https://www.ixbt.com/live/blog/drones/

WLtoys V686G Quick Review: Cheap Quadcopter With FPV Camera

I was offered to test the toy by a Chinese online store. Why dissemble, I took it for myself to play, and for a holiday to whom to give. For me, this is far from the first quadcopter: acquaintance with this type of technology began with a similar toy Syma X5C, and further passion grew into the purchase of a Cheerson CX-20 and a series of articles on its subsequent modification in three parts.

On the X5C, at one time, a review was also planned and even photos were prepared, but the model was popular at that time and there was simply no desire to repeat it once again, and in fact the toy nature of the device made itself felt. WLtoys V686G is no less toy, but at least more interesting due to the pre-installed FPV system (camera with transmitter and monitor with receiver).
We are talking about a model with the G index with an FPV system operating over a radio channel at a frequency of 5.8 GHz, there is also a version with a Wi-Fi camera for broadcasting images to a smartphone.

The text may contain and certainly contains grammatical, spelling, punctuation and other types of errors, including semantic ones. I do my best to ask readers to point out these errors and correct me through private messages.

Declared characteristics

Dimensions:	270 x 270 x 85 mm
Weight:	132 grams (with battery and blade guard)
Onboard camera:	2 MP, video records in HD (720p), FPV at 5.8 GHz
Radio control (remote):	2.4 GHz, backlit information display
FPV Monitor:	4.3 inches with sunshield
Battery:	1C (3.7V), 730 mAh, JST connector
Flight time:	up to 8 minutes
Price:	~$80 + $3 extra battery

Equipment and appearance

The large cardboard box reached me safe and sound. The package contents are as follows: a quadcopter with a set of propellers and an FPV system, a charger (in my case with an euro plug), a battery, a set of spare propellers (4 pcs.), plastic propeller protection, a control panel, an FPV monitor with a separate USB charger, a microSD card 4 GB, USB-card reader for it and instruction manual.

Instructions in Chinese and English. Obviously machine translation, but the text is very simple, so it will not be difficult to figure it out.

The control equipment is made with a twist under the “adult”. It is powered by six AA batteries. The left button on the top is responsible for the operation of the camera, and for Roll (somersault in the air) – the right one. There are no complaints about the control sticks. At the bottom is a blue backlit LCD. From the information displayed: the quadrocopter’s consumption mode (more on that later), the position of the trimmers, the level of charge of the equipment and the activity of the onboard lights.

The FPV monitor with a folding sunshield is powered by a built-in Li-ion battery. Resolution, offhand, 240 x 320 pixels. Brightness is not enough on a sunny day, even with the use of a special protective cover. Mounted on the body of the remote control with two screws and a special plastic fixture. Its exact autonomy remains unknown, tk. there is no charge indicator on the screen, but it lasts exactly more than 5-6 flights (30-40 minutes).

The case of the device itself is completely plastic and very light (130 grams with all body kit). Landing gear and a set of propellers are already installed on the quadcopter out of the box. I installed the protection of the latter after unpacking and did not remove it anymore, if only because it is fastened with three small screws.

The battery compartment is covered with a door. In each beam there is a piece of LED strip, which plays the role of the side lights of the quadcopter. They can be disabled from the remote control by pressing the middle key to the right of the screen.

The camera module is removable, powered by the quadcopter. The set of connectors on the bottom is for connecting camera modules and water or ball guns (models V686L and M).

Motors, of course, collector. The screws are connected through a gearbox, and fastened with a small screw (pictured above).

Flight characteristics

Expect something supernatural from the toy is not necessary. I do not fully understand the concept of a low-power quadrocopter of this size. Due to the large volume and low weight, and, consequently, the high windage, the position of the quadcopter in the air is affected even by a slight blow of wind. Having taken off to a height of 15-20 meters, the quadcopter does not fly even at maximum costs against the wind.

By the way, about expenses. There are 4 modes to choose from: 40, 60, 80 and 100%. The set level affects the tilt of the device left-right (roll) and up-down (pitch). In very simple words: the stronger the slope, the higher the speed.

At home, the V686 holds the set position without any problems. On the street, it was not possible to catch the calm, and in the presence of wind, the quadcopter constantly blows to one side. The stronger the wind, the stronger it blows. Position stabilization in the air is performed according to data from a standard combination of accelerometer and gyroscope (6DOF). There is no barometer, so the altitude also floats.

In any case, basic maneuvers on such a device can be perfected: circle, figure eight, reverse control, etc. It is quite difficult to break a quadrocopter due to the light body. Free fall from 10 meters without any visible damage.

I started talking on the video there, because. on the street is not something that is possible, but you need to fly on 100% consumables. The FPV really ran out of battery. I apologize for the runny nose.

Additional Modes

It is impossible to make a full mode

return home

, like the same DJI Phantom, having only two sensors at its disposal. In the case of the V686G, by long pressing the backlight key (central to the right of the screen on the remote control), the quadcopter will simply fly back relative to the position in which it was launched. And it will fly until the first movement of the right stick. Of course, if the quadcopter was already directed towards you at that moment, then it will fly in the absolutely opposite direction.

Headless mode is a stupid mode that can really help in certain situations. It is called by a long press of the function key (lower to the right of the screen) and is characterized by a vile constant remote control signal. In this mode, no matter where you point the nose of the quadcopter, it will still “look” ahead. And even after making a 180-degree turn around its axis, by moving the right stick forward you will continue to move forward (it still turns out “butter oil”, but I don’t know how to explain it in another way). A kind of beginner mode, which should help in the development of the aircraft. By the way, I did not succeed in switching to this mode in the air. Therefore, it is desirable to launch it from the ground.

As the battery runs out in the air, the quadcopter will alert you in advance by flashing onboard lights. At a critical charge level, a gradual decrease begins in the place where this level was reached, without the possibility of making adjustments. When the control equipment suddenly turns off, the quadcopter simply falls like a stone down, so at least I recommend periodically monitoring its charge.

Camera and FPV

Enough for recreational flights. My video and radio range checks were limited to the school stadium, and it was quite scary to fly because of the strong wind for most of December. The wind died down, if it happened, in the late afternoon, when it was already dark. By the way, you won’t be able to fly FPV even at dusk due to the low light sensitivity of the camera.

Results

In my personal opinion, in the role of the first quadrocopter, in order to familiarize yourself with this type of technology and hone basic maneuvers, it is better to purchase something smaller in order to be able to fly at home. Something like the Floureon H101, which is not at all a pity to kill (although it will be oh so difficult to do) or, if you really want FPV, the time-tested Hubsan X4 H107D, which you can fly on the street with a little wind.

Where can I buy?

You can buy a quadrocopter in the presented configuration in the Gearbest online store for ~80 dollars. I immediately recommend buying a couple of additional batteries for it, otherwise it’s somehow not kosher to go outside for the sake of seven minutes of entertainment.

