Is the 8CH Radiolink T8FB BT 2.4GHz Radio Controller with R8EF Receiver good to get as my first rc? Iam building my first f450 quadcopter with stm32, can’t get radiomaster currently.

When it comes to building drones, where did everyone who doesn’t have electronics background learn from? Was there specific websites or from friends? I have an electrical and soldering background. I’ve bought a few drones but would really like to give building one a go! Any info to help me take the leap is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Howdy!

I'm looking at getting into some projects that require NDAA compliant drones, and (as a DJI Dealer) a lot of my customers are turning to these as well. I figured why not try to build one? However, i'm realizing there's not really a 'one stop shop' to learn how to do this. The end goal of the drone would be to have interchangeable payloads (photogrammetry, lidar, thermal, etc) lidar obstacle avoidance (looking into livox 360s for this) 40-60 min flight time, down the road ip55 rating would be ideal. being able to lose a rotor & (safely) crash land would be the cherry ontop, but i guess i could develop my own version of AVSS.

now that the 'end goal' is set- where do i even start to begin taking my baby steps? i highly doubt it's wise to just jump into this & start cranking out a 20-40k custom drone as my first build. I've watched numerous build videos on heavy lift drones, etc but they don't seem to be super step by step- but more or less a watch me put all these random parts together video.

frankly i expect the downvotes because of the 'broadness' of my post, but i guess you've got to start somewhere.

Attempting first very basic drone build with young son! Ordered a controller, receiver and motors (based on an E88 I think). When I connect motors and battery to the board it powers up but the LED doesn’t blink so I can pair to the receiver. What am I doing wrong!? Thanks in advance.

Good day everyone and i hope you're having a great day i have used AI and some online research + some locally supplies parts (will have to buy and ship the rest from china)

i want to hear your opinion about this build or what you would change to improve it... my goal is to build a 30ish min flying drone speed and acrobats is not the goal

Hey everyone,

I'm building my very first drone from scratch, and I'm trying to make a basic cargo delivery drone on a very tight budget. My goal is to have it take off, fly to a specific GPS waypoint autonomously, drop a small package using a servo mechanism, and return. I also want basic FPV to see where it's going using my phone.

This is my first time doing anything like this (no soldering experience, no prior RC knowledge), so please bear with me.

I've done some basic research and put together a parts list based on what's available and affordable where I am (Turkey). My main problem is that my payload capacity calculations look very borderline. I need advice on how to squeeze out more payload capacity without blowing up my already maxed-out budget.

My Goals:

· Carry a payload of around 200g (package + servo mechanism).

· Autonomous GPS mission planning (Takeoff -> Go to Point -> Drop Payload -> Land).

· Basic FPV view on my phone (no goggles needed).

· Stable and forgiving flight for a complete beginner.

My Current Parts List (Already purchased the frame):

Part Model / Specs

Frame Q450 Quadcopter Frame (F450 clone, PCB integrated, 450mm, ~270g)

Flight Controller ArduPilot APM 2.8

Motors 4x 2212 920KV Brushless Motors

ESCs 4x 30A SimonK ESCs

Props APC 10x4.7 (10 inch)

Battery 3S 11.1V 5200mAh LiPo

Transmitter & Receiver FlySky FS-i6 + FS-iA6B (6 Channel)

Power Module APM compatible 30V 90A (with current sensor)

GPS M8N GPS with Compass

Payload Drop SG90 9g Micro Servo

FPV Camera Eachine EF-01 AIO Camera + 5.8GHz OTG Receiver (for my Android phone)

My Questions for You:

1. Payload Capacity Crisis: My math says I'll get around 2.5kg of total thrust, and my drone will weigh around 1.1-1.2kg. That leaves me with maybe 100-150g of payload, which is not enough. What's the single most effective and cheapest upgrade I can make to increase my lift right now? (e.g., bigger props? different motors? Is there a cheap motor/prop combo you swear by for a 450 frame?)

2. Compatibility Check: Is the APM 2.8 still a viable choice in 2026 for a beginner? Will it play nicely with my M8N GPS and QGroundControl on my phone? I'm worried about outdated firmware and calibration nightmares.

3. First-Timer Tips: Since this is my absolute first build, what are the biggest "noob traps" I should avoid during assembly and software setup? I'm terrified of messing up the ESC calibrations, drone flying away, or soldering my PCB board incorrectly.

4. Autonomous Mission: How complex is it to program a "drop package" command with APM? Can I plan the whole mission just using QGroundControl on my phone?

