A quadcopter can hang in one place and take photos and videos, which is why many photographers keep up with progress and buy quadcopters for video shooting.

Quadcopters burst into our lives along with technological progress. Today, ordering electronics for a quadcopter from China is very cheap. Assembling a quadcopter frame with your own hands from scrap materials is not at all difficult. You can learn to fly with the help of flight simulators. So the main thing is to have the desire to make a quadcopter with your own hands.

It is best to buy ready-made electronics for a quadcopter.

Details of a homemade quadcopter

Motors for quadcopter, 4 pcs - D2822/14 1450kv

Of course, the additional purchase of a small quadcopter is a little expensive, but by flying one you will learn how to control it and will be able to fly a large quadcopter with a camera without falling! And you can always give a small toy to a child.

And finally, short video flight on a quadcopter, recording from a camera.

In this article, we looked at the basic principles of making homemade quadcopters. If you want to know more, see the section

iskra comments:

how to make a quadcopter so that it flies within a radius of 500 meters with a real-time camera that displays the image on the screen

chelovek comments:

Guys, help!
I want to build a quadrick on the Arduino Mega platform using these components:

Everyone brainiacs, brain hello! For a long time, people have been dreaming of flight, of free soaring in the sky, but so far this is not achievable, although... let's try to fix this a little and let's do it ourselves simple quadcopter.

KK2.1
This is probably the first thing you will find when searching for a flight controller online. It is based on an AVR microcontroller, has an LCD display that allows you to program it without connecting to a PC, and also has an MPU6050 as a sensor. You can program it using your own firmware, but for this you will need an AVR ISP programmer, since it does not have outputs on the board. It is also cheap and requires manual settings and is perfect for experienced pilots.

KKMulticontroller
This is something unique in the line of controllers! It is based on Atmel AVR (168p), which is good, but I think the controller is no longer supported, since their website is closed. Maybe they switched to 32-bit quadcopters or something else. The controller itself is outdated, it uses Murata Gyros to orient the position in space, the sensors are not interconnected, the gyroscope is analog, arrow attachments are used for adjustment, that is, everything is simple, but old...

For your brain games I picked OpenPilot CC3D because of how easy it is to set up.

Step 7: Control Panel

Managed homemade, of course, with a wireless control panel. Their choice is quite large, from expensive ones - Futaba, Spektrum, to cheap ones - Turnigy and Flysky.

The number of remote control channels means the number of control signals transmitted, we need at least 4 channels:

Throttle
Yaw (rotation about Z axis)
Pitch (rotation about the Y axis - axis passing through the left and right sides)
Roll (rotation about the X axis - the axis passing through the front and back of the copter)

In the future, for use on a quadcopter - homemade The video camera will need more channels, so I chose the 6-channel Flysky. It's a cheap remote control, but it's not suitable for long-range flights. So, according to our budgetary capabilities, we choose a remote control for crafts.

Step 8: Mounting the Flight Controller


The remote control and flight controller are selected, all that remains is to attach this controller to the quadcopter frame, add the battery and begin calibration brain games. We attach the controller to the top of the frame with zip ties, with the arrow on the controller located along the X axis. Another point, to dampen the vibrations of the motors, we place a regular sponge between the frame and the controller.

Step 9: Connecting and Setting Up Electronics

According to the instructions, we connect the flight controller, speed controller and control panel. And the following video will help you with this:


And if you have a Flysky remote control, then this video:

Step 10: Testing

Before the first flight, all components must be tested using the OpenPilot GCS control system. It has a display that makes it convenient to test sensors and other components. So, we remove the propellers and use the remote control to check the functioning of all parts homemade products.

I also checked the range of the remote control by placing the quadcopter nearby and at a considerable distance. And the correct functioning of the propellers can be recognized by the characteristic sound when they rotate.

Step 11: And finally: flight

A quadcopter is fundamentally a dangerous device that can cause serious damage if used incorrectly, so be careful and responsible when operating it!

We hang the battery at the bottom of the frame, connect it and place it crafts on open place. Then, from a safe distance from the quadcopter, we begin a gradual launch brain craft And. If you feel that craft When lifting, it falls off and floats to the side, then correct this by attaching the appropriate arrows. Once you have achieved a stable climb, check how the quadcopter responds to the remote control commands and adjust the PID values ​​to get the desired response.

