New Pilot Seeking Multirotor Build Suggestions

I

iservin

Member
I recently graduated college and I'm about to start working full time without having to worry about school so I have a bit more time on my hands. I decided that I would take up a multirotor build as a hobby to have fun and use it for my video production work as a side benefit. I had in my mind three stages; training on a quality micro quad like the Blade Nano, building and flying a Flame Wheel size multirotor with a gopro, then building or upgrading to a larger machine for DSLRs or similarly sized cameras.

I occasionally build computers and I really like tinkering, so my goal with this is to move slowly and treat it as a fun learning experience. I'd rather learn and build slowly to avoid needless crashes and mistakes caused by being reckless.

I've got a Blade Nano now and I've been working on my flying skills as much as possible. I feel like I'm ready to start planning my bigger builds. Does anyone have any suggestions for platforms at the medium and then larger levels? I've done a lot of my own research, but I'd like to hear more about what other people have experience with as my knowledge is theoretical and second-hand. I'd love to hear what you guys fly, especially if you built it yourself and your advice for approaching a kit or from scratch build. My focus right now is building a parts list for the medium multirotor.
 
Thanks for the recommendation. I think I came across that awhile ago, but subsequently forgot all about it. It definitely seems like a great platform, and I like the FPV focus as that's an area I'd like to explore more.
 
If you're going for an FPV style frame and don't need GPS then the Openpilot CC3D is a fun and inexpensive flight controller, If you want GPS lock and don't mind tinkering the APM and Pixhawk are powerful, if you want ease of install then the Naza-M is good.

The frame recommended above looks great.

I'd keep away from cheap frames, say an F550 frame as they create a fair bit of vibration, which isn't good for video and can cause issues with some flight controllers. Though having said that the Openpilot crowd designed a robust acro frame based off the F550 style, called the Narwhal, they claim in can take a fair amount of physical beating.

http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76_340&products_id=2897
 
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You've got me thinking of the craziest DIY build I've seen, at least in the last few months:

:grin:
 
P13 and David, thanks a ton for the links. I'm glad I heard about the flame wheel frames' flexibility. That oddcopter link is a great build and definitely in my budget range and skill level.

Also, yes the box-o-copter is great. Actually I recently discovered the flitetest videos and they partially convinced me to get into the RC hobby besides my aerial filming goals. They make the hobby seem very accessible which is great because jumping into RC can be overwhelming. I mean, just for quads there are so many options now, which is great, but it makes a newbie like me nervous to not make a mistake.

On that note, I'm glad there's a forum here for guidance and help. Once I make some purchasing decisions and start building I'll make sure to start a detailed thread with photos, videos, and reflections/updates on my progress. Hopefully my successes and failures can help out others like y'all are helping me.
 
Glad to help, once you decide on a copter, feel free to PM me and I'll direct you to some groups on Facebook and forums where you can get help and advice.

For a transmitter look at the FrSky Taranis, it's cracking value for money and very flexible.

One final note also consider a GPS tracker, they're cheap enough, GPS technology isn't as robust as people tend to believe so it's possible to lose your copter without one.
 
Well, I'm getting close to pulling the trigger. I'm going to go with the QAV500, likely the gimbal version. I've put an email out to GetFPV to see when they might have the frame in stock.

I'm going to use DJI Naza 2 w/ GPS for avionics and the FrSky Taranis TX/RX. I need to learn more about getting telemetry data to the TX before I commit to that system though. I also am doing more research about the motors and other electronics right now.
 
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