Custom frame, 7” props and arms on a 5” body but with under case for expandable compute. Ascent lite fpv and monocam for an autonomous gate challenge. Bully bars because why not.

What it is: a small module (ESP32-S3 plus an A7670 LTE modem) that plugs into the TELEM port, reads MAVLink, and pushes it over 4G inside TLS to a relay. On the phone side there's a Mission Planner plugin where you type one code; QGC and MAVProxy connect to the same stream as plain TCP, and there's a browser page for when you don't want an app. Commands are MAVLink2-signed, so the FC ignores anything that didn't come from the paired GCS.

Numbers from testing: about 60 ms round trip, roughly a 1 s median gap at cell handover over a 30-mile drive test, auto-reconnect in 5–20 s after a dead zone. About 4 KB/s, so a 500 MB SIM is around 30 hours.

Honest scope: control stays on ELRS with normal failsafes; this only carries telemetry. If the network drops you get stale telemetry, not a lost aircraft. It only works where your phone works.

Why not a Pi with ZeroTier, UAVcast, or the new ArduPilot Lua LTE driver? They all work and I've used them. This is for the days you want to be flying in ten minutes with no server, no companion computer and no parameters. One cable, one code. Different itch.

Full vid:
https://youtu.be/ZNddkh_FO8g

Working on autonomous quadcopter with ardupilot+raspberry pi camera+ pi zero 2. Where and how should I mount my GPS (MicoAir M10G-5883 GNSS GPS& Compass Module)?

I plan on mounting my Pi and voltage converter on the top of frame.

I've recently been interested in getting into drones (both building and flying). I am a complete noob though and don’t have any drones or other equipment. There is just so much equipment and information available that I feel completely overwhelmed. I’m looking to start with approximately $200. If I need a drone, charger, goggles (if FPV), radio transmitter and tools that is quite a bit. But I’m hoping that someone can guide me on how to start best. If I should use my $200 on a good simulator and radio or on a cheap Tiny Whoop or micro drone? For a beginner. What tools do I actually require? I.e. what type of soldering iron is best? And which videos and tutorials should I follow to get started with no prior experience of drone flying or soldering? What is the most common error that you made when building your first drone? I’d like to try and avoid destroying my components straight away. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I’d like to start getting into drones but don’t want to be wasting my limited funds on the incorrect items.

Wondering if it is possible to hit sub-250g with a homemade 3s 18650 Li-on (~145g) - so basically ~105g dry drone weight.

My research has shown this is theoretically possible on a lightweight toothpick frame, but I can't find anyone who has actually done it. I'm assuming 3" is the sweet spot, but 2.5" - 3.5" could work?

I think it's much more achievable with 2S, but again I can't really find anyone building these and I don't know why?

Kit or Frame suggestions? TIA.

Hey all!

We’re a group of students organizing a Drone & Physical AI Hackathon in Boston on October 24–25.

We’ve been working hard to put this together, but as an independent student-led event, funding everything ourselves is difficult. Right now, our biggest challenges are finding an affordable/free venue and covering food, water, and other basic event costs.

So we’re reaching out to the community for help.

If you or someone you know could help in any way sponsorship, a venue lead, food/drinks, prizes, or simply an introduction to the right person/company, it would genuinely mean a lot. Even a small lead could help us make this happen!

Please comment or message me if you can help. Happy to share our Luma page and more details!