New and looking for advice on platform

[SeanArenas]

Hello,
As a kid, I flew fixed-wing and copter, but it's been a long while.

Recently, I picked up the Parrot AR 2.0 and had some fun with it.

I'd like to get something with more features for recording aerial video and hope you can give me some good advice.

Before I step up to a $10,000+ investment of a high-end Cinestar, Draganfly, etc., I'd like to spend $1,000 to $2,500 and get something between the Parrot drone and the ultra-high-end equipment. A stepping stone kind of UAV.

I would prefer something ARF or RTF, and understand that there still might be "some assembly required." But I'd still prefer a kit as opposed to guessing which components to put together.

I've spent some time looking at different sites. I've compiled the following list:
ARF Mikrokopter: https://www.mikrocontroller.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=114
ARF Mikrokopters: http://www.mikrokopter.us/shop/mikrokopter-products/mikrokopter-kits-arfs
UAV/Multi-Rotor: http://www.heli-world.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=801
Video of MikroKopter in a storm: http://vimeo.com/50892206 - Hexakopter demo: http://vimeo.com/6194911
Draganfly: http://www.draganfly.com/industrial/products.php
Red Rocket hobbies: http://www.redrockethobbies.com/Helicopters-s/13.htm
Hobby King ARF: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__592__501__Multi_Rotors_Parts-RTF_PNF_ARF.html
Model Multikopters: http://www.conrad.com/Model-Multicopters.htm?websale7=conrad-int&ci=SHOP_AREA_221790
Quadrocopter ARF: http://www.quadrocopter.com/Custom-RTF_c_59.html
XHeli: http://www.xheli.com/
Think RC Helis: (Sub $100 copters) http://www.thinkrc.com/?ref=1&gclid=CO_Uz-LO1rMCFSTZQgoddg8Azg
RCHobbyHelicopter: http://www.rchobbyhelicopter.com/

RCHobbyHelicopter seems to have the right animal ... price range along with the features that would satisfy me. But it's hard for me to discern quality ... where is my best bang/buck point?

Main features I'd like:

• Stable in the air
• Multiple sensors to keep in place
• GPS waypoints
• Video downlink to see what the camera is recording real-time
• Pan, tilt, zoom ability on the camera

​
It would be nice to get the option to upgrade to allow separate camera operator/pilot, but that's not necessary on this stepping-stone UAV.

I would probably add a GoPro camera or something similar.

I would like to record rock videos, do some chase scenes for sports, and a variety of personal recording.

Thanks for your time!

 

[Droider]

Aye Up SeanArenas. Welcome to MRF.

You got a long list op possibles there and I ait got time to go look at um all just to tell you to go down the Nazza/WKM route. There are plenty of peeps out there offering RTF solutions. I would suggest a F450 or F550 with Nazza or WKM depending on just what you really want. If you want Waypoint capability them you will need to go with the WKM..

Whwre in the world are you I am guessing States side of the Pond

Dave

 

[SeanArenas]

Aye Up SeanArenas. Welcome to MRF.

You got a long list op possibles there and I ait got time to go look at um all just to tell you to go down the Nazza/WKM route. There are plenty of peeps out there offering RTF solutions. I would suggest a F450 or F550 with Nazza or WKM depending on just what you really want. If you want Waypoint capability them you will need to go with the WKM..

Whwre in the world are you I am guessing States side of the Pond

Dave

Thanks for the reply.

i had only put the list of kopter sellers to prove that I already did a lot of my own homework, not just coming here out of the blue.

lets see if my homework paid off. F450 or 550 is the number of millimeters from one engine to the opposite engine, right? Frame size? Bigger generally means more weight, but more capacity. Is bigger more stable in wind!

should I look for 4, 6, or 8 rotors?

WKM is the brand of the builder/modeler, or original manufacturer?

I am in the United States. California.

thanks for the tips, looking forward to more!

 

[Tomstoy2]

The f550 hexa is a more capable machine. You can lift a cheap gimbal, gopro, fpv equip and 2 batterys, ( 3 with fpv ), no problem.

Z06_Tony at RC Drones can hook you up with a good machine.

If going the f450 or f550 route, don't get the rtf kit, but get it bare bones, upgrade the motors, stay away from their props, APC is a good source for props. AeroXcraft make a nice landing gear and gimbal system for both the f450 and f550. Motors, I recommend Tiger Motors, mt2216-900kv. The DJI, Manufacturer's name ), esc's are fine but cut off the bullet connectors and solder on some good quality standard style bullet connectors instead.

