Xaircraft vs. MikroKopter

[DucktileMedia]

Ok, I have to get a bunch of things off my chest.

First off, I am getting into AP because I mentioned to a client that i did a video for that I always wanted to try this. He told me he would volunteer to be my first paying client once I got it figured out. I have owned about 5 helicopters and many planes and am not afraid to weld, solder, machine, etc. although non perfected software often leaves me lost.

With this said. As i started to peruse the forums and see what was available I started to see that the options were wide spread. It appeared that the Xaircraft was getting some pretty good feedback from people thinking of using a Guai for beginner AP. As i started to dig up information on this I was starting to think this was the route I would end up taking. After a few weeks of forums and many hours talking to Jeff at Xaircraft USA I was convinced that any of the previous problems XA might have had were completely ironed out. BUT.........

After placing my order for my x650 v8 which was supposed to arrive July 21st i have been doing more research and talking to people who actually own one or both of the XA/MK units. So far there is 1 person that has had a wonderful out of the box experience, and the other few have told me "good luck with that." So out of fear I may have made a bad decision. Back to the internet to try to dig up even more info. So far the forums would suggest that the XA is erratic and not predictable yet a good handful of people seem to enjoy flying them on a hobby level. But I have no interest in watching something do aerobatics nor do i care to show how zippy it is. I want dead stable/slow and predictable. And as this request gets presented to the masses i get the same answer-MK.

But there is a rebellious side of me that thinks XA might have fixed all their issues and will have a great machine that can compete with the MK for a 1/4 the cost and has a really nice frame to add.

I would love to hear form people who actually have seen both fly or at least have the XA, what their honest opinion is for using this as an AP platform. The plug n play aspect of XA is so nice. And one of the things about MK that baffles me so much is that they are supposedly making the best unit in the world yet they make you solder parts on a board that should really just be on there to begin with. Why, if you went so far as to have someone make this precision circuit board would you stop there and have people risk doing harm to expensive electronics when you could have completed the job for another $5-10? It drives me nuts! So part of me feels like I dont want to join the masses just because they are the masses. I know i am rambling , sorry...

I was told XA has super glued magnets on the motors and the props can be easliy over tightened leading to stripped threads and possibly pulling the motor shaft out?! I've heard that the GPS was a complete failure (although i dont really need this for my application). I have heard it jitters alot from some and others say it is pretty stable. It also seems that instead of making new software/hardware, they made a new frame. XA is still using the same FC, so if there was a previous problem, I am guessing this will STILL be a problem. But when someone says, "hey, it's no mikrokopter." that implies to me that there must be this huge visible difference in flying quality. But so far not that many people can back that difference up with hard evidence. And as nice as Jeff at XA USA is, he is obviously going to be a biased answer, although I do tend to believe most of what he tells me.

So can anyone and everyone chime in here who has real answers? As much as I think MK is the bees knees, I would love to be the first to prove everyone wrong about XA with their new units coming out.

HELP!

 

[Macsgrafs]

I agree, why didnt they add the last parts??? I can only put it down to MK having an escape goat if anything goes wrong...you soldered it!!!!

Ross

 

[Bartman]

the X650 is a fun flying whippy little quad with gobs of power and, unfortunately, an immature FC system. why they continue to release plans for new frames and add-ons is beyond me. IMHO, they should get the FC working, that means no wobbles in descents and a consistent ability to restore itself to level flight, before going any farther with anything else they've tried to release. Also, it wouldn't hurt if Jingchen would abandon the monster thread at RCG which is all but useless if you're trying to learn something about XA products.
I'm no expert but I've got an X650 and two MK's so that's just my take on it. I bought the second MK stuff after trying to make the X650 a low-cost solution to keeping a camera flying (and therefore making money) but it just didn't work out.
Hope that helps,
Bart

 

[FOX222]

Well put Bart. I have seen people dance around this for a while now. The facts are just that simple. If they want to compete with the big dogs of the multirotor world they need to get their FC working competitively. You can get frames from 100 different places now but there is only one good manufacturer of electronics/firmware.

 

[Bartman]

the motors have also been very frustrating. they've got a 4mm shaft that protrudes out the top and is threaded. the plastic props have threaded inserts that don't bottom out on anything and if you try to mount regular props, over-tightening the prop nuts pulls the shaft through the motor and jams it. once this happens, the motor has to be disassembled so the shaft can be pushed back into place. it's also worth mentioning that the motor shaft doesn't have a flat spot for the set screw in the top of the bell to lock down on so it isn't able to keep the shaft from pulling out. why have a set screw but no place for it to seat itself?
problems like this are still out there but they've got plans for an eight rotor. go figure.

