Quadcopter Safety | HOW TO NOT CUT YOUR FINGERS

[@S700KYFPV]

I had a big smile when I saw this, reminding me when I emailed you just over a week ago, and my fingers are getting better lol

[@LachlanPeknice]

Pls get a manufacturer to make a JB signature smoke stopper! I'd buy it ;)

[@rl2109]

Good safety info, and I think the firearm analogy is a good one... Thanks for all of the great tips!

[@EddieFPV]

Thanks for the helpful tips. This hobby is attracting a lot of interests and I think certain individuals overlook the risks involved.

[@neojeets]

"Treat your quadcopter like a dangerous fricking machine." Truth.

[@Docustube]

Thx, I think this is a realy good video to keep the danger of the quads in mind, especially for new pilots. But of course also for us experienced ones to remind us what we already (should) know.

[@derbaronfpv2354]

what to do with 3d quads? cheers from germany i hold my quad always on one motor incl with the prop. i think the prop will not spinning up when i am holding it tight

[@nenaddmc]

Hey Joshua, thanks for your tips and tricks, you are a great help to me right now, since I'm waiting for my parts to arrive so I can build my first fpv quad. After seeing this video, I am wondering, is it possible to set some kind of timeout on a quad, where it can be armed only after X seconds for example? It would look like this: plug a battery, get a sound that it's connected, start a 5-10 seconds timer, and you have enough time to leave it on the ground and be on a safe distance in case something go wrong. After timer is finished, you can arm a quad and fly it. Let me know what you think?

[@zimmy1958]

All great info Joshua thanks for sharing. Also I would like to add as a ex nitro plane flyer in the 80s we learned the keep our thumb over the throttle stick to hold it down, of course this was before the arm switch. I still find myself doing that.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Yep. I set up my arm switch the way I do because I started in fixed-wing and switch-towards-you was throttle cut. I still rest my thumb on the throttle and my index finger on the arm switch when carrying the TX.

[@sarg1843]

hey Josh. great video again ;) i'd like your thoughts on something: i noticed the way you put your receiver antennas. any issues, benefits, risks, etc. on my new Stretch X build (which i haven't maidened yet), i installed the antennas on the inside of the rear arms so the tips V towards each other and touch. i worry this could cancel out their signal. whaddayathink?

[@nickelindgren]

Another tip is that never ever have your radio hanging on the strap around your neck while connecting the battery. Leave it on the ground that way you don't accidentally arm the quad when bending down over the quad.

[@MrDocdoc89]

SKELLHELL FPV set up a two switch arm to prevent accidental arming.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKeWh31nn9-hrZo

[@PenPeng]

For that reason I have two arm switches. (The left "Shoulder switch" and one of the 3-way switches on my QX7) Both need to be in a specific position to arm. If I flip one of them it disarms. So when I accidentally flip the shoulder switch the quad doesn't arm. This works really great for me and is very convenient. Sorry for the bad english btw :)

Exactly what happened to me today, the irony is I learned about 2 switch arm yesterday and thought I should set it up but didn't yet 🙄 lesson learned, got pretty bloody fingers but nothing too bad

[@ibnfpv]

#Joshua Bardwell can you please do a video on what is the best way to please you RX antennas?

[@Manawyrm]

A nice lab bench power supply with current limiting is also very handy, that way the motors can't pull remotely enough power to spin up and do crazy stuff... Very useful when working on the bench.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

But be careful. ESC braking can cause enough reverse-current to damage bench supplies. It's okay if you use low current limit, but if you are trying to do motor testing with high current, you have to use BIG caps, like, in the single-digit Farad range, to protect the supply. This is why most bench tests use LiPos.

[@foamdrone987]

Well said Josh. I think of it like this... You wouldn't stick your fingers down inside a blender that's plugged in, so always unplug and stay outta that prop arc. Nice tips for plugging and unplugging.

[@Eduardoramundo]

I just noticed your antenna mounting. Please can you do a vid on this as mine always get chopped up when crashing. Thanks

[@sofpv8736]

Great video! I am going to use this technic from now! Love ur videos

[@owenwilkins6563]

+Joshua Bardwell are you going to review that battery?

[@gymkhanadog]

Yup. Nearly cut the end of my right ring finger off. Prop got 4 strikes on my finger in a split second. Was wearing my TX on a lanyard, was crouched over the quad to check it after doing something boneheaded. Throttle caught on my shirt, managed to re-arm (used stick arming then) and throttled up. Let me tell you, everyone is about high KV motors these days but those DT750s can swing 10/11" props darn fast let me tell you! Freshly charged 3S 2.2 60c, motors stuttered in to about 75% throttle. Ended up fine in the end with just a lot of blood and some superficial wounds, but the prop literally went half way through the meat of my finger just in front of the nail. Two strikes actually cut the fingernail. Also had motors go high throttle during firmware flashing. Use a good fusable load on the bench! Something like an automotive light in parallel so that if something does go high throttle it'll pop the fuse and kill power. Take off your props! Protect them fingaz!

