Group Build 2014, DJI NAZA/F450 Quadcopter!
- Thread starter Bartman
- Start date
Hi can u help me out i am new to this platform want to build my own quadcopter so this all things i guess would be going in my build. 1) dji f450 kit 305 propulsion system. 2) turnigy 9xr( as controller and reciever). 3) naze 32 acro as flight controller thats all with some zipties, blue locktight,double side sticky tapes,some servo cables,heatshrink. So this is all i need right to build one with a battery and a charger obviously... So all the things should work fine right? Any sujjestion that u would lile to give me? Thank you in advance!! And i am even thinking of buying a gimbal for my xiaomi sports cam which is slightly larger than go pro there is no option of h33d for me do u know any gimbal which is nice but also less pricey because yeah i am on a bugget build...thanks agn for helping me out!!!
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
that's exactly right! not too hard but not too easy!
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Jakee,
I'd probably buy the Full NAZE 32 that has the ability to add a GPS receiver to get full functionality if you're thinking about adding a gimbal later.
If the propulsion kit you listed has ESC's and props with the motors then you should be good to go. Don't forget connectors for your batteries.
Good luck!
AmsterDrone
New Member
Hi,
I'm relatively new to the quadcopter craze and stumbled upon this great and resourceful thread a couple of days ago. I've been obsessed by drones for the last couple of months watching and reading as much as I can. I initially planned to buy a Yuneec Q500 4k or Phantom Advanced, but thinking about that I'm a newbie and wanted to learn more and working on a more affordable models would benefit + it's more fun to build it yourself than buying a RTF . I'm really interested in aerial photography and video but would like to get up to speed with how these machines work.
I'm based in the Netherlands and just ordered the most basic beginner kit the f450 combo kit with DJI motors and ESC's with Naza M V2. All other parts like the battery + charger, receiver and various parts like cables and connectors are on the way too from HK.
Seeing this thread it seems you guys have been doing this since the 2013 I may be really late to this game, but I look forward to some fun and hope to learn a ton along the way.
Thanks for all the details in your posts Bart, it's really the best guide for beginners on the interwebs out there.
I'm relatively new to the quadcopter craze and stumbled upon this great and resourceful thread a couple of days ago. I've been obsessed by drones for the last couple of months watching and reading as much as I can. I initially planned to buy a Yuneec Q500 4k or Phantom Advanced, but thinking about that I'm a newbie and wanted to learn more and working on a more affordable models would benefit + it's more fun to build it yourself than buying a RTF . I'm really interested in aerial photography and video but would like to get up to speed with how these machines work.
I'm based in the Netherlands and just ordered the most basic beginner kit the f450 combo kit with DJI motors and ESC's with Naza M V2. All other parts like the battery + charger, receiver and various parts like cables and connectors are on the way too from HK.
Seeing this thread it seems you guys have been doing this since the 2013 I may be really late to this game, but I look forward to some fun and hope to learn a ton along the way.
Thanks for all the details in your posts Bart, it's really the best guide for beginners on the interwebs out there.
Well better late than never I have just joined the party started ordering stuff for my build this will be my first quad have done everything else rc from racing cars and boats to flying planes and helicopters have been away from rc for awhile and have a great intrest in quads so wish me luck every one
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
It's been a while since we started this thread and in the time since some stuff has changed, other things not so much.
Flight control systems have made it a lot easier to be able to consider different options. I chose the NAZA when I built my quad for this thread (I actually used a NAZA 1 when the NAZA 2 had already been out for a while) because a friend had one that he didn't want anymore and it just ended up in my shop along with the rest of the airframe. I still fly it (was flying it Thursday afternoon as my FPV trainer actually) and it's a lot of fun with a ton of flexibility to try different things. With time though we've got more options to consider, some new, some just refinements on what was already out there.
I recently tried the NAZE32 flight control board and it's great. It's small, has a good amount of support, and flies really well. There are a lot of options to expand the deluxe version with GPS and other add-ons including telemetry. I'm flying the most recent revision, Rev5 so be sure if you buy one used in the classifieds that you know what you're getting.
A development from the NAZE32 is a firmware working group called CleanFlight and that team has released their own flight control board called Seriously Pro Racing F3, or SP Racing F3 for short. I've got one but haven't flown it yet, it also has a basic and deluxe version with the deluxe version offering many add-ons (GPS, telemetry, sonar for low level altitude hold accuracy, etc.).
The KK boards have continued to evolve as well with options available for different firmwares. I'm not as familiar with this system but I do know the hardware is cheap and they fly fine so they ought to be a consideration for anyone looking to throw together a quick and dirty copter to learn the basics on. If anyone is very well versed on the KK boards, please feel free to chime in and share your experiences with us.
3D Robotics continues to develop the Arducopter platform with the APM 2.6 and Pixhawk systems which are similar, but different. These systems probably represent the ultimate in expandability with enough options and add-ons to keep you busy for a good long while. Or you can use them without all of the doo-dads and they're good fliers that are adaptable to small or large platforms.