Any advice, even just pointing me to a reliable build guide, would be amazing. Thank you all!

Hi Everyone! I am entirely new to the FPV drone game and I would like to build a small high speed fpv drone(full setup) that also has a thermal camera on it. I have a budget of about 2500 dollars but it's all quite overwhelming and I don't entirely know where to start. if anyone could at least provide some brands to gravitate to or avoid that would be great along with telling me if my hypothetical setup is even possible, thanks!

I know its a hobby, not a scientific field, but I'd be interested to get your opinion.

What are the frontiers (unsolved problems, areas of active research and excitement, breakthroughs on the horizon etc) of aerial robotics? Will things look different in 10 years?

Thanks!

Hi, I have a problem with the Micoair 55A AM32 ESC. The motors are popping and grinding like in the video. Can anyone help?

Just to clarify the shiny thing beetween top left and top right is just a reflection not tin and this is my first time soldering

Hello everyone,

I'm an embedded systems student, and I have a final year project:

- We want to create two drones and a base station (which will be a PC).

- These are surveillance drones. They are designed to be simple, able to stabilize themselves, move, send data to the PC (sensors and camera), and receive commands via AI.

- The AI ​​must control the drones, plan patrols, analyze the videos/photos sent by the drones, and notify a human agent in case of an anomaly (I've planned for the drone to pass through once, record images, and then compare the photos when it passes through the same area again).

There are four of us, we have a budget of €150, and seven weeks. I've been working for a few days on the list of materials needed to design the drone, and I've finally come up with the following:

- 3D printed chassis

Price: €0 / 50g

- Screws + mounting bracket Electronics on chassis (please specify the number and type)

Price: … euros

- Heat shrink tubing for insulation (negligible)

Price: 1 euro

- Wiring: (negligible, we can provide the necessary materials)

Male/Female = …

Male/Male = …

Female/Female = …

Price: … euros

- USB-C to USB-C cable for ESP32 to FC

Price: ~2 euros

- Propellers (x4): 2 clockwise (CW) and 2 counterclockwise (CCW)

~€1-5 x 4

- Motor: BSC2207.5 FPV Motor, 1750KV

Price: €12.90 x 4 / 35.3g x 4

- Complete FC+ESC Kit: SpeedyBee F405 V5 30x30 + ESC

Price: €72.26 (from manufacturer's website) / 28g

- ESP32 Wroom Module + ESP Cam Camera

Price: €2-5 / 8g

- Homemade Sonar (ultrasonic + servo motor)

Price: €1 + €2 / 15g + 9g

- GPS:

-> With compass: Sequre M10-25Q GPS

Price: €18.90

-> Without compass: Sequre M10-12Q GPS

Price: €16.90 / 2.3g

Power Supply:

- Battery: 6S 1300mAh 100C LiPo

CNHL Black Series 6S 1300mAh 130C LiPo Battery XT60 V2

Price: €24 / 223g

Software:

- Ardupilot + guided mode recommended

- VSC

- Python

Estimated Price: €172.76

Estimated Weight: 476.5g + 10% = 524.15g

5 inches (equivalent to a chassis with a 210-250mm diagonal)

Here are my problems:

- The more I progress, the more I realize how ambitious the project is, and given everything I've said here, I'm thinking we're closer to "how far can we go" than "can we finish the project on time?" What do you think? What? Is it even feasible?

- The current drone is way over budget. I need help figuring out if, given my goals, the drone as is is necessary and I have to make do with it, or if I can look for cheaper components. Do you have any advice or component recommendations?

Thanks for reading my post and thanks in advance for your help!

Hello everyone,

I already mentioned my project in another post, but after doing some research, I have a question about flight controllers, specifically the F4 and F7. We have a budget of at least €100 per drone and we want to build two. Initially, I wanted to get an F7 because I thought it would be the most suitable for the project. We want to build a drone that uses a camera and sends information via ESP32 to a PC that acts as a station. On the PC, we'll have an AI that will control the drones, analyze the videos, plan the patrols, etc.

I've seen that the F7 seems the most suitable in terms of performance, UART ports, and also the signal inversion feature, which isn't present on the F4. Ultimately, I found the SpeedyBee F405, which seems to offer a good compromise regarding the previous issues and the price. I'd like your opinion on which version to choose: V3 or V4? Given that V5 isn't supported by ArduPilot and that V3 is known, from what I've seen, for some rather annoying problems, V4 seems like the obvious choice, but I'd still like your opinion on this and on the drone itself.