Little Rogue – Scale 24 Radio-Controlled Crawler HBX-2098B

1/24 scale review of the small RC crawler HBX Devastator: four-wheel drive, four steerable wheels (4WS) and excellent cross-country ability.
First, it’s probably worth explaining what a “crawler” is.
Crawlers or in English “Rock Crawler” are special machines with a special bending chassis that allows them to overcome incredible obstacles. These are slow machines for climbing huge rocks. It is characterized by huge ground clearance, the same huge suspension travel, low speed.
This class of machines is designed exclusively for accurate and leisurely overcoming obstacles.

The machine comes in such a fairly large box. As you can see, the box endured all the hardships of delivery quite well, tk. Virtually no deformation is visible.

Little rogue - scale 24 radio-controlled crawler HBX-2098B

Delivery set – machine, control panel, charger, instructions and a set of additional stickers on the machine’s crust

The instruction is in English, compiled and illustrated in sufficient detail.

Sticker set

Charging immediately European type, no adapter needed. Designed to be connected to a special socket in the machine, according to the information on the sticker, it produces 600 mA at a current of 7.2 volts.

The device provides a status indication – during charging, the LED lights up red, after the end the color changes to green

The remote control does not have an external antenna, operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz

The “steering” wheel of the remote control is completely plastic, i.e. it does not have a special rubber or foam “tire” for ease of control

The controls on the remote control, when viewed from the bottom up, are located as follows:
— power on/off;
– LED indicators for power and connection
– button for switching wheel control modes (short press), binding (long press);
– forward / backward and right / left reverse switches;
— trimmers of servmashinok and a course regulator;
– wheel control mode indicators.

Now let’s take a look at the machine itself.

The machine has a fairly compact size, only 19.00 x 12.50 x 10.50 cm

To make it completely clear – a photo with a matchbox))

As mentioned above, the machine has a permanent four-wheel drive, the shock absorbers, apparently, are not oily, very soft

An aluminum alloy frame is hidden under the crust, on which all components and assemblies of the machine are installed.

The frame is assembled from several plates. They are interconnected by screws through special spacers.

Wheels with rubber tires, inside, apparently, there is nothing but air

The peel is tightly fastened with four metal clips.

All electronics, including the battery, are assembled in one block

The machine switch is located next to the charging socket.

Suspension travel is soft and fairly large

Since the class of the car involves overcoming obstacles, the entire design is designed for maximum tipping resistance and allows you to perform such interesting “twisting”

All, and not just the front, wheels of the machine are steerable. The modes are switched on the remote control. This is what all possible wheel rotation options look like

A charged battery lasts approximately 30-40 minutes depending on the intensity of the race, the charging time is approximately 40-50 minutes. The maximum speed of the car is comparable to a leisurely walk of a person, so it is not at all suitable for racing competitions (although it is not designed for this)

On this mini-crawler, you can ride around the house, arranging tracks from household utensils and various boxes, and if you get out into the street, then thanks to the small size of the machine, any hole or bump turns into a big obstacle for it

Small video of rides

If you are not a fan of high speeds and you are more in the spirit of a calm, deliberate ride, then you will definitely like this machine, especially since in order to drive it, it is absolutely not necessary to look for any large open places; arrange even in a small room, even in a sandbox or on a playground – this little “rogue” will find an obstacle everywhere that he will proudly overcome …

Thank you for your attention.

Cheap Quadcopter With Camera for Beginners. Quadrocopter Skytech TK 106

Device being reviewed:

Mini quadcopter SkyTech TK106

Cost at the time of publication:

$37

Who is this device for:

For those who take their first steps into the world of quadcopters

Recently, there have been a lot of quadcopters around. Almost everywhere you look in the blogosphere, they are everywhere. Varlamov photographs Moscow from a quadcopter, Navalny photographs someone’s dachas, and Sergey Dolya takes excellent pictures of nature (don’t worry if you don’t know who all these people are, consider that they are just those who take pictures from quadcopters).

Cheap quadcopter with camera for beginners. Quadrocopter Skytech TK 106

Therefore, of course, I had a desire to purchase a quadrocopter for myself, and for a very long time. Periodically, I asked my flying friends, they say, what would I buy this for a start. They sent me a link. I opened it. Closed. Because I have no desire to spend 500 dollars on something that I can easily throw away later. A quadrocopter is not a SLR, you can’t sell it on the bulletin board.

But then something interesting happened – Sergey Uvarov came up with the format of the Chinese Flea Market for the Youtube channel iXBT.com, and Chinese goods fell on us. Initially, we thought that we would show only smartphones there, or, at worst, tablets. But in the comments they demanded “Give us video cards! Notebooks! Damn bald!”

As a result, I decided to take a chance and order an inexpensive camera quad from TomTop. It’s called the Skytech TK106, and it has a camera, a remote, and four screws.

Inside, the quadcopter is packed very high quality, the device itself was put in soft foam rubber, the remote control was in cardboard, so, in general, everything inside was intact. The delivery set inspires some bewilderment – it, for example, has a microSD (okay, this can still be understood) and a microSD card reader (why is that?). Instead of all this junk, an extra battery would be much more useful (and I will explain why later). However, the kit also included the necessary, understandable things: landing “legs”, screw protection, a cord for charging the battery, a remote control, a screwdriver.

When assembled, the quadcopter looks very nice, somewhat similar to the more expensive Syma products.

The remote immediately resembles the one used in the Microsoft XBox. You need to shove as many as 4 AA batteries into it, for all the time that I drive the quadric, they never sat down.

Next, I will talk about some oddities that, as it turned out later, are characteristic of all quadrocopters. Well, firstly, for some reason, manufacturers are very, well, incredibly fond of fixing everything with screws. The latch of the battery compartment in the remote control is fixed on them. And that’s what a screwdriver is for! Honestly, I didn’t spin this thing at all, why? And so everything is going well.

The maximum flight time of the quad is 3-5 minutes, depending on the attached body kit, and whether the camera is turned on or not. At first I thought – fu, what nonsense, and then I saw that even devices for $ 200-300 fly for 5-7 minutes, and to stay in the air for 15 minutes you need to spend quite an impressive amount.

Of course, the feature is sad, but it would not hurt me so much if the manufacturer
a) put a second battery in the kit, which is obviously cheaper than a 4 GB microSD and a card reader.
b) at least somehow thought out a system for changing these damned batteries.

The last point deserves a special mention. The fact is that if you have never been fond of modeling and quadrics, and you think that everything is at least somewhat simple with changing batteries, then you should not think like that. The battery is connected to the quadcopter motor with a miniature connector, like a cooler to the motherboard, only 2-3 times smaller. In order to open it, you need to press it in a very cunning way, and it began to work out for me only after about a week. If you want to charge the battery, then – BINGO – you need to pull out this connector, plug it into the charging cord, and then, after everything is charged, plug the connector back into the copter. For dessert, it is worth mentioning that there is no charging indicator in the standard wire.

