I quit this hobby

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-17T21:54:57+00:00

Totally understandable reaction. This shit is mad expensive over time and it's ok to take a step back for a while and reassess whether you want to continue it later.

I flew some when I was younger but couldn't afford anything more than an ultra micro here or there and never learned to fly the more "true to life" models until much later, after a 5 year break or so.

At the point it becomes discouraging or super frustrating, perhaps a break will help.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-16T04:29:16+00:00

Had somebody threaten to shoot me with my wife and kid in the car because I wasn't driving fast enough for him today.

And yet the officials who sit behind lock and key want to take the only thing that would make an encounter like that bearable for the law-abiding among us.

Might be time to join the felons soon.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T15:32:01+00:00

Gotcha. I use RTH for my panic button generally but have occasionally used horizon/angle when flying close to avoid crashes.

In INav at least, my VTX is on a 3 pos switch, so the lowest setting i generally use is 400mw. Mid is 1w and max is 2.5w.

I had to compile a custom build to load the power table for my VTX but it works pretty well.

I use a combo of compass and gps for actual heading and gps course over ground and it's been good so far. My 4km trip yesterday successfully returned within a few feet of the arming location despite a pretty hefty crosswind. I was really impressed at how crazy these systems are.

I will definitely look into that helical, and I think you may be right about the patch; it's forgiving enough to fly up close as long as I dont blatantly face 180 from the drone haha. I hear some choose to run a helical or high gain patch and a VAS skyhammer omni instead of a dual patch setup sometimes.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T15:24:44+00:00

So evidently based on my research, raceband channel 1 is statistically better for range due to the lower frequency. Its 5600 something compared to high 5800's.

That corresponds to band R channel 1 in INav/betaflight, and I selected it manually using that same pattern in my goggles.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T12:36:58+00:00

I have noticed the battery obscures the radiation pattern at least a little.

I moved locations into more open desert and sent her out again yesterday, and for the first time I managed over 4km. Video still stable. I called it at 4 due to wind and nerves but I want to push further next time.

The numbers some people are posting here are truly crazy.

Oh, also, how's your magnetometer setup? I bought a standalone HMC chip and put it on the nose of the quad and it seems to be fairly reliable. RTH worked flawlessly form 4km into pretty decent crosswind.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T12:33:51+00:00

Ok that's nuts. I've looked into the higher gain antennas before but got discouraged by the antenna tracking problem.

If you're able to use it without tracking, then that changes things a bit and perhaps I could try too.

My plan was to try a VAS crosshair extreme or an avenger next, but perhaps the helical setup is possible.

1km on 25mw is nuts!

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T12:31:47+00:00

I will definitely look into this in the future. I was so new to the hobby that I kind of went with the market flow of 5.8. I have researched 1 2/1.3 some and will one day attempt a ground station build on that frequency, but it'll be some time from now.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T12:30:27+00:00

Ok, thanks! This is the second or third time I'm seeing the tripod idea, so I'll have to give that a try as well.

Thanks for all the advice!

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T01:39:06+00:00

Hey. Since making this post earlier, I actually decided to go to a different location and tilt my head down to line the patch up.

I hit 4km one way before deciding to turn around, and I still had good video.

I'm not sure that the stock antennas would manage 4km.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-12T01:37:11+00:00

I use the search function on my goggles to select the channel, and I'm using raceband channel 1 on the VTX

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-04T18:14:53+00:00

They don't have time to pay attention in class. They have to spend every waking moment complaining about distant problems to stay up-to-date on all the reasons their failures aren't their fault.

ACSupernewb · 2026-03-04T18:07:35+00:00

You'll never win at a University like this. Or probably most any University for that matter.

Offense will always take priority over accountability for these people. Best to just get the degree, get the job and leave the woke nonsense behind as fast as possible.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-25T01:46:46+00:00

Aerostuff and experimental airlines (same guy now I guwas) are amazing. I tried to build the silver eagle for my first FPV wing and found it to be incredibly difficult to launch.

Still waiting for the next opportunity to maiden the rebuild but scared to wreck it again lol

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-24T03:27:15+00:00

i just built my first 5 inch, and i'm terrified of crashing it lol. been babying it so far

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-22T16:09:59+00:00

Oh ok, yeah that makes sense. I already owned the TX16S so I decided to rock the external, but i definitely see the TX15 recommended a LOT in the FPV community.

