Quadcopter Long Flight Time | TEN TIPS TO FLY FPV LONGER

[@codybrock3461]

These 10 crazy tips will help you last longer! Doctor's hate him!

[@MaEtUgR]

@Joshua Basrdwell Reason High-voltage / low kv works (electrical engineer here): You transform the same amount of power into thrust but transporting it through your electrical system using higher voltage and less current ([V]*[A]=[W]) and less current means less resistive load on your lipo cells, cables and ESC transistors. Same principle as high-voltage lines. Now you'd theoretically already do the same with just higher voltage and less throttle but if the kv to propsize ratio is not optimized you have motor losses swallowing the advantage.

[@tiagotiagot]

How is the lower voltage approach explained?

[@MaEtUgR]

@@tiagotiagot I don't consider it a very useful approach for FPV racers because you're essentially just cutting maximum power: If you have a lower voltage with the same kv and props that means you have less power available and full throttle has less punch and you're forced to use less energy... Also less lipo cells have less weight overhead in separation and wiring but not sure how much this actually contributes. Note that all these optimizations only hold to a certain degree until they either become less fun or even unflyable or you have other energy consumption problems like vibrating oscillations or unmatched motor prop combinations or unmatched battery size to vehicle size. The right combination for your needs makes it best...

[@rsilvers129]

@@MaEtUgR With lower voltage you want more kV - not the same.

[@halflife82]

Title clickbait should read “10 TIPS TO KEEP IT UP LONGER”

[@Gosuminer]

Yeah, Joshua, keep up the good work. For as long as possible. What.

[@erksampat9328]

I'm genuinely confused

[@WendysNuts4u]

lol

[@paulgeorge1069]

Keep up the "hard" work JB I promise to try and remember to go through the parts list link but so far I've been an idiot sorry bro. I will try "harder" lol

[@fraukereschke7692]

Joschua BARDSTALE love to clickbait and telling old storys. KZbin need some ignore function to block money hungry uploader.

[@amateurfpvsoontobegoodfpv4005]

Tells me I will learn something today, totally learned something today. Thanks JB!

[@gerald1753]

Make a top 15 beta flight command line commands vid, like the arm angle, ... and so on ...

[@anti4354]

Point no 8 is a bit controversial. If you have motors that do not take a lot of current (say 2206 or 2205 motors), you can actually use smaller C rating batteries. And having lower C rating usually means a battery that weighs less. As an example, my Turnigy nanotech 1300 mAh 45C weighs 142 g and Turnigy Graphene 1300 mAh 65C weighs 178 g. That's 36g that might make a huge difference depending on your motors.

[@FRY_FPV]

That's an interesting point

[@miklosko3355]

So what you're saying is: If I have 2205 2550kv motors ona usually running 4s graphene platinum 130c batteries and get 2-2:30min flight time and I drop the C rating on battery (get lower)I will get longer flight time? Once my friend gave me a battery to test... It wasn't able to hold up. It had massive sag and felt that I was way heavier than normal. Battery was hot and started puffing up in flight because I could feel the cells started dropping out. Oh yes my motors usually peak at 114amp current on full stick punch. I'm so confused what do do to extend flight times-yes I know I need to learn fly slower too and maybe more efficient-less punching!

[@eriksarlatnastarubio177]

Thank you Joshua for do this video I live at 8546 ft above sea level and here the flying times get reduced to the half of sea level flight time so it was very interesting for me

[@JoshuaBardwell]

In your case, I suggest using higher pitch props. It will somewhat help make up for the lack of air density. The good news is that your thin air is easier for the props to move. So you can run like 5050 props and not kill your batteries like I would.

[@alainassaf]

Hey there, I am not sure about these but how about 11- check your center of gravity is at the same distance of all 4 motors shafts, it will reduce amps draw since motors don't have to work to compensate for the unbalance. 12- check your aerodynamics on the quad. remove/reposition elements that are creating resistance to air flow. Don't drill holes in your arms but if you do, let me know if it worked. 13- clean your props from any dirt, change your props if they are damaged even if the quad is flying well. 14- avoid sharp turns. if a curved trajectory can get you the same result you will spend less amps. You can think of it as 'keep your momentum' 15- center your masses. you need less amps to flip/roll/yaw the closest the masses are to the center of gravity. if you are using 4 ESCs, you want them as close as possible to the center of the quad 16- add wings to your quad (ok just kidding on this last one:) Overall tip number one is golden, SAVE WEIGHT by well designing your quad.

[@calvin_E]

First quad I built was FT270. It was a 6" with 1600KV motors and a 2800mAh battery. 10 Minutes was easy to get, but it was the most docile, boring 10min ever! Take what you will from my experience. I'd say stick to the usual 5" 2450KV 1500mAh setup.