[@joelwarburton527]

Joshua - did I see a puff of smoke come from the Chameleon at 6:47, right after you plugged in the battery? During the startup beeps, just above your XT60. Not sure if anyone else saw that - just an FYI...

[@GeorgeCooper_LoneWolf]

Hi Joshua, I only have one Quad that has a bottom battery mount, but I had it spin up on me once. So now when I fly it I take a small stick with me to knock it over after landing to unplug the lipo. once bitten but never again lol ( and by the way another great video from you keep em coming matey

[@aerofokus]

Does anyone have a link to those antenna protectors?

[@grumpydude1598]

having a chameleon myslef im not sure if i like the way you routed the xt60(regarding safety), i locked mine under the antenna mount, that way im not as much at risk as when its on the side or front mounted, and i use a home built launch pad where i can place it without having to touch it from the top at all

[@antstoes]

Thanks! we all need to be reminded of Safety Stuff.

[@Scrub_Zero]

When I was a newb I had a martian with a lux v1 board try to stick itself to the ceiling of my living room while still attached to the USB umbilical at 3 am! I cut several fingers and hacked into my nail bed, completely cutting off a finger nail! I learned a valuable lesson that night the hard way.

[@LeonVuksic]

I'm a noob, I built my first quad a month ago and have around 10 flights.. I have never cut or hurt myself in any way.. it all comes down to how careful you are and how much you are aware of what you are doing :)

[@JoshuaBardwell]

With around 10 flights, it's a bit early to brag. Stay safe!

[@LeonVuksic]

Im not braging, just stating the facts :P hope I fly with you one day :)

[@foundcause898]

+Leon Vuksic you can be careful all you want I've got scars that remind me these things are *NOT* a toy take this warning seriously

[@CrazyQuadBrothersP3]

Great video Josh!👍🏻Something that should be obvious... But apparently not to everyone with multiple bandaids on their hands!

[@Neon-zj1uk]

Oh you're so considerate I love it

[@dave123443210]

Must say I've been lucky not having an issue but also have been at events where others have issues has given me much needed respect for the dangers. Worst I saw was a guys going to full throttle as he was about to pick it up... went up about 100m then fell back down

[@rdandes47]

I like your antenna mount locations. Im gonna give that a try.

[@AndreySemjonov]

New frame? :) Looks amazing. Wanna see more about it. Please 🙏

[@easttnscott7629]

I also make sure my transmitter is not hanging around my neck when plugging battery in quad. I almost accidentally armed it once. I have arming on one switch. I know some that do 2 stage arming. Is this something you do? Is it difficult to setup? Thanks Edit: I found you did a video on 2 switch arming. I will watch it.

[@pivoglotik]

What about turning on rc transmitter before powering up the quad? Is that safer?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Yes definitely. And turn off only after unplugging.

[@DangerDavefpv]

Joshua would u consider my 5" quad heavy 330g no lipo or GoPro. Wish I could get to like 280g instead,5" rasvelg stretch x

[@JoshuaBardwell]

It's pretty light. Proper racing quads would be, I would say, Under 300 grams dry. At 330g dry, you're still under 500 with a battery and no GoPro. That's still pretty light, if not super-light.

[@DangerDavefpv]

Awesome, my rasvelg stretch is great for racing imo ,alien was heavy but fine with freestyle flights but racing didn't do well..could be undermount lipo vs top mount but it's my first bottom mount

[@jeffreyodachowski6247]

Hi Josh do I down load the bin or the hex firm for my flight controller for betaflight 3.2

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Just go into the configurator and go to the Firmware Flashing screen and select the option, "show unstable versions". Then flash 3.2 from there.