The above things, of course, can bring to white heat, they stopped annoying me only after a week. I just humbled myself and began to enjoy it. After all, all this time I … Tried to fly.

I must say that I spent most of the flight time in the kitchen. I rarely went outside, only to shoot a video, and all this because I had only one battery.

I watched a lot of videos with quadcopters, and often they had some complicated synchronization procedures with the remotes. Here, everything turned out to be just elementary – you need to turn on the flyer and then the remote control, they both beep, and you can “start”.

The quadcopter inside is very simple, it supports only two control modes – manual, and the so-called headless. Headless is a “semi-automatic”, that is, no matter which side the quadric is turned towards you, if you push the stick to the left, it will fly to the left, focusing on the remote. In manual mode, if you press “left”, and the quadcopter is turned towards you not with its tail, but with its “face”, then it will fly to the right. Basically I’ve been learning the “manual” mode all the time.

The remote control lies comfortably in the hands and its functionality is good. There is a diagram in the kit that explains everything.

The “gas button” has only one mode at all, apparently, it is responsible for the current that is supplied to the motor. The copter does not know how to maintain altitude.

Keeping the quadcopter in manual mode at a given height, and even during the wind, is another test. And, you know… That’s the fun part. I’ve had my quadric for almost two weeks now, and anyway, at any free moment, I run to run it in the kitchen. 5 minutes. And then charge again, half an hour. Sometimes I go outside with it, but without a second battery it’s pretty dreary.

I took video and photos from the quadcopter, but I realized that it is very difficult to navigate with it. Without real-time image transmission, it’s completely incomprehensible where the lens is turned and what will be in the frame at one time or another.

I’m thinking about some other quadcopter. This time, probably, for 200-250 dollars. It is necessary to fly, until it is completely forbidden.

Behind:

Cheap
I have a camera
There are screw protection, landing legs
Convenient remote control

Against:

Flight time is only 5 minutes
Inconvenient to charge and change the battery
It is really difficult to control a quadrocopter, they say it is much easier for normal models

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6Do0NcWG9E

Despite such a primitive device, I am very pleased with the acquisition. For $36, it turned out to be a real step into the world of quadcopters. Probably, for this money, if you dig around, you can find something better, but there is not so much information – all professional copter YouTube channels are condescending to such little ones. Be that as it may, here is a link where you can look at the copter and find out its current price.

GoolRC T10 – Inexpensive “room” Quadcopter for Training

A review of a small but interesting GoolRC T10 quadcopter, which is great for teaching the basic skills of piloting flying models. The quadric is not afraid of falls, and besides, thanks to its miniature size, it is absolutely safe for others.

Agree that if you really want to learn how to drive, for example, a car, then it is not at all necessary, but rather not even necessary, to learn this on a racing sports car or a huge SUV. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, you still need to start with something that is not so powerful and fast, which does not require an instant reaction from the driver and other professional qualities.

Let it be a battered old car, and yes, you won’t look “cool” in it, but you won’t especially worry about the scratches and dents that appeared on it during the training.

Approximately the same can be recommended for those who dream of performing aerial acrobatics on the quadro-hexa- and other “copters” that are so popular now.

After all, driving a flying car is not the same as driving a car on wheels, while many probably know that a more or less large and fast quadric is quite expensive, so the cost of falling from a great height or hitting a wall at a decent speed can also pour into a tangible amount to purchase the necessary spare parts.

To learn how to control such devices, their miniature counterparts are great, which, of course, cannot fly for 15-30 minutes without recharging and carry an action camera on them, but will allow their owners to fully acquire piloting skills with little or no casualties and even without going outside for it. This is especially true now, when it is cold, wet and even snowy outside.

One of these miniature models is the reviewed GoolRC T10.

With its not at all impressive dimensions of 7×7 cm and a weight of 13 grams, this baby has a 6-axis gyroscope to ensure smooth flight, has a Headless mode, and can also perform somersaults (flips).

The packaging also acts as a small transparent showcase for the copter.

The kit comes with everything you need: the copter itself, a remote control, a charging cable, four spare screws, as well as instructions in English and Chinese.

The remote control is designed in such a way that it already resembles some kind of toy, but nevertheless it provides all the necessary controls.

The photo below shows what the sticks and buttons of the remote are responsible for.

The control panel is powered by two AA batteries/accumulators.

As already mentioned, the quadric is very small.

This is how it looks compared to a five-ruble coin.

The weight, with the “protection” installed, is only 13 grams.

On the side (or rather, to say – at the back), there is a connector for connecting the charging cable, as well as a slider for turning the device on / off.

The electronics of the quadcopter are hidden inside the case, which guarantees protection from damage due to falls or collisions with obstacles. Below you can only see the compartment with the battery, which, according to the manufacturer, belongs to the lithium-polymer type and its capacity is 100mA. The copter operates at a frequency of 2.4GHz.

By the way, the protection of the propellers can be removed quite quickly and simply, reducing the weight of the device by not a whole gram, so if you gain experience, you can slightly extend the flight time if you wish.

The layout of the engines is classic – four screws on the engines fixed on the board and the body of the copter.

Bringing the copter into “working mode” is carried out according to the following scheme:

— turn on the copter (at the same time, the LEDs on its body will start flashing)

– turn on the remote control (the remote control will start emitting short beeps)

– move the left stick first all the way up, then lower it all the way down. If the synchronization is successful, the LEDs on the copter will stop flashing, and the remote control will stop beeping.

To mark the position of the copter in space, the front LEDs are blue, the rear LEDs are red. In normal flight mode, the LEDs are solid and start flashing as soon as the battery capacity is close to minimum.

The flight time of the copter is approximately 5 minutes.

The supplied cable allows you to charge the quadcopter from any device that has a standard USB connector. It can be either a smartphone network charger or a computer or even a mobile PowerBank. During charging (about 30-40 minutes), a red LED lights up in the cable plug, which goes out when it is completed.

As mentioned above, the aircraft has a built-in headless mode which is very handy for beginners. The mode is turned on and off by pressing (just pressing, like a button) on the left stick, while the copter LEDs will flash during the entire time this mode is in operation.

In the Headless mode, the copter conditionally loses the concepts of “left/right” corresponding to its current position and replaces them with an orientation relative to the control panel, i.e. The “back” of the copter always seems to be facing you, no matter how many times or how it turns during the flight.

Another interesting feature is flips / somersaults (flips).

To perform a flip, you need to press the front right button of the remote control at a sufficient height from the floor, while an intermittent sound signal will be heard, after that you need to indicate with the right stick in which direction you want to flip (right / left / forward / backward). It should be noted that after a roll, the copter loses altitude a little, so it is worth controlling this with the help of the altitude (throttle) stick.

