Thanks Jonathan for going the extra mile and making this happen I got to meet a lot of cool people there and learn a lot about laser projectors
It was a good mix of people with I think a total of 9 projectors on Saturday, many good beamz, not enough Jello though
I will bring a couple bottles of Propane to the next onetry and make it the first half of Sept if you can.
Thanks to all for making this a successful 2014 NWLEM I can't wait to see you all back at the next one.
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@ Buffo please PM me or say where it is I can get a quad copter like that one, Thanks man...
The one I had is the Hubsan X4 H107D. It's got the first-person video screen on the controller. It's a bit pricey (close to $200), but if you want first-person video in real-time on the controller, it's one of the cheapest ways to get it. Here's a link to amazon.
However, if you don't need the first-person video on the controller, you can get the exact same performance with a much cheaper bird. The Hubsan X4 H107L is essentially the same helicopter and camera, but instead of sending the video to the controller, it just sends it to the SD-card slot on the helicopter. That saves a lot on cost (less than half the price of the FPV unit), and it also give you better video, since you don't have to worry about interference screwing up the video feed to the controller. (That's a problem with my unit... If the video feed signal to the controller is corrupted by interference, your recorded video will be messed up, since the recording is done on the controller and not on the bird.) Here's a link to the quadcopter without the first-person video on Amazon.
Finally, if you want to shoot some video outside, you might want a larger copter that can handle some wind. I suggest the WL Toys V222 quad. They have them on Amazon, but they're pricey. I ordered mine from Banggood.com. (BangGood is a Chinese clearing house that sells lots of odds and ends, including tons of RC gear. But remember that it will take 3 weeks to get anything delivered from them.) Here's a link to the V222 on Banggood. Note that if you get one of these, make SURE you get the V222 upgraded version that has the 6 axis gyro. The older V959 only had a 4 axis gyro and is much more difficult to fly.
As a general rule, a quad-copter with a 6 axis gyro is a piece of cake to fly. You will figure it out in about a minute or so. Several people at NWLEM flew my bird, even though they had never flown before. Just remember that you need to get it off the ground quickly - they don't like flying in ground effect. Goose the throttle to get it up in the air, and then it will pretty much hover by itself with only minor control inputs.
Note also that Banggood in general has better prices than Amazon, so if you need to buy spare parts or extra batteries, it's usually better to order those from Banggood rather than Amazon. Most people don't mind waiting 3 weeks to get spare parts and accessories. But if you need your stuff right away, Amazon is the way to go, even if it is a bit more expensive.
Adam
Last edited by buffo; 02-05-2014 at 14:50. Reason: typo
Don't you dare get me into another money pit.![]()
Must. Not. Click. Buffos. Links.
Thanks Adam for all the good info, I'll be checking out them links
On another note, any one got a phone number for the venue, I left something behind...
This one isn't really a money pit, Brad. And it's a lot of fun. Chris Tate (LazerJock) introduced me to quads at last year's SELEM, and I was hooked. Considering that you can get one ready to fly (complete with battery, charger, bird, and controller) for around 40 bucks (including shipping), it's really hard to resist. And the new ones with the 6 axis gyros are a cinch to learn how to fly on.
I'll have my collection with me at FLEM, and I'm sure Chris will have several of his with him as well, so you'll get a chance to check them out. But don't worry - you won't spend more than a few hundred tops... For comparison, I currently own 5 birds (two heli's and 3 quads) and 5 different controllers (because I was a dumb-ass and didn't go with a nice programmable one right off the bat), and I still only have around $500 invested. By far the bulk of that is taken up with my collective pitch heli and the quad that has the first-person video. If I had it to do all over again, I could save more money by avoiding some of the pricier models.
Adam
This is me we're talking about...
Heck, "You" have 5 of them and 5 controllers. In only 5 months and a couple weeks time! LOL
And I REALLY want to fly one around in my ballroom! !Buzz my staff while they're setting up and shit. And with a camera???? Good Lord!
Do you need first-person video on the controller, or do you just want to be able to record the flight for viewing later? If you need first-person video, you're looking at $200 to get started.
But if all you want is to be able to fly around the ballroom and buzz your staff while recording the flight for later viewing, you can get into it for 50 bucks.
I'll let you fly my birds at FLEM. Then you can decide if you want to get one. They're really fun, and you don't need to spend a lot of money. (Trust me!)
Adam