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Here’s a listing of important FPV instruments, tapes, glues and supplies for constructing and repairing FPV drones and stuck wings. I’ll make suggestions on what merchandise you must get which might be helpful for constructing, repairs and troubleshooting.
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Getting the “important instruments” listed on this put up needs to be ample to get you began with constructing and repairing an FPV drone and stuck wing. Having a few of the “Good-to-have instruments“ could make your builds extra skilled trying and can assist restore/troubleshoot your drone, however by no imply crucial.
All of the hyperlinks on this web page are affiliate hyperlinks. It doesn’t price you a dime extra, but it surely sends us just a few cents each time a purchase order is made to maintain this weblog going. Thanks!
FPV Toolkits
These FPV toolkits include important instruments for constructing and repairing FPV drones at house or within the area. They’re packaged in a neat carry case, making it simpler to pack for a day of flying. Designed particularly for FPV, these all-in-one toolkits are fairly priced and embody first rate high quality instruments. This comfort eliminates the necessity to seek for every merchandise individually.
| Newbeedrone Equipment | RDQ Drone Instrument Equipment | Flywoo Instrument Equipment |
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| Discover this product right here: | Discover this product right here: | Discover this product right here: |
For informal FPV pilots, the RaceDayQuads equipment affords unbeatable worth. It’s the least costly and supplies a flexible collection of instruments. Alternatively, the NewBeeDrone equipment features a full soldering suite, making it perfect for superior constructing and restore. These two kits are significantly geared in direction of the useful wants of significant FPV racers or freestyle pilots, and I extremely advocate them. In the end, the selection relies on your funds and the capabilities you want.
Important Instruments
These are the really useful and must-have instruments for constructing and repairing your mini quad.
Soldering Instruments
You will have a soldering iron for constructing and repairing FPV drones. Listed here are my product suggestions, and on this put up I’ll clarify in additional particulars how to decide on a great soldering iron and solder wires.
These are useful add-on for soldering.
| Solder Serving to Hand | Tip Cleaner | Mounting Putty |
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| For holding parts in place whereas soldering. | For cleansing the tip of soldering iron extra successfully than moist sponge. | Aka Blu Tack, putty can be utilized for holding small wires and parts in place shortly. |
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Hex Screwdriver Set
Hex screws are generally used to carry your FPV drone collectively, so getting a set of hex screwdrivers is extraordinarily necessary. Crucial sizes you must have are:
Or search for metric units of 1.3-3mm sizes.
Listed here are some good choices:
Assorted Screwdriver Set
For the screw sizes sometimes discovered on RC planes and wings, each cross slotted and single slotted would possibly turn out to be useful. A few of these units on AliExpress include some hex screwdrivers too that may prevent some cash.
Prop Nut Instruments
For eradicating and securing propeller nuts requires a devoted “prop device”. You may simply get a generic 8mm hex nut wrench, however I’d advocate getting a device that’s designed particularly for FPV that are simpler to make use of. There are a number of choices:
- Some have one-way bearing that permits it to show one path – one aspect for eradicating the prop nuts whereas the opposite aspect for fastening. It lets you mainly tightening/loosen the nut with out lifting the device which is extra environment friendly.
- Some instruments even have 1.5mm, 2.0mm or 2.5mm hex bit that are useful to have
Discover this merchandise right here:
Scissors
For reducing tapes and small wires. When I’m being lazy I’d additionally use it for stripping wires earlier than soldering, maybe not the very best follow but it surely will get the job finished.
Wire Cutters
I exploit wire cutters for reducing zip ties, electrical wires, management rods and so on, mainly for issues which might be too onerous for scissors.
Pliers
For accessing onerous to succeed in spots and gripping parts whereas working with different instruments (for instance when soldering a wire to an XT60 or ESC energy, the wire would possibly turn into too sizzling to carry by hand). It can be used as a nut wrench.
For essentially the most half, a pair of needle nostril pliers might be your device of selection right here, however a range wouldn’t harm both.