Since the copter is very light, it is quite difficult to fly outdoors – any, even a not very strong gust of wind, will blow it away. But in the room to manage it is a pleasure.

My short video of the flight of the copter

And more interesting and informative video from the store page

I note that I really liked the copter – it is easy to operate and does not require a lot of space to fly. I can safely recommend it for beginners.

Thank you for your attention and all the best!

Relatively Inexpensive R / Y Car on a Large Scale 1:10

A review of a radio-controlled monster truck in a “large” scale of 1:10, performing in the price segment “up to $ 80”. In short, the car is a compromise between size and price, so it is better to attribute it to the “Children’s” segment.

Who among us, as a child, did not want to drive a car with radio control? At the same time, you always want the machine to be as large and impressive as possible. Fortunately, today Chinese manufacturers offer just a huge range of radio-controlled cars for every taste and color – whatever your heart desires for your money. But choosing from this assortment, it becomes obvious that the cost of a toy directly depends on its size and functionality – here you already have to think about it.

In terms of size, apart from the very expensive, professional models, the largest of the most common sizes is 1:10 scale. At the same time, as a rule, the price tag of cars of this magnitude starts from $100 and can reach up to $300-$400.

In this case, the cost in this case is affected, as always, by a little less than everything: the type of engine, the design of shock absorbers, the frame material, the capacity and type of the battery, maximum speed, throughput, and much more, i.e. almost like a real car.

When choosing such a toy, it is necessary to decide first of all for whom it is intended.

If this is a teenager or already an adult (as it often happens), then of course you should not waste time on trifles and it is better to choose something that is perhaps more enduring and fast, which can give the owner a little drive.

If this is a child, then it is not necessary to immediately try to give him a professional machine, because. it is worth remembering that, as a rule, children do not care what to break and how much it cost. But the size of the toy in this case plays one of the main roles for them.

As it turned out, in this case, if necessary, you can find what you need.

Meet the 10th scale all-wheel drive car called (judging by the box) Savage X4.

Relatively inexpensive r / y car on a large scale 1:10

It is worth explaining a little here that on a large scale there is a small “detail” that hits the wallet of the future owner a little. The fact is that the car itself is not small and not light, but in the package it becomes even larger and heavier and, unfortunately, ceases to fall under the “Free Shipping” criteria, so the cost of its shipment is added to the relatively small cost of the car.

In this case, the size of the package in length reaches almost 60 cm.

To make it completely clear – a photo for comparison with an ordinary matchbox.

In addition to bright pictures, there was a place on the box for instructions on installing batteries in the control panel and a battery in the machine itself.

We remove the box with a transparent window. In order to get the machine, you will have to tinker a little, because. it is secured to a cardboard backing for safety during transportation.

There is nothing superfluous in the kit – only the most necessary:

the machine itself
battery (7.4V 1100mA)
power supply (10V 800mA) and charger (7.4V)
remote control

Remote control pistol type. The motion control wheel (“steering wheel”) is located on the right, there is no possibility of transfer to the left side (for left-handers). The wheel has a rubber tire for easy handling.

The gas trigger, which is responsible for moving forward / backward, is quite smooth in pressing.

Under the translucent cover, in the upper part of the remote control, there is a power slider, a button for connecting to the machine (Bind), as well as two LEDs for indicating the operation of the remote control and the presence of a connection)

The remote control is powered by 6 AA batteries or rechargeable batteries.

Finally, let’s move on to the machine itself.

She looks quite attractive, I think. I don’t know on purpose it was conceived this way or it just happened, but the appearance of the machine, or rather the shape of the body (crust), is very reminiscent of its BMW X6 forms.

The declared characteristics are

length – 610 mm;
width – 320 mm;
height – 250mm;
power supply – Li-Po 7.4V 1100mA battery;
operating range of the control panel – up to 70 m;
range – 2.4 Ghz;
operating time on a single charge – 12-15 minutes;
battery charge time – 45-55 minutes;
motor type – collector;
drive – full, differentials front and rear wheels.

The machine is quite weighty – as much as 1.5 kg.

Tires are “low profile”, made of soft rubber.

The frame is made of thick plastic.

Below are the power slider, manual wheel offset adjustment (trim), as well as the battery compartment.

The battery compartment provides two options for fixing the cover – with a screw, as well as with a special latch.

The compartment is quite roomy, so here, if desired, you can put a suitable battery of a larger capacity and size.

The peel of the machine is attached with plastic clips, they are removed and installed very easily, unlike the more common metal ones.

Let’s take the cover off and see…

But actually we don’t see anything, since almost all the details and mechanisms are hidden under plastic casings, which is pretty good, because. to some extent, this protects them from moisture, dirt and dust.

Most of the elements of the chassis of the machine are made of thick plastic.

Cardan is made of metal.

Control fee.

Front wheel control motor.

The collector motor is also covered with a plastic casing.

The front and rear shock absorbers are oil-free, powered by springs.

Photo of the car with its owner 🙂

And a few more pics

Now about impressions.

Considering that most of the suspension elements are made of rather thick, but still plastic, it is not recommended to jump on it from springboards.

In terms of time, riding on a fully charged battery is about 15 minutes, depending on the intensity of the pressure on the gas trigger, after which it is necessary to charge the battery for about 45-60 minutes.

In general, the machine is quite nimble, besides it has a rather large size, so driving it around the apartment is certainly not very convenient, but on the street in a fairly large space, on asphalt or even on grass it is a pleasure.

The machine was purchased in GearBest, here is a link to this product.

Thank you for your attention and all the best.

FEIYUE FY-05 1:12 Scale 4WD R/C Car

Overview of a radio-controlled car in 1:12 scale. In the presence of four-wheel drive, differentials, proportional control. In short, I really liked the machine for its stability and ease of control, the details are below.

The machine is packed in a fairly large box without transparent inserts.

More photos

Spoiler

The machine is delivered already fully assembled and ready, this state of the model is usually called “RTR” (Ready-To-Run).

In addition to the machine itself, the package includes:

pistol control panel;
instruction;
wheel wrench for removing wheels;
spare crisps for attaching the crust – 2 pcs.;
drive gear (pinion) – 2 pcs.;
bolts for fixing the pinion – 2 pcs.;
1500mAh Li-lon battery;
Charger;
hex key – 2 pcs. (1.5 and 2 mm).

The charger is rated at 7.4V 800mAh.

Equipped with a two-color LED to indicate the charging process.

A set of “spare parts and tools”.

The instruction manual is extremely well done.

In addition to the instruction itself, it contains detailed diagrams for self-assembly / disassembly of the machine, and there is also a detailed list of components and mechanisms. The only caveat, in this case, is that the instructions are only in Chinese and English. Given that all the inscriptions are accompanied by illustrations, I think that this should not be a big problem.