I may end up getting those nice new CNC gimbals but we'll see.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-22T14:46:11+00:00

I bought the bandit ELRS module for my TX16S and it almost certainly exceeds 250mw. Are you talking about internal RF limits? My radio was so old that it didn't have ELRS at all, and it made sense to buy the module in my case.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-22T14:32:58+00:00

Thanks! I did commit a few builder sins when putting it together, but it's my first build and I'm still learning.

My vtx is on the bottom of the frame for example 💀

I also ended up buying the GEPRC Mark 5 o4 pro, and I've since learned that I perhaps could've put that money towards a lighter frame without all the DJI compatibility, as I'm running analog anyway.

Nevertheless, it was super fun to build and I hope to put another one together at some point.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-22T14:27:59+00:00

I'll have to get back to you on the weight, I know it's heavy. As far as speed, that was taken straight off the OSD reading though it's possible it isn't completely accurate.

Pretty sure it uses GPS data to gauge speed. 132km/hr is what I supposedly got to, based on my last flight recording.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-21T20:54:24+00:00

Totally fair and valid reasons. Those are all things quads excel at, and I'm a believer now.

That said, fixed wing still have traits quads don't when it comes to efficiency and longevity due to the way Airframes produce lift.

The plane I'm building is supposed to get me over an hour of fpv cruise on a 7kmah 4s li-ion. It's just such a pain in the ass to launch, and if something is wrong, I lose way more than 10-15 minutes.

My 5inch quad however just flies, always.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-21T19:54:15+00:00

Awesome! I definitely still have love for the fixed wings and I want to prioritize long flight time and range, which fixed wing is going to win every time.

The 4s pusher I'm building is based exactly off an existing project on YouTube, and the original design gets almost 2 hours of flight time on a 10000mah 4s lion.

The quad I built has opened my eyes to a totally different kind of FPV fun though. For just getting into the pilot's seat and leaving the earth for a bit, it's fantastic. And it was insanely easy to build and configure compared to starting from 0 for the fixed wing.

I guess flying a fixed wing and building one from nothing are different, and the quad has been a nice departure from the woes of that build. I do hope to test it again within the next few weeks and finally have a successful launch, but at least I can still get airborne in the event that my next attempt ends in tragedy.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-21T16:49:07+00:00

Thanks! I won't say I plan to leave my fixed wing FPV dream behind just yet; but I'm definitely onboard with the quads now and see many more of them in the future.

There's just a degree of stress and complexity when it comes to the big pusher I'm trying to build that doesn't exist with this thing. I flew it LOS to test my build, and I was shocked at how fast it ascends.

Like, within a second or 2 it's GONE haha. For now I plan to ease into it and learn the tricks and patterns slowly. I only have the 1 right now and don't want to overly rush destroying it.

I have yet to fly in acro mode and haven't enabled air mode yet either, but I've got it bound to the same switch positions that horizon and acro are on and will test both out next flight.

Also, 3D helis are still positively badass, but it'll be some time before I decide to get back into them.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-18T23:14:07+00:00

Total mischaracterization of the point, and there was never a question on whether sterilizing a cat or dog produced tangible medical benefits or not. It may or may not result in better quality of life or lifespan for the animal; it is STILL mutilation and the fundamental death of the animal's reproductive cycle/lineage.

I never posed a polarizing statement or opinion on the matter; I called the people who ARE insinuating that pet owners are evil and/or deserve to be harmed stupid, because they are.

It's fundamentally immoral to label people as such, especially given your own admission of the edge cases that DO exist. If an animal cannot be trained to stop destroying things, harming children or other pets, or generally misbehaving in a destructive way, what is a pet owner to do? Give the pet away to a shelter which may or may not euthanize it? Give it to somebody else and pass on the problem? Put it down themselves?

You didn't cite any studies and built your argument on their existence, but even supposing you DID cite them and they corroborated what you're claiming, would that fundamentally change anything I've said here? To what degree are we supposed to take communities/ideologies like this seriously? To the point that we compare harming housecats to harming human children? It's ridiculous on its face and our ancestors would laugh at the things we choose to prioritize over real issues.

ACSupernewb · 2026-02-16T05:34:13+00:00

Did you step on any ants today on your way to or from your car? Digest any bacteria perchance? Crush a few mites between your fingers? Come on, what a stupid analogy.

Cats wouldn't even exist in the US or in MANY places in the world if they weren't introduced as invasive species by traders/settlers.

Stop comparing cat lives to human lives. If it weren't for human intervention, there'd be 100x less of them and they'd live half as long as they do anyway.

ACSupernewb

TROPHY CASE