[@jeffreyodachowski6247]

Joshua Bardwell well I got 3.2 on omnibus F4 from some where last night and now it will not connect to the old blheli it connects to the new blheli but I don't have blheli 32 ESCs so it doesn't recognize them so I'm going to flash 2.17 and see if it works again

[@jeffreyodachowski6247]

Joshua Bardwell I mean 3.17

[@jeffreyodachowski6247]

Yep now it connects again blheli the old version with 3.17 flashed on the flight controller so anyways I know what to do it I get some blheli 32 ESCs o and my motors ran got hot I 3.2 firm so that shit must be unstable for my f4 for now lol

[@Mcleansboro99]

Some good common sense points. My question is regarding the RC antenna mounts in this video. Those look like they could get in the blades, but I'm going to guess that they usually don't due to the arms. I tend to mount mine on top like rabbit ears, and they seem to get a fair amount of protection from the battery on a top mount, and aren't able to bend over far enough to get in the blades on a bottom battery mount. Do you have a video on that topic?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

I haven't had any problem with them getting in the props. Top mount get sheared off too easily in a crash in my experience.

[@Kiwin412]

What are the motors you have put on the chameleon ? RMRC RIfle ?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Yes.

[@didactylos4diddy474]

I learnt my lesson REALLY early. I managed to leave my blood all over my first quad on the first unintentional flight. And that was just a toy-grade micro. You can imagine how cautious I am with brushless ones as a result. I still appreciate reminders though.

[@chemistt]

I think its only about not being a hero/lazy. If I am unsure about a build and its a new build that I havent tested properly yet - like 10 or more flights without any change - I am wearing a kevlar glove. Only on the hand that manipulates with quad. Yes, Ive been cut by quad before and Ive learned. OFC this applies to the flight or testing. On bench - its always props off. This approach saved me from cuts several times already

[@shaunweir6080]

JB- I have a head scratcher on my hands and you seem like someone that has the experience to help. I am doing my first build, a Stingy frame with a BF F3 Flight Controller and DYS 30amp ESCs (D shot). I am having an issue where when I transfer controls to my Tx (Qx7) only the #1 motor arms and responds. In both BLHeli suite and BF I am able to spin all motors. Everything looks good in betaflight configurator. What am I doing wrong?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

#1 confirm all channels centered at 1500 and endpoints 1000-2000 in the Receiver tab. Always do this first whenever the controls are not doing what you expect. If you raise the throttle, does the #1 motor spin up or does it sort of top out at a low rpm? If you raise the throttle, will the quad flip over because only motor #1 is spinning, or will it sort of "struggle" and "wallow around" but not flip over?

[@shaunweir6080]

Joshua Bardwell receiver tab is all set 1000-2000 with 1500 center, motor #1 responds to the throttle fully. I haven't put on props or taken it out of the vice to see if it flips but I will give that a shot when I get home.

[@shaunweir6080]

Joshua Bardwell thank you for the response BTW, I love your channel!

[@shaunweir6080]

Joshua Bardwell i tried taking throttle all the way up, it ended up slowing down then "ran away" (not really its in my panavise) and would not respond to my Tx. I tilted it with the throttle going and it failsafed.

[@shaunweir6080]

I might hit you up on your Patreon instead, I just joined.

[@maine_iacfpv3237]

What is the frame you were demonstrating with

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Dtf Fpv you'll see...

[@maine_iacfpv3237]

Joshua Bardwell something new

[@acdfpv4518]

Another thing if you can't (don't want to..) take your props off, throw a rug/ shirt on the motors! Anyway, awesome video as always! ;)

[@조윤호-s1i]

Joshua please teach me best flightcontroller for 4in1 esc which doesn't have any pinout for stack(like cicadia) or for alien PDB cause i want to still use current sensor and osd in betaflight with alien PDB

[@JoshuaBardwell]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4TZk42EipxlfKc

[@조윤호-s1i]

Joshua Bardwell THX

[@ZylonFPV]

This is exactly what I do, it seems like common sense to me! I never plug a quad in indoors with props on. I have seen people do really stupid things, like have their quad plugged in (with props on) centimetres from their face while they change video channel. The scariest moment I've had is someone's 6" Alien suddenly take off at full throttle by itself just before I went to unplug it for them. I was really close to it and it was scary as hell - you don't want to mess around with these powerful beasts. Got any tips for taking props off a non-powered quad without cutting your fingers? When the props are stuck on really solidly I seem to always end up slicing myself slightly!

[@manuelpellizzari8540]

Hi, thanks. Safety rules need to be reminded frequently. Otherwise you hopefully get them reminded by near-misses instead of accidents. You could have mentionned the double switch arm, with a convenient link to your dedicated video. Also I would have hoped for a more in depth analysis about what can go wrong to spin your motors when you don't think they would. But right, I got the critical moments things and be attentive to that.

[@SpexFPV]

Great video Joshua, always the voice of reason. Just handling props you can end up with a nasty nick/cut so it doesn't take much to imagine how bad it can get when they're spinning at several tens-of-thousands times a second! However, what I learned today is that you do occasionally swear, I don't think I've ever heard it before on any of your videos before! It's cool though, I swear also, usually when I'm replacing props....;-)

[@claudballs1596]

Josh how well does that racetek 2400 mah battery work? Needing something that can deliver on a 5inch hex .