[@billmcdonald4335]

I've been using the throttle limit in BF to set my hover point at around 50% throttle input on my transmitter. I find it helps my laid-back cruising style.

[@sixstringedthing]

Re. 10:00: I'm not a kwad expert or pro flyer by any means, but a prop is basically just an axial fan - a device which moves air (and generates thrust) parallel to its axis of rotation by creating a pressure differential between the front and back sides of the blades - and I know a reasonable amount about those. The "baked in" efficiency gain of a larger prop essentially comes down to its ability to move more air per revolution than a smaller one. Obviously the extent of the efficiency increase is affected by a range of factors such as the number and shape of the blades, the blade pitch, and the various ways in which these factors affect the drag characteristics of the prop. But in simple terms, all else being equal, a larger diameter prop has more surface area so it can displace more air for a given RPM. To move the same amount of air with a smaller prop, you either need to increase RPM (higher current draw = less efficient) or increase the blade pitch to create a larger differential pressure (more drag = less efficient). From this point onwards, you can start diving down the rabbit hole of finding the ideal prop diameter vs. prop pitch vs. motor size vs. motor kV vs. battery voltage vs. kwad weight vs. flight time... etc. etc. :) As with any such engineering problem, its always a matter of balancing various trade-offs to arrive at a solution that satisfies all your design goals. There's never any such thing as an absolute "best" or "worst".

[@changeagent228]

Just wait till 2023 when new battery types with higher specific energy become available as many electric car companies have announced. Think 400mWh/g vs now with 100 to 150mWh/g.

[@HK_Martin]

can't wait for the future of batteries for FPV!!!

[@MariusFBU]

Car batteries don't have to give so much amps. But if energy density is three times higher C rating could be three times lower to give same current from same weighting battery.

[@MariusFBU]

It's more likely to affect those who already have long fly times, not those who drain their batteries is two minutes

[@Terry12345]

Flying drunk always increases flight time. Of course you spend more time looking for your lost quad than actually flying it 😉

[@tribefpv]

Bro how funny is it after a few beers or rums , my mate and i do it all the time yew 👊

[@Terry12345]

@@tribefpv always a hoot!

[@jurikristjouw]

We did that indoor with a 6 axis helicopter 450 size... Oh the fun with analog tx's and getting the wrong one... from that day it became digital with arm switch...

[@jdrissel]

I saw a video on PID tuning where the main problem seemed to be crashing in water, and the dryoff and cleanup. I almost suggested using conformal coating.

[@sunshynff]

Flying high too, not altitude..lol One time, spent all day working on Leader3 ,roomate passed me community bong as I was finishing up. Didn't think, just took a hit, it was sneaky stuff. Went out to closed golf course behind house for quick flight b4 dark, felt fine. It wasn't in the air 10sec and I thought, holy SH*%, I'm high. Winds picked up, ended up using failsafe, went down in wooded area next to course, never saw it again. Kids, Just say no!!! 😵😲😂

[@DeanChapmanFPV]

Thanks for the insight Joshua 👌🏻 I’m one year into FPV and I still learnt something today 😃

[@gingefpv]

I'm Levi and I always love learning something new. You've been super helpfull

[@Bjarkediedrage]

Hey Joshua, just a requests. You sometimes mention other amazing pilots, don't know if it's out of your scope, but I think it would be really cool to get a video with an overview of some of the most known and talented pilots out there. Cheers. Absolutely love your content!

[@djilly75]

Joshua is cool like that. He regularly has different guest on from time to time

[@patregan]

My favorite tip is larger props. I used to run 4S and 5S packs and various 5" and 5.5" props on F40 Pro V2 2600 KV motors on the OwlRC Dragon frame (that you pointed out to us ages ago!). It was too much KV for either prop size, especially on 5S--it sounded like a banshee at 80% throttle with 5.5" on 5S! You sure don't have to get the KV right for larger props to increase flight time, but I'm sure you do even better with appropriate motors. At the time, I used to get about 3.5 minutes of freestyle out of that quad on RK 5046 props on 5S or a bit over 4.5 minutes on HQ 5.5x4x3. I wasn't attempting to fly any differently with each prop. The larger props are less responsive, slower on the top end, and have more bite coming out of a free fall, though. I've moved on to different frames, motors, and batteries, but my time with the larger props has encouraged me to keep running 6" capable frames. It is nice to have the option of being able to stay in the air and extra minute or two if need be!

[@johnhanaly2943]

I just want to say thank you for the videos. I'm new to this and you make clear sense. Keep on flyin!

