Hey guys. I'm building a quadcopter for a college project, but I cannot make a decision as to what to purchase. This is going to be my first time using a quadcopter, I dont have any previous experience.

Should I go for an RTF kit or buy parts separately and build it myself? I have been looking at frames, and I like the x525 V3, but it doesn't come as a kit and I am worried that I may not build the quadcopter correctly and it won't end up flying. There is an RcBazaar outlet near my house, but I am unsure if Avionic motors are of good quality (all online builds I see have used Turnigy or some other brand).

Please advise me as to what I should do. I want to build the quadcopter but I am afraid I may not choose compatible/good components and in the end it won't fly.

Thanks.

I suggest that you buy a kit.
Something like this maybe..http://www.quadkopters.com/product/arf-kit-rtf-kit-and-frames/qav280-arf-kit-w-sunnysky-2204-and-emax-12a-esc/
And the required things as stated on the page

@ Cycloned

Let me start with a question. What is your end goal with this project?

If you just want to make it fly, a 360 sized quad will be best. You can get good quality electronics for a 360mm quad instead of spending the same amount on lower quality electronics for a larger quad.

If you want to add payload capability (like payload transport, survey, search and rescue etc), a 450+  sized quad with decent electronics will be needed.

Making a multirotor fly is quite easy nowadays, even with low quality electronics. The difficult bit is getting a certain level of performance out of them.

This is basically for my third year engineering project. I'm implementing gesture control of a quadcopter. Next year I am planning to add features like FPV, payload transport, etc. like you listed.

I have never built a multirotor before so I dont know if I can just buy all the required parts, assemble them and fly it. I'm worried that something might go wrong and it will not fly.

I am considering a F450 kit from RcBazaar, but the motors and ESCs included are from Avionic, and I don't think I've seen Avionic parts mentioned or recommended anywhere on this forum.

I'm just lost as to whether I should look for a kit or various parts to put together.

Personally I would avoid an ARF kit unless you are very confident that the parts will satisfy your flying needs for a while. Otherwise you will end up upgrading these parts one by one as performance is sacrificed to keep the price low. As long as you do enough research beforehand, it is not too difficult to get a quad flying. Once you have a basic quad in the air you can start adding more advanced features.

A 450 size is good for lifting small to medium size payloads but it is not all that fun to fly. However, these are pretty dangerous due to the large props. So if you would like to experiment with stuff like gesture control, I would suggest you implement some kind of shroud around the propellers, which would be easier on a smaller one. The disadvantage with smaller quads is that there is less space to put your electronics.

In that case, any size larger than 360mm should be avoided as you'll be demonstrating it around people. 450 sized quads are dangerous close to the ground.

Check the following link. The quad has shrouds as well as a computer vision system (work in progress).
http://www.rcindia.org/multirotors/gc-iquad/


As SK1701 suggested, it is better to get individual parts. That way you can select components according to your project requirements.

If you can't decide on which components to get or where to get them, just ask here. And do mention the following things.

1) Project deadline.
2) Total Budget.
3) Project goals.
4) Demonstration environment (i.e indoors or outdoors)

I agree completely with your point about avoiding ARF kits, I had that doubt in mind earlier.

What exactly do you mean by 'not fun to fly?'? Is it because it is hard/tricky to fly?

I am not sure what payload I'm going to need. I'll be using an ArduPilot controller and the basic hardware (ESCs, motors, battery) for now. Next year however, I want to add more features like an FPV and various sensors. What type of payload will this require, and what quad would I need to build for it?


Your build was awesome. Pure awesome.

But one problem: I don't have the time to build that exact build. Especially shrouds will take a long time to make and add cost to the project.

1) My deadline is 2 months from now.
2) Budget is around 12-15k.
3) Goal is gesture control of quadcopter. Will have an arduino hooked up to a glove with an accelerometer and flex sensors to communicate with ardupilot controller on the quad. Basically things like moving my hand up/down/left/right should result in the quad copying my motion.
4) Doesn't matter. I can implement outdoors or indoors.

I don't mind going for a smaller quad, but then I don't want to sacrifice the ability to add more things in the future (FPV and more sensors). Also, will the same size motors be used for smaller frames as well? I hope there is no shortage of parts for different frame sizes.

