Tag Archives: reviews
Eachine Touch T100 100W Balance Charger
You can’t beat that, a Touch Screen computer balance charger for $69, Eachine Touch T100 at a 100 watts, is everything you need for beginning RC. The AC/DC charger carries a microprocessor controller that allows you to charge or discharge batteries. With built-in lithium cell LiPo balancer to meet most Radio Control charging needs. This charger has a 4.3 inch color LCD touch screen and supports AC/DC dual input, an easy and convenient travel charger that strikes a balance in safety and security. You can limit the temperature/time/peek to forcibly shut off when the limits are reached
First Impression, impressed that all the details are all layout in one screen and absolutely love the graphical interface. I am a big fan of not having to scroll through menu to check the charging status. If you are familiar with computer chargers, this touch screen menu system is easy. The user manual does not explain in detail what the benefits of each safety settings, but they are the same and commonly available in all computer chargers. The default recommended settings are acceptable if you do not have any specific preferences. Here is a help chart we created.
Eachine ProDVR Mini Video Audio Recorder
Eachine ProDVR is a useful mini digital DIY video recorder recently added to the long list of Eachine innovation. You can probably find a dozen applications yourself to put this little DVR to good use; some usage include using it as a micro Security CCTV DVR or recording video footage on a model aircraft. This mini DVR us especially popular among hobbyist.
First Impression, this mini dvr is an innovative digital image capture card, leveraging the use of micro Secure Digital (SD) storage memory card. It does require a user to have some basic experience in wiring and soldering. Once you have installed the cables, you can determine the compatible connectors needed to receive video and to output video to a monitor.
A few issues has been identified. The current firmware is not able to record in (720*480) or (1280*480) resolution. It is only compatible with NTSC and not correctly recording with PAL cameras. A new firmware is expected to be released to correct these issues.
Walkera Voyager 4 Police Drone
The Walkera Voyager 4 quadcopter drone is scheduled to arrive in the USA for it’s final circuit tests and media evaluation July 2016. Capable of broadcasting over 4G LTE or WIFI, this is a new and exciting solution to kickoff the newly approved FAA Part 107 certification for commercial drone broadcasting starting this summer. Here are some of the recent photos, a peek at the Voyager 4 along with the latest Devo F18 radio transmitter that will be paired with the next two quadcopter drones. The Voyager 4 that uses the PX4 flight controller, was recently demonstrated at a Police event.
What separates the Voyager 4 apart from other quadcopter drones is the design surrounding broadcasting and social media. Live video is streamed via WIFI or the first 4G LTE drone application, an IOS application. Production stations can have as many as six camera views from six Voyager 4 in the air at one time. With 4G LTE, distribution of real-time video has never been easier; the media files can be shared over the two supported networks and multiple social media platforms.
Eachine EV800 D FPV Goggle and Monitor
While testing several goggles for DM, Eachine EV800 caught my attention. Not only was the price great but something we have been doing, making a spare fpv headplay as a monitor. Eachine EV800 was designed with that in mind, a separable goggle 5 inch screen that can be used as small monitor with a tripod. The upgraded EV800D is even better.. brilliant!
First Impression, we love how it separates and serves as a monitor. In terms of the reception, clarity and usability, we have to report back after a few more tests. Standby.
Target User Segment
Keen FPV Beginner Pilots, First FPV Investment, Ready To Use, Budget USD$79 MAP (June 2016 )
Walkera MR Drone Runner 250 Pro
We have been wondering what it would be like to bring couch Gamers and First Person View (FPV) Pilots into one room or rather in one field for an intense world of Mixed Reality (MR) competition? Walkera MR Drone Games are not only Virtual games, but a Reality concept that is applied to Drone Racing. Pilots actually fly their GPS racing drones into virtual Funnel Gates or shooting on virtual targets.
Mixed reality (MR), sometimes referred to as hybrid reality, is the merging of real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations where physical and digital objects co-exist and interact in real time.
Now what do you think of that?. The first MR Drone Game, more ideas and development to come.
