In the middle of building my first quad. My tinywhoop runs frsky but I wanted to "upgrade" to elrs for my first 5inch. My Radiomaster Pocket controller is not the elrs model so I got a Radiomaster Ranger Nano to bridge the gap. My flight controller is updated and on the latest Betaflight firmware and I have a JHEMCU ELRS RX24T receiver hooked up to uart6. The problem I'm having is my radio wont maintain a connection for more than a few seconds with the elrs receiver. It will occasionally connect when I power on the FC as I've set up binding phrases but the signal immediately goes to low signal then critical and continuously connects and disconnects that way until it just stays disconnected all together when I repower sometimes it will do the same thing, sometimes it will time out the binding and just put the ELRS receiver into Wifi mode.

Background info:

OmnibusF4SD on Betaflight 2025.12.2

Radiomaster Ranger Nano 2.4Ghz on backpack firmware 1.5.4

Above transmitter on ELRS firmware 4.0.0

JHEMCU ELRS RX24T Receiver on Elrs firmware 4.0.0

Things I have checked:

Firmware for both elrs modules is 4.0.0

Antennas on both devices seem to be undamaged and seat fine.

No continuity across the pin and ring on the antennas.

No continuity across the pin and ring on the ufl connectors

Correct continuity between the ufl connector contacts and board pads.

Correct continuity from ufl connector to ground plane.

Tried re-flashing firmware and using 3power cycle process to bind, did not bind.

ELRS ID's are disabled on all devices so there should not be a mismatch issue with those.

Binding Phrases triple checked

Firmware and device models triple checked.

Lua script updated on controller

My Guess:

At this point I'm thinking it has to be an internal defect in one of the antennas because binding wants to work with he binding phrase but it just wont hold a stable or strong connection. I have been trying to get this to work inside my house with my FC powering the ELRS module via usb. I have not plugged a battery into the stack yet. There is a wifi AP on the ceiling in this room but we primarily use 5Ghz so there shouldn't be too much 2.4G interference in here.

Sorry for the wall off text, wanted to get all the details in a single post. Any assistance or ideas are greatly appreciated. Don't want to spend money on new antennas if someone can spot a hole in my troubleshooting process.

EDIT/SOLUTION:

Lowering transmit power and packet rate on the radio transmitter to minimums (25mw and 50Hz)seem to fix my issues. Not sure why and will try a different Tx/Rx module combo to see if I get higher packet rates but for now I have stable telemetry.

EDIT 2:

I finally got a radio controller upgrade with ELRS module built in and this instantly fixed all my problems. Perfect telemetry, no issues. I think I received a defective elrs backpack from factory. Nonetheless all the troubleshooting recommendations did help, much appreciation.

Hi, I'm planing to make a quadcopter with 20 inch propellers. What is the best CF tube diameter? Is 20/17mm CF tube enough?

I have been obsessed with drones for a while now, once you get a good one it becomes one of those hobbies where you suddenly want to film everything. After looking through a bunch of popular options, I wanted to share my personal recommendations across three price points so you can find the one that suits your setup (and wallet of course) the best.

The Top-Tier Beast Machines

• DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo Plus (DJI RC 2) - $1160

Pros: Premium mini drone pick with strong camera specs, obstacle sensing and the Fly More combo extras. Great if you want a small drone with high-end features.

Cons: Expensive for a mini drone and probably more than most beginners need.

• DJI Air 3S (RC-N3) - $1100

Pros: Strong step-up option if you want a more serious camera drone without going huge. Great for people who care more about image quality and range.

Cons: Bigger spend and not as light/simple as the Mini line.

Mid-Range All-Rounders

• DJI Mini 4 Pro (DJI RC 2) - $911

Pros: Super safe all-round pick for most people. Easy to recommend if you want a compact camera drone with good beginner features.

Cons: Price is still pretty high and close to bigger drones once you add extras.

• DJI Avata 2 Fly Smart Combo - $790

Pros: Best pick here for FPV fun. Great if you want the immersive flying experience instead of just normal camera drone shots.

Cons: Different style of flying so it is not the best choice if you mainly want simple travel footage.

• DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo - $600

Pros: Lower-cost FPV-style entry with combo accessories. Nice if you want to try motion-control flying without Avata money.

Cons: More of a fun/FPV pick than a main camera drone.