Time is a problem. I need the quadcopter to be fully assembled by end of next week. I'll need 2 weeks to get it to fly and learn to fly it. Then by end of feb my gesture implementation should be complete as well (that will take most of the time).

I have been researching for more than a week, but I'm still nowhere. I see the same F450 or x525 type frames on every website I check. I wanted to implement a 450mm quad but you guys are saying it's not fun to fly and not meant to be flown at lower heights - is this true? I want to be able to control it via gestures at low height (6 feet) as well as be able to fly it 20 feet in the air with a camera in the future. Will a smaller size quad allow for this height + weight?

Sorry for so many questions and the disorganization of this post, I'm just so very lost. Thank you very much for your replies.

Okay, let's break this into parts.

1] A 360 sized quad can be used for FPV as well as for carrying stuff. It can reach heights where you won't even be able to see it (20 feet is nothing!). And you can add as many sensors as you want. The only benefits of a larger frame are longer flight time and more weight carrying capacity.

A 450 size frame is not recommended for a beginner for the following reasons:

a) It's harder to learn to fly it.
b) Repairing it costs much more (and crashes are inevitable for a beginner).
c) It can cause a lot of damage to people and property if it decides to misbehave.

2] Your budget is a bit too low. What RC stuff do you already have?

3] Mastering a quad using an RC remote is an acquired skill that takes time and patience. So, using gesture control is definitely going to be a lot harder than you expect.

These things act like flying blenders in inexperienced hands. People have lost eyes, limbs and even lives due to small mistakes. On wrong flick and it will rush towards you like a bullet. So, please learn to fly it with a remote first and use tethers while testing gesture control.

A bit confused here. Firstly, wouldn't a bigger battery just result in more flight time, regardless of size? And wouldn't a smaller frame result in longer flight time since it's lighter?


I've got an FS CT 6B and an iMax B6 charger. Also have a flight simulator too. My above budget is exclusively for the basic quadcopter - frame, motors, ESCs, batter and flight controller. FPV and other stuff is not going to be for a long time.


All the more reason to get the quad built by end of next week


I appreciate the warning, had no idea it was that serious. Will take the correct precautions.



So regarding parts, can you point me in a direction? I've read some basic articles on the parts required and their specifications, but that's it. I guess I've decided on a 360mm quad, but no idea what motors or ESCs to use. Every guide I've seen online uses Turnigy Plush ESCs and turnigy motors too. Unsure where to get a decent frame too.

As the size of a quad increases, so does the weight. But, for larger quads, the total maximum thrust produced by the motors is a lot more than its weight which results in a longer flight time.
For smaller quads, the difference between the max. thrust and total weight isn't a lot. Thus, they have a shorter flight time.

Try 'quadkopters.com'. They have a nice 360 sized quad kit that will fit your budget. Which FC are you going to use?

Oh I see. So the motors do vary then, as per frame.

Using an ArduPilot. It's an arduino based FC that interfaces pretty easily with other arduinos. Unless you think I should go for something else first.

Also, is it okay to go for the X shape quad? Don't really like crawlers/H shape ones.

Which ArduPilot version do you have?

You should definitely do a X-type frame. It's easier to fly.

I don't actually have one, thinking about purchasing. Have you had any experience using it?

Checked out quadkopters.com and the ST360 frame would be my best bet right?

They have a kit which provides 4 ST2210 motors, but I've never heard of this brand before. Should I just buy the frame and select the motors differently?

The APM is one of the best flight controllers available today. In my experience, it is simple to learn and use. My APM quad flew right away without any tuning.

And yeah, just buy the frame and get motors for 8 inch propellers separately.

Keep it light keep it tight IMO. http://www.banggood.com/DJI-F330-4-Axis-RC-Quadcopter-Frame-Kit-Support-KK-MK-MWC-p-943370.html?p=2O21111526893201504H

I have had 4 of these sail through customs now and all in my hands within 3 weeks.   This is a solid build frame. I have one with G2D gimbal, yi camera and the revo cc3d board, flying with turnigy tx.  awesome for price.  All part through customs piece meal.  order some wait order some wait order some. avoid big packages

final tip - always use live chat, tell them to pack as small as possible. Mark as gift , put low value (sub $5) and no issues :-)

happy flying