If you use 4500kv, you can safely run 4S.
5000kv its kinda marginal. I use 90% limit.

only improvement for your build is battery size.
Quad should be under 65g.

Battery can be 45-50g. I would run 650mah 3S.

(11-Apr-2024, 04:30 PM)Radworm Wrote: Great idea on disconnecting the VTX as the board gets really hot.  My FS HD Dominator Googles keep telling me there is a firmware mismatch with the VTX.  Not sure if this matters or I need to flash an update on VTX.

If you don't mind the extra step of clicking confirm each time you boot up, I don't believe there are any other serious consequences. I fly with a bunch of different firmware versions on my VTXs and have not noticed any issues. Some of the newer firmwares do fix things, but they seem to break other things too. You can always update it later, it is a pretty quick update.

(12-Apr-2024, 02:29 AM)mstc Wrote: If you don't mind the extra step of clicking confirm each time you boot up, I don't believe there are any other serious consequences. I fly with a bunch of different firmware versions on my VTXs and have not noticed any issues. Some of the newer firmwares do fix things, but they seem to break other things too. You can always update it later, it is a pretty quick update.

I went ahead and updated the firmware on the Walksnail VTX.  At the bench, it works great with the New Fatshark HD Dominator Goggles.  Thanks for sharing those BetaFlight YouTube videos on the other thread.  They were helpful.

Finished toothpick by adding a Vifly Finder Mini.  I live in area with woods and tall grass so I didn’t want to go through all this work and lose it.  Beeper is loud.  100 db.  It also has its own battery charged off the main battery in the rare event the battery becomes disconnected. I zipped tied it in the best place I could find.

(12-Apr-2024, 12:23 AM)romangpro Wrote: If you use 4500kv, you can safely run 4S.
5000kv its kinda marginal. I use 90% limit.

only improvement for your build is battery size.
Quad should be under 65g.

Battery can be 45-50g.  I would run 650mah 3S.

My 1303.5 runs at 5500kv and they recommend 4S without an output limit.  Saying that, if you use test data, it suggests the amount of thrust vs amps between 90% and 100% isn't worth it, either on 2540 or 3x2x2.  It basically consumes almost 1.5A more and generates only 18g extra thrust, so almost better to set it to 90% (around 1kg of thrust) and save the heat.

Radworm, You should try some 4S 450mAh Lipos and maybe some 550's as well.  If it flies ok on 3S 650mAh, then on 4S 450 it should be fine too, but you might not want to go back to 3S afterwards.

(07-Apr-2024, 08:26 PM)Radworm Wrote: Also, did you solder the antenna on the board?  I know it snaps on but maybe it is just the photo.

Some antennas have a locking feature on them.  The Rush Cherry's I use do, you push the connectors together and then push a small locking harness to stop it coming off.  It's not perfect and it will come off if you give it enough force.  If you want something better then use SMA or maybe MMCX.  I recently moved over to VTX that use MMCX, but many of my older VTX still use UFL.

Maiden voyage after lots of lessons and learning from doing this build.  A lot of crashing but it was fun.  Definitely not used to flying without GPS.  It floats backwards when hovering.  I assume this is normal since they are built for racing and you are supposed to pitch forward or do I need to make any adjustments.  I didn’t do any tuning in BF.

FPV quads aren't designed for automatically holding their position or hovering. You can hover them, but it has to be done by manual stick control adjustments to try and keep the quad in one place. What you need to do is fly them forwards, fast

(27-Apr-2024, 12:31 AM)SnowLeopardFPV Wrote: FPV quads aren't designed for automatically holding their position or hovering. You can hover them, but it has to be done by manual stick control adjustments to try and keep the quad in one place. What you need to do is fly them forwards, fast

I realized not too many people posting on YouTube (you may call them influencer but it sounded too much like influenza.) show off their hovering skills.

1) It is more difficult than flying forward.
2) Cannot see what's behind.
3) Not as dramatic.
4) The FC and VTX get's more hot.

Congratulaions!! Maybe the build took a little more time than you expected, but it seems you got to experience plenty of trouble shooting and hope all that knowledge helps you with your future builds.

Are you flying in angle mode? If so it will level according to your accelerometer calibration. If it hovers pitched back, then you should position your drone as level as possible and recalibrate it. That will help, but drones still drift and don't have position hold like GPS setups so you will have to manually adjust.

You can calibrate in Betaflight, or I believe these stick commands still work while you are disarmed.





If you enjoy flying, you might want to learn to fly in acro mode, but a sim will probably help you learn the stick memory.

Hi Radworm,

To hold the U.FL antenna in place, I have been using plastic "hold down" straps
cut from the plastic from blister packs (everything is blister packed these days)
or plastic bottles.