WKM is supurb. I intend to be burried with mine.

In all, a $2k budget is realistic and gives you a machine that will perform beyond your expectations.

Then, if you want to primarily go fpv and record your fpv flights, The TBS Discovery, same motors, 30A esc's is quite a machine!

The flight controller is the key to the kingdom! Spend some time and research them carefully before deciding. As I said, it really depends what your expectations are.
For sport flying, I don't think a DJI is the way to go. More like a KK2 or a Quadrino Zoom would fit the ticket.

For aerial work, WKM, Zero UAV, or Hoverfly Pro are the top of the list.

Bigger does translate to more stable. 6 to 8 motors, 4 only means that if you loose one you loose your bird. 8 is for primarily heavy lift. 6 is the most common for intermediate weight capability.
Coax machines, 2 motors per boom, gives you a little better redundancy and more lift, but truth is you machine will be better off with more motors and booms. It's all about how many cones of air you sit upon.

DJI Naza is a good beginner, but truth is their WKM is the way to go and can handle any machine you want to put it on.
Just remember, they all have their quirks and problems, however, DJI supports their WKM like no other company else out there.
If you do go DJI, just make sure you get one from a reputable dealer. Some of these companies sell them but have no idea how to help you when you call with a problem, or even care.

Of course, this forum is all about helping you get sorted out and is always my first stop when I get hung up with something.

 

[SeanArenas]

The f550 hexa is a more capable machine. You can lift a cheap gimbal, gopro, fpv equip and 2 batterys, ( 3 with fpv ), no problem.

Based on this and most of the rest of your post, it sounds like I want a 6 boom machine (a Hexa) for my intermediate step UAV.

If going the f450 or f550 route, don't get the rtf kit, but get it bare bones, upgrade the motors, stay away from their props, APC is a good source for props. AeroXcraft make a nice landing gear and gimbal system for both the f450 and f550. Motors, I recommend Tiger Motors, mt2216-900kv. The DJI, Manufacturer's name ), esc's are fine but cut off the bullet connectors and solder on some good quality standard style bullet connectors instead.

If I get the F550 Hexa barebones as you suggest, what other components will I need to flesh this bird out and put wings on it?

WKM is supurb. I intend to be burried with mine.

In all, a $2k budget is realistic and gives you a machine that will perform beyond your expectations.

Does this include sensors, control board, video downlink?

Then, if you want to primarily go fpv and record your fpv flights, The TBS Discovery, same motors, 30A esc's is quite a machine!

The flight controller is the key to the kingdom! Spend some time and research them carefully before deciding. As I said, it really depends what your expectations are.
For sport flying, I don't think a DJI is the way to go. More like a KK2 or a Quadrino Zoom would fit the ticket.

For aerial work, WKM, Zero UAV, or Hoverfly Pro are the top of the list.

Can you please help educate me on what all these terms are? FPV is First Person View flights? Is that where you wear goggles while flying and recording? What's the TBS Discovery, or 30A esc's? What is a flight controller, exactly? How about DJI, KK2, Quadrino Zoom? Or are all of these things I will learn as I get in to a third platform later on?

Bigger does translate to more stable. 6 to 8 motors, 4 only means that if you loose one you loose your bird. 8 is for primarily heavy lift. 6 is the most common for intermediate weight capability.
Coax machines, 2 motors per boom, gives you a little better redundancy and more lift, but truth is you machine will be better off with more motors and booms. It's all about how many cones of air you sit upon.

So 6 is good for now. And if I lose a motor, my rig won't crash? That's nice.

Thanks for your help!

 

[SeanArenas]

I don't know what specifications I should say I want when looking for a lifter. I want to record with something like the Hero Black Edition, pan/tilt/zoom. So "obviously" (I think to myself) I want it to be stable (no shake), smooth (not jerky when starting/stopping), maneuverable enough that I can get it close to things like trees and buildings without crashing ... And a bunch of sensors to hold very still, or to move in a steady fashion when going from one waypoint to another, so that recording is great.

Long flight time would be great - high-density batteries, and adding extra batteries for more time in the air would rock. But I have no idea how to know how what the weight/charge ratio is for batteries here. I assume you don't want to keep adding batteries until the thing can barely take off and fly - who cares if you can fly for an hour if it moves slower than you can walk and has a slow rise? Haha

NOT on the top of my list of priorities: 3D stunts, aerial acrobatics, flips, etc. I'd love to get a machine to do all of that stuff, but I think that would be a completely different animal. I'm looking to have one purpose-built for recording - can I assume a purpose-built one will do better at recording than one "also" built for 3D stunts?