Forsep
This device is extraordinarily versatile. The lengthy, curved nostril lets you attain the tight areas widespread in FPV drones. The scissors-style deal with supplies extra energy and precision than tweezers. Moreover, it locks in place, permitting you to set it down and free your hand for different duties if wanted.
Multimeter
A digital multimeter (DDM)is used to troubleshoot your quad’s electronics, measuring voltage, present, resistance, and take a look at for brief circuit. I’ve an entire tutorial explaining the right way to use a digital multimeter on an FPV drone.
A multimeter is a small funding that may probably prevent a whole lot of {dollars} in broken electrical components by testing circuits earlier than plugging them in. An affordable multimeter might be positive for the needs of testing for shorts, discovering damaged wires and checking battery voltage.
Some good DDM buy choices are:
Smoke Stopper
A “smoke stopper” is a testing system that you just join between the FPV drone and LiPo battery. You utilize it if you plug within the battery for the primary time to see if the drone has a brief circuit, which may probably injury your parts with no smoke stopper.
I like to recommend the Vifly ShortSafer V2 (evaluate), it really works and you should buy it off the shelf:
LiPo Voltage Checker
By merely connecting the stability lead of a LiPo battery to a LiPo checker, it tells you the voltage of the battery, in addition to the voltage of every cell. It’s an necessary device to have to watch the state of your LiPo batteries on the go.
ToolkitRC MC8
It’s greater than only a battery checker, it’s additionally a servo and ESC tester and may learn varied RC alerts. See my evaluate on what it does right here: https://oscarliang.com/toolkitrc-mc8/
LiPo Secure Luggage
Whereas LiPo baggage might not be the best answer at stopping or containing a battery fireplace, they’re helpful for storing your batteries temporally and for transportation
Get your LiPo baggage from:
Ammo Field
Metallic ammo packing containers are nice for storing your LiPo batteries throughout or after charging as they will forestall fireplace from spreading extra successfully than typical LiPo baggage.
Get your Ammo Field from:
Bat-Secure LiPo Field
The Bat-Secure field safely incorporates battery fires, vents sizzling gases, filters flame and soot, whereas making certain straightforward battery charging and transportation. It’s just like the upgraded model of the Ammo field. See my full evaluate right here: https://oscarliang.com/bat-safe-lipo-battery-charging-box/
You could find the Bat-Secure Field right here:
Good-to-have Instruments
Your FPV mates will certainly be impressed by these instruments 🙂
Electrical Screwdriver
Not crucial however a godsend if you need to do a bunch of 20mm, 30mm lengthy screws typically. Merely press a button and the screwdriver will do the remainder for you. In addition they include a big selection of screwdriver bits, which may prevent from shopping for these screwdrivers individually.
I like to recommend the ES126, it’s fairly highly effective and good high quality. One cost can final weeks.
Instrument Luggage
Method higher than utilizing Ziploc baggage. Can maintain small instruments and parts when taking tools to the sector.
Bench Energy Provide
A bench energy provide (PSU) has variable voltage output that may energy many issues, together with your soldering iron, take a look at your quad, FPV parts, LiPo charger and so forth.
My favourite in the mean time is the ToolkitRC P200. It’s versatile and compact.
3D Printer
One of many largest advantages of 3D printing for FPV drone fans is the flexibility to shortly and simply change damaged components or make modifications to present designs.
I’ve a tutorial that can assist you get began with 3D printing: https://oscarliang.com/3d-printer/
Tweezers
Tweezers are used to carry and transfer small parts and wires into place. Search for longer size tweezers to make it simpler to entry small parts. Cross-lock tweezers (or reverse tweezers) are most popular as a result of they apply stress if you launch them, they received’t let go of your work even if you happen to set them down.
Wire Strippers
I’ve one however I not often use it (principally as a result of laziness), many of the instances I simply use scissors to strip wires. However wire strippers present extra constant and exact outcomes if you’re a perfectionist. Usually they solely cowl a sure vary of wire gauge, make certain the pair you get meet your requirement.
