Want to learn how to build an FPV rig? This guide will walk you through your first FPV freestyle build. These parts were hand-picked to balance cost and maximize performance. The TBS Source One is a popular frame for it's low cost, high quality carbon fiber. It's easy to work with and provides more than enough space for your electronics. We've got a 32bit 4-in-1 ESC to bring you the smoothest flights and fewer solders as well as the popular TBS Unify video transmitter (VTX).
Tools
This build requires some soldering experience, but could also be a great way to practice. I highly recommend a flux pen, good 63/37 leaded solder and a quality soldering iron. Here are the tools and supplies you'll need. I've included direct links below in the part list.
- Soldering iron
- 2.0mm hex driver
- Industrial Tweezers
- Wire cutter/stripper
- Scissors
- Heat gun or lighter
- Ruler and cutting mat
- Multimeter
Additional Supplies
- A variety of heat shrink tube sizes
- Blue Loctite
- Zip ties (small)
- 63/37 leaded solder
- Liquid soldering flux pen
Hardware
The frame kit and motors come with all the hardware you need, so you don't need to buy any additional hardware. I used blue countersunk washers and screws to add a little color, but those are entirely optional. What's great about a frame like this is you can embellish a little.
Frame Assembly
We're using the TBS Source One V3 which offers a couple new features over the V2, but most notably the arms mount below the base plate. This provides more space for the stack, but in our case we've got more than enough space. At least the battery strap won't rub against the components! The main thing to keep in mind is to orient the silver press nuts upward. Sandwich the arms with the small plate at the very bottom. Insert the screws upward and use the 4 tallest screws in the middle for the stack.
Motors
Mounting the motors is pretty straightforward. Use the "For 4mm arms" screws and some blue Loctite to ensure they won't vibrate loose. I used some 1/4" Para-Max to sleeve the motor wires, but you can also secure the wires to the arms with electrical tape. If you do want to take that route you'll want to use some 14mm shrink tube to cover the ends of the sleeving.
Before you start soldering you should remove the flight controller from the 4-in-1 ESC to make it a little easier. Now I rotated the ESC board so the motor wires solder to the side and the battery tab points toward the back. This isn't the intended orientation, but I prefer to have my motor pads accessible. Plus you can add a capacitor and it'll be protected inside the frame. You'll need to paste some commands later during the Betaflight configuration to address the orientation change, but it's very easy to do and the commands are available below.
- Remove the nylon standoffs from the side you're soldering so you don't accidentally melt them.
- Flux and tin each motor pad ensuring each is completely coated with a bubble of solder.
- These are pretty long pads so you'll want to push the solder back so it looks more like a loaf than a ball.
- If you're right-handed start from the rightmost motor pad and solder all 6 wires from right to left.
- If you're left handed start from the left.
- Cut each wire to length as you go, not all at once.
- Take your time and press the wire into the solder slowly to avoid bridging the pads.
-
If you used sleeving be sure to melt the shrink tube over the ends.
Power Connector
Now it's time to solder the power lead. Unfortunately this stack doesn't come with an XT60 or wire, so you'll need to buy those separately. I took the opportunity to use all black. There's just something attractive about two black wires and a black XT60. Just make sure you've got the polarity correct!
- Solder the wires to the XT60 connector first and add shrink tube to cover the joints.
- Flux and add solder to the battery pads on the 4-in-1 ESC and solder the wires to the pads.
- I soldered the wires to the pads horizontally, ignoring the vertical grooves.
- Try to solder them so the battery lead points out toward the side of the quad. This will require cutting one wire slightly shorter than the other.
- Solder the capacitor on top of the battery leads.
- The striped side of the capacitor is negative.
- Make sure the capacitor angles upward so you've got room to mount the VTX behind the stack.
Binding the Receiver
Now that you've got power you can add the receiver and bind it. I used the FrSky XM+, but you'll need to choose a receiver that matches your radio.
- Solder 3 wires to the 5v, GND and SBUS pads on the receiver.
- I borrowed some wire from the camera. It's got enough to spare.
- Solder these wires to the 5v, GND and R3 pads on the flight controller (FC).
- Refer to the photo for wire placement.
- Add your flight controller to the stack and re-connect it to the 4-in-1 ESC with the included wire harness.
- Make sure the arrow on the FC points forward.
