Tips To Buy a RC Drone

Whether you are planning to buy a RC drone as a gift to gift someone or want to buy one to fly in your leisure time, some mini RC drones with hidden camera options that can be used as a    spy video camera, others with LED blades that can be flown at night. With so many designs and features to choose, following are some useful tips for buying some of the best RC drones available from the market:

Ready- Made vs Build-Your-Own

For teens, RC drones can be a wonderful hobby. It allows them to go outside and develop technical skills to operate various types of gadgets and vehicles.  For adults, flying these drones can be a great way to relieve stress from work and studies. Comparing to other RC gadgets and vehicles RC drones can be quite complicated to operate.Therefore, you need to practice a lot before flying them outdoors. On the other hand,  before buying an RC drone, you need to choose between ready-made or build-your-own option.

Ready-made RC drones are perfect for those who wish to fly one without considering technical and mechanical sides. Ready-made RC drones are usually preferred by newbie’s as it is easier to operate than build-your-own drone.

Those people who prefer an RC drone kit and build it from scratch are usually those who are interested in exploring everything about their RC drones. If you build one by yourself,  you can even customize it and improve its performance. However, bear in mind that it requires a lot of time, patience and efforts.

Gas and Electric Powered RC Drones

Generally speaking, RC drones that run on gas are more rare and expensive than electric ones. They are also more complicated to operate and fly.

Electric ones are less expensive than gas powered RC drones and can be easily operated outdoors. Although their battery packs can be quite expensive, however, they are easier to maintain and operate.

 

Indoor and Outdoor Drones

Indoor RC drones are perfect for newbie’s and amateur players as they are not as powerful as outdoor RC drones. Moreover, they can only go up to a certain level as they are meant to be used indoors.

Also, you need to make sure that no obviously objects or pets getting into your road when flying RC drones indoor.

Outdoor RC drones are more expensive and powerful than indoor drones and can be easily operated from a wide distance.

Outdoor drones are not recommended for new players as they can harm travelers or vehicles if they get crashed from a high height.

 

Mini vs Large Drones

RC drones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Smaller RC drones do not cause any severe damage in case of an accident. They are quite versatile and can be flown indoors and outdoors as well. They’re perfect for new players and do not require much time to set up.

However, they are not as sturdy as bigger RC models.

Larger drones are more suitable for professional players. They closely resemble real helicopters and can be easily flown in windy places.

Bigger models can be quite expensive and you need to follow certain rules while flying such drones outdoors.

LED Blades for RC Drones

RC drones are equally fun when flown at night. You can use special blades that consists of bright neon and LED lights for a better night vision. You can even customize your blades yourself with LED strips. Whether you are flying your drone during the day or night time, try to avoid flying them in public places.

 

Currently on the market common drone batteries are mainly divided into three kinds.
1. lithium polymer batteries, with high energy density, lightweight features, most stores sell drones mostly powered by lithium polymer batteries.
2. lithium batteries: higher price, but large capacity, lightweight, high stability, and longer service life than lead-acid and nickel-metal hydride batteries. 3. nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries: the battery can be used to power drones.
3. nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries: moderately priced, but heavier, with longer safety and service life, suitable for large drones that require long flight times.

Li-ion batteries are the most common type of UAV batteries nowadays, which have the advantages of high energy density, large capacity, light weight and easy charging. Polymer batteries are one of the thinnest and lightest drone batteries, capable of meeting the energy needs of small drones, but relatively susceptible to temperature effects. From a comprehensive point of view, Li-ion batteries have become the most popular type of drone batteries on the market.

Common Drone Battery Voltages and Capacities

Drone batteries come in a variety of voltages, with 3.7V, 7.4V, 11V, 14.8V, and so on being commonly used. The higher the voltage, the more power and speed the drone can provide, but at the same time the battery will be heavier and larger.
Generally speaking, small drones use 3.7V or 7.4V batteries, while larger drones require higher voltage batteries to provide sufficient power and speed. But at the same time, the battery voltage also needs to be matched with the motors used in the drone to ensure the efficiency and life of the motors.

Batteries used in drones generally have a capacity of 500mAh to 10,000mAh. The higher the capacity, the longer the battery will last, but it will also be heavier and bulkier.
For small drones, a battery with a capacity of 500mAh to 1000mAh is the most common choice, while larger drones require a higher capacity battery to provide sufficient battery life. Battery capacity also needs to be considered in relation to the weight, flight speed and altitude of the drone.

Maintenance and Repair

The maintenance of an RC drone includes changing the motor and preventing it from overheating. For beginners, it is recommended to seek for some professional help in case a drone is damaged or is not properly working.

A battery with lower C rate can negatively affect the speed and overall performance of your drone. In order to maximize the life cycles of your drone’s battery, please wait for at least half an hour to recharge your drained battery. Also, avoid overcharging it.

You can also join an online website or group to get valuable insights and information regarding RC drones. You can follow various threads and blogs to get updates and reviews for the latest RC drone kits.

 

 

Keep an eye out on Himax’s official blog, where we regularly update industry-related articles to keep you up-to-date on the battery industry and related peripheral market.