Racer 250 - Full Setup Expertise

Hello guys,

This is much more a story than a tutorial I will try to spend everything I learned in the last 11 months on Racer Drone, ESC, Brushless Motors, Tuning, Expo, PID, Rates and more, much more.

To begin, I want to tell you a story, I am Brazilian, 39 years, we program computers since 1986 (9 years old) and electronic projects since 1988 (11 years old). At 16 years I went to the ITA (Aeronautical Institute of Brazil) compared by far the MIT the USA.
But not all dreams come true, I come from a very poor family and was unable at the time to pay the fees and what was needed to start this beautiful aviation career. Well, I went ahead.

Throughout this my journey, I dedicated myself to computer completely from maintaining hardware development Appliance OpenSource applications in 2006 with the use of Linux explosion worldwide. But always it was the defeat of taste have not lived my dream.
Around 1993 - 1994 (with 16-17 years) have tried to get involved in the hobby, but the costs were impracticable, the values in Brazil of imported products like electronics come to be more than 6 times the value of the product in the American shelf and European and even more than 7 times compared to the Asian market prices, even today is so.
I returned to my normal world, doing the normal things that everyone does.

In mid-2015, almost 20 years later, I decided that there was no room in my life to complain and that the desire to fly is much greater than the unpleasantness of the past. | Then I began the most extensive research ever performed over every year on a particular subject. It was one year of pure DEMAND, Google and Youtube.

That year, every day I felt closer to the dream, lived the emotions of the first flights on planes and drones made by the people, cried, laughed, I cried, I was upset too, I was living the emotions of others and this was feeding me or better, feeding the pilot inside.

Good enough talk, fly with me!

DOC - The Pilot

Step 1: All Features Discussed

"An overview of the topics covered in this story, I'm sure your time will be valued here for your reading much valuable information will be passed to you!"

1. Flight Simulator
   • Do it All the Time During my intensive research period, I noticed that there was a way to associate the basic initial costs and yet already begin to experience the feeling of being in control! LITERALLY!!!
2. My Choice - Check All Parts - Kit Eachine Racer 250
   
   • In my extensive research on the internet, a lot of stuff I collected, analyzed,
     documented and I filtered, one works extensive research, as mentioned earlier, good, I learned
3. Fly Stock kit - My First Impressions
   
   • Returning to the magical moment that I am, I feel ready to try to TAKE OFF
     the ground, so even at home in my garage, call control and call the drone putting the battery.
4. Fly Stock kit - Oscillation
   
   • So this happens even with this kit, I saw much complaining of this problem,
     due to mass production and these adjustments are very personal, but look on the bright side, you get the box, load, install the receiver and flies, it's good yes !
5. Libre Pilot/Open Pilot - Rates, Expo, and PID Tuning - That's is Good
   
   • Great, when I chose the kit, it came with the controller card CC3D flight,
     as it was a promotion of the site, there was the option to exchange one poir NAZE32.
6. Make Balancing Props
   
   • "If you have any concern to adjust in order to get the best out of the
     equipment, then no other way but to do the balancing of propellers."
7. Balance Brushless Motors Using a Vibration Meter
   

   • It does not help you balance the propellers and not balance the engines, the vibration caused by them, even without propellers are able to disrupt or worsen the flight control.
     Check that is simple, fast and easy to measure if their engines are unbalanced or, in my case the difference was 0.003-.0.007 between them, which I found very little to move and try to zero!

8. MiniOSD CC3d Firmware and Charset
   "Telemetry is a very cool, since the first time I saw the on the subject interested me right away."
   Be able to monitor the distance and collect information in real time is too good. So as soon as I could MiniOSD bought a china plate, and as soon as he arrived I was gathering information on the internet and make it work!

9. Fashing ESC's - BLHeli Suite With Arduino
   
   • "For those not familiar with the Arduino, I just have one thing to say, KNOW IT!!! "
     This card is so versatile that you can do everything with it and we will see many projects posted on the internet, incredibly many projects.
10. Nice Tips - Overview - Setup and Test Flight
    • Tips, tips and more tips, is always tuned, I even watch every day something about flying, freestyle, fpv or something, when you want adiquirir knowledge, have to devote.
11. MOD's Controller - 10 Ch - Flysky FS-i6
    • Because update the firmware of my control !?
      Simply because it can transmit up to 10 channels and this transmitted only six.
12. Pinching or Thumbs - by ROTOR RIOT

    • Lucky me,
      starting my racing career RC FPV and taking tips like the guys Rotor Riot, experienced, who can help me a lot, I will try for sure to fly in style.