- Bind your receiver
- Be sure to double check that you don't have continuity between your main battery leads and use a smoke stopper if you have one.
- Hold the bind button on the receiver while you plug the main battery in. (It's helpful to clamp this button down with tweezers to free your hand)
- Put your radio into bind mode and make sure you're bound.
- Now that you're bound you can add some shrink tube to your receiver and put it in front of your flight controller.
- Attach small zip-ties to your front arms and shrink tube the antennas to the zip ties.
- Secure the flight controller with the included nylon nuts.
Camera
Next we can add the camera. First you'll want to screw the side plates to the camera and mount it onto the frame to measure the wire. Remove the purple wire and connect the wire harness to the back of the camera. Cut the wire giving yourself a little slack to adjust the camera angle. Refer to the photo for wire placement. "VI" stands for video input.
Video Transmitter
Now for the last component, the VTX. Remove the 5V output and GND wires from the harness. We don't need those. We're using the FC to power the camera instead. This leaves just 4 wires. You'll want to use the B+ pad to power the VTX as well as the adjacent GND pad. Use "VO" for video output and use TX6 for the data wire. This allows you to control the VTX via your On-Screen-Display (OSD). Refer to the wiring diagram included with the TBS Unify transmitter.
Camera Configuration
Now that you've wired the camera and VTX you can adjust your camera settings. Plug your quad in and check that you've got a video feed in your goggles. Then, plug the included camera joystick onto the connector behind your camera. Mainly all you want to do is disable the camera OSD. We'll be using the Betaflight OSD instead. Press and hold the up button to access the OSD menu. Disable each option and save.
Finishing Up
Now it's time to wrap it up! Screw the aluminum standoffs to the bottom plate and mount the top plate. Since I used countersunk washers I had to cut deeper grooves into the battery pad. Just make sure it lines up with the holes on the top plate. It's also a good idea to zip-tie the battery lead to the an aluminum standoff to reduce stress on your stack in the event of a battery ejection. Add your antenna and zip-tie it to the top plate, and finally you should zip-tie the motor wires to the arms to avoid snags.
Betaflight Configuration
If you don't already have them, you'll need to download Betaflight Configurator [Download] and the BLHeli_32 Configurator [Download].
- First go to the Firmware Flasher and choose "KAKUTEF4V2" as well as the latest stable release of Betaflight.
- Click "Load Firmware [Online]" and then "Flash Firmware" to update your flight controller. Once complete, click "Connect"
- On the Ports tab
- On UART3 click Serial RX for your receiver.
- On UART5 set the sensor input to "ESC".
- Set the UART6 Peripherals to "VTX (SmartAudio)".
- Click Save and Reboot
- On the Configuration tab
- Under ESC/Motor Features select DSHOT600
- If want to fly "props out" with reversed motors, select "Motor direction is reversed" below the illustration. (This is optional)
- Under System configuration set PID loop frequency to 8 kHz.
- Under Receiver choose your receiver mode. For the XM+ choose "Serial-based receiver" and "SBUS"
- Under Arming set the Max arm angle to 180 (Only if you keep the accelerometer turned on)
- Under Other Features enable: Airmode, OSD, ESC Sensor, Anti Gravity and Dynamic Filter
- Under DSHOT Beacon Configuration enable RX set
- Click Save and Reboot
- On the Power & Battery tab
- Set the Current Meter Source to ESC Sensor
- Set the Voltage Meter Battery Scale to 112.
- Go to the CLI tab and paste the following commands to map the motors:
resource MOTOR 1 A03
resource MOTOR 2 B00
resource MOTOR 3 A02
resource MOTOR 4 B01
save
To complete the remaining steps you'll need to apply lipo power to your build:
- On the Receiver tab ensure your pitch, roll, throttle and yaw are being applied correctly. Adjust your transmitter and Channel Map as needed.
- I like to add about 4 or 5 to both deadbands to smooth out gimbal jitter.
- On the Modes tab
- Assign an Aux switch to arm and disarm your quad.
- Assign another Aux switch to enable Horizon or Angle mode if you need them.
- Assign the Beeper and "Flip over after crash" to a 3rd and/or 4th switch. I like to assign them both to a single 3 point toggle switch with the beeper on the last position. Otherwise it'll beep when you don't have your radio on.