[@JoshuaBardwell]

It's not terrible but it's an HV so I'm not really using it to its full intended performance because I don't charge it to 4.35. I haven't really pushed it super hard to find out its limits.

[@EnuffsEnuff318]

Questions: Is it best practice to power up radio first? I was also always under the impression that turning the quad upside down to power up is a bad idea as it could want to spin the props due to FC disorientation? Is this old school thinking?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

No, there's no danger of that. The props won't spin unless it's armed. The radio should be on first, yes.

[@RCFlyer85]

Joshua Bardwell I've got people telling me that their props are spinning up randomly while disarmed....

[@BraedenSmith]

How's that racetek battery?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

It's not bad, but I'm not charging it to HV so I can't comment on that. I can't tell if it's a true rock star yet but it's not bad. Once I get my battery test rig going again, I will get another Racetek and test it properly.

[@alexdij4025]

That racetek pack tho. 2400mah. How is it?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

It's not terrible but it's an HV so I'm not really using it to its full intended performance because I don't charge it to 4.35. I haven't really pushed it super hard to find out its limits.

[@alexdij4025]

But is it a true 2400mah? If so that's quite a big pack

[@FerralVideo]

I have a friend that nicknamed these things "Tetracuisinarts", and that's how I treat mine - like four little food processors ready to shred anything in reach!

[@D_H_88_99]

I've always wondered why we don't use a power switch. It could be mounted somewhere that is safe to hold.... ???

[@CubAndMine]

It's hard to find a power switch that can handle that kind of power without being big, heavy and hard to mount... I think x)

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Do a web search for a 100 amp rated 12v breaker or cutoff switch. Tell me how much it weighs and how big it is.

[@D_H_88_99]

Joshua Bardwell I think we're thinking about this problem the wrong way. A lot of electronics have a "soft switch" power switch. The pdb could have the circuitry and all we need is a small momentary switch somewhere..... Your right about the 100 amp switch! I've got 3 phase ones but that's just silly 🤣

[@CubAndMine]

Daniel Hoyle Soft or hard the problem is the same, you either need a big switch or you have a software arming procedure as we do

[@D_H_88_99]

Odus Thesar FPV There has to be a solution. We just haven't discovered it yet. Software switching is great when everything is wired up right, but as we know, not everyone wires things up right

[@patrickcol]

I've often wondered about a blade switch on the top, visually obvious when it's open, plug the battery in and throw the switch Igor!

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Look up how big and heavy 100-amp-capable 12v blade switches are and get back to me.

[@patrickcol]

I'll take your word for it Joshua, but our cables wouldn't be commercially acceptable for 100A either would they? A 12v auto, (oh how American of me), battery isolation switch isn't too huge? Anyway, just a thought.

[@j.finesseflights1403]

I have an arming issue that is probably going to sound stupid to someone like you! In order for me to arm all my kwads the throttle has to be set at least too 1/4- throttle or more, toggle switch to arming position then throttle all the way down, then props will spin up!!! What the hell did I do wrong, I feel it has to do with min-check or something of that nature? It does kinda work like a safety feature but I'm concerned with throttle resolution, if it's reaching full throttle or not??

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+J.FINESSE FLIGHTS check the receiver tab. Ensure that all channels are going from 1000 to 2000 with 1500 when the sticks are centered. Adjust endpoints and subtrim in the transmitter if not.

[@AMAStudios]

Program a throttle hold switch on your taranis which overrides the arm switch.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

That is a great idea. Personally I use two-stage arming. But that still won't help you if you have a mechanical failure or something else goes wrong. It's like a safety on a gun. Just because the safety is on, you don't point it at your head.

[@SimRacer101]

Oh man, after filming a video like this I am worried for Joshua. Next weeks recording... "Sorry guys, I'm going to be sticking to theory videos from now on. I cut off two fingers..."

[@michaelwilkes0]

I learned something. I like the idea of turning the quad upside down to plug in usb.

[@floorpizza8074]

Interesting that you used the gun analogy. My son and I are both firearm enthusiasts. I've been shooting firearms since I was 8 (and my son has, as well). And we both treat quads the same way we do firearms. In 20 years of off-and-on RC flying, I have never cut a finger. Knock on wood. :)

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Yep. If you are a responsible gun owner, your safety habits will transfer well to other dangerous objects.