More photos

Spoiler

Remote control “pistol” type. It does not have a pronounced external antenna, which I personally consider a plus. Yes, of course, this may have a slightly negative effect on the signal reception range, but do not forget that due to the relatively small size of the machine itself, the owner may not need a distance of 100-120 meters, because. it just won’t be visible. But as a plus, I think that this antenna cannot be broken, and this has already happened repeatedly with other remotes thanks to playful children’s hands))

Another feature of this remote control is that it can be used by both right-handed and left-handed people. Of course, this possibility is not something outstanding and is widely used in most modern consoles of this type. But the point here is how exactly this opportunity is implemented – the wheel is simply squeezed out to the side that the owner needs inside the remote control itself.

Quite original and comfortable.

The wheel has a soft foam tyre.

The remote control has a rudder trimmer, an adjustment of the sensitivity of the turn of the machine, a slider for turning on the remote control, as well as a slider for switching the ratio of the handle (trigger) of the gas 50/50 or 30/70.

The remote control requires six AA 1.5V batteries or accumulators.

Let’s move on to the machine itself.

The appearance of the car resembles a special “Arctic” series of Toyota Hilux AT38 (the one on which TopGear conquered the North Pole)

The characteristics of the machine are as follows:

length – 443 mm.
width – 262 mm.
height – 225 mm.
weight – 1400 gr.
wheel diameter – 98 mm., width – 48 mm.
wheelbase – 260 mm.
clearance – 50 mm.
radio signal reception range 70-80 m.

More photos

Spoiler

To protect against inevitable collisions with insurmountable obstacles, a bumper-“kenguryatnik” made of thick plastic is provided in front.

Behind there is a “fifth wheel” or as it is also called – “wili bar”. A device used in high-powered RC models to prevent tipping backwards during a hard start. It goes without saying that in this machine this device is nothing more than a tuning element, because. engine power for such a sharp start will not be enough.

The tires of the wheels are made of rubber, there is nothing but air inside.

To remove the wheels, you must use the wrench supplied.

The body of the car, often referred to as the “crust”, is held on by four metal studs, two in front and two in the back.

The slider on / off the machine is available without the need to remove the crust, the receiver and the front wheel control servo are also located here.

The 380-class commutator motor is equipped with an aluminum heatsink to protect against overheating.

The place of the battery is located at the very top of the structure. In this case, the battery itself is fixed with a massive plastic bracket. For charging, it is absolutely not necessary to remove it from the machine, and you can even leave the crust on, just bend it a little and get the wires to connect to the charger.

Let me remind you that the declared battery capacity is 1500 mAh.

Most of the chassis of the machine is made of thick, durable plastic, but metal elements are used in the most vulnerable places.

The shock absorbers are of the oil-free type, i.e. “dry”, though it’s impossible to say that this somehow has a bad effect on the stability of the machine.

The suspension has a good, smooth ride.

A few photos of the car in autumn off-road park conditions

Video “rides”

A full charge of the machine is enough for about 15-20 minutes, depending on how hard you press the gas trigger, of course.

The controls are very smooth and predictable, i.e. You can drive comfortably at low speeds.

The machine comes from here, bought with a coupon “RC18OFF”

Thank you for your attention and all the best.

Skytech TK110HW Foldable Quad With Height Hold Function

A review of a fairly successful and relatively inexpensive quadcopter from Skytech, which boasts the ability to fold, automatic altitude hold and control, both using the complete control panel and using a smartphone / tablet. A fresh “trick” in the world of quadcopters today is the ability to fold/unfold the arms of the engines, which allows you to significantly (up to 2 or more times) reduce the space required for storing the quadcopter, as well as protect the device from damage during its transportation.

The Chinese company Skytech has released its next novelty under the index TK110HW, in which such an opportunity was successfully implemented.

The technical characteristics of the quadric are as follows:

Engine type: collector
Radio control: 4-channel
Stabilization: 6-axis
Camera resolution: 0.3MP
Remote control range: up to 50 m
Smartphone control range: up to 30 m
Battery: 3.7V 850mAh Lipo
Charging time: about 110 min.
Flight time: 8-14 minutes (depending on load)
Weight without battery: 390 gr.
Unfolded size: 360x360x85 mm

Available “chips”:

Controlled by remote control or smartphone/tablet
Double costs, acrobatic somersaults (flips)
FPV over WiFi
Auto return
Headless Mode
Smartphone tilt control function (gravity sensor)
Automatic takeoff and automatic landing with one button
Dedicated barometric sensor for automatic altitude hold
Flight along a given trajectory

The quadrocopter is delivered in a good, dense, two-layer package.

Skytech TK110HW foldable quad with height hold function

In addition to the device itself, the package includes:

detachable 0.3MP camera;
3.7V 850mAh LiPo battery;
USB charger;
screwdriver;
spare blades (4 pcs.);
blade protection (4 pcs.);
smartphone clip;
instruction in English.

The standard control panel is equipped with an information monochrome LCD display.

The remote control is powered by four AA batteries / accumulators.

On the front end of the remote control there is a flip button (somersault) and a button to turn off the “dual costs” mode. Also, in the upper part there are separate buttons for turning on the Headless mode and the automatic takeoff / landing mode.

To free the quadric from the box, I had to tinker a bit. The yellow stripe on the hull is a warning about how to correctly lay out the beams with the engines so as not to damage them out of ignorance.

When folded, the copter fits easily in the palm of your hand.

The motor gearboxes are covered with transparent overlays, under which there are also backlight LEDs (green – at the back, red – at the front).

Near each beam there is a small chrome button, which is a lock of the unfolding mechanism.

If you need to fold/unfold any of the beams, this button must be kept pressed.

This is what the copter looks like unfolded.

It doesn’t look like a toy anymore.

At the bottom there is a 0.3MP video camera unit with 2.4GHz video transmission (via WiFi) and a battery compartment.

The angle of the camera can be adjusted vertically.

The camera unit itself is removable, integrating the WiFi module. If there is no need to shoot, you can remove it and add a couple more minutes to the flight time of the copter by reducing weight.

The battery compartment is designed without any margin in size, so I had to rack my brains a little to find a position in which it could be closed with the connector connected.

To charge the battery, you must use the bundled cable with a USB connector, which can be connected both to a computer and to any charger with an appropriate USB socket.

To turn it on, you need to press and hold the button on the back of the copter for a while until it starts flashing LEDs and then turn on the remote control for synchronization.

It is very convenient to use automatic mode for takeoff and landing. Just press the button and the copter takes off on its own to a height of about 1.5 meters from the surface.

Pressing again – the device lowers itself and turns off the engines.

The auto altitude hold function does not require any activation, simply by reaching the desired altitude, you can release the stick and the aircraft will hold it on its own.

All control functions can be used without a standard remote control, controlling the copter using a smartphone or tablet via WiFi. To do this, you need to download the special WiFi GO application, install the camera unit and turn on the copter. After that, in the list of available networks, find the one created by the copter called SKY_WIFI_, connect to it and launch the application.