[@bjornfuchs3129]

You be so right ! Less weight is my formula ! I built a 220mm Quad that is just at 380g plus 2.7K camera ! This one can fly about 12 minutes on a 4S 1600mAh Bat. But it´s pain in the ass to save every gramm you can save.

[@Malactis]

Do a follow-up video with your ultimate flight time quad build parts please!

[@friendlyfire01]

Sorry to post this several places Joshua, but I'm unsure how to get this idea in front of any BetaFlight Dev's to see if it's ever been conceived. Seems like it would have been.. eeeeveryone talks about burning esc's when the motor's are stalled. Dshot (BlHeli, lol whoops) ESC's are capable of sensing rotation of the motor. Why don't they implement a stall-stop which cuts out ESC's when they stall at a certain throttle position? that way, even if you can't see the props, a stall will result in a handy beep and warning flashing across the OSD like 'MOTOR STALL' As well as saving the DAMN ESC's.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Blheli ESC's have several features like this. They don't always work perfectly though. At low speed the ESC cannot use beack emf to detect rpm. So it must simply drive the motor and hope for the best.

[@friendlyfire01]

@@JoshuaBardwell I see! That gives me several ideas for other ways to come at the problem. Timer starting when you go over a throttle threshold maybe.. Nick burns kindly sent me the correct way to contact developers, I will respectfully go back to lurking. Thank you for your reply! I learned something today ;)

[@clemens379]

@@friendlyfire01 Take a look at the IQ Motor modules, they are motors+ESC in one and they can run in a closed loop mode where the controller always knows the position of the rotor so you don't have to rely on the back EMF. You have to specify the type of prop you use though for this to work and it's still pretty new technology.

[@spencerpond4098]

I don't feel a need to show off my flights in gopro quality. It would only show how bad I am in higher definition. Saves a lot of weight.

[@QSpeedRacer]

Old saying in racing. You can't take 100lbs out 1 spot. But you can remove 1lbs from 100 spots. I couldn't find titanium screws 😢

[@franckberniere6579]

You forgot one trick, Joshua. Reducing blade numbers. I use to fly two blades props on a very light quad, with agressive pitch (5050), and I get very much flight time than "soft" props (5040x3). The thrust seemed to be the same, but the comportement was different. 5050 more floaty, but faster, with a little bit less amp drawn at full throttle, as the 5040x3 were snappier, but with more amp drawn onto the whole throttle range. A good way to increase flight time too. 😉

[@jb-fpv7384]

Joshua this worked well for me HQ 5.1x4.6x3 V1s. On my Brother Hobby R6 2207-2700kv. It’s a good balance to performance and endurance.

[@clemens379]

Another tip for longer flight time: Tuning the flight controller filter settings to reduce the influence of motor vibrations on the gyro and the control loop, as this noise induces counter-forces. This is of course wasting energy, the more noisy your quad is. Also, more energy is wasted due to the additional heat in the motors. The frame design could help too, if there are two sections (noisy, where the motors are mounted vs. less noisy where the FC is mounted) and those are decoupled with silicon dampeners etc.

[@tehllama42]

For reference, racing quads can be down in the 425g AUW range and still fly pinned for a full two+ minutes (this is a 4S Toothfairy build running 4S 1300mAh packs) without durability compromises. For a budget racer using 30x30 stack parts and 2206 motors you can still be under 475g rocking CNHL 4S 1300mAh 100C packs, and that's the best option to use. For 6S 2207 rigs you should still be right around the 525g weight target running a 6S 1050mAh pack, 555g moving to a bigger heavier battery.

[@TheEviling]

Tip #1 listen to all the good honest fpv pilots on youtube, about what parts/choices they made for longer flights. :) Cause most of us dont have the time/money to try out all the new parts/settings for ourselves.

[@tribefpv]

I just built a TI 5" Armattan with the old Emax red bottom 2205 2300kv on 4s and i get at least 2mins longer than any of my other drones , and yes flattened the cam tilt and be smooth 👊

[@tehllama42]

6S LowKV is real, and I can set you up with the math whenever you want to go over that. We should probably put together a Skype interview discussing that AND issues with VTX performance. I'll argue against smaller motors being necessarily helpful - I've found that tall stator motors combined with lower pitch props actually equalizes the flight time with some improvement in being locked in, which more than overcomes the added weight I'm seeing. Weight reduction matters, but spending that weight budget on stator and magnet mass is a better investment. For reference, i'm talking about low KV 2208 motors as efficiency rigs, and finding that I get better flight times than even my lighter 2205 setups on the same props, batteries, and camera angles. As far as running really low KV, my 6S builds running 6" props on 4S batteries are absolutely amazing - that is solid advice.

