DIY Drones, Everything You Need to Know

There is a growing DIY movement in our world. Given the expensive cost of labor and the easy availability of online resources, more and more individuals are taking a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) attitude about many tasks and hobbies, including DIY drones.

Drones are being sold in record numbers today with over 2 million drones legally registered by private owners in the United States. It was inevitable that the DIY craze and the booming drone industry would meet. If you believe you may want to build your own DIY drone, we believe this article will tell you everything you need to know.

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At its simplest, a drone is an unmanned aircraft. Drones have no pilots on board, but they are often controlled by a human or group of humans on the ground. Some would consider the simplest drone to be a child's remote-control airplane toy, while more advanced drones include military crafts or even satellites and unmanned spaceships.

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If the government can build drones, why not you? Well, it may not be quite that simple, but DIY drones are a popular option for civilians today. They are simply drones built by individuals rather than purchased off the shelf. An important question to ask is whether you are most interested in your need for a drone or the drone itself.

For example, some people want a drone to take aerial photographs. If your true hope is to own the pictures, you may have no desire to build a drone. There are many manufactured drones on the shelf that are ready to serve your needs without the hassle of building.

However, if you find the process of building and personalizing a drone just as enticing as taking and owning aerial photos, a DIY drone may be something to consider. Building a drone gives you the ability to make any changes you want and personalize the craft to meet your own preferences and needs.

When you are the one who designed your DIY drone, you will probably have a good idea where to look when it breaks or acts strangely. When a store-bought drone malfunctions, you have to learn about its inner workings from scratch.

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It is important for a drone builder to have an overall understanding how a drone works and why it is going to fly. That person will always have a distinct advantage over the person who mindlessly follows directions from a kit and assumes it will fly in the end.

Drones are made of light materials to keep them from becoming too heavy to fly or too bulky to maneuver. The light composite material is still durable. The drone is controlled remotely from the ground. The control system on the ground and the actual unmanned craft make up the two central parts of drone system.

Users can keep track of the drone from the ground through a smart phone app or Ground Station Controller (GSC). Large drones, such as some military drones, can be the size of a traditional plane or other aircraft, while the smallest can be as little as two inches.

Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) drones, including quadcopters, are very popular drones that can take off and land vertically. They can fly in any direction and also hover in the air. Some VTOL drones include GPS technology or other form of Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS).

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The DIY drone parts you will need to build your aircraft depend on the type of drone you choose to build. Based on your level of DIY experience and general ingenuity, you will have several options to choose from.

Some builders use an Almost Ready to Fly (ARF) kit. DIY drone builders often like to use an ARF kit as a good starter project. ARF kits come with the major parts needed to assemble a drone, with many parts pre-assembled.

Another option for your DIY drone project is a traditional drone kit. Also known as a UAV kit, a drone kit includes most of the core pieces needed to build a drone. These kits vary, so the number of important pieces included as opposed to the pieces you will need to collect on your own depends on the kit you choose.

While the extensiveness of the kit is a matter of personal choice, buyers should be aware of the pieces included before purchasing a kit so they know what they will need to acquire on their own. Typical pieces not included in a drone kit are a transmitter, battery and charger, or controllers.

For the most ambitious DIY drone builder, a fully customized drone does not require a kit. Builders with an extensive understanding of drone parts and the science of flight can acquire all necessary parts from various manufacturers to create a custom aircraft designed to their personal preference and needs.

If you are ready to build, be sure you have the parts accounted for that you will need. Some of these parts may or may not be included in your kit, so make sure you know what you already have and what you still need based on your individual kit. While lists can vary based on the style of drone you plan to build and the DIY drone kit you choose, below is an inventory of some common components you will need.

The aforementioned parts for your DIY drone are obvious to most people who have a basic understanding of drones. There are more parts to buy, and some of the following components are not as obvious.

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While some general rules and ideas apply to almost all drone construction, your style of drone and choice of kit will add unique variables. Below are some universal steps for assembling a quadcopter drone.

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The controller is the brains of the entire operation and must be mounted as an integral part of your system. Almost all signal wires will be connected to the controller. There is very little uniformity among flight controllers, so studying the directions and schematic for your specific controller is critical.

Many manufacturers include wiring diagrams, and if you are new to DIY drone construction, we suggest you use a controller with a diagram or a similar schematic. All of your power wires, probably red and black, should already be soldered, Your only concern at this point are the signal wires.

Each motor should have a signal wire and an additional ground wire. A quadcopter would have a signal and ground for each of its four motors. You should also have one signal-in receiver wire.

Other possible signal wires will depend on your drone use. Some may have an On-Screen Display (OSD) if you are seeking FPV video. FPV is a first-person view and is attained by filming from the perspective of a pilot while the drone is in flight. OSD connectors likely include video in and out as well as grounds for each.

Other variables and options range from buzzers to help you find a list drone, much like a car key buzzer, to an assortment of LEDs that give you status updates as well as an aesthetic appeal.

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There is a rhyme and reason to almost every aspect of drone flight. Really, it is just fun science. The question is whether your mindset says getting there is half the fun or whether it says, "Are we there yet?"

Building your own drone has the potential to be a fun learning experience, and even if you start small, you will continue to learn and get better as you go. You'll also be equipped to make repairs on a design that you built.

DIY drones give you the advantage of customization. The more confident and adventurous you are, the more opportunity you have to think outside the box and personalize a drone for your own needs and preferences. You can also save a lot of money if you get good at building and customizing.

Featured Image: Image by Lukas Bieri from Pixabay