Now that Solo is so cheap, non seasoned flyers best to get trainer drone

[SPP]

Hi Gang,

I just got this : locally
Amazon.com: UDI U818A WiFi FPV RC Quadcopter Drone with HD Camera RTF - VR Headset Compatible - Headless Mode, Low Voltage Alarm, Gravity Induction - Includes BONUS BATTERY + Power Bank (Quadruples Flying Time) - FAA Registration NOT Required: Toys & Games

I should have bought this along time ago. Good thing Solo Keith post on 2nd FOV camera on his Solo triggered me to look into re-visiting side ways flying training and I need a low cost robust quad, cant be too small in size and has no GPS and must be low cost.

This one is fun and I am sure beginners like me will benefit VERY much using this for training.
Its so light at 160 grams, its propellers inertia and material is not dangerous, I actually tried it on my finger LOL.

Happy & safe training for those who just started quad flying and bought Solo..

Cheers...

 

[SPP]

I forgot to add, the video spec is a cheat. It is 20 FPS and not 25 or 30 FPS, but it is 720 x 1280.
Remove the camera, it is 11 grams, learn basic skill first visually...safe battery life if without video transmission.

 

[Greg Amy]

Every time I think I'm hot s**t with the 3DR, I go back and fly my palm-sized $20 XS12 through basic and radical maneuvers in the house. Doesn't take long to soon realize how grateful I am for GPS and baro stabilization.

 

[SPP]

Doesn't take long to soon realize how grateful I am for GPS and baro stabilization.

This is what exactly I wanted to avoid, hardware assisted skill

 

[Dave K]

I'm a solo noob... but started with quads when I won a $30 Estes ProtoX. I've flown that thing through a battery replacement (all indoors). Then last year I got the bigger Estes ProtoX FPV and flew around outside. Second flight went into a tree at about 30' and ripped a motor off on its way to the ground... whopping $32 to repair but lesson learned. I just took the solo for its maiden voyage, 10 minutes... up maneuver around getting a feel for things... then done, stayed 50' away from any damned trees. Compared to those little quads the solo handles like a dream, but I only ever had 8 satellites... makes me nervous so I think I'm going to sit on things until I get the gps update done.

This site has been a great source of information... especially appreciated the button a/b manual fly tip for gps loss recovery.

 

[SPP]

Dave,
I actually bought two training drones. One that UDI 818A and 1 more a cigarette pack size Hubsan 107D X4.
http://bestdroneswithcameras.com/images/h107d-plus/H107D+.jpg

The UDI 818A is very stable as in barometer stable and decently would stay in a fix position with least control input, and its quite big at 15" diagonal, so its as big as I can get for training for video works on Solo.
I removed the camera on purpose.

The Hubsan micro sized 107D+ X4 is very "wild", it has barometer but poor altitude maintaining and will float all over the place left-right-forward-backward. It is designed as a racing drone trainer I think, not a good one for simulating a Solo but would be good for training hands eye coordination if ever I choose to fly Solo in sport mode for fun.

I actually wanted to use my Phantom 2 as trainer drone, I have one un-touched for like 4 years , but its battery went FAT, swollen and locally it is US$135 each to buy and its has the capacity to harm people...LOL. So me decided UDI 818A is the safest one I can get for now size wise to come as close to a Solo.

So when I can't fly my Solo, now I fly this 818A in my room and garage poor me.
.

 

[Gasump]

Hubsan X4 - as you say, great for practising hand/eye coordination, and I need all the practice I can get!!

 

[Dave K]

For me it's the coordinate rotations that kill me... I still suck flying fpv without all the tech tools the solo has. The challenge is managing altitude, pitch and roll on a fully manual machine at arbitrary headings relative to the pilot... I'm fine when pointed directly away from myself. That was my first big crash on my inexpensive fpv drone - rotated to fly back and steered right into a tree trying to go the other way the first time a gust of wind pushed the quad a bit.

 

[SPP]

For me it's the coordinate rotations that kill me.

same here. There is a headless mode ( course lock if on Phantom 1 or 2 ) on these two training drones but I do not want to cheat myself.

When I fly my Solo in the open field and say 30+ meters (99 feet ) away from me, yes I use the camera as FPV, but I am still not good with distance/size estimation and unable to gauge will-I-hit-that-tree-branch perspective if I totally do FPV and say fly into trees opening only 1.5 meters (4.9 feet ) apart if at 2-3 meters per second speed, even with GPS assist.

In least wind, I can land and take off again 500+ meters away elsewhere using totally FPV, on a 3 meter wide pier to pier , but with GPS assist. Landing in least wind is easy even with FPV.

Since I have Phantom 4 with less wide angle lens than my GoPro on Solo, and soon I can fly 4.4mm lens on my GoPro on Solo, I need to learn/practice distance vs size vs various lenses used....perspective...LOL.

I still cant do smoothly a figure 8 in airspace of 10 meters ( 33 feet ) long by 5 meters wide by line of sight with front of quad as direction/bearing and GPS-less....LOL.

Due to habit of training in the past without FPV, when my drone is close enough to me say 20 meters, my eyes sometime get confused , to look at display or line of sight ? Ha ha ha.

What I am trying to practice now GPS-less is, how much drift caused by change of direction.
If GPS is ON, its too easy to stay put after direction change , we get electronic braking so to speak.
Turn that GPS off and that I find fun to practice to counter the drift after direction change.
I am having a blast now training to go between rooms to rooms thru the door with UDI 818A.
Solo due to propellers will be 10" ( 25 cm ) wider than UDI 818A overall.

So it is a good size to train with.
I cant risk flying my Solo at home in my room, its too powerful..the props and too expensive.
I find this UDI handling characteristic is very close to Solo GPS-less, based on zero wind.

Anyway since flying hours is needed to polish our skill, real flight training is the only way to improve my skill and I am very happy I got these two training drones. I should have thought of this earlier
.

 

[Dave K]

Anyway since flying hours is needed to polish our skill, real flight training is the only way to improve my skill and I am very happy I got these two training drones. I should have thought of this earlier
.

Yea this absolutely the case... and (IMO) in order to learn how to react in hard situations you need to actually EXPERIENCE those situations. To do that means taking risks and occasionally crashing. Not something I want to do on an expensive to repair machine.

As an added perk... the little quadcoptors are a lot of fun to fly.

 

[id10t]

I have been flying Zero Gravity Talon for several months to learn with. They were on sale for 50.00 at itechdeals.com. Better to crash a 50.00 drone than an expensive drone.