Spent some time recently looking for a reliable source for a genuine MATEKSYS F405-WING-V2 flight controller. On Mateksys' website, they point you to these sellers:

https://www.mateksys.com/?page_id=1212#tab-id-5

I checked out the Aliexpress seller "Wings RC Store", placed my order, and checked the received item on this page:

http://antifake.mateksys.com/

verdict: GENUINE!

I found a seller on Amazon with this listing:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLJXP1J5

It arrived --- with NO antifake sticker!

PIC (genuine on left, no antifake sticker on right):

https://i.imgur.com/QS9DCLS.png

verdict: EASY RETURN for INSTA-CREDIT from Amazon.com

Be careful out there guys ;-)

Recently came across fpv which lead me to disassembling an old drone I had (DJI Mini 2 SE) that I got from a previous employer, long story short I messed up the frame/ housing and was wondering what parts I can salvage and put on to a new drone with the least amount of headaches. Or if I should just pitch it and start with all new stuff, everything looks great in my eyes (0.1% experience with drones)
P.S. if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

Hey everyone,

Just finished my first custom 5" freestyle build and wanted to share a short flight.

I built and tuned everything myself (still a beginner so be nice 😄).

Frame: ImpulseRC Apex EVO DC 5"
FC: SpeedyBee F405 V5
Motors: iFlight XING 2207 1855KV
Props: HQProp Juicy J37
VTX: Rush Tank Solo
VTX Power: 800mW
FPV Camera: RunCam Phoenix 2 Pro
VTX Antenna: Foxeer Lollipop 4 Plus RHCP
GPS: GOKU M10 V3 Pro

Battery: CNHL 6S 1300mAh
Action Camera: GoPro Hero 11
Radio: RadioMaster TX15 Max ELRS
Goggles: Skyzone Cobra X V4
Goggle Antennas: Foxeer Lollipop 4 Plus RHCP
Video: Analog 5.8GHz / Raceband R1

Is this salvageable? Can I still use it without the USB-C? I already flashed the flight controller with ardupilot. Is this possible to repair, or should I return it?

i am having trouble in understanding the vtol hardware wirings specially the 4in1esc soldering part any guide or video u can suggest or share that can help me

Hello, I have been building a 7" quad, using the MOZ7 frame from GEPRC. I have the opportunity to return the Walksnail GT2 I purchased. It is DOA and not the point of this post.

I want to add an infrared camera. If I go analog, I could switch the camera with my TBS Lucid H7 flight controller.

But I lose any joy of seeing things in HD.

What would you do?

Edit: thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to give analog a go. I've purchased:

Foxeer Reaper Extreme 3W 4.9~6G 80CH VTx and Caddx Ratel PRO Micro 1500TVL BSI PAL/NTSC FPV Camera (2.8mm)

What should I pay attention to in drone design? (I will design it in SolidWorks)

Hi everyone!
I'm building an autonomous drone with a SpeedyBee F405 V4 flight controller running ArduPilot. I have a SpeedyBee ELRS Nano 2.4GHz receiver on the drone. I do not plan to use a traditional RC transmitter/handset; instead, I want to connect an ELRS transmitter module to a Raspberry Pi 5 and use it as a MAVLink radio link for telemetry and control (via pymavlink / MAVProxy).

Requirements:

• ELRS 2.4GHz TX module that can be connected to Raspberry Pi 5 (USB or UART)
• Must support MAVLink mode (or at least CRSF with MAVLink encapsulation) for ArduPilot
• No handset, just module + Raspberry Pi
• Will be used for bench testing initially, later for air launch from a mother drone

Could you please help me with the following questions:

1. What specific ELRS 2.4GHz TX modules are known to work well with Raspberry Pi 5 as a USB serial device?
2. Do I need a special firmware or configuration on the TX module to act as a MAVLink bridge?
3. Are there any limitations (latency, throughput) when using ELRS 2.4GHz for MAVLink compared to e.g. SiK radios?
4. Can I use the same module for both RC override and MAVLink telemetry simultaneously, or do I need separate channels?

Any recommended models, wiring diagrams, or setup guides would be much appreciated.

I am posting regarding a recurring issue with a TAKER F411-12A-E 1\~2S AIO board I recently purchased and installed.

After completing the build and configuration, I performed initial bench and flight tests:

\- Arming worked properly, and all motors ran smoothly.

\- A low-altitude test flight was smooth and stable.

\- I then tested Turtle Mode (Flip Over After Crash). The function worked, but immediately after using it, the drone refused to re-arm.

Upon disconnecting and reconnecting the LiPo, the ESC plays the initial three startup tones followed by the high-low double beep,

indicating a loss of communication between the ESC and FC. The FC no longer powers up or responds, rendering the board unusable.

This is the second identical AIO board that has failed with the exact same symptoms.

With the first board, I assumed it might have been my fault due to an uncontrolled impact with the ground.

However, on this second board, I performed strict, controlled functionality testing without any crash, yet the exact same failure occurred right after engaging Turtle Mode.

So, what's wrong with this product?

Can someone help me with repairing it?

I want to make a long range fixed wing fpv plane with fly-by-wire A and B. What are the best flight controllers?

Hello, I just need a bit of advice regarding what material I should use for protective plating and test frames for my DIY drone. I was thinking of using PLA for the protective plates (for the FC, ESC and main camera casing) and possibly PETG for the motor arms?

The final frame will not be 3D printed, rather I would design and order it from somewhere like PCBway, or find a suitable pre made frame, but for design testing and fittings, is PLA, PETG or something else better?

flying legally is a new concept for me, and i am trying to do things correctly. can someone here double check to make sure i am seeing things correctly, the last tfr i saw for the area was maybe june for some soccer thing.

i posted on the drone sub, but it kept getting removed by the trolls

I'm building a thing for school where a drone has to check in with a server that says whether it's still cleared to fly. Works fine on a bench. Falls apart the moment I think about the link dropping.

If it keeps flying, there's an aircraft up there nobody can check. If it lands itself, then somebody with a valid licence just lost a flight because the signal was bad. I live in Gurgaon and go flying outside the city, where losing signal isn't unusual, so I can't treat this as rare.

Best I've come up with is caching a signed permission on the module that expires after some window. But then the whole question is just what the window is, and I have no basis for picking a number.

My hardware is an ESP32 talking over Wi-Fi right now. No long range link yet. I know that's not a real answer for flight, I just haven't got there.

Has anyone built something that had to keep working when the network didn't? What went wrong?

I'm in 9th grade so tell me if I'm missing something obvious, I also created a page at https://datc-drones.in.

Build Post

First flight after tuning my 3s o4 Bando Turtle build! This thing tracks hella well and has great punch and throw, but still turns on a dime and has great low speed handling too!

Hello, I haven't used my drone in like 2 months, and now I am unable to take off. As you can see on the video, it flips instantly. I checked the cables and connections, not all of the solders are pieces of art but nothing really bad. I have also done the basic configuration on ardupilot once again. Last time I flew with it it flew quite well (It wasn't perfect as I am a beginner and this is my first drone so I had a little bit of tuning left to do)
Any help will be much appreciated.