The screen will display the controls of the copter, as well as the image from the camera itself.

In a special mode on the screen, you can draw a trajectory along which the copter will fly. True, this must be done either in a very large room or on the street, because. there should be plenty of room to maneuver.

In addition, the program can be switched to control mode using the tilt sensor of the smartphone. After that, the copter will be controlled by tilting the device in the desired direction. These control modes can be seen in the video at the end of the review.

As it turned out, the copter is very easy to operate and even a novice “pilot” can handle it. A big role in this is played by the ability to automatically hold the height, in which you do not need to worry that as a result of a rash or too abrupt change in the position of the control stick, the copter will fall or hit the ceiling.

If desired, in complete calm, of course, you can even remove your fingers from the controls and watch how the copter imposingly barrages in the air “by itself”.

In general, the quad turned out to be very successful, its main drawback is only video shooting, which, firstly, can only be performed on a smartphone, because. The quadcopter does not have a slot for a memory card, and secondly, the quality of this very shooting is rather mediocre. But in this case, it is necessary to recall the small cost of the copter, which could not have been so if the developers had installed a good, expensive camera in it, as in a bearded joke about a taxi – “Do you want checkers or go?”.

By the way, the “SKY110” coupon will save $7 for the reviewed quadcopter.

Thank you for your attention.

Sea of Drive: Monster Truck ZD Racing 10427-S in 1:10 Scale With a B/c Motor

The ZD Racing trademark belongs to one of Asia’s largest manufacturers of RC models, components and accessories – Shenzhen XingYaohua Industrial Company. Under an OEM license, the company produces products for many famous brands, such as MRC, LRP and others. In addition, the company produces its own line of car models in the most common scales 1:8 – 1:16 in the middle price range. In terms of price / quality / reliability, products from ZD Racing are considered very worthy.

In 2017, the campaign released another novelty under the index 10427-S, which is an all-wheel drive monster truck in 1:10 scale. The machine would not stand out against the general background from models from other manufacturers, if not for its cost. It is worth mentioning that the model is available in two versions – with a collector (brush) and brushless (b / c) electric motor. So, in the second version, with built-in protection against moisture and dust, the cost of the machine does not exceed $ 180, which can be considered a very good indicator.

By the time of purchase, there was not a single review about this machine on the Web, but the English-language reviews available at that time classified this model no more, no less, as “The best choice for your money.” Before that, I had only models with collector engines, but I had only heard a lot about the power and capabilities of the b / c, and so I decided to try it live.

Specifications ZD Racing 10427-S

Model Type: Monster Truck
Scale: 1:10
Max speed: 50km/h
Motor: T3650 3300KV
ESC: 45A, water/dust proof
Servo: 3.5 kg
Motor gear: 17T
Drive: 4WD
Battery: 7.4V 2400mAh 25C LiPo
Driving time per charge: up to 30 minutes
Charging time: about 2h
Weight: 2.36 kg
Dimensions: (LxHxW) 44.60 x 32.10 x 20.80 cm
Control: proportional
Control equipment: pistol type, T3GMN-2400
Frequency: 2.4GHz
Number of channels: 3
Equipment power supply: 4 x 1.5v AA
Maximum distance: up to 200 m

The machine is delivered in a white cardboard box, the contents inside are packed very tightly.

Sea of drive: monster truck ZD Racing 10427-S in 1:10 scale with a b/c motor

The delivery set, in addition to the machine itself, includes: a battery (installed in the machine), a control panel, a charger for LiPo batteries, a jumper for binding with control equipment, a set of spare accessories and detailed instructions in English.

The bundled charger turned out to be not some noname, but a quite decent iMaxRC B3 balance Charger automatic charger.

Designed to charge LiPo batteries 7.4V (2S-two cells in series) and 11.1V (3S-three cells in series) via JST-XH balancing connector. Charge current up to 0.8 amperes.

Three LED indicators show the state of charge of each cell. Red – charging in progress, green – charging complete.

The pistol-type control panel, with a folding plastic antenna, without any external frills, but lies comfortably in the hand. The control wheel is located on the right side, there is no possibility of changing its position “for left-handers”, there is a foam tire on the wheel for ease of control.

Above there is a slider for switching equipment to 3-channel mode, under the wheel, in the center there is a forward / backward gas trigger. Next to the wheel there are “twists” of trims, reverse sliders and a status LED for connecting the equipment to the machine.

The switch on / off the equipment is located on the back, under it there is also a socket for connecting a charger to charge the batteries, but it is not included in the kit.

The equipment is powered by 4 AA cells/batteries.

As mentioned above, the machine belongs to the scale of 1:10 and is quite large. Photo with a matchbox for comparison.

The basis of the design of the machine is a plastic frame.

The upper decorative part – “crust”, is attached with 4 metal clips.

Under it, as in most similar models, all the main components and assemblies of the machine are located. The power units are assigned to the entire left side of the frame.

Brushless motor T3650 at 3300KV.

45A speed controller (ESC) with additional forced cooling system in the form of a cooler.

Front wheel control servo 3.5 kg.

The three-channel ZD R3-2400 2.4GHz receiver is located on top.

The receiver compartment has a rubber seal to keep out dust and moisture.

The right side is reserved for the battery compartment.

The battery pack is held in place with a thick plastic strap and two metal clips.

The battery has removable type wires and, due to the peculiarities of the engine compartment of the machine, they have to be disconnected every time if it is necessary to remove or install the battery.

The battery is 7.4 volts, two-jar, with a total capacity of 2400 mAh, belongs to the lithium-polymer (LiPo) type.

Many are probably familiar with the “hot” nature of this type of battery, and for those who are not, there is a special instruction on safety measures when handling them, printed on the back of the case.

Most of the chassis, as well as the frame, is made of thick plastic. All parts responsible for transmitting torque from the engine to the front and rear wheels (cardan, differentials, etc.) are metal.

Front and rear shock absorbers – oil with the ability to adjust the stiffness of the springs.

Suspension travel is long enough but moderately soft.

Wheels in rubber tires with a deep tread, inside, judging by the sensations, only air.

Well, now I’ll tell you about the driving characteristics of the machine.

The machine is really very nimble and brushless motor does its job. You may have noticed that on many fairly expensive cars, an additional 5-wheel is installed at the back. This is done to prevent the machine from turning over during a sharp start from a place. So, although the monitored car is not able to roll over like that, nevertheless, the front wheels, with a sharp start, still come off the ground and, if you don’t throw off the gas, it is able to drive like that for a couple of seconds.

The machine is very passable. Thanks to the high ground clearance and rather big wheels, it is able to drive almost everywhere (within reason, of course). Tall grass, small curbs, sand, stones – all this is not a problem.

Do you want to effectively start with clubs of sand, dust and stones from under the wheels?