[@TheStormHelix]

Tip 11: Fly in ground effect. (Altitude lower than prop diameter). Challenging low level floaty flying can milk precious flying seconds out of your battery. Could be the best way to bring it home if you let low voltage sneak up on you too far out. Be sure to choose smooth surfaces like pavement for maximum savings.

[@greasy_efpv5441]

4s 2300kv 2306 1400mAh 65c 5433 props can get 6mins of good mixed flying(hard and easy, just how she likes it) 4-5 mins if i thrash it. quad weighs 659odd grams no gopro using tbs source one v2, dys samguk shu motors, predator mini, mamba f405, matek hv vtx and rxsr

[@dukedblu]

I have 1 more, use 2 bladed props. Good vid.👍

[@PixelCantina]

Joshua, always a fan and love your stuff!

[@g-rod5199]

You could suggest people get your FC, I love it and it changed the way I see FPV, I have been flying it...since I got back into fpv!

[@stevedelp4067]

HI Joshua, I do love your vids, keep on going. I was surprised at how much more flight time u get on 6s. Was big difference at first , but now with more power I'm starting to use it, lowering it back a bit. What fun!, having a ball in Indiana. U keep getting better on camera I'm gonna have to up my patreon. Lol

[@TiredFlyerFPV]

Half of this is exactly what I do! 6” 1750kv 2207 on 4s 1300-1800mah batteries is the way to go! Then again, I fly mellow, so maybe I am an anomaly. I never full send Teeno FPV style.

[@futurefpv1578]

I fly the Joshua Bardwell f4 and 4in1 with racedayquads 2205 2450kv motors on a tbs source two frame. If I am going all out I can get about 3 and 1/2 minute flight time. If I am just cruising around I can get an 8 and 1/2 minute flight time. Normally i get about 4-5 minutes. Running ethix props and 4s

[@fastfrank61]

Hello Josh , all what you do is 100% of truth , i have now the Hobbywing Grafeno Lipos with 1300mph 5S and 65C and iiam flaying longer and there are so powerfull WOW . Thanks for your vidios, and soon we will have 4.0 i see it on 99% . It is like we are waiting of Santa Claus . I read 3 days all over 4.0 , and i think i undersand the new way ,and i have seen the vidio on the river in Germany and its going so fantastic . Best regards and now i will use your links to buy from you . I whish you great flaytimes . Your Spanish folower and RC friend . Frank :-)))))))))

[@fastfrank61]

Now wee have the new Tattu V3 4S 2000mph 120C loooooooong flighttime !!!!!!!!

[@Rohit-oz1or]

Please touch upon filtering topics in next videos: 1. Balancing the quad will also eliminate unnecessary work required to maintain level 2. Properly tuning the quad 3. Balancing the props to avoid unnecessary vibrations 4. Limiting roll and pitch angles in software

[@beatnickPL]

Man, superb channel!

[@stabbyfpv4357]

Using the Ummagawd Remix, went from the stock 5.5" arms, 5" props, 2306 ~2500kv, 4S 1500 batteries to 6" arms, 6" props, 2208 1666 kv, 6S 1050 batteries and my flight times did get pretty close to doubled. I still get that "wow... it looks like I still have a couple more minutes left" feeling. My understanding of the whole 6s thing, lipos don't like big sudden current draws, so by spreading the same draw over 6 cells vs 4, it evens out those big dips and allows each individual cell to perform better. The nice thing is, the RDQ 1050 battery is basically the same size as the 1500 4s, so I don't even have much of a weight change other than the arms!

[@markpfeifer1402]

I put a throttle limit adjustment via openTX on one of my Taranis' knobs when I'm going for distance. I can then dial in how much throttle limit I want.

[@Wtf_drone_productions]

hmm cool!

[@tehllama42]

Yeah, I've been meaning to switch all mine over to a pot based logical mixed channel to go from +70 to +90 output on a lot of mine.

[@stevedelp4067]

That sounds great I need to do that along with the volume on a pot! Great idea.!

[@stickboyfpv4742]

@@tehllama42 what about just decreasing the max sub trim on throttle channel on your TX? All the same stick resolution in the reciever tab.... but max throttle is at 1700...? Or is that not the same? Thanks!