 

[FOX222]

the motors have also been very frustrating. they've got a 4mm shaft that protrudes out the top and is threaded. the plastic props have threaded inserts that don't bottom out on anything and if you try to mount regular props, over-tightening the prop nuts pulls the shaft through the motor and jams it. once this happens, the motor has to be disassembled so the shaft can be pushed back into place. it's also worth mentioning that the motor shaft doesn't have a flat spot for the set screw in the top of the bell to lock down on so it isn't able to keep the shaft from pulling out. why have a set screw but no place for it to seat itself?
problems like this are still out there but they've got plans for an eight rotor. go figure.

Which motors are you referring to?

 

[Bartman]

the stock XA motors that come with the X650....have they changed them to something else?

 

[DucktileMedia]

I expressed my concerns today to Jeff at Xaircraft and as always he was very insightful and willing to help. So it looks like the new units ship next week. He agreed to do whatever it takes to make this fly as smoothly as he claims it does. I am also being told that if the unit is bad as some are claiming he will accept the unit back and try to sell it himself. Those are words of confidence. So i will report back in a few weeks and let you know what I think with a genuine, unbiased review of the x650 v8. I know i am fighting the masses but IF things work the way he and a few others claim, i should be able to use this for some aerial photos and perhaps video.

I should also mention that I told him a few people were unhappy with the stability and that I didnt see how the new units would be any different if the FC/firmware is the same. His reply was that the firmware is the same but there is new software and that the biggest problem with stability was from using the wrong props on the previous units. I find it a little hard to believe but he reassured me that the pitch was too high for being such a flexible prop. So instead of being 60's they are now 45s (I think). regardless the pitch has been down scaled a bit.

I hope i can walk away from this experience telling the forums how great of a product this is. But I am also aware of the risks/probability of things being as they were. Only time will tell.

 

[quadcopters]

Hi, I sell both the Xaircraft and Now Mk products , And I also fly both machines .. I believe Xaircraft for the money is probably the best hobbyist level quad out there at the moment . I would put it at the top of all the lower priced quads like the Gaui , Lotus T580 and similar . They are relatively easy to build and set up but they have had issues such as gps and height hold not working well . The new Range of Xaircraft are using smaller props because the machines are scaled down in size and using smaller size motors and 10a escs. Still I would say the Xaircraft is a good buy but if you want to do aerial photography on a professional level Mikrokopter is in a different league , you can ask anybody who uses multirotor for pro use and they will all say the same thing . Granted MK stuff is harder to build and more technical to set up but they work well and there is so much you can do with them.
You also mentioned your getting a Xaircraft X8 I look forward to reading your review on this model and there will be a new firmware v1.32 for this model and also a new configuration software.
Geoff

 

[Bartman]

I wish you the best w-horny. I don't doubt that Jeff is giving you an honest assessment and I'd like as much as anyone to see XA get the wrinkles all ironed out.
It's nice to read Geoff's comments about the changes XA has made.
Bart

 

[Gunter]

I agree with all of the above, the Xaircraft seems okay for the money, but if you want something better, you have to pay the money. My thinking at the moment is that if you have a 3 or 4 rotor craft, a problem with just one motor will cause it to fall like a brick! That is one of the reasons I am planning to build either a 6 or 8 rotor beast, redundancy is a lot better if anything goes wrong with an esc or motor. The bigger craft are also better for stability and can carry a larger payload.

My advice would be if you are just getting into multi rotor craft, buy a cheaper one to learn and practice with, so that a crash doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Once you are confident with flying, invest in a decent setup.

Gunter.

 

[dckiteboards]

So ive heard I may be the only one really having extremely positive experiences with XA, I am ready on a whim to purchase a droidworx or MK , just like i did a month ago with the trex 700 and 2xpt etc etc and learned i couldnt fly it and had to sell for a 500 dollar loss. I am still shooting with XA now octo and i am flying a 3xpt mount with the XA havent bought the gps yet for the XA but im good without currently. let em get it all ironed out. Again up untill now i bought my X650 in feb and plugged in into the computer in feb once programed it and i still fly it once everyother day for 90 minutes id say! i have never touched anything remote control before. im already getting inquiries for shooting infrared devices so i might have to upgrade to lift more weight for home inspection. but i definitly thus far do not believe you need to spend 10,000 bucks on these machines. even my mount its exactly the same as photoshipones 3xpt but 600 bucks not 1800+. Also I gave my old pc to some freinds kid in march since i am all mac so i cant even plug it in anywhere now. no need it flies itself!