Some members on here mentioned they like to read long posts so here's another one of my epics  Apologies to those who hate reading long essays  

This thread will form the basis of a log for my first ever quad build. Hopefully it will all go to plan without too many issues 

Yesterday I finally received delivery of the last item on the long list of things that I needed before commencing the build of my Martian II quad. Hurrah!!  I've stripped the frame back down to a bare shell ready to fit and solder everything up properly in a logical order but earlier trial assembly pictures can be found in my original welcome post HERE.

One thing I've come to realise is that when you're starting out in this hobby from scratch, it's amazing how much stuff you actually need to buy. It's not just the build items for the quad itself but also all the sundry items as well, some of which are easy to overlook or forget about. On more than one occasion I thought I had everything needed only to discover something else important missing from the inventory. All of the stuff in the photo below has taken me exactly 3 months to collect, partly because placing of some orders were delayed while I was researching what to actually purchase, partly because a lot of the stuff came from China which seems to take forever to arrive, and partly because I wanted to try and spread out the cost a bit. In all, during that time, almost 70 packages have been delivered to my house containing all this stuff!  I don't even want to think about how much I've spent 

At least while I've been waiting to complete the inventory, it has given me the chance to do a ton of research so hopefully there shouldn't be too many surprises in store. I may need to ask for some help from the seasoned experts if I get stuck on something but I generally try to be as self sufficient as possible and research things as much as I can first before I resort to asking questions. I've already learnt a ton of things just from watching YouTube videos, reading various blogs, and reading loads of posts on this forum 

(click the photo for a larger version)


No soldering/test equipment or soldering consumables are shown because I already have all of that stuff from other electronic work I've been doing over the past X number of years. This is just all the stuff I've had to buy specifically for starting off in this hobby Although I'm quite sure this is nothing compared to what some of you have in your build rooms  

The only things I still have left to buy are the LiPo batteries which have been purposely left until last because they scare the s**t out of me  but those will be getting sourced locally for obvious reasons, so once I order them I should have them within a day or two. Oh, and I also need to get a 3157 Automotive Bulb for the smoke stopper I'll be making but that will also be sourced locally as well. If anyone thinks I've missed anything or have any recommendations for some "nice to haves" to add to my inventory then please speak up  

Items in the photo from back left to front right are:-

1. 50 Cal Ammo Box 29cm x 14.5cm x 18cm (for LiPo battery storage)
   
2. LiPo Safe Bags 64mm x 50mm x 95mm (x6 to use during charging)
   
3. 2.5mm & 3.6mm Cables Ties (various colours)
   
4. Black & Clear Heatshrink (long lengths, various diameters)
   
5. Fat Shark HDO Goggles
   
6. Realacc Martian II 220 Quad Frame (plus spare arms & spare top plate)
   
7. Red & Black Heatshrink Kit (short pre-cut lengths, various diameters)
   
8. Black Carbon Steel Washer Kit (M3-M8 sizes) & Black Carbon Steel M3 Screws (8mm, 10mm & 12mm lengths)
   
9. Nylon M3 Washers and Spacers (1mm & 3mm)
   
10. Nylon Stack Standoff Kit (various sizes)
    
11. Foam & Electrical Tapes (black & red various sizes)
    
12. Generic Mushroom RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (bought this before I knew better - will keep this as a spare)
    
13. VAS Ion RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (for goggles)
    
14. Foxeer Lollipop RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (for VTX)
    
15. Realacc Pagoda RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (for goggles)
    
16. Realacc Mini Triple Feed Patch RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna
    
17. EMAX RS2205S 2300kV Motors (x4)
    
18. LiPo Battery XT60 Safety Caps
    
19. LiPo 4S Battery Balance Plug AB Clips
    
20. XT60 Solder Lug Insulation Caps (black)
    
21. XT60 Connectors (both male and female)
    
22. XT60 Pigtails with 12AWG Wire
    
23. Motor Protectors (red and green)
    
24. LiPo Self-Adhesive Battery Charge Markers
    
25. Silicone Insulated Wire (various colours 28AWG and 12AWG)
    
26. Realacc RX5808 Pro Plus OSD Receiver Module (with OSD Achiles Plus 1.8 installed)
    
27. ISDT BattGo BG-8S Smart Battery Checker
    
28. Fat Shark Goggles 18650 Battery Case (for use as a backup)
    
29. RunCam Eagle 2 Pro FPV Camera
    
30. Menace RC Invader Directional Patch Antenna (for goggles)
    
31. Holybro Tekko32 35A BLHeli_32 ESC (x4)
    
32. Motor Anti-Vibration Pads
    
33. 3D Printed ESC Protectors (clear TPU)
    
