Hubsan Q4 Nano Quadcopter review
Sometimes when between races there is a little too much time to waste, so a few guys have been messing around with mini quads. As can be...
https://www.thercracer.com/2014/03/hubsan-q4-nano-quadcopter-review.html
Sometimes when between races there is a little too much time to waste, so a few guys have been messing around with mini quads. As can be expected it didn't take long before some of the better fliers are trying to race each other around parts of the hall.
This peaked my interest in getting a quad to play with, so when I noticed them on the shelf at my local model shop I decided to treat myself, to the Hubsan Q4 Nano Quadcopter. The latest in micro (and it really is micro) 4 channel quad copters.
Whats in the box?
The quad is tiny, its an amazing piece of engineering. The PCB is used as part of the main chassis, and the four micro motors are hanging on the ends in a very secure manor.
 |
| I ain't getting on no Plane! |
Getting ready
You just have to charge the copter in the USB slot, it takes about 25mins to charge the Quad. You do need to then also find two AAA batteries for the controller.
Switch on!
 |
| The quad flashes its lights that change to solid as it binds with the controller, which will beep and the led will go green. |
You then need to leave it on the flat surface for 3 seconds to ensure it has calibrated it's gyro to allow level flight.
The Quad has two blue lights at the front with a pair of red lights for the rear. This is great to help you when flying so you know the orientation of the quad.
I quickly gave the left stick a push and throttled up and the quad took off. I was really impressed with the control of the quad. The speed agility of the quad was fantastic!
The trims are digital, and you can press them and get an nice reassuring beep on every press, with a longer one for when you are at the neutral points. The controller is small, but even with my sausage fingers I found it comfortable to use.
You can also change the sensitivity of the quad and perform flips, however I was keen to still keep learning the controls.
The range is also great, I was flying it over 30ft away and the signal was strong (I could hardly see it, just the glow of the LED's.
Once your time is up (approx 7 mins) , the red lights start flashing, this lets you know that the little 3.7v lipo is now low, so you just need to land.
 |
| Taking a photo and flying at the same time! |
Overall
I had very little experience with quads before, but I was surprised at how quickly I was able to fly the quad around. The little propellers create a strange insect like noise, and people were all gathering around looking at the quad. Needless to say, others in the office soon were checking the web to buy one as well, these little quads are really something quite brilliant.Its also very tough, as someone who has never had one of these before I had my fair share of crashes. I did have the good sense to cut power before crashing into the wall / floor / work colleague and the quad has remained intact :)
These are a great toy to play with, nice and small so you can carry them in your pit box, or have on your desk at work. I'm really enjoying playing with mine, and it helps keep my thumbs exercised between racing meetings.
My Quad will not fly. When I charge it the lights stay on for a few seconds then turn off. Should they remain illuminated when charging? After a few minutes I unplug the quad and the red lights flash on their own and turn off. The quad has not lifted off the ground for me yet. I thought it was a fault so I went back to the shop and got a replacement and the same thing is happening. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteYou need to ensure that the quad is switched off when not flying it. Otherwise the battery can discharge below its 3.0v and it will become dead. So when you charge it the only thing that should light up is the charger. This will have a little red light that will go out once the battery is charged.
DeleteYou then switch on the little controller and then switch on the quad and the lights (blue / red) will flash on the quad. Quickly the two will bind when you hear a little bleep sound. The controller will now have a green light on it and the lights on the quad will have stopped flashing and be permanently on.
You can now fly the quad. Once the quad light start to flash you need to land it and then switch ot off and charge it as that means the battery is low. One thing to try is to ensure that the controller has good alkaline batteries installed. Hope that helps.