[@tehllama42]

@@stickboyfpv4742 You can do that, and it works like the CLIP option on newer stuff - it just limits the top trim. If you do it with Output, or mix a logical channel that does the same thing, you get to keep all of that resolution (instead of getting differences in throttle for 70% of the travel, with the rest as dead travel). Resolution is really the reason to limit it - unless your thumb can't use all that travel. The logic behind mixing it with a pot switch is that I can have a separate knob that lets me dial that in across a range - in my case I fly some quads with 4S, 5S, and 6S batteries, and I definitely don't need >95% throttle on 6S most of the time, but I'd like to not have to muddle through the menus to turn it back up from 70% when I'm going from running 6S back to 4S packs.

[@nathanielharter1643]

Thanks for the video, I have been thinking about a long range quad and this is perfect to help me start designing it!

[@dividingbyzerofpv6748]

Original plans for my first 2 fpv cam was with this in mind. Initial plan was 2 forward FPV cameras, one low tilt for efficient flight and 2nd high tilt cam for engaging insane mode after flying out to the target area.

[@dmitryplatonov]

Smaller motors are less efficient than the big ones. Stator volume translates to less resistive losses (if KV is the same). There is crossover point where additional mass will outweight better efficiency.

[@BradB111]

I have a 7 inch rig with bi blades, 2207 1750kv motors running of a 4s 2200 using a sabotage RC Frigate 7 frame which is the lightest most compact frame I could find. good for about 12-17 minutes. and doesn't really feel under-powered either.

[@GYRO_FPV]

Brad Barlow hi man did you tried 6” props with 1500 mah 4s? Thanks

[@BradB111]

@@GYRO_FPV I have tried 6 inch 2400kv 4s 1500mah. About 5 mins if you take it really easy. 2200mah you can get approx 7 mins. (This was a 6 inch qav-r frame so not the lightest out there). Best thing to do which definitely gives the most improvements is bigger prop, less motor KV. Basically build a 7 inch lightweight 6s racer but run it on 4s. Hope this helps.

[@GYRO_FPV]

Brad Barlow thanks man....I have heaps 4s(1550 tatto)batteries and I was thinking about to build a 7" cruiser ...and a got everything spare except the motors.what would be your suggestion for motors? I've got Iflight xl7 lowrider (119g) Dalrc engine 40A 4in 1 Dalrc fc runcam eagle micro tbs unify vtx crossfire nano receiver....so hopefully not gonna be very heavy....thanks

[@BradB111]

@@GYRO_FPV maybe the hobbyking 1750kv (what im using) but the new t-motor f60 pro iii 1750kv may be even better near low throttle. Anything around the 1600-1750 KV range. About the same flight time on 1600kv (maybe a tiny bit more) but noticeably less power.

[@Jpilgrim30]

I have a decked out 680 sized quad that will fly for almost an hour on a 6s 10,000 mah battery. It’s a lot easier to do when you can swing 15” or 16” props. Can’t wait until we can get a major breakthrough in battery technology. I can only imagine the flight time I could get without having to carry a massive brick around.

[@alldayair4421]

Steele's test of 6s vs 4s flight also included that he felt that there was more punch and less sag on 6s, so he is now using 6s, but its a higher amp hour battery that adds a bit of weight but the increased power cancels it out apparently. Havent tested it myself yet, hoping to build up a Super G+ this year 😅

[@chiefdenis]

To add to this 4 yrs later, i noticed in all other applications where i work with multi cell batteries, there will usually be less sag and heat in an equivalent battery with more cells, because the load demand is always split among all the cells, also increasing bettery lifetime, so for a given capacity i usually prefer to go with more cells of less capacity than less cells with higher individual capacity.

[@ApexNick]

Somebody else has probable already said this, but I'm not reading through 400+ comments. Larger props are more efficient not just for their ability to move more air (in the sense that an 8" would move about twice as much as a 4") but because the longer the prop blade, the fast the tip moves - so it is moving through (and pushing) a larger amount of air per revolution.

[@Reecefpv]

Gonna try that throttle limit. I got me new build flying today and it hit like 175 amp on punch out and just short blips cause lipo to hit 14v within 15-30sec. Lol. But nice tips

[@fcass]

Great topic. I recently changed my main quad's motors to what is recommended, but I miss the long flight times of my smaller motors which flew great. Time to build another.

[@keithsluyter7772]

Dear JB...or anyone else, I just looked at your ultimate shopping list and poked around. Under frames, I noticed what I think, by now, should be considered the usual suspects. I wish to submit for your approval the iFlight XL5. Its a well thought out frame at a very competitive price (about $35). I bought the V2 last year and found the build to be simple, the carbon has chamfered edges and the durability superb. The V2 arms are 4mm and the top and bottom plates are 2mm. I bought the V3 this year as a back up frame and its virtually the same save for the camera mount. I don't presume to be remotely close to being an expert in this hobby as I am quite new, however I know quality when I see and this seems legit. I guess what I'm asking is...can you check my work? The company is chinese and I know that can raise a few red flags, but that can't always be the case. Anyway, some direction would be nice. Thanks EZ Sluyter

[@rasenmaher7666]

If I try to fly longer, everybody overtakes me on the race track -_-

[@kingofthenoobs590]

"Dont use a too large battery, 1800 is large enough" Me who only flies with 2500 mAh: "shh Joshua, stop takling if you know what's good for you•

[@jamescarlyle2630]

What is your flight time?