NAZA-M V2 from DJI is still a great flight control system with a fair amount of fleibility, FWIW.
And don't forget to look in the classifieds as the older systems can usually do as much as the newer systems.
If you're a future FPV racer, try the NAZE32 or SP Racing F3 boards with this first build. If you're a tinkerer, try the APM 2.6 and figure out how to add an active sonar module to your heli, or an optical flow module for position hold indoors where GPS isn't available.
Whatever you do, HAVE FUN and prepare to be amazed!
Flight control systems have made it a lot easier to be able to consider different options. I chose the NAZA when I built my quad for this thread (I actually used a NAZA 1 when the NAZA 2 had already been out for a while) because a friend had one that he didn't want anymore and it just ended up in my shop along with the rest of the airframe. I still fly it (was flying it Thursday afternoon as my FPV trainer actually) and it's a lot of fun with a ton of flexibility to try different things. With time though we've got more options to consider, some new, some just refinements on what was already out there.
I recently tried the NAZE32 flight control board and it's great. It's small, has a good amount of support, and flies really well. There are a lot of options to expand the deluxe version with GPS and other add-ons including telemetry. I'm flying the most recent revision, Rev5 so be sure if you buy one used in the classifieds that you know what you're getting.
A development from the NAZE32 is a firmware working group called CleanFlight and that team has released their own flight control board called Seriously Pro Racing F3, or SP Racing F3 for short. I've got one but haven't flown it yet, it also has a basic and deluxe version with the deluxe version offering many add-ons (GPS, telemetry, sonar for low level altitude hold accuracy, etc.).
The KK boards have continued to evolve as well with options available for different firmwares. I'm not as familiar with this system but I do know the hardware is cheap and they fly fine so they ought to be a consideration for anyone looking to throw together a quick and dirty copter to learn the basics on. If anyone is very well versed on the KK boards, please feel free to chime in and share your experiences with us.
3D Robotics continues to develop the Arducopter platform with the APM 2.6 and Pixhawk systems which are similar, but different. These systems probably represent the ultimate in expandability with enough options and add-ons to keep you busy for a good long while. Or you can use them without all of the doo-dads and they're good fliers that are adaptable to small or large platforms.
NAZA-M V2 from DJI is still a great flight control system with a fair amount of fleibility, FWIW.
And don't forget to look in the classifieds as the older systems can usually do as much as the newer systems.
- Hoverfly PRO is the best flying flight control board I've seen. They are bigger than the rest so they need some room on the frame for mounting but they are perfect in how they fly and they are dirt cheap in the used market. They also do awesome with cheap chinese ESC's so you don't have to splurge for the latest tricks to get excellent control. The GPS never quite lived up to expectations but even then the last and permanently-Beta-status GPS update was a lot better but too late to save the controller from obsolescence (is that a word?)
- Mikrokopter FC 2.1....good for up to 4S LiPo packs and best when used with MK's motor controllers (BL 2.0's), this is a system that is very reliable (if you make it past the first two or three test flights) and has very good GPS capabilities. In fact, Mikrokopter has been delivering excellent GPS features since before almost all of the other controllers have even been around! Mikrokopter is a challenge to set up compared to something like a NAZA but the results can be very satisfying. I'm still flying my first MK FC2.1 (purchased Nov 2010) on a coaxial XY-8 heli that can sit on the basement floor for months and then get called into service for a photo shoot or other mission and it does a great job!
- older APM versions, most will take the latest firmware although you should double check that claim before purchasing, processing speed/power was limited when managing eight motors but still very capable systems for most all hobby projects.
- DJI Wookong, a very robust and reliable flight control system, so much so that some pros are still using only Wookong controllers. Not fully expandable to work with DJI's latest camera gimbals but that may or may not matter to you in the long run.
- SuperX from Xaircraft, a good system that is in use by a lot of people. XAircraft should have been a major competitor to DJI but they just couldn't get their worldwide marketing and distribution systems into place as DJI did so DJI won. Ask around about the SUperX before you buy a used one, I'm not sure what the current status of development is with this system.
If you're a future FPV racer, try the NAZE32 or SP Racing F3 boards with this first build. If you're a tinkerer, try the APM 2.6 and figure out how to add an active sonar module to your heli, or an optical flow module for position hold indoors where GPS isn't available.
Whatever you do, HAVE FUN and prepare to be amazed!