Warmth Gun
Warmth gun, or hot-air gun, is principally used to shrink heat-shrink insulation tubes. Most individuals would simply use a lighter, sizzling air gun is maybe an overkill, but it surely supplies extra constant warmth and don’t go away burn marks.
Rotary Instrument
Drills can be utilized to make modifications to even essentially the most cussed of supplies. They can be utilized for shaping framework or parts in addition to creating new gap placements for screws or different gear.
Most frames and parts bought from respected sellers ought to accurately match from the get go. Nevertheless, typically small modifications might must be made so as to get all the things to suit completely. A rotary device or drill is good to have round for working with tough to change supplies like carbon fiber and aluminium.
Dremel rotary device equipment is a excessive finish, title model that can be utilized with no energy wire.
File Set
You’ll use these information to change and clear up issues like carbon fiber body components, to provide them a pleasant and easy end.
Digital Calliper
Helpful for exact measurement as much as 0.1mm.
Digital Scale
Each gram counts for RC fashions, so having an correct device to weigh your quadcopter and parts is necessary. Having 1g precision is nice sufficient usually, however 0.1g is right particularly for these micro quad parts. Be sure that most capability is over 1kg, if you happen to plan to construct bigger fashions you would possibly wish to select one with even larger weight restrict.
Clamp Meter
A clamp meter lets you measure present instantaneously by clamping the jaws round a wire with out the necessity to break into the circuit to take measurements. It’s able to measuring larger present than a multimeter, however the accuracy is perhaps decrease and they’re pretty costly.
Watt Meter
A watt meter (or energy meter) can measure present drawn and energy consumption. It’s helpful for testing motor and even measuring the ability of a complete quadcopter. It’s necessary to get one with XT60 connectors or open wires so you may solder your individual. Ranking as much as 60V and 200A could be fascinating for FPV drone use.
Soldering Fume Extractor
Solder fumes are very unhealthy to your lung. Some individuals can turn into sensitized to flux fumes, particularly from the older rosin flux utilized in cored solder, and get respiration issues.
Desktop Fan
Nice for cooling if you energy the VTX on the bench, it will probably double as soldering smoke fan (suck the fume away).
RF Energy Meter
For testing and measuring radio/video transmitter output energy. ImmersionRC Energy Meter V2 is an compact and reasonably priced choice although accuracy will not be assure, it’s higher than nothing.
Antenna SWR Meter
Understanding the SWR of your 5.8GHz antenna can assist resolve which frequency or channel you must use for optimum efficiency What’s antenna SWR: https://oscarliang.com/best-fpv-antenna/#SWR. Interested in measuring antenna SWR? Try my tutorial for a deep dive into the method:: https://oscarliang.com/litevna-measure-antenna-swr/.
Get your LiteVNA from these distributors (IMPORTANT: guarantee it helps as much as 6.3GHz!):
FTDI Adapter
FTDI adapter, aka serial converter, will be helpful for programming ESC, OSD, FC, configuring GPS and so on. Within the occasions of broken USB port in your FC, you can too use it to attach your FC to your laptop by way of one of many UART.
ST-Hyperlink V2 Programmer
That is used to flash gadgets with STM32 processors, equivalent to ExpressLRS receivers, flight controllers and ESC.
Voltage Regulator
It’s helpful for powering VTX when there’s no BEC in your FC. It’s tiny and light-weight weight, which is beneficial for FPV drones and RC planes, it’s additionally useful to have for digital initiatives. It helps a variety of enter voltage from 5V, or 2S all the best way as much as 6S, and the output is adjustable utilizing a screw driver (you’ll want a multimeter to confirm the output voltage).
Get this mini voltage regulator from these distributors:
FPV Backpack
FPV Backpacks are extraordinarily helpful as a result of they’re designed particularly for storing typical FPV gear. Certain, you may simply use any peculiar backpack, however they aren’t going to be as environment friendly and handy to make use of for FPV stuff. They usually normally lack the required padding on the surface to guard your gear if you happen to drop it.