So, with all that in mind, let's pretend I call up RC-Drones.com and ask for Z06_Tony ... Will I want to call him knowing the full list of parts I will want? Or will he walk me through building a machine to my specifications? Or ... am I making the wrong kinds of specifications?

 

[Tomstoy2]

Tony is extremely patient and informative. His main concern is to give you the bird you want, not just making a sale for himself. Just talk to him, tell him what you're interrested in, what you want to achieve, what you've found out, stuff like that.

As I stated above, a good place to start is an f550, WKM would be the largest expense but well worth it, ( in my opinion ), MT2216-900kv motors, 30a esc's, 4s 5000mah 30c batterys, a good charger, AeroXcraft landing gear and gimbal and a GoPro. Pretty hard combination to beat. Could be added to with fpv, ( just so damn cool ), and a pair of batterys in parallel to give you lots of flight time in the future. Lots of room to grow.

After a season of that under your belt you'll have enough knowledge to know where you really want to go. You can then turn around and sell it or keep it for your test bed.

The flight controller, as I said, is everything. This has all the 'brains' to make your flying experience enjoyable,,, or not. There is a lot of junk out there, so you really need to be careful. The ones I listed are the top dogs and do work well.
Nothing else is really needed,, until later, when you really get into this, such as telemetry.

Esc's, electronic speed controllers, are how you control the motors. You will need one per motor. It needs to be rated to handle the load of those motors. Personally, if a motor is rated to take 20 amps max, I subscribe to increasing the size of the esc's to 30 amps. Why? Well, a 20 amp rated esc will work, as you very seldom run a motor for more than a few seconds at max power, but for an efficient system, you want to never worry about exceeding the rating. A 30 amp esc on a 20 amp motor will never be working on the edge of it's rating. This keeps heat down and heat is the enemy.
Ideally, when you land, if you feel your motors and esc's they should feel slightly warm, not hot. If something is hot then it's not working correctly and is prone to failure.
An esc for a multi should have a high refresh rate. 400 is the number you would prefer. As I said DJI 30 amp esc's are good esc's, just don't use the bullet connectors that they come with standard. They have a tension ring on them and these rings can cause intermittant contact in flight raising all kinds of havoc.

Now, I'm not saying you won't crash with 6 motors, or a hexa as we call it, but at least it will be a controlled crash, meaning you can fly it to the ground, not just flip over on its back and straight down into the ground.
I've wrecked my Hexa twice, a prop break and an esc failure in flight. Both times the hexa leaned to the lost motor but I was able to minimize the damage where as a quad would have been a write off.
WKM now has firmware that will effectively allow you to fly and land your hexa with a motor loss, but I would absolutely hate to test it!

For a beginner flyer, I think gps is an excellent tool. If you get confused with orentation, whatever, just let go of the sticks and it will just sit there and wait for you to get yourself sorted out. This is the area that, personally, I think WKM excells. They have a very good gps, probably one of the very best out there.
Naza, also a DJI product, comes with a gps now, and is much cheaper. It's a good system, but if your budget can swing it, go with the WKM instead. Naza does not support waypoint, not that it's necessary at all, just more whistles and bells, really.

One area that we haven't talked about is the radio, itself. A good radio is a must. I have no idea what you have?
Myself, I flew my dx7 for my heli's but went to a Futaba t8fg super for my Hexa and it has been worth its weight in gold to me. This does not mean other radios are better or worse, but with everything else in this hobby you end up getting what you pay for in this area.

Batterys don't have to be anything fancy. 30c is perferable. I still fly some cheap Turnigy batterys and notice no difference. Hard to beat the price.

Here's a few pic's of my rig. Nothing fancy here, just good components that all work well with each other and all add up to a fine fun flying rig.
It's not an f550, but an XAircraft Hexa, another fine barebones kit.

 

[matthew.wright5]

Go for a DJI s800.

They come with everything, including base WKM. Just not batteries.

They pack down small, carry the coveted Zenmuse gimbal and can stay aloft for a long time.

They are upgradable and most importantly, they are DJIs flagship model for which all of their products, current and future, are developed for.

Don't worry about the flip of death **** you will read about, that issue has been sorted and is now a non issue for new users.

Have fun!

 

[Tomstoy2]

I agree, the s800 is a nice platform, no doubt.