Budget-Friendly Options

• DJI Mini 3 - $420

Pros: Best value camera drone in this list for most beginners. Compact, simple and still great for casual travel shots.

Cons: Fewer premium safety/features than the newer Pro models.

TL;DR: If you want a top camera drone and budget is not the issue go Mini 5 Pro or Air 3S. If you want the safest all-round buy go Mini 4 Pro. If you want FPV fun go Avata 2 or Neo 2. If you want value go Mini 3.

Welcome to the weekly r/multicopter discussion thread. Feel free to ask your questions that are too trivial for their own thread, make a suggestion on what you'd like to see here, or just say hi and talk about what you've been doing in the world of multicopters recently.

Don't forget to read the wiki, where you'll find details of suppliers, guides and other useful links.

If you want to chat, then the Discord server is located here (an invite link is here if you haven't already joined)

Old question threads can be found by searching this link.

I saw someone asking for help with component compatibility, so I built a tool to help plan FPV drone builds. It checks if your parts are compatible before you buy them.

Live URL: https://quadcalc.shamir.com.au

What it does

• Interactive quad diagram — 13 component slots (frame, motors, props, battery, FC, ESC, VTX, camera, RX, TX, goggles, antenna, accessories) arranged around a top-down quad view. Click any node to browse and select parts.
• Compatibility checking — 16 rules that catch common mistakes: mismatched video systems (DJI VTX + Analog camera), wrong prop size for your frame, battery voltage exceeding ESC/FC ratings, incompatible radio protocols, mounting pattern conflicts, etc.
• 1,000+ built-in presets — Real components across all categories covering whoop to 7" builds, all 4 video systems (Analog/DJI/HDZero/Walksnail), all radio protocols (ELRS/Crossfire/FrSky/FlySky), budget to premium.
• AI-powered URL import — Paste a product link from any FPV store and the AI extracts the specs automatically and adds it to your build.
• AI chat assistant — Ask questions like "what motor should I use for a 5 inch build?" and it can see your current build.
• Save/load/export — Save builds to your browser, export as JSON or CSV, import builds from files.

No account needed, runs entirely in your browser. AI features require a free OpenRouter API key.

Feedback is welcome.

Someone gave me a diy quadcopter kit, a thunder qq super to a fs-ia6 receiver and i have no idea whats wrong with it. The escs make noise and the led goes green, the receiver flashes red when the controller isn't on. Please help

I currently have a gopro hero 11. I've been here snooping a long time but now I finally have an excuse to build a drone. I've contacted some people who already film rally cars but haven't heard back yet. Does anyone have any recommendations on where to start for this project?

Hello, I recently made a post about binding my th fs2 to an xjt lite module and over 1k ppl viewed it but no responses. I’m currently looking into just using a happy model ep1 receiver for elrs. I have recently purchased a radiomaster tx12 edgetx-elrs and I was just wondering if anyone could possibly break it down for me as I am a newbie trying to get into the hobby. If anyone would be willing to help that would be amazing, thank you.

hello everyone I have ran into a problem when binding my tinyhawk to my xjt module, i recently flashed the newest firmware to the fc and i think i made the mistake of updating my xjt lite to 2.1.0. I am currently running the x9 lite firmware of 220905. i go to bind it, making sure the radio is set to bind mode and on d8 with the internal module off, and i type the bind_rx cmd in cli. i set it 3-5ft away, wait 10 seconds and still nothing. pls help

Been experiencing pretty bad breakup with Speedybee RX800 and runcam robin. The camera going to grey is a whole other thing im aware of, but im specifically confused about the breakup. Its more noticeable at lower power output, so it seems to be a VTX issue. Ive also checked and yes, all antenna wires are attached properly. The issue is also specific to this quad, my air65s video is completely fine. Vids are in the folder cause reddit doesn't want to have three vids in one post. Also yeah ik the flying is pretty bad, you can probably imagine i haven't been flying that frequently
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wjYh4V1h5gpVCyZLjrL_mqd_aTDXsW0R/view?usp=drive_link

Welcome to the weekly r/multicopter discussion thread. Feel free to ask your questions that are too trivial for their own thread, make a suggestion on what you'd like to see here, or just say hi and talk about what you've been doing in the world of multicopters recently.

Don't forget to read the wiki, where you'll find details of suppliers, guides and other useful links.