[@foundcause898]

+Joshua Bardwell I think an awesome follow up to this video would be how to set up a double arm switch in Betaflight

[@JoshuaBardwell]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKeWh31nn9-hrZo

[@ViperFPV]

It's sad we need a video on this

[@SeanDaWhiteBoy]

Joshua I have a problem. I didn't learn anything today

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Glad you already knew this stuff but the sheer number of cut fingers I am seeing tells me a WHOLE LOT of people need to hear this info. Hope you can afford one day of "no learning" in service of the n00bs who still don't know it all :-)

[@foundcause898]

I learned this lesson about a year ago and my fingers still hurt shit happens

[@manuelpellizzari8540]

N00bs or not, everybody needs this to be reminded frequently, otherwise you just forgot and relax until the next wtf-have-I-just-done moment (hopefully without bad consequences).

[@YashRug]

You learned that he made a video in which you didn't learn anything

[@FubarFpv]

I learnt the hard way 13yrs ago when I flew planes. Went to adjust the carb on a running engine and ended up making my left thumb 1cm shorter. 12" props make a real mess!

[@schumata3356]

Thats a big battery. Was that for demonstration purposes or are your running 2400 mah on those quads? If so, how is that working out? I have a chunk of change in 1300's, but they are getting long in the tooth.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

It's only a 2400 if you charge it to HV, which I don't. It is SiGr chemistry, which is supposed to be better for longevity, but I haven't tested that.

[@ryan3859]

He was just teasing a future, vid, cheeky bastard.

[@edgar9651]

About a year ago I cut my fingers on the bench testing my new quad copter. I was holding it in my hand and I wanted to test how the stabilizing function of the flight controller worked. When I armed it it ripped out of my hand and cut me - with zero throttle and min throttle set to maybe 1070. In the hindsight I know what my biggest mistake was: I had the quad in Angle Mode and not in Acro Mode. If the quad would have been in Acro Mode then the motors would have run according to the throttle at low RPM and everything would have been fine. But when I armed it in Angle Mode the motors run a lot faster than Min Throttle because they tried to level the quad. And that is what I didn’t realize early enough and what caused at the end of that experiment bloody fingers, an open fracture and more than 10 stiches. I learned from that: Always arm the quad in Acro Mode. That makes sure the props spin as slow as possible and don’t ruin your day.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Your biggest mistake was arming the quad with props on while you were holding it. :-)

[@edgar9651]

Yes, you are right. I tested the quad first without props. After that I wanted to test the levelling function with props like I saw other people doing this in lots of videos on KZbin. My main point is that with Angle Mode the props will always spin a lot faster than with Acro Mode and this makes it obviously more dangerous. I guess you and many other pilots only use Acro Mode so you won't experience this problem. I was a total beginner and I thought Angle Mode is the best to start - that was one of my mistakes. And I am pretty sure in Acro Mode this would not have happened. I think this is important and maybe you want to add it to your video description. Maybe it saves someone else fingers...

[@foundcause898]

JB you are correct sir

[@MAGITSIK]

You ise 2400 mah batts on race qouds? Isnt that way to much?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

It's a HV battery, so the mAh is based on charging to 4.35 volts. It's similar weight to a 1500 or 1600 mAh non-HV.

[@joachimlarsen2k]

Some years ago I had the pleasure of witnessing my T-Rex 450 (on 6S, yea, good idea) go from zero to absolutely full throttle in less than 0.3 femtoseconds. On my desk. In front of me. 20 inches from my throat. I had just finished rebuilding it and was doing the last preparations, but I had already put on the blades and connected the motor. It's too much hassle to undo it! (I thought to myself, naively) So I went on to reverse all the channels that needed reversing on the radio. Including the throttle... which, you guessed it, did NOT need it. The only thing that was going through my mind during the absolute armageddon that was now taking place in my room was to just stay as far away as I can for as long as possible. When all the gears and all the carbon from the blades were shredded into oblivion, and the heli was lying with spasms on the floor, I walked over and unplugged the battery. My arm was bruised and swollen for a couple of weeks from getting wacked by the blades. Luckily I didn't need any medical attention. I had learned my lesson. Anyway, this winter I shredded three of my fingers when I went to unplug the battery from a quad I was working on, and it decied to arm and spin up just as I reached for it instead of when I flipped the switch 3 seconds earlier. One needed to be stiched up and one was too mangled to do anything but wait for it to heal naturally xD The last one only had surface damage. "I have done this maaany times, I know what I'm doing." No :P just no. Remove those damn props! That was the final lesson for me. Never again. Ever.

[@codyfisher8198]

Hello Josh!! new flyer, and overall novice of this hobby. Glad to be here. Snagged me a Chameleon

[@JoshuaBardwell]

You're probably on the wrong channel, yeah.

