hi ive just subscribed.After watching a few of your videos.Ive been doing a jig around the room.Already flashed my 30 amp hk esc`s.And im just loving the input you provide.Been playing with quads for about 10 months,Been allover the net for information.and i think ive found my quad bible with you.People just watch and learn off this man,,,,painless,,,,,Is really true Thank You THANK YOU THANK YOU.
Thank you for putting this together. Designing a quad from scratch is a pain already without buying a dozen smaller motors as a result of trial and error.
That's what I was doing - trying one lot of motors and then having to buy another set (with the relevant props) and it was expensive. I wish there was an easy way to translate watts into thrust! I find that for a 450 class quad 150/170w motors work well, for a hex or heavier model 270w class motors are a better choice. Thanks for the comment.
That was the clearest explanation I have yet seen. Here is a question for which I have found no good answers. I am looking at a range of sizes from, say 350 mm down to less than 100, so the MR copters will be quite light. I am looking at possibly making airframes using carbon fibre tubes and plates and the strongest adhesive I can find, so that the bulk of the weight will be from the battery and motors. What I would like to do is use the Gemfan 5x3x3 propellers (or their 6" equivalent) for the larger of these copters and the propellers from either the Syma X3 or the Syma X4 for the smallest of the copters. Is it possible to compute the average time to discharge the battery from the weight and capacity of the battery and motors, the properties of the motors and and propellers, and whether it is a quad, hex or octocopter? If so, how? Can you show me the equations? I have a mathematical bent, and so learn the details of how this all works when I see equations, rather than using a black box computing engine on the web. What motors/brands would be suitable for this, which are reliable? I don't care if anyone regards a particular one as 'the best' whatever that is. I just don't want to end up with junk. Are there any good books you can recommend on the subject? (without the words 'Dummies' or 'Idiots' in the title).
Hi Ted, one of the best resources for these types of question is the eCalc site (www.ecalc.ch/xcoptercalc.php) plug in the numbers and the answers pop out! Hope this helps.
For calculating the discharge time of the battery, use the mAH rating. The equation is mAH = current draw*time. But note that the actual mAH will be less if you draw a lot of current, and the number the manufacturer gives you isn't always accurate. If you check for reviews of the battery online you should be able to figure out how accurate the manufacturer's rating is, and there shouldn't be too much deviation from it as long as you stay within the current rating of the battery. To determine how much current the battery can output multiply the mAH of the battery by the number that ends in C. A 20C 1000mAH battery is good for 20 amps of current. Some batteries give you a rating for both continuous output and short term output, so be sure you use the right one. To figure out how much current the motors will use you will need to either measure it yourself with (with the prop attached), or find someone else who measured it with the same or a very similar prop and put the results online.
Just curious about the comment surrounding a 4S battery swinging the prop faster and therefore needing a small diameter prop. For me, this doesn't compute. Here is why .... Relating this back to aircraft, typically speaking the larger the motor the larger the prop and / or the more prop blades . By way of example, compare a Cessna 182 Skylane with a 235 hp motor swinging basically a 6 foot two blade prop versus a Chance Vought Corsair at roughly 2,000 hp swinging a 13 foot 3 or 4 blade prop. So, when I think of going from a 3S to a 4S battery I think of a bigger and more powerful motor and therefore the ability to swing a bigger prop with more blades and push more air at a lower rpm. I know there is more to it than that as the weight of the aircraft comes into play, the mission, and many other variables. But, I am just trying to figure out if I missed something in your comment. If so, I am having hard time picking out that nugget due to my perception as given in the previous example.
This is a really good video, but I'm not sure I've got this right... here you say.. "Almost. You need motors and props that will give you a total thrust that is a little more than twice the weight of the model", then followed by; "You have it right, the maximum thrust needs to be a little over the all up weight of the model". In the video it says, weight + 20% / number of motors. My quad weighs 2000g. which means my motors only have to provide 600g of thrust. Great. I'm using 2213-935kv 850g motors. Only if you multiply the collective thrust by 4, I get 3400g of thrust. This figure isn't a little more than twice. Please help I'm confused! James.
You need motors and props that will give you a total thrust that is a little more than twice the weight of the model. Be careful with the rated thrust on those motors - I use those motors on a 3S setup and about 1.2kg is the max model weight they will handle (with a quad).
Ok I see, so I guess I need to make sure that the motor can produce the required thrust at 50% throttle. Motors like Tmotor and KDE Direct offer thrust charts with thrust number at different throttle settings. That is what I'm not sure about if I should look at 100% throttle thrust numbers or 50% throttle thrust numbers when selecting my motor.
+traxxi2003 50% to lift the weight (and just hover). The remaining 50% you want to use to ascend. So look up at 50% of throttle to match the calculated weight.
Question on motor balancing. Do you remove the stickers that are on the motors? I would think that the stickers would upset the motor balance? Or do the manufactures use these stickers to balance the motors?
I'm about to try something a bit experimental, to be honest i'm expecting to fail. Will be building a mini with 4x 10g motors, i will try to run the motors at 1s but with oversized props, build should be fairly light and not designed for acro. I'll let you know how it go's. Got most of the parts now so just waiting for some free time and to do some other thrust tests before starting to build. More soon
Painless360 Yes no problem, i was planning to do some thrust tests first but i can't find the digital kitchen scale that i had in my garage, may give that step a miss for now then! Will try to put together a series of videos in a few weeks time to show all the difficulties and hurdles that i'm going to be up against. The idea is to use over sized props on these tiny motors and run them at 1s so i'll lose out on rpm but re-gain some of my thrust by using larger props. I am going to be using the MWC Mini Fc and Dsm2 all in one receiver fc combo. No GPS for now but thinking to give it a go after watching your video on gps with i2c setup, just not sure how you connect to the gps with the ftdi stick to set the baud rate, i'm guessing there are some solder points to connect to, will have to look into this if i decide to go in this direction. Plan is to build a large quad if all go's well, but need to learn how to fly first :D
I think the point missed in the video is that prop speed is very important for stabilization. The reason for having a certain weight-to-thrust ratio (as you outlined) is because too much prop speed and you are burning too much juice and too low of a prop speed and the copter will be unstable. Stabilizing the copter is done by speeding up and slowing down props and you do not want a motor / prop slowing down too far. Thus, the reason for the numbers you give.
Hi there, you state "have the weight of the model and add 20%" but in a prior section you actually use double the weight to hover at 50% so maybe it would be less confusing if you stated "Use the weight of the model and multiply by 2.4", or did I not get what you're saying ? Otherwise very clear and informative. Thank you.
I am going through this right now with my Tri copter. I have Suppo M2212-930K motors that are spinning 8.5 DJI props, reason is only props I could find that have the DJI splines that were in stock, Its way underpowered with these props. I have ordered 9.5 and 10.5 props to test. Hopefully that will do the trick.
Could you comment on specifically matching the motor/prop size to the application of the quad. I'm beginning to figure out that, if you want less agility and smoother and slower response time, say for videography, than a larger quad with slower motors and larger props would be the recommended way to go. If, you're into racing and quicker maneuvers than a smaller quad with smaller props and higher KV motors would be the approach. Yes?
You've got it - lower KV motors with larger props will give you far better efficiency, longer flight times but slower response to the changes in throttle. Smaller props in high KV motors are less efficient but can be far more responsive to throttle changes and support more acrobatic flight without failing. Happy flying!
ive chosen 1000kv turnigy D2830-11 and 10x5 props for my x900 frame tricopter with a 4s 2650mah battery. they recommend 10x7 on 2s or 8x4 on 4s, lets see if it works. its my first build. still can order smaller props weight with battery is exactly 960g
Finally, my drone flies. but not so long it started smelling burned. the motors were damn hot after just 1 minute hovering. i think i get some smaller props like 8x4 not 10x5 for 4s. it had like 4kg thrust in full throttle. or should it get stronger motors?
Every motor will have a specific size of prop in the specs for the battery size you're using (3s, 4s etc). Using more than that will cause things to overheat and fail. Check the specs on the motor you're using to see what the recommended prop is for your setup..
i liked this video verymuch which is more informative and given me what i searched for. this is the video which made me to subscribe to the channel and to view other videos.
I'm making a helicopter shaped drone with two brushless motors fixed at the front and two coreless motors at the back allowed free to rotate on axis perpendicular to the tail of the drone on both the sides forming an isocesless trapezium. The coreless motor will be attached to a servo which will turn the whole motor forward or backward like a pendulum for forward or reverse moment. The propeller on the front will be bigger than the hind ones. So what power of motor shall I use for both front and rear propellers?
Think back to Isaac Newton's apple. Force = Mass x Acceleration. Force = Mass (1kg) x Acceleration (gravity @ 9.8 m/s2) = 9.8 Newtons 10 Newtons = 1kg Now you can substitute the weight of your machine (Mass) to determine the Force, then decide how much additional force you want to apply to overcome gravity.. then follow principals above. May the Force be with you :-)
Thanks for the comment and feedback. I'm doing a test with one of my models using two very different motor/prop combos that should produce the same thrust but one should expected to me more efficient. Should be a handy supplement to this video with some real world data and examples. I will be posting this in the next few days when I can hover the larger prop/lower KV setup and capture the power used. Happy flying!
