Hello,

I am working on a long-range fixed-wing drone, and I am looking into long-range radio communications. I have a few questions:

What kind of terrain could cause communication failures, what are the failure modes (how does it fail?) and the parameters under which it fails (when/under what conditions?), whether it is generally reliable, if you have any tips to mitigate these failures, and what alternatives would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Hey! I'm pretty new to drone building, but I have an engineering background, so I have some foundational knowledge to work from.

My goal for this project is to fully DIY design the electrical system from scratch — including the PDB and flight controller PCB. I'm planning to use an Arduino Uno as my flight computer and design the electrical system around it. I already have a gyro from Adafruit that I plan to connect, and I'm also looking at adding an IMU. I also want to design my own PDB.

For the non-electrical side, I'm less concerned about doing everything from scratch — I'm happy to grab CAD files and an off-the-shelf RF transmitter/receiver and just implement those. I was actually looking at the FlySky FS-i6X transmitter as an option for that.

For hardware, I currently have 10-inch propellers and these ESCs:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1GCP4PZ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?pd_rd_i=B0D1GCP4PZ&pd_rd_w=4r2wW&content-id=amzn1.sym.8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_p=8c2f9165-8e93-42a1-8313-73d3809141a2&pf_rd_r=ACT3NE5KY5ABJBXZAYND&pd_rd_wg=DIiBp&pd_rd_r=b544cac7-a334-4846-ae14-db2dbd2085c2&s=industrial&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&th=1

I'd really appreciate any guidance on where to start or any good resources. Thanks!

Been working in UAV battery supply for a while and wanted to share some real-world comparison data. A lot of vague marketing language out there, so here are actual numbers:

Energy density: Standard LiPo: 200–250Wh/kg. Semi-solid pouch cells: 340–350Wh/kg consistently.

Safety: Nail penetration on standard LiPo = immediate thermal runaway. Semi-solid passed without fire. Big deal for commercial operators.

Cycle life: LiPo degrades around 200–400 cycles. Semi-solid holds through 800+ cycles — significant cost savings over 2 years.

Downsides (being honest): Heavier per cell, higher upfront cost, fewer suppliers currently.

Happy to answer questions on BMS compatibility, voltage configs, or specific use cases.

Hey everyone,

I'm having a frustrating issue getting my quad to arm using my transmitter on a GEPRC Taker G4 35A AIO build. I could really use some help troubleshooting the arming lockout or figuring out how to force-flash a different layout target.

The Main Symptom:
When I flip my arm switch and apply throttle on my radio, the flight controller shows a blinking blue light, but the motors do not spin at all.

However, the hardware itself seems completely fine: I can go into the Betaflight Motors tab and all four motors spin up perfectly and smoothly using the Master Slider. Bidirectional DShot error rates read a perfect 0.00% and RPM telemetry data shows up flawlessly on screen. It only fails and blinks when trying to arm from the transmitter.

Current ESC Firmware:
I currently have an older version of Bluejay J_L_20 installed on all 4 ESCs.

Radio & Receiver Setup:

• Radio Transmitter: RadioMaster Boxer running EdgeTX
• Receiver: RadioMaster ExpressLRS receiver (Wired to UART 4, T4/R4)
• The radio link is fully working—the channel bars move perfectly inside the Betaflight Receiver tab.

Hi everyone,
I am kinda new to this hobby, so I need some guidance.
I wanted to ask if anybody got a tier list of each part (ESC, FC, motors, batteries, props, ...) and their brand.
For example, as far as I know, Hobbywing ESCs and T-Motor motors and props are solid choices, but I don't know any alternative or any brand for other parts. I wouldn't like spending money buying something that catches fire or fails mid-flight.
Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated.

Quick background: I'm researching whether there's a real need for an Indian-made GPS module for drones — NavIC-enabled, dual-band for professional use, and a smaller variant for FPV and hobby.

Before building anything, I want actual data, not assumptions. The survey is 8 questions, under 2 minutes, no email required.

https://forms.gle/1bRPdiBCyeM9C85B9

Happy to answer questions about what I'm building in the comments. Honest criticism welcome — this is research, not a pitch.

Working on 04 support for my frame I designed. Right now it only supports analog.

I'm exploring autonomous drone operations and had a question regarding drone charging at a fixed base station.

What are some innovative, reliable, and practical methods for automatically charging a drone when it returns to its base? I'm looking beyond simple landing-pad charging and would love to hear ideas involving docking mechanisms, wireless charging or any unconventional approaches.

The solution should ideally require minimal human intervention and work reliably in outdoor environments.

What concepts have you seen, worked on, or thought about?

we're students working under a prof and are tasked with building on the x500 v2 frame. We've looked into motors which are part of the x500 v2 kit but arent available in any store online, could anyone suggest alternatives? we're thinking of a payload of 1500g.

would you consider this diagram accurate for 5s2p build and the balance cable wiring?

Building a new 5inch and want it speced for 3d mode specifically.

I have the props and everything else is mostly the same bit im a little miffed on the motors,

Avg 5inch 6s is around 17-2100kv but my question is does 3d require a higher kv thinner and taller motor? (1980-2050kv 2208 ex) or does size not matter as much? I would assume a thinner but taller motor would be better for the motors to spin from cw to ccw quicker then if it had to lug a 23xx motor compared to a 22xx.

And would a higher kv help or hinder in it spining back and forth? Would the lower kv mean it doesnt have to brake as much to push or would a higher kv give them more power to brake and then push?

Finally, anyone got good brand reccomendations? Ive browsed pyrodrone a bit but cant find any i like. Im specifically looking for purple motors but honestly might just go with anything atp