{"id":6648,"date":"2021-02-16T19:49:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-16T19:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getfpv.com\/learn\/?p=6648"},"modified":"2021-02-19T08:58:13","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T08:58:13","slug":"quality-versus-cost-in-fpv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getfpv.com\/learn\/fpv-buying-guides\/quality-versus-cost-in-fpv\/","title":{"rendered":"Quality Versus Cost in FPV"},"content":{"rendered":"

Miniquads aren\u2019t a cheap hobby, but you don\u2019t need top of the line gear to have fun. In this guide I’ll be explaining where you should and shouldn\u2019t spend a little extra, and the best value items.<\/p>\n

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This article was submitted through the\u00a0GetFPV Community Program<\/a>\u00a0by JasonFPV.\u00a0 You can check out more of his content at his\u00a0YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: This article was written solely by a member of the FPV Community. Views and advice in this article are that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of GetFPV.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Quality VS Cost<\/h2>\n

Everything in FPV has an expensive option and a cheap option, and the most expensive option usually isn\u2019t the best. The most important thing to do before buying anything is research, which usually consists of at least watching a couple reviews on YouTube. I have noticed that lower quality companies release lots of cheap items to counter companies with more expensive high quality equipment, and eventually that cheaper company will release a reliable item at a low price point. Our mission is to find those items that are powerful and reliable at a low price, or what I consider high value <\/i>products.<\/p>\n

Goggles<\/h2>\n

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Goggles are a staple part of FPV, and one of the most expensive items you can buy. Fat Shark has been the most prominent brand since the beginning, but some of their goggles can cost hundreds of dollars and require extra equipment, such as video receiver modules. Several other companies have made cheaper goggles to counter Fat Shark, although many of them are poorly made. I suggest the Fat Shark Recon V3 for low budgets, and the Skyzone Sky02C for higher budgets. Remember that this is an item you won\u2019t crash, so buying an expensive one will last a long time, and you may decide to upgrade from a cheaper one quickly.<\/p>\n

Transmitter<\/h2>\n

\"Radiomaster<\/a>
\nImage Credit: Radiomaster<\/em><\/p>\n

Your transmitter (controller, TX, radio) is one of the most important pieces of hardware you\u2019ll use, and I\u2019m happy to say that there is a definite best. The TX16s is an exceptionally good value product, boasting a color touch screen, OpenTX software, hall gimbals, a JR port (for external transmitters such as crossfire, etc.), USB-C recharging, 18650 batteries, and a multiprotocol internal transmitter module. If you want to know more about it, Oscar Liang has a review<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While the TX16s has a near-perfect feature set, many newcomers would still rather get something cheaper and upgrade later. One of the most commonly bought low-end transmitters is the Flysky FS-i6. Don\u2019t give in to the low price\u2014it will cause you problems later. While it works acceptably for RC airplanes, nothing about it is reliable or precise enough to fly a miniquad well, and you\u2019ll upgrade it very quickly, making it a waste. The best ultra low-budget controller is the BetaFPV LiteRadio 2<\/a>, for $40. It\u2019s become very popular for pilots starting with a Tiny Whoop because of its inclusion in the BetaFPV whoop bundles. While it is great for whoops, it will make it harder to fly larger quads. Like goggles, you won\u2019t crash your transmitter, so there\u2019s little reason to \u201cupgrade later.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are also several other options for transmitters from companies like FrSky (I\u2019ve been using a QX7 for years), but I would suggest spending the extra $50 for the TX16s for the added features. Additionally, if you\u2019re going to be using the default FrSky radio protocols, (standard for the TX16S and LiteRadio) The FrSky XM+ and RXSR receivers are great value.<\/p>\n

Chargers<\/h2>\n

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LiPo Battery chargers need to be the most reliable piece of equipment you use because if they go bad, they can overcharge a battery causing it to catch fire. Stay away from cheap \u201cB6 clones\u201d as their voltage sensors aren\u2019t nearly as precise as they should be.<\/p>\n

The two brands of chargers I recommend are iSDT and ToolkitRC. ISDT makes exceptionally good quality chargers, although the specs are lower and prices higher than the ToolkitRC chargers. ToolkitRC chargers also usually include extra options such as the ability to regulate a constant output voltage and measure or output pwm and serial signals to test servos, receivers, and flight controllers. I currently have two ToolkitRC chargers that work great.<\/p>\n

However, you must remember that most of these higher end chargers also require a DC<\/i> input, meaning you need an external DC power supply. If you\u2019re only charging single batteries at a time, a laptop power brick with an XT60 connector on the end will work, and I\u2019ve used them in the past. Otherwise, you can buy an external power supply<\/a> (PSU).<\/p>\n

Quad Parts<\/h2>\n

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Because 5\u201d miniquads are the most common size, this section will be based around them. Before we start, it may be helpful to use rotorbuilds.com to organize and share your parts list. Also remember that all of these are individual parts, so you\u2019ll have to build your drone from scratch if you follow this as a guide.<\/p>\n

Flight Controller and Electronic Motor Controller (FC and ESC):<\/h3>\n

The two most important electronic parts on a quad are the FC and ESC, and they need to be exceptionally reliable. Some of the best value FCs and ESCs are combos or stacks<\/i>, where an FC and 4in1 ESC are stacked on top of each other.<\/p>\n

My personal favorite is the Mamba Power Tower V2, for around $44. I ran the first version of this stack in my 5\u201d for over a year with no issues. Considering a high end ESC can cost as much as this entire stack, it\u2019s a great deal.<\/p>\n

Also remember that amp rating and flight controller features aren\u2019t everything. Certain brands are more reliable than others, and you need to be careful when ordering from budget-level companies.<\/p>\n

Motors<\/h3>\n

Brushless motors are a lot simpler to make than circuit boards, so rather than sacrificing design quality, going cheaper usually sacrifices build and material quality. What that translates to is that cheaper motors may perform just as well as high end motors, but won\u2019t be as durable. Obviously you want a durable motor, but some crashes will annihilate any motor, so you also don\u2019t want to be paying $25 every other time you have a hard crash. Two of the highest value motors right now are the Emax Eco II<\/a> and the Xing-E<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Frame<\/h3>\n

Most people don\u2019t realize this, but there\u2019s actually different types<\/i> of carbon fiber. Higher end frame manufacturers use better carbon fiber, and the result is a much more expensive frame. Getting a high end frame isn\u2019t a bad idea, but you still have to remember the cost of each arm every time you break one. Instead of going for high quality carbon fiber, I prefer looking for a good design. There are tons<\/i> of miniquad frames out there, so you aren\u2019t limited to the ones I list.<\/p>\n

My preferred frame is the TBS Source One<\/a>. The S1 is open source, meaning all the design files are available online for free, and you can have a third party cut the frame for you or buy it off their website. This led to a great improvement over the versions of the frame and there are tons of 3D printable accessories for it available. IFlight also makes a long list of high-value frames<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Video Transmitters (VTX)<\/h3>\n

Your video transmitter needs to be one of the most reliable parts on your entire quad, if it stops working properly you won\u2019t be able to see and it\u2019s an almost guaranteed crash. Quality makes an enormous difference in both reliability and performance of VTXs, so I highly recommend not cheaping out in this area. Rush VTXs such as the Rush Tank II<\/a> are some of the highest value ones out there, as well as PandaRC VTXs.<\/p>\n

The Final List<\/h2>\n

To make selecting some items easier and faster, here are my top suggestions:<\/p>\n

Goggles:<\/b><\/p>\n