I am completely new to quad copters and remote control flying in general so please bear with me as I'm starting my first build and have a few questions which may sound crazy to someone who is experienced in the hobby.
I want to keep this cheap but effective and use off-the-shelf electronics and a scratch built frame. To that end I built an "X" frame out of a pair of yardsticks (about 1 meter long each) and am going to strengthen them with epoxy and balsa or Styrofoam. I know it won't be nearly as strong as aluminum or plexiglass but I am not trying to build a racing drone, just something I can strap a point-n-shoot to and fly around my local park. The first question is related to the remote control. I found an old 27MHz FM 4 channel transmitter by Challenge. It has the words "G.T.MODEL" and "New Project Radio Control System" printed on it. Because I found a receiver on eBay titled "Pro-Pulse / Megatech 27 Mhz FM Receiver" and it has EXACTLY the same frequency listed in the description. Can this be used with todays off-the shelf quadcopter controllers that are out there? I don't know if there are protocols in the electronics that will prevent this from working with the new controllers. I don't want to invest $60 in a low end 4 channel if the $7.50 used receiver coupled with the transmitter I have will do the job.
Which brings me to my next question. While I have watched plenty of videos of people doing their quadcopter builds I've run across a multitude of controllers. One is called the KK2.1 and others I've seen are called the CC3D and the MultiWii all of which I've seen for sale cheaply on eBay. This should be a simple quad, and for my first build I don't want to get overwhelmed. Any recommendations and if so, perhaps an explanation as to why?
Oh, and once it's done I may consider replacing the camera with a low end FPV. It seems like great fun, but at this point I'm more interested in getting it built and into the air.
Thanks.
Replies
I have watched many videos of people who have successfully built these machines and I agree that a 4 channel radio is not enough. I settled on some parts to get an "entry level" 550 class, scratch built quad underway.
The Neewer FS Newest Model FS-T6 AFHDS 2.4G 6 Channel Radio System
Neewer® RC MultiCopter Multi-Tri Copter Power Battery ESC Connection Board
Cheerwing® Carbon Nylon 10x4.5" 1045 CW CCW Propeller Multicopter QuadCopter Black&Red
4 x Emax Mt2213 935kv 2212 Brushless Motor
4 x Neewer® 30A FIRMWARE Brushless ESC Set with 3A/5V BEC
Venom 20C 3S 2100mAh 11.1 LiPO Battery
CC3D Openpilot Open Source Flight Controller 32 Bits Processor
I built a frame already so that the center of the propellers are 12" apart. I bought an entry level FPV transmitter/receiver. And I bought an assortment of electrical connectors, bullet connectors, and a microprocessor controlled battery charger. Now I am just waiting on all the parts to arrive so I can start putting the machine together. I have set a goal to get it in flying condition by the end of this month. So, as the parts come in I'll start testing, and assembling them.
Hopefully soon I will be ready to start posting pictures of the machine in progress. Now, I just have to give it a name.