About to start a build for a GEPRC SMART Walksnail 2.5 Inch Toothpick -- well not really a toothpick, but that is what the frame kit is called.

I am using parts or assembly from another build. 



I have already hit my first issue, the dam motor wires are too short.


Might consider racewire


What the frame looks like

Hi Cyberess,

Personally, I like that frame and have several builds based on it.
Overall, the frame is a lot more versatile than one might think.

I am really excited to see this come together.

If you have any issues, thoughts, or questions; just ask. I am Happy to assist you.

Later, iFly  

GEPRC SMART Walksnail 2.5 it's built


What a lovely frame
I am very happy


Nice TPU parts that I actually used.


The Stack setup -- I have 2 long screws going up and 2 going down the idea is that I have tread at the bottom of the frame for the battery mount


It's a must to use these smail Walksnail spaces either side of the VTX, as so the screws don't damage the electronics on the Walksnail VTX.


The battery holder inplace

Custom made to be tight enough to firmly hold, and setup for quick battery changes.


It came out a little on the heavy side

The bottom plate is rather thick, so this quad should be durable.

Being 2.5Inch propellers, I have got a few propellers at different pitches and aggressiveness.

The Propellers shown here are 

• Genfan 2512 -- These are the least aggressive prop, and will be the ones that I start out with.
  
• HQProp T2.5 x 2 x 3 -- slightly more aggressive and different design
  
• AzurePower Race Propellers 254003   2.5 x 4.0   quite aggressive 
  

Just something to play with it all depending how tuning goes.

Welcome to the club of Phantom Walksnail builds, quite a few forum members have similar setup. Quadflyer has one with nice beefy motors, I have several one 2S and another 3S, and several others too... you can search their threads if interested.

Not sure if you stated which motors you are running? But GEPRC has two versions of this frame. The HD version is slightly heavier, thicker bottom plate (2.5mm) and wider top plate with 20x20 mounting. Looks like that is the one you have? This might be better if you run beefy motors or 3S up. The non-HD version is lighter and 2.0mm bottom plate and is great for 2S and lighter motors. You can also top mount your batter if you like (narrow packs). But for the 1S camera if you want props out of view, you will have to mount the camera forward of the standoffs, a TPU mount will do the trick.

Hi Cyberess,

Very Good Looking Build.  My GEPRC Phantom (same frame) build has a 
dry weight of 85 grams and it is analog. So, your 81 is actually pretty good.
Also, the GEPRC SMART HD Toothpick FPV (same frame) BNF is 92 grams
dry weight. It looks to me like you came in pretty good with the weight.

I also like how you have 2 of the FC mount bolts going up and 2 going down.
Good idea. 

I think that I might tray that on one of my next builds. Thanks.

I like the battery holder, Cool   .

Later, iFly,  

Just flown the maiden flight -- Really Nice  

Hover throttle was at 27% -- I am running scaled throttle limit at 87%, and Bluejay 96Khz, just adjusting the the mid throttle point to 27%, just so it's in the expo setting, I don't run much expo, but I do like a little mid point to be in the middle of it or slightly above.   I have just pushed the PID gains up a bit, and will have to see how that goes

Motors are Diatone MAMBA 1103 12000kv -- they are a bit of the heavy side for an 1103, just looked them up of the Diatone site, and they are meant to be 4.9g compared to say a happymodel EX1103 11000kv they are 3.7g

I have the HD version of GEPRC SMART frame with 2.5mm bottom plate the form factor of 2.5 inch, how is this size of quad being ignored?  The Walksnail 1S VTX has 32G of storage on board, the flight is as silent as, this is a very quiet build, and quick by the feel of it, have not pushed it as yet, it's just after heavy rain here, and there is a fair amount of water about.

Just about all components are leftovers that were used in other builds

• ZEUS15A ES24 AIO flight controller that has blackbox -- The AIO is out of a Reckon35 that was swapped to a 405 board as it needed extra URTS for GPS and compass
  
• It's using an external ELRS TX that was from that Rekon35
  
• The motors that got cheap from a retailer when I visiting Townsville Aus -- I bought 7 motors, I know why, but he was offering them cheap so I go a few spares .
  
• The frame came for CubeFPV website, he has lots of interesting stuff on his website.
  

This is starting to look like a nice combination with the Genfan 2512 3 tri blade props - I will be out again this afternoon if I get a chance.

If you want to build another one, Skystars 1103 are one of the cheapest/lightest motors (less than $30 shipped) and perform well, although 9000kv only. With the non-HD frame, you can easily stay under 60g.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2255799961131371.html

And one more "feature" about this frame, it fits 3" props in the rear so if you ever wanted to try mixed props.

It is also possible to re-position the front standoff columns, mount the camera
above the top deck and run 3 inch props in the front as well.

My Phantom-3A was fitted with a custom top deck plate, had the camera 
mounted above the deck, and was running 3 inch props all the way around.



Of course, it can also be a 3 inch pusher as one of our members has done.

Yeah, we haven't even gotten to overlay arm extensions; yep, got a couple
of those as well. 

Anyway, it is a very versatile frame.  Options, Mate, Options.

Later, iFly  

(17-Feb-2024, 09:26 PM)iFly4rotors Wrote: ...

