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Recommendation for a Cheap Mini Quad Build for Beginners
#1
Information 
[Work in progress]

Please comment down below if there is any parts/components that are better value, if me or Biggles agrees we will update this post.

Cheap build recommendation for a beginner

Last Update 22 Jul 2016

Frame: Martian 5" V1 - $33 http://www.banggood.com/Martian-190mm-23...44894.html

FC: XRacer V3.1 - $30 http://www.fpvmodel.com/x-racer-f303-fli...g1106.html
      F3 Evo - $25 http://www.banggood.com/F3-EVO-Cleanflig...64058.html

Motor: ZMX 2205 2300KV - $13 http://silver-drone.com/collections/moto...purple-cap
            EMAX RS2205 2300KV - $17 - http://www.banggood.com/Emax-RS2205-2300...28793.html

ESC: DYS XS 20A - $13 http://www.banggood.com/DYS-XS-20A-3-4s-...60354.html

Propellers: DAL 5040x3 Durable - $2 for 2 pairs - http://www.surveilzone.com/2-Pairs-3-bla...ing-g-1509

FPV Transmitter: TS5823 200mw $12 - http://www.banggood.com/Skyzone-Upgrade-...17491.html

FPV Camera: HS1177 - $33 http://www.banggood.com/Orange-Foxeer-HS...52455.html
                     Runcam Swift - $40 - http://shop.runcam.com/runcam-swift/

FPV Antenna: Pending

Radio Transmitter: Pending

Radio Receiver: Pending

HD Recording Camera: Xiaomi Yi $90 - http://www.banggood.com/Original-XiaoMi-...60977.html



Deluxe Builds

Better Quality Build for performance and user-friendliness



KISS Build

Last Update 22 Jul 2016

Frame: pending

FC: pending

Motor: pending

ESC: pending

FPV Transmitter: pending

FPV Camera: pending



Betaflight/BLHeli Build

Frame: Pending

FC: pending

Motor: pending

ESC: pending

FPV Transmitter: pending

FPV Camera: pending



TBS Build

[b]Last Update 22 Jul 2016[/b]

Frame: pending

FC: pending

Motor: pending

ESC: pending

FPV Transmitter: pending

FPV Camera: pending
Don't be a LOS'er, be an FPV'er :)  My Gear - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
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#2
Some alternate frames for a Cheap build:

Crazepony Martian 255.
Crazepony H210.

Recommendation for a cheap flight controller Flip32 (a Naze32 clone).
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#3
I think the parts are a bit "old". I suggest:

Frame: RD-210 (21,71€)
Motor: 4x Racerstar BR2205 (26,26€)
ESC: 4x Racerstar RS20A/RS30A (35,06€ / 42,44€)
PDB: Realacc HUBOSD (13,83€)

(Banggood)
My quad: 
RD-210 / ZMX V3 2206 2140kv / Aikon SEFM 30A / X-Racer F303 V3 / X4R-SB / Dronelab 1500 4S 50C
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#4
(21-Jul-2016, 08:08 PM)jamesw Wrote: Some alternate frames for a Cheap build:

Crazepony Martian 255.  
Crazepony H210.

Recommendation for a cheap flight controller Flip32 (a Naze32 clone).
The 3mm arms are weak on the ZMR250, get a ZMR250 with 4mm arms, or a martian with 4mm arms. I have ZMR250 and Reptile X4R 220 , The X4R is allot better frame  and comes with PDB and 5v BEC.

ZMR250 4mm arm
http://www.banggood.com/ZMR250-V2-Carbon...10702.html

Reptile X4R
http://www.thanksbuyer.com/reptile-x4r-2...-fpv-47084

Naze 32 REV 5 , better than rev6 . Naze is easy to run Betaflight/Cleanflight. You can program you littlebees this way.

Transmitter , go with Eachine ET200 , Ive used over 10 of them with no problems and all you do is press a button to change frequancies. I have had bad experiances with the TS vtx and the micro switches .
http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-ET200R-F...22303.html

Camera . You can use a big board camera on the ZMR250, you may as well buy the VTX,camera combo. A litle chaeper and the wiring is already done. Try the  148degree lense , If you dont like the wide view try a 2.8mm IR lense , thats what I use. The other frames need a smaller camera.
http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-700TVL-1...46165.html

Litlebee 20a = Great choice 

Emax 2204  = Great choice
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#5
I'll agree with FPVXX on the Naze32 Rev5 being better than the Rev6.