Micro-fibre Fabric
Use a correct microfibre material to scrub your digicam lenses and goggles screens to keep away from scratching the glass!
Instruments for FPV Mounted Wings
Passion Knife / Utility Knife
Passion knife is nice for reducing and eradicating foam, tape and heatshrink. Field cutters would do too, however they are usually much less exact and fewer sharp.
Pearl Head Pins
For holding foam components / carbon components collectively if you’re utilizing glue that takes some time to dry.
Sand Paper
You wish to sand the froth surfaces and carbon fibre spars earlier than apply glue to them, it makes them stick higher.
I’d say something between 40 grits to 240 grits is okay. It relies on your desire actually, so long as you’re not ripping bubbles off the froth. I personally use 80 to 120 grit, I discover something much less will make the beads of froth come out, and something greater than 120 takes a very long time to realize the specified end result.
Servo Tester
It’s helpful for testing servos, and centring them when establishing elevons. Additionally helpful for troubleshooting and testing ESC and motor spin path. You might also use it for motor thrust testing.
Weight for CG
These are weight blocks you may place in your wing to stability CG. It’s not a nasty concept if you’d like one thing neat, however I usually simply use cash. Truly cash grow to be cheaper.
Servo Cable Crimping Instrument
that is used for crimping wires onto lugs. You don’t want to purchase one immediately if you happen to’re simply moving into the interest however ultimately the day will come when you have to one and can discover it helpful.
Servo connectors are Dupont 2.54mm, stability leads are JST-XH 2.54mm.
Scotch Heavy Obligation Packing Tape
The should have tape for common functions – overlaying, reinforcing hinges, laminating… Sellotape tape is okay, however I discover good high quality packing tape are usually thicker and stronger.
Coloration Packing Tape
Typically known as wing tapes, coloration packing tapes are nice for adorning your wings, and including some colours to it. It’s typically used for overlaying and laminating.
Those I exploit are thinner than the heavy responsibility packing tape and aren’t as robust. Nevertheless it doesn’t add any noticeable weight to the plane which is what I like!
Fibre Tape
AKA Reinforce Packing Tape – it’s extraordinarily robust and sticky! Typically used to guard main edges and reinforcing weak foam components and joints. It can be used for overlaying your servos within the wing.
Outside Vinyl Tape
It’d really feel just like electrical tape, but it surely’s much less stretchy and has a shiny end and stick far more securely. It’s additionally twice as thick as packing tape. It conforms to irregularity properly, nice for making use of on management surfaces, like on prime of servos, it offers it a really easy end
Duct Tape
Stronger than packing tape and works a lot better on irregular surfaces, but it surely’s additionally a lot heavier; it’s simpler to take away and change; one other drawback is that they have a tendency to wrinkle up below the solar. it’s normally a selection between this or outside vinyl tape
Tapes
You may most likely get 90% of the roles finished utilizing 2-3 varieties of tapes, but it surely’s helpful to have the variability for various functions too.
Electrical Tape
Electrical tape is a must have at any time when working with electrical stuff. It’s nice for insulation and holding components in place in your FPV drone construct. I additionally use it for masking when I’m soldering.
I solely use 3M Tremendous 35, it’s stretchy vinyl and fairly versatile, nice for wrapping motor wires or ESC on the drone arms too.
Double-sided Tape
Double sided tape is for sticking parts contained in the construct. If you need some actually sticker and robust ones, get the 3M Scotch model, that’s the sh*t! 🙂 Nice for sticking two separate issues collectively, like a receiver to the body. It takes just a few hours to remedy, as soon as it’s safe it’s onerous to take away.
Kapton Tape
Kapton tape is mainly non-stretchy translucent electrical tape. It may face up to excessive temperature and received’t soften simply, subsequently is nice for overlaying PCB when soldering, and wrapping parts if you don’t have the fitting sized clear heatshrink.