34. Frame Standoffs (red 35mm) & Screws (red 10mm)
    
35. Motor Prop Nuts (black & red spares)
    
36. MMCX to SMA Adapters & SMA Extensions
    
37. FrSky R-XSR Receiver Antennas (spares)
    
38. Teflon PTFE Tubing (to house/protect receiver antennas)
    
39. Realacc Motor Grip Pliers
    
40. Banana Plug to Barrel Adapter (for fast charging goggles LiPo battery)
    
41. Fat Shark Goggles Diopters
    
42. DALProp Cyclone T5045C Props (loads more not shown in the photo)
    
43. Matek FCHUB-VTX PDB & VTX Combo
    
44. Matek F405-STD Flight Controller
    
45. Matek WS2512B LED Tail Light with Loud Buzzer
    
46. FrSky R-XSR Radio Receiver
    
47. SMA Adapters (45° & 90°)
    
48. Motor Nut T-Bar Wrench
    
49. HobbyRC Battery Straps with Rubberised Threads (both metal buckle & plastic buckle types)
    
50. 3D Printed Landing Skids (TPU)
    
51. 3D Printed Rear Antenna Mount (TPU, for both VTX and receiver antennas)
    
52. 3D Printed Camera Protector (TPU)
    
53. 3D Printed Camera Support (PLA)
    
54. 3D Printed XT60 Caps and SMA Thumb Wheels (complimentary with 3D print order)
    
55. BM3in1 Battery Low Voltage Alarm, Buzzer, and Signal Loss Buzzer
    
56. SkyRC Q200 Quad Battery Charger
    
57. FrSky Taranix X9D+ Special Edition (Carbon Fibre) Radio Transmitter
    
58. Panasonic 18650 Batteries (x2 for the goggles 18650 battery case)
    
59. FrSky Spare Radio Transmitter Battery (7.2V 2000mAh Ni-MH)
    

Below are some photos of the frame in its current stripped back down state. I replaced the supplied purple standoffs with red ones to start off with a black & red theme. Eagle eyed members will probably notice that all but the front ones have fatter knurled ends. I prefer the fat ended versions but I've had to use the standard thin standoffs on the very front because those ones need to have a 3D printed camera protector fitted over them which won't fit on the fatter knurled standoffs. All the edges of the carbon fibre parts are also quite sharp so I've already rounded off the edges of the arms so there is less chance of them slicing through the cable ties  holding on the ESCs, and I'll be doing the same with the top plate to try and mitigate the possibility of the battery straps be sliced off.

     

Before I crack on with building the quad, the first job I'll be doing is to replace the casing on my Fat Shark goggles with a new one that arrived earlier this week from the UK repair centre. For anyone who is unaware of the problem and has a set HDO's from the first consumer batch, there's a manufacturing issue with the casing on some pairs whereby the plastic used is too translucent which causes the inside of the casing to glow an orangy colour in bright sunlight which can be quite distracting. Fat Shark have manufactured denser casing shells to fix the issue which can either be fitted by one of their repair centres, or which can be DIY fitted like I've opted to do (both options are free of charge under warranty). All new HDO's manufactured after the first consumer batch have the denser casing shells already fitted so no longer have this problem.

     

Further updates and pictures will follow as I progress with the build  I'll be continuing with this as and when I have time outside of work and family life. I tend to take my time and try to do things properly rather than end up with a rushed bodge job, so don't expect it all to be completed by next week  Progress might be slow and I reckon it's going to be a few weeks at the very least.

Looking good. The only suggestion I might make is because you are fitting landing skids you may consider mounting the arms under the main frame with the nuts toward the top. I have built my Martian both ways at different times and can notice no difference in how it flies.

(29-Jul-2018, 12:32 PM)LagMan Wrote: The only suggestion I might make is because you are fitting landing skids you may consider mounting the arms under the main frame with the nuts toward the top. I have built my Martian both ways at different times and can notice no difference in how it flies.

Thanks for the input. With the skids fitted to the legs under the motors I get about 3-4mm of clearance from the nuts to the ground but I can see that as the skids start to wear, the clearance gap is going to get smaller. I will look at and consider the possible option of putting the legs under the frame. It's good to know that doing that doesn't affect the way it flies

You can also fit the nuts upwards instead of on the bottom for a little more clearance, plus the internal hex of the bolts doesn't get damaged if they do scrape , whereas the external hex on the nut will.

