Share your drone info thread

Hi everyone,

I'm creating this thread to share your drone/copter information. I believe, this would help immensely for newbies like me during the initial build. For example, the Chris's blog on cheap Hobby King quad configuration is really a good resource.

I don't want to burden anyone who is willing to share their info. Hence all fields are optional. Atleast the first 5 fields are ideal. Please find the list of fields to copy/paste at the end, so you can start filling :-).

Here goes information about my quad.

frame: Quadcopter (3DRobotics)
controller/autopilot: APM1
esc: 20A (3DRobotics)
motors: 850Kv (3DRobotics)
propellers: 10x47, APC (3DRobotics)
motor to motor distance: -- inches

battery: 4S 3300mAh (Turnigy nano-tech)
total weight: -- lbs
flying time: 15 minutes (average)

radio: Turnigy 9X
video/osd: none
other: Sonar, Xbee, GPS/Mag, Attopilot current sensor

Misc:

Turnigy 9X: Mode1 -> Mode2 change, Li-ion battery hack
photos:

-------------

frame:
controller/autopilot:
esc:
motors:
propellers:
motor to motor distance: -- inches

battery:
total weight: -- lbs
flying time:

radio:
video/osd:
other:

Misc (hacks/mods):

photos:

The 6S batteries have a lot more energy content than 4S batteries. Think of it this way, 4S is nominally 15.2V average, and 6S is nominally 22.8V, over a flight run. Let's suppose you use the same mAh rating for two different batteries, chose 5000mAh for comparison. The Watt/h rating on 6S-5000mAh is 114000mWh, or 114Wh, and 4S-5000mAh is 76000mWh, or 76Wh. The key term here is the "h" in the energy rating of the battery, it is time in hours. You can see that the 6S battery has 38Wh more energy content than the 4S.

Typically, the 6S battery will weigh more than the 4S battery (let's say 50% more based simply on adding two cells for the same mAh rating). If you notice the energy content also went up 50%, but the weight of the battery is only a portion of the total weight of the multi-rotor, so the total flight time increases (ultimately dependent on improved motor and prop efficiencies at the higher voltage and RPMs).

I run a configuration on my hex that obtains about 21 minutes on 4S-10,000mAh (battery weight about 2.5lbs), and about 37 minutes on 6S-16,000mAh (battery weight about 4.5lbs). My hex runs about 4lbs without a battery.

Here's a link to detailed break-down of my hex, including results from ecalc:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2274072

Replies

- - - - Scott Meese > Scott Meese August 1, 2015 at 11:20am
        
        Oh, one other thing, if your motors are rated at 400g thrust, that is typically at full throttle when looking at the charts. A good hover range is around 50% throttle which would put you in the 200g range thrust range per motor.
Todd Urban July 28, 2015 at 8:39pm

Go bigger on your props 274kv is way to slow for 13" propellers use the multistar 490kv 22 pole motor with a 15" prop with 2 5500mah batteries you should be able to get at least 30min
Fred July 28, 2015 at 8:39pm

Here´s my Hexa setup:

Controller: Pixhawk

Frame: my own design

esc: T-Motor 35 A

Motors: T-Motor MN 4014 400 Kv

Propellers: foldable DJI 15x5

Distance: 980 mm

Weight: 6,5 kg (with Cam and Gimbal)

Battery : 2 x Gensace 5500 mA 6s

Flight time: 18 min

OSD: 3dr

509141505622689.jpg
Paul Williamson July 27, 2015 at 7:37am

My next project is a 700 size spider quad, toying with the idea of a high voltage system for better flight times. I have the following components in mind:

- 3DR Pixhawk with power module

- TBS 30A OPTO ESCs

- Multistar Elite 3508 274kv motors

- 4S 5500 MAH x2

- 13x4 CF props

- FrSky X8R Rx.

Comments/observations greatly appreciated - the talk about low Kv motors/SimonK flashed ESC glitches makes me nervous about putting this thing in the air.

Regards,
- Scott W > Paul Williamson July 31, 2015 at 9:41am
  
  4s might be too low for those motors, and the props are too small.
  
  I use 4s with 515kv motors (KDE Direct) with 15" props and get 25 min on a 5500mah battery. 650 size quad.
  
  ~2700 grams with one battery.
  35 min w/ two batteries in parallel.
- Paul Atkin > Paul Williamson July 27, 2015 at 8:19am
  
  if you look up builds info there -
  
  http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2025307&page=91...
  
  you can see how people claim to get 20-30 min on 6S power and 4 low kv motors.
  
  on my hex built from 690S tarot, extended to 710mm to accommodate 14" props I get may be 16min top on a dual 5000mAh packs. it is not really long time and it uses 2 batteries to get there, when people claim to get 25min or som from a single 5000mAh 6S pack. I am not sure what AUW they talk about neither.
  
  building 6S system is in the different price category from 4S and a lot of stuff will be way more expensive and more complicated to combine well, if you want to use pixhawk, but it is probably worth it.
  - Joe Dietrich > Paul Atkin July 27, 2015 at 9:26am
    
    The 6S batteries have a lot more energy content than 4S batteries. Think of it this way, 4S is nominally 15.2V average, and 6S is nominally 22.8V, over a flight run. Let's suppose you use the same mAh rating for two different batteries, chose 5000mAh for comparison. The Watt/h rating on 6S-5000mAh is 114000mWh, or 114Wh, and 4S-5000mAh is 76000mWh, or 76Wh. The key term here is the "h" in the energy rating of the battery, it is time in hours. You can see that the 6S battery has 38Wh more energy content than the 4S.
    
    Typically, the 6S battery will weigh more than the 4S battery (let's say 50% more based simply on adding two cells for the same mAh rating). If you notice the energy content also went up 50%, but the weight of the battery is only a portion of the total weight of the multi-rotor, so the total flight time increases (ultimately dependent on improved motor and prop efficiencies at the higher voltage and RPMs).
    
    I run a configuration on my hex that obtains about 21 minutes on 4S-10,000mAh (battery weight about 2.5lbs), and about 37 minutes on 6S-16,000mAh (battery weight about 4.5lbs). My hex runs about 4lbs without a battery.
    
    Here's a link to detailed break-down of my hex, including results from ecalc:
    
    http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2274072
daleshort July 26, 2015 at 11:26am
Here is my second custom quadcopter. It's designed to give the head tracking gimbal the best view so I added retractable skids.
- Pixhawk APM
- SkyIII 30A 4 in 1 ESC
- Tiger MN4012 Kv340 Motors
- Maxamps 11000mAh LiPo Battery
- Immersion RC 5.8 Ghz Video Tx
- GoPro Hero 3+ Black
- DYS Brushless Gimbal
- Lemon Rx DSMX Compatible PPM 8Channel Receiver + Lemon DSMX
- Custom water jet cut carbon fiber and CNC'ed aluminum
Weight 10lb

28.4" prop center to prop center

The bare frame with retractable landing gear is 736g.

40min endurance
- Ali > daleshort July 26, 2015 at 2:35pm
  
  Here is mine (I manufacture it too)
  
  Helibug Hawk 1000 size Hexacopter Airframe
  
  Tiger Motors 330KV (MN4014-11)
  
  Tiger Motors 50a ESC
  
  Zeal foldable 17x5.8 Props
  
  DJI NAZA-M V2 w/ DT7 TX/RX
  
  2x 6s-5000mah Pulse Lipo Packs
  - Joe Dietrich > Ali July 27, 2015 at 9:28am
    
    What's your all-up-weight before battery?
    
    How does it behave with the Naza M with the 1000 class diameter and low kV motors. That thing is a beast! It looks nice!

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