+ganesh gowda KV makes no difference to the motor selection - use the max amps to size the ESCs and then use that to size your battery capacity. Best of luck.
Just curious, if you dont know the weight of your copter as its not built yet, but want many features such as gps, 3D POV, obstacle avoidance radar, long flight time, and lifting capacity etc how would you decide on motors for a hexicopter?
I tend to use the weight listed on the description of the item on a place like HobbyKing and add it all up. Be careful with the weights as they tend to be inaccurate so the extra 20% of weight you use when calculating the motors needed will ensure that you don't end up with an underpowered model. As explained in the video divide the total thrust needed by the number of motors to see what each one need to provide, so with a hex divide total thrust by 6. Hope this helps.
Hello there, I am interested into getting into details of the calculations must be done for building a multicopter. Would you mind sharing your reference?
So something about 450mm to 500mm frame.. and about 600g to 700g total weight.. should I use 1100kv brushless or go even higher? Planning to run 8 to 9 inch props 4.5 pitch.. I want somethong light to medium weight but really wanting a quad that flies super fast and jus really punches out from launch.. this is my first build..
Hi David, 700g seems light for a quad of that size. Using a quick check - a plastic frame, decent battery and 4 motors will weigh almost that much before adding the props. ESCs, flight control board, cables and receiver. I'd get a list of what you want to use and add up all the weights to give you a solid starting point on the all up weight. If we assume a loaded weight of 900g, running a 3s battery then you have lots of choice. You should be looking for a motor that provides about 500g+ of thrust or around the 150-160watt range. i.e Turnigy Aerodrive SK3 - 2826-1240kv with 8x3.8" props or similar. Hope this helps. Good luck with the first build, it can seem a little daunting but it's a great sense of achievement when you get it into it's first hover! If this is your first quad, a great buy would be one of the little indoor quads to practice on (Hubsan X4 or similar), very cheap and great to get to grips with before crashing a model you've put a ton of time and money into. Let me know how you get on. Happy flying!
Well ive owned about 6 to 8 helis and quads and currently flying the blade 350qx.. ive taken it apart after a crash n transfered the internals to a new frame and i now have a good understanding of how to do it as well as what to expect. Now im debating bigger props with slower rpm motor. I jus dont kno what to do yet but my tbs frame will be in soon. Yikes
hi, so for a 250 size frame with fpv gear maybe total weight 600-650g , which one of the 3 would be best? 1>T-Motor MT2206 KV1200, 110W, 10A, 30g 2>T-Motor MN1806 KV1400, 96W, 12A, 18g 3>T-Motor MN1806 KV2300, 150W, 14A, 18g Idea is to put it on this: HobbyKing Daily - HK 250 FPV Racing Quad Thanks!
You need to look at the tables for each of these motors, they are on lots of websites. You need to know the maximum size of the prop that will fit on the frame (bigger is normally better, I'm guessing about 6") and know if this is going to be a 2s or 3s LIPO pack. Then look at the rotor size for the pack you have for each of the motors and go with the one that is most efficient. You need to look for a motor that will give you a max thrust of about 360g each with the prop..
Sir, your videos are really awesome . I have a issue, can you please help me? * When I increase throttle a message is displayed " Potential thrust loss", why it's happening? I am testing the without propellers, is that the issue?
I'm really finding this hard to understand, because i seemply cant find how to calculate the requirements of the motors and nowhere seems to state this motor is capabe of 1kg thrust or 2.For example, im, building a drone that has an estimate of 1.5-2kg, what should i pick, 4 motors that are 2700kv or 1600kv, where would i find what motors should i buy so that when hooking 4 of them i could fly the drone. Not for sport, but for normal drone flying.
My first quad I used the largest motors , esc and had so over powered it I could not control the speed. Crashed into everything. Wish someone posted this before I started.
Robert Bush Everyone has their favourite. The key indicator is the cost. Scorpion and others who have a brand and reputation to protect spend more on testing and quality control so their products are more reliable but cost that bit more. Anyone else have any suggestions?
It would work and fly. More thrust comes from higher KV (less efficient) or larger props (heavier model with longer arms etc.) so why would you? Hope this answers it for you.
You know, I saw a post somewhere where the guy quoted a spec for his motors at 23gm. Im betting that mustve been the weight of the motor, and not the thrust as he had written. Did I surmise correctly?
Yep. As soon as i wrote that, i went and looked. It was wayne rc, hehheh. Was my question i posted further down correct? If you get the first combo rigbt, only necessary to add new weight, and up the motor size? Have a great day.
John Robertson That would work, that's why it's always better to slight overspec the power system as you always end up adding weight to the model (cameras, FPV, gimbals) not taking it off :)
Great tutorial! I'm trying to come up with a quadcopter design with 8 motors (the counter-rotating type). Can you give a little more explanation on motor selection from the thrust required for each motor? Suppose I require 70N of thrust per motor, which spec of the motor should I match against to make sure that it will generate enough lift?? Whats the relation? The motor specs does not mention any thrust value.
Nikesh Bhattarai If the specs don't mention the thrust in grams then email them and ask. You also need to get an idea on prop size/thrust too. Figure out the weight of the model and aim for 2.2x that weight in total thrust from the eight motors. Best of luck.
Painless360 If I use 8 motors (4-pairs, each of the motors in a pair are counter-rotating) on my quadcopter, is each of the motors gonna provide same lift? Suppose my copter is 10kg in weight, can I assume that each of the motors I require should provide atleast 10/8kg of thrust?
Are not the motor's inefficiencies across the throttle's range already the basis for each motor's factory test specifications anyways? Since I fly slowly in the 50% to 75% throttle range, wouldn't a 20% overhead of thrust be excessive? Would not a 5%-10% overhead be more reasonable in my case? Thanks.
Thanks for the question, 20% would be excessive if 1) the thrust listed from the manufacturer was always accurate and for the exact setup you were looking at (!) and 2) you never then wanted to add more kit to the model (camera, FPV gear etc. I've not yet built a model that hasn't ended up with more weight on it that I intended!Happy flying!
hello , if i read your conclusion , its not according to the begining, 1000g+ 20%= 1200g , not 2400,am i right? or how can a ZMR250 fly with only 4 Dys1806?I can't reach the site for calculation... Thanks for your videos , they are greats.
Hi, This video is very helpful! I'm wondering, were You talking about the maximum thrust or the recomended thrust? Even the E300 has a thrust recomended of 300g/axis and a max.of 600gr/axis. For example if you take a quad f450 frame it gives you a total thrust recomended of 2400g and a maximum weight of the drone around 1000g (2400g/2.4). It's not much espacialy if you want to have a gimbal and gopro...
You have it right, the maximum thrust needs to be a little over the all up weight of the model. Many of my models are about the 1kg-1.2kg range and that is enough for those types of motors. Any more and they struggle.
I have a question Looking to build a TAROT 680 pro What KV motors would I use and what battery do I use 6S 4S ? Looking for a good flight time .. with very little payload
Hello, very nice video, I'm planning to build a quad to lift 3.5kgs including frame and motors weight. I'm using 1100kv with the table Prop Tests : 8x4 - 11.1V / 100W / 9.1A/ 0.54kg thrust 8x4 - 14.8V / 116W / 14A / 0.82kg thrust 9x6 - 11.1V / 149W / 13.6A / 0.73kg thrust 9x6 - 14.8V / 285W / 19.6A / 1.05kg thrus What props should I use knowing I bought 3bladed prop of 9in but the motors heated, I have 3bladed props also 8in, what is the best prop to use with what kind of lipo? 3S or 4S ? Think you!!
Hi, difficult for me to answer without knowing how may motors you will have. If you follow the guidance in the video you should be ok. Always use the lipo recommended for the prop/motor setup and two bladed props are best if you can fit them. Thanks for the question.
Hi, this video helped a lot, so thank you for that. But i would like to check. I have calculated the weight of my quad (the frame, electronics, gimbal, and camera gear, plus the battery, and a estimate on motor weight). The weight, in grams, of my quad-copter is 1131g. What motors, and ESC's would work for my setup. Thank you, and i hope you get around to reading this.
Hi Having trouble configuring my GPS . I am running windows , I downloaded an emulator and was able to open the ublox app. This is how I plugged it up FTDI dongle into the I2C Nav module , out of that to the receiver. I went to tools on the Ublox program and there is no USB port so I can't see the receiver. Any ideas on how to make it connect as I thought I would see a USB port there to select. Thanks Russ.