Even though the quad shown below is a 4 inch using a dual mount position frame,
it shows how I secure the U.FL connector which I also do on toothpick and sometimes
small whoop builds. 




Later, iFly  

(27-Apr-2024, 01:57 AM)mstc Wrote: Congratulaions!! Maybe the build took a little more time than you expected, but it seems you got to experience plenty of trouble shooting and hope all that knowledge helps you with your future builds.

Are you flying in angle mode? If so it will level according to your accelerometer calibration. If it hovers pitched back, then you should position your drone as level as possible and recalibrate it. That will help, but drones still drift and don't have position hold like GPS setups so you will have to manually adjust.

You can calibrate in Betaflight, or I believe these stick commands still work while you are disarmed.





If you enjoy flying, you might want to learn to fly in acro mode, but a sim will probably help you learn the stick memory.

I did not set it up to fly a particular mode so I am pretty sure it just defaulted to Acro mode.  I am going to practice on a Sim.  This is a different type of flying on these tiny drones.  I am used to flying drones with GPS or even hover stabilization in place.

For fun these are my first and only other two drone builds.  The first is from 2013.  Everything was analog and you may be able to see all the servo wires in the photo.  I think DJI had just released the Phantom 2 and it was really expensive.  People recommended building your on drone and parts were cheap to replace if you crash it.



The second one was a large quad that I built in 2014 which ran a DJI flight controller with GPS.  It was a big hover craft basically for sight seeing.



So I looked at a few Sims last night and my computer is new enough to support using my FS HD googles and Boxer transmitter.

Thanks for the advice.

Hi Radworm,

Yes, the default fly mode is ACRO unless overridden by enabling one of the other fly modes. 
You can add ANGLE, HORIZON (the two stable modes), and ACRO TRAINER in Betaflight.

Interesting quads.

When I put together a model on the transmitter, I set up several extra switches. You don't
have to use them all for all builds, but they are there when you need them. Of course, the
ARM switch must be set up, that is 1.

I also put the Fly Modes on a switch and the buzzer on a switch. 

The Rescue Quad also had the Cam Switcher on a switch. 

I have plans for other things on switches, but just haven't gotten there yet.

Later, iFly  

---

Hi Radworm,

Yes, the default fly mode is ACRO unless overridden by enabling one of the other fly modes. 
You can add ANGLE, HORIZON (the two stable modes), and ACRO TRAINER in Betaflight.

Interesting quads.

When I put together a model on the transmitter, I set up several extra switches. You don't
have to use them all for all builds, but they are there when you need them. Of course, the
ARM switch must be set up, that is 1.

I also put the Fly Modes on a switch and the buzzer on a switch. 

The Rescue Quad also had the Cam Switcher on a switch. 

I have plans for other things on switches, but just haven't gotten there yet.

Later, iFly  

(27-Apr-2024, 01:55 AM)SeismicCWave Wrote: I realized not too many people posting on YouTube (you may call them influencer but it sounded too much like influenza.) show off their hovering skills.

1) It is more difficult than flying forward.
2) Cannot see what's behind.
3) Not as dramatic.
4) The FC and VTX get's more hot.

The one I've been trying to learn for a while now is to fly towards yourself at some speed and then flip 180, quick throttle burst to eliminate momentum and then hover or land.  Still can't do it.  Been trying for a year.  Turning and negating momentum is definitely a move you more have to feel, since speed is rarely constant.

(28-Apr-2024, 12:20 AM)Pathfinder075 Wrote: The one I've been trying to learn for a while now is to fly towards yourself at some speed and then flip 180, quick throttle burst to eliminate momentum and then hover or land.  Still can't do it.  Been trying for a year.  Turning and negating momentum is definitely a move you more have to feel, since speed is rarely constant.

LOL! How many times have you hit yourself? 

I don't do aerobatics. However I do fly a race course pattern around the perimeter of my backyard. I found that in one turn it is very different because of the wind. Since wind is not something we feel flying FPV we just have to "feel" how the quads are behaving.

I crashed three times this morning with my Mobula8. Turned out I adjusted the camera angle the last time I messed with it so I couldn't judge the altitude. I kept on crashing into some branches.  Well, that's my excuse anyway.

(27-Apr-2024, 02:45 PM)Radworm Wrote: >>For fun these are my first and only other two drone builds.  The first is from 2013.  Everything was analog and you may be able to see all the servo wires in the photo.  I think DJI had just released the Phantom 2 and it was really expensive.  People recommended building your on drone and parts were cheap to replace if you crash it.

<<

Is that the 450 frame from DJI? That's one of the first products they entered the multicopter world.