- On the Motors tab enable the motor test and apply a small amount power to check the rotation of each motor. Take note of any that need to be reversed.
- Disconnect from Betaflight Configurator and open BLHeli_32 Configurator
- Connect and Read Settings
- Reverse each ESC that needs to be reversed. This is done by un-selecting the other ESCs at the bottom and saving them one at a time.
- Set the PWM Frequency to 48kHz of each ESC.
- As an added bonus you can change the ESC startup music.
- Reconnect to Betaflight Configurator to test the motor directions.
- On the OSD tab
- Check all of the features you want and arrange your OSD as desired.
And that's it! The default Failsafe settings are generally fine, but make sure they work by arming your quad, applying a small amount of throttle and turning off your transmitter. It should shut down after a short moment.
Challenges
This was a really straightforward build. The soldering can be a slight challenge as the pads are pretty close together. Just take your time and apply flux when the solder starts to stick to your iron. To solder to the flight controller add a small ball of solder to the pad then push the wire straight down through the ball into the hole below. Lightly tug at each one to make sure you've got a solid connection. Other than that I had a hard time getting a nice clean ball of solder around the battery leads. I prefer square battery tabs, but these get the job done.
Maiden Flight
When installing your props make sure to pay attention to the rotation direction illustrated on the Configuration tab in Betaflight. If you're flying "props in" then the leading edges of each prop needs to rotate toward the front and rear of the quad. If you are flying "props out" then the leading edge need to rotate toward the sides of the quad. Make sure the lock nuts are tight but not extremely tight. Conduct your first hover test in a safe place where you won't damage anything or hurt yourself and then you should be ready to enjoy some FPV!
Don't want to build?
Rotorbuilds has partnered with GetFPV to offer an RTF version of this quad. Get it pre-built and ready to bind to your FrSky radio here: TBS Source One Quadcopter 6S RTF.
Photos
Part List
Show stores (3)
Any recommendations on connecting a naked Go Pro Hero 7 to this?
I'm not sure I'd risk it on this. This is meant for freestyle and taking a few spills. These naked cams are really fragile. Otherwise, I'd go with a 3D printed bracket that attaches to the top to connect the camera. You may be able to adapt something like this to make it work, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4050847
Hello do you know of any other fpv camera that will work with this build and that are in stock? Also do you know if I can use the FrSky Taranis Q X7 radio and the Fat Shark Attitude V6 goggles in this build This is my first time so I don't know much so it will really help if you reply but take your time. :)
is it possible to swap between cross fire or frsky receivers and the alternate brand radio? bought an frsky receiver but have heard better things about crossfire for the range, wondering if i should switch before i get in too deep. currently working on a sourceone deadcat 7s build
well i got it to bind, but im still having issues with betaflight signal. its setup with sbus , serial rx etc but neither this nor the gps signal will show up in betaflight. i cant even tell if the gps is working beyond its two lights at this point. This seems like more of a FC issue than receiver tho (f405 mk2) im starting to think they just didnt build them right.
Hello :)
Thank you a lot for build. Inspired me during mine a lot
Here its result"
https:// youtu. be/cOrCtz2I9y4
I hope photos were uploaded cause i didnt seen them after upload button otherwise nice website.
Edit: nope, iam not able upload it :/
I have a few questions regarding this build...
Why do you go with 1700KV motors over 2400KV?
Also, when I click on the Flight Controller link, it says there's a newer model available... Will this work the same?
Hi, can you use a "Mamba F405 F40 Mk2 Flight Stack (30×30) (F4 FC, 40A ESC)" with this? New to this. Read all your answers and would like to thank you for being so helpful for so long.
Hello, I'm Sangkwon, 12 years old, and I live in South Korea. I am still learning English, so there may be some awkward parts. There must be a lot of mistakes, but I'd appreciate it if you liked it.
I bought the parts after watching the video to make the drone for the first time. But I ordered 1900kv instead of 1700kv. So I looked for 1900kv peak current because I felt a little uncomfortable. It was 42.3a. When I checked the Esc that I bought out of amazement, the rated 35a burst current is 50a. Can I just use 1900kv?
Noticed that there was a newer version of the Holybro Kakute and it does not have the same color coded wires as the previous version, do you have a tip on knowing which wires to remove?
