Hi guys! I not pro or against clones but I saw this today on GoodLuckBuy:
It appears to be a revised version with this description:
Improvements on V2.4.3
- V2.4.5 PCB board
- Redeveloped and optimized circuit without changing components
- Could use Official MissionPlanner, ECLIPSE firmware upgrade
I think that it would be nice for the developers of the hardware to use this thread to keep us updated on revisions on this board. Maybe not highly technical (for those of us who do not understand EagleCAD schematics) but at least with a good description of the changes.
I´m very keen on getting the lastest version of any board I buy, that´s why I´m asking.
Another thing is: If I buy the original Pixhawk (which I can´t right now because I live in South America and 3DR is not shipping here currently), am I going to get this version?
Replies
For example, most people don't grasp that the majority of manufacturing does not occur in large factories as we know it. The displays on Chinese websites most often demonstrate assembly and product consolidation centers not manufacturing.
Virtually each component is manufactured independently in most cases, horizontally and not verticslly, often in apartment size "factories". (Venice manufacturing does exist, but is subject to some of the same cultural issues).
Prifits, surge orders or quotas often result in variable quality compromise. When the sourcing agent rejects batches, often usable but not to the same specifications then these enter the Grey market.
China does not have a credit system, so all deals are cash. Grey is the favorite color.
Tremendous profits are made acquiring the schematics, especially of open source items, and then meeting them with erratic or nonexistent quality controls. You may or may not get refunds, you dawn sure won't get warranties or guarantees that are endorsments.
Expect virtually every component to be compromised by at least one quality intolerance. Examples include the simplest such as board thickness, metal qualities, wore guages, resistances, chips exposed to adverse elements.
Even with 3DR you can't keep all these things away all of the time. The visual things like casing is the most obvious. They are all made from regrind. The wiring may be missing threads or have high resistance. The circuit board plating may be done with other metals. Hearts are off, etc. You get the picture.
Use these components only for learning and building practice for a lot of trouble shooting will be encountered.
Of course, you may get lucky. Heck FrSky does a super fantastic job.
For those out is the US this may be your only option for now. The sellers will not be affiliated with or have ability to interact with who manufactured the goods. They are most often obtained in bulk at open markets. Enforcement of any trade patents in this setting is virtually impossible. The Chinese are great people, but culturally have a delayed identity associating the need for quality as part of character and business integrity. It's slowly changing. Just be aware.
Oh, and that price is too high. If you go on the Chinese trade sites, translate them via Google and suffer through the nonsense the exact same thing can be had for 75 bucks. But it's like buying off a drive truck.
Without boots on the ground it's risky business.
While in the subject, the plastics sold aftermarket are contaminated often. You'll notice a very slight yellow tinge.
Soldering is often cold. Metals are diluted with zinc. Aluminum is recycled, may say anodized, but very soft.
The carbon fiber may say 2mm, but is actually 1.8. Frequently the carbon fibers are improperly layered so no interweaving occurs. This makes them unusable for CNN work without a water jet cutter. Even then a light spraying of acrylic is done to prevent edge pondering or erosion. Often the carbon parts are milled and not primary made, at best they are water jet cut.
These things create unpredictable almost invisible material faults showing up as linear failures under stress or even planar dehisence. This sucks to learn about during stress maneuvers or rebuilds. You'll see the Pixar board quality show as erratic performance, easier interference, unpredictable operation in environmental conditions from temp to humidy. Your plug in may all be soft regrind and not hold well. You get the idea.
I sometimes buy this stuff. That's how I know. The only reason is because my son is a boots on the ground Caucasian native fluent and now streetwise. He's personally certified several thousand companies to export to the US. Hope this helps.
Wow. This really paints a picture! Thanks for that info! I guess it would be nice to compare how thing are done in the "Original" manufacturers. for example 3DR in this case. Obviously even the best quality control won´t assure you 100% trouble free boards, but I think it would enlighten us on better production process
I bought a couple pixhawk external LED kits from goodluckbuy and one of the two didn't work. If they couldn't get that much right that's not too encourging. Very frustrating on the export ban for them and you. It's lasted WAY too long and with no explanation.
All cheap LEDS have problems. They are only a few dollars so buy twice as much as you need. Tell the chinese company if they dont refund, you will call your credit card comapny. You wont lose.
I bought an APM 2.5.2 6 months ago and so far has been working fine but I have seen so many forums with problems from both original and clone hawks that I can´t make up my mind on whether or not to buy it.
The price is not so good at U$S 150 (that´s another reason)
Saludos de nuevo¡
Javier
Gracias por tu ofrecimiento. Yo generalmente traigo cosas de computadoras de EEUU (soy tecnico en PC) y un paquete chiquito como el de la pixhawk no deberia de salir mas de U$S 20 y llega acá en 15 dias (yo estoy en Uruguay) asi que podriamos arreglar algo por MP. Saludos!
Saludos!
Javier
You do realise that half of 3DR products come from the same chinese manufacturers as those found on GLB. All the FPV equipment, receivers, goggles, transmitters, cameras are all China.
I have bought a couple of things from GLB and so far I have had a good experience. But this is by far a much complex piece of technology and I wouldn´t trust them so much on that area.
I wrote this post as a way to get the hardware developers interested in letting us now of the changes in the hardware and not only in software
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next