13. The end or just the beginning?
    • Now I'm starting to feel safer is qua will not stop it, see there have a Corsair in progress a Shoestring 129 and FT Versa Wing, then really the sky is the limit! Followed'll tell you more another time!

Step 2: Flight Simulator - Do It All the Time

During my intensive research period, I noticed that there was a way to associate the basic initial costs and yet already begin to experience the feeling of being in control! LITERALLY!!!

When I chose the control soon realized that he could use flight simulators with the same, so besides being able to already start to fly (virtually) I would have the first item that is very important THE RC CONTROLLER.

Of course, I always thought, I want the best, with more features, complete, if it is to spend, spend just right not to have to be buying several models! Excellent, no !? If you have the $$$ resource do it that way, but not isthe my case, but not discouraged, because no way. 4-channel radio controls or 6 channels are accessible.

Once defined the way forward, began the price research, resources, comparisons and clear, firmware update and improvements (MODs). I met FS-i6 Flysky, a modern and traditional look, nothing too hitec, after all, in addition to pilot drones, I fly airplanes, too.
For my needs I have what I need. Now that simulators, how it works, how to set up, what the minimum specifications of the PC to run the programs? Well all this of course I will not discuss here, because I'm sure the sequence of videos that will be made available and their own research may prove much lot better materials prepared than I could produce to tell this story and motivate them!

But I will give overview in which I have chosen to "train my mental muscle" basically are 2 or 3 simulators:

1. RealFlight Simulator 7.5
   
2. Phoenix
   
3. Freerider FPV

I took the easy way out, bought the china cable that comes with every conceivable programs on a CD and the main cables to most controls, including mine, in addition to USB DONGLE to amplify the control signal.
Simple, expected to arrive in Brazil, this was not tariffed and arrived at the door. I installed everything, I called the control and went fly (virtually).
Simply stunning, both the graphics programs, as the gameplay, very good!

"Basically all the models I would like to have I have in the simulator, download content, works full functionality."

But as I said, and try to learn the PC simulators, all now have a smatphone, I have an iOS, then sought the app's simulators, then downloaded the RealFlight, Electric RC and RC Flight Simulator. All these I use, and I can assure that helped me and to realize spatial positioning, visual reference points and start the maneuvers I want to learn.

"Do it All the Time" - Fly in Simulator

I say again, I am sharing the path to follow and the results you get, it means, I do not want to convince you if it's better or not, so I want to share my experience and even where you got it!

Step 3: My Choice - Check All Parts - Kit Eachine Racer 250

In my extensive research on the internet, a lot of stuff I collected, analyzed, documented and I filtered, one works extensive research, as mentioned earlier, good, I learned a few things:

1. What is the model you want to fly?
   • The. Airplane
     • mono engine
     • dual motors
     • Quad Motors
2. drone
   • Quad
   • Quad Racer
   • others
3. Wing
4. What control and how many channels?
5. What is the power I want, flight control boards and other special features

That said, I began to search among all the models described above them that I was interested, ALL!!! Kkkkk ...
but as I said before, I do not have resources and me take a drive of any of the models cost 7x more ...

The research led me to the Chinese market, there would my items so dreamed to fly.
When did the control research, motors, ESC's, flight control boards, batteries, items for FPV (transmitter and minimum in the receiver 32 channels + CMOS 700 camera at least) realized that everything would come out more expensive than if I bought a kit.

Then began the search for the kit's that others had already bought and analyzed for each model a 20 or 30 different opinions, is friend is many minutes of video and traffic to youtube, kkkk ... Jokes aside, just to relax, I was decided between models of 180mm to 250mm for what saw in the videos was where I wanted to start.

I will raise the issue of what is good or bad in's kit because I believe that this is something very personal, each will have their perception of the whole, but I can guarantee it will help you much research what a group thinks of such a model and setup . Decided and with the chosen model, went to search values, sites and waited for the best time (join $$) to buy at the best price.

Anyway, after 1 year and 6 months in Aug 02 2016 I made the purchase of the kit in the Banggood site.

Below I leave the link for that kit, I have nothing to do with the Banggood, much less give me something, the link below is not an affiliate, is the product link for you to see.

(Eachine Racer 250 FPV Drone Built in 5.8G Transmitter OSD With 7 Inch 32CH Monitor HD Camera ARF Look That)

Then after about 35 days the Drone Racer 250 arrived, that emotion, paid 60% of the purchase to my government and withdrew the product in the mail agency! I waiting years for this moment.