I would first check the signal wires to the esc, perhaps swap it with one of the others to see if anything changes, if not change the esc if still no luck try changing the motor. Also check the power connection to that esc
izzzzzz6 hi, with the motor not connected to anything, try and turn it by hand and compare it to the other motors. Does it ake more to turn it? Can you feel 'notches' as you turn it? If it feels the same then check the soldering on the bullet connectors.. Best of luck getting it sorted.
PLIASE HELP! My Y6 Hexacopter to start requires full throttle and after leaving the ground out sharply to the side ... I have to use my reaction to straighten machine ... After such a bad start, my machine run so beautiful, stable and obediently ... Do not know what to do, perhaps the problem in the Gain settings ... I'm afraid to make things worse ! My Hexacopter Y6 : DJI WKG-M,---- Gains: Basic 185, 185; Yaw 120; Vert 125; Attitud 100, 100. PRO SIX frame Y6( arms 400mm diam25mm) T-motors MN 4014-11 KV330; ESC t-mot 40A-400. Carbon Props 15 x 5.5 Battery 9000 mAh 6s Total weight: 5.780 kg ( including 1.410 kg battery and 1.820 kg Canon+Gimbal) Thank You in advance, Romans.
I have two questions. First, I saw many affordable motor specs, and in roughly the same class they all display throttle of, say, 300g at 4 ampers. But, with much more expensive motors of higher quality (like Tiger motors), I see that they have throttle of about 100-200g with the same params. So I'm in doubt, aren't more expensive motors supposed to produce higher throttle? Or does that mean the cheaper motors' throttle is just a fake? Second, when I turn some motors by hand, they don't rotate smoothly, I can feel some little "steps" inside. Is that normal or not and what is the cause of it? Never found the answer.
+nandakoryaaa the thrust depends on the props used. Even props of the same size from different manufacturers can have an effect. Watch the KV ratings too.. best of luck!
Yes but I mean in the test data they use appropriate props and some motors show 300g of thrust and other (higher-quality) motors only 150g, all in the same class. It couldn't be that higher-quality motors were tested with inferior props, I think there is just some fake data.
Nice Video! I have a 2 in 1 6A ESC of Racerstar, which of the following motors works best with it? 1) 1104 7000kv 2) 1104 6500kv 3) 1104 4000kv all rated for 1-2 cells and what propeller should I use? Thanks.
Please see my Quadcopter building for beginners series, not only do I cover all the pieces you need but also have to put them together to get to the end successfully. Best of luck!
I don't see thrust specs on any of the motors Hobby King sells.. Are they garbage, or am I missing something here.. I would like to build quadcopter, and I will be studying quadcopters for about a month before I make my first purchase.
MARK 1 This is the danger when buying motors from places that do not give thrust values. Some of the motors they sell do provide that detail, along with prop recommendations. They source their motors from the same places as most others so the quality will be the same. Other vendors may have the additional detail you need for the motors from HK, so searching is worthwhile. Always slightly overestimate the thrust you need as 50% throttle does not equal 50% of the maximum thrust. Best of luck with it.
Painless360 Have any recommendations to where I could shop besides HK.. Seems when I do a Google search they're always on top of the results. I honestly don't like the fact that there's no other good quality stores online that you can buy from besides HK. Got any recommendations..?
Depends on what you are after Banggood.com are working to have a better range of RC kit and some more local places (depends on where you are in the world) offer a faster service. Where in the world are you?
hi mate I have a question for you I was useing the dji 2212 920kv motor with the dji 10x38 prop's and 30amp opt ESC on my f450 but now got a team white sheep frame useing the same props ESC but gone to the 2312 960 kv motors thay get a little worm now could it be down to the awg wire it was 14awg but to short but got some 18awg on it now
Possibly, but I'd expect the motor to be getting warm due to it working a little harder than the last motor. I'd monitor it for the next few flights. Getting a little warm is fine but if you can't comfortably hold it after a flight then you're possibly pulling too much current.. Best of luck!
Painless360 thanks will keep my eye in it isn't useing the racestar race motors thay tested the 10inch on the 920 and 980 kv so was thinking the 960 should be ok
Painless360, thank you for such a great video. I do have one question; in your example you stated hat you need to produce 600g of thrust per motor. So with that information you selected a DYS 2822 1800kv which produces 650g+ of thrust. Is that at 50% throttle or is that the max that this motor can produce? Is the idea here is to select a motor that produces the thrust you need at 50% throttle or less?
+traxxi2003 The idea is that the motors together produce thrust that is more than twice the weight of the model so that you can hover about 50% throttle. Some pilots who want insane performance build models with 3 times the thrust.
+Painless360 What is your idea about AeroQuad project? it is an open source. If I buy it will it worth spending money on it. I need it for aerial photography.
hi, I'm making a quad copter. I didn't do any research any just bought the components and now I'm having trouble flying the quad.i have 1400 kV motors and 10*4.5 props. how can I improvise so that it flies well. using small props should work, right? I want to use the same motors, if possible. thanks for the reply in advance.
No idea without knowing the model and type of the motor you're using. I'd suggest working through this video with the spec sheets for the motors you have to figure out if they will work with your model. Best of luck!
lets say my drone weights 3kg with all and it is a quadcopter, if i instead of using motors that has a thrust ratio off 1000gr each (4kg total ), i use instead motors that has 2000gr of thrust each (8kg total ) would it make my quad harder to fly or would it be harder to control it ie wobble ?? if it is a 650mm size chassie and it is recommended to use 3210 700kv motors and i use 4110 400kv motors as an example. would it be usefull or not,,if i had same power att 50% trottle,,would presciate info
You should always make sure that you have at least twice the weight of the model available in total thrust. Adding more than that will just give your model more speed and power, and will mean the hover point will be lower on the throttle too. Best of luck with your build.
I think you may have left out a critical step in your conclusion. In the first bullet point you said: Figure out the weight of the model and add 20%. Shouldn't that be: Figure out the weight of the model, DOUBLE IT, and add 20%?
can anybody out there help me to calculate how much weight can be lifted with specific motors and props a kind of equation that simplifies it please anybody
You need to look at the spec sheets that are with the motor. Most quality retailers will include this detail. For example look at innov8tivedesigns.com/Cobra/Cobra_2213-12_Specs.htm for one of the best examples but also hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8622__2213N_800Kv_Brushless_Motor.html for thrust figures quotes alongside the specs. You can also use the www.ecalc.ch/ site to calculate thrust and flying times (if it has a close enough motor for you to select). Happy flying!
hai painless360, im making a quad weighing around 2100gms my choice for motor is turnigy D3542/6 1000KV frame: HAL turnigy 3s 4000mah battery 10 inch prop what about my choice ?any suggestions ,im gonna use this quad for surveillance.really need some help
+smartavatar95 Impossible for me to comment as, although HobbyKing has listed the maximum thrust of the motor they have neglected to share any detail on how you get it.. I'd ask the HobbyKing support team for more detail. Best of luck.
Sir my quadcopter tilts to one motor side while taking off in self level mode Please help please As soon as possible And i had purchased 3 bldc motor from one shop and 1 from another and it tilts downward towarda the 1 which i had pirchased from another shop . They all are of same 1000kv . Does this make any sense??
Hey Painless nice job. As i am a beginner could you recommend me which motor ( of what kv rating ) should i select as i am building it for the first time.
+Sujit Gate I'd watch our 'Quadcopter building for beginners' series on the channel, we cover that and a lot more for first time builders.. best of luck!
Hi again. Do you think it would be a wise move to to go for 11 -12 inch props but lower pitch such as 3.8 to gain more thrust. Or best to stick to 10 45?
See our related video where we compare the different blades. I'd stick with the prop recommended by the manufacturer unless you need a smaller one and then you can look at increasing the pitch to get a similar thrust.. Best of luck!
halloo... buddy... I had tried to make a H-quad copter in my home..the weight of the frame approximately more than 600grams.How can i prefer the suitable motors , esc ,battery's & props to make a my quad copter.
Erm, that's what this entire video was about... See the quadcopter building for beginners series where I use the lessons in this video to check motor and ESC power levels..
If you check the testing for these motors you'll see the differences between the current draw and thrust. For me the 2600KV motors are way too much and pull a lot of current on 5" blades. Down at the 2205/2300 level there are loads of choice and these motors are great for 5" props. We use mainly the Emax RS2205/2300 on most of the builds we've done this year and not had a single problem with them (touches wood!) ;)
Thank you for this video, I liked and subscribed. Newbie question, do you figure in the weight of each motor prospect when doing this math. I'm assuming the motors are the biggest portion of the weight. Please advise, I'm about to start building my own quadcopter. thank you
Hi Painless, I have a motor related question. How do you figure out what motor is a "220x" sized or a "180x" sized? Or for example, for my first build, I'm looking at the Tiger Motor F40 II, theres 2300kv and 2600kv, whats the difference between those? Just how much power its using to spin? does it spin faster? Whats the difference between 2305 and 2205?