[@codyfisher8198]

thanks alot josh. i missed that step. do you have/know of a solid video on matching your vtx and receiver channels properly?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

No... I mean, they just have to be on the same channel, you know? So look at the vTX manual and look at how the channel is set, and then look at the goggle manual and do the same. They have to be on the same MHz.

[@codyfisher8198]

Thanks for that i got it. I no longer have any noise on my video. However, i do see 4 images moving quickly around the screen seemingly up and down. I was able to get rid of the noise but not the multiple moving video. have you seen this before?

[@codyfisher8198]

josh i have fixed this problem. My vtx was on NTSC and my goggles on PAL. i do remember switching in betaflight to PAL but i must of not saved my changes. thanks for responding quickly when i had a drone issue, i know you have better things to do.

[@johnfpv6989]

i cut my finger just a little bit but.... ffs i flow my quad and somehow lost singal i move the stick forward a little bit but nothing happend it hits me not hard i would say about 5to8 km/h and then its gets failsafe i see my taranis (QX7) and its turned off wtf is happening i put out the think that covers the batteries to see if they are ok i push them a little bit and they seem ok now but meh idk i hope that its not going to happen again

[@solidfpvdeadgxsr4528]

Its also unsafe to rebind the drone with props. The Eachine lizard with crap betaflight, after the controller was on bind and I turned on the drone on bind mode. IT TURNED ON AND SPINNED CUTTING MY NAIL. Tx wasnt even armed, bo throttle either. Only way to turn of drone was to turn off Tx. Sucks the new button of tx to turn off is by holding it like 3 seconds. No blood though.

[@ChristopherPunton]

DEADGXSR thanks for the tip I normally bind with props on

[@renzevenir4853]

Why would you even bother to plug your lipo when binding?

[@solidfpvdeadgxsr4528]

Every tutorial shows the binding process with lipo. I guess a usb on phone while on the road is another way of doing it. But most of the time and I repeat, I said rebinding. We do most of the nick naks on the field. So you normaly use lipo battery. Who would thinl by having drone on bind while make it fly off, even though Tx does not even have a bind button yet and throttle is down??

[@solidfpvdeadgxsr4528]

We were at work and drone was fresh out box. We bind it but didnt was to fly, rebind it and flew off and spinned of ground non stop. Plus drone was on my face, i had a stick pressing the bind button and boom.

[@ChristopherPunton]

Because my fc does not power the Rx from usb

[@lukegodeassi7352]

Yep, it's easy to get complacent, but I always remember try to treat these things like flying lawnmowers!

[@lovefpv7786]

An idea: can't you grab the quad by an arm or two, holding the props with same hand(s)? Even if the ESC fires up, it won't be able to spin those props up. Seems to be more robust than holding the slippery battery. Remember: even if the quad flies away from you, that's only for a split second and it might come back or even hit someone else anytime after that.

[@meneliumfore7532]

So currently my finger is recovering from being cut by my quad (approx 8mm deep cut) also fractured the bone and have a split in it that's how deep it is. It happened the day after this video was posted

[@tma450]

My qx95 was the only machine that bit me. My bad, bumped the arm switch, just stung a little. Lesson learned.

[@foundcause898]

mine was a walkera f210 same thing bumped the arm switch Lesson learned fingers hurt just thinking about it

[@wdavie27]

oops.s and sorry josh nice information and good advice as always my friend but watching the video I went down a left a comment about my top mounted and without any problems and it's feels safer plugging in and unplugging the battery I feel top mounted is a very safer option josh don't you think but not all frame's are designed to top mounted batteries

[@MrDocdoc89]

Good luck holding your quadcopter in any position if it spins up. I was holding mine by the underslung battery and it freaked out instantly rolling in my hand and cutting me up. I feel we grossly underestimate how powerful they are, also how fast things can go wrong.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

The exact behavior depends on why the props are spinning. Before I started using a two-stage arming switch, I bumped the arm switch once while carrying the quad. The motors went to idle and it flew out of my hand relatively gently. A single motor makes about 1.5 kg of thrust at most, which is easy for a typical person to hold steady. But if you're not ready for it, the quad is going to eat your face every time. So un-plug the battery as soon as you pick it up!

