My journey to the world of quadcopters - S03 quad Part 1

Usually if i have something new, i just right away use it without reading any instructional manual. I've owned numerous gadgets and toys, treated the same way once i got them on my hand.
But this new toy that I've got recently got me more excited, co'z its my first venture into quad copters. I've flown (and crashed) rc copters, but this one is different. In the first place, i have so little info about the model that it is more of a risk in buying it.

Lets cut the intro and talk about this new toy that I've got. The quad that I'm going to delve into(deeply) is called S3 Quad copter (non camera version).

S3 quadcopter

As you can see, if you search for this quad the only results you will get is from lazada, and much worst is the info are mixed with errors.

Below are the specifications for this quad:

2.4ghz
with 6 axis gyro
7.4v battery @ 850mah 2s
360 maneuverability
new generation explorer
led lights

battery area

Below are my added info base on my own findings:
size of the quad with props is roughly around 400mm x 400mm
weight - (will add soon)
props - 8in props (203mm)
body seems to be built in abs shell
bright led lights in red and blue for orientation
battery size - 60mm x 26mm x 17mm
with jst connectors
charger is a balance usb type 7.4v charging cable that has an 0.8mah
it comes with spare pair of props (CW and CCW) with a small screw driver.

As you can see, this ain't a small syma x5 type copter. judging by the size of the battery. it pretty much can carry a small size camera.

This model that I'm reviewing is the no camera version, but you can see from the bottom that it has provision for a small video, probably providing power and turn the shutter.

The battery charging

the battery took 1hour and 40 mins to top up. when i check the battery with my tester, its charge at 8.65v.


The test flight

So I load her up with the freshly charge battery, attached the prop guards and landing gear. I would say shes a decent looking quad. Loaded the transmitter with 4pc of AA batteries.

The quad comes with an ON/Off button which is great. you are greeted with bright red and blue lights as soon as you turn on the quad.

Binding was easy. First making sure your throttle (left jog on the front) is at its lowest before turning on the transmitter. calibrate the quad by putting it on a flat level, then turn the quad on. Turn the transmitter and binding it by moving the throttle (left jog) up and down and you will hear a beep telling you it has binded.

I let it run gently indoors and time it at 5mins of fly time before the lights starts to blink telling you of low voltage warning. you got 2 mins to land it safely.
My observation is, the quad flies great with a little off when i tried to hover it. it sometimes starts to sway to the left slowly.

I then fly it outdoors to practise on my orientation, but the wind at the time was a little to strong drifting the quad farther. I was overwhelm by the wind so my immediate reaction was turning off the throttle down. leaving the quad falling from 5m. ouch!

my bad, that was my first major fall. the good thing is the body able to handle the fall with just some scratches on the body. A small chip on one of the props was the only major damage from the fall.

The test flight with xiaomi yi

as you can see, it has no problem carrying a small camera + case and mount. though the time was a little short, probably due to the small size capacity of the battery. the best surprise was the stable in-existent jello on the video without rubber dampeners. I just stick it with 3m tape and off i fly it.
total run time was a measly 2mins before low voltage kicks in. and 1 min to land it down.

The fly time improves without the mount. with another minute before it starts to show low voltage. and got back the 2 mins to land the copter.

flight time will greatly improve if you have a much smaller camera like runcam2 which i am now eyeing of getting one.

Importance of Balancing props

After a couple of flights and test and practice. I was still not satisfied with the handling of the quad. but before i proceed on my next flight, i replace the chip prop with the spare prop. then i proceed testing it indoors. the quad improves with stability on hovering. but still i was not fully satisfied. then i read on the internet about balancing props and how it can improve the flying of your quads. So i proceed with checking if the props needs balancing.

To my surprise, all of the props including the new ones are unbalance. I balanced them by adding small bit of electrical tapes on the props and do a test flight outside. And boy I'm glad i did balance them. it flies perfect now, hovers and stays put and holds altitude better. Improving my flying skills in a different level now. I feel like its a different quad with full control over it.

The demise of my motor

Sadly, the joy of flying and excitement ended shortly when the quad fell from the sky. Its my fault coz i let it fly even with the warning of low voltage. tried to squeeze a bit of the time. it fell at a very low height of just 2m, i failed to stop the motors since it was already low voltage and about to drop,because of the presence of long grass below, it seizes one of the props that prevents the motors from spinning. ending in burnt motor.

So i tear her out. and there's a lot of screws that held this body. to my surprise, the motors of this quad is similar to tarantula x6 and mjx x101. no wonder it has a higher payload..

It also is using bushings that are most likely the same with tarantula. as the whole system looks identical.


Conclusion
I am quiet happy with this inexpensive quad. that my 2nd order is already on the way. Will be using it for parts.

Next part:
bigger capacity battery. with full fly with camera. custom camera mounts. bearings. and possibilty of smaller camera.