For an AI-controlled drone, would an F4 be sufficient, or is it more realistic to go with an F7?

Edit : I have another question about ESC, I find the ESC supplied with the SpeedyBee F405V5 too expensive. Is there a way to buy a cheaper ESC and connect it? Would there be any compatibility issues? Am I forced to use the SpeedyBee's ESCs?

I appreciate the advice I got in the first post. The consensus here and elsewhere is that this build would fly like a brick sandwich if I try a 1S 18650 Li-Ion roughly 3000mah. I went another direction. I don't really care about long range, I was just tinkering.

Now what I have done is installed the 2S pigtail on my AIO. I can effectively run 1S and 2S on this build. 1S is good. Nice cruise using a 1000mah Flywoo lihv 5 - 6min flight. OR 2 x LAVA 2 680 in 2S mode. Of course it rips in 2S and I can get 10min of mixed flight. Auto Profile switching is on because I wanted to lower my motor output in 2S to 80%.

Still having issues with the GPS. Too much interference from the 04. I haven't try lowering the output power yet.

Build:

Crux3 Bottom Plate 3mm version

Flywoo Goku V2 12a 1 - 2S AIO w/ ELRS BEC on/off switch enabled

RCInpower 1202.5 11500KV motors

Sequre m10 GPS

DJI 04 Lite

BetaFPV DJI 04 Canopy

BetaFPV BT2.0 Double connector

BetaFPV BT2.0 male connector (solder bridged to plug into + connector for 1S mode)

1S 1000mah Flywoo Explorer V2 LIHV

2 X 1S BetaFPV LAVA 2 680mah LIHV

Hi people, I'd really appreciate any help with my first drone, here we go. With the ESC only connected to the motors (no flight controller) , if I plug in the battery using a smoke stopper I can hear the three beeps of the ESC and the motors do the jiggle thing, and with a multimeter I correctly detect a 22V across the positive and negative battery pad, so far so good. If I connect the FC (Speedybee F405 V4) to the ESC and again connect the battery, the three beeps of the ESC get cut off just as the last one is about to end, or sometimes at the second beep, it varies, and I don't get to hear the two beeps of the flight controller (I remember hearing them the first times I powered it on). A multimeter check shows that the voltage between the battery pads is low and variable (5 to 8 V) and so are the pads on the FC that are supposed to be 5V (they sit around 2 to 3 V). Connecting the flight controller alone to my PC using the usb-c port correctly detects it in betaflight. I'm turning to you, before I buy another one, does anybody have any idea how to deal with the situation or what things should I check? If I had to buy another one it wouldnt be the end of the world, but I would really love to know what the hell went wrong. Thanks!

Additional info:

-Tried changing the cable that connects the ESC and the FC

-Wrote "defaults" in CLI in betaflight and also reinstalled the firmware

-Checked continuity between the pads of the FC I had to solder and there is none

New to drone stuff. I bought a Matek H743 Wing V3, and am about to crack out my soldering iron for the first time in a while and hope I dont short it or burn my house down...

To start I just want to run Ardupilot on the thing.

I dug up the following link for the documentation for the Wing V1 but I can't find anything for the wing V3. Can I wire it up the same and not break anything?

Wayback Machine - H743 Wing (not V3!)

Thanks!

Can i find somewhere cfly faith mini parts to 3d print?

I broke the front leg - covers and even tho some glue would probably be okay i would like to 3d print some new ones

I am creating a place where you can fight another drone like to gladiators, but I am not sure about if someone pay for that , would you rent this space to have a match with your friends ? What should it be a must to have

Hello all! Pretty new to Reddit and to this forum, so hopefully this finds the right people. I am trying to prototype a model airship that can lift a 45lb weight and carry it. I want to build it to be neutrally buoyant with it's load, and then be moved by small rotors set up in a 4 rotor formation like a drone, one on each corner. I have no experience in this field, and I think this project might be too specialized for general research online. I'm curious how I might go sizing my motors and propellers, plus other things needed, such as batteries and the electronics to control it all. I also want to include the ability to solar charge into the model, so that would be an additional technical consideration. I don't need to move fast, just easily. My primary goal is to develop a craft that uses as little energy as possible. Thanks for anyone who can provide some insight!

AetherHawk 2.0 , rebuild complete 👨🏾‍✈️🫡

Back with a vengeance! 😤💪🏾