And now congratulations, you have created your own quadcopter from scratch with your own hands!

A quadcopter can be purchased at almost any major online store, or you can make a drone yourself. It is not known what came first: mass production of copters or the first attempts by radio amateurs to create a drone on their own. But the fact that this hobby is becoming popular among fans of radio-controlled devices cannot leave any modeler or quadcopter collector indifferent.

DIY quadcopter model

Many drone users are wondering how to assemble a quadcopter. with my own hands. Rather, this desire comes from the desire to gain complete control over the flight and control of the shooting process.

There are a number of advantages to assembling a copter yourself: Firstly, this is an opportunity to create a device with the parameters that you need. Secondly, Such a device is easier to customize; you can always attach new parts or replace, for example, the battery and install a more powerful power source. Thirdly, this may serve interesting experience and become the first step towards a new hobby.


From negative aspects it can be emphasized that such an assembly may require a lot of time to search the necessary details, studying the entire technical part. Moreover, no one can guarantee that “the first pancake will not go lumpy.” Although on the other hand, now there is large number specialized stores for radio equipment, and numerous diagrams using the example will help you understand the principles of the design and operation of a quadcopter ready-made models homemade versions.

Also, many people resort to modeling drones in the belief that it can be much cheaper than buying a branded device. But here, too, a lot depends on what characteristics the device you want to get, and whether it is important for you appearance square Moreover, frequent modifications that will help make the drone more functional can also cost a pretty penny.

Inventor Jasper van Leenen introduced a kit in 2013 for those who want to assemble a drone themselves. In his suitcase he had everything he needed: electronics, motors, a radio, body parts. All plastic parts were printed on 3Dprinter.

Buy or make?

The decision to make a copter yourself may be determined by the so-called sporting interest, or may also be related to the desire to save money. In both the first and second cases, it is important to weigh all the pros and cons, as well as determine the strengths and weaknesses in self-assembly.

Time

As mentioned above, the main disadvantage of a DIY drone can be time. After all, it’s one thing to order a quadra ready to fly, wait one or two weeks and use it for your pleasure. But in self-assembly there are a number of nuances that can affect the timing:

  1. Purchasing all the necessary spare parts, which may not always fall into your hands at the same time.
  2. It will also take time to study the technical part in order to clearly understand what the drone consists of and how it works.
  3. The assembly and configuration of the flight controller itself will require time and, of course, patience.
  4. Post-assembly, which means not only testing, but working on errors and “rework”, which also takes a lot of time and effort.

Experience

The first point can largely be compensated by having experience in independently assembling radio-controlled devices. In addition, if you are assembling a drone with a “factory” model, then this may become visual aid to study the “filling” of the quad. But for those who are encountering such an assembly for the first time, there are two options:


A) Buy the most inexpensive model a quadcopter, which will not only serve as a model, but also whose parts you can borrow for your own copter;

B) Seek help from forums and specialized websites, where you can get all the information, and also read in detail about the step-by-step assembly of the copter, indicating the names of all the necessary parts.

Price

Many people decide to assemble a quadcopter with the expectation that such a device will cost less than a purchased one. But here you should remember some features:

  • Of course, if you set a goal to assemble a quad from improvised means with minimal costs, then there will be no problems, since you can purchase all components from the same price range. But here you need to understand what to create powerful device You won't be able to with a high load capacity.
  • If you rely on the characteristics of the quadcopter, and not on the simple ability to take off and soar in the air for several minutes, then here you are unlikely to achieve a significant difference between a purchased and a home-made copter. Although, of course, there will still be an opportunity to save 10-20% of the cost.

Self-assembly of a quad, hex or tricopter is an opportunity to try yourself as an engineer and mechanic, allowing you to create unique model with the characteristics that are most relevant to you. But keep your hopes up that this is an easier and cheaper way than buying finished device, still not worth it.


Details, assembly process, nuances

So, you have decided to create your first quadcopter. To begin with, it is best to turn to the experience of “experienced” designers. Here various forums, websites, and video “life hacks” will come to the rescue.

