Recommendation for a midsize trainer drone

PhantomFanatic · Jan 5, 2015

Hi all,

I have a friend who wants a Phantom. But, his finances won't allow for that yet. He also would like to practice on a midsize quad that has video ability, before investing in a Phantom. I somewhat agree.

I'm doing some research into such a drone, but I highly value your input. Let's put the maximum price at $400, but less will be even better. He is hoping by the time he gets his tax refund, that he will have a good deal of experience and he can then buy a phantom.

So, what do you suggest? And, thanks for the help!

turbodronepilot · Jan 5, 2015

Hey there phantomfanatic. .I have several small trainer droids and i recommend the dromida ominus to anyone who wants to learn how to fly and have fun..no camera though. .just 80.00 usd..

PhantomFanatic · Jan 5, 2015

turbodronepilot said:
Hey there phantomfanatic. .I have several small trainer droids and i recommend the dromida ominus to anyone who wants to learn how to fly and have fun..no camera though. .just 80.00 usd..

Can it carry a Hero? The price is great!

turbodronepilot · Jan 5, 2015

No..not even close..I'm not sure what will for that price,but you might look into buying a used phantom without a camera and mounting yours..there are many for sale on e bay and other sites for around 4 to 5 hundred dollars. .then you can add a gimble later on when u can afford it..I think you'll be happy if you go that route. .

PhantomFanatic · Jan 6, 2015

turbodronepilot said:
No..not even close..I'm not sure what will for that price,but you might look into buying a used phantom without a camera and mounting yours..there are many for sale on e bay and other sites for around 4 to 5 hundred dollars. .then you can add a gimble later on when u can afford it..I think you'll be happy if you go that route. .

Thanks, but this is for a friend. And, he isn't getting my Hero! I already have a Phantom 2, with 3d gimbal and a Hero 3 Black. I'm working on FPV now.

Thanks for the info, though!

erikgraham · Jan 6, 2015

I am also looking for a trainer quad for a friend and I think I will be going with turbodronepilot's recommendation, the Dromida Ominus.

It looks pretty sturdy and it has a trick button to do flips (which is fun). And it does not cost much.
My friend is a lot older than me and used to fly RC craft in the 70s and 80s. He is not really interested in photo or video. He just wants something to "have some fun and pass the time" and he is intrigued by the new technology.

PhantomFanatic · Jan 6, 2015

I've run across one that seems to meet all of the requirements, plus FPV for $299! It is an Ares Ethos FPV.

The quad's length with rotors is 18.75." Without rotors: 11.5".

It comes with a transmitter, with a 4" color monitor for FPV. Stills and video are saved to a 4GB SD card, at the monitor. The SD card is included. The camera isn't as good as a Hero, but acceptable at that price. Resolution is 1600 x 1200 JPEG and video at 720P at 30fps.

There is a HD camera model for $199, but no FPV. It is supposed to be possible to buy a HD camera, to swap out the 720 one. But, I haven't found it. But, for that size monitor, 720p should look okay. Flight times, for the FPV model is low, at 5-6 minutes. But, extra batteries are supposed to be cheap, though I haven't found them, marketed with this quad. But, they should be available elsewhere.

I got this from a preliminary review in MultiRotor Pilot magazine. The flight review is supposed to be in the next issue.
This quad has a really great looking canopy. I think it might be a good choice, for him.

houstonpilot · Jan 6, 2015

In my opinion, (and the opinion of hundreds of others who left glowing 5 star reviews on amazon) the best trainer drone by far for the $ is the SYMA X5c. It has the exact same controls as the DJI phantom quads, has a built in camera that writes to MicroSD, impressive range for the money, and is insanely crash resistant, but still comes with extra props. It actually kinda looks like a Phantom! Fly times are 8 or 9 minutes, which isn't bad at all, and you can easily find extra batteries on Amazon so you can go out and fly for as long as you like. Read the reviews on Amazon - this thing is simply awesome for the price.

It's also nice on rainy days to brush up on your quad piloting skills while indoors, and the props won't break skin.

When people ask to fly my Phantom 2, I give them the SYMA to try instead. Fry's has them for $89.99, or Amazon has it for $62 with free shipping. See the link below:

Amazon - Syma x5c for $62 free shipping and 5 star average reviews.

After flying and learning with my Syma for a few months (and dozens of crashes), I've had a great track record with my phantom 2 vision+ v3. More than 70 flights, and still using my original props (knocks on wood)...

PhantomFanatic · Jan 6, 2015

houstonpilot said:
In my opinion, (and the opinion of hundreds of others who left 5 star reviews on amazon) the best trainer drone by far for the $ is the SYMA X5c. It has the exact same controls as the DJI phantom quads, has a built in camera that writes to MicroSD, impressive range for the money, and is insanely crash resistant, but still comes with extra props. It actually kinda looks like a Phantom! Fly times are 8 or 9 minutes, which isn't bad at all, and you can easily find extra batteries on Amazon so you can go out and fly for as long as you like. Read the reviews on Amazon - this thing is simply awesome for the price.

It's also nice on rainy days to brush up on your quad piloting skills while indoors, and the props won't break skin.

When people ask to fly my Phantom 2, I give them the SYMA to try instead. Fry's has them for $89.99, or Amazon has it for $62 with free shipping. See the link below:

Amazon - Syma x5c for $62 free shipping and 5 star average reviews.

After flying and learning with my Syma for a few months (and dozens of crashes), I've had a great track record with my phantom 2 vision+ v3. More than 70 flights, and still using my original props (knocks on wood)...