The specs should be listed in the detail for the motor. See the other motor videos in the 'Introduction to Remote control' for more details. A motor with more KV will spin faster and wither produce more thrust/use more power or produce the same thrust as a motor with less KV with a smaller prop.. Best of luck!
Thank you, I watched another video of yours and figured it out a little, but Im confused on more more thing, you said you need the ESC to be 20% bigger than the motors Amps, however I see a lot of people flying the Kiss esc 24A with the T40 2400kv and the specs for the 2400kv say max amp at 100% is 36A, how is this possible?
I have 4 motors of the same. But 3 of them have red and violet wires and one black an white (Instead of two r and v and two b and w).Can I run one of the red and violet in reverse polarity?
Painless360 Naaa. Theyre all brushed. I'm gonna try it anyways. I imagine the worst that could happen is the brushes get folded backwards. But more than likely the power output will be lessened before that happens. In any cases, I'll let you know the results.
If they are brushed - the different colours usually denotes different direction. You can run them backwards but it will wear the brushes slightly faster than going in the right direction.
hi , im going to mount a quadcopter im going to use a 450 frame from dji and 4 motors XXD A2212 KV2200 Brushless Motor H365 For RC Airplane Quadcopter,in your opinion is the right motors???? thanks for the great job in the videos
Lenny rc portugal Some decent data on @1833491721 Looks like they will work and support a 1-1.2Kg model easily (depending on 3s and prop config). Best of luck with the build!
Hi, check out the recommended prop sizes for the motor you have the manufacturer. This detail should be listed along with a thrust value in grams for each prop/battery size combo. You need a prop motor setup that, together, will produce about 3.12kg of thrust, so 780g for each motor on a quad.
Painless360 Thank you very much mate! But can i do to improve my quad? I am using this motor sunnysky a2212 -800kv + 30A ESC simon + prop 1045 + kk2.1.5. But when i Put a battery 5000 mah the Quadcopter( now with 1,3Kg) lost power, very bad.
Some interesting detail on this motor at www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2032374 Looks like with a 4s setup and an APC 10x4.5 prop almost 1.3kg per motor is possible. The ESC you are using looks like it should handle it too. At 100% throttle on that setup the tests showed 60amp draw, which again, the battery and ESCs should handle. When you say 'lost power' what does that look like? Happy to chat it through on my Helpout channel is you need to.
Hi Painless360 Thanks for slides. In "conclusion" slide, first sentence, didn't you wanted to write: "weight of the model" (including motors ESC flight controler etc.) and x 2 x 1.2? ;) otherwise the thrust would only be 120% weight and the multi would be largely under powered and would take off, but no much more. If I understood right .... ;))) Friendly yours. John
my quad config : 450 frame, 2212 1000kv motors, 30a esc, kk2.15 fc. whole thing weight about 700g without the battery. i only have a 2s 2150mah batt (3s 2200mah on the way) & have 8045 - 1045 props. my question is which is be more efficient?
firestartergmh I recently got a 450 frame quad , and am running 980kv motors with (currently) 1050 gemfan props on there. The battery is a 2200 mah 3 cell, and for my purposes, just learning how to fly it is more than adequate. The place where i bought it takes the same setup, and performs acrobatics with the same quad, after some minor changes of the settings on the Naze32 board they i have in mine.
You need to look at the thrust for the motor and prop you're looking at. That is a huge thrust you need so I'd look at the t-motor multirotor motors for a start..
hi..sorry if i disturb you.. i know this video sense 2013 but i just saw it now December 2017..and i saw your explanation on this video. i just ask a question or help for me..because i wan to build a Quad just 500 size..can you give me advice what is good for my Quad 500 size.. because i want to long flight with my quad.. so my question is what is the good motor for economy current for battery and trust so other wise i can fly long minutes that all i want please.. just reply me if you have time thanks
This video was from a time where there wasn't a lot of choice for multirotor motors and we call used plane power systems! :D Go for over twice the total thrust with the largest props you can fit on the frame. T-Motors have some excellent (if a little expensive) options for larger models with high efficiency for flight times. So you'll need to know the weight the model will be and the prop sizes supported. Best of luck!
Not sure as we're not flying much over a 330 class now. Last time we did we used the 2212/935KV motors with 10" props but watch how much weight you're lifting! Best of luck!
My Y6 weighs 2.2-2.4 kg depending on battery (4s 6A or 8A). I'm looking at the KDE DIRECT 2814XF-515 to replace the under powered 2830-12 850kv. With a 12x4.5 E prop (actually APC MRP but same P const), the KDE looks like a good fit and long flight time (the goal). Would you agree? I tried several other motors but they all result in lower flight times. These motors would also be used for a planned larger Y6 in the future. They are expensive motors, and I've been agonizing over this for weeks. Any help is appreciated.
Hi John, these motors have some great detail listed on the site. It's a shame that all manufacturers don't follow such good practice. Too often they provide very basic details that doesn't allow you to make an informed choice and have people (some of whom have commented on this video) to become confused and frustrated. They look like a good, if expensive, choice and will allow you to increase the rotor size up to the 13" and 14" if you find they don't give you enough thrust for a hover. I'd be tempted to start with 13" blades (if they will fit your quad). That extra may be useful when dealing with windy conditions. Good luck with the change over.
hi ive just subscribed.After watching a few of your videos.Ive been doing a jig around the room.Already flashed my 30 amp hk esc`s.And im just loving the input you provide.Been playing with quads for about 10 months,Been allover the net for information.and i think ive found my quad bible with you.People just watch and learn off this man,,,,painless,,,,,Is really true Thank You THANK YOU THANK YOU.
Thank you for putting this together. Designing a quad from scratch is a pain already without buying a dozen smaller motors as a result of trial and error.
That's what I was doing - trying one lot of motors and then having to buy another set (with the relevant props) and it was expensive. I wish there was an easy way to translate watts into thrust! I find that for a 450 class quad 150/170w motors work well, for a hex or heavier model 270w class motors are a better choice.
Thanks for the comment.
i was listening so hard i actually tried to click on the link @7:45 LOL!!!!
That was the clearest explanation I have yet seen. Here is a question for which I have found no good answers. I am looking at a range of sizes from, say 350 mm down to less than 100, so the MR copters will be quite light. I am looking at possibly making airframes using carbon fibre tubes and plates and the strongest adhesive I can find, so that the bulk of the weight will be from the battery and motors. What I would like to do is use the Gemfan 5x3x3 propellers (or their 6" equivalent) for the larger of these copters and the propellers from either the Syma X3 or the Syma X4 for the smallest of the copters. Is it possible to compute the average time to discharge the battery from the weight and capacity of the battery and motors, the properties of the motors and and propellers, and whether it is a quad, hex or octocopter? If so, how? Can you show me the equations? I have a mathematical bent, and so learn the details of how this all works when I see equations, rather than using a black box computing engine on the web. What motors/brands would be suitable for this, which are reliable? I don't care if anyone regards a particular one as 'the best' whatever that is. I just don't want to end up with junk. Are there any good books you can recommend on the subject? (without the words 'Dummies' or 'Idiots' in the title).
Hi Ted, one of the best resources for these types of question is the eCalc site (www.ecalc.ch/xcoptercalc.php) plug in the numbers and the answers pop out!
Hope this helps.
For calculating the discharge time of the battery, use the mAH rating. The equation is mAH = current draw*time. But note that the actual mAH will be less if you draw a lot of current, and the number the manufacturer gives you isn't always accurate. If you check for reviews of the battery online you should be able to figure out how accurate the manufacturer's rating is, and there shouldn't be too much deviation from it as long as you stay within the current rating of the battery. To determine how much current the battery can output multiply the mAH of the battery by the number that ends in C. A 20C 1000mAH battery is good for 20 amps of current. Some batteries give you a rating for both continuous output and short term output, so be sure you use the right one. To figure out how much current the motors will use you will need to either measure it yourself with (with the prop attached), or find someone else who measured it with the same or a very similar prop and put the results online.
very useful info, u r a teacher for new era of flying drone for new generation children.
Just curious about the comment surrounding a 4S battery swinging the prop faster and therefore needing a small diameter prop. For me, this doesn't compute. Here is why .... Relating this back to aircraft, typically speaking the larger the motor the larger the prop and / or the more prop blades . By way of example, compare a Cessna 182 Skylane with a 235 hp motor swinging basically a 6 foot two blade prop versus a Chance Vought Corsair at roughly 2,000 hp swinging a 13 foot 3 or 4 blade prop. So, when I think of going from a 3S to a 4S battery I think of a bigger and more powerful motor and therefore the ability to swing a bigger prop with more blades and push more air at a lower rpm. I know there is more to it than that as the weight of the aircraft comes into play, the mission, and many other variables. But, I am just trying to figure out if I missed something in your comment. If so, I am having hard time picking out that nugget due to my perception as given in the previous example.
See the prop testing in the endurance quad builds.. happy flying!
@@Painless360 Thank you. I will!
