I really am enjoying your Quadcopter episode!

[G+_Mark Lutze]

I really am enjoying your Quadcopter episode! I wish that I had these resources about a year ago when I first got into the hobby. Just a few thoughts/comments:

 

It seems that in the RC hobbyist call the box that you hold in your hand with the sticks a radio, or a transmitter. Not a controller, perhaps to keep down confusion with flight controllers, or speed controllers, or to separate themselves from gamers.  But for some reason calling it a controller sounds wrong.

 

There was a question about using the same transmitter, with the cheap trainer, as well as the  final build. If you were to go with a Spectrum compatible radio then you can use a Blade Nano QX BNF(http://amzn.com/B00CYHZTDK) as your trainer. I have had good luck with the Turnigy 9XR (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__31544__Turnigy_9XR_Transmitter_Mode_2_No_Module_.html),  you will also need to get a 'transmitter Module' (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24656__OrangeRX_DSMX_DSM2_Compatible_2_4Ghz_Transmitter_Module_JR_Turnigy_compatible_.html). 

 

Finally regarding frames, I have had very good luck using a frame which as wooden booms. There are two advantages to this. WHEN you crash (you will LOTS of times) something will break. Wooden arms are a lot softer than plastic/G10/Carbon, and can be replaced with a trip to Lowes. Also wooden arms will tend to absorb vibrations from the motors/propellers, this means less vibrations in any gopro video that you might shoot. Good resources for wooden boom frames would be the 'Flite Test ElecroHub' (http://store.flitetest.com/electrohub-quadcopter-kit/), or the Simple Copter (http://store.flitetest.com/electrohub-quadcopter-kit/). 

[G+_Fr. Robert Ballecer, SJ]

I actually built a Quad with  triangular balsa-wood dowels. -- It'll be in the March episodes. :)

[G+_Mark Lutze]

Wow out to March, guess I will just have to wait on that one