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Building A Sub 250g Carbon Fiber FPV Quadcopter

Most of you know that the FAA has stated that all multirotors that weigh more than 0.55 pounds must be registered in order to prevent fines upwards of $250,000. So there has been an increase in sub 250g Quadcopters and Tricopters. Well today we are gonna talk a little about my FPV Quadcopter and what they look like.

My personal FPV Racing Quadcopter that is under 250 grams!

The frame I chose for this build is an: LHI 210mm Carbon Fiber Frame : Overall I am very pleased with the quality of this frame, very sturdy and lightweight coming in at 70g with all the aluminum hardware. In the future I will be using my Flashforge Creator Pro to 3D print some much lighter spacers to replace the metal spacers that come with the LHI frame.

During this build all of the wiring was done in a minimalistic fashion, I would measure the wire bundles allowing just enough wire to go from A to B then add about an inch to allow for some slack.

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Anonabox | Stay Anonymous On The Internet

I am sure most of you have heard about the importance of remaining anonymous and keeping yourself protected while browsing from public Wi-Fi. Then you ask, well how am I supposed to do that?

Well today I want to talk a little bit about a device called “Anonabox” which is a tiny TOR embedded router that can help keep your anonymity safe while browsing the web. Its powered by 5v, supplied by a USB port found on almost every laptop & desktop or by most cell phone chargers via micro usb.

 

The Anonabox Pro Sitting atop a Macbook Pro

 

 

Once powered up you can connect to a wireless access point for internet or if you’d like to “hardwire” in you can do that as well with the supplied LAN/WAN connections. There are 4 models to choose from, the two most popular are The Original & The Pro versions of the Anonabox. Both offering different features for those who just need to use TOR or those who need a more advanced version like the PRO can access features like VPN, or .Onion Web Hosting. In the coming weeks there will be some updates published that allow for more services to be added.

 

 

The Anonabox Original and the Pro Versions

 

 

The two most popular Anonabox models, The “Original” is for those who needs are basic, a Plug n Play Design. While the “Pro” offers a more advanced user experience, offering more features like VPN access, Ad Blocking, .Onion Hosting & more!

 

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Xbox One Elite Controller Review

Its time for a review!

Xbox One Elite Controller Review

As of recently I started playing my computer games with an old modded Xbox 360 controller and for the most part I thought the controller I already had was great.. Until I bought the Xbox One Elite Controller. Everything about the Xbox One Elite Controller is well crafted, from the thumbsticks to the adjustable triggers. You can setup custom button mapping for your most played games and you also have a profile switch that allows you to switch back and forth between profiles directly saved on your Xbox One Elite Controller. If your running Windows 10 you can download the Xbox One Accessories app through the Windows App Store, which will allow you to customize the button layout, Xbox Button Brightness, Dead Zones for the triggers and so much more!!

So after spending $24 on a battery and another $20 on the wireless receiver I had a pretty sweet controller for my PC. Most of the games I play are on Steam which allows me to use “Big Picture” which is steams GUI for a PC based console “feel”. It makes navigating the Steam Interface much more intuitive when using a controller.

The first thing I noticed when removing the Xbox One Controller from the protective case is the weight. This controller is heavy! Even though its “heavy” I still have no issues holding this controller for hours at a time.

The rubber texture on the controller feels great and makes those long nights in front of the heavenly glow of your gaming monitor that much more bad ass!

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Smooth Thumb-sticks
  • Custom Button Mapping
  • Easily Interchangeable Thumb-sticks and D-Pad
  • Use Your Own Headphones
  • Comfortable Grip
Cons
  • Does Not Come With Rechargeable Battery
  • Does Not Come with Wireless Receiver for PC
  • $150 Price Tag
  • Heavy (due to metal and magnets)
  • Green Sync Button
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Intel Nuc – How to Install Memory and mSata SSD

Intel NUC RAM & Samsung 850 mSata SSD Installation

In this video you will see a basic installation of Corsair RAM plus a Samsung 850 mSata SSD

Tools You Will Need

  • Phillips Screwdriver
  • Flat Head Screwdriver
  • 10-15 minutes of time

Impressions on the NUC from Intel

So far I have been really impressed with the performance from my NUC. I setup one as a headless server and I couldn’t be any happier. The whole unit can fit in the palm of your hand and depending on which model you get can pack a serious punch. I opted to go with the Intel Celeron 847 Dual Core, I’ll explain further down why I went with this particular model.

In my experience the NUC runs quite cool, I used a R/C Engine thermometer to test the temperature and it came in at a cool temp of 88°F so I measured my smartphone with the same thermal temperature sensor just to compare and my phone measured 85°F.

I have been looking for a solution to my server needs and this Intel NUC was up to the task. I needed something that was small and compact so at first I tried using a Raspberry Pi which is a great computer but just didn’t have the horsepower I needed and most of all a gigabit NIC. So after quite a few open source computer purchases with the latest being a bananaPi by LeMaker, I just couldn’t find a suitable piece of equipment that would fit my requirements.

The Banana Pi is another fantastic piece of hardware, it even sports a full size SATA port, which is great considering I was using it for a server. However the SATA speeds were not as I had hoped. The average transfer speed over a gigabit network was around 40 MB/s which is about average for most NFS systems. I personally prefer faster speeds, like around 110 MB/s which is exactly what I can expect from the NUC.

Reasons Why I Purchased the NUC
  1. Low Power Consumption (17 Watts) !!
  2. Runs Extremely Cool
  3. Completely Silent Operation
  4. Small Footprint
  5. VESA Mountable
  6. Very Affordable
  7. Gigabit Ethernet
Specs
  1. Intel Celeron Dual Core 847
  2. Max 16GB RAM
  3. Dual HDMI Ports
  4. 7.1 Surround through HDMI
  5. 5 Total USB Connections (3 external & 2 via internal header
  6. 3 Year Limited Warranty
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San Antonio Quadcopter Builds

Quadcopters in San Antonio

Offering custom Quadcopter build services in San Antonio, Texas and the surrounding Austin, Houston and Dallas areas.

Depending on the amount of requests, I might start offering a bring your own parts program and have an expert assemble them for you.

Custom FPV Quadcopter Built by Errin @ errinlyons.com
Printed this out for @mayhemvapor and its awesome!

Each Quadcopter is built to order, and can be ready within a few days.

  • Custom Builds
  • 3D Printed Quadcopter Frames & Parts
  • FPV Setup
  • Flight Controller Programming
  • Upgrades
  • Repairs
  • Soldering

Safety Classes

Learn How to Fly Safely & Have Fun

Did you know most crashes happen due to pilot error? Well believe it or not, most of the time when you crash your Multirotor it could have been prevented.

  1. Check Your Props – Make sure they are tight & secure
  2. Check Your Battery Voltage – Use a simple battery cell checker
  3. Check Your Transmitter Batteries – Just replace or recharge if drained

If you want more tips and tricks download our PDF for FREE!