However, with a WKM the price is slightly over $3000. None of this includes a gimbal, either. DJI's gimbal, top of the industry standard, is $3500. Then, it has to be matched to a specific camera, figure another $1000, or there abouts.

Then, of course, in the event of a crash, ( **** happens ), there is the repair cost.

Not a good suggestion for somebody just starting out. A damn good suggestion for somebody that knows what they are doing, though. I'm sure there are quite a few that did go that route, however.

You see how easy it becomes to get carried away in this hobby? The only limiting factor is your pocket book.

Here is my short story;
I started off about 1 year ago with a Gaui 330x-s, and soon learned after just a few flights that it was a waist of money, for me anyway.
Being somebody that loves to tinker and mod I decided that the big problem with it was the outdated gu-344 controller. Not knowing any better I ordered a Feiutec fy91Q with navigation system and ended up with a $400 paper weight.
Did my homework, abet a little late and went into the system I have pictured and have been extremely pleased ever since.
I'm still not done with it, there are a few other things that I want to experiment with on it before moving on to my next machine.
The main thing I learned is to NOT get too impatient, but learn the system and how to push it.

Having the baddest dog on the block does not translate to having the most fun, if you have no clue what the big dog is all about. Doesn't even translate into saving you a damn penny, truth be told.
This hobby has a lot in common with going into combat. You go into an attack with a plan, but as soon as the very first shot is fired that plan just goes to hell.

 

[matthew.wright5]

Points noted.

My personal opinion is buy the right gear early, and avoid buying twice.

The wookong is a great IMU and when handled with care will help avoid the heartache of an expensive crash or flyaway. That's why I recommend it for beginners, especially if they are keen to spend $2-3000.

 

[SeanArenas]

I just spent some time talking to Tony (1 hour 10 minutes) and we came down to two systems he thinks will suit me, depending on what my near-term goals are.

System #1 looks like what Tomstoy developed above, for about $3,000 total. I liked your $2,000 price tag, but I don't even have a transmitter (my existing Parrot drone creates an ad-hoc network that my iPad joins, control is on iPad).

System #2 is to hold either the GoPro Hero 3 Black, or my Canon 7D with a long lens (I have a 70-300mm Image Stabilizing lens which will probably work well from copter height, right?). It's based on this: http://www.rc-drones.com/hexakong_6S_xl.php
It's a 950mm copter, 40a ESCs, MT3515-15 motors, 14" propellers.
He then recommends a Devo 10 transmitter, a AG550-NX gimbal+landing gear, and I still need a camera mount.

With all the additional stuff, Tony thinks it will run about $6,000.

What are your thoughts on this?

$6,000 is more than I wanted to pay, but do-able ... but before I do that, I want to know that I am getting some good, quality stuff that will last me for a long time, and get me some good AP and AV that I can sell.

Thanks!

 

[SeanArenas]

I tried to make that last post 6 hours ago when I spoke with Tony, but my token or cookie or something expired, and the post did not go up. So we missed out on 5 hours of opportunity for you to reply with more advice.

I went ahead and got the Hexakong 6S XL, although he can't begin to assemble it until Thursday, so if you have any additional suggestions, please get them in. Like if you said, "change the prop size," or something ...

Hexakong XL 6S built
AG550-NX Gimbal, used
Transmitter, Devo 10
Camera Mount

Will be mounting
GoPro Hero 3D Black
Canon 7D

 

[matthew.wright5]

Mate, this is all IMHO.

This is the wrong path.

Your paying for his labour, not the quality of the machine. Half the fun is building and understanding what your doing.

Cancel the order.

Buy a F550 with a quality futaba transmitter and learn to fly the DJI NAZA. Build it, troubleshoot it, crash it, rebuild it.

If you last through this process then you'll know your ready to go to the next level. This stage will enable you save some money too, and learn about AP.

If you are planning to spend 6000, make sure it's worth it.

For what your about to spend, you could get a professional setup from the market leaders, DJI.

The DJI S800 with wookong AND three axis Zenmuse gimbal is about 6000. Nothing this bloke is selling you is that good.

At the very least, investigate what I've suggested, 6000 is a lot of money, especially if you end up unsatisfied with what you purchased.

 

[SeanArenas]

matthew.wright5, thanks but I started this process knowing I wouldn't have the time or expertise to build from ground up. I'd like to spend that time learning to fly it and market the piloting. If I have to do repairs that are beyond me, I will find a local modeler; I know two who could help out.