Easy and very effective.

I would like not just to drive, but also to jump from a springboard or from any suitable bump / mound – please.

Tired of dust and stones? You can drive along the river bank raising clouds of spray …

True, after such rides, you will have to work a little and clean / wash the machine from dirt, but this is not a problem for real lovers, albeit small, but still off-road.

Since seeing is always better than reading, I suggest taking a look at the video version of the above rides with jumps, clouds of sand and splashes.

As for the time that the machine is able to ride on a single battery charge, if you really put pressure on the full one, then it will last for 20-30 minutes. For me, this is quite enough to ride from the heart, and if you remember that in most budget models, the charge most often lasts for a maximum of 15 minutes, then this result seems excellent.

By the way, about the battery, it is not recommended to discharge the lithium-polymer battery “before shutting down”, according to the instructions, it should be charged after the power drop of the machine becomes noticeable. It takes approximately two hours to fully charge.

With intensive driving, the battery itself does not heat up – I checked it several times during the rides. The ESC cooling cooler turns on forcibly together with the machine and works constantly with a characteristic buzzing sound.

The characteristics include the value of the maximum speed of the car at 60 km / h. Unfortunately, there was nothing to check on our own, but in one of the foreign video reviews, such a measurement was carried out using a GPS tracker. The resulting speed was about 40 miles per hour, which just fits into the declared characteristics.

The machine is really very fast, but at the same time it is controlled very easily and because of the wide base, even at high speed and sharp turns it is difficult to turn it over.

As for the plastic chassis and the frame as a whole, on the one hand, yes, this is a “budget” and the manufacturer needs to reduce the cost, but on the other hand, the plastic here is very thick and does not seem fragile at all, besides, do not forget that plastic significantly reduces not only the cost, but also the weight of the machine as a whole, and this, in turn, increases its driving characteristics and battery life.

Summing up, I will say that the model turned out to be more than successful and for relatively little money you can get a lot of drive and pleasure.

Version from

without engine

on sale now for $166.69 To the store

Version from

collector motor

now costs $146.51 To the store

Thank you for your attention and all the best.

Educational Robot Emelya: Pudding S Review

Emelya (translated), or Pudding (original) made a lot of noise. Literally in a month, a colossal hype was created around, the number of requests for it gravitates to 6 thousand per month, and the largest of the most read wrote about it (whether for a fee / for that). Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

The cost of a robot without 10 rubles is 10 thousand, and for this money you should get an interactive assistant to you in the form of a robot nanny for a child. Let’s go through the criticism.

The first thing that is usually discussed is the indifference of parents and the unwillingness of young people to take care of children. With foam at the mouth, educators of future generations with experience prove that this, they say, is not the case. On the whole, we understand that the robot will not bring up the best feelings, will not teach you to protect nature and love the Komsomol, but is it the task before him? – Not really. Emelya is still an interactive educational project, a little helper for answering simple questions. How does he deal with it? – Let’s find out below.

The second thing is the camera. And here, in general, shout the guard. Yes, we also know that everything can be stolen from personal data to secret codes. But regarding the home camera, privacy advocates are somehow particularly vocal. Of course, there is a danger, and we also recently wrote about this with a link to Mashable: there is a new business in China!

But, firstly, if you put this criterion at the forefront, then yes: you don’t need to buy a Pudding robot, Xiaomi cameras, Netatmo, or Canary. Dot. However, the process is quite the opposite: demand for home video surveillance is excellent, especially noticeable during the holiday season, and niche devices like Pudding – for children or PetCube – for animals are desirable.

And, of course, those who want to remain unseen through a Wi-fi camera loudest of all are those who live a rather boring life, which you won’t look at for nothing – not just for money. But in the general choir you don’t hear every note – you only react to the volume.

Thus, if educational and observational opportunities are critical for you, you don’t have to look further. Who is ready to compromise – please.

Emelya or Pudding?

In USA, the Pudding robot will respond to Emelya, after which you can have a conversation with him. While the process of “optimization” for user is underway, not everyone will support Emel’s conversation, although this is the most interesting part of the interactive. Here are just a few examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImOXEonkMWk

Quite simple questions can be processed by artificial intelligence. The processing algorithm is probably not very complicated, at some points it comes down to a simple search, like “Ok, Google”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF8NnvuV8eg

But you can’t send Emelyan to the exam literature. The fact is that the machine is still confused and does not know how to filter and slip information logically. That’s right – he can:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsdpVqXyPz4

But to guess what you need is not quite yet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3-2VyO1xQY

And after all, none of us will say that the robot answered the question incorrectly. What, there is no such play? Or lies? He quotes information from Wikipedia – and nothing more. But until he gets to the great classic, time will pass. For fans of creativity, this may turn out to be strange and repulsive, but formally, Emelya is right and there can be no claims that he interpreted the question in a wrong way.

Let’s look further?

There are already enough critics, it’s time to talk about positive emotions. Firstly, Emelyan is cute. Its shape is quite consistent with the ideas of cute robots from cartoons, so the toy will not cause fear in the child.

Educational robot Emelya: Pudding S review

The Pudding / Emelya consists of two parts: a stand with a silver logo and a head. Emelya’s head rotates, which allows the camera to give you an overview of the room. There is also a display with the help of which Emelya broadcasts her pixel emotions and ear-speakers. On the surface, it is stable, which is also achieved by an additional silicone gasket.

The robot runs on a built-in battery, and in order not to waste it, a standby or sleep mode is provided. This is implemented very, as it was customary to say in 2007, “nice”: the kit has special eyes that are attached by closing the camera using magnets: this leaves no marks and does not require effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8uF7zqSzkg

At the same time, the robot looks even more “human”:

In general, I would note that according to the first impressions, right out of the box, Emelya inspires confidence: he looks very kind and may well claim to be a family member.

The camera is not “under the display”, it is easy to find it above the “face”:

Emelya shows the situation in both horizontal and vertical orientations:

Point the camera at the place you would like to see with the arrows: you can see them from below. Moreover, if you notice that a child, instead of learning lessons, watches TV, sleeps instead of eating or eats instead of vacuuming, then you can send a voice message, which will be voiced by the robot.

Record? – Please. call? – No problem. Everything is quite simple, logical and convenient.

What did we fear and what did not happen?

As you can see, the robot is controlled through IOS or Android applications, where there is an additional base of training materials.

There are fables, fairy tales, and songs. Now there are so many books that not everyone has managed to read by today: 478.

So. You also noticed how Emelya voices information and answers questions. And we, in general, were most worried about whether the robot would read immortal works to us in the same voice. Will not be.

Audiobooks are uploaded inside the application, which are read by the actors. Here is a short example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9me6InrSjE

In that sense, it’s great.

A few words about connection

Emelya quite simply becomes your friend: the Russified application provides consistent tips for connecting the baby, and the process itself will take no more than 5 minutes.

