Hello IntoFPV, they say each multi has a different purpose. I have a purpose and need a multi!

I want to build a multicopter (preferably a quad to keep price down) to explore with. There is a valley nearby where I live that I would love to fly over. I would like to fly FPV and get range up to 3km. I think 3km might be a little unrealistic with the D4R-II maybe 1km? Would a 600mw 5.8ghz VTX cover 3km?

I have built 3 5" quads and 1 3" quad before. I already have a transmitter (Taranis) and 5.8ghz fpv stuff. I also have a few spare pieces I want to put to use.

- Naze32 Rev5 6DOF

- D4R-II

- QBRAIN 4in1 20a blheli esc with 5v bec.

- 4x SunnySky 1806 2300kv motors (I assume it would be too small and kv too high for larger props and 10-20 minute flight)

- 4x Multistar 2204 2300kv motors (Again, kv too high and torque too low for big props and longer flights? Could I get away with 8" on 3s?)

These are the parts I am looking at to complete the build.

- 2212 920kv Motor (http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/...29289.html) I have heard good things about the readytosky store.

- FPV camera (http://www.banggood.com/600TVL-8_0MP-14-...84345.html) This camera has become a personal favourite of mine. Lightweight, cheap and I really like the wide FOV and the picture is very nice, I find it hard to tell apart from the HS1177.

- VTX(http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-Versi...267.33X2oz) Would this cover up to 3km? It would do at least 1km right? Better/cheaper option?

- 1045 props (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1045-10-4...261.33X2oz) Nothing too special.

- F450 Clone Frame (http://www.aliexpress.com/item/F450-Quad...264.33X2oz) Maybe a Q330 if I decide to go 8".

To sum it up:

- What size props and motors? I would like to try and get at least 10 minutes with a 3s 2.2ah battery.

- Approximately how far will my FPV and radio gear transmit and receive? 1km is good enough but more would be neat.

- Could I do an 8" 2204 2300kv quad on 3s and still get 10 minutes? or is the kv too high?

- Another question, my Naze32 Rev5 is 6DOF, meaning I won't have mag, baro and gps right? Will this inhibit me too much?

I really do not want to put a spanner in your works, but...

You really are not allowed to fly further than the naked eye can see or spotters eyes can see.
To cover 3km on a quad and return with a 2200mAh lipo is not going to happen.
As you also say you have no gps so finding your quad when it ditches due to failsafe, collision due to loss of picture will be nearly impossible.

Range with 5.8ghz with a good ground station and directional antenna will do 3km's providing it is still line of sight, meaning no buildings, hills between you and the quad. whether your 2.4ghz RX will is highly unlikely.

Personally, I would try and get closer to the area you want to fly and launch from there.

(05-Jun-2016, 05:58 AM)BigglesFPV Wrote: I really do not want to put a spanner in your works, but...

You really are not allowed to fly further than the naked eye can see or spotters eyes can see.
To cover 3km on a quad and return with a 2200mAh lipo is not going to happen.
As you also say you have no gps so finding your quad when it ditches due to failsafe, collision due to loss of picture will be nearly impossible.

Range with 5.8ghz with a good ground station and directional antenna will do 3km's providing it is still line of sight, meaning no buildings, hills between you and the quad. whether your 2.4ghz RX will is highly unlikely.

Personally, I would try and get closer to the area you want to fly and launch from there.

Hi, thanks for replying!

I expected 3km would be a stretch, 1km will be good enough for my purposes. 

There is no way around the further than the naked eye thing? 

I was planning on launching from a park that is ~100m from the edge of the valley.

(05-Jun-2016, 06:33 AM)OHMYQUADcopter Wrote: Hi, thanks for replying!

I expected 3km would be a stretch, 1km will be good enough for my purposes. 

There is no way around the further than the naked eye thing? 

I was planning on launching from a park that is ~100m from the edge of the valley.

Longer ranges will always have a higher level of risk than say a park flyer, freestyler type flyer.  Try and find a quadcopter in a field of grass that you crashed in within say 200 meters of you, without RSSI or a lost model alarm even that is tough or can be, to find.
Imagine that over a range of 1km even...of course I am thinking worse case scenario.

Not really anyway past the whole naked eye thing, if you are a responsible pilot like all of us. , Of course what people actually do is their responsibility.

I think more than anything else the range is an issue based wholly on battery size, remember, your time spent getting there can not be be more than half the flight time of your lipo, and of course that again is based on throttle input, head winds etc. Allow a safety margin of time in your flight.

To give you an idea of battery flight times:
Based on my style of flying on a ZMR X210 with 2205-2300 motors, 30amp esc's, AUW around 550-600grams and I get between 3.5 and 4 minutes on a 1300mAh 4S lipo.

So factor in size, weight, prop size, battery weight, and of course putting a larger battery on means more weight which kind of brings you back to same or similar flight times.

(05-Jun-2016, 07:04 AM)BigglesFPV Wrote: Longer ranges will always have a higher level of risk than say a park flyer, freestyler type flyer.  Try and find a quadcopter in a field of grass that you crashed in within say 200 meters of you, without RSSI or a lost model alarm even that is tough or can be, to find.
Imagine that over a range of 1km even...of course I am thinking worse case scenario.

Not really anyway past the whole naked eye thing, if you are a responsible pilot like all of us. , Of course what people actually do is their responsibility.

I think more than anything else the range is an issue based wholly on battery size, remember, your time spent getting there can not be be more than half the flight time of your lipo, and of course that again is based on throttle input, head winds etc. Allow a safety margin of time in your flight.

To give you an idea of battery flight times:
Based on my style of flying on a ZMR X210 with 2205-2300 motors, 30amp esc's, AUW around 550-600grams and I get between 3.5 and 4 minutes on a 1300mAh 4S lipo.

So factor in size, weight, prop size, battery weight, and of course putting a larger battery on means more weight which kind of brings you back to same or similar flight times.

Yeah I've had a hard enough time finding my quad in bush a couple meters away from me!   

I will consider getting larger capacity lipo in the future, I should get at least 10 minutes on 2212 motors, 1045 props and 3s. I'm expecting AUW for the build to be ~650g. I will use 3s 2.2ah for now due to costs.

I have ordered everything I need to complete the build. (motors, props, frame.) I will build it LOS for now and eventually add fpv bits.
I will do a bit of test flying over the park to get an idea of range, battery life etc before attempting to explore the valley. If it is not fit I will decide whether I am satisfied with it as is or upgrade some components.

Thank you very much for your input!