The purpose for diy quadcopter
Consider purchasing a ready to fly such as DJI phantom,Yuneec etc. Otherwise you’d like to diy a fpv quadcopter but not for a beginner, It’s recommended that you have experience with a mini quadcopter such as Blade ,Hubsan etc.
There are no one solution quadcopter, before buying one or building one, you should know clearly that what is a quadcopter use for? For training newbs, aerial photos / video , FPV, aerial combat, or just general bashing?
After this, you maybe consider one question is that Buy vs build your best first quadcopter? or diy quadcopter vs DJI phantom which is the best option? If you have know that what’s your need, and plan to diy one, please go ahead! ( a long article pls be patient )
Diy quadcopter parts list
For those looking for a complete/prebuilt kit, check these out ( From reddit’s discussion by Unitedheavy, Thanks for the very important guide! )
Genuine DJI 450 Flamewheel $320 ($200 without FC) – Little pricey IMHO
Helipal’s Storm Drone 4 $359 (RTF, includes everything. Helipal also offers kits for FPV and aerial video)
Turnigy SK450 $175 (ARF, prebuilt quadcopter, just add a radio system and battery, also available RTF with transmitter)
RCX-H450Q $85 (KIT – MyRCMart provides motors, ESCs, props and a frame. Also offered in BNF/RTF versions)
Ebay/Banggood/Aliexpress 450 quadcopter Kit $90 (KIT, ARF, BNF, RTF versions. Pretty much most of the following components, all in one place. Quality will vary)
The following components are available literally everywhere for diy quadcopter. So I won’t go into detail into each component, just offer general specifications. I’d recommend purchasing your entire/the bulk of your order from Hobbyking, MyRCMart, Ebay. All carry most to all of the components.
$20 Frame
Pretty much any 330-500mm frame should work. Pick any one you like. The 450 size ones have standard arms, so finding replacements is easy. Searching “450 frame” or “HJ 450 frame” should offer plenty of results(especially on ebay). Don’t worry about quality, they are all pretty much identical. There are lots of variants out there, like the “reptile” (TBS discovery clones) that are nice for FPV. Pick what you like!
$25 Flight Controller
Get the KK2.1 or the KK Hardcase(with programmer). Both are great controllers. There are other options available, with more features, like the Naza/Lite and the APM, but the KK is a great starting point. It has an easy to read screen and settings can be easily adjusted with the 4 interface buttons.
$50 Motors / Propellers
2212(or 2214/5/6) motors at 900-1000kv(ok, you can stretch to 800-1200kv, but that is not optimal) are perfect for this build. There are lots of options here, so pick what you like, you can’t go wrong.
One of the best options are the threaded “phantom replacement motors” like the LDPower 2212 and MarsPower 2212 that are available on Ebay. If you are using these motors, you’ll want 1045 or 9443 “dji-style” props with a keyed hub. (5-6 pairs, a set comes with 2 pairs) This makes it harder for the props to come off mid flight.
Another option for threaded motors are the “self tightening phantom props”. If you would like to go with standard motors, the NTM, Sunnysky, or Emax motors are good bets (these are $16 a piece). Some manufacturers use a different system to name their motors, so you’ll have to search by the motors external diameter (so search 2826 instead of 2212, Turnigy/RCX 2826 would be comparable to a Sunnysky 2212).
You’ll have to pick up prop adapters sized to your motors’s shaft size as well (usually 3 or 3.5mm) Pick up a few sets(maybe 5-6 pairs) of standard CW/CCw 1045 prop to go with these. Oh yeah, make sure the motors have bullet connectors if you’d like a plug/play build. Otherwise get ready for some soldering action.
$50 ESCs
The only things to look for in ESCs are SimonK, 3s, and 20a(and a 5v BEC,notOPTO). Your escs have to be SimonK or BLHeli, support 3s, and be atleast 20a(30 amps works too, but any more is overkill). All the listed specs are necessary for decent performance.
ESCs like this are available on ebay “20a SimonK ESC”, and I particularly like the EMAX ones. Afro 20 and 30a are nice(preinstalled bullet connectors), and MyRCMart’s RCX 20a SimonK ones are pretty good too.
Just make sure that your ESCs have a built in 5v BEC, not OPTO – this is necessary to provide power to the FC, and without it, you’ll need and external 3a 5v BEC. And same as the motors, make sure they have bullet connectors, or be ready to solder.
Extras – Diy quadcopter parts list:
You’ll need a 3.5mm power distribution board/squid to hook up the ESCs
Grab some female-to-female servo cables to connect your RX to your FC
Pick up some zipties, velcro, and tape.
