29-Jul-2018, 12:14 PM (This post was last modified: 11-Oct-2019, 01:05 PM by SnowLeopardFPV. Edit Reason: Image links moved to imgur because tinypic closed down. )
Some members on here mentioned they like to read long posts so here's another one of my epics Apologies to those who hate reading long essays
This thread will form the basis of a log for my first ever quad build. Hopefully it will all go to plan without too many issues
Yesterday I finally received delivery of the last item on the long list of things that I needed before commencing the build of my Martian II quad. Hurrah!! I've stripped the frame back down to a bare shell ready to fit and solder everything up properly in a logical order but earlier trial assembly pictures can be found in my original welcome post HERE.
One thing I've come to realise is that when you're starting out in this hobby from scratch, it's amazing how much stuff you actually need to buy. It's not just the build items for the quad itself but also all the sundry items as well, some of which are easy to overlook or forget about. On more than one occasion I thought I had everything needed only to discover something else important missing from the inventory. All of the stuff in the photo below has taken me exactly 3 months to collect, partly because placing of some orders were delayed while I was researching what to actually purchase, partly because a lot of the stuff came from China which seems to take forever to arrive, and partly because I wanted to try and spread out the cost a bit. In all, during that time, almost 70 packages have been delivered to my house containing all this stuff! I don't even want to think about how much I've spent
At least while I've been waiting to complete the inventory, it has given me the chance to do a ton of research so hopefully there shouldn't be too many surprises in store. I may need to ask for some help from the seasoned experts if I get stuck on something but I generally try to be as self sufficient as possible and research things as much as I can first before I resort to asking questions. I've already learnt a ton of things just from watching YouTube videos, reading various blogs, and reading loads of posts on this forum
(click the photo for a larger version)
No soldering/test equipment or soldering consumables are shown because I already have all of that stuff from other electronic work I've been doing over the past X number of years. This is just all the stuff I've had to buy specifically for starting off in this hobby Although I'm quite sure this is nothing compared to what some of you have in your build rooms
The only things I still have left to buy are the LiPo batteries which have been purposely left until last because they scare the s**t out of me but those will be getting sourced locally for obvious reasons, so once I order them I should have them within a day or two. Oh, and I also need to get a 3157 Automotive Bulb for the smoke stopper I'll be making but that will also be sourced locally as well. If anyone thinks I've missed anything or have any recommendations for some "nice to haves" to add to my inventory then please speak up
Items in the photo from back left to front right are:-
Before I crack on with building the quad, the first job I'll be doing is to replace the casing on my Fat Shark goggles with a new one that arrived earlier this week from the UK repair centre. For anyone who is unaware of the problem and has a set HDO's from the first consumer batch, there's a manufacturing issue with the casing on some pairs whereby the plastic used is too translucent which causes the inside of the casing to glow an orangy colour in bright sunlight which can be quite distracting. Fat Shark have manufactured denser casing shells to fix the issue which can either be fitted by one of their repair centres, or which can be DIY fitted like I've opted to do (both options are free of charge under warranty). All new HDO's manufactured after the first consumer batch have the denser casing shells already fitted so no longer have this problem.
Further updates and pictures will follow as I progress with the build I'll be continuing with this as and when I have time outside of work and family life. I tend to take my time and try to do things properly rather than end up with a rushed bodge job, so don't expect it all to be completed by next week Progress might be slow and I reckon it's going to be a few weeks at the very least.
This thread will form the basis of a log for my first ever quad build. Hopefully it will all go to plan without too many issues
Yesterday I finally received delivery of the last item on the long list of things that I needed before commencing the build of my Martian II quad. Hurrah!! I've stripped the frame back down to a bare shell ready to fit and solder everything up properly in a logical order but earlier trial assembly pictures can be found in my original welcome post HERE.