Hi, on Holybro Kakute F7 HDV i dont have an UART5 what to do? Thx
Lost my drone again haha. Probably gonna build this again since the instructions are easy to follow. Any recommendations for antennas that'll be good for around trees? I seem to lose video feed pretty easily once behind objects. And also would you change anything to this build to make it better? I'll be doing the 4s build with 2xxx kv motors since I have a bunch of 4s batteries.
Oh no! You might want to try a taller antenna like this, https://www.getfpv.com/xilo-axii-long-range-5-8ghz-antenna-rhcp.html You'll need to use a different flight controller, but there are a number of options there. You might want to consider a better camera like the Foxeer Toothless 2. It's got very nice image quality.
Hello Whiffles and thank you for your detailed report!! What kind of screws and washer did you use? Does they comes with the frame?
Hey whiffles, could you recommend for another good VTX that should fit this build? cant get the TBS VTX, thank you
get the 1700 kv motors correct?
hi, the flight controller is not sold anymore, its also a little expensive, could you recomend another one? thanks
Hi Whiffles, really like the build! Struggling to find 1/4" paracord here in Europe, do you think you'd be able to fit all 3 motor wires in 5/32" paracord?
I'm working on my first ever build, modifying your initial setup accordingly to parts I have available.
Being not much fan of double sided tape, I'd like to put my VTX - a rush tank - on top of the existing ESC and FC stack. Is it a reccomended to do so?
Hey Whiffles, Also I got the frsky I6x transmitter, and it came with a reciver, can I just use that?
Im getting a RX_FAILSAFE arming flag when I try and use the X Lite Pro. the XM+ shows the the chip and controller are bound. Everything seems to be configured correctly in Betaflight and BLHeli.I checked my joints they are all soldered correctly and everything works on the bench. Any help?
Hello, Id like to change that 4 in 1 ESC stack for 4 single DYS Aria BLHeli 32bit 35A. So there is question about flight controler, stay with that Holybro Kakute F7 or is there any recommendation from you? Thanks for response!
Hey Whiffles having a hard time to get the Foxeer Arrow mini, can you recommend another camera that would fit? I dont mind to spend few bucks extra for a better camera, thank you.
Edit: how about the RunCam Phoenix 2: Joshua Bardwell? seems to be very recommended.
It's getting harder and harder to find a good full sized camera. The reason I picked the Arrow mini was for the price and the fact that it came with an adapter. You may want to buy an adapter separately, like this. That way you can get a nice camera like the Caddx Ratel Micro or any of your choosing.
what would be the best budget priced fpv googles for this built on amazon that work with the Holybro Kakute F7 - Tekko32 BLHeli32 4-in-1 ESC Stack? can anyone help me out on this one, I'm kinda new to FPV one of my friends got me into it about 4-5 years ago kinda know the very broad basics, some help would be much appreciated. already got the parts ordered and I'm hyped to start the build!!!
Hey Whiffles, I am about to buy all the parts, and build this as my first fpv drone, I have previously done a ton of dji flying, but I want a change! To start, do you have any reccomendations for a good but cheap ish controller and goggles, prefferebly the controller could work with Velocidorne sim. And if I bought all the parts in the desc, could I get the drone flying, obviously I would need screwdrivers, and stuff like that, but is that all the required parts?
Edit: I would like to use the Controller and Goggles over and over, so they are compatible with many drones!
Also, do you know of a mount for the gopro hero 7black that would fit this drone? *sorry for the long comment
Hey Whiffles, I want to do this build but with the setup for the DJI system. Do you know if the weight is okay for this and if the camera and air unit would fit the frame okay?
Awesome, so something like this should work? https://store.dji.com/product/dji-fpv-air-unit-coaxial-cable?set_country=GB&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhsDbg4bk6QIVQuvtCh3R0wadEAQYASABEgK4JvD_BwE
First time build for me. I'm having trouble testing the motors. The disable flag i'm getting is Boot_grace. I understand this is caused by arming too early but I have messed around with the modes for quite a while and I am pretty sure it should not be doing this. (I built a 4s version with the Kakute F7 and I'm using a qx7 transmitter)
Thr receiver shows its connected but does not arm. In betaflight it shows that i am not getting any
Hey whiffles, is it possible to replace the FC and ESC with Diatone MAMBA F405 mini MK2 F25 20A ESC? with Fli14+ reciever (for fs-i6), the rest of the parts same like yours
Edit: I decided to go with Diatone MAMBA F722S, do I need to buy different parts to be compatible?
