Derek's ZMR250 FPV Flight Log

[Derek]

OH MY GOSH! WE CAN FINALLY START A "FLIGHT LOG" FOR THE ZMR250, LOL

I've not done any tuning but I have done some LOS flights in and around my yard. Today.....I took the quad out and flew some FPV and it was awesome!!! It was so great to be flying FPV again with a quad. Now, to me, the quad really seemed to behave very well. To you more experienced FPV flyers, there may be an adjustment that needs to be made. I really can't tell. I'll need to tip the FPV camera up just a bit more for some faster flights but today was a great casual flight around the field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2o_x9j8QzI

[DOG]

It's looking good Derek . I bet your happy with the test flight .

[Derek]

Dude...Im very happy! Prior to the Little Bee esc's, it was such a nightmare. After the new esc's...just awesome! Now I just need my work schedule to allow me some flight days lol

[Stambo]

Looking good Derek.
Few more packs and then acro time.
Once you are comfortable flying a quad acro, switching back to a self level mode will seem awkward.
Your flights, and therefore video will also become much smoother.
Then the real tuning can begin, although judging from that flight there won't be too much to do.

Love my Little Bee ESCs.
Since burning up a couple of Kiss ESCs I have discovered they don't play nice with the Sunnysky motors we have.

[Derek]

Actually, all flights today were in acro mode. Horizon and Angle modes were not used at all. I have Acro Mode on POS1...Horizon on POS2...Angle on POS3. I just took off on POS1 and I just flew it.

[Stambo]

Sorry, my mistake.
It looks like it's quite sensitive to stick inputs and I mistook that for self level.
Do you like it like that or would you prefer a little smoother?

[Derek]

Nothing to apologize for....no worries.

Yes, it is a bit more sensitive than I have flown before. I'm not sure if I like it this way or not. I've only had two FPV flights on it. I'm not gonna change anything and I'm not gonna say that I like it or not yet. I'm gonna, when the work schedule allows, fly the ZMR as it is and we'll just see what happens. I was sorely tempted to try a loop but I chickened out, lol. I was just happy that the ZMR is flying as well as it is. It punches out, vertically, very smooth and straight. It descends pretty smoothly, too (trying to not come straight down through the prop wash). It's just awesome and I'm very much looking forward to taking the ZMR out again.

[Graham Lawrie]

I would have said the same as Stambo , Derek. Your flight looked like Horizon or Angle, due to the twitch leveling?

[Derek]

Ill double check Cleanflight but Im pretty sure POS1 is Acro. Nonetheless, it was a fun flight.

[Derek]

Well, it's quite obvious that I got my "Mobius Issues" sorted, lol. Now, lets get to some action....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN8q4vrm2BY

[DOG]

No way dude . Did my eyes deceive me Man Derek, you have come a long way. It's time to enjoy the quad for all the time you spent getting it right. Good job!

[Derek]

Thanks DOG! That was such a good time! I'm editing the second flight video right now. I actually flew 5 packs this evening but only recorded 2 flights. The second flight, in my opinion, was even better than the first, lol. However, the spiraling dive, in the first video, was a lot of fun and I will be doing more diving in future flights, lol. Once I get done with the editing of video 2, I'll get it uploaded to YouTube and then I'll get it posted here.

[Derek]

Here is flight number 2 from today. I don't know what else to say but this was awesome fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTs6cLHCU4s

Stambo...I'd like to really thank you for suggesting that I get the Littlebee 20amp esc's. I know that I'm not a hardcore flyer but these esc's aren't even warm after my flights. My motors are only slightly warm but the esc's...I just can't feel a difference from before the flight to after the flight. Thanks a lot!!!

[Stambo]

Looks like you had a ball Derek, that's what it's all about.
Flips and rolls, close calls with the ground, it's good to see you finally have a quad that can give you the confidence to do these things.
I used to watch people doing flips and rolls and other tricks and though nah, I just wanna go fast around a track, then I tried it myself and.... it's just fun.
A few more packs like that and it will be time for turning up the rates for faster rolls and flips.
Maybe that 4s pack will get some use soon.

Stambo...I'd like to really thank you for suggesting that I get the Littlebee 20amp esc's. I know that I'm not a hardcore flyer but these esc's aren't even warm after my flights. My motors are only slightly warm but the esc's...I just can't feel a difference from before the flight to after the flight. Thanks a lot!!!

No worries Derek, I had no hesitation suggesting them after the difference they made to mine.

[Derek]

"A few more packs like that and it will be time for turning up the rates for faster rolls and flips".....lmao. I think the quad rolls and flips quite fast enough, ha ha ha.

Dude....I had a great time! I have done ZERO pid tuning, lol. I'm not kidding! After dumping those Afro ESC's and ordering the Littlebee's....all I did was solder everything up. My first few flights were mostly for me to get use to flying FPV again. I was out flying, the other day, with my Dad and I did a few flips and rolls and the ZMR just behaves and nothing gets hot.....barely warm. The battery gets warm but no warmer than any of my helicopter batteries did. I had a few flights the other day and I was flipping and rolling. Now I know that I have the confidence to fly like that. I was getting a bit cocky today but the quad never met the ground "unplanned", lol. Even my turns are getting better. Until this weekend, I had flown on my 5x3 props. Prior to flying, the other day, I noticed that there were stress marks on the props, where the blade meets the prop hub. Rather than risking "something bad happening", I opted to put on my DAL 5045 two blade props. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! The ZMR has an enormous amount of POP with the 5045 props.

As for the Littlebee's....I'm thinking that I have the same "satisfaction" that you have...and I'm grateful. They were easy to flash, calibrate, and they just work.

Unfortunately, I have to work over the next few days but I assure you....we'll be seeing more of my ZMR250. I even bought some pool noodles so that I could set up an obstacle course, of some sort, and practice.

[Graham Lawrie]

Great video Derek:) glad you are having a ball:) I havent done a flip yet, too busy crashing and losing mine lol:)

[Derek]

Thanks Graham! It was awesome fun! I've seen hundreds of videos and I've wanted to flip for a long time. It was great to just go out and do it and everything worked so well.

[Graham Lawrie]

What stick movements are you making to flip Derek and what controller are you using eg Luxfloat etc:)

[Derek]

I'm using the MultiWii (Rewrite). I've not tried the Luxfloat on the ZMR. I'm using the exact same Cleanflight setup that I had set up for my ECHO 290. I've done absolutely ZERO pid tuning to this quad because, quite frankly, I don't know how, lol. I can make adjustments to the numbers in Cleanflight but I don't understand how the changes will effect the quad, positively or negatively....but since the ZMR is behaving as well as it is...I'm not gonna mess with the pid's, lol.

As for the stick movements...shortly after I take off, I flip my GEAR switch to enable Airmode. When I'm ready to flip, I give a bit of throttle to climb a bit (just to gain some "climb momentum"), then I chop the throttle and pull back or push forward on the pitch. If I don't chop the throttle, the result is more of a loop than a flip. Loops are interesting, too, but they are a bit spooky for me right now because the ground comes into view VERY quickly, lol, when I'm coming out of the loop.

I hope this helps answer your question, Graham.

[Stambo]

Do you have your props spin up when you arm Derek?