[@kingofthenoobs590]

@@jamescarlyle2630 between 5 and 12 minutes, depending on how aggressive I fly

[@jamescarlyle2630]

@@kingofthenoobs590 thats unreal mate, exactly what I’ll be doing! Can you still do freestyle moves etc?

[@pranjal3727]

Cringe in 17500mAh 3S 5P lithium ion in 5inch octacopter

[@timyt13]

@@pranjal3727 nice 3s. Whats your flight time and usecase?

[@thinkfastmeme]

You have got to create your own sticker brand if you haven't done so. Would be nice to decorate some drones or remote controls with stickers.

[@BirdlessFlight]

One of my favorite quads is a 6inch Mode-2 Ghost with 2207-2500KV motors on it. I usually spin 5.5x4x3 HQprops on 4S and I can do acro for almost 5 mins, but every now and then I just like to slap a 1300 5S on there and pull it dry in under 2 mins :P

[@MariusFBU]

FOOTPRINT off the quad. X configuration frame- camera over stack batterie bottom mounted and slim arms. It slices thro the air. Slim arms double advantage, because blocking less thrust.

[@MariusFBU]

Not smaller frame (motor to motor) but less surfice earia.

[@johnlewis1113]

6s and efficiency... V=IR and P=IV. Going from 3s to 6s means you have half the current for the same power delivered. Power loss on the infrastructure though is based on the current only and it's the square of the current. So at higher voltage much less power is lost to the escs and wiring.

[@lunaticfpv17]

I bought some 4s 4,200mAh packs for my 5" 😅 they actually fly great

[@cknoma]

2208 or 2207 motors with 2150kv on a 5.5X4 tri-blade is nice sweet spot if your AUW is around 600grams

[@frasersteen]

IMO if you want a decent flight time with a nice balance of power and speed

[@hateeternalmaver]

I'm usually "done" (physically) after the typical three to four minutes - my body just won't stand the adrenaline rush for much longer at a time... xD

[@rc-fannl7364]

Same here. 3 to 5 minutes is usually enough. A friend has a 200GT, that can fly much longer, but he also usually stops after 5 minutes, unless he's flying very gently.

[@edwardMcrichy]

Yeah I get it, just one look at the "drone" and it's all over for me., "flying" is so exciting and fun. Need better "batteries" to "fly" longer

[@tehllama42]

This is definitely a consideration - I've had to learn that if I'm pushing my performance limits that anything I do beyond the 3" mark is going to be much higher likelihood of a crash.

[@jonashediger182]

I judt dont get the adrenaline rush :(( i have a brushless betafpv 85 pro and it does fly really fast (I dont want/have to fly faster(about 100kp/h)) but wont get the rush???¿ what can i do to get it ? Do i have to fly really close gaps at really fast speeds¿

[@iceybird]

Jonas Hediger do risky stuff! thats what fun for me :)

[@markuskoarmani1364]

Correction - Lower KV is heavier motor as the winding diameter is larger thus resulting more TORQUE which allows you use larger props with less Amps as same motor size with higher KV. Higher KV is lighter motor as copper winding is smaller. This is allowing the motor to spin faster with less mass and thinner CG. But it has less torque. Putting larger props on high KV will use more amps to compensate for smaller cooper winding. Logic - larger magnet holds more magnetic field to smaller magnet. You can add magnetic field to smaller magnet as to equal the larger magnet but requires more Amps.

[@emilianozapatta5978]

I know you had a bad experience with those Sunnysky 1806. I purchased three and only had two bad bearings. Then I started buying building my own with Cobra, Brother Hobby. and other 1806. IOt is still my absolute favorite everyday flyer. I also LOVE that new Diagtone "anniversary" edition. $10.00 gets you cusgtom graphics. Why haven't you done a video about the JC Memorial Frame ???

[@tpetersons]

Why does my brand new Tattu's 4s 1300 mah (v1.0) drops to around 12.5V fully charged when I just do a punch up to air and go down.. Usually when I hit the throttle to get high up, it even beeps once. I don't think I am too aggressive, at its already happening right of the start of the flight. Other than that battery is doing great, if you dont fly too agressive.