[@scottmarshall6766]

This isn't new or exclusive to quadcopters. Before electrics we had the regular stories of people reaching thru the prop to set the needle valve on their glow motor, with the (occasionally ignored) warnings to always adjust from the rear so the risk is reduced. After that, we had electric, where the odds of an accident went up, as it didn't require a running engine for the risk to occur, a connected battery required even more precautions as evidenced by all the stories of airplanes going berserk in a workshop, garage or in the field. Cautions (also often ignored) to remove props were common knowledge at this point in our history. Then we came to the quads, where we see a rapid rise in reported accidents. There are a number of reasons for this. An increased level of automation and technology added to the number of malfunctions/mistakes possible and likely. To compound this added risk, the number of people new to this level of automation or to model aircraft increased exponentially due to the popularity of the new machines, and the ease which they could be used. No longer were newcomers to the sport likely to seek the guidance of experienced hobbyists, and to move slowly and cautiously thru the learning process. You could build/buy a machine, throw it in beginner mode and be flying in an hour. Other accidents increased as a result, Lipo fires for example. The regulation fiasco is largely a result of this (In my personal opinion) Plenty of gruesome photos from every era show this is a risk with any powered model. (It's no different than the risk you face woodworking, auto mechanics or cooking - power equipment can hurt you, be it a power saw, alternator belt or blender) Having worked around dangerous automatic equipment all my life, I'm trained to treat any power equipment with respect. Despite this, I've had a couple of close calls with models. The size and silence of a electric plane or quad can lull you into getting lax with your safety regimen. They don't seem nearly as powerful or as dangerous as they indeed are. Even a small belt driven machine (like an air compressor for example) can start and cause terrible injury. They're loud and scary though, and few would think of reaching into a compressor drive that could start automatically without warning. It's Russian roulette. Your average race quad can produce power on the level of a Weedeater or small mower, but we don't set those on our desk running with a computer on the throttle controls. Often for the 1st time and untested. I was scared straight when I crashed a quad and had it go full power up against a vehicle tire. The throttle cut didn't work and I ran to it to unplug the battery.(at the moment only concerned about burning out motors and ESCs) It was like grabbing an enraged alligator, trying to get a bite at me. I was holding it as safely as possible, but the sheer power of it shocked me, (by now glad as a motor burned out and gave me some relief) and by the time I got the XT60 (tight XT60) apart, I had a new respect for the power in these little machines. My hands were shaking. I immediately started taking my props off EVERY time, built several 'smoke stoppers' that I had been meaning to get around to, and gave some of them to my friends. And I started preaching safety, something I really hate to do. Sorry about long safety 'rant' (if you want to call it that), I hate the subject as much as any flyer, but sooner or later we are going to see someone badly hurt on the national news, and we don't need to feed any more food to the 'drone tragedy' news media. Props off whenever indoors or in doubt. Set your failsafes and test them.(props off), NEVER reach into a prop path with a battery connected. Transmitter on 1st, off last. YOU are the only 'safety' (as Joshua pointed out, no different than a gun, ALL mechanical safeties fail) Thanks Joshua for bringing up this often unpopular subject. I hope my 2 cents is received in the spirit intended. (and thanks for passing on the gruesome photos) As they used to say on Chips - Be careful out there!

[@0To400Feet]

My fingers thank you.

[@proporange4084]

Forget fingers, I flew my 5 inch into my face - it is a 'dangerous frickin machine'. Although having said that, I have hurt myself worse playing soccer, riding a bicycle and even on a tricycle as a toddler. YMMV

[@wdavie27]

I have always graded It from bottom of the frame but I always use top mounted with my xt60 on top at the back of the battery. and never had any problems so far plus I fell safer as my hands and fingers ar above and out of way from getting cut a bite common sense go's a long way as they say be safe and happyflying guy's

[@slothFPV]

My life is upturned, JB swore

[@JoshuaBardwell]

This is a topic worth swearing about.

[@foundcause898]

damnit

[@slothFPV]

Joshua Bardwell haha indeed it is. Btw that e book you made was good, i need to change min check now :)

[@BrassStacks]

Instructions unclear... Lost 2 fingers and recircumcised myself while impregnating a local harlot. Dammit Josh!

[@foundcause898]

umm you just keep doin you man

[@KevPV]

Idk where to post this, I tried RC groups but nobody cared so I'll try here. There appears to be a BUG in Betaflight 3.2 with 3D mode. When using reverse thrust, the motors spin at full throttle. Move the stick back into the positive thrust range and it modulates throttle just fine. Move it back into negative thrust and it instantly goes full throttle. Hopefully somebody can get this info to the right people so it's fixed!

[@oznerol256]

If you want to report a bug, go on github. Go the betaflight github, open a new issue and give as detailed information as you have. Ideally you would give precise instructions on how to replicate the issue.

[@QuadView]

Always someone wants to help go get the quad when it crashes. Please design and sell a shirt that says. "Step away from the Quad"!!