Very calmly, because these times if we get carried away by emotion happens all wrong, I returned calmly to my house. There opened the package and to my surprise, the Drone was assembled, ready to put the receiver, charge the 02 BATTERIES TWO that comes with the kit and fly for the first time something that actually flies. Kkkkkkkkk ....
Emotion, no .. it ... Think!
I checked everything, it was all right, I took several videos on youtube Unboxing and SETUP, watched, watched and watched .... Checked each connection, each string as you turn on the receiver, i6a that comes with FS i6 control that I described earlier.
After I did a full charge the battery with the charger that comes in the kit, which by the way works fine, full charge of 3 cells in 2h39min on average.
(I will not delve into, but I know that this charger will destroy these batteries in a much shorter time for which they were designed, but this is subject to a new episode of this journey to fly).

Checked all when I say everything is everything (I imagined, later) and ready to fly, a few hours of flight simulator, especially for airplanes, as I said before that he believed simulators drones did not work, but it is not so. In this case the only installing, configuring controls and testing programs to find THE SIMULATORS more you will love to use.
I learned to FLIP and LOOP's and then say what else !?

Step 4: Fly Stock Kit - My First Impressions

Returning to the magical moment that I am, I feel ready to try to TAKE OFF the ground, so even at home in my garage, call control and call the drone putting the battery.

Note that all factory, did nothing. It's ready to fly. My hands are shaking, to start the engines, for those who never heard a brushless turning and it is you who is controlling the hand trembles, the heart races, his eyes unblinking fix a so millisecond. There, to the air, standing there, controlling him standing in the air, dammit, I could ......

"It is indescribable in words, you need to try."

On that day, I charged the battery 4 times a TWO !! I felt so accomplished and at the same time knowing that there is a way forward so great there that excites me to know that every day I learn something new, test, fly, and see if it helps me or not to fly better and better!

I did not record any video, I did not think of anything else just fly and kill that mad desire! Sorry!

My perception of course was altered by emotion, but I was too focused to realize as far as I could go or not, then documented the early days of flight, thus making a daily flight, so I could follow the evolution of SETUP's and my skills.
Plant the drone works very well, but I can say, that does not compare to anything when starting the use of Some programs and firmware (System that will chip in the cards).

Everything works as it should, then start the falls, tumbles and lack, of course you want more, want more, want more ... Lost 1 frame screw, which are due to arrive tighten, ALL frame screws. Some are even more paranoid and put LOCTITE to fix, not used, but I will use ... kkkkkkkkkkkkkk ....

The set pleases and is tough, I say tough, do not go up to 20 meters and throw it on the groun that will be his last flight with that set pieces, something will break.
But overall I am very satisfied, very much, I always say:

"To those who have nothing, half is twice..."

because if I have no reference, this is very good.
I point but as the first drone to buy, as long as you get ready!
Develop some skills through the simulator and widely disseminated on the Internet videos.

and have courage!

Step 5: Fly Stock Kit - Oscillation

So this happens even with this kit, I saw much complaining of this problem, due to mass production and these adjustments are very personal, but look on the bright side, you get the box, load, install the receiver and flies, it's good yes !

Now you go and fits everything you need using the controller cards of the flight configurations of adjustment programs, in my case the kit came with CC3D Flight Controller, as I said before without parameter I can only say that I liked. It has a multitude of features and settings to the level that I find that is the very basics, is attending, I hope that one day does not meet more, so I know that evolves!

But I felt so oscillation is not many but especially when decelerates and accelerates fast, it shakes a bit until stabilize.

Step 6: Libre Pilot/Open Pilot - Rates, Expo, and PID Tuning - That's Is Good

It's time to improve, it's time to upgrade or update!

Great, when I chose the kit, it came with the controller card CC3D flight, as it was a promotion of the site, there was the option to exchange one poir NAZE32.

Thus the easiest way is to use the LibrePilot software which is the continuation of the project until OpenPilot as I know, without getting much on merit. This program does just about everything for you, almost a NEXT, NEXT, NEXT... Some details must play carefully and follow specific procedures, but nothing you watching, reading and seeing widely publicized videos you can not do it.

What I want to cover here are the Tuning settings that I do, according to some tips and setup's pilots throughout the world who shared their experiences.

"I just went there and did the settings and tested".

For me it was the same as if I had bought another model, that's right, is a completely new model. The flight stability and maneuverability are incredible.

Oscillation!? No, the wobble over. Quick response and smooth flights, not ever turn back.

I've seen videos of CheFPV he speaks:

"It's insane way, or very close to it, you will be forced to hold something else ..."

And it's true, these are images that I have attached my settings flight modes, as described in my daily flight, it was surprising how good and stable flight with these settings.
Remember, I got the drone from the factory, drone, I had my first impressions and now after adjusting I have new! Now yes, it was worth every penny, every time I stopped to buy something to save the resource and invest in a flight unit, kkkk... flight unit was great!