300mm battery straps
Get at least 20 pairs of 3.5mm bullet connectors if your ESCs/Motors don’t have them built in.
Maybe some landing gear if you plan on expanding to aerial video or if you just don’t like your quad lying in the grass
You might need some 3mm nylon standoffs/hardware to mount your FC. Or you can use velcro 🙂
Lipo Alarm to alert you to a low voltage on your battery
$60 Batteries (buy at least 3, each should be around $20-30 or so)
Batteries for your 450 will vary in size. Generally 3s 2200mah-4000mah 25c are a good bet for these quads. Increasing the C rating past 30c will have little effect on performance.
Remember that the heavier the quad, the more sluggish it will be (which is good for video) 2200mah is great for light flying (about 10 mins) You’ll want a 4000mah for longer flight times (around 20 mins) Adding on equipment like cameras/fpv stuff/gimbals will drop your flight time by 5-10 mins. Also remember to pick up a Lipo low voltage alarm. These are great for checking the voltage of your packs and alert you when to land.
The following are applicable to most multirotors.
$30 Charger (remember to get a power supply too!) The Turnigy Accucel-6 is a great beginner charger. The Imax B6AC is another nice charger. The B6AC is commonly cloned, so watch out for prices under $20 if you don’t want a fake one.
Most people don’t have a problem with cloned equipment, but I’d rather spend $10 more and make sure that the charger(which could destroy and burn your lipos) is working properly. I use a Hitec X4 Eighty DC, a great option if you can spend a little more cash – charges 4 of my batteries at once, and usually within 15mins.
$70 Transmitter
Get the Orange T-6 or the DX6i. I’m a Spektrum fanboy, but Spektrum is also cheap, inexpensive, and very reliable. The DX6i can be found used on Ebay or RCGroups for around $70. 6 channels is more than sufficient for any beginner and even experts rarely use more than 2 three positions switches in addition to the 4 gimbal channels.
Other options include the Turnigy 9x/r and 9xrPro. Awesome, open radio, but you need to purchase and additional Turnigy/FrSky/Spektrum module. The Taranis radio is regarded by most as the best multirotor radio, but it’s got too many switches and knobs for me.
It is a wonderful radio for those who have the time to understand it, but it has lots (IMHO too many) options, and personally, I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake and screw something up. I personally own a DX6i and DX8, both awesome radios, and the new Spektrum DX6 is also a really attractive radio at its price point. The Taranis, 9xr Pro, DX8, and DX6 all have telemetry, and also (except the DX8) have voice alerts. .
$7 Reciever (I’d suggest picking up a few extra)
6ch LemonRXs and the Orange RXs are both awesome park-fly RXs that are light, durable, and well-tested by the community.
$100-$200 FPV Setup
For those looking for a brand-name FPV setup, the Predator V2 system is great, you should be able to catch a Predator V2 Fatshark system for around $200 on the RCG classifieds. For those who don’t mind fiddling a little bit, Quanum FPV set, which is around $100, which is awesome as well.
Goggles vs Monitor is a huge debate that will probably never end. Goggles are best for immersive experiences, while monitors are best if you like the added safety of being able to maintain LOS of your craft. Goggles are far easier to see, while visibility in monitors can be improved by adding a sunshade.
$100-$200 Aerial Video Stabilization
Gimbals help stabilize your video by keeping the camera level in relation to the ground. A good bet is the Tarot Go-Pro Gimbal. No-brand gimbals on Ebay are inexpensive (around $50), but are sometimes known to be quite fiddly. It’s a gamble. The previously listed gimbals are “2 axis” . They compensate for the pitch and roll of your copter.
Three Axis gimbals are slightly more expensive, but also compensate for yaw, or the turning of your copter. Most gimbals can make use of the 5th/6th channels on your transmitter to move the camera manually. Make sure to pick up some landing gear if you plan to mount your gimbal beneath your quad.
$100 Camera
Lots of options here. Pick something with decent resolution and color reproduction.
By the way, Above was reprinted from reddit.com by unitedheavy , Thanks for him. If have any questions, please contact us (jack@rcdronegood.com). Thank you!
Conclusion for Diy quadcopter parts list
Price is one other factor consideration, do not blindly believe in what expensive is your good. Reasonably priced parts will suffice. There are also a large community of diy quadcopter there, so troubleshooting is easier. Chances are any problem you have has been experienced and solved before, or someone on a forum like rcgroups / reddit will be able to help you out. Question aboutDiy quadcopter parts list, Offcouse you could leave your messages on here.
