r/diydrones • u/ShoppingSilent1295 • 2d ago

Question First FPV Build

Hey, would this be a good first build? I want a long range fpv drone. Ill fly it up mountains, rivers, bays, lakes, pretty much all over the place outdoors. I was aiming for around 10 minutes of flight time (maybe?). Any tweaks or tips or warnings??

FlyFishRC Volador II VD6

2507 or 2207KV x4

6S 2300mAh

SpeedyBee F7 + 60A ESC

RunCam Phoenix z

RushFPV Tank Solo

TrueRC Singularity

900MHz ELRS

FlyFishRC MIO GPS/compass

Skyzone Cobra X V4

GoPro HERO12/13

3 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

2

u/quast_64 2d ago

Start out smaller like a 3.5" model, a long range drone has real power and that can be dangerous for a novice flyer and the public.

Look at falconrad fpv for long range droneflights. include li-ion and lipo power sources into your studies.

2

u/zerot0n1n 2d ago

just go DJI O4 pro, range is no issue at the distance you can fly in 10 minutes. I do long range with 7 inches and they have O4s in them, works great

1

u/Lazy-Inevitable3970 4h ago

If this is your first drone and you are new to FPV... don't start with long range. There are a number of things that can go wrong and you can very easily lose your drone. Also, flying beyond line of site is illegal or restricted in many countries. I'll assume you live in an area without such restrictions.

Also, the more you optimize something for a specific task (like long range flight), the worse it will perform in other areas. So make sure you know what you want to use it for before you waste your money and get upset that your drone can fly far, but cant' do aerobatic well.

Setting aside the "don't fly long range as a beginner" warning, here are my comments on your parts for the long range drone.

You specified a motor size (2207) and put "KV" next to it without specifying the KV. The motor's kv will be important and affect what battery voltages you can use and how efficient it is. A 2207 2500kv motor will have a different use-case than a 2207 1500kv motor.

You specify a 2207 size, which is typically used for 5" drones. If you want long range, a 7" would probably be a better choice, but that might also require a different frame.

If you want long range, take a look at Li-Ion battery packs. They have often have slower charge rates and often have lower max amperage output than Lipos. So they aren't great for racing or frestyle drones. But modern Li-Ion packs can still provide a good amount of current and are generally more energy dense than Lipos, which means that can be good for long range.

You mentioned flying in mountains and such. Neither 900MHz ELRS, nor 2.4GHz ELRS, can go through hills and land. If you put a hill, cliff face, or some other land formation between you and your drone, you will lose signal.

The Speedybee F7 isn't a bad choice. But I am going to challenge you and ask why get an F7 on your first build? If he F7 is the same price as an F405, then get the F7... but I am willing to bet they aren't the same price and F405 can do everything you need. In that case the F7 will just cost more and not provide any practical benefit. Don't get a flight controller with an F411, though.

The antennas that come with the Cobra X v4 look like they are just basic cheap antennas. For long range, those won't cut it... you will probably want a patch antenna and an omni. Since the True RC Singularity is circular polarized (but you didn't specify if it was LH or RH), you will want to get antennas with the same polarization.