Soon realized that are infinite possibilities, but that has a path already trodden by many. I'm going in this direction... Let's GO !?

Step 7: Make Balancing Prop's

"If you have any concern to adjust in order to get the best out of the equipment, then no other way but to do the balancing of propellers."

Because they will vibrate, then reduce it to a minimum is your job!

There is no mystery about this subject, there are some devices that can help you and which are critical, that is, without them you will not do the balancing correctly. So do not even try, take it from me, do not waste your time.

You need at least a Simple Type Propeller Balancing Tester I buy this for me,

I bought one for me and of course I could not fail to mention the FLITE TEST, staff fantastic, the material and the approach is very good and clear that they have an episode only that, many more on their website, it worth taking a look.
Out this video I also follow other tips drawn from other videos that have attached to the material.

"Do your part, no one will knock on your door and talk, I want you props balancing's for you!"

Step 8: Balance Brushless Motors Using a Vibration Meter

It does not help you balance the propellers and not balance the engines, the vibration caused by them, even without propellers are able to disrupt or worsen the flight control.

Check that is simple, fast and easy to measure if their engines are unbalanced or, in my case the difference was 0.003-0.007 between them, which I found very little to move and try to zero! But check gave me knowledge of APP's very good. In the technique described in the video being very easy to apply!

Step 9: MiniOSD CC3d Firmware and Charset

"Telemetry is a very cool, since the first time I saw the on the subject interested me right away."

Be able to monitor the distance and collect information in real time is too good. So as soon as I could MiniOSD bought a china plate, and as soon as he arrived I was gathering information on the internet and make it work! I

Noticed in the materials seen that once connected to my PC I have a software to upgrade the firmware (of course) and so modify according to my preference.

To connect I used a FTDI adapter I had and use for projects with Arduino (future post more projects, including flight Arduino - extensive material on the Internet), observe the connections and turn on the PC USB.
Open ConfigTool_minOPOSD program and load the firmware indicated, all in the attached video,

reinvent the wheel at this stage of the game, EVER !!!

The time has come for the sitar material Painless360 that extraordinary content, these people took time and was dedicated to share knowledge, I would never have achieved some things if not for the videos of them! Congratulations Guys!

Step 10: Fashing ESC's - BLHeli Suite With Arduino

"For those not familiar with the Arduino, I just have one thing to say, KNOW IT!!! "

This card is so versatile that you can do everything with it and we will see many projects posted on the internet, incredibly many projects.

So we will use this Arduino UNO board to mediate the firmware recording in our ESC's Eachine the kit are ESC's 12A.

This video describes exactly how to do it, to download the BLHeli Suite you can record virtually any firmware ESC's existing market and thus release or update various functions.

I suggest that you seek information about ONESHOT125 ONESHOT42 to better understand the reasons. A classic example is that the ESC PWM is 8 times slower than ONESHOT125 which is 3 times slower than ONESHOT42, inquire.

An important observation is that even having knowledge in welding, if you have a soldering station, do not use the cable welding method in the ESC board, as happened to me, the excess heat can damage the connection of other components, mainly the resistors connected to pins, as the images of mine who have moved and had to have put away in a television repair shop and monitors because there they have all the tools for soldering SMD components.

But do not despair, there is a solution. Let us make the connection cable of the second option.

Containing a clothespin holding the ends of the cables in the right places. See how my stayed, simple, easy to do and very, very efficient, I had no more problems in the updates or destroy any card again since!

Annex I left the import file for LibrePilot containing the updates made to flight with the new firmware of the ESC's

Step 11: MOD's Controller - 10 Ch -FlySky FS-i6

Because update the firmware of my control !?

Simply because it can transmit up to 10 channels and this transmitted only six.

Of course, if your receiver does not work in PPM or IBUS or SBU anything further, because you will not receive the information across all channels.

Look my FS-i6 with iA6b receiver with 10 channels work great!!!

Thank's

Step 12: Nice Tips - Overview - Setup and Test Flight

Tips, tips and more tips, is always tuned, I even watch every day something about flying, freestyle, fpv or something, when you want adiquirir knowledge, have to devote.

Step 13: Pinching or Thumbs - by ROTOR RIOT

Lucky me,

starting my racing career RC FPV and taking tips like the guys Rotor Riot, experienced, who can help me a lot, I will try for sure to fly in style.

Step 14: The End or Just the Beginning?

Now I'm starting to feel safer is qua will not stop it, see there have a Corsair in progress a Shoestring 129 and FT Versa Wing, then really the sky is the limit! Followed'll tell you more another time!

I have to go, I want to fly!

I hope this story has inspired someone! was inspired at least one person I did my part,
I shared the seed try!