Kind of off topic, but can we even get quadcopter parts out of China any more, now that the pandemic has international shipping stalled or halted? I have things I've ordered from Schenzen back in January that I still haven't received 3 months later. I've stopped ordering things from China primarily because I assume the order would sit in a computer order system unfilled,with no workers showing up to work to handle them, or if it had made it to the post office during the early stages, it just ended up in a shipping container at the docks sitting for months. Ebay tracking all says "delayed". What has been the rest of your experiences? Is FPV dead, or did you just shift to US suppliers, or sitting pretty on your well stocked parts bins? http://fpv.air-war.org
I do have a question regarding the Kakute F7 and Spektrum receivers. I ordered the SPM4648. Most of my stuff is older Spektrum. DX8 Transmitter, etc. Will this reciever work with the Kakute F7? I was also looking at the 4650 but it is a SRXL2. I want to make sure I get the right receiver for the job. Any help?
Thanks again.
quick question, can i put a tbs crossfire receiver instead of the FRsky one and i can't find the Holybro Kakute V2 - Tekko32 4-in-1 ESC Combo any where but the newer version Holybro Kakute F7 - Tekko32 BLHeli32 4-in-1 ESC Stack keeps popping up is it still compatible with this build? do i need to solder anything differently? p.s snazzy build
Is the Holybro Kakute F7 - Tekko32 BLHeli32 4-in-1 ESC Stack comparable to the one listed above? I'm trying to get back into flying again.
Also, may be a stupid question, but do the orientation of the motor leads matter when soldering to the ESC?
Thanks for the great build. I'm looking forward to building this one.
Yes, several others have used the F7. It'll work just fine. The order of the motor wires don't matter in their particular quadrant. You can always reverse the motor rotation using the BLHeli configurator. You do need to pay attention to the direction you've got the board oriented. There's usually an arrow screen-printed on the board to indicate which way is forward. Sometimes you may want to rotate it to get better access to the USB in which case you'll need to change the yaw degree offset on the configuration tab in betaflight.
I built 2 of these just over a month back and they're great! I did 2 because I knew I'd crash a lot being a beginner... I'm glad I did! I had to upgrade to the Holybro Kakute F7, since the V2 wasn't available. As I mentioned in a couple places in the comments here, it worked out really well. Just had to put the SBUS on R6 instead of R3.
I'm super happy with this build, but I have a few suggestions for other beginners:
1) Secure the VTX with a zip tie. The double sided tape held it in place for a while, but eventually it got thrown off the drone after a crash. A single zip tie should do the trick.
2) Consider using props with less pitch. With the 5x5.3x3 props, its acceleration is crazy fast! It's really fun to get going quick, but really hard to maintain low altitudes. I just tried out some 5x5x3 props and it was much smoother with a lot more throttle resolution. Depends on the pilot I suppose, but personally I prefer the lesser pitch. It feels like I'm more in control! I will say though that the Luminier Gate Breaker props are amazing! They're super hard to break. Pretty much just bend with minor chipping after a while. I'm going to pick up some of the Luminier Butter Cutters as replacements just to stick with the same material.
3) Also consider swapping out the motors for something with POPO prop mounts. They're slightly more expensive, but will make replacing so much easier! Removing and replacing props has been such a pain, literally. You have to tighten the props so much to keep them from coming loose that it cuts into your hands while tightening. With the POPO mounts, you just pop them on and pop them off, hence the name. Might as well pay a couple more bucks to make it easy on yourself.
That's pretty much all I got. The quads have been great! Definitely happy I chose this for my first build.
The flight controller is no longer available. Do you have any suggestions?
newbie here again how do i make this a 4s version do i need to change the esc or flight controller or is it just the motors i have to change
Does the FC or any other component audio? if not how to enable it
If I want to waterproof my drone hen how do I waterproof the moters?