[@austinsmith9413]

I think I literally did everything you said not to. My quad is fairly heavy for one with a race configuration at 343 grams, I use high pitch 5048 3-blade props because I can, the motors are fairly large at 2400kv with a 2305 stator, my battery is a 315 gram 4s 4200mah 10c, and I use a fairly high tilt angle, but jokes on all of you. I haven't gotten lower than a 21 minute flight with my setup yet and that was with a lot of playing around and many full throttle passes. ;)

[@rc-fannl7364]

Some good info. I do miss going to 2-blade props. These tend to be more efficient than 3-blade props.

[@nara4420]

Yes that is the #11 tip. It can do 20-25% and it allows to use a smaller motor because a 2-blade-prop is lighter and will spin up faster

[@coconutfpv]

Mr. Steele did not claimed that 6s makes him fly twice as long, he said for his application and required fly characteristics it makes him fly twice as long. So 4s makes him fly like 1.5min of his flightstyle, without compromising the flight characteristics (sag, lower rpm, etc.) and he can push it to like 2.5min but not nearly as consistant; while 6s gets him like 3min of ripping and 3.45min in total, extending his crisp twice.

[@alistairborthwick2031]

Hi. I've only recently come across the drone hobby. I never seen a drone and I'm probably months away from my first flight. But I've really enjoyed going down this KZbin rabbit hole of research. My question is this, say you successfully build your first drone and it works to some extent but its really unstable. Is that when you go in to Betaflight and make tweaks to get stability? What else do you do?

[@solidjuice6738]

Recently i flew a 80c 1000mah battery on a 5 inch rig for a longer flight than a 100c 1300mah. Il have to do it again trying to take notice if im smoother on the throttle. Gonna have to get on the throttle with the 1000mah to see how saggy it feels.

[@michaelwilkes0]

I think one thing that makes high volt, low kv better is that the motor can use smaller gauge wire, because there is less current, and therefore it can be wound tighter and the mag field is better focused. Look at those 2600kv motors. They have enormous gauge wire with hardly any turns. That is a nasty mag field making lots of waste heat. Also, electric car manufacturers have all decided that 300v is best :)

[@percival5771]

my quad is a 6 inch alien frame running a 4s 1500mah lipo at 526g without a gopro....is that good?

[@jjj25313]

Sounds pretty good to me. What motors. My 5 inch 2407 is probably a bit heavier lol. I think Josh's 2407 armattan weighs about the same.

[@skinnyflea2628]

I’m using the same setup with 6s motors on 3s and I get about 10-15 minute flight time

[@SebastianCliment]

Great tips. May I suggest those less familiar with the hobby might benefit from being told not to try ALL of these at once?

[@mattraymond2935]

1 weight reduction mention the run-cam split ditch the gopro weight very noticeable

[@elmarirony5580]

Dear Joshua, which kind / type of battery pack would You recommend for a 7 inch long range quad? (Iflight Chimera 7) thanks

[@bigred8022]

What about that active motor braking dose that make u use more bat

[@marinehm]

I thought I heard you say more recently to use a battery that is no more than 1/2 or 1/3 the AUW of your quad. 1/2 AUW correct? Maybe it was Ciotti that said it. ?

[@ntycefpv8533]

Thanks JB! Your tips are invaluable!

[@nicholassheldon8638]

I've been flying about 30° uptilt for the past year and now after switching to somewhere between 10 and 15 I'm happier than ever. My flying has a whole new flow to it. I think everyone should at least try a super low uptilt at some point

[@EdRickerVlogs]

That can certainly be good for some situations. I was out flying and had a Google Street vehicle go by...I followed him slowly down a few streets, but my high camera uptilt meant that he's on the lower 6th part of my camera's frame at all times...footage was lackluster. If it was a fast vehicle chase situation though, my high uptilt would have been great.

[@nicholassheldon8638]

@@EdRickerVlogs yeah agreed. There's definitely places for both.

[@JeremyAlpha]

Thank you, Joshua Love your channel

[@FRY_FPV]

Point 4 at 8:00: throttle limit... is this what people do in order to fly 6S with 4S motors?

[@FRY_FPV]

@Cyramex Thank you for your answer 🙌

[@off-grideverything533]

Thanks for all the great info. Glad I'm looking in the right kv and size range for my lr motors/props. Found a file on thingiverse for a lr quad, so printed the frame and am looking for parts. After watching this, will continue with my plan of 7 inch props, on 2204-2206, 1700-1750kv motors and a large 3s battery. Also trying to figure out a way to keep the structure of the arms, but have them collapse down to 5 or 6 inch easily.(arms are tubes) So I can swap it to a 5 inch freestyle or race quad running 4/6s at the field if I want. (Going with the 50 or 60A diatone mamba f722 30mm stack, crossfire, and most likely tbs unify pro 32) Just need to find specific motors that should be good. Either the mamba Toca, brother lr or xing camo are what I am thinking.

