost everything can be difficult. We are all here to help and support new people to our addiction. Lol
I would love to hear more about your situation before I would recommend anything to you.
Have you flown anything at all before?
How's your eyesight?
What is your flying preference, racing, freestyle, just for your son's enjoyment?
Just how fast do you want to go?
What is your budget?
A few things to think about before making a major purchase like this can be.
Hope to hear back from you soon.
Like tevek said, good on ya.

 

[srexy]

Thanks for the replies and the words of encouragement tevek and wayno52.

-I haven't flown at all before. I've done some simple electric rc car stuff before, but no flying.
-My eyesight is good. I don't know if it's 20/20 but it's good enough to not need glasses
-Flying preference - mostly for my son's enjoyment. Probably more freestyle than dedicated racing since we'll mostly end up doing flying on our own.
-I don't think I need anything crazy fast - just something that will get him excited.
- Budget - I'd like to keep it fairly inexpensive to start if possible. My son doesn't speak - he does laugh and cry, and yells when he gets excited. So this is something I think he'll like, but I'm not sure how well he'll tolerate a headset. Given his excitement watching the youtube videos I think he'll like this too. So for now definitely under $500 but I'd be okay if there is something for us to try for significantly less.

Stopping by a hobby shop is a good idea. I'll try to find a good one in our neighborhood.

 

[Wayno52]

Where are you?

 

[srexy]

North of Seattle, Washington in the United States.

 

[Wayno52]

OK, plenty of good folk in the US.
I'm in AUS so can't help with local hobby shops but my great friends on here will be able to point you in the right direction.
For me, goggles are going to be the biggest issue. They are expensive but you need to have good vision when flying at speed.
You will break quads but not goggles,when set up right they will give you all the information you need to land safely.

 

[tevek]

This may be an option for you to test the waters:
Parrot Bebop 2 FPV - White | Buy Products Online with Ubuy Australia in Affordable Prices. B01K4U4O9S
As @Wayno52 stated, goggles are your best investment as people like me are currently spending as much time repairing/rebuilding drones as flying them. Getting better but there is a learning curve to getting runs on the board and being proficient at FPV flying. Crap load of fun and you do become addicted to checking out the weather, making sure you have a pile of batteries on charge and the wife is happy you've mowed the lawn, taken out the garbage and washed the dishes and you're good to go.

 

[Wayno52]

That's a good quad for learning the basics Tevek but they are VR goggles so not adaptable to racing quads as you slide your phone into them.

 

[tevek]

That's a good quad for learning the basics Tevek but they are VR goggles so not adaptable to racing quads as you slide your phone into them.

Good point, I was thinking more about getting into the hobby and not progressing with the goggles. Maybe a DJI Spark with a set of goggles, I think they may have ironed out the issue of using the OTG adaptor with them and you can run a variety of goggles. Might be doable for US $500.

 

[rtkDarling]

Hey @srexy , I have a few suggestions.

Right off the bat Mr Steele on youtube has a new series out about how to start flying. So far I agree with him.
Another youtube personality is Josh Bardwell, and he’s got a FPV shopping list you can check out. It’s a little outdated now, the industry changes really fast
Personally, I recommend that you start with a micro class drone, that’s how I started. It’s easier to learn, and you can fly it inside so it doesn’t have to be a whole production. When you’re learning to fly FPV you’re going to crash a lot, it’s part of the learning curve. Having a micro you can crash around the house without breaking, speeds the process up, and crashing is part of the thrill! Plus it rains a lot in Seattle (I'm from Portland) so getting your fix indoors could be the ticket.

We’re talking about a 1s brushless “whoop” class drone, and the market has more great options in this category than ever before. The Tinyhawk is the darling right now so it might be hard to find, the Mobula 7 is the other monster on the market. Beta FPV makes a nice little 75 class. They're all around $100 - $120

I recommend a FrSky controller, but most of the big brands are good. The Taranis QX7 is a good choice ($120). The controller is universal, so you can keep it when you grow into a bigger drone.