Any drone consists of two main parts - the mechanism itself that launches it, and the frame on which this “filling” is attached. In order for the copter to fly you need:

  • Flight controller;
  • Battery;
  • Motors and propellers that are attached to them;
  • Speed ​​controllers;
  • Servo wire to create a rotating mechanism;
  • As well as various consumables: screws, connectors, anti-vibration sponge, glue, elastic tape.

The frame can be cut from plywood or durable plastic, its shape largely determines the type of drone: whether it will be a tri-, quad- or hexacopter. It consists of a main frame on which the controller and battery are mounted, and beams with motors, a rotating mechanism and a structure for the speed controller. It is best if the beams are movable, especially if you are going to make a large quadcopter, then later there will be no problems with transportation.

Creating your own quadcopter is an opportunity to try yourself as an engineer and designer. The copter can be given the most different shapes, using like finished frame, and homemade, try to equip it additional designs that will help carry various items on board.

If the copter will be used for aerial photography, then care should be taken to have camera mounts. The load capacity of the device will depend on the power of the motors and the size of the propellers. This fact is especially important to consider when we are talking about heavy digital or semi-professional cameras.

The flight controller is configured via a PC, on which you first need to install a special program for MultiWii or Arduino, depending on the model of the purchased controller. And, of course, in order for you to be able to control and receive a signal from your copter, you will need to purchase a radio transmitter, for example, DSM2.

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Main reason The reason why people are interested in assembling quadcopters is the desire to save money on purchasing an original device. However, this is not the only reason. Many are interested in this issue, since the hobby of flying a UAV grows into something more, for example, participating in quadcopter races, and winning them is possible only by practicing as often as possible and refining the design of your flying drone.

Assembly of the finished kit

Those who really want it have the best chance of assembling a quadcopter with their own hands. To simplify this task to simple assembly, you need to acquire the appropriate set of parts. Their cost is several times lower than that of RTF-style quadcopters. The reason for this is that the user is responsible not only for assembling the structure, but also for firmware, calibration and fine-tuning of the device. The main advantage of such kits is that there is no need to select the power of motors, chips and body weight.

There is also no point in worrying about the balance of the design, which directly affects the behavior of the device in the air. In this case, the quadcopter will have all the planned characteristics, including speed and flight time. When choosing a kit, you can choose whether the quadcopter will be monolithic or collapsible, i.e. modular. The latter option will be of more interest to those who want to have a fairly large, but at the same time easily portable model. It is worth noting that such models often have a very aggressive and unattractive design.

This is because the kit does not include an external casing, which serves as both protective and decorative functions. The assembly sequence of such structures is indicated in the instructions supplied with the kits of parts. Typically, the assembly of such quadcopters begins with the installation of complete motors on an exoskeleton made of plastic, metal or carbon. Following them, PIN cables are installed, which act as power regulators for the installed motors. Next, the signal receiver and the main brain center - the control module - are attached to the body.

At the end of the assembly, a battery, clamps, LEDs and other modules are installed that distinguish the model from others. On this step by step assembly ends, and all the fun begins, namely the process of flashing the device, its calibration and fine-tuning, which, depending on the component manufacturer, can last from half an hour to three hours. It is important that the battery is fully charged at the time of flashing. Otherwise, this process may fail.

Assembly from scrap materials

It’s unfortunate, but it’s still not possible to assemble a full-fledged quadcopter entirely from scrap materials. In any case, you will have to purchase a kit of parts. But you can buy them not as a whole set, but take only the most necessary ones. These include motors, propellers, a control board with a receiver, and a battery.

This is all that is needed to simply lift the quadcopter into the air and control it using the equipment. In order to prevent this set of components from falling into pieces in the air, it is necessary to secure them to a durable but lightweight body. You can make it from scrap materials. Anything can be used, from ice cream sticks to plastic caps and bottles.

As for additional purchases, you will also need to purchase equipment, since without it it will be extremely difficult to control the assembled device. You can find a quadcopter diagram online, or come up with it yourself. When creating a hull, it is worth remembering flight qualities, balance, stability and lightness of construction.

Otherwise, the device may turn not into a UAV, but into a crawling mini fan with remote control. It will be possible to refine the created design endlessly, so during the first assembly you don’t have to try too hard, so as not to lose interest during the work.