[@off-grideverything533]

@flat-earther the 3d printed frame didn't work out. First test flight had too many oscillations, and it just went into a fly-away. But got a GEPRC MK4 HD7 frame for it after that, and flies well enough for smooth cruising and light acro. Ended up with xing e-pro 2207 1800kv motors, the 50A f7 stack, and elrs on 3s for the moment. May try 4s in the near future, with a motor output limit. Longest flight has been 16 minutes on a 3300mAh 3s LiPo, so far. Averaging about 50km/hr.

[@LO_FLI]

4... + 3.... + 5.... = 20! yep that checks out xD. Awesome vid JB.

[@jackmiddleton240]

All things that needed to be said. Thanks JB

[@Dmiles]

Joshua I love man it's just you sounds exactly like Leonard from big bang theory :)

[@Dmiles]

Great video thanks Again for sharing

[@JuanTipay]

Hahahhaha! This got me! Thinking I think ive seen this already. Lol.

[@nanomiterctech423]

What prop(5inch ) would you suggest for2205 2300 kV running with 4s and 3s .....please help !!!!! ( LONGER FLIGHT TIME)

[@joyindeeamornchai754]

what would give longer run time 1550mAh 4s 120c or 2000mAh 4s 120c?

[@danielnagy5721]

Doesn't BetaFlight tune play a role here too? I'd expect a generally smoother tune, that doesn't try to correct that aggressively will put less stress on the batteries.

[@sk1fpv]

Will running 1s in parallel raise my flight time alot on a tinyhawk since it can do 2s

[@homeinspectingwithjohnhans4250]

Joshua, I am interested in frame weight. But there seems to be very little information about the 'strength' (or as you say, 'durability') of the frame at any given weight. Other than crashing a quad a few times, where do we find good data about the strength of any frame? Some research data is just plain not out there. And I put little stock in the videos where people stand on a Carbon Fiber part to show how strong it is. How would you quantify standing on it? Impact on a quad is seldom the same as dead weight at the center of the quad.

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Not many people are doing lab testing like you are thinking of. It's all practical testing. Build it. Crash it. See how it breaks.

[@RobThomeBogeymanFPV]

Hey ! that's a Great Looking shirt ! Shout out to the "Columbus Multirotor Club" !

[@raydenkundera857]

Hi Joshua, Can you advise me what quad to buy for a long-range drone pls? And also to have a better fly time. Thanks body for your time that you spend for all of us. All the best

[@CaptCreekmore]

I would really like to see a real world comparison on motor size. I know that one would think a smaller motor would draw less current. However, flying a smaller motor at closer to its max output may draw more power than a larger motor at the lower end of its power curve.

[@Roundswithnocontext]

I use a 7" frame with (t7056) props on (rs11 2303 1700kv) with a 3300mah 6s lipo and weighs around 950g and get a 10 minute flight time but going to li-ion battery for 15-20 minute flight time will probably get lower pitch props like you recommended

[@Roundswithnocontext]

I have a set of them spare to try also some 7042-2 to try too

[@David__]

All good tips... just wish we could get a quantum-leap in battery technology ... say double the capacity + double the discharge at the same weight? :)

[@JoshuaBardwell]

Elon Musk agrees.

[@craigmunday3707]

Lower pitch props? Better to measure thrust vs current I would suspect

[@RandoManFPV]

Is there an update to this video? Any new insight or technology for longer flight? BTW you got me, I'm subing. If you havnt noticed I been commenting like crazy. What can I say, when I get into a hobby I dig in deep lol my first drone will be here next month and I won't have any less questions by then I can promise you that 😅

[@31carny]

Maybe warm up battery before flight somehow. i noticed less voltage sag when punching throttle when half the pack has been used guess resistance is less?

[@JoshuaBardwell]

That is correct. If you live somewhere cold, warm up the pack and you will get significantly longer flights. Good tip!

[@jdrissel]

Nevermind, I should have watched the whole video before commenting. Does using a lower kv get completely offset if you go to a higher voltage? I.e. 6s 2500kv vs 12s 1250kv? The reason I am wondering about this is that losses in the ESC would be lower at the same power level if the voltage is higher, so you might be able to get longer flight time without compromising performance by going to a pack made from a larger number of smaller cells and a motor with a correspondingly lower KV.