Also I love the suggestions for the different frames! I started out with a ZMR 250 and thought it was ugly but cheap. These other frames suggested are cheap but look awesome!
Reply
#6
Frame: If clones are not an issue the Crazepony H210 Carbon (QAV210 clone) is a fantastic frame - $23.99 (https://amzn.com/B016ZZN6IQ)
A great racing frame that recently went on sale is the 4.5mm bottom plate SpaceOne 220x - https://www.spaceonefpv.com/collections/...-x-edition
I've wrecked my 220x quad in garages, trees, fallen out of tall trees, busted motors, esc, etc. the frame is going strong.

Motor: RCX motors are also a really good deal and deliver sound performance - many places sell them for $12.99 with bell replacements around $6. The motor base is really strong, I've swapped 3-4 bells after concrete crashes and the motor is usually good as new. I've had good luck with both the 2350kv and 2633kv versions, tho the high kv seems notably faster yet very battery efficient.

ESC: I agree, DYS XM20A are probably the best deal, the new BLHeli_s XS20A are also worth checking out.

VTX: I like the RMRC Cricket, but it is costly. There is a generic version from Quanum that is cheap and AFAIK identical to the Cricket - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store...ransmitter
Price is around $30, comes with a strong aluminum case, various power options and antenna mountings.

There are plenty good cheap F3 flight controllers to not bother with F1 anymore. As Oscar noted above - F3 Evo - $25 http://www.banggood.com/F3-EVO-Cleanflig...64058.html
The next build will be perfect! | Fleet and build info | YouTube Channel |
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#7
Frame: Martian seems to be a good frame, a lot of space for beginners, so easy to work with

Motor: as EMAX seems to be one of the best motors on the market now. But if "cheap" is more important here, racerstar motors seem to be a good choice too. They are $8 each (or $7 for a set) and seem to be very close to old 2300kv Cobras (not many reviews though) thrust-wise.

ESC: I wouldn't bother with blheli_s for a beginner - that's fresh firmware and some ESCs have issues. Also config may be an issue, as putting min_throttle just above the point when motor starts can cause problems in flight. And beginners won't notice the difference anyway. XM20A or even LB20s (with a "that's not futureproof" mark) should have less issues. BUT: what Luc wrote - racerstar ESC's are crazy cheap - they are clones of Cicadas. Also a 4in1 20A Racerstar ESC is a steal for $30 - we wil probably see some reviews soon on those, they may be worth a look.

Props: I'll bore you again with 5040 kingkong props, as they are crazy cheap too, come in 10-pair sets, are very decent for their price. Also - giving more power for a beginner may not be a good idea Smile

Radio transmitter: If price isn't too important, the Taranis of course. If somebody wants a cheap radio Flysky/Turnigy i6 is a great choice, but the user is pretty much locked to Flysky protocols. Still - it's a $50, reliable radio.

RX: FS ia6b for i6, capable of PWM, PPM and ibus. Taranis guys should comment on FrSky RXs

Camera: "brick" form factor: Xiaomi Yi, "soap" form factor: Runcam 2, Mobius M2 (just arrived, but knowing the developer it will be moddable and will have many configuration options). Choose form factor depending on the frame and lipo packs of choice.

LiPo: 1300-1500 mah for a 5" prop. High-C packs are preferred. We can mention some brands here along with their preferred C ratings

PDB: Realacc PDB Luc mentioned seems to be a good choice as integrated OSD looks very easy to work with. I'd recommend pointing that having a few caps on hand may be a good idea to test things as video noise seems to be a common problem now with cheap PDBs.

EDIT: it's about the cheap build of course Smile
Find me on Youtube and Instagram. I currently fly: DRC Aura, NOX5R, Minimalist 112 and drive a scrap RC car
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#8
I just put together my first quad as cheap but reliable as I could.

I used the mMartian II 6" frame and I love that.

I got a motor and esc set from Flight Test. It has Emax 2204's and blhelli 12A esc's (http://store.flitetest.com/e-pack-2204-2300kv-good/) They also have more expensive packs with Emax red bottoms and Lumenier 2206's. They all have bullet connectors so not the best for weight but I loved the ease of putting it together. I didn't have to worry about soldering the wrong wires together or anything.

