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iRangeX iRX-IR8M external antenna mod
Oh boy, I had high hopes for iRangeX iRX-IR8M. Got disappointed badly. So, to make it a little better, let’s get our hands dirty and install an external antenna using an SMA pigtail. Maybe it will make this not so cheap s**t a little better! So let’s have a nice talk in a workshop and…
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Matek SAM-M8Q and SAM-M8Q Compass GPS modules hands on
You might say that UBLOX NEO-M8N (Beitian BN-880 for example) is the workhorse on INAV and other drones with GPS functions. It is reliable, well know and proven. But it is also big and heavy. So why not try something new? Matek did tried something new and just provided me with two brand new GPS…
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INAV Wind Estimator
INAV 2.0: Wind estimator. What does it do? Tries to estimate the speed of the wind (obviously) as well as wind direction. Let’s be honest, it’s experimental and relays only on the difference of predicted and actual flight path. So do not even try to think it will give accurate measures. But my tries says…
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How to solder 18650 Li-Ion batteries – video tutorial
All 18650 Li-Ion batteries are hard to solder. Well, not only 18650 but all nickel plated metal elements can be very hard to solder. But only if you do not have the proper tools. In this case, proper flux: soldering acid. Forget about sanding, scratching and other voodoo. There is a better way!
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Getting started with 18650 Li-Ion batteries
18650 Lithium-Ion batteries are the workhorse of modern consumer (and not only consumer) technology. If you have anything that is battery operated and there is a “Li-Ion” mark anywhere on it, probably it is powered by 18650 Li-Ion battery. Laptop batteries, cordless drills, cordless tools, e-cigarettes. All of them (probably) have 18650 cells inside. In…
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My Reptile S800 Sky Shadow flying wing
I am fully aware that Reptile S800 Sky Shadow EPP flying wing is not a fresh topic. It is on the market for much more than a year and the internet is full of reviews. So it will not be a review. I will only say that I like S800 very much. Much much, much…
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iFlight XL7 v2 7-inch endurance quadcopter
7-inch drones are “special”. They are not as smooth as 5 inchers but they shine in terms of range. Cruising speed of 50km/h, 8 minutes of flight and it easily can fly a distance of 5 kilometers before the battery runs dry. I never really flew it that far, but it should be doable with…
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How to use INAV Autotune
Autotune is a feature in the INAV flight controller firmware that helps automatically tune PID settings for fixed-wing aircraft. It simplifies the tuning process by adjusting roll, pitch, and yaw rates based on flight behavior. How It Works: Autotune (or Auto Tune) that is present in INAV for quite a long time is a working…
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What is Betaflight 3.5 Feedforward and how to use it
Betaflight 3.5 is just around a corner and it brings new cool things. There is no more Dterm setpoint weight and Dterm setpoint transition (relaxation ratio). They all were replaced by easier to understand Derivative and Feedforward (Feed Forward when you refer to the control theory tho). Betaflight Derivative and Feedforward parameters are the new…
