Hello! From the "Show Me State" (ughm...Missouri?)....Kansas City area

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simmelt405

Member
SO ....very happy to find a GOOD Forum for Multirotors!!!!!!!!!

As a full time studio & outside photographer ( you know....that trade/craft that is being replaced by smartfones & consumer cameras smart enough that Ashton Kucher can use them?)....I'm madly searching for a facet of photographer NOT instantly affordable by the masses....and yet...something FUN.

I let my pilots license lapse years ago when av gas hit $5/gal..........and my insurance man kept looking at me like I was a walking ATM, so....multi-rotors is THE only way I'm going to get my heli rating within an affordable manner.

While I've been reading everything I can these last 3 mos.....I just have MAYBE a half dozen "Fears".

1) Will the FAA absolutely take away my chances of mixing fun with flight & photography by making everyone aspiring to "gainfully earn a paycheck from aerial photography" to get certifiied & invest scads of $$ for mini transponders, tracking software & ground control permission when ever we expect to be at 250-300 ft AGL?

2) I see plenty of business in the US garnering biz by aerial photography.....and then I hear or read of the FAA cracking down on more & more each day! is it state by state?

3) my "intentions" were to purchase a DJI Phantom to get my toes wet...I have a GoPro or two laying around....I can alter a platform to eliminate jello easy enough....spend a few months playing....then..if ICAn get some work that starts to payback....go and ivest in a DJI 55o or 800 with FPV downlinks, better tracking software, add a Blackmagic mini cam and start filling in a log book of flight info, tracking plans, and make sure the area I'm in IS safe from any unwarranted airplane traffic ( except the occasional scud runner in the KC area @ 500 agl) and make SURE i'm safely below any traffic. (Still have my flight scanners.......and still understand ATC lingo....scarey).

But.....am I better off just getting a DJI 450 and just slowly & methodically upgrading?

Now I KNOW I sound like a Noob!!!

Thanks in advance!!

Shane
 

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simmelt405

Member
No one wants to chime in about better to grow from a Phantom or ground lever build a 450 & "expand"??

and how about transmitters?...I was pondering a Futaba 8J (8 channel??...but..."Expandable?)

Thanks in advance!!
 

Austin913

Austin913

Member
Hello from Overland Park! Look for a $30-$50 micro quad and cut your teeth with learning to fly/crash with one of those. A couple/few months back I built my first DJI F450, after spending the winter crashing a micro quad around the house. The Futaba would be a decent transmitter, though some may recommend the 8fg or 14fg over the 8j. I like photography and videography from a hobby perspective, but my goal with flying is to get into FPV flight. anyways, welcome to the forums neighbor.
 

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simmelt405

Member
no micro's here.......I usually go a little above board when getting into something...so...the DJI Phantom works for me from the standpoint I can buy it...eventually add a gimbal and still get some reasonable fine art photos. (been full time too many years, and to use any of my 10# SLR's....I'd need a $25K platform....NOT!!)

good to know there is someone ELSE in the land of bbq!!!!
 

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simmelt405

Member
Austin913 said:
Hello from Overland Park! Look for a $30-$50 micro quad and cut your teeth with learning to fly/crash with one of those. A couple/few months back I built my first DJI F450, after spending the winter crashing a micro quad around the house. The Futaba would be a decent transmitter, though some may recommend the 8fg or 14fg over the 8j. I like photography and videography from a hobby perspective, but my goal with flying is to get into FPV flight. anyways, welcome to the forums neighbor.
Click to expand...

Austin913.......are there any GOOD DJI dealers in the KC area?
Or should I be establishing an Online Dealer relation somewhere?
(UAV Advertising/Quadcopter/RCRUS??)
 

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StarterH

Rotor Junkie
Hey simmelt, I'm out in Columbia, just east on I 70 from you.

The phantom is an ok starter craft, but if you want to expand you are pretty limited in camera choice. I went a little nuts and did an f550 build as my first attempt for an ap\av platform, but haven't looked back in regret. I'm currently just running a gopro, but eventually plan on carrying a Nex, gimbal and downlink equipment, and this has the juice to handle it. If I need more, I can upgrade with the AMP heavy lift kit. I think a hexa is the most versatile platform you could jump on, for just a couple hundred more entry price.
 

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simmelt405

Member
What transmitter are you using?

I'm pondering Futaba......either an 8J or 8FGH........just not sure why I need the extra channels in the first year (and $200 in price diff tween the two).

As for paltform....the NExAir NEO looks quite universal....price is right...and while it's just a quad.......yes....motors CAN make it a heavy liter...until I go S800 or Hexa.
 

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StarterH

Rotor Junkie
simmelt405 said:
What transmitter are you using?

I'm pondering Futaba......either an 8J or 8FGH........just not sure why I need the extra channels in the first year (and $200 in price diff tween the two).

As for paltform....the NExAir NEO looks quite universal....price is right...and while it's just a quad.......yes....motors CAN make it a heavy liter...until I go S800 or Hexa.
Click to expand...

Futaba T8J. Does everything I need it to, but if I want pan AND tilt I'd need to upgrade.
 

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StarterH

Rotor Junkie
Also, the NEO looks good. If you want to compare on a front mount FPV model, take a look at the QAV 400 or 500. This is the frame that FPV guys tend to use if not the TBS Discovery. Look up Juz and MidwestRob on youtube, you'll see what it can do.

Are you sure you want an FPV style, though? I'd worry if I tried to mount something heavy like a NEX with a telephoto it would screw up the center of gravity too much. I wouldn't want to wear out my front motors.
 

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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
I have been buying my stuff from RCRUS. They are one of the official DJI distributors (you can see from the DJI website); and, no, there aren't any in the KC area. :( If there were, I'd be all over that. =D And, yes, I find it very good to develop a relationship with the vendor(s).
 

Kilby

Kilby

Active Member
What ever you do, I wouldn't plan on getting in to this so that you can make money. If its a hobby you want, awesome, but as far as the FAA goes, it will likely be 2020 before folks like you and I can get the required licenses to do this professionally. A lot of people do it anyway, but that gig is almost up. The FAA are actively watching forums like this one, and chances of getting caught rise by the day.

Good luck!
 


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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
I think you'll find pretty much someone within the forum to answer any specific question you have. What specifically are you having issues with?
 


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ProPilotWannaBe

Member
BlackedOut,
First, I might suggest starting a new thread for your question instead of continuing this one. For anybody to help further debugging of the issue, here's some questions that come to mind. And if you start a new thread, just include information like this to help those experts out:
- Have you confirmed the rotation of each of the motors in the right direction?
- Are you running 3.10 or 3.12?
- Which type of aircraft did you mount the Naza on?
- Are you taking off in GPS, Man, or Att?
- Have you run all the calibrations (the control inputs and the IMU ones)?

BTW, just FYI, when I first got my first F450 with Naza, it tipped over the first 4 times I tried to take off. Then my friend pointed out that I was just raising the throttle too slowly. I can't say it never tips over, but since then a combination of faster increase in throttle, and having my right thumb on the roll/elev controls to "tweak" the takeoff, has gotten me consistent good takeoffs. If you have V3.1 or later, the Naza also has a takeoff mode which I have found helpful.
 


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Deniz Y

New Member
Hey KC guys!

I'm getting in the the quads as well. Putting a TBS Discovery currently....I live over in Staley

Deniz
 

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