Very useful videos, thanks for taking the time to produce this info. Very helpful.
This is a really good video, but I'm not sure I've got this right... here you say..
"Almost. You need motors and props that will give you a total thrust that is a little more than twice the weight of the model",
then followed by;
"You have it right, the maximum thrust needs to be a little over the all up weight of the model".
In the video it says, weight + 20% / number of motors. My quad weighs 2000g. which means my motors only have to provide 600g of thrust. Great. I'm using 2213-935kv 850g motors. Only if you multiply the collective thrust by 4, I get 3400g of thrust. This figure isn't a little more than twice. Please help I'm confused! James.
You need motors and props that will give you a total thrust that is a little more than twice the weight of the model. Be careful with the rated thrust on those motors - I use those motors on a 3S setup and about 1.2kg is the max model weight they will handle (with a quad).
Ok I see, so I guess I need to make sure that the motor can produce the required thrust at 50% throttle. Motors like Tmotor and KDE Direct offer thrust charts with thrust number at different throttle settings. That is what I'm not sure about if I should look at 100% throttle thrust numbers or 50% throttle thrust numbers when selecting my motor.
+traxxi2003 50% to lift the weight (and just hover). The remaining 50% you want to use to ascend. So look up at 50% of throttle to match the calculated weight.
Question on motor balancing. Do you remove the stickers that are on the motors? I would think that the stickers would upset the motor balance? Or do the manufactures use these stickers to balance the motors?
Not sure if most of the cheaper manufacturers balance their motors at all! I balance when with, easier that way.
Happy flying!
Excellent explanation
I'm about to try something a bit experimental, to be honest i'm expecting to fail. Will be building a mini with 4x 10g motors, i will try to run the motors at 1s but with oversized props, build should be fairly light and not designed for acro. I'll let you know how it go's. Got most of the parts now so just waiting for some free time and to do some other thrust tests before starting to build. More soon
I would be interested in the result - let me know!
Good luck..
Painless360 Yes no problem, i was planning to do some thrust tests first but i can't find the digital kitchen scale that i had in my garage, may give that step a miss for now then! Will try to put together a series of videos in a few weeks time to show all the difficulties and hurdles that i'm going to be up against. The idea is to use over sized props on these tiny motors and run them at 1s so i'll lose out on rpm but re-gain some of my thrust by using larger props. I am going to be using the MWC Mini Fc and Dsm2 all in one receiver fc combo. No GPS for now but thinking to give it a go after watching your video on gps with i2c setup, just not sure how you connect to the gps with the ftdi stick to set the baud rate, i'm guessing there are some solder points to connect to, will have to look into this if i decide to go in this direction. Plan is to build a large quad if all go's well, but need to learn how to fly first :D
Thanks for saving time by providing the exact information...much appreciated
Great video.you have explained everything in a great manner. beginners are going to benifit a lot from it.
I think the point missed in the video is that prop speed is very important for stabilization. The reason for having a certain weight-to-thrust ratio (as you outlined) is because too much prop speed and you are burning too much juice and too low of a prop speed and the copter will be unstable. Stabilizing the copter is done by speeding up and slowing down props and you do not want a motor / prop slowing down too far. Thus, the reason for the numbers you give.
Hi there,
you state "have the weight of the model and add 20%" but in a prior section you actually use double the weight to hover at 50% so maybe it would be less confusing if you stated "Use the weight of the model and multiply by 2.4", or did I not get what you're saying ? Otherwise very clear and informative. Thank you.
+Robert Alexander agree with that!
I am going through this right now with my Tri copter. I have Suppo M2212-930K motors that are spinning 8.5 DJI props, reason is only props I could find that have the DJI splines that were in stock, Its way underpowered with these props. I have ordered 9.5 and 10.5 props to test. Hopefully that will do the trick.
Looking at the specs then those props look a better fir. I use similar motors here with 10x5.0 props and it flys nice.
Best of luck!
Thanks
Painless360 Huge difference with the 10X4 props! The tri is a rocket ship now.
Could you comment on specifically matching the motor/prop size to the application of the quad. I'm beginning to figure out that, if you want less agility and smoother and slower response time, say for videography, than a larger quad with slower motors and larger props would be the recommended way to go.
If, you're into racing and quicker maneuvers than a smaller quad with smaller props and higher KV motors would be the approach. Yes?
You've got it - lower KV motors with larger props will give you far better efficiency, longer flight times but slower response to the changes in throttle. Smaller props in high KV motors are less efficient but can be far more responsive to throttle changes and support more acrobatic flight without failing. Happy flying!
ive chosen 1000kv turnigy D2830-11 and 10x5 props for my x900 frame tricopter with a 4s 2650mah battery. they recommend 10x7 on 2s or 8x4 on 4s, lets see if it works. its my first build. still can order smaller props
weight with battery is exactly 960g
Best of luck!
Finally, my drone flies. but not so long it started smelling burned. the motors were damn hot after just 1 minute hovering.
i think i get some smaller props like 8x4 not 10x5 for 4s. it had like 4kg thrust in full throttle.
or should it get stronger motors?
Every motor will have a specific size of prop in the specs for the battery size you're using (3s, 4s etc). Using more than that will cause things to overheat and fail. Check the specs on the motor you're using to see what the recommended prop is for your setup..
i liked this video verymuch which is more informative and given me what i searched for.
this is the video which made me to subscribe to the channel and to view other videos.
The motor prop combination thrust should be considered at 50% throttle or 100% throttle?
I was wondering whether the calculation from ecalc are reliable? Will drone give similar output as given by software (ecalc)?
nice!! Don't give your motors and ESC's to much head room as they begin to loose there response... but a little is always good!!! Quad you ; )
Loosing a little resolution is always better than under-spec-ing the components. Thanks for the comment. Happy flying!
I'm making a helicopter shaped drone with two brushless motors fixed at the front and two coreless motors at the back allowed free to rotate on axis perpendicular to the tail of the drone on both the sides forming an isocesless trapezium. The coreless motor will be attached to a servo which will turn the whole motor forward or backward like a pendulum for forward or reverse moment. The propeller on the front will be bigger than the hind ones. So what power of motor shall I use for both front and rear propellers?
It depends on the weight of the model. Check out the endurance quad builds on the channel where I show how to figure all that out.. Best of luck!
Think back to Isaac Newton's apple. Force = Mass x Acceleration.
Force = Mass (1kg) x Acceleration (gravity @ 9.8 m/s2) = 9.8 Newtons
10 Newtons = 1kg
Now you can substitute the weight of your machine (Mass) to determine the Force, then decide how much additional force you want to apply to overcome gravity.. then follow principals above.
May the Force be with you :-)
And how to know how much thrust a rotor and it's propeller can generate?
this cleared a lot of doubts!
Thanks a lot man!
Thanks for the comment and feedback. I'm doing a test with one of my models using two very different motor/prop combos that should produce the same thrust but one should expected to me more efficient. Should be a handy supplement to this video with some real world data and examples.
I will be posting this in the next few days when I can hover the larger prop/lower KV setup and capture the power used.
Happy flying!
Excellent video. Thank you for putting this together.
Hey any video explaining the battery selection for multi rotors depending on motor kv?thanks In advance
+ganesh gowda KV makes no difference to the motor selection - use the max amps to size the ESCs and then use that to size your battery capacity. Best of luck.
Just curious, if you dont know the weight of your copter as its not built yet, but want many features such as gps, 3D POV, obstacle avoidance radar, long flight time, and lifting capacity etc how would you decide on motors for a hexicopter?
I tend to use the weight listed on the description of the item on a place like HobbyKing and add it all up. Be careful with the weights as they tend to be inaccurate so the extra 20% of weight you use when calculating the motors needed will ensure that you don't end up with an underpowered model. As explained in the video divide the total thrust needed by the number of motors to see what each one need to provide, so with a hex divide total thrust by 6. Hope this helps.
Thanks. Very informative.
thats a great video but can you say me how to know which propeller is suitable with specific motors please
Hello there, I am interested into getting into details of the calculations must be done for building a multicopter. Would you mind sharing your reference?
Very useful video!! Thanks!! One cuestion, how to choose the propeller size?
Propeller sizes are usually dictated by the frame. The larger the propeller - the more efficient typically. See my other videos in the series..
So something about 450mm to 500mm frame.. and about 600g to 700g total weight.. should I use 1100kv brushless or go even higher? Planning to run 8 to 9 inch props 4.5 pitch.. I want somethong light to medium weight but really wanting a quad that flies super fast and jus really punches out from launch.. this is my first build..
Hi David, 700g seems light for a quad of that size. Using a quick check - a plastic frame, decent battery and 4 motors will weigh almost that much before adding the props. ESCs, flight control board, cables and receiver. I'd get a list of what you want to use and add up all the weights to give you a solid starting point on the all up weight.