Nice write up!  I'm one of those weirdos that like lots of details, and you came through.  A little sad when you say you have an item but not the specific item....but I get it, it's a lot to write.

No need to be afraid of Lipos, just respect them.  Follow the guidelines, and if they look damaged or seem to be acting weird, get rid of them.  An ammo can is a good storage container for Lipos, but remember to remove the rubber seal in the lid or drill a couple of holes in the box so it can vent gases in the event of a cook off....otherwise you will have a nice IED.  And store the full ammo can on a non-flammable surface, or you can have sympathetic ignition.  That can will get real hot if a battery lights off in it, and if batteries are stored together in the can, they will all be lost and may light off as well.  

Looking forward to your build posts.  I'm sure there will be lots of detail.....  And then we get to see all your videos.... It will be fun. 

(29-Jul-2018, 01:40 PM)Krohsis Wrote: Nice write up!  I'm one of those weirdos that like lots of details, and you came through.  A little sad when you say you have an item but not the specific item....but I get it, it's a lot to write.

I've now edited the list to include specifics  The list was already quite long with long descriptions so I was just trying to keep things a little concise. I guess with a load of techies on here I should have known better 

(29-Jul-2018, 01:40 PM)Krohsis Wrote: No need to be afraid of Lipos, just respect them.  Follow the guidelines, and if they look damaged or seem to be acting weird, get rid of them.  An ammo can is a good storage container for Lipos, but remember to remove the rubber seal in the lid or drill a couple of holes in the box so it can vent gases in the event of a cook off....otherwise you will have a nice IED.  And store the full ammo can on a non-flammable surface, or you can have sympathetic ignition.  That can will get real hot if a battery lights off in it, and if batteries are stored together in the can, they will all be lost and may light off as well.  

I'd already removed the seal from the ammo box but the problem is that I don't really have any appropriate non-flammable surfaces in the house to keep it on unless I store them on the kitchen sink draining board or in the bath tub but I'm sure my wife would have something to say about that!  I could store them on the concrete floor of the garage but even that is rammed full with flammable stuff and I've read differing opinions on keeping them in a place where they could be subject to uncontrolled hot or cold external temperatures which is exactly what they would be exposed to in my garage  So it's a bit of a dilemma and I do worry about what to do with them when I go on vacation where they won't be supervised.

(29-Jul-2018, 01:40 PM)Krohsis Wrote: And then we get to see all your videos.... It will be fun. 

It's a bit of a struggle trying to find somewhere suitable round here to fly so I'm not sure how quickly or easy it is going to be for me to progress at a rate faster than a snail but I guess we shall see

Lipo batteries very rarely self destruct. Main danger is when charging. An undamaged battery at storage charge is safe as long as prevented from short circuit. They are allowed through the postal system for instance.
I'm not saying they don't need care and respect, but they don't need to be feared.

Thanks LagMan. I think I probably just need to stop being overly paranoid.

Not directly related to the build of the quad itself but an update to the first post. I've now successfully replaced the casing shells on my Fat Shark goggles, so that is one job crossed off the list. All the internals have now been removed from the old casing shells and transferred across to the new casing shells. Not something I really expected to have to do with a brand new pair of goggles but it is what it is. Now that is out of the way, the next job will be to get on with the quad build itself 

     

I had a spare hour today so I fitted some of the parts to the frame that make up the foundations of the build.

I took some previous advice and will now be having my VTX antenna sticking out the back instead if vertically out the top as was previously the plan. Doing that means less chance of it snapping off or stressing and cracking the top plate in a crash. This particular antenna mount has 2 additional holes in it at 45 degree angles to each other which takes 4mm diameter teflon PTFE tubing to house the two receiver antennas which I'll be fitting later on in the build. It also has a low profile height which has been specifically designed in order to allow a Matek WS2512B LED Tail Light with Loud Buzzer board to be fitted on the back of the quad directly below it.

I'm not sure yet if the camera protector is going to impede on the horizontal FOV but I won't know that until I've hooked up a working VTX feed. If it does then I'll either have to modify it or just take it off completely.

I'm going to leave the arms on the inside of the frame for now and see how I get on. I may move them below the frame later on in the build if I think that to be a more suitable position.

I have now also chamfered the sharp edges of the top plate so there is less chance of it slicing through the battery straps.

Today's pictures:-

1. 3D Printed Items - Rear Antenna Mount (TPU to allow some flexible movement of the antenna in a crash), Camera Protector (TPU so absorbs a some of the impact in a crash), and Camera Supports (PLA as they need to be rigid to try and mitigate any jello effect)...
   