Hubsan X4 H502E GPS Drone
Looking for the perfect size quadcopter for this summer free youth RC training camp has narrowed down to this quiet 16.5 cm Hubsan X4 H502EGPS quadcopter. What caught our initial attention is the mini quadcopter with GPS, allowing the quadcopter to find it ways back. Other features of interest is it’s 720p camera and altitude hold.
The Hubsan H502e arrived in a small box with no instruction manual, but the usual short instructions on the packaging that reference a manual. The H502e is not even listed at Hubsan.com as such there is nothing to download.
User Segment
Beginners, Park Flyers, Ready To Fly, Off the shelves, Hubsan Collectors, Instructional Training Quadcopter, Budget USD$107 MAP (Jun 2016)
XK X251 WhirlWind Drone
Keeping it simple may be the answer to XK Innovation’s success recently. XK X251 is a new mini quadcopter with powerful brushless motors, designed to be fast and swift. If you are looking for a swift little quadcopter, this may be it, the XK X251 WhirlWind. Shortly after the initial release, a version 2 was introduced with some slight modifications to cater for beginners. See video about the updates.
First Impression, this quadcopter is very fast and can take a nice punch (vertical take-off). It is easy to fly if you have flown a quadcopter and have mastered your flight orientation. The XK radios are well made as always, but the spinning dial that gets in the way of your palm is still there on the right. The beeping spinning dial is not in the most practical position to reach while flying, but for this aircraft, it is only used to navigate the menu. The material of the aircraft is made of a mixed of carbon fiber structure with light-weight Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), a common thermoplastic polymer (also used by Lego), strong but will still destruct on direct impact on a high speed race. It does not break easily out in the field, if it just falls out of the sky, as the total weight is only 205 grams.
Walkera Rodeo 150 Review
Introducing Walkera Rodeo 150, a unique and slick looking 15 cm size quadcopter, with a mix of racing drone aerobatic features from the F3 flight controller, and the classic Devo 7 radio transmitter programmability. The quadcopter was designed to weigh less than 0.55 pounds for hobbyist who rather not register with the FAA in the USA. It is not a full fletch racer but a speedy mini quadcopter with brushless motors, a category of mini quadcopters gaining popularity recently.
First Impression, we love the Rodeo 150 design and the color scheme, a mini-me of the Walkera F210. Kudos to the Walkera drafting engineers. You can use an external receiver, which means you can use any programmable radio transmitter you may already have, making this a popular BNF quadcopter. The material used is light-weight Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), a common thermoplastic polymer (also used by Lego). It is impact resistance, but not strong enough to take a direct impact against a tree or slamming onto concrete.
Target Users
Keen Beginners, Park Flyers, Ready To Fly, Off the shelves, Collectors, Budget USD$229 MAP (May 2016)
FQ777-126c Spider Drone Hexacopter
Made by FQ777 (yes, that is the brand name), model Spider 126c is quite a unique radio control hexacopter. Made to be portable, it is stored in a self-contained case / radio transmitter along with all the accessories in a compartment. A nice showpiece if you are a collector and this hexcopter flies amazingly.
First impression, we like the radio transmitter travel case, it keeps the copter away from dust, stores a set of spare propellers, dual chargers and propeller guards. At first glance you will also noticed there are too many buttons, the most buttons we have ever seen on a radio, unlabeled.
Target Users
Beginners, Park Flyers, Ready To Fly, Off the shelves, Collectors, Budget under USD $37 (2016)
FreeX MCFX-01 Drone
FreeX MCFX ! It seems like the FreeX is being revived, now the 4.0 edition, in a nut shell reading the specs, what caught my eyes are:
- Lost signal: Automatic return or hover at last known position
- Reduces speed as it approaches launch point during return home, when near 80m
- Stock Range: 1 km
- Onetouch4 configuration tool software
- Channels: 7
- 6 Axis Gyro
- FREE quality 2-axis gimbal with pitch control
- Estimated price: $200!
History
FreeX is not new in the market, the SkyView has been in the market since 2014, marketed and backed by several prominent labels such as OFM, Xaircraft, manufactured by Skyartec ; along the way, Firmware V4 was released. I am not sure what else is different, but read on for everyone’s updates in the coming weeks.
