Review or Mini-Review Estes Proto X Quadcopter - First Look and Review

Since this is a tiny quadcopter, we'll go with a micro-review and let others add to this thread.


Appeal to users:
Advanced Beginners UP who have interest in miniaturization, indoor flying and/or hacking and upgrading it.
Type of Quad: Consumer / Hobbyist
Cost: < $45 with built-in battery, spare props, charger and Receiver.
Crashworthiness - Good
Range - as far as you can possibly see it....this quadcopter should be flown within 20-30 feet of you or you will certainly lose it.

Estes, as many know, are well known for their model rockets. I built and flew them in the 1960's and many other hobbyists got their start with model rocketry. My guess is that they looked at the budding R/C quadcopter market and decided to jump in - but with something a little different.

Their new offering, the Estes Proto X Quadcopter, is really tiny...a good bit smaller and lighter than the current crop of micro-copters. But how small is too small? And is small good? Why?

OK, so here is the quad both in the box and then out - with some items for size comparison - click on the pics for larger images.


I purchased mine from Amazon at this link.

The quadcopter sells for about $40 and includes everything shown here. All you need to add are the two AAA batteries for the TX - you'll need a small phillips screwdriver to open the TX and put them in.

The LiPo battery is built in - that means you can only fly once in-between each charge. Yes, hackers have already started modifying this copter and using replaceable batteries, but since we are a site for beginners, our review will focus on the stock experience.

The weight of my quad - with battery - is 11.2 grams.

Charging time varies - reports have been coming in that charging can take from 15 minutes (or less) to as much as 30 minutes. Mine seems to take toward the longer end - maybe 25 minutes. Flying time is about 3.5 minutes, which is quite a bit shorter than other micro or mini quadcopters.

I've charged the battery at least 6 times and checked the voltage of the charged battery and the USB charger. Both are correct at 4.2v. I timed my flights and have not yet got more than 3 minutes before the warning (low battery) lights come on - and about 3.5 minutes total. These flights have been simply hovering and a bit of back and forth in a 10 foot square area, so not taxing on the batteries.

On my first couple of flights, it took the entire run of the battery to get the quadcopter trimmed correctly. The TX only has 2 (as opposed to the usual 4) trim adjustments, so it takes some guessing as to how to trim it correctly.

Given these limitations, you may start to wonder what need this quad serves? I am asking myself the same questions but also trying to be fair to the designers and the manufacturer. So far I have only a couple flights under my belt, but my initial impressions are these.

This is not a quadcopter for beginners - that is, it should not be your first quadcopter. The reasons will be spelled out later in this review, but in summary I think most newbies will get frustrated with the short flight times, the difficulty in trimming and other factors.

Given the difficulty of trim as well as the lack of crash protection, the small size does not add any value to this craft. That is, it is not possible to easily fly this in smaller areas than the next size up in quadcopters (Hubsan Quads X4, etc.)...more later.

Estes (l) and Hubsan Quads X4


Small Problems with my unit

My USB charger stopped working after the first charge. A closer inspection revealed that the copper contacts inside the charger had bent back and were not contacting the charge strips on the quad. I had to perform some major surgery to make it charge again, something which would anger most customers. I suspect the design of this mating system could be improved and/or the QC stepped up in this (and other) areas.

My Proto occasionally fails to bind....although it turns on and appears to bind (lights on quad stop blinking), the TX will not operate the quad. Turning the Proto off and on again and rebinding has fixed this problem so far.

As with many of these small quads, the propellers can fall off very easily - and, with such small props, your chances of finding them are diminished. A spot of elmers or similar glue on the prop shaft (remove and re-install props) should help this.

Binds to Hubsan Quads X4 TX

The little TX is cute, but a larger TX with longer sticks feels better in my hands. Luckily, the Proto binds directly to TX's using the Hubsan Quads protocol...and since I have an X4 in the stable, I'll be using that to fly mine after the initial test flights. The Hubsan Quads also allows for more trim options (4 instead of 2), so perhaps this will allow a better state of trim.

 

Flying the Proto X

The Proto is a 6-axis quadcopter and, like the Hubsan Quads X4 and others, relies on being set on a flat surface to calibrate it before every flight. The X is turned on via a small slide switch on the bottom - the LED's will then blink, which indicates it is not bound to a TX. Set it on a level surface and turn on the TX - in a few seconds the LEDs will stop blinking and the Proto will be ready to fly.

(on-off switch shown on bottom of this underside photo)


The first order of business will be getting the trim right, and to do that you should immediately lift the quad at least a foot or two off the floor to avoid "ground effect". An open carpeted area at least 8 foot square would be my suggestion for relative newbies...until you get the hang of things! Once you have it under control, it can be flown in areas with more furniture and harder floors.

Here is a short video showing how to bind the Proto X and a bit of flight - the flashing LEDs at the end of the video signal that the batteries are getting low.

 

Summary of First Look and Review

The Estes Proto X is another amazing piece of technology - smaller in size than any production quadcopter! However, I would not suggest this model for a first or starter quadcopter. A new user is likely to become frustrated with the short flight times, possible small QC problems and the current lack of easily available spare parts.

However, the more advanced hobbyists (advanced beginners) up....who read this and other reviews and know what they are getting, may want to buy one just for the thrill of seeing so much technology packed into 11 grams!

As always, customer education is our first mission - so we want to make sure you know what you are getting...gadget freaks will just have to have one, but those who want the easiest quad to fly, repair and own should look elsewhere.

If I had to suggest major improvements to this type of design, they would be:
1. Replaceable battery (apparently it is - but Estes does not admit it or sell others)
2. Improvements on the mounting of propellers so they don't come off so easily - these are almost impossible to find.
3. Improvements in ease of trim and hover.
4. Redesign of the motors so they can be replaced without soldering - slip-in modules with contacts on them would make repair possible for hobbyists.

As it stands, this is somewhat of a "disposable" quadcopter - as are many in this price range. Given the price, that's not too bad (I spent a lot more for dinner with 3 total people tonight at a mid-level eatery). Still, I'd rather pay $10 or $20 more and have those improvements...

One question I asked early in this review was - can you really fly this in a smaller area than the Hubsan Quads X4 and other micros? My first impression was no....that it required as big of an area. But once I flew this a number of times, I could see how - especially with some trim and hover improvements, it COULD be used in a even smaller area than existing micros. I will continue to put some time in on the Proto X and compare it to the X4 in terms of what I am able to do in a small room.

 

Most any toy quad could be for beginners - if they are careful enough! My suggestion was based on the fact that parts are not easy to get (in most places), so they may be frustrated when trying to learn. Also, it's a bit hard to trim and the flight time is short...and only one battery!

But, as you say, if you know what you are getting and are the careful type, it will certainly do!