Masking Tape
It’s mainly simply sticky paper 🙂 You may tear it off the reel together with your fingers, very handy to make use of if you happen to simply wish to maintain one thing in place temporally in the course of the construct. It may be eliminated simply with out leaving any mess behind. You can even write on it because it’s simply paper.
Fabric Tape
A.ok.a gaffer’s tape, it’s versatile like material, nice for wrapping issues round. It’s sticky but additionally straightforward to take away. I exploit these for wrapping the motor wires to the arms, supplies sure safety to the wires from prop strikes too.
Glue
Any foam pleasant glues would do!
Scorching Glue
Scorching glue might be the most well-liked choice for constructing/repairing foam fashions. As a result of they soften into the froth like a chemical glue, but additionally creates an especially robust bodily bond on the similar time.
The energy can be its draw back. The bond is so robust it’s close to inconceivable to take away with out ripping the froth aside. Typically you may want the froth to only collapse in a crash somewhat than utterly destroyed? It’s a private desire.
The opposite properties is that it units in a short time because it cools down. However that’s additionally the drawback, as a result of you have got solely a short while to place the components. That will get worse in chilly climate.
E6000 Glue
At the moment my favorite glue, I’m utilizing this as a alternative to sizzling glue and CA for constructing/fixing wings. I’ve an entire article to talk about why I prefer it a lot.
UHU Por Glue
UHU POR glue is right for gluing onerous foam like styrofoam. It’s versatile, proof against growing old and waterproof. Takes 10-20 minutes to set, turns into clear when dried.
Gorilla Clear Glue
A very fashionable choice for RC mannequin constructing. Sturdy stuff for an amazing vary of supplies, however personally not an enormous fan of Gorilla glue, as a result of getting it in your arms will be worse than epoxy!
Supplies and Provide
Zip Ties
Helpful sizes (width): 2mm and 3mm
Silicone Electrical Wires
Get your electrical wires in varied gauges, generally used sizes for five″ FPV drones are 12AWG, 14AWG for energy, 20AWG for motors, and 28AWG for alerts. The scale requirement relies on the present going by the wire, try this information about electrical wires and connector for extra element.
Warmth-shrink Tubes
Get varied sizes for various functions, e.g. 2mm, 3mm for motor wires and XT60 pigtail, 20mm, 25mm for ESCs / RX, and so on.
Battery Pads
A very good battery pad will cease your battery from sliding, and forestall it from being punctured by the screw heads on the body. Listed here are some nice sticky pads:
Ummagrip 3mm thick Model
Ummagrip 1.5mm thick Model
Battery Straps
For five-inch or bigger drones, 20mm width velcro straps are sensible choice. Sometimes 200-220mm size for 4S, and 240-260mm size for 6S, but it surely principally relies on your selection of body.
Thread Locker
Details about thread locker, mainly it prevents screws from coming free as a result of vibration.
{Hardware}
When choosing up metallic screws and bolts, watch out for what materials they’re fabricated from. My desire is to get 10-9 or 12-9 at any time when attainable. These numbers check with the alloy of metal used within the screws. These are the good things, they don’t strip out simply and really robust.
M3 Stainless Metal Screws Assortment: https://amzn.to/3tOpPpA
M3 Nylon {Hardware} Equipment:
AliExpress – https://s.click on.aliexpress.com/e/_DEvf1gl
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3xlFMph
Silicone Conformal Coating
By coating this in your electronics, it makes it water proof! You may study extra in my tutorial.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol can be utilized as a degreaser, solvent and cleansing agent. You should use it to scrub residue from burnt solder flux, in addition to simply common cleansing of your electronics. It can be used to take away sure varieties of glue, in addition to silicone conformal coating.
Edit Historical past
- 2015 – Publish created.
- 2017 – Added extra objects.
- 2021 – Shortened web page URL, added extra objects.
- 2022 – Up to date product hyperlinks, added extra objects.
- 2023 – Up to date product hyperlinks, added FPV wing instruments.
- Jun 2024 – Up to date product hyperlinks.
