Section 7 – More Tips for Beginners
Some of these tips are mentioned in the text, but here they are in one place so you can print them out and paste them above your hobby bench or desk!
1.Charge your batteries correctly – Do not overcharge or over-drain your batteries and they will last much longer. Buy and use a better battery charger if the included one is not sufficient (you may need a better one as you advance in the hobby anyway).
2.Plug in your quadcopter while it is on level ground and leave it level for about 10-12 seconds. Many quads use their initial position to determine what level is.
3. Make certain that your Transmitter throttle (usually the left stick) is in the down position when plugging in your drone. Do not transport or handle your quadcopter with the transmitter still in your hands as you will likely hit the throttle and perhaps cut your fingers, etc. It is best to turn the TX off or disconnect the battery if moving the quad from place to place.
4.Don’t be tempted initially to “see what your quad can do”. Doing so will almost surely cause loss or crashing of your quad. Wait until you have some hours on the stick before venturing too high or far. Do not fly toy models outdoors if there is noticeable wind.
5.When a crash is inevitable – OR, when landing, immediately turn the throttle down to zero. Most mini and micro quads can take a crash very well – but if the throttle is not turned down fully when you crash, you’ll do more damage to the propellers and motors.
Putting in your Hours
Assuming you have decided to move ahead with your drone education, the most important continuing effort is to get stick time. This could be on a good simulator program or around your backyard or a local park. Once you get past the initial learning curve, you will find the experience to be fun and a great stress reliever. You will be concentrating on flying and likely not thinking of anything else!
So…how long will this take? It depends on your aptitude as well as a number of other factors such as your age and your familiarity with hand-held controllers. Video gamers are likely to find themselves taking to the controls easier than those who have never messed around with joysticks. After 5-10 hours (40-80 flights) it should be safe to call yourself a student pilot.
Moving Forward
Once you master the basics you will probably get more of an idea of exactly where you want to go with this pursuit. Are you interested in taking pictures and videos? On flying fast, doing flips and racing? Are you drawn to the technical end where the idea of building and modifying drones may appeal to you? This is a good time to start doing more research regarding the different brands and models and their specific uses. Many budding pilots will be happier if they stick with the Micro and Mini Quadcopters as opposed to working too quickly toward the larger and heavier models. The smaller units will keep the cost of ownership and repair low and allow for more freedom in flying (smaller quads make your yard or park seem bigger). In fact, unless you need the payload capabilities of a large drone, you may never want to move too far upward in size.
Size Ranges, Models and Costs
Mini and micro quadcopters usually sell for prices from $20 to $80. These drones generally weigh in at about 3 ounces (80 grams) and use the cheaper brushed motors which have a short life span. Moving up from there are small units with “brushless” motors. These units sell for $100-$200 and will last much longer than the cheaper models. They often lack the more advanced features such as GPS and stabilized video. Racing (FPV) machines are often in this size range – although they can cost more due to specially tuned parts.
Mid-sized Consumer Camera drones, such as the popular DJI Phantom series, weigh in from 1 to 2 1/2 pounds with battery, meaning they are 5 to 10 times the weight of the Minis.
In the realm of larger quadcopters, models such as the DJI Phantom series and the Autel X-Star or Yuneec Q500 are in the more compact range – large enough to fly decent cameras and easier to see at a distance, without being overly large or complicated. In terms of price, you can spend from $350-$1200+ on the more advanced machines from well known makers. The more expensive models feature built-in cameras and other upgrades. We have published additional books detailing the DJI Phantom Quadcopters – now published free on our web site at Droneflyers.com.
The cost of upkeep and repair of a quad tends to relate closely to the original price – as a percentage. As an example, a $50 quad which crashes may need a new propeller and boom ($6) and perhaps a new motor ($7), which equals about 25% of the initial purchase price. A larger quadcopter may end up needing $50-$100 worth of parts for the same crash – or for a much lesser crash because larger and heavier quads are damaged more from a crash. Crashes of camera/gimbal equipped quadcopters can easily cost $200-$700 as those parts are quite fragile.
With this in mind, it’s important to consider your overall budget before venturing into the world of larger drones.
Bigger is not always Better
Quadcopters use a large percentage of their power to lift their own batteries and motors. Both objects are quite heavy and current technology makes it difficult to cut weight from these components. Accordingly, when you go up in size, the cost and weight go up much more quickly than the payload capacity. This could change in the future (5-10 years+) as more efficient battery technology hits the market.