I still use the cheapest goggles on the market. Eachine EV800D ($90). They’re a box goggle, and the screen can slide off and be used separately. You’re going to need two sets; it’s very difficult to fly line of sight while someone else wears the goggles. To get the full effect you’ll both need a set. These are even more universal than the controller though. While not all controllers and receivers use the same protocol, all video transmitters and goggles are compatible (in the 5.8ghz range)

If you have zero interest in flying indoors, and you have zero interest in building your own rig, than the Blade Torrent 110 is a good starter. ($130)

IMHO the best way to get into the hobby is pull the trigger on the goggles, controller and a micro to learn on, then start planning your outdoor build (another $250 -$300). Putting it together could also be a fun thing you guys can do together, and even with the price of the few tools you’ll need, making it yourself is going to be cheaper, and the most satisfying in the long run. That way when when you crash it you can fix it yourself and it’s an adventure, not a disaster

I used to be a one on one aid in a fully self contained classroom, I have a special place in my heart for what you're doing. If you're serious about getting into the hobby, I'd love to help you and your son have a good experience with it.
If you want please PM me, I'll give you my email and phone number.

 

[Wayno52]

Nice one rt, great advice and really nice offering more personal help.

 

[tevek]

Hey @srexy , I have a few suggestions.

Right off the bat Mr Steele on youtube has a new series out about how to start flying. So far I agree with him.
Another youtube personality is Josh Bardwell, and he’s got a FPV shopping list you can check out. It’s a little outdated now, the industry changes really fast
Personally, I recommend that you start with a micro class drone, that’s how I started. It’s easier to learn, and you can fly it inside so it doesn’t have to be a whole production. When you’re learning to fly FPV you’re going to crash a lot, it’s part of the learning curve. Having a micro you can crash around the house without breaking, speeds the process up, and crashing is part of the thrill! Plus it rains a lot in Seattle (I'm from Portland) so getting your fix indoors could be the ticket.

We’re talking about a 1s brushless “whoop” class drone, and the market has more great options in this category than ever before. The Tinyhawk is the darling right now so it might be hard to find, the Mobula 7 is the other monster on the market. Beta FPV makes a nice little 75 class. They're all around $100 - $120

I recommend a FrSky controller, but most of the big brands are good. The Taranis QX7 is a good choice ($120). The controller is universal, so you can keep it when you grow into a bigger drone.

I still use the cheapest goggles on the market. Eachine EV800D ($90). They’re a box goggle, and the screen can slide off and be used separately. You’re going to need two sets; it’s very difficult to fly line of sight while someone else wears the goggles. To get the full effect you’ll both need a set. These are even more universal than the controller though. While not all controllers and receivers use the same protocol, all video transmitters and goggles are compatible (in the 5.8ghz range)

If you have zero interest in flying indoors, and you have zero interest in building your own rig, than the Blade Torrent 110 is a good starter. ($130)

IMHO the best way to get into the hobby is pull the trigger on the goggles, controller and a micro to learn on, then start planning your outdoor build (another $250 -$300). Putting it together could also be a fun thing you guys can do together, and even with the price of the few tools you’ll need, making it yourself is going to be cheaper, and the most satisfying in the long run. That way when when you crash it you can fix it yourself and it’s an adventure, not a disaster

I used to be a one on one aid in a fully self contained classroom, I have a special place in my heart for what you're doing. If you're serious about getting into the hobby, I'd love to help you and your son have a good experience with it.
If you want please PM me, I'll give you my email and phone number.

Yep nailed it, I'm on the lookout for some smaller quads as well thanks to your suggestions. Addictive, absolutely, and rewarding.

 

[rtkDarling]

Yep nailed it, I'm on the lookout for some smaller quads as well thanks to your suggestions. Addictive, absolutely, and rewarding.

I did get a hold of a Tiny Hawk, it's the most locked in 1s I've ever flown. Still pining for 2s though, I love me a powerloop I think I'm going to get a LDARC GT8, but put a dual 1s plug like the mobula 7 has. Charging 1s batteries on the go is a snap compared to 2s, so running 2 batteries in series seems like the magic sauce. I'm thinking about swapping the camera out for a caddex turtle as well and get some onboard HD. Plans plans plans

 

[srexy]

You are all awesome! Starting out with something we can do indoors is a great idea. With some of his health issues it can be hard to get away from the house - and I live within 5 miles of an airport so we'd have to get away from our home to comply with FAA regulations to fly outdoors.

I'll start looking at some of the things you've suggested and send @rtkDarling a PM to take up the offer for more information.

 

[HighTechPauper]

Welcome @srexy, some good advice given here, you should be sorting through things in no time and on your way.
There is quite a journey towards this destination, but if you stick with it, you will get it, and it is well worth it IMHO.
So welcome, and let us know if you have any questions or need a sounding board.
Randy