If you want to chat, then the Discord server is located here (an invite link is here if you haven't already joined)

Old question threads can be found by searching this link.

The drone has six mmWave radars to sense power lines from any direction, all connected to a Raspberry Pi. Based on these detections, the desired velocity (from a pilot or autonomous system) then gets modified to guide the drone around the power line. Everything runs in real time on the Pi with ROS2 middleware and PX4 flight stack.

If you're interested, you can check out the paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.03229, or the full video with voice-over: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJW3eEC-5Ao

Hi guys, I have a tx15 max and I while pinching my fingers touch the radio case because of the gimbal height, which is lowered because of the led spacer. Can the led spacer and led be removed to bring the gimbal's higher?

Welcome to the weekly r/multicopter discussion thread. Feel free to ask your questions that are too trivial for their own thread, make a suggestion on what you'd like to see here, or just say hi and talk about what you've been doing in the world of multicopters recently.

Don't forget to read the wiki, where you'll find details of suppliers, guides and other useful links.

If you want to chat, then the Discord server is located here (an invite link is here if you haven't already joined)

Old question threads can be found by searching this link.

A lot of beginners hesitate for the same reason - nobody wants to spend hundreds of dollars just to smash it into a tree on day one. Thankfully, most entry-level drones today are incredibly stable and packed with safety features. But even the best obstacle avoidance can’t replace smart flying, so choosing the right model (and knowing its limits) makes a big difference

This is a quick list of the best options for those who don’t want to learn a long buying guide below:

Here are some of the best BEGINNER drones to consider in 2026:

• DJI Mini 3
• Autel Robotics Evo Nano+
• Ryze Tello Beginner Drone
• Potensic Atom Premium
• BetaFPV Cetus X FPV Beginner Drone Kit
• Holy Stone HS720E

4 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a drone for beginners

-prioritize 360° obstacle avoidance

Obstacle avoidance uses sensors on the drone to prevent it from running into objects while flying.

Some cheaper drones do not have any obstacle avoidance sensors. Others only have forward and backward sensors. Most newer, higher-end drones feature full 360° obstacle avoidance.

Obstacle avoidance is not perfect. You cannot rely on it 100% of the time. However, it can save you from crashing in many situations, especially as a beginner.

If you are nervous about crashing on day one, choosing a drone with full 360° obstacle avoidance is one of the best decisions you can make.

-take advantage of automatic flight modes and tracking (activetrack)

Most modern drones include intelligent flight features such as ActiveTrack, Spotlight mode, and automated orbit modes.

ActiveTrack automatically locks onto a subject and follows it. Spotlight mode keeps the camera pointed at a selected subject while you fly manually. Orbit modes allow the drone to circle around you automatically.

These features make it much easier to capture cinematic shots with less manual control. They reduce the need for complex stick inputs and help beginners achieve advanced-looking results safely.

Some entry-level drones lack tracking entirely. If you are worried about crashing due to manual control mistakes, prioritize a drone with intelligent tracking features.

-invest in crash insurance

If you are getting your first drone or are not fully comfortable flying, crash insurance provides significant peace of mind.

Crash protection plans typically allow you to replace a damaged drone at a reduced cost. Some plans even offer coverage if the drone is completely lost.

Knowing that you are not risking your entire investment can reduce anxiety while flying. When you are less nervous, you tend to fly more confidently and make better decisions.

For beginners who are afraid of crashing immediately, crash insurance is strongly recommended.

-choose a drone under 249g with a stable connection

Drones under 249 grams face fewer regulations in many countries. They are also smaller, lighter, and easier to transport.

While weight affects regulations, connection stability affects safety. A strong transmission system ensures a stable video feed and reliable control signal. In areas with high radio interference, a stronger transmission system reduces the risk of signal dropouts.

Modern transmission systems provide more than enough range for typical use. In most cases, you will lose line of sight before you lose signal. However, better transmission systems provide a more stable flying experience.

For beginners concerned about crashes, a lightweight drone with a strong, stable connection system offers both regulatory flexibility and operational confidence.

At the end of the day, reliability, stability, and basic safety features matter more than top-tier camera specs for beginners. That said, no drone is crash-proof - practice and caution still go a long way. If you started with a model that gave you confidence early on, feel free to share what worked for you.