To make the technical part as balanced as possible without using complex calculations, you can use a little trick. You can select a specific common model and order components for it from the basic list. When ordering, it is important to specify the details correctly. So, the order list should contain 2 motors of right rotation and 2 left rotation.

They must be paired with appropriate screws - right-handed and left-handed. Otherwise the device will not function. There is always a possibility that when assembling parts, defective blanks may be encountered, so some can even be ordered in duplicate in case of replacement. Unlike the factory kits described above, you cannot assemble such a device from ordinary parts with your bare hands and a screwdriver. You'll have to work with a soldering iron, glue gun, electrical tape and double-sided tape.

This is the only way to get the desired quadcopter. Once a working model is obtained, it can be upgraded at your discretion. Add antennas, LEDs, beepers (tweeters) and other parts that increase the functionality of your home quadcopter.

Step-by-step assembly of a quadcopter with your own hands: main advice

Before you rush headlong into assembling your own quadcopter, evaluate your strengths without looking away from reality. Consider not only your ability to work with such a dangerous tool as a soldering iron, but also your financial capabilities, i.e. how much money you can spend on components for the quadcopter without compromising personal budget. And only after that start active activities.

You can buy excellent quadcopters at - free shipping in Russia and the CIS, good prices!

Useful videos on how to assemble a quadcopter with your own hands


To assemble a quadcopter with your own hands at home, you must first understand the basic components of the quadcopter.

Parts for assembling a quadcopter

  1. Quadcopter frame Diatone Q450 Quad 450 V3 PCB Quadcopter Frame Kit 450mm (the last three digits in the name Q450 indicate the distance between the motors in mm diagonally). It represents the body of the aircraft, which will be used to mount all other equipment and electronic filling. Consists of 4 rays and printed circuit board. Weight 295 grams.

    banggood.com

    Price 922 rub.

  2. Motor DYS D2822-14 1450KV Brushless Motor. 4 pieces.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 571 rub/piece

  3. Regulator DYS 30A 2-4S Brushless Speed ​​Controller ESC Simonk Firmware for speed regulation and speed control. 4 pieces.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 438 rub/piece

  4. Propellers DYS E-Prop 8x6 8060 SF ABS Slow Fly Propeller Blade For RC Airplane, 4 pieces. Two right-handed and two left-handed propellers.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 125 rub/piece

  5. Quadcopter control module KK2.1.5 kk21evo. 1 piece

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 1680 rub.

  6. Rechargeable lithium-polymer battery Turnigy nano-tech 2200mah 4S ~90C Lipo Pack, you need to prepare at least two pieces, and preferably four, as they run out quickly. 1 piece

    Sold in the online store Parkflyer.ru

    Price 1268 RUR/piece

  7. Hobby King Variable6S 50W 5A battery charger. 1 piece

    Sold in the online store Hobbyco.ru

    Price 900 rub.

  8. Battery connector XT60 Male Plug 12AWG 10cm With Wire. 1 piece

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 144 rub.

  9. Clamps for securing wires to the quadcopter body. 1000pcs 2.0x100mm Black/White Nylon Cable Ties Zip Ties. 1 pack.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 316 rub.

  10. Connectors 20 Pairs 3.5mm Bullet Connector Banana Plug For RC Battery/Motor. For regulator wires. 1 pack.

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 256 rub.

  11. Velcro strip for attaching the battery to the quadcopter body. 1 piece

    Sold in the online store Banggood.com

    Price 79 rub.

  12. 50pcs Motor Fixing Screws Set for DJI F450 F550 HJ450 550 Quadcopter Multicopter. 1 pack.

    Price 217 rub.

  13. Remote control for quadcopter Spektrum DX6 V2 with AR610 Receiver. The receiver and transmitter are supplied in one kit. 1 piece

    Price 9700 rub.

In total, a set of equipment for assembly will cost 20,018 rubles.

Features when choosing components


Basic characteristics of the transmitter:

  • Modes Mode1 or Mode2. In the first mode, the gas handle is on the right, in the second mode, the gas handle is on the left.
  • The transmitter frequency is 2.4 GHz.
  • Number of channels. Minimum channels required for control aircraft- four. Control equipment from Spektrum DX6 V2 with AR610 Receiver contains 6 channels.