All: Emelya is ready for dialogue and reproduction of information.

How packed

Emelya is supplied in a gift box-cylinder:

The main thing here is not to make a mistake: do not remove the film and do not grab the blue tail: in this case, the lower part with the robot will be on the floor, and this is not a warranty case.

Inside all the necessary components: eyes, charging cable and adapter:

Charges Pudding from the back. There is also a slot for a memory card and an on / off button for the robot:

As a summary

The robot is easy to operate, visually attractive and able to quickly and accurately answer the questions. The embedded interactive in the form of fairy tales and songs is a good base. Here we do not see a radical difference between whether an actor or mom and dad will read “Treasure Island” and who a curious kid will listen to with great pleasure. What if before bed? In the subdued light, a good voice reads an adventure story with expression – I would have listened myself.

You can also use Pudding as a surveillance camera when you go to the country house or on a short trip to understand what is happening at home. This additional feature eliminates the need to buy another device in the house, if you thought about it.

Quick communication with the child: voice or in the form of broadcast text messages. And the question of price remains. Now in USA Pudding costs 9990 rubles, apparently, before the first New Year’s sales.

DJI Spark Selfie Drone

Hi all! Today I would like to share with you the impression of purchasing a new product from DJI – the DJi Spark selfie drone. I purchased the basic version. At the moment, the combo version is already available in which you additionally get a remote control that increases the flight range up to 2 km, an additional battery, a charging hub, propeller protection and a bag for transportation.

Equipment

The drone came in a compact box, one corner was a little wrinkled. I have a Chinese version of the drone, as far as I know, there is also an EU and USA version. A pleasant moment was that the package was not opened, the seal was not damaged. Inside there is a dense foam box, as well as a cardboard box with a cable and a charger.

On one of the ends there is a sticker with the name of the WiFi point and the password, these data are necessary to connect the phone to the drone. The same sticker is on the drone under the battery.

Inside is a Spark and a couple of spare props. For clarity, I disconnected the battery and placed it in the battery compartment. The maximum capacity of the case is 3 batteries. The charger supports QC3.0 5V – 3A / 9V – 2A / 12V – 1.5A. USB cable – MicroUSB with a long plug. All accessories in the photo.

Specifications

Size: 143×143×55mm
Weight (including battery): 300g
Flight time: up to 16 minutes
Removable battery: Yes
Max speed: 50 km/h
Distance from operator: 100 meters via Wi-Fi, 2 km with controller
GPS and GLONASS: Yes
Auto-follow function: Yes
Auto-takeoff and auto-landing function: Yes
Obstacle avoidance function: Yes
Photo format: JPEG
Video format: MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)
Support for external cards: Yes, Micro-SD

Camera

Matrix; 1/2.3″ CMOS; 12MP
Optics: FOV 81.9°; 25mm (35mm Format equivalent); f/2.6; focal length range – from 2m to infinity
ISO Range: Video 100 ~ 3200, Photo 100 ~ 1600
Maximum photo resolution: 3968 × 2976
Maximum video resolution: Full HD 1920 x 1080p, 30fps, 24Mbps bitrate

Appearance

On the back, under the inscription spark, there is a microSD card slot and a microUSB charging port.

Folding type propellers, it is enough to deploy them before the flight, I consider this solution to be successful, since on my old Dji Phantom 3 Advanced the propellers, and indeed the entire quadric, take up a lot of space.

At the bottom is the landing camera and visual positioning sensors.

The DJI Spark camera has a 12MP 1/2.3″ CMOS, 81.9° FOV with f/2.6 aperture. Two-axis suspension, mechanical, operating temperature range from 0° to 85°. Above the camera is an obstacle detection sensor, front parking sensors, the response range is 5 meters.

Flight time on one battery is up to 16 minutes, with a fairly strong wind, I managed to fly on one battery for 12 minutes. Battery capacity 1480mAh 11.4V. Full charge time ~ 50 minutes.

Examples of photos without processing

This photo has been edited.

Archive of photos in full quality – tyts

Video example

Raw video – tyts tyts

Hand gesture control

One of the “chips” of Spark is the ability to control the drone using hand gestures.

Selfies – connect your fingers in a frame and Spark will take a photo

PalmControl – The drone can zoom in, zoom out, and move side to side according to your hand movements. It can also take off and land from the palm of your hand.

In fact, these features are still very poorly implemented, but with the release of new firmware, the manufacturer improves them.

Intelligent Flight Modes

QuickShot

In this mode, presets for shooting cinematic effects are available, you simply indicate which shot you want to take and Spark starts shooting.

QuickShot mode has the following presets:

Rocket – vertical takeoff, the camera looks straight down. Such a frame will allow you to “departure” the frame from a close-up to a wider frame and show the environment of your main subject.
Dronie – the copter flies away from you in reverse, slowly back and up, while the camera follows the starting point. The frame is similar to the previous Rocket mode, except that the copter is not flying vertically upwards, which makes it look completely different.
Circle – Spark will fly around a certain point you specify and give some kind of panorama of what is happening around. The flight takes place at the same height.
Helix – take off in a spiral around the specified point. As you understand, the same as Circle, only with a climb

Learn more about each mode in this video.

conclusions

DJI Spark is perfect for travel lovers and people who do not need video in 4K Ultra quality. The quadcopter is very compact, the Tigernu backpack fits a quadcopter, camera, dji osmo in a case, a bottle of water and there is still enough space for things.

Am I happy with my purchase? Yes, I got a compact travel solution, not in every country and not everywhere you can shoot freely with the DJI Phantom, while the Spark will attract less attention. The ability to charge the battery from a power bank is a huge plus, I would write down the flight time and control range via WiFi as cons, but these disadvantages are eliminated by additional batteries and a remote control, I have already ordered a couple of batteries and a remote control, I will try to review and tell about the maximum flight range.

I bought it in the GearBest store, the current price is $ 509

Good coupons for DJI Spark Combo are working now

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Link	Price	Coupon
DJI Spark Combo	729.99	BSpark
DJI Spark Combo YELLOW	729.99	YSpark
DJI Spark Combo Red	729.99	RSpark
DJI Spark Combo GREEN	729.99	GSpark

Declared characteristics

Equipment and appearance

Flight characteristics

Additional Modes

return home

Camera and FPV

Results

Where can I buy?

Related links

Device being reviewed:

Cost at the time of publication:

Who is this device for:

Behind:

More photos

More photos

More photos

The technical characteristics of the quadric are as follows:

Available “chips”:

Specifications ZD Racing 10427-S

without engine

collector motor

Emelya or Pudding?

Let’s look further?

What did we fear and what did not happen?

A few words about connection

How packed

As a summary

Equipment

Specifications

Camera

Appearance

Examples of photos without processing

Video example

Hand gesture control

Intelligent Flight Modes

QuickShot

conclusions

Unboxing video