If we assume a loaded weight of 900g, running a 3s battery then you have lots of choice. You should be looking for a motor that provides about 500g+ of thrust or around the 150-160watt range. i.e Turnigy Aerodrive SK3 - 2826-1240kv with 8x3.8" props or similar.
Hope this helps. Good luck with the first build, it can seem a little daunting but it's a great sense of achievement when you get it into it's first hover!
If this is your first quad, a great buy would be one of the little indoor quads to practice on (Hubsan X4 or similar), very cheap and great to get to grips with before crashing a model you've put a ton of time and money into.
Let me know how you get on. Happy flying!
Well ive owned about 6 to 8 helis and quads and currently flying the blade 350qx.. ive taken it apart after a crash n transfered the internals to a new frame and i now have a good understanding of how to do it as well as what to expect. Now im debating bigger props with slower rpm motor. I jus dont kno what to do yet but my tbs frame will be in soon. Yikes
David, on the choice of motor/prop my other video czcams.com/video/Sjwi_UnCLWc/video.html may be interesting. Let me know how you get on.
Painless360 I've dived head first into the hobby and lovin every minute of it. I've built 10+ fpv wings and three quads. Ahhhh life's good..
hi, so for a 250 size frame with fpv gear maybe total weight 600-650g ,
which one of the 3 would be best?
1>T-Motor MT2206 KV1200, 110W, 10A, 30g
2>T-Motor MN1806 KV1400, 96W, 12A, 18g
3>T-Motor MN1806 KV2300, 150W, 14A, 18g
Idea is to put it on this:
HobbyKing Daily - HK 250 FPV Racing Quad
Thanks!
You need to look at the tables for each of these motors, they are on lots of websites. You need to know the maximum size of the prop that will fit on the frame (bigger is normally better, I'm guessing about 6") and know if this is going to be a 2s or 3s LIPO pack.
Then look at the rotor size for the pack you have for each of the motors and go with the one that is most efficient. You need to look for a motor that will give you a max thrust of about 360g each with the prop..
Sir, your videos are really awesome . I have a issue, can you please help me?
* When I increase throttle a message is displayed " Potential thrust loss", why it's happening? I am testing the without propellers, is that the issue?
Yes. Happy flying
@@Painless360 Thank you
I'm really finding this hard to understand, because i seemply cant find how to calculate the requirements of the motors and nowhere seems to state this motor is capabe of 1kg thrust or 2.For example, im, building a drone that has an estimate of 1.5-2kg, what should i pick, 4 motors that are 2700kv or 1600kv, where would i find what motors should i buy so that when hooking 4 of them i could fly the drone. Not for sport, but for normal drone flying.
Check out the t-motor stuff. They take the time to test and publish thrust tables.. best of luck
use of increased no of motors decreases the thrust per motor or increases? cz the adiition of weight can not be neglected..???
salin maharjan More motors = more thrust.
That's very helpful, thanks
My first quad I used the largest motors , esc and had so over powered it I could not control the speed. Crashed into everything. Wish someone posted this before I started.
Very nice, thanks for the knowledge. Very informative!
Who makes the longest lasting most dependable motors ??
Robert Bush Everyone has their favourite. The key indicator is the cost. Scorpion and others who have a brand and reputation to protect spend more on testing and quality control so their products are more reliable but cost that bit more.
Anyone else have any suggestions?
Thanks
Great info, thanks, much easier to understand now.
Is there such a thing as too much thrust? What happens if you got like 4 times the thrust you need? Will it fly properly?
It would work and fly. More thrust comes from higher KV (less efficient) or larger props (heavier model with longer arms etc.) so why would you?
Hope this answers it for you.
You know, I saw a post somewhere where the guy quoted a spec for his motors at 23gm. Im betting that mustve been the weight of the motor, and not the thrust as he had written. Did I surmise correctly?
Without a link to look at, that is the most logical conclusion. Happy flying!
Yep. As soon as i wrote that, i went and looked. It was wayne rc, hehheh. Was my question i posted further down correct? If you get the first combo rigbt, only necessary to add new weight, and up the motor size? Have a great day.
John Robertson That would work, that's why it's always better to slight overspec the power system as you always end up adding weight to the model (cameras, FPV, gimbals) not taking it off :)
I have a hexa with 7-12kg, max 18" props with 4s, what motors and props should i use for a smooth flight?
Do you add the weight of the motors into the equation to determine thrust?
You need to estimate the all up weight of the model - including the battery and motors. Happy flying!
Great tutorial! I'm trying to come up with a quadcopter design with 8 motors (the counter-rotating type).
Can you give a little more explanation on motor selection from the thrust required for each motor? Suppose I require 70N of thrust per motor, which spec of the motor should I match against to make sure that it will generate enough lift?? Whats the relation?
The motor specs does not mention any thrust value.
Nikesh Bhattarai If the specs don't mention the thrust in grams then email them and ask. You also need to get an idea on prop size/thrust too.
Figure out the weight of the model and aim for 2.2x that weight in total thrust from the eight motors.
Best of luck.
Painless360 If I use 8 motors (4-pairs, each of the motors in a pair are counter-rotating) on my quadcopter, is each of the motors gonna provide same lift? Suppose my copter is 10kg in weight, can I assume that each of the motors I require should provide atleast 10/8kg of thrust?
Are not the motor's inefficiencies across the throttle's range already the basis for each motor's factory test specifications anyways? Since I fly slowly in the 50% to 75% throttle range, wouldn't a 20% overhead of thrust be excessive? Would not a 5%-10% overhead be more reasonable in my case? Thanks.
Thanks for the question, 20% would be excessive if 1) the thrust listed from the manufacturer was always accurate and for the exact setup you were looking at (!) and 2) you never then wanted to add more kit to the model (camera, FPV gear etc. I've not yet built a model that hasn't ended up with more weight on it that I intended!Happy flying!
hello , if i read your conclusion , its not according to the begining, 1000g+ 20%= 1200g , not 2400,am i right?
or how can a ZMR250 fly with only 4 Dys1806?I can't reach the site for calculation...
Thanks for your videos , they are greats.
+francois Bonin you need a little more than twice the weight of the model in total thrust from the motors and props you use. Best of luck!
+Painless360 i will go for a quad , they will be too short for a tri...Thank you.
Invaluable - Thank you !
Hi,
This video is very helpful!
I'm wondering, were You talking about the maximum thrust or the recomended thrust?
Even the E300 has a thrust recomended of 300g/axis and a max.of 600gr/axis.
For example if you take a quad f450 frame it gives you a total thrust recomended of 2400g and a maximum weight of the drone around 1000g (2400g/2.4).
It's not much espacialy if you want to have a gimbal and gopro...
You have it right, the maximum thrust needs to be a little over the all up weight of the model. Many of my models are about the 1kg-1.2kg range and that is enough for those types of motors. Any more and they struggle.
I have a question
Looking to build a TAROT 680 pro
What KV motors would I use and what battery do I use 6S 4S ? Looking for a good flight time .. with very little payload
It’s not about the KV, start by looking at the prop and motor you need for the weight of the model.. best of luck.
Hey Ben, I'm also looking at building the same frame. Want to get in touch?
Hello, very nice video, I'm planning to build a quad to lift 3.5kgs including frame and motors weight. I'm using 1100kv with the table
Prop Tests :
8x4 - 11.1V / 100W / 9.1A/ 0.54kg thrust
8x4 - 14.8V / 116W / 14A / 0.82kg thrust
9x6 - 11.1V / 149W / 13.6A / 0.73kg thrust
9x6 - 14.8V / 285W / 19.6A / 1.05kg thrus
What props should I use knowing I bought 3bladed prop of 9in but the motors heated, I have 3bladed props also 8in, what is the best prop to use with what kind of lipo? 3S or 4S ? Think you!!
Hi, difficult for me to answer without knowing how may motors you will have. If you follow the guidance in the video you should be ok. Always use the lipo recommended for the prop/motor setup and two bladed props are best if you can fit them. Thanks for the question.
Hi, this video helped a lot, so thank you for that. But i would like to check. I have calculated the weight of my quad (the frame, electronics, gimbal, and camera gear, plus the battery, and a estimate on motor weight).
The weight, in grams, of my quad-copter is 1131g. What motors, and ESC's would work for my setup.
Thank you, and i hope you get around to reading this.
To add, i believe knowledge on the FCB would help.
Im planning on pairing it with a - KK2.1.5 Multi-rotor LCD Flight Control Board
Hi
Having trouble configuring my GPS . I am running windows , I downloaded an emulator and was able to open the ublox app. This is how I plugged it up FTDI dongle into the I2C Nav module , out of that to the receiver.
I went to tools on the Ublox program and there is no USB port so I can't see the receiver.
Any ideas on how to make it connect as I thought I would see a USB port there to select.
Thanks Russ.
I just buy 1000kv motors and three of them are the same but one I can't spin as easily as the other three and I was wondering if that is a problem.