Step-by-step instructions for assembling a quadcopter with your own hands

  1. We reduce the length of the wires on the regulators. When connecting the regulator to the motors, the length of the wires will significantly exceed the length of the beam on which this entire structure will be attached.

  2. We solder the connectors to the ends of the wires on the regulator so that in the future you can connect the regulator to the motors.

  3. We install the motors - we screw 1 motor onto each beam.

  4. We assemble the frame. Screw the beams to the board.

  5. We connect the regulator wires to the motors. The regulator and motor cables are connected in any order. In the future, you may need to change the connection order when finalizing the drone configuration. When using dedicated regulators for each motor, the positive and negative poles must be connected to the controller from only one regulator.

  6. Attach the control module to the housing double-sided tape. It is best located in the central part of the platform.

  7. We secure the receiver to the body with double-sided tape and connect it to the control module. The receiver should be located as close as possible to the module.

    The purpose of the channels is described in the receiver manual. Usually their sequence is as follows:

    1. Ailerons - the channel responsible for left and right turns;
    2. Elevator - a channel guiding forward and backward directions;
    3. Gas is a channel that controls gas. Manages takeoff and landing, as well as altitude changes;
    4. Yaw - the channel makes it possible to rotate the quadcopter around its axis.

  8. We power the device. We connect the battery to the connector.

This operation completes the quadcopter assembly process.

Setup

  1. We start the engines. Activation of engines requires the process of starting motors - arming. The instruction manual explains in detail how to achieve this. Deactivation of engines requires a disarming procedure.
  2. We turn on the weak gas and make sure that the motors are rotating. The rotation pattern must be the same as indicated in the diagram in the controller manual. If the motor rotates incorrectly, you just need to swap the poles of the wires coming from the motor to the controller.

  3. We screw the second platform to the quadcopter body.

  4. We attach a Velcro strip to the case to secure the battery.

    DIY quadcopter assembly using Arduino

    Conclusion

    Fulfill self-assembly Quadcopters can only be used by those who enjoy solving complex problems. These should be people who enjoy the progress of various calculations and the process of assembling the device.

    The advantage of a copter assembled with your own hands is that you can upgrade it at any time by adding new equipment.



This article is also available in the following languages: Thai

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    THANK YOU so much for the very useful information in the article. Everything is presented very clearly. It feels like a lot of work has been done to analyze the operation of the eBay store

    • Thank you and other regular readers of my blog. Without you, I would not be motivated enough to dedicate much time to maintaining this site. My brain is structured this way: I like to dig deep, systematize scattered data, try things that no one has done before or looked at from this angle. It’s a pity that our compatriots have no time for shopping on eBay because of the crisis in Russia. They buy from Aliexpress from China, since goods there are much cheaper (often at the expense of quality). But online auctions eBay, Amazon, ETSY will easily give the Chinese a head start in the range of branded items, vintage items, handmade items and various ethnic goods.

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        What is valuable in your articles is your personal attitude and analysis of the topic. Don't give up this blog, I come here often. There should be a lot of us like that. Email me I recently received an email with an offer that they would teach me how to trade on Amazon and eBay. And I remembered your detailed articles about these trades. area I re-read everything again and concluded that the courses are a scam. I haven't bought anything on eBay yet. I am not from Russia, but from Kazakhstan (Almaty). But we also don’t need any extra expenses yet. I wish you good luck and stay safe in Asia.

  • It’s also nice that eBay’s attempts to Russify the interface for users from Russia and the CIS countries have begun to bear fruit. After all, the overwhelming majority of citizens of the countries of the former USSR do not have strong knowledge of foreign languages. No more than 5% of the population speak English. There are more among young people. Therefore, at least the interface is in Russian - this is a big help for online shopping on this trading platform. eBay did not follow the path of its Chinese counterpart Aliexpress, where a machine (very clumsy and incomprehensible, sometimes causing laughter) translation of product descriptions is performed. I hope that at a more advanced stage of development of artificial intelligence, high-quality machine translation from any language to any in a matter of seconds will become a reality. So far we have this (the profile of one of the sellers on eBay with a Russian interface, but an English description):
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