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
for what it's worth, there's a lot of talk about new ESC technology but the old standard, tried and true, ultra reliable Turnigy Plush ESC's continue to be all a lot of people will ever need....cheap, reliable, readily available. Motors too, don't buy into all of the hype with this first build, get something affordable and easy to replace if/when you crash.
wires are wires, connectors are connectors, frames (for the most part) are frames.....for your second build you might decide to spend more on one aspect or another but for this first one tune out all of the hype.....by the second build you'll come to discover there's a lot more hype than there is substance in many manufacturers' claims. the magic happens in the black box that is the flight controller. good motors are good because of quality control more than some tech innovation, same with a lot of the stuff we're using here. simpler is usually better, fwiw.
wires are wires, connectors are connectors, frames (for the most part) are frames.....for your second build you might decide to spend more on one aspect or another but for this first one tune out all of the hype.....by the second build you'll come to discover there's a lot more hype than there is substance in many manufacturers' claims. the magic happens in the black box that is the flight controller. good motors are good because of quality control more than some tech innovation, same with a lot of the stuff we're using here. simpler is usually better, fwiw.
Great update Bart - thanks. I built a F450 with a NAZA M V2 during the build and it was fun to work on and flies great. Highly recommended as a starter build. since then I've built a couple of quads using the NAZE32 and am now building one using the SP Racing F3. One word of caution - if you are hoping for a good GPS the NAZE32 and its brethren aren't quite there yet (and they admit it) but the NAZA M works great.
Slightly off topic - has anyone added a non DJI GPS to a NAZA flight controller. I have one laying around and was wondering if that's possible. A DJI compass/gps sells for about $160 but non DJI gps units go for much less. Just a thought.
ok eveything is ordered and should start arriving monday. woohoo here is a totaly electric flight newb question for you i know on my nitro planes and helicopters i had to run a rx battery pack to power servos and the rx do i still need to do this or is power supplied from the main pack? any help is appreciated
Pumpkinguy
Member
One battery for everything. 
Bartman
Welcome to MultiRotorForums.com!!
Howard,
The one flight battery can be used in a lot of different ways. Most of the time it is used to power the ESC's which then control the motors and which also will send a regulated supply of lower voltage electric to the flight controller.
A non-'opto' ESC will have a voltage regulator built in and will supply regulated lower voltage electricity to the red wire in the servo lead. Many flight control systems use that lower regulated voltage (usually 5v although some ESC's have the option to choose 5 or 6V) to power the flight control system while the full battery voltage powers the motors.
There is a school of thought though that finds the lower voltage regulated power from the ESC to be dirty and full of noise from the electronics of the ESC. There are many variations, some use full battery voltage for the flight control (this usually includes a dedicated voltage regulator in the flight control hardware a' la Mikrokopter and Hoverfly), some (BrainFPV for one) will recommend that you run the battery through a dedicated but separate voltage regulator to power the flight control system. Many (DJI NAZA, NAZE32, etc.) simply instruct you to leave all three wires connected for the first ESC and then remove the red wire from the servo lead for the remaining ESC's. This allows one ESC to power the flight control system and any receiver that might be hooked up to it but prevents multiple dirty power supplies from creating a cacophony of electric noise for the other electronics to have to live with.
"Opto" ESC's attempt to avoid the issues associated with the noisy/dirty regulated power issues by separating the motor power and control side of the ESC from the side that has to communicate with the flight controller for speed instructions. they do this by incorporating an optical bridge, fiber optics technology that allows the two sides of the ESC to speak to each other optically and therefore keep the noise from jumping over (from the motor/power side of the ESC's) and making its way around the rest of the heli. with these ESC's there is no power in the red wire of the servo lead.
The one flight battery can be used in a lot of different ways. Most of the time it is used to power the ESC's which then control the motors and which also will send a regulated supply of lower voltage electric to the flight controller.
A non-'opto' ESC will have a voltage regulator built in and will supply regulated lower voltage electricity to the red wire in the servo lead. Many flight control systems use that lower regulated voltage (usually 5v although some ESC's have the option to choose 5 or 6V) to power the flight control system while the full battery voltage powers the motors.
There is a school of thought though that finds the lower voltage regulated power from the ESC to be dirty and full of noise from the electronics of the ESC. There are many variations, some use full battery voltage for the flight control (this usually includes a dedicated voltage regulator in the flight control hardware a' la Mikrokopter and Hoverfly), some (BrainFPV for one) will recommend that you run the battery through a dedicated but separate voltage regulator to power the flight control system. Many (DJI NAZA, NAZE32, etc.) simply instruct you to leave all three wires connected for the first ESC and then remove the red wire from the servo lead for the remaining ESC's. This allows one ESC to power the flight control system and any receiver that might be hooked up to it but prevents multiple dirty power supplies from creating a cacophony of electric noise for the other electronics to have to live with.
"Opto" ESC's attempt to avoid the issues associated with the noisy/dirty regulated power issues by separating the motor power and control side of the ESC from the side that has to communicate with the flight controller for speed instructions. they do this by incorporating an optical bridge, fiber optics technology that allows the two sides of the ESC to speak to each other optically and therefore keep the noise from jumping over (from the motor/power side of the ESC's) and making its way around the rest of the heli. with these ESC's there is no power in the red wire of the servo lead.