I would first check the signal wires to the esc, perhaps swap it with one of the others to see if anything changes, if not change the esc if still no luck try changing the motor. Also check the power connection to that esc
izzzzzz6 hi, with the motor not connected to anything, try and turn it by hand and compare it to the other motors. Does it ake more to turn it? Can you feel 'notches' as you turn it? If it feels the same then check the soldering on the bullet connectors..
Best of luck getting it sorted.
PLIASE HELP! My Y6 Hexacopter to start requires full throttle and after leaving the ground out sharply to the side ... I have to use my reaction to straighten machine ... After such a bad start, my machine run so beautiful, stable and obediently ... Do not know what to do, perhaps the problem in the Gain settings ... I'm afraid to make things worse !
My Hexacopter Y6 :
DJI WKG-M,---- Gains: Basic 185, 185; Yaw 120; Vert 125; Attitud 100, 100.
PRO SIX frame Y6( arms 400mm diam25mm)
T-motors MN 4014-11 KV330; ESC t-mot 40A-400.
Carbon Props 15 x 5.5
Battery 9000 mAh 6s
Total weight: 5.780 kg ( including 1.410 kg battery and 1.820 kg Canon+Gimbal)
Thank You in advance, Romans.
Hi Rom, sounds odd - what flight control board are you using?
Wookong...
I have two questions.
First, I saw many affordable motor specs, and in roughly the same class they all display throttle of, say, 300g at 4 ampers. But, with much more expensive motors of higher quality (like Tiger motors), I see that they have throttle of about 100-200g with the same params. So I'm in doubt, aren't more expensive motors supposed to produce higher throttle? Or does that mean the cheaper motors' throttle is just a fake?
Second, when I turn some motors by hand, they don't rotate smoothly, I can feel some little "steps" inside. Is that normal or not and what is the cause of it? Never found the answer.
+nandakoryaaa the thrust depends on the props used. Even props of the same size from different manufacturers can have an effect. Watch the KV ratings too.. best of luck!
Yes but I mean in the test data they use appropriate props and some motors show 300g of thrust and other (higher-quality) motors only 150g, all in the same class. It couldn't be that higher-quality motors were tested with inferior props, I think there is just some fake data.
Nice Video!
I have a 2 in 1 6A ESC of Racerstar, which of the following motors works best with it?
1) 1104 7000kv
2) 1104 6500kv
3) 1104 4000kv all rated for 1-2 cells
and what propeller should I use?
Thanks.
+Arun JP see my 'quadcopter building for beginners series', I cover how to figure all of this stuff out. Hope it helps!
Do you include the weight of the battery to get the models total weight ?
Yes, the actual flying weight. Motor selection is easier now..
In general can u please tell me all the parts specification of drone .It will be helpful for me as I am a beginner . Thanks
Please see my Quadcopter building for beginners series, not only do I cover all the pieces you need but also have to put them together to get to the end successfully. Best of luck!
I don't see thrust specs on any of the motors Hobby King sells.. Are they garbage, or am I missing something here.. I would like to build quadcopter, and I will be studying quadcopters for about a month before I make my first purchase.
MARK 1 This is the danger when buying motors from places that do not give thrust values. Some of the motors they sell do provide that detail, along with prop recommendations. They source their motors from the same places as most others so the quality will be the same.
Other vendors may have the additional detail you need for the motors from HK, so searching is worthwhile.
Always slightly overestimate the thrust you need as 50% throttle does not equal 50% of the maximum thrust.
Best of luck with it.
Painless360 Have any recommendations to where I could shop besides HK.. Seems when I do a Google search they're always on top of the results. I honestly don't like the fact that there's no other good quality stores online that you can buy from besides HK. Got any recommendations..?
Depends on what you are after Banggood.com are working to have a better range of RC kit and some more local places (depends on where you are in the world) offer a faster service.
Where in the world are you?
hi mate I have a question for you I was useing the dji 2212 920kv motor with the dji 10x38 prop's and 30amp opt ESC on my f450 but now got a team white sheep frame useing the same props ESC but gone to the 2312 960 kv motors thay get a little worm now could it be down to the awg wire it was 14awg but to short but got some 18awg on it now
Possibly, but I'd expect the motor to be getting warm due to it working a little harder than the last motor. I'd monitor it for the next few flights. Getting a little warm is fine but if you can't comfortably hold it after a flight then you're possibly pulling too much current.. Best of luck!
Painless360 thanks will keep my eye in it isn't useing the racestar race motors thay tested the 10inch on the 920 and 980 kv so was thinking the 960 should be ok
Painless360, thank you for such a great video. I do have one question; in your example you stated hat you need to produce 600g of thrust per motor. So with that information you selected a DYS 2822 1800kv which produces 650g+ of thrust. Is that at 50% throttle or is that the max that this motor can produce? Is the idea here is to select a motor that produces the thrust you need at 50% throttle or less?
+traxxi2003 The idea is that the motors together produce thrust that is more than twice the weight of the model so that you can hover about 50% throttle. Some pilots who want insane performance build models with 3 times the thrust.
Very good movie. Do you know is there gas powered quad-copters also available to make long duration flight with payloads??
+Sufi Shah Hamid Jalali Yep, lots of options now. All part of what's making this hobby so exciting at the moment..
+Painless360 Can you give me a reference please??
Nope, we don't use them. Google is your friend ;)
+Painless360 What is your idea about AeroQuad project? it is an open source. If I buy it will it worth spending money on it. I need it for aerial photography.
We've not heard a lot about that yet... I'll keep an eye out for it.. Thanks.
hi, I'm making a quad copter. I didn't do any research any just bought the components and now I'm having trouble flying the quad.i have 1400 kV motors and 10*4.5 props. how can I improvise so that it flies well. using small props should work, right? I want to use the same motors, if possible. thanks for the reply in advance.
No idea without knowing the model and type of the motor you're using. I'd suggest working through this video with the spec sheets for the motors you have to figure out if they will work with your model. Best of luck!
Sorry forgot to mention I am running an emulator on Mac to get windows.
lets say my drone weights 3kg with all and it is a quadcopter, if i instead of using motors that has a thrust ratio off 1000gr each (4kg total ),
i use instead motors that has 2000gr of thrust each (8kg total ) would it make my quad harder to fly or would it be harder to control it ie wobble ?? if it is a 650mm size chassie and it is recommended to use 3210 700kv motors and i use 4110 400kv motors as an example.
would it be usefull or not,,if i had same power att 50% trottle,,would presciate info
You should always make sure that you have at least twice the weight of the model available in total thrust. Adding more than that will just give your model more speed and power, and will mean the hover point will be lower on the throttle too. Best of luck with your build.
I think you may have left out a critical step in your conclusion. In the first bullet point you said: Figure out the weight of the model and add 20%. Shouldn't that be: Figure out the weight of the model, DOUBLE IT, and add 20%?
can anybody out there help me to calculate how much weight can be lifted with specific motors and props
a kind of equation that simplifies it
please anybody
how did you work out how much thrust the engines give?
You need to look at the spec sheets that are with the motor. Most quality retailers will include this detail. For example look at innov8tivedesigns.com/Cobra/Cobra_2213-12_Specs.htm for one of the best examples but also hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__8622__2213N_800Kv_Brushless_Motor.html for thrust figures quotes alongside the specs.
You can also use the www.ecalc.ch/ site to calculate thrust and flying times (if it has a close enough motor for you to select). Happy flying!
hai painless360,
im making a quad weighing around 2100gms
my choice for motor is turnigy D3542/6 1000KV
frame: HAL turnigy
3s 4000mah battery
10 inch prop
what about my choice ?any suggestions ,im gonna use this quad for surveillance.really need some help
+smartavatar95 Impossible for me to comment as, although HobbyKing has listed the maximum thrust of the motor they have neglected to share any detail on how you get it.. I'd ask the HobbyKing support team for more detail. Best of luck.
can you say how much thrust needed for weight aroung 3.5 kg?
What would your guess be from the detail in the video? (Also see the latest Endurance Quad Build series for a practical example)
Great tutorial! Thank you!
Sir my quadcopter tilts to one motor side while taking off in self level mode
Please help please
As soon as possible
And i had purchased 3 bldc motor from one shop and 1 from another and it tilts downward towarda the 1 which i had pirchased from another shop . They all are of same 1000kv . Does this make any sense??
+MOHIT KUMAR please see my video on things to check if your quadcopter tilts. All of the basic ideas are in that video. Best of luck!
Hey Painless nice job. As i am a beginner could you recommend me which motor ( of what kv rating ) should i select as i am building it for the first time.
+Sujit Gate I'd watch our 'Quadcopter building for beginners' series on the channel, we cover that and a lot more for first time builders.. best of luck!
Hi again.
Do you think it would be a wise move to to go for 11 -12 inch props but lower pitch such as 3.8 to gain more thrust. Or best to stick to 10 45?
