flying Archives - Page 14 of 28

Drone rides: Would you get in one?

Implicit in the popular conception of the drone is that it be unmanned, but what we really mean is that its pilot is not on board the aircraft. But an autonomously guided or remote-piloted vehicle that carried a passenger would still fit most working definitions of a drone. So that begs the question: if you […]

Dromida XL 370mm UAV Camera Drone RTF

Looking for large, bold flying fun? Look no further than the Dromida XL. Extra-large and in charge, the XL takes aerial adventure to thrilling new heights. One push of the Auto Takeoff/Landing button makes the XL soar up to 2 meters in the air; another button-push safely brings you back down to Earth. Pushing “Altitude […]

The Frame Game

As the FPV drone scene expands, better and faster craft emerge. Propellers, motors, flight controllers, and speed controls all fulfill the need for speed. But it’s the airframes that hold all of the components together that are seeing the biggest evolution. And while the established names continue to dominate, there’s an undercurrent of independent makers arriving who are building […]

Soldering up a drone racer power board

The first step in getting your drone racer ready is by soldering the ESCs (speed controllers) to the power board. Here is one soldering method our Senior West Coast Editor, John Reid uses on all of his racers.

Filters and a GoPro

When I fly my racing quad I use a GoPro camera on it, and on most of my videos, I have some wavy lines running on the outside of the frame. Is there any way to get rid of these?—Luis Gonzalez, Sun City, CA Answer: What you might be experiencing is the effects of rolling shutter, also called “jello” or […]

Anatomy of a Radio

As you become more involved with multirotors and the sophistication of your aerial vehicle increases, you will let to a point where you will start using higher-quality radio systems. Many multirotors come with a dedicated transmitter that’s programmed to work with that rotordrone. For aircraft that are built from kits or come in almost ready […]

The Lumenier TX5GA 5.8GHz Adjustable RF power (25-600mW) FPV
transmitter easily changes your output radio-frequency power at the
push of a button: 25mW, 200mW, or 600mW.

Power Rating and Your View

When I am shopping online, I often find the same video transmitter with different ratings for its power output. Which video transmitter should I get: the 25mW, 200mW, or 600mW? Can you tell me what the difference is among the three? Answer: Video transmitters are offered in various power outputs for different reasons. If you will be flying with other FPVers (first-person-viewers) in […]

Drone Man!

The 2012 rail accident that took James Young’s left arm and foot could have closed doors of opportunity for his future. It could easily have been fatal. Instead, thanks to James’s unique combination of skills, interests, and determination; a generous offer from video-game manufacturer Konami, publisher of the hugely successful Metal Gear Solid (MGS) franchise; and the creative forces behind […]

Battery Wattage

How do you calculate wattage? Answer: This is a common call we get at Venom, and most of the time it goes like this: “I’m trying to charge my three-cell 5000mAh battery at 5.0A, but it only gets to 3A.” The charger allows you to set the 3S 5000mAh pack to charge at 5.0A, but it never actually gets […]

Light up the night with your drone

I recently had the fortune of test flying three independent light sources for nighttime flying. Depending on what your project is, you might want to illuminate the crops below you; a person walking or in a vehicle; or your background hills, buildings, etc. Aircraft used for testing purposes were the DJI Phantom 3 Advanced and 3DR Solo. We are going […]