Thanks
2nd build ever. Went with the atlatl Hv vtx instead coz it fit nicely on the stack. also put a pagoda on it. Thanks Whiffles!
hey just got done building this and tuning it for the most part with the new sliders on bf 4.1 ive never tuned pids before and my yaw and pitch axis feels really good and snappy with not a lot of occilation or propwash but when trying hard fast yaw spins the drone seems to throttle up when doing so and im positive it isnt by accident from my own input is there any type of setting or pid i can change to help the twitchy throttle up effect of a full deflection yaw spin? ive never tuned pids before so if anyone could help i would really appreciate it!
I tried this build as a first but I shorted something in the flight controller while I was setting it up. I need to get a new flight controller/ESC but this one is now out of production according to GetFPV. Can you reccomend a substitute?
Hey Whiffles, I want to build another one of your builds which I had great experience with the prev one, the reciever you mentioned is suitable for FS-I6? if not could you recommend for suitable one?
Do you have a recommendation for website with global shipping for action camera mounts? (I have SJ7STAR if you familiar with)
Is it necessery to have shipping insurance on getFPV website? also do you have coupon code for this website?
Thank you!
Hi could you help me? Im new in that kind of flying but i want to start with that. Electrotechnical skill isnt problem but i have few questions about that.
At first flight controller is out of stock so your recomended also Diatone Mamba F722S Stack - 506 50A Dshot1200 6S ESC right? Are there any problem with compatibility? How about different radio? Of course with same frequency bands. Also is there any problem in future with replacing of some components with new one for same compatibility? Thank you for response!
The Mamba F722S is great. When choosing a stack you mainly want to focus on the voltage range (4S or 6S support). As long as it supports at least 30A it's fine for 5". Getting F7 and a 32bit ESC is just a bonus that doesn't offer too much discernible difference.
Choose the radio you want and then you can buy your receiver based on that. For example the TBS Tango 2 requires a TBS Crossfire receiver while the FrSky QX7 requires an FrSky receiver like the XM+. If you get the Jumper T16 you can bind to FrSky, Flysky, Spektrum (DSMX), etc. To fly Crossfire on the T16 you need a Crossfire module for the radio.
recently built this drone 4s version and used the kakute f7 v1.5 instead and i need some help setting it up in betaflight. when i originally was plugging the battery in to bind it and make sure everything was working the escs would turn on and make the normal power up tone they do when the drone beeps as it turns on. after follwoing the betaflight set up my escs are no longer turning on or beeping at all and my battery voltage doesnt show anywhere in betaflight or on my osd. this is the last thing i need to do before flying and would appreate the help thanks!
I've got another build using a katute f7 fc.
can I basically use the settings here to do the configuration part of the build? like the port settings
This is super cool build. Building this as my first quad (have cinewhoop). What Kv motors should i choose?
Hi, I want to go with 4S becuase of the price. The 6S is not available on Amazon in EU for that price. I found this one. Do you see any reeason why not to get it? https://www.amazon.de/dp/B016Q3QRQ0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=1250+mah+4s+75c+lipo+akku+fpv+drohne&qid=1579602637&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVVFGMUtJWkYxNzFPJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjc0NTc5MUMxS0hSOE9RR0MwNSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTA3NzI2MU1LTDQ4R0hDOFZDQyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
i used this build list as inspiration and changed a few things like the frame but have the same exact stack. how important amd what is the purpose of setting the esc in the uart menu. It flies great on easy throttle but when I begin to go to full throttle the quad immediately does something like a desync and falls out of the air, the FC remains on and im not sure how to troubleshoot it.
One of those things , Some motor esc fc combos just have issues . And here is the kicker , this can happen with any gear, even 2 esc of the same make , one will play one wont , i think it is because of accumulaited and compounding issues due to slack manufacturing tollerences in component spec, many of the components on even branded boards are recycled.
This is a nice build. Just flew it for the first time (first drone ever). Was very straight forward to build, took a bit of figuring out BetaFlight and the X-Lite Pro, but nothing too terrible. Thanks for the clear instructions. Much apprecitated.
Gonna be my 3rd time building this on 4s. Lost my drone in the ocean again. It was doing fine the whole time until my last battery pack. i was hovering and it fell out the sky like it just failsafed on me. Any things that you would update on this build within the past couple months?
Just completed this as my very first build following along with your video and very helpful guide.
Only thing I would have changed would be the vtx to the V2 non Race Edition as it provides a higher output for $5-10 extra bucks.
Not hard to replace now that I know how to solder but not something I absolutely need right now either.
