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Old 04-17-2015, 09:58 AM   #41
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Has anyone tried this?:

Rainy/windy day here so I figured that I was grounded and couldn't play.

Instead, I tied a four foot piece of string to my quad and anchored it to my garage floor with a small weight.

Gave me 8 full minutes of hover/forward/banking practice on a day that otherwise wouldn't have any. Flew around without crashing into anything and sure beat having to run all over the park (and maybe climbing a tree) chasing it down.

Worked so well that I might get a 50 foot leash to allow me to fly in tighter quarters until my competence level improves.
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Old 04-17-2015, 10:06 AM   #42
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Not a bad idea. I am proficient enough now that I can control the altitude enough to not crash even in a 10x12 room with 8 foot ceilings but I have now flown quite a few flights. We have a large room in the house (30 x 50 x 25 feet high) where I practiced.
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Old 04-17-2015, 10:56 AM   #43
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Has anyone tried this?:

Rainy/windy day here so I figured that I was grounded and couldn't play.

Instead, I tied a four foot piece of string to my quad and anchored it to my garage floor with a small weight. ....
The thought occurred to me, but I was afraid the string would catch the propellers and cause problems.

I flew my tiny CX-10 outside the past few days, it was a little gusty one day, and I was amazed how well it did. I figured anything beyond dead calm would trip it up. It did flip once when a gust hit, but I (it?) actually recovered.

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Old 04-17-2015, 11:59 AM   #44
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The thought occurred to me, but I was afraid the string would catch the propellers and cause problems.

I flew my tiny CX-10 outside the past few days, it was a little gusty one day, and I was amazed how well it did. I figured anything beyond dead calm would trip it up. It did flip once when a gust hit, but I (it?) actually recovered.

-ERD50
I didn't even come close to winding the string around the props. Mostly because the string is at the bottom and the quad kept wanting to fly up in the opposite direction. I also had the prop guards on as well.

It did keep tugging at the string as it tried to 'escape' and it would sort of heel over as the gyro action would take over depending on the demand I was placing on it.

Maybe a longer string would've been trouble? Dunno, but this was only 4-5 feet in length.
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Old 04-17-2015, 01:09 PM   #45
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I like that string idea. I could use some practice, and practice isn't practical most spring days around here.
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Old 04-17-2015, 01:29 PM   #46
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I like that string idea. I could use some practice, and practice isn't practical most spring days around here.
I think that a few feet is good for indoors, like in a garage so that you don't hit your props on the ceiling. Outdoors maybe 50 feet might work??

I just got in from an outside run. Decided to stop trying to take video in exchange for a bit more airtime.

Also, it was windy so rather than getting fancy, I just tried going back and forth along a single yaw (not trying to turn around) into the wind. For now, every time I turn around (and left/right becomes reversed) I get all confused.
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Old 04-17-2015, 06:48 PM   #47
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The X5c is a little big to fly indoors, therefore I have an X11 and a Cheerson CX10 for indoors. I like the fact that I can fly the X11 with the X5C's controller. The CX10 is a challenge indoors and out! I fly all three with prop guards on, and have not problems with running into things. In fact I find it rather easy!. Still on the first set of blades for all three.
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Old 04-18-2015, 06:08 AM   #48
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The X5c is a little big to fly indoors, therefore I have an X11 and a Cheerson CX10 for indoors. I like the fact that I can fly the X11 with the X5C's controller. T.
So using the X5C's controller indoors with an X11 might make for a good indoor practice tool to get used to the controller. (?)
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Old 04-18-2015, 07:27 AM   #49
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I've got a go pro Hero 3 and wondered if any of the drones mentioned allows you to mount a camera on it.
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Old 04-18-2015, 08:04 AM   #50
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I shot this with a GoPro Hero3 on a DJU Phantom 2. I don't know if the smaller quadcopter have mounts for a GoPro or not.

