My uncle gave me this old drone… is it any good?

General Drone Discussions
1

Here’s a picture of the drone:

someone
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. I’ve never had a drone before, so I don’t know if this is worth using or just outdated. Any advice?

2

I had this exact setup a while back, even the little monitor on the controller. It’s an Eachine brand from Banggood. Not modern by any means, but it’s still decent. Definitely worth giving it a try and having fun with it.

3

Looks like it could be a blast to fly. Probably really fast too. My first drone was similar, and I was surprised by how quick it was. I’d recommend starting with a simulator like Velocidrone to get the hang of things first.

4

@Whitney
Can you use simulators with joysticks? Would love to practice with the actual controller.

5

Brenner said:
@Whitney
Can you use simulators with joysticks? Would love to practice with the actual controller.

Oh yeah, definitely better to use the proper controller. An Xbox controller just doesn’t feel the same.

6

@Kim
Why wouldn’t it work with an Xbox controller though?

7

Paxton said:
@Kim
Why wouldn’t it work with an Xbox controller though?

You need more precision with the sticks than what an Xbox controller offers. It makes a big difference when you’re flying.

8

@Sam
When I plug the drone’s controller into my computer, it beeps but doesn’t work with FPV Skydive. What should I do?

9

Paxton said:
@Sam
When I plug the drone’s controller into my computer, it beeps but doesn’t work with FPV Skydive. What should I do?

This is all part of the fun… figuring out how to get everything working. There are a few things you might need to tweak to make it connect.

10

@Sam
You should also check out the flight controller software, which is probably Betaflight. You can set it to angle mode to make it easier to fly at first.

11

Sam said:
@Sam
You should also check out the flight controller software, which is probably Betaflight. You can set it to angle mode to make it easier to fly at first.

I’ve been practicing in acro mode with an Xbox controller. Is that a bad idea?

12

@Paxton
Not bad at all, but it’s not quite the same as flying the real thing. You’ll notice the difference when you use the actual controller.

13

Sam said:
@Paxton
Not bad at all, but it’s not quite the same as flying the real thing. You’ll notice the difference when you use the actual controller.

Would it still be okay for FPV practice?

14

@Paxton
Yeah, but don’t rely on it too much. It’s better to practice with your actual gear once it’s set up.

15

Sam said:
@Sam
You should also check out the flight controller software, which is probably Betaflight. You can set it to angle mode to make it easier to fly at first.

Betaflight? This thing is probably so old it runs on PWM. You might need to find an older version of Cleanflight to make it work, if you can still get it.

16

Paxton said:
@Sam
When I plug the drone’s controller into my computer, it beeps but doesn’t work with FPV Skydive. What should I do?

Can the person who gave it to you help you set it up?

17

Paxton said:
@Kim
Why wouldn’t it work with an Xbox controller though?

Also, flying with that little monitor might not be the most enjoyable experience.

18

Brenner said:
@Whitney
Can you use simulators with joysticks? Would love to practice with the actual controller.

Yep, I use Liftoff with a Radiomaster Boxer controller. Works great.

19

It’s a decent FPV racing drone setup. If you want to do video work with it, consider attaching a 4K camera like a GoPro or DJI Osmo.

20

Looks like an Eachine 250 model to me.