   
   
   
2. RunCam Eagle 2 Pro and Foxeer Lollipop Antenna. The Eagle 2 Pro comes with two cases - the standard pre-fitted one with 3 mounting holes running up each side and the Swift style one in the  picture with two  mounting holes on each side, of which one is on the mounting "brackets" sticking out the back. The 3D printed support plates I have are for a Swift so I had to change the casing over. This was far easier said than done and it took me about an hour to do...
   
    
   
   
3. Camera and Antenna screwed to 3D printed mount/supports...
   
   
   
   
4. Foundations of the quad build...
   
        
   
   

Impressive thread dude, can't believe i actually finished reading it
Keep up the good work!

As predicted, slow progress with this build and no more real progress updates yet I'm afraid. I decided the first thing I needed to do was to solder an XT60 pigtail onto the PDB before I started fitting and soldering up anything else. That then raised the question of where to route the pigtail and how long to make it but as I didn't have any LiPos it was difficult to know the best way to do that, so this temporarily stalled the build.

I now have some Tattu 1550mAh 14.8V 4S 75C LiPos ordered and in the mail to me which are due to arrive in the next day or two, so once I receive them that should then allow me to continue with the build and enable me to post some proper updates 

Just a suggestion regarding the storage of your ammo box - I use a large ceramic floor tile to charge my LiPo's on, I am lucky enough to have an undercover balcony where I can do this outside, so in case of a battery fire, I am not filling the house with toxic smoke. I am also pretty paranoid about charging my LiPo's mainly due to the fact that my house in South Africa is made of wood!

I'm staying at my sisters place in London at the moment, there is a balcony here too, but its not undercover and considering that the English weather is likely to tip a load of rain down as soon as you take your eye off the sky, I charge on the cooker top which is just a few feet from the balcony door, so if anything does go horribly wrong, I can just chuck it all outside very quickly.

(09-Aug-2018, 06:49 PM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: As predicted, slow progress with this build and no more real progress updates yet I'm afraid. I decided the first thing I needed to do was to solder an XT60 pigtail onto the PDB before I started fitting and soldering up anything else. That then raised the question of where to route the pigtail and how long to make it but as I didn't have any LiPos it was difficult to know the best way to do that, so this temporarily stalled the build.

I now have some Tattu 1550mAh 14.8V 4S 75C LiPos ordered and in the mail to me which are due to arrive in the next day or two, so once I receive them that should then allow me to continue with the build and enable me to post some proper updates 

Routing the XT60 pigtail is probably the part of my build that gave me the most pause. On the CL Racing F4S the battery pads are on the bottom and at the back, so I ended up running the pigtail under the board, but if you've got a tight build that eats up a load of stack space - 12 AWG is fat. I never really liked the idea of the side-saddle battery tags (they always looked kinda snappable), but I'm considering it for the inevitable 'next build' because it sure would make it simpler.

Also, don't be shy on pigtail length, you can always tuck it under the battery strap if you have slack, and you don't want it to be a point of strain when it's plugged in. Take it from someone who has already made that mistake ;-)

(10-Aug-2018, 09:17 AM)Banelle Wrote: Routing the XT60 pigtail is probably the part of my build that gave me the most pause. On the CL Racing F4S the battery pads are on the bottom and at the back, so I ended up running the pigtail under the board, but if you've got a tight build that eats up a load of stack space - 12 AWG is fat. I never really liked the idea of the side-saddle battery tags (they always looked kinda snappable), but I'm considering it for the inevitable 'next build' because it sure would make it simpler.

Thanks for the input. Those were my thoughts exactly. I don't really want to be soldering and desoldering XT60 pigtails more than necessary because we know how much heat is required to do those properly so I would rather get it right first time if I possibly can. My PDB has the XT60 connector on the rear (so it will be inside the frame) and I don't really want to turn it 90° because the buttons which are currently on the side would then be inside the frame and harder to get to. For the same reasons as you, I'm also not keen on the direct XT60 to PDB mount option because for a beginner like me there is too much risk of damage to the PDB or XT60 in the event of battery ejection with it mounted like that. And if the XT60 itself gets damaged and needs replacing, getting through-hole pins of that size desoldered from a circuit board can sometimes be a real PITA. In situations where you want the XT60 very close the PDB, JB recommends using a wires even if they are so short that the XT60 almost looks like it is soldered to the PDB.

DPD sent me notification this morning that the LiPos should be with me later on today so I can then get on and work out what to do with the XT60 socket and pigtails