Of course, it can also be a 3 inch pusher as one of our members has done.

Yeah, we haven't even gotten to overlay arm extensions; yep, got a couple
of those as well. 

Anyway, it is a very versatile frame.  Options, Mate, Options.

...

Always impressive iFly!

Got one for ya:

KARAMBIT 3

https://armattanproductions.com/pages/kit_detail/2768

...bookmarked it eons ago but never ordered... someone oughta build one

This is the 3 inch pusher on the analog version of the frame...

   

(18-Feb-2024, 04:30 AM)skywanderer Wrote: Always impressive iFly!

Got one for ya:

KARAMBIT 3

https://armattanproductions.com/pages/kit_detail/2768

...bookmarked it eons ago but never ordered... someone oughta build one

Hi Skywanderer,

Thanks, Mate.

Yes, that is what is known as a "HeadHunter" frame. I think the name was
"coined" by JJ RotoGeek who actually designed one for Moca Frames and
has built a couple of them. 

Warning: This guy (whom I really enjoy watching) does use some "language"
              so if you are sensitive...well...you know. This guy is just real. NO
              hype...just a practical, down to earth, Git 'er done, guy.  Love it. 
       




By the way, be sure to check out his little VTX antenna trick which I have adopted
years ago. It works. Also, if you notice one of my R9MM antennas with a 90 bend 
in it for vertical orientation, yep, that is how it stays in that position. BAM. 

Later, iFly  

Interesting, people builting lots of interesting things with the Smart25 frame

Out flying the Smart25 in a bigger space that my backyard in super windy conditions, that's not going to stop me   and in my opinion I reckon it better tuning in windy conditions, perhaps it was a little bit too windy today. 

Sure enough I had the PID gains up a bit high, doing a punch out was like an earthquake at max throttle, brought the quad back and adjusted using the Speedybee Unit -- it's flying spot on now. Tried out some new batteries today, 2S GNB 720 --  I got 6:30 minutes flight time in these windy conditions not taking easy just doing snap rolls and flips, and popping out above the tree line, looking at angry trees in the windy conditions.

These days I am basically a 2S shop so to speak--
 

I got the idea of the bottom mount battery TPU holder from Happymodel Bassline -- I love the bassline.  Some of the batteries in the photo are well over a Year old and are holding up well considering all I do is charge up to Standard charge (Not HV) after flying and I don't use storage charge -- Not the white tape around the GMBs -- once the battery has swelled a bit I will remove the tape.

(18-Feb-2024, 02:39 PM)Cyberess Wrote: I got the idea of the bottom mount battery TPU holder from Happymodel Bassline -- I love the bassline.  Some of the batteries in the photo are well over a Year old and are holding up well considering all I do is charge up to Standard charge (Not HV) after flying and I don't use storage charge -- Not the white tape around the GMBs -- once the battery has swelled a bit I will remove the tape.

The batteries swell because they are not being storage charged and is a sign that they are going bad. I wasn't storage charging my batteries originally and have lost lots of money because when they swell, I do not consider them safe anymore and dispose of them. Lipos can be very dangerous and I am not going to take any chances... Swelling is a bad thing.

 I have had many batteries:

   

I have added at least a dozen or more 2S - 3S lipos since the pic.

My Batteries are not going bad to say, as I have batteries well over a year old, it's just band new batteries are not as tight in the holder so I put tape around them, just to tighten them up in the holder, it super quick and easy to change batteries, as I have noted before I only change the batteries to 8.4V although I could therectily take them upto 8.7V as they HV batteries, and yes that would give longer flight time but I consider the batteries would destroy themselves. Anyway I like my batteries ready to go, I will just buy new batteries when they wear out.

From the really windy flight Sunday, I thought I would have a look at the onboard Video, check out colours and wee how well it processes as in gyroflow, I was surprise I could even process such rough flight footage.


Yes the Propellers are in view.


Processing blackbox gyro data with video, and the latest Walksnail onboard video that is a single file is now so easy to process, the only thing to have enable is have selected in the goggles record on ARM as that will stop the recording on disarm.

(19-Feb-2024, 10:09 PM)Cyberess Wrote: My Batteries are not going bad to say, as I have batteries well over a year old, it's just band new batteries are not as tight in the holder so I put tape around them, just to tighten them up in the holder, it super quick and easy to change batteries, as I have noted before I only change the batteries to 8.4V although I could therectily take them upto 8.7V as they HV batteries, and yes that would give longer flight time but I consider the batteries would destroy themselves. Anyway I like my batteries ready to go, I will just buy new batteries when they wear out.

Well swelling period is a sign of them starting to go bad, not enough for you to see a difference when they start, but it is what it is. If you are charging the batteries and then using them within a week or two, that really is not a problem. Storage voltage is for "storing" the batteries for a longer time period. If you are flying them every week or two, then they do not need to be charged to a storage voltage. I have some batteries that are a good four years old now with no swelling, and I have had some that swelled up in a matter of months. Another big part of the picture is the quality of the batteries and from what I see in your pic, you are getting good quality batteries.

My main point was that swollen batteries, especially majorly swollen batteries can be dangerous, do as you wish and I will leave it at that...