For the Radio I used the FlySky fs-i6 and its FS ia6b RX and that was also easy to set up and use. I plan to upgrade later on but I didn't want to spend $200 on a Taranis just yet.

For FPV I bought a kit from GetFPV.com that came with a teleporter v5 as well as a camera and transmitter. (http://www.getfpv.com/fpv/video-goggles/...r-usa.html)
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#9
Aomway cloverleaf vtx antenna is a good inexpensive option.
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  • romvesen
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#10
I think for cheap build kingkong props are much better

Also for some cheap power ztw sp2206 2300kv motors are good
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#11
Or You could even start with stick antena to see the delta later on And same few Bucks ... Unless You plan to fly over 100 m from day one.

Id recommend not to buy 12a go either for 20 or 30 a racerstar is crazy cheap.
All the best
Grzesiek (Grisha/ Greg)

Curently flyable: Nox 5, Minimalist 112
Bench / in progres: fixing Nox 3,  Scrap
thinking about building: 450


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#12
how about this FPV Camera: http://www.tmart.com/Boldclash-F-01-5-8G...52293.html Has anyone bought this Camera.
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#13
Hi everybody, I'm a newbie...
I'm looking for a quadcopter starter kit (DIY). Since I'm afraid I can not be able yet to select and buy each single part compatible and fitting, I'm looking for some suggestions and this thread is very useful!
So can I still consider it up to date?
Thank you!
N.
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#14
Welcome to the forums! I hope you enjoy your first build as much as I have. I don't know about kits much. I can think of a few packages like ESC/motor combos but I've never really shopped around for entire kits.

Lately a few of us have been talking about the UAVFutures $99 build. Aaron has been sharing his experience building one as he goes, kaitylynn recently confessed to being at least somewhat inspired by it, and I even got a couple of ideas from the links in his video on my build

Some things that could be updated on this list above:
(I've made some updates below to the list in case it helps... I've removed or replaced anything that gave me a 404 error... in fact Oscar may be able to copy and paste the update right into the Op Wink hint hint. BTW: I am aware that some may disagree with my radio choice being "cheap" but it's cheaper than a X9D+ :p )

Frame: Martian 2 220 - $26: https://www.banggood.com/Martian-220-220...64065.html

FC: XRacer V3.1 - $18 http://www.fpvmodel.com/x-racer-f303-fli...g1106.html
.     F3 Evo - $25 https://www.banggood.com/F3-EVO-Cleanfli...64058.html

Motor: EMAX RS2205 2300KV - $15 (each) - https://www.banggood.com/Emax-RS2205-230...28793.html

ESC: DYS XS 30A - $12 (each) https://www.banggood.com/DYS-XS-30A-3-6s...60355.html
.       4 PCS Racerstar RS30AL 30A w/DShot - $51: https://www.banggood.com/4-PCS-Racerstar...50700.html

Propellers: DAL 5040x3 Durable - $2 for 2 pairs - http://www.surveilzone.com/dalprop-3-bla...ing-g-1509

FPV Transmitter: TS5823 200mw $12 - http://www.banggood.com/Skyzone-Upgrade-...17491.html

FPV Camera: HS1177 - $35 http://www.banggood.com/Orange-Foxeer-HS...52455.html
                    Runcam Swift - $37 - http://shop.runcam.com/runcam-swift/

FPV Antenna: Realacc RHCP - $8 https://www.banggood.com/Realacc-5_8Ghz-...91104.html

Radio Transmitter: Taranis QX7 - $110 http://www.gearbest.com/multi-rotor-part...swodLowEbA

Radio Receiver: Frsky XM+ (check compatibility with your radio) - $13 https://www.banggood.com/Frsky-XM-Micro-...10020.html

HD Recording Camera: Xiaomi Yi $90 - http://www.banggood.com/Original-XiaoMi-...60977.html
carl.vegas
Current Quads: Operational: Diatone GT2 200 In need of repair: Bumble Bee, tehStein,  Slightly modified Vortex 250 
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#15
Wow! Thank you very much Carl!
...and what about goggles? What is your suggestion?

Nick
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