One thing I've come to realise is that when you're starting out in this hobby from scratch, it's amazing how much stuff you actually need to buy. It's not just the build items for the quad itself but also all the sundry items as well, some of which are easy to overlook or forget about. On more than one occasion I thought I had everything needed only to discover something else important missing from the inventory. All of the stuff in the photo below has taken me exactly 3 months to collect, partly because placing of some orders were delayed while I was researching what to actually purchase, partly because a lot of the stuff came from China which seems to take forever to arrive, and partly because I wanted to try and spread out the cost a bit. In all, during that time, almost 70 packages have been delivered to my house containing all this stuff! I don't even want to think about how much I've spent
At least while I've been waiting to complete the inventory, it has given me the chance to do a ton of research so hopefully there shouldn't be too many surprises in store. I may need to ask for some help from the seasoned experts if I get stuck on something but I generally try to be as self sufficient as possible and research things as much as I can first before I resort to asking questions. I've already learnt a ton of things just from watching YouTube videos, reading various blogs, and reading loads of posts on this forum
(click the photo for a larger version)
No soldering/test equipment or soldering consumables are shown because I already have all of that stuff from other electronic work I've been doing over the past X number of years. This is just all the stuff I've had to buy specifically for starting off in this hobby Although I'm quite sure this is nothing compared to what some of you have in your build rooms
The only things I still have left to buy are the LiPo batteries which have been purposely left until last because they scare the s**t out of me but those will be getting sourced locally for obvious reasons, so once I order them I should have them within a day or two. Oh, and I also need to get a 3157 Automotive Bulb for the smoke stopper I'll be making but that will also be sourced locally as well. If anyone thinks I've missed anything or have any recommendations for some "nice to haves" to add to my inventory then please speak up
Items in the photo from back left to front right are:-
- 50 Cal Ammo Box 29cm x 14.5cm x 18cm (for LiPo battery storage)
- LiPo Safe Bags 64mm x 50mm x 95mm (x6 to use during charging)
- 2.5mm & 3.6mm Cables Ties (various colours)
- Black & Clear Heatshrink (long lengths, various diameters)
- Fat Shark HDO Goggles
- Realacc Martian II 220 Quad Frame (plus spare arms & spare top plate)
- Red & Black Heatshrink Kit (short pre-cut lengths, various diameters)
- Black Carbon Steel Washer Kit (M3-M8 sizes) & Black Carbon Steel M3 Screws (8mm, 10mm & 12mm lengths)
- Nylon M3 Washers and Spacers (1mm & 3mm)
- Nylon Stack Standoff Kit (various sizes)
- Foam & Electrical Tapes (black & red various sizes)
- Generic Mushroom RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (bought this before I knew better - will keep this as a spare)
- VAS Ion RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (for goggles)
- Foxeer Lollipop RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (for VTX)
- Realacc Pagoda RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna (for goggles)
- Realacc Mini Triple Feed Patch RHCP Omni-Directional Antenna
- EMAX RS2205S 2300kV Motors (x4)
- LiPo Battery XT60 Safety Caps
- LiPo 4S Battery Balance Plug AB Clips
- XT60 Solder Lug Insulation Caps (black)
- XT60 Connectors (both male and female)
- XT60 Pigtails with 12AWG Wire
- Motor Protectors (red and green)
- LiPo Self-Adhesive Battery Charge Markers
- Silicone Insulated Wire (various colours 28AWG and 12AWG)
- Realacc RX5808 Pro Plus OSD Receiver Module (with OSD Achiles Plus 1.8 installed)
- ISDT BattGo BG-8S Smart Battery Checker
- Fat Shark Goggles 18650 Battery Case (for use as a backup)
- RunCam Eagle 2 Pro FPV Camera
- Menace RC Invader Directional Patch Antenna (for goggles)
- Holybro Tekko32 35A BLHeli_32 ESC (x4)
- Motor Anti-Vibration Pads
- 3D Printed ESC Protectors (clear TPU)
- Frame Standoffs (red 35mm) & Screws (red 10mm)
- Motor Prop Nuts (black & red spares)
- MMCX to SMA Adapters & SMA Extensions
- FrSky R-XSR Receiver Antennas (spares)
- Teflon PTFE Tubing (to house/protect receiver antennas)
- Realacc Motor Grip Pliers
- Banana Plug to Barrel Adapter (for fast charging goggles LiPo battery)
- Fat Shark Goggles Diopters
- DALProp Cyclone T5045C Props (loads more not shown in the photo)
- Matek FCHUB-VTX PDB & VTX Combo
- Matek F405-STD Flight Controller
- Matek WS2512B LED Tail Light with Loud Buzzer
- FrSky R-XSR Radio Receiver
- SMA Adapters (45° & 90°)
- Motor Nut T-Bar Wrench
- HobbyRC Battery Straps with Rubberised Threads (both metal buckle & plastic buckle types)
- 3D Printed Landing Skids (TPU)
- 3D Printed Rear Antenna Mount (TPU, for both VTX and receiver antennas)
- 3D Printed Camera Protector (TPU)
- 3D Printed Camera Support (PLA)
- 3D Printed XT60 Caps and SMA Thumb Wheels (complimentary with 3D print order)
- BM3in1 Battery Low Voltage Alarm, Buzzer, and Signal Loss Buzzer
- SkyRC Q200 Quad Battery Charger
- FrSky Taranix X9D+ Special Edition (Carbon Fibre) Radio Transmitter
- Panasonic 18650 Batteries (x2 for the goggles 18650 battery case)
- FrSky Spare Radio Transmitter Battery (7.2V 2000mAh Ni-MH)
Before I crack on with building the quad, the first job I'll be doing is to replace the casing on my Fat Shark goggles with a new one that arrived earlier this week from the UK repair centre. For anyone who is unaware of the problem and has a set HDO's from the first consumer batch, there's a manufacturing issue with the casing on some pairs whereby the plastic used is too translucent which causes the inside of the casing to glow an orangy colour in bright sunlight which can be quite distracting. Fat Shark have manufactured denser casing shells to fix the issue which can either be fitted by one of their repair centres, or which can be DIY fitted like I've opted to do (both options are free of charge under warranty). All new HDO's manufactured after the first consumer batch have the denser casing shells already fitted so no longer have this problem.
Further updates and pictures will follow as I progress with the build I'll be continuing with this as and when I have time outside of work and family life. I tend to take my time and try to do things properly rather than end up with a rushed bodge job, so don't expect it all to be completed by next week Progress might be slow and I reckon it's going to be a few weeks at the very least.