Just got my Iris today. Overall I'm very happy with it, but I have noted a few places where a new user could get tripped up.
1) Ignore the labels on the motors (as they may be in the wrong place as mine were). Instead, follow the guidance in the booklet included in the box to determine where the props belong.
2) It's very difficult to push the prop inserts down over the black steel threads. I recommend using the opposite end of the prop tool to carefully push it down until you have some threads exposed, then use the nut to torque it the rest of the way down. Then take the nut back off and follow the instructions in the book.
3) There's a million switches, knobs, dip switches and buttons on the controller. All you need to get started is the power button in the middle, the two sticks, and the two switches above the right stick. I'm not sure if any of the other controls do anything, but everything seemed to work properly leaving them in the position they were in when it arrived.
The Iris was a lot larger than I expected. My Hubsan X4 could fit entirely inside the main black shell. That said, the Iris behaves a lot like the X4 (provided your X4 is setup for throttle on the left stick, movement on the right stick). The main area it differed with respect to flying behavior is trying to make it descend. It can be scary at first (it feels sometimes like it won't stop ascending) as you need to bring the stick down almost all the way to get it to start descending. Doing that with the Hubsan would result in some tumbling and risk of a crash.
That said, I really liked how it descends. I got used to it after 2 flights, and every landing was very smooth.
There's an accessory arm on the front to attach a camera or other device. It's nice because you only need to figure out how to mount your bracket to the arm, not the Iris itself. I'm already thinking about a searchlight, one-arm-bandit claw from an arcade, etc. :-)
Again, I'm very happy with it so far. It flies amazingly well, very smooth and easy to control. Thank you to Chris and his team for making such a great product.
-Joe
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Tip for better results in loiter mode: make sure the left and right sticks are both centered while loiter is active. There is a black and green display on the controller that will help you determine if you're centered. I assumed loiter meant full autopilot, but in fact it will still accept input from the controller.
-J
Please Pete I have a question or two:
I armed my iris with andropilot without checking much and the iris took off and crashed 2 meters ahead.
Now two of the motor enclosures (the pretty blue metal) are slightly of axis, meaning they turn wobbly. Can it be that it's from the crash or just bad manufacturing? PS: the props did not break.
Many thanks, I'm new to all this
The USB cable that fits between the Iris and a PC stopped working today. I'm using this as a replacement and it's much more reliable.
http://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-USB-Cable-Micro-Meters/dp/B003ES...
The hubs shouldn't wear out. The prop, the pretty blue anodized metal, etc all move as one piece once you tighten it down.
For those having trouble tightening the prop nut, just put your finger on the blue metal piece to keep it from moving.
Is it a best practice to replace the hub adapter every time you replace a prop ?
Quick tip on getting the prop adapter on: I screwed mine on, and it seemed to thread itself over the threaded area easily until I had enough room to thread put the prop, washer and nut on. Used an 8mm socket to do the rest of the work.
Still a pain trying to tighten it without the whole thing spinning....
Its out of stock. Darn I should have pulled the trigger yesterday. Lol. Will be back in 2 weeks.
Joe,
I got my IRIS on Thursday of last week, but I didn't get to really fly it until Friday. I'm finding that as the manual states, I'm getting only about 8 minutes of flying with the heavier landing legs and gimbal. The legs gimbal and camera add significant weight and it seems to take a bit more effort for me to fly it in STB mode and keep it at a constant altitude. AltHold mode is easier in that you really don't have to mess around with throttle changes as it keeps itself in a constant altitude. In any case, I am a happy customer too.
I noticed you made a comment about the props. I noticed this too, but my issue was that the plastic is not really cleaned up after the molding process it seems. I guess that way the props make a really nice fit.
Lower battery life with increased weight seems normal. I've seen that on other my other multicopters as well. One note I forgot about the battery is that the yellow "XT60" connector is super snug (I assume everyone's is like this). You have to bend it slightly back and forth to get it loose. Trying to pull it straight out using a lot of force could result in accidentally ripping a wire or punching the Iris.
I'm adding pics of the switches that feature a fixed physical position on the controller in case it helps the folks that are having trouble getting their Iris to arm. I don't know if these controls do anything, but I'll post since I know my Iris works and it may help someone. (I have it set for Altitude Hold mode in the picture)
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