I also ended up going with a Foxeer Falkor fpv cam as I accidently ordered a micro camera and I didn't want to wait until after Christmas to fly so I went with whatever Amazon could next day to me. Same for the antenna as Getfpv was sold out of the Thrasher antenna.
Only issues I had were with the VTX settings. OSD was showing blank for the Band: Channel: Power which the kind folks at 'FPV Builders' on FB groups helped me and had me Upload Fonts in the OSD tab of Betaflight.
That 1/2 fixed the problem as the B:C:P was now showing ?:?:? at which they pointed me to a Bardwell video on setting up the VTX Tables under the Video Transmitter tab. This got everything to work and I just got back from a test flight which was a success.
Thank you greatly for your write ups and as a fellow photographer, your amazing pictures as well!
I'm a little sorry for anyone else's gifts they give me for Christmas as this was by far the best gift I could have asked for :)
this build is next on my bench! its going to be called "Poundcake"
clean and simple, wrapped up nice n tight
I just finished the build. Everything works but when I hover and hit about 50% throttle, it makes a very loud and notable noise. It kinda sounds like an angle grinder. I checked for loose components and made sure everything was secure. I'm thinking its the motors. Any suggestions?
Here's a video. The noise occurs around 7 sec. Props are tight and nothing is hitting the props. Thanks for the help!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq5nEFqj2N8&feature=youtu.be
Built a replica of this but am having a problem. During flight the motors seems to just stop turning and the quad falls out of the sky. Maintains VTX signal and picture in goggles but sticks go dead. Any ideas why? How can I troubleshoot this?
I've had this happen before with a loose connection between the FC and ESC. Different stack, but same style of ribbon cable connection between the two. Double check that both plugs on the cable are seated snugly. Sometimes a bit of electrical tape on the top of a plug can tighten up a loose connection.
now I'm having trouble flashing the firmware.. keeps saying failed to open serial port. I've downloaded drivers n what not. it connects and powers up when I hook up to the computer. I have the firmware loaded also.
I'm a little confused on the soldering of the motor wires to the esc, theres 3 wires, does it not matter in what order I put them?
I was thinking about trying this as my first build, but have never tuned a quad before. Any advice on how to tune it, or could you post your PIDS?
Hi Whiffles,
Would the Diatone mamba f722s be better than the kakute? What do you think?
100% noob here as far as building one of these from scratch. I think i may attempt this one. I have a couple questions, if I leave the esc board as intended, what steps on your list would I ignore? and also, how would i go about strapping a go pro or other onto this?
What part in beta flight addresses the FC not facing forward? What would happen if you tried to throttle up and didnt make the correction in betaflight? flipover?
Is it possible to put the controller: Holybro Kakute V2 - Atlatl HV V2 - Tekko32 35A 4-in-1 ESC Combo instead of the Holybro Kakute V2 - Tekko32 4-in-1 ESC Combo?
Hi Sir. If i change the frame to Martian II.Does it still work with those components ? the camera ? props ? motors ? Thanks you sir
What size are the countersunk M3 screws you used? 6mm?
Im new to building and dig what you put together here. Was trying to keep everything as close as possible to what you did with yours. Would you have a suggestion for a good substitute for the flight controller that I can still use with all the other components? I cant seem to find the one you used in stock anywhere. Thanks for sharing your build
hey i just built literally the exact build except with a different vtx, cam and receiver, quick quesiton, whats your pid tune im having a rediculously herd time tuning mine
This is going to be my next build... genuine question, why are the props such an aggressive pitch for a freestyle rig? Wouldn't that take away from flight time and smoothness?
Hello Whiffles! First of all thank you fot the effort you've put into creating this build, I really like the aesthatic part. I'm a beginner and have only one question. There's a new version of Kakute FC which is F7 and costs almost as much: https://www.getfpv.com/holybro-kakute-f7-hdv-tekko32-f3-hdv-4in1-40a-esc-stack.html May I use it instead of the one you've listed or I'd have to change other parts for it to work? Thank you in advance!