Now, he has a DJI S800 custom build with WKM, and it's $3300: http://www.rc-drones.com/DJI-Spreading-Wings-S800-WooKong.php

Is that the kind of system you are talking about? Then add the gimbal you are talking about, landing gear, transmitter, downstream, build+test, and still be $6k? It's still 800mm compared to 950mm, would the Hexakong 6X XL be a better system? Please let me know before he charges the card

So what are we really comparing, the DJI S800 vs. the HexaKong XL-6S? They are within $200 of each other's price, pre-built. Is it the other gear you are talking about? The AG550-NX Gimbal, the Devo 10 transmitter?

 

[matthew.wright5]

I recommended the cheaper hexa to begin with as you are very likely to crash. Everyone in this hobby/business has at some stage, to varying degrees of damage and financial cost. I would hate for you to damage something so expensive and potentially end your time with these aircraft.

I recommend the DJI for a number of specific reasons:

1. DJI are market leaders and have the best flight control software available currently
2. DJI develop their products for the s800. This includes the upcoming ruling flight and gimbal controller.
3. The Zenmuse is the best gimbal you can get for the money with 3 axis.
4. The frame packs down to a very small size enabling easier transport.

Either way, I've made my point. It's your money to spend. Good luck, please let us know how you go.

 

[SeanArenas]

Thanks matthew

I was going to go with a 550 originally, but Tony says it can't hold up a Canon 7D with a lens. If I went with a 550, I could get away with a $3k pricetag (including transmitter and stuff), but when I'm ready to mount my 7D, not a lot of that is tradeable to the next platform ... just the flight controller.

If I go with a 950 now, I'll be getting a high quality gimbal, landing gear, etc., that I wouldn't get with the 550. This will let me mount the 7D and use a quality gimbal now.

If we're comparing your DJI build to his Hexakong build, I'm confused about something... if I want to hold up a Canon 7D with a 300mm IS lens, is the DJI s800 better than the Hexakong 6X XL? Just comparing those two beasts, is the s800 going to have the lift and flight time I'm looking for? Do they make a 950mm 6 cell version? Sorry for the dumb questions, again I am new to this. Again, these two buildouts have around the same price tag, but the Hexakong is 950mm and the DJI is 800mm, so I am trying to understand which is better for my purposes.

And your other comparison is between the Zenmuse gimbal and the AG550-NX gimbal. You say the Zenmuse is a better gimbal - is that because it is 3-axis? Are these in the same price range?

 

[Tomstoy2]

Wow! Sean, the 950 CarbonCore, ( that's the manufacturer of the kit you bought ), is one beautifully designed multi! All the gear Tony is adding is top quality, too.
The gimbal is a good gimbal, also, but not a great gimbal. It will still need it's own independant stabilizer to control it, something like a Radian or Hoverfly gimbal controller.

Though the WKM cam control the gimbal for you, it doesn't exactly work worth a damn. Not with what is out there. Seems to play well with DJI's $3500 Ziemus gimbal though, and for that price it better!

Here is the deal.
The DJI S800 complete system is one he'll of a professional photographer's system, argueably the best the market has to offer. And, Mathiew is right, I fully agree with him. The money spent on the S800 buys you a much finer system than what you have ordered. Not that I think the S800 is a better airframe than the 950 CarbonCore, but the Ziemus gimbal is just so much better than anything else the market has to offer!
The reason for that is it uses stepper motors instead of servo's. This has never been done before and the detail in controlis just mind boggeling!
The entire S800 system is ony been out for about a year now and has been a revolution in the industry.

The S800 does have a few drawbacks, but all but one have been worked out now.
About the only thing left that owners ***** about is that they do get some flexing in the booms occasionally.

DJI did a he'll of a job engineering this airframe. The motor wires are internal in the booms and the booms just plug into the frame to complete the circuit.
The esc's are located on the bottom of the motors and they all have an exposed led to show you they are powered on.

The drawback to the entire system lies with the Ziemus only allowing you to use certain camera's. Gh2, Nex and soon GoPro are, to my knowledge, what is supported. That is because the camera has to be balanced and the firmware matched to make it work.

On the other hand, there are other top quality systems you may want to investigate. CineStar is in my estimation, one of the best airframes out there and has a wonderful anti-vibration system, along with a very, very nice gimbal. You could easily carry your camera with it.

