A question that is very common is “how much does it cost” to fly FPV. Of course this is very hard to tell, I spent lots of time tinkering and fabricating stuff. Programming radios and such, but the hardware can be listed even the prices are constantly changing.
I start with the items in Quadcopter II part list
All prices are valid 2011-03-04 and will change rapidly.
Arduino pro mini 5V $18.95
Wiimote plus (WMP)(local store) $47
4 Motors:
hacker Style Brushless Outrunner 20-22L $12.88 each (total $51.52)
4 Propellers:
ET-ROTORS 2X LEFT, 2X RIGHT (208000) $26
4ESC’s:
TURNIGY Plush 18amp Speed Controller $11.05 each ($44.2)
Frame will be made from Aluminium tubes 10*10mm (1 mm thick material) and 1mm sheets
cost is about $15-30 in my local store
This adds up to about 198 dollars (as of today date – see above)
Add a Radio and receiver like this one
Turnigy 9X 9Ch Transmitter w/ Module & 8ch Receiver (Mode 2) (v2 Firmware) ($57)
And minimum 1 LIPO so you can fly
ZIPPY Flightmax 2200mAh 3S1P 30C ($16.43)
I know the radio and LIPO can be used on other projects so they shouldn’t really be counted for but you can be aware of the initial costs
Add some hardware, screws, bolts, washers, zip ties, tape, double-sided foam tape, some sort of landing gear(uni-hockey balls in my case)
As I got stuff from several sources there is also shipping/custom fees to consider .
In all you can have a great flying machine for less than 200 dollars, hours of fun and it’s possible to add gear as you go like more sensors to help flight, GPS for locations, Altimeters to keep altitude and so on…
The limit is your crafting skills, your patient and your wallet(not necessary in this order)
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