Hi there,
what's the weight of the quad loaded with batteries ? (If you can provide with and without GoPro ? )
Thank you :)
hello, on the tbs unify pro hv it's mentioned to be wired directly to the lipo. is it ok to power it from a 5v source like you did? thanks
As a complete absolute beginner, I have a few questions If anyone could answer I'd greatly appreciate it. I have been told to use the FRsky Qx7 Radio, which doesn't include a battery/charger. and even sourcing it to the cheapest places it would run around $150.00 after battery/charger/radio purchase. I was thinking I may as well buy a X9D for $200 that already comes with the charger/battery/radio? Is the X-lite pro a better option? And my bigger question is the difference between the "S" Is 4S fine for freestyle drone flight? What is the advantage to 6S? Longer flight times?. I'd like longer flight time without giving up performance. if possible... Also what about wiring? Is it good to have spare wire and at what guage do I want the wire, I have 100 other questions I'll probably end up asking eventually If i knew people in the community, but sadly I'm new and it's definitely a bit daunting to get into. I have some money to spend on the hobby though I'm not trying to spend an absurd amount. I was going to pick the Eachine EV200D's as a set of goggles to reduce my build cost down as well, could go with cheap box goggles but I have been told to avoid those. I also thought about just buying the radio/battery/charger and doing some sim flights whilst I figure out a build, but now im stuck deciding on the radio :/
Hi. Go the sim option. look into multi protocall radios like the jumper brand also use it for sim.
4s v6s . after you can fly pack after pack without crashing and smashing props every second flight, then 6s becomes viable, untill then spend the money not spent on 6s batts on props and repairs..
goggles I Can recomend skyzone , i have the 02x , aiomway commander and fatshark dom v4 .
All of these are good solid goggles , but i rank them as above.,
Wire is something that just seems to multiply in the corner all by its selfe once you start building.
hope this helps
I love the X-Lite. It's a great compact radio. You just need to keep in mind compatibility. The new X-Lite Pro and the X-Lite S use their newer ACCESS protocol. They still support ACCST D16 which covers about 90% of the quads out there, but there are still some that only support D8. For example the original EMAX Tinyhawk is only D8. You might also want to consider the X9 Lite. It's also an ACCESS radio, but a great value. Plus it takes 18650 batteries. It doesn't have an internal charger, but you can add an internal charger for a few dollars.
Between 4S and 6S the difference is very subtle. You'll generally be able to squeeze an extra 30-45 seconds of full power out of a 6S battery, but we've been using 4S for years without any issues. You just need to consider the battery cost. 6S packs have come down in price considerably over the past few months though. Also, if you build for 6S with 1700kv motors you generally don't want to use 4S batteries on such a low kv rating. Either you choose one or the other and stick with it for your entire fleet.
If you do this long enough you'll have enough spare wire to build several quads. You may want to buy some 16awg wire for the battery leads as that doesn't always come with the kits. Its better to invest in a wide variety of shrink tube, m2 and m3 screws.
As for the headset I'd look at the FatShark Recon V3. It's a great budget headset. It doesn't have all the features of the EV800D, but it's a high quality set and the optics are easier on the eyes IMO.
You should definitely invest in a radio first and start out on sims. Then you can graduate to a micro like the Tinyhawk S and ultimately end up at 5".
Definitely going to be picking this one up, thanks! I see Brain3D has a GoPro Hero7 mount for this frame. Would you suggest that one, or something else?
Is the paracord planet stuff what you used for your motor wire sheathing? On amazon it doesn't look hollow?
Please let me know, thanks.
Nice build but I have a newbie question. Can I use this build with 4s batteries because I want to build it with DJI digital system? Does everything else remain the same?
Guides & Reviews
AirbladeUAV has done it again and this time they've brought long range to the 5" class! Based on the popular Transformer Mini, the new Transformer 5" Ultralight adopts a lot of the same design philosophies with larger props and more payload capacity. It can fly upwards of 20 minutes on a 4 cell Li-Ion battery pack and in ideal conditions it's got a range of over 4 to 5 miles. In this guide I'll walk..
Read more
With the release of the DJI FPV Drone cinematic FPV has become a lot more accessible, but you certainly don't want to crash a $750 drone! The QAV-CINE Freybott is a compact, lightweight cinematic FPV drone that can take a hit and keep going. It's a lot safer to fly indoors and around people. With a naked GoPro or the SMO 4k you can capture some great stabilized footage. In this guide I'll show you..
Read more
I didn’t fly on this one, but I saw a similar dragonfly with friends, they did very cool tricks on it.