See our related video where we compare the different blades. I'd stick with the prop recommended by the manufacturer unless you need a smaller one and then you can look at increasing the pitch to get a similar thrust.. Best of luck!
halloo... buddy... I had tried to make a H-quad copter in my home..the weight of the frame approximately more than 600grams.How can i prefer the suitable motors , esc ,battery's & props to make a my quad copter.
Erm, that's what this entire video was about... See the quadcopter building for beginners series where I use the lessons in this video to check motor and ESC power levels..
trying to decide on a motor for my 220 race quad. I plan on using 5 inch props. Do I want a 2205 2300? 2206 2300? 2206 2600? 3S and 4S 1300 batteries
If you check the testing for these motors you'll see the differences between the current draw and thrust. For me the 2600KV motors are way too much and pull a lot of current on 5" blades. Down at the 2205/2300 level there are loads of choice and these motors are great for 5" props. We use mainly the Emax RS2205/2300 on most of the builds we've done this year and not had a single problem with them (touches wood!) ;)
Painless360 I was leaning toward Emax RS 2205 2300 red bottoms thanks!
How do you determine how much of you need
Thank you for this video, I liked and subscribed.
Newbie question, do you figure in the weight of each motor prospect when doing this math. I'm assuming the motors are the biggest portion of the weight.
Please advise, I'm about to start building my own quadcopter.
thank you
+Greg Tate Yes, add a 'guess' for the weight. Tools like ecalc (Google it for the website) are excellent too. Happy flying!
Thank you.
WOW, an other Great insight video ! !
Thanks
Hi Painless, I have a motor related question. How do you figure out what motor is a "220x" sized or a "180x" sized? Or for example, for my first build, I'm looking at the Tiger Motor F40 II, theres 2300kv and 2600kv, whats the difference between those? Just how much power its using to spin? does it spin faster? Whats the difference between 2305 and 2205?
The specs should be listed in the detail for the motor. See the other motor videos in the 'Introduction to Remote control' for more details. A motor with more KV will spin faster and wither produce more thrust/use more power or produce the same thrust as a motor with less KV with a smaller prop.. Best of luck!
Thank you, I watched another video of yours and figured it out a little, but Im confused on more more thing, you said you need the ESC to be 20% bigger than the motors Amps, however I see a lot of people flying the Kiss esc 24A with the T40 2400kv and the specs for the 2400kv say max amp at 100% is 36A, how is this possible?
Can't see 36A on the spec sheet - www.rctigermotor.com/html/2015/fpvmotors_1117/305.html..
www.rctigermotor.com/html/2016/fpvmotors_0806/318.html This is the v2 of these motors, you listed the v1
Those are the 2600KV version..
Thanks good lesson
I have 4 motors of the same. But 3 of them have red and violet wires and one black an white (Instead of two r and v and two b and w).Can I run one of the red and violet in reverse polarity?
If it’s a brushless motor then it doesn’t matter which way round you connect the three wires coming out of it. Best of luck!
Painless360
Naaa. Theyre all brushed. I'm gonna try it anyways. I imagine the worst that could happen is the brushes get folded backwards. But more than likely the power output will be lessened before that happens.
In any cases, I'll let you know the results.
If they are brushed - the different colours usually denotes different direction. You can run them backwards but it will wear the brushes slightly faster than going in the right direction.
hi , im going to mount a quadcopter im going to use a 450 frame from dji and 4 motors XXD A2212 KV2200 Brushless Motor H365 For RC Airplane Quadcopter,in your opinion is the right motors???? thanks for the great job in the videos
Lenny rc portugal Some decent data on @1833491721
Looks like they will work and support a 1-1.2Kg model easily (depending on 3s and prop config).
Best of luck with the build!
Nice, I have 3 s lipo yes. Is coming also a am v2.8.0 Controller with neo 6 m gps
I think is OK for the model, you tell me please. Sorry to bother
It's all about the weight - I don't know that so can't comment.
The rest looks good.
ok thanks .have a nice day ;)
How will i know the thrust of my motor?
Its 980kv and 165w.
Thrust is very tricky to calculate using formulas. Look up the datasheet for the battery size and prop combo you are looking at using. Happy flying!
Does the motor specs give net thrust after taking into account the weight of the motor itself?
Nope, pure thrust, you need to take the weight of all of the components of the model into account. Including the motor weight..
Ok sure. Great channel by the way!
great video, thanks a lot !
Good
What a prop size to install in motor 800 KV. I would like lift up 1,3Kg in quadcopter( reptile frame)?
Hi, check out the recommended prop sizes for the motor you have the manufacturer. This detail should be listed along with a thrust value in grams for each prop/battery size combo. You need a prop motor setup that, together, will produce about 3.12kg of thrust, so 780g for each motor on a quad.
Painless360 Thank you very much mate! But can i do to improve my quad? I am using this motor sunnysky a2212 -800kv + 30A ESC simon + prop 1045 + kk2.1.5. But when i Put a battery 5000 mah the Quadcopter( now with 1,3Kg) lost power, very bad.
Some interesting detail on this motor at www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2032374
Looks like with a 4s setup and an APC 10x4.5 prop almost 1.3kg per motor is possible. The ESC you are using looks like it should handle it too. At 100% throttle on that setup the tests showed 60amp draw, which again, the battery and ESCs should handle.
When you say 'lost power' what does that look like? Happy to chat it through on my Helpout channel is you need to.
Hi Painless360
Thanks for slides. In "conclusion" slide, first sentence, didn't you wanted to write: "weight of the model" (including motors ESC flight controler etc.) and x 2 x 1.2?
;)
otherwise the thrust would only be 120% weight and the multi would be largely under powered and would take off, but no much more.
If I understood right .... ;)))
Friendly yours.
John
That's right, I do cover this in the video so I'm glad you figured it out. Happy flying!
my quad config : 450 frame, 2212 1000kv motors, 30a esc, kk2.15 fc. whole thing weight about 700g without the battery. i only have a 2s 2150mah batt (3s 2200mah on the way) & have 8045 - 1045 props. my question is which is be more efficient?
firestartergmh Great question - see czcams.com/video/Sjwi_UnCLWc/video.html for a video in this very topic. Should help.
Happy flying!
firestartergmh I recently got a 450 frame quad , and am running 980kv motors with (currently) 1050 gemfan props on there. The battery is a 2200 mah 3 cell, and for my purposes, just learning how to fly it is more than adequate.
The place where i bought it takes the same setup, and performs acrobatics with the same quad, after some minor changes of the settings on the Naze32 board they i have in mine.
Hi I am trying to develop a drone motor
Can you help ?
Required thrust 5000g each motor.
How to calculate motor power rating?
You need to look at the thrust for the motor and prop you're looking at. That is a huge thrust you need so I'd look at the t-motor multirotor motors for a start..
Painless360
Thank you
Is there any PMSM controller (ESC) for drone
Hi, I want to do is quadcopter using hard drive motors , is there anyone with knowledge about this topic? thanks
+atropatan zoks you will have to rewind them probably with bigger wire...
hi..sorry if i disturb you.. i know this video sense 2013 but i just saw it now December 2017..and i saw your explanation on this video. i just ask a question or help for me..because i wan to build a Quad just 500 size..can you give me advice what is good for my Quad 500 size.. because i want to long flight with my quad.. so my question is what is the good motor for economy current for battery and trust so other wise i can fly long minutes that all i want please.. just reply me if you have time thanks
This video was from a time where there wasn't a lot of choice for multirotor motors and we call used plane power systems! :D Go for over twice the total thrust with the largest props you can fit on the frame. T-Motors have some excellent (if a little expensive) options for larger models with high efficiency for flight times. So you'll need to know the weight the model will be and the prop sizes supported. Best of luck!
Hi, what motors would you recommend for 450 class X8. Would you recommend 4in1 ESC's? There is a lot of mixed reviews out there. Thanks
Not sure as we're not flying much over a 330 class now. Last time we did we used the 2212/935KV motors with 10" props but watch how much weight you're lifting! Best of luck!
My Y6 weighs 2.2-2.4 kg depending on battery (4s 6A or 8A). I'm looking at the KDE DIRECT 2814XF-515 to replace the under powered 2830-12 850kv. With a 12x4.5 E prop (actually APC MRP but same P const), the KDE looks like a good fit and long flight time (the goal). Would you agree? I tried several other motors but they all result in lower flight times. These motors would also be used for a planned larger Y6 in the future.
They are expensive motors, and I've been agonizing over this for weeks. Any help is appreciated.
I did use Ecalc btw and believe correctly, but would like some more experienced advice.
Hi John, these motors have some great detail listed on the site. It's a shame that all manufacturers don't follow such good practice. Too often they provide very basic details that doesn't allow you to make an informed choice and have people (some of whom have commented on this video) to become confused and frustrated.
They look like a good, if expensive, choice and will allow you to increase the rotor size up to the 13" and 14" if you find they don't give you enough thrust for a hover. I'd be tempted to start with 13" blades (if they will fit your quad). That extra may be useful when dealing with windy conditions.
Good luck with the change over.