So, still no FPV to be into yet... BUT my H8 mini has arrived! (my 1st ever quad!)

I ordered the E010 as well, but the delivery has been split into 2 packages so just have to wait for the rest of my order.

Thankfully I ordered 2 more H8's for my nephews so I have been 'breaking their 150mAh batteries in for them!' So the wait between flights is down to about 15 mins. But the rest of the 240mAh upgrade batteries & 5 x chargers are in the other package... This is what I look like when I'm being patient !

So my 1st thoughts on the H8 -
"Don't try it for the 1st time inside, unless you have your own basketball court!" I did my 1st tests indoors because I am not the most patient person, I spent more time like a contortion artist down the back of the couch, and sugically removing dog hair from the props and motor shafts, than I did in the air!

Outside this thing is wicked (Like seriously WICKED!) I am starting to get the hang of it quite nicely, of course to start off with, only in low rates. Everyone has said it before but I will add my confirmation that the H8 yaw rate is insane, even in low rates you have to be gentle otherwise you have spun 180 deg. or more without realizing it an disappeared into a bush! Luckily the LED's on the arms do serve some purpose - when you have to find it they shine on surrounding leaves or whatever, they look nice when you fly right above yourself, otherwise you never even see them.

So after 3 days I have started doing some double and triple flips (by cutting the power mid flip!) I have managed to land on my bird table gently 2 or 3 times, I seem to get some drift after flying for a bit, so these landings are sort of - take off circle around 5-10M diameter (the term circle is use very loosely here!) once or twice and spend 2 mins pissing about before finally coming to rest!
 
Generally while I'm outside, I fly with the pitch stick pretty much full forward (or slightly right or left if drift has started being an issue) just using throttle and yaw, with a slight 'let off' the forward pitch if I am loosing too much altitude. Probably running before I can walk... but I have had a 1 hour helicopter flying lesson and it definitely didn't begin with hovering!

I tried indoors again yesterday, confirmation that either the H8 is not ideal inside and wait for the e010, or I need a proper TX and not the toy they provide or I just need a a whole load more practice! maybe its a touch of all 3?

Anyway batteries charged, off to play!

Bugger, 1st gust of wind of the day now its at the top of a big tree, I (like CesuimSalami) would have posted a pic of my climbing gear apart from the fact that it would have just been a pic of my busted old trainers/sneakers, this is South Africa man shoes are specialist equipment owning more than 1 pair is almost a qualification!

The wind giveth and the wind taketh away.

So it spent 2 cold lonely nights at the top of the tree, one of those in pretty heavy rain, just a quick clean of the battery terminals with some vinegar and no ill effects, whew!

haha nice one!

Looks like I burned out one of the motors just pulsing the power to locate it in the tree, but hey, Got some 8.5x20's and a wisp micro frame on their way from Oscars 'house moving giveaway' So I will have 3 spare motors for my E010's when they finally arrive...

I saw someone say that you 'might' have to flash the board if your using larger motors with the H8 board, can anyone confirm? I haven't yet got the ST link V2 to flash silverxxx accro firmware so if this is the case then I will just have to wait...

Yipeeeeeeeee! yeah - you know - those prop guards didn't seem to do alllll that much beyond increase the chances of getting it stuck in a tree. I ended up snipping mine off. After I got tired of throwing sticks and climbing trees

I don't think you really need to flash new firmware for the 8.5mm motors - hopefully the built in stock PID values will be ok for those motors. I don't think there's harm either way - I think worst case is that the controller resets and turns off - so try somewhere where you can crash ok. The real issue will be that you can't change the PID values for the new frame and motors.

Lol - yeah that one is pretty zippy for indoors. the e010 will be perfect for that.

when you do attach the 8.5mm motors - take a photo of the board or something so you can note the positive and negative motor terminals (by wire color) as I don't think they're marked or they are covered ...

I just spent like 4 hrs installing a 4-in-1 model in my Devo 7e so I can fly my DSM boards, eachine h8 boards, and FrSky SBUS Tinywhoop all on the same controller .... Sheesh .... Took for freakin' ever!

Also - have you switched it to high rates yet? Spins like a top! But also gives you a few more degrees of tilt.