The ag550 gimbal is a good gimbal, and one I personally have looked into and considered. The only reviews I have seen about it states there were some slop with itand needed to be worked out. Take in mind this was when the gimbal was first released. Since then, who knows. They could have very well been worked out for all I know.
This much I do know. If I was looking to sell some shots and or vid's, it wouldn't be on my list.

As I said, the CarbonCore is one hell of an airframe! It used some of the very finest carbon fiber in the industry and the resin is injected into the mesh.
I would love to own this airframe as my next bird!

Overall, everything considered, with what you want and considering if I was in your shoes, the S800 makes so much more sence, as long as you are also willing to upgrade your camera.
If not, then I'm sure you would be estatic with the one you have ordered!

However, as this is your first, I strongly recommend you get yourself an f450 rtf and learn on it before ever attempting to fly the 950. trust me, a few months flying an f450 will help you out tremendously!
You can always sell it afterwards, or just keep it as a screw around multi.

You could get a simulator, but I really don't subscribe to that train of thought. Nothing replaces hands on, period!

I hope this helps you out?

Either way, it's a hell of a system, and Tony does come HIGHLY recommended.

Hope he spelling wasn't too bad, I'm at work, screwing off, and had to use my Iphone.

 

[SeanArenas]

Hi Tomstoy2, you seem to like both the system I ordered, and the S800. I specifically asked Tony about the S800 before ordering, and he said the larger frame (the 950) allows for larger props and bigger engines, which allows for more lift. You say that the S800 makes more sense for me, may I ask what qualities about it specifically make it make more sense for me?

They use the same flight controller, right? Someone upthread said the flight controller is the key to a good flight.

It's interesting to see you say the Ziemus can only hold some cameras - Tony said the AG550 NX can hold any camera up to the weight limit of the craft. But you say you wouldn't get the AG550 NX if you were looking to sell photos or videos ... so what can hold more cameras than the Ziemus and still provide me with sellable quality photos and videos without breaking the bank?

 

[Tomstoy2]

Dji's Ziemus gimbal, ( sorry about spelling ? ), is the industry top dog, at $3500 just for the gimbal it had better be!
The thing is just mind boggeling. Just seeng it turn on and go thru it's home sequencing is a sight to behold!

As to why the S800 makes more sence for you it's because it's a modular airframe. As I said the booms, esc's, motors and wiring are all in one. No messing around with anything. Simple plug and play, everything well thought out and engineered. That makes a lot of sence when you don't want to mess with stuff, makes it simple.
However, as I said, you are limited to the camera you use. So, unless you want to also change out to like a GH2 or a Sony Nex you are pretty much looking for a different gimbal.

Don't get me wrong here, as I said the gimbal you are looking at I considered myself. It's a nice gimbal, but had some teehing pains in early production.

The other industry standard would be PhotoHigher. Hey led the playing field for a long time and are still a top contender.

For professional work, if I were to do it, I would be considering DJI, Cinestar, or photohigher.

The main thing to consider with a gmbal is how to stabilize it. At $800+ a gimbal will still look like crap unless it's stabilized correctly.
Believe me, it's not as easy as it seems. Jus look at he Picloc thread here, one of the longest threads here at MRF!

Still when stabilized correctly you can make a $100 gimbal look good! This is what seperated the amatures from the pros.

I love the system Tony has advised you on. It's probably the exact same thing I would do, truth be told. Aks him about stabilizing the gimbal. If he's planning on just using the WKM to stabilize it then personally I would be looking to spend another $300 on a Hoverfly gimbal stabilizer.
After all, at his point, in for a penny, in for a pound!

As I said, just do yourself a huge favor and learn to fly on a nice cheap system before flying that beautiful CarbonCore! One mishap with that will make you want to throw your hat in the creek!

Besides, you'll probably end out finding that just taking the 950 out for a quick spin is kind of a pain in the ***! A little 459 will go just about anywhere with you.
Look around, you can always find one used, save some bucks. Besides, somewhere along the line you are going to have to learn how to work on these things! They do need maintenance.

Wish I had the system you've ordered, that's for sure! Need to find me a rich sugar mama, ***** myself out!

 

[SeanArenas]

Thanks Tomstoy2.

Remember that I've been flying the Parrot, which is just a toy. The system I'm buying, according to Tony, is securely in the Hobby line. The next step up is to double or triple (or more!) my price tag and go for a Pro line.

So I've been playing with the Parrot. I will be flying the 950. And if I can generate any business on it, I would get a pro series.

So in a way, this 950 is my stepping stone to practice on between the Parrot and a pro model. It's just closer to pro model than I originally planned on it being.