quadcopter parts

1. Frame

   Turnigy H.A.L. (Heavy Aerial Lift) Quadcopter Frame 585mm 1x = $35
   Even though this is a “Heavy Lift” frame and can handle big payloads, I didn’t choose it for that purpose. I chose it as an easy to fly, beginner frame because of its low cost and rigid construction. Also, it has a nice landing gear and protective cover for the electronics. It is very stable and fun to fly around, but it is not a super lightweight frame designed to do acrobatic flying.
   There is plenty of room under the frame where a camera’s view isn’t obscured by the props. Though I haven’t tried it yet, the configuration I have listed here should support a small GoPro directly attached for very basic amatuer aerial photography.
   To do more serious heavy lifting would involve spending more money on bigger low kv motors, bigger stronger props, more sophisticated flight controllers and radios. Of course, it could be upgraded. HobbyKing even sells an optional servo driven camera gimbal for this frame. When the servos are attached to a flight controller it can help smooth out and level the video. Even with these upgrades, I would still recommend using this quad only with low cost crash resistant camera equipment used by hobbyists.
   Professional aerial photographers use very expensive hexacopters or octocopters equipped with the very best parts to protect their investment in expensive camera equipment and get the very best quality video. This is not that kind of equipment. Here is an example of what the pros use.

1. Flight Controller

   Hobbyking KK2.0 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board 1x = $30
   Updated – 11/28/13 Hobbyking has now released a new KK2.1 version of the flight controller.
   Hobbyking KK2.1 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board 1x = $30

2. Motors & Props

   D2830-11 1000kv Brushless Motor 4x = $40
   Slow Fly Electric Prop 9047R SF (4 pc Right Hand Rotation) 1x = $3
   Slow Fly Electric Prop 9047SF (4 pc) 1x = $3

3. ESCs

   No Soldering – but usually out of stock
   Note: The OPTO ESCs don’t have a BEC (battery eliminator circuit) to provide power to the KK2.0 flight controller. At least one standard Multistar with a BEC is required to power the KK2.0 board. Ordering the 3 OPTOs withtout BECs lowers the cost a little.
   Turnigy Multistar 30 Amp Multi-rotor Brushless ESC 2-4S 1x = $12
   Turnigy Multistar 30 Amp Multi-rotor Brushless ESC 2-4S (OPTO) 3x = $30
   Turnigy Multistar ESC Programming Card Optional 1x = $4
   or
   Must be Soldered – but usually in stock
   TURNIGY Plush 30amp Speed Controller 4x = $46
   PolyMax 3.5mm Gold Connectors 10 PAIRS (20PC) 2x = $3
   TURNIGY BESC Programming Card Optional 1x = $7

1. Battery & Power System

   ZIPPY Compact 4000mAh 3S 25C Lipo Pack 1x = $22
   HXT 4mm to 4 X 3.5mm bullet Multistar ESC Power Breakout Cable 1x = $3
   Turnigy Battery Strap 330mm 1x = $2

2. Radio

   Hobby King 2.4Ghz 4Ch Tx & Rx V2 (Mode 2) 1x = $23
   10CM Male to Male Servo Lead (JR) 26AWG (10pcs/set) 1x = $5

Upgrading the KK2.0 Firmware

Though it is a little more advanced and not required, a USBasp AVR can be used to easily load newer versions of the KK2.0 firmware using the LazyZero KKMulticopter Flashtool. The later versions of the firmware have much better self-leveling capability, so I always upgrade my firmware. Here are the pins to connect the USBasp to the KK2.0.

Conclusion

Those are the parts that I have now received and assembled. The total cost is just over $200. Of course, there is shipping on top of that of around $50 from China. The quadcopter is solid and flies well. In Part 2, I will go through the detailed steps I went through to build this quad, and in Part 3, I will set up the transmitter, ESCs and KK2.0 board so I can make a maiden flight. In part 4, I will show how I tuned the quad’s PI settings to optimize its flying capabilities. Finally, in Part 5 I will cover how I attached a GoPro camera to the quad to get some video from the air.