Questions about flight controllers and props

[knightrohulk]

Quick background: I have been into R/C trucks and cars, so I am familiar with R/C. However, I have never flown a quad or any aircraft before. I just bought a used Heli-Max 1SQ to help in learning. Ultimately, I'm interested in getting my GoPro Hero2 up in the air, and have been researching all the options. I think I'd like to build a quad as opposed to just buying a Phantom, and have been looking at the DJI F450 frame and the Turnigy HAL frame. I'm interested in either of those kits because I've seen YouTube videos of those frames with GoPros that did not have the jello effect and there are several options on mounting the camera with those frames. Based on my limited knowledge so far, they also appear to be popular frames. Before I start buying parts, I've got a few questions (actually, a ton). Most of my questions are bang for the buck type. I don't want to spend more money only to find out it's overkill for what I want.

1. What's are the practical differences between the KK and the Naza M Lite? I realize I may be comparing a Honda Civic to a Lamborghini, but I don't know. I have read about both, but I have no experience with either one. I would love to hear from someone with experience on both. Is the Naza M Lite worth the extra money for a newby just trying to get a GoPro up in the air? It seems that the KK might be for more experienced pilots. Is that true?

2. For the Naza M Lite, what does the GPS option provide? I've seen F450 kits with the Naza controller that come with or without the GPS option. The GPS option adds about $100 to the kit. If I keep the quad within a few hundred feet of where I am, does the GPS help in any way? I do like the idea of the Phantom's "return to home" capability, but I don't know if that is available on the Naza M Lite version.

3. Assuming a quad set up in an X configuration, would it be better to go with smaller props in order to help keep them out of the camera view, or does that depend more on how you mount the camera?

Thank you for any feedback! :tennis:

 

[ChrisViperM]

For the different flight controllors, I would go with the NAZA if you have no Multirotor experience......it's the easiest to set up and very widely used....so you get lots of support when needed. Just download and read the manual from the NAZA (and all other flight controllers) to get a feeling of what to expect in terms of (missing) knowledge.

Without the GPS you can set it to:

1) Manual mode, where the flight controller doesn't correct any of your inputs....great for FPV flights and acrobatics, but you have to fly very concentrated.

2) Altitude hold, where the copter remains in a certain altitude when you put the throttle stick to the middel......but wind can "blow" it away in any direction.

3) With an added GPS you get Altitude/GPS mode on top of the 2 previous modes....if you switch to Altitude/GPS mode, the copter stays within a very small area and doesn't move away, even with wind coming from any direction. This is great if you want to stay in a certain position for filming/taking pictures.....or even to quickly answere your phone.

Most of the time it's cheaper to buy everything together in a package rather than buy a GPS later for a premium price.

The DJI F450 is agreat and well built frame.....thousands sold and lots of happy users, also great support avalible.....here just do the same as with Flight Controllers and download all manuals and see how you like it.

Here you can see the different NAZA versions:

http://www.dji-innovations.com/whats-difference-of-naza-m-litenaza-m-v1naza-m-v2/



If you can see the props in your video later on depends a lot on the mounting position of your cam. There is more and more Brushless based gimbal coming to the market for a reasonable price which might be worth a look.


Based on the DJI F450 a group called "Team Blacksheep" developed a frame (TBS Disco) where the front arms are more mounted backwards in order to get the props out of the picture, and now theys hit the market with a modified version which also includes a frontmounted Brushless gimbal:
http://team-blacksheep.com/products/prod:discopro ....from here you can do your own research concerning the TBS Disco

Even if you are on a budget, don't try to get the cheapest deal.....try to get it from a dealer close to where you live....especially as a beginner it comes in handy if you get professional support, also in case of wrong deliveries or missing parts....ask how I know.
But try to buy your stuff as a package deal (there are always some on the net)...you even can ask a dealer for a discount if they don't offer exactly the deal you need.



Chris

 

[knightrohulk]

Thank you for the response, Chris. I just ordered a F450 package complete with Naza M Lite and GPS. I noticed on the Naza info that the failsafe mode says "If your transmitter supports failsafe, then you can set failsafe through port-U." How do I know if a transmitter supports failsafe? I've never seen that before. Also, is there any reason I should go with a transmitter with more than 4 channels? Thank you!

 

[ProPilotWannaBe]

Thank you for the response, Chris. I just ordered a F450 package complete with Naza M Lite and GPS. I noticed on the Naza info that the failsafe mode says "If your transmitter supports failsafe, then you can set failsafe through port-U." How do I know if a transmitter supports failsafe? I've never seen that before. Also, is there any reason I should go with a transmitter with more than 4 channels? Thank you!

Ideally you should be looking at least at 7 channels. You'll need four just to do T/R/A/E. Then you'll want a channel to turn GPS mode on off (basically switch between GPS, Attitude, Manual or Failsafe). Then you might want to use the Naza's IOC feature which allows different directional flying modes (Off, Home Lock, Course). Then, since you're adding a gimbal for the GoPro, you would need a channel for tilt control (up and down pointing). You can also use these last two channels to also turn the gains in your Naza, though that isn't required, especially with the new Bluetooth adapter.
If you think you'll ever grow into another MR in the future, you might be thinking of buying for the future now and even get more channels. Of course, they cost more, but it would save you from having to rebuy in the future and use one control for multiple MRs as you add to your collection.