ALSO! When you switch to the wisp - be oh so careful when putting on props to hold the bottom of the motor when doing so and not to push too hard. with even moderate force you'll push the bottoms out and then the motor is dead :/

Thanks Cesium, as ever, for your info, I thought it would be unlikely to be able to fly with the 8.5mm motors 'out of the box' using the toy H8 TX, but I'll give it a bash, or more likely a crash!

As I explained to my Pa-in-law, the thing is shaped like a grappling hook times 4, with the added bonus of the props wrapping anything loose to ensure it stays well and truly stuck!

Yipee for you, getting the 4in1 RF installed in your DEVO, I have been looking at TX's and have just yesterday decided I reckon the DEVO 10 with the 4in1 module is the way I'll be going. It looks to have the closest feature set to the taranis (once deviated anyway) and I love the fact that the 4in1 can be installed internally, 1 module pretty much everything covered! Its my birthday tomorrow so hopefully Mrs Thriftyass will let me splash out a little, highly doubt it tho!

I did consider snipping the protectors off... But after breaking 2 props on the same 150mah battery yesterday I think maybe I should keep them attached, for the mo at least. I have had a go with high rates, basically I just use it to show my friends that it is pretty sick normally but it can be FREAKIN INSANE!

I have got my plastic 4 seater garden table out on the grass acting as a gate to fly through, I am now scoring more often than hitting the post! the garden table is far easier to land on than the bird table too.

Oh the other thing I forgot to mention in my 1st thoughts - I am surprised by how durable the H8 is, I have literally crashed it, as hard as it can be crashed. Just make sure all your props are still attached, and the protectors haven't bent to obstruct them, and off you go!

Yeah! Give it a go! Should be fun either way

Yeah the Devo 10 is probably your best quiver-of-one controller ... I have a DX6i - honestly - in that form factor you probably have much better control. I just wanted something smaller.... and cheaper. But the installation of the 4-in-1 is pretty involved on the 7e. I did the range mod before that - also a big job (for me). I feel like the install in the Devo 10 is WAY easier ... and either way there's no need for a range mod. Plus it has more switches for change rates, etc.. Seems like a great choice.

I don't know if you've come across this - but one concern that I had after the 4-in-1 install - is that the antenna will be removable. I.e. you could remove it for travel and then turn on the transmitter and burn the module. I did that to a 600mw videoTX ... it popped smoke within 1 second of being plugged in :/ I plan on "throwing" my Devo 7 in a bag where it could get turned on accidentally. I did buy a dummy load for this purpose: http://www.banggood.com/SMA-Male-RF-Coax...27353.html

I don't plan on testing if it works... but hopefully it'll slow down the destruction. Maybe I'm overreacting though.

Happy flying!! OH! And HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Thank you man!

I had only thought of the benefit of the removable antenna, didn't realize the possible hazard, so thanks for pointing that out too!

So just finished destroying my last spare prop, of course I haven't broken a single CCW prop yet, oh yeah and the spares from the 2 for my nephews I've busted too, 'Bad uncle Tom!'

Maybe the garden table gate was a bit premature?! So I have been flying one of my nephews ones, carefully practicing flying slow in high rates, and its going quite well... I don't have a head-cam or anything to show my improvement tho so... Yeah, actually I'm bad-ass, you see that dude VEK FPV on youtube? I taught him everything he knows! Just kidding.

Seriously tho, VEK has just uploaded 2 new vids, it has been a while since he posted anything new and he mentioned the delay has been due to depression so give him a like for his vids and a positive comment!

So I just had an awesome time playing with a butterfly!! No seriously ask Mrs Thriftyass and my mate Mikey!

Mikey had just had a go of going up and down and spinning like only the H8 can... You know like those people who play 1st person shooters and spend the entire time spinning round looking at the sky!?

So he is well up for getting one but got a frustrated not being able to fly so well, so gave me the TX to show him how its done, so I circled him slowly and was about to 'punch out' when a small butterfly flew up from the grass and started flying round the drone! if I was within about 3 meters (9 feet) of his spot he would fly up and play, I was doing flips round him then he would circle over the top of me, we played nicely for about 2 mins before he got sucked through the prop-wash and went off in a huff!

Lost one of the H8's in the banana field next door an hour later I had broken my last spare CW prop, of course the local hobby shop sells the H8 3D but not spare props, oh well the E010's should hopefully get here this week, and the bundle from Oscar arrived in Johannesburg just after midnight today, hopefully customs don't spend 3 weeks figuring out what it is!