[@JT-jy2sy]

I think may be having a mechanical switch could be a good option.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

A mechanical switch that can carry 100 amps at 12v is pretty large and heavy for a quadcopter.

[@norgtube]

You should mention 2-switch arming (so bumping a switch can't start motors).

[@CronaTheAwper]

My arming switch snagged on my jacket as I was picking up my quad ;~;

[@ISLAMguidanceful]

thats a nice frame

[@rcwck]

I always grab/carry a quad by an arm which includes smothering the prop so if bad things happen you will not get chopped up and it will not fly into other people. Components might get injured however if it freaks out which I'm willing to sacrifice for safety.

[@jordanbass3210]

rcwck I'm confused so if it starts spinning you're just going to slice your hand to Smithereens until you drop it?

[@LazerLord10]

I think it's more about having your hand stop the motion before it starts. It's the momentum of the blades that cut you, so if they never start spinning, they won't have the energy required to cut you. All it will do is press against your hand that's holding the prop. The way I do it is have a 3-stage arming process. Throttle must be zero, I must hold the momentary switch, and THEN the arming switch actually works. It makes it nearly impossible to accidentally arm.

[@MrJarrod]

free tip TAKE YOUR PROPS OFF! when ever you are working on your quad.

[@foundcause898]

Right?

[@CubAndMine]

I hope what I'm gonna say would open the eyes of some people. I fly regularly with airplane guys that own a quad and use it sometimes. One time, we were going to fly indoors, I witnessed one of my mates plugging in his quad, putting it on the floor at his feet, arming it (props were not spinning because he activated motor stop), TAKING IT, WALKING WITH IT ARMED and then putting it on the floor and coming back. Freaking dangerous, STOP using motor stop, you don't know when your quad is armed this way !

[@FPV-wi8fw]

I know a guy who tests his quads by holding it down on the bench with his hand on it and then throttle it up to full throttle lol (I don't know what he is actually checking for)

[@Bob_Burton]

"Freaking dangerous, STOP using motor stop, you don't know when your quad is armed this way !" Freaking dangerous, USE motor_stop so that the props don't spin until you are ready to take off and you know that the quad is armed because the beeper makes a regular chirp to let you know and the "Engines Armed" track has played on the transmitter.

[@CubAndMine]

UKHeliBob Your quad shouldn't be armed if you're not ready to take off.

[@Bob_Burton]

And your motors should not be spinning until you actually take off

[@CubAndMine]

UKHeliBob That's why having motor stop enabled can be dangerous because motors can be stopped and your quad can be armed at the same time. Disabling motor stop prevents your from arming before being ready to take off.

[@rotorvillage]

Hahaha awesome intro! :P

[@LetesOfHell]

Tip: throw a towel, a t-shirt or any rag on top of the quad covering the prop in case you really need to work on it without taking of the props. It will prevent the props from getting speed. My 2 cents.

[@foundcause898]

or literally take a freaking minute to take off the props

[@GoochiFPV]

Follow the mantra. Props or battery. Props or battery!

[@brisketbaron]

Everything is dangerous. I burnt the crap out of my fingers with a soldering iron yesterday when I spilled my beer.

[@OkiFPV]

Ouch! If only that damn deer hadn't have run out in front of you..

[@rl2109]

Spilling your beer is a greater travesty than cut or burnt fingers...! Sometimes you have to re-think your priorities...!

[@foundcause898]

A moment of silence for our fallen pilsner

[@dvnstone]

Need a blade stopper! Biggest issue here is complacency,, when you don't expect it,,, spin up is bound to happen..

[@moreluckthanjudgement8007]

7:39 Joshua mentions a smoker stopper - here's a link to Joshua's Smoker Stopper video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aquaqoV9apuUga8

[@francisroan]

I thought you didn't like those white tops?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Not the 2700kv version, no, but for the time being, I haven't found the next thing to put on this quad.

[@toddbeal4373]

Well said sir!!! Shit can go wrong!!! Hahaha. Been there lol

[@tonibarros757]

Circular saw...Thats how I threat em.....

[@fotodavidrodriguez]

I don't know but those tiny motors don't look like the can actually cut you a finger or something like that, and the props are plastic... I don't think they are so dangerous as you say.

[@locobadgerfpv7088]

I just about lost my right index finger about three weeks ago doing what I thought was a routine hand take off with my Wizzard 220.i had done probably 20 hand take offs before I had my accident...these Quads are NOT toys and very dangerous

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Charles Pierce hand takeoff is stupid and nobody should do it.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

+Charles Pierce glad your finger is okay.