Sub 250g Quad (arducopter) build advice

I want to build a Sub 250g arducopter quad. I realize that it is going to be hard to get sensors on this and keep it under 250g.

I was going to start with a Foxeer Reaper F745 AIO V3. The V2 is currently supported. Does anyone know if the V3 will be supported anytime soon?

Since the Foxeer FC does not have a barometer built in, does anyone know if the Matek F405WMN will work as a multirotor FC for Arducopter?

Can anyone suggest a different FC?

It’s not that hard. I used a Matek H743-mini on a sub 250g craft.

Can I ask what frame you used? Also, did you put a compass/GPS on it too? If so, what brand?

I used this one:
Orpy 5

Sure, you need that. The Matek M8Q-5883

Is the M10-5883 or M8Q-5883 a better option. Hard to tell which one is better from their website :slight_smile:

Technically, the M10 is a superior module, but how it fares in practice will depend highly on antenna characteristics, sky view, and to some extent, the region in which it’s used. Most users probably won’t see a significant improvement with the slightly more expensive module.

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M10 is new and technically better as it will receive 4 constellations concurrently.

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The mounting holes on that are 20.5mm and I was going to use a Foxwhoop25 which has 25.5. Is there some adapter for that?

No. Find one that fits or drill holes.

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OK does that board have a plug for the DJI O3 air unit?

…

Matek H743-Mini

Many autopilots in this size range won’t have proprietary DJI connectors, but ArduPilot can output DJI OSD info over UART, and you just solder/pin the connectors as necessary to make the connections.

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One last question. If I go with a FC that does not have a barometer on it, can I get some suggestions for a baro that i can add on? Are there any disadvantages to adding one instead of built in?

Thanks so much guys for all the input everyone.

The bigger question is if the FC you are considering w/o a baro has enough flash to run Arducopter and is supported. If it’s not listed here forget it:
Supported FC’s

Yes it is supported. That is the first thing I checked.

If it has an I2c port exposed then you can probably add a barometer. I would use a board with one and save yourself some trouble.
A hint, when looking for Arducopter wiki pages it’s usually as easy as a Google search like “arducopter external barometer”. Try that.

@Greg_dd

Hi,
here you can find my sub 250 that has been flying for at least 3 years (even if some the FC is old). Also you get a more up to date list of components (which they didn’t deem to support) but still fly (built by a friend). Now it’s easier to build a sub 250 than it was 3 years ago, it can be done!

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Hello, here is another sub 250 grams that I built about 2 years ago. Not as elegant as Alberto_Ds 's but it flies well (after lots of tuning and adjustments).
The FC is a Matek F405 SE.
You don’t need to save on sensors. It is important to keep the frame weight low (this is a self-designed 3D print in ABS). Then, try to find a battery pack that combines maximum power with minimal weight. Here I attached a 3S pack of 1300 mAH.

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In general I believe that a sub 250 arducopter is necessarily linked to the 3" 2s Li ion configuration. Making a sub 250 with the advanced flight functions of arducopter that flies less than 10 minutes makes little sense. Staying within 250 grams requires the 3" 2S li ion configuration.

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