Tovsto Falcon 210: brushless predator

Introduction

Tovsto Falcon 210 is a new player in the RTF racing drone niche, the overall design of which, in our opinion, is similar to the more famous and legendary Walkera F210. Brutal appearance is not the only plus in the Falcon’s list of features. And looking ahead, we note that the potential of the drone fully corresponds to its appearance, the flight capabilities of which will be noted not only by novice pilots, but also by advanced racers*. Let’s take a closer look at this rapidly gaining popularity drone, and, as usual, we will start with the key features of the product.

*Assuming the drone is powered by 4S 1500mAh 40C.

Peculiarities

3mm carbon frame
SPRacing F3 flight controller
Brushless motors 2204 KV2500
30A ESC Oneshot125
Support 4S battery 1500mAh 40C
OSD module
40CH VTX 5.8GHz 25mW/200mW
Camera CMOS 540TVL (NTSC/PAL)
Equipment based on the AFHDS-2A protocol
Powerful LED backlight
Buzzer
Ready to fly out of the box

Equipment

Tovsto Falcon 210
6-channel 2.4GHz control equipment (powered by 4 × AA, sold separately)
Battery 3S 1500mAh 25C LiPo with XT60 connector
Charger
4 × spare rotors (2CW/2CCW)
Companion Tool
SBUS cable
PWM cable
Decorative stickers (Yellow/Red/White)
Instruction manual (in English)

Appearance

Specification

Brand:

Tovsto

Model:

Falcon 210

Flight controller:

SPracingF3

Motors:

Brushless Type 2204 KV2500 (CW/CCW)

ESC:

30A ESC Oneshot125

Video TX:

40ch 5.8GHz 25mW/200mW

Camera:

CMOS 540TVL

FOV:

120°

Drone Power:

3S 1500mAh 25C LiPo with XT60 connector

Color system:

PAL/NTSC

Camera Angle:

-10° to +45°

Control equipment:

6ch 2.4GHz

Transmitter power:

<20dBm

Working current:

80mA

Equipment power supply:

4×AA

Max. removal distance:

600m

Receiver:

6ch (supports S.BUS/PWM/PPM)

FPV Image Transmission:

at analog frequency 5.8GHz (40 channels + audio support)

Max. flight time:

10 min

Bearing screws:

5045 (5 inch, three bladed)

Buzzer:

There is

Drone dimensions:

187×183×93mm

Frame:

210mm

Execution material:

Carbon/ABS

Drone weight (with battery):

478gr

Working temperature:

-10℃ to +50℃

Motors

The Falcon 210 has brushless motors 2204 KV2500, Ø27.88mm (CW/CCW). They work in conjunction with 30A regulators (ESC), with a peak of up to 40A, which indicates support for 4S LiPo batteries. Since the processor used is quite outdated, only the Oneshot125 protocol is supported. BLheli_S and Dshot 600 – the system does not support.

The drone reaches the consumer on the old version of Cleanflight (1.2.4), which indicates to us that the electronic components used were developed at least 1-1.5 years ago. You should not attribute this to the minuses, because “The old horse will not spoil the furrow” if everything is set up correctly.

Failsafe is not ideal by default, after losing signal with the equipment, the drone motors continue to rotate, but at a slower speed.

Camera

The drone is equipped with a standard camera with a resolution of 540TVL (although the manufacturer’s website says 600TVL in the specification), with a viewing angle of 120°. In stock, the camera angle is rigidly fixed at an angle of -5 °, which in fact is a significant drawback. The issue will be resolved in two minutes with the help of a hexagon and a screwdriver that come with the kit. It will be necessary to separate the protection from the camera (attached with 3 screws) and unscrew the two screws that fix the movement of the camera.

video transmitter

The quad is equipped with a 40 channel VTX. Switching between Vfreq (the first three) and Vband is done via a 6-position microDIP switch located on the left rear side of the drone. VTX operates in two power modes: 25mW/200mW. By default, the transmitter power is set to 25 mW. Changing modes is implemented by removing the jumper, which is located next to the microDIP switch in a separate window.

The table of settings for VTX, which is indicated in the instruction manual for the 25mW mode, is partially incorrect!

It is worth noting that the OSD module on the Falcon 210 is independent and communicates with the FC via the MSP for the UART2 port.

The microUSB port has a good location (in terms of access to it), located on the right side of the quad.

Food

Tovsto Falcon 210 is equipped with a three-cell 1500mAh lithium-polymer battery with a discharge current of 25C (XT60 connector). It has proven itself in dynamic amateur flights. To significantly increase the flight potential of the drone and the flight time in general, it is allowed to install four can (4S) batteries with a capacity of 1500mAh, with a discharge current of 40C. The flight time on the stock battery, according to the manufacturer’s specification, is stated – 8-10 minutes. In practice, with a mixed style of piloting, it does not go beyond 5 minutes.

The weight of the stock 3S battery was 104.2 grams. Dimensions: 70 × 35 × 21mm.

In general, the battery compartment of the Falcon 210 turned out to be quite roomy 105 (l) × 35 (w) × 22 (d) mm. The dimensional stock easily allows you to install both three-can batteries with a capacity of 1500/2000/2200mAh, and four-can lithium-polymer batteries.

Control

The quad is equipped with standard 6-channel equipment operating on the AFHDS-2A protocol. According to the specification, the removal distance in the interference-free zone is no further than 600 meters. Power is supplied by four AA batteries.

It is worth noting this fact, for some reason both 2.4GHz antennas are stacked at the very base of the drone. Such an arrangement negatively affects both the radio exchange in general and the distance of removal. Therefore, we recommend taking them outside. You will spend no more than one minute on this procedure.

Good news, the quad is equipped with a buzzer, but the problem is that there are only two AUX on the equipment and we need a third one to bind the buzzer.

Price

The Tovsto Falcon 210 quadrocopter is sold through almost all well-known Internet trading platforms at a price of $280.

Conclusion

Tovsto Falcon 210 from $280

Functionality

5/10

Flight time

5/10

flight qualities

9/10

compactness

5/10

Equipment

9/10

Reliability

9/10

Price quality

8/10

pros

Design
Execution materials
Sturdy frame
SPracing F3
Support 30A ESC 4S
Stock Settings/Stable
FPV (no jelly)
Variable Power VTX (25mW/200mW)
OSD
LED lighting

Minuses

By default, the camera angle is not adjustable.
Outdated electronics and software
Failsafe is not ideally configured by default
2.4GHz Antennas stowed at the base of the drone
Not angry at 3S battery
Incorrect frequency table for VTX in 25mW mode
Requires additional AUX to activate the buzzer
Complicated OSD setup process
Price

Tovsto Falcon 210 is currently one of the best offers in terms of “Price / Quality” in the niche of racing drones. Ready to fly out of the box, but for those who care, still needs some tweaking with the included tool. In general, a well-tuned drone in terms of flight characteristics. The potential of the quad will be appreciated not only by pilots for whom “collector FPV monsters” are not enough, but also by those amateurs who already have experience in piloting in “Acro mode”. The developer set the age limit to 14+.