Hello, I have been wanting to build a drone for quite some time. I am a poor student but have some money left over from work to make a drone. I would like to build a drone as cheaply as possible (even though the drone is actually quite large). I am on the fence about the autopilot shield for the Raspberry Pi0 and whether to use a Navio+ or something more like the PXFMini. My primary goal is to get the drone in the air, but in the (distant probably) future of this project is to install two cameras and have it streamed over wifi to an android phone for more VR like use.
Parts List So Far
Please any suggestions on the build itself or on which autopilot shield to use or anything I'm looking over is very welcome as I am a beginner and am still reading everything I can on building drones.
*[HobbyKing X525 V3 Glass Fiber Quadcopter Frame 600mm](http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__22800__HobbyKing_X525_V3_Glass_Fiber_Quadcopter_Frame_600mm.html)
*[A28M Brushless Outrunner 1100kv](http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__11879__A28M_Brushless_Outrunner_1100kv.html)
*[Turnigy Slowfly Propeller 10x4.5 Green (CW) (2pcs)](http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__55269__Turnigy_Slowfly_Propeller_10x4_5_Green_CW_2pcs_.html)
*[Turnigy Slowfly Propeller 10x4.5 Green (CCW) (2pcs)](http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__55270__Turnigy_Slowfly_Propeller_10x4_5_Green_CCW_2pcs_.html)
*[Q Brain 4 x 20A Brushless Quadcopter ESC 2-4S 3A SBEC](http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__36674__Q_Brain_4_x_20A_Brushless_Quadcopter_ESC_2_4S_3A_SBEC.html)
*[Multistar High Capacity 3S 5200mAh Multi-Rotor Lipo Pack](http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__56839__Multistar_High_Capacity_3S_5200mAh_Multi_Rotor_Lipo_Pack.html)
*[GPS/GNSS antenna MCX](https://emlid.com/shop/gpsgnss-antenna-mcx/)
*[Power Module](https://emlid.com/shop/power-module/)
Replies
Thank you for the advice! I think I will bring the size down to be easier to fly and a bit more hardy. I do have 3 years experience with building robots so I know how the basics work. I am liking the price range of the NazE and will probably reconfigure my build around my next paycheck. I will definitely look into your website as I want to know as much as possible when I do build my drone.
Hi Andres,
Just a few suggestions.
Start out with a small quadcopter, preferably a Ready to Fly toy Chinese one.
Learn to fly with that, being small they tend to survive crashing really well and you do a lot of that when you are learning.
Also, even when you do decide to build your own, start out with a smaller one in the 250 to 350 size range, they are much more rugged and are easier to learn with.
Then you can graduate to a bigger one if you want, but the reality is that a 350 to 500 quadcopter can do all the things you are thinking of and are better fliers than bigger ones (and get damaged less on suboptimal landings).
It is a very common misperception to try to start out with one copter to fulfill all your goals.
It flat out doesn't work, all that happens is you crash it and break it multiple times and finally give up.
I thought that when I started 13 quadcopters ago.
The PXF mini is a good choice, but depending on your needs, one of the PI based ones or even a NazE can be a good choice.
Initially a simple easy to use flight controller is most important, as you advance you may well want to shift over to a more full featured or autonomous one.
But it is a learning curve and it really is best if you follow it rather than trying to jump in at the end.
My thoughts anyway, you might want to take a look at my Drones Are Fun web site, it has some useful stuff.
http://www.dronesarefun.com/
Best Regards,
Gary