[
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Old 04-20-2015, 02:35 PM   #51
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syma x5c and x11c come with cameras. There is a video of a guy that took a key-chain camera and using rubber bands from asparagus monunted it to a x5c. Advantage, it uses it's own battery giving longer flight time. I don't think any of the cheap, under $100 are big enough to carry a very big camera. Maybe something like Polaroid's new cube.
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Old 04-20-2015, 04:49 PM   #52
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A video I just made last Saturday. Beautiful Oregon weather :-)

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Old 04-20-2015, 06:57 PM   #53
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just NOW I learn about "headless" quads!

coulda-shoulda
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Old 05-06-2015, 11:21 AM   #54
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Here is the first video that actually is good enough (but not great) for viewing. Spent the first four days climbing trees and onto roofs, but finally got some control.

Not bad for a $50 toy. It was my first flight (more or less) over water.

If I lost control, I'd have lost the copter!

Here: https://youtu.be/ChMNwfoPwzo

A rank amateur compared to some of you guys, but ... good for me.
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Old 05-06-2015, 11:41 AM   #55
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Here is the first video that actually is good enough (but not great) for viewing. Spent the first four days climbing trees and onto roofs, but finally got some control.

Not bad for a $50 toy. It was my first flight (more or less) over water.

If I lost control, I'd have lost the copter!

Here: https://youtu.be/ChMNwfoPwzo

A rank amateur compared to some of you guys, but ... good for me.
Very cool, thanks for posting!

FYI - you might want to make sure that music is an open source, creative commons or something (I think you need to list credits), or your own creation, or youtube might take down your video for copyright infringement. Forum member imolderanyu (sp?) had this happen to one of his videos with background music.

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Old 05-06-2015, 11:50 AM   #56
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Very cool, thanks for posting!

FYI - you might want to make sure that music is an open source, creative commons or something (I think you need to list credits), or your own creation, or youtube might take down your video for copyright infringement. Forum member imolderanyu (sp?) had this happen to one of his videos with background music.

-ERD50
I got the music from YouTube. When you publish the video there's a list of available songs that you can choose from as part of the editing process. The implication is that they approve of use.
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Old 05-06-2015, 12:02 PM   #57
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I got the music from YouTube. When you publish the video there's a list of available songs that you can choose from as part of the editing process. The implication is that they approve of use.
Ahhh! I did not know that.

Seems odd they don't automatically throw a credit in the 'about' just to make that clear. And I was thinking that most of the open licenses still required a credit?

Back to coptors!

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Old 05-06-2015, 12:43 PM   #58
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It's been too windy and rainy here on the southern Plains for much quadcoptering.

Luckily, I have video and music software, so I can edit out the crashes, and edit in some background music. Pretty easy to create a droning track, no pun intended, using virtual synths and strings, and no copyright worries.
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Old 05-14-2015, 02:48 PM   #59
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Well, today I lost my Syma copter!

I was having a lot of fun in a pretty wide open area and all of a sudden the controller seemed to stop working.

Usually when I see I'm getting into trouble (near trees) I'll just cut the power and let it drop near to the ground. This time, I cut the throttle and nothing happened...it just kept running out toward the trees and is now sitting 50 feet above ground in a nice maple tree. Of late, it did seem to not respond as well as when new.

I do have my phone number on it, so....hoping a wind will knock it down at some point.

Meanwhile, I'm looking at the JJRC 12C; Amazon for about $50 but this one is headless and has auto return which reviews say doesn't work, but I'll be happy with headless.

Anyone familiar with the JJRC 12C?

DW was less than sympathetic.
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Old 05-14-2015, 03:02 PM   #60
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Well, today I lost my Syma copter! ...
I'm so sorry for your loss. Don't hesitate to seek help if you need it, during these troubling times - there is no shame in it.

Hah, it's one of the reasons I've stuck to my little $17 CX-10s. One of them also started acting kinda funny, but if I lose it I lose it. I already got my $17 of fun out of it. No camera of course, but it's fun. Even $50 isn't a bad loss for a hobby, lots of people spend that for something that lasts less time than your coptor.

I started modding one, building a new frame for it and using some bigger props. Haven't finished it yet, but if that fails, I'll probably buy a couple more, just to have spares. Just too much fun for such little $$.

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