my first post here.. a couple q's re: quad or hex and what radio

[picturedhere]

Hello everyone. first let me say thank you to everyone for all of the information that I have already learned on here!! I would also like to especially tip my cap to Bartman for his posts and threads, as they have been especially helpful to me.
On to the question. I am going to be ordering stuff for my first multirotor build this week or next and have a few questions. I want to know everyone's opinion on whether i should start with a quad or a hexacopter. I will be starting with a gopro3 setup. however, I am a professional photographer and with that i already know that after flying a bit and feeling comfortable with things, i will want to add the capability of adding my better gear( 5dmkIII and lenses). So should i start with a quad and then when it's time to upgrade just buy a hex frame/additional motors/esc's and transfer the FC & fpv setup from the quad? or should i start with a hex from the start? I don't have a lot of money, so i don't want to spend money twice (if possible). I'm looking at the f450/f550 or tarot 680pro, but am open to suggestions if anyone thinks i'd be better served with a different setup. I have flown helicopters, but never a quad, but will be buying a cheap one to get the hang of it before flying the bigger setup.
In the end, what's mmost important is i will want capability of AV/AP with fpv through camera, so stability will be what's important, not agility and speed.
Also, i am having trouble deciding on a radio to buy. I haven't been able to find a thread comparing the benefits of any. Are there any decent radio's for $200? or should i just bite the bullet and buy a more capable/expensive one like a futaba 14sg. What are everyone's favorite radios and why?

To sum up mu long post:
1- should i start with a quad or hex?
2- are f450/550 and tarot 680pro decent setups for this application?
3- what are your preferred radios and why?

Thank you all VERY much in advance for your help and advice!!

 

[PeteDee]

1. Quad, a 450 can do a lot in a small "cheap" package to get you started.

2. The Tarot gear is pretty good.

3. Definitely Futaba is my preferred for MR's a used T8FG Super can be found for around $200, the Taranis is not bad but they have a very steep learning curve to do more than the basics.

Pete

 

[picturedhere]

Thanks PeteDee. I appreciate the input.

 

[MadAtTheSky]

Hex's are your best bet for carrying heavy payloads. Quads are an easier and cheaper build and typically have longer flight times due to their lighter weight and less motors means less over all power consumption. The Futaba 14sg is a great radio.. I have one lol. But the Turnigy 9xr is also great, it's expandable, has a lot of support forums and is inexpensive.

 

[NeRvD]

I find myself in a similar water vessel to picturedhete. I don't mind forking out the cash for a decent Tx however I don't want to have to do it again in a short frame of time.. In leaving toward the dx9 black, I Olle the look and feel of the spektrum however am yet to find definitive reasoning to help me choose..
Also picturedhere I think you should start with a hex straight up. Larger up front cost but less hassle in the long run.

NeRvD

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[Old Man]

Personally, I've been wondering why a Tx like the Airtronics 10SG is never mentioned in MR circles. I haven't tried one for MR's yet but I have two in use for fixed wing RC.


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[PeteDee]

If a radio has CPPM or S-Bus support then it is suitable for MR's any radio that does not support CPPM or S-Bus is simply not as suitable for MR's as a radio that has this feature.

Being able to buy small, light and cheap receivers such as the FrSky ACSST and FASST types from FrSky is gold.

A radio that has diversity built into nice small receivers is better than a radio that requires an external receiver to achieve diversity.

Any radio that uses little stubby antenna's is not as good as a radio that has receiver antenna's that be easily positioned for maximum performance or easily replaced with longer better ones that can be more easily installed.

Both Futaba and FrSky have radios that fulfill all of the above.

I have both a DX18 and a 14SG and I only use the 14SG for MR's setups, I did have a FrSky Taranis but found it less suitable for me than the 14SG.

Cheers

Pete

 

[NeRvD]

[MENTION=12570]Old Man[/MENTION]
I'll have to look into that one, haven't come across it before.

@pete
Thank you for your wisdom I see futaba popping up often enough for them to be at the to of my list at the moment. Is replacing an antenna really that important if I'm looking to attach something like a dragon link anyways? Are you able to briefly elaborate or link me to something on the benefits of CPPM and S-Bus?
Thanks again

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[Old Man]

Thanks Pete.

 

[picturedhere]

thank you all for the input! I ended up going with a f550 and a turnigy 9xr(with FrSky module). I have had it up and running for a couple of weeks now and am glad I went with the hex to start as i'll be adding a gimbal and camera soon. likely just a gopro. it was harder to get going in some ways than I thought it would be and easier in others. Of course, i'm still constantly having questions, but learning everything is part of the fun for me.