Quadcopter No. 16 is second one by UDI
The UDI U-841-1 is the sixteenth micro quadcopter in my fleet. It was purchased January 22, 2017, the day after I got the Zoopa Riot. The U-841-1 came from Micro Center in Sharonville, Ohio, the fourth drone from there. It cost $39.99. It has made 11 flights so far, all indoors.
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| UDI U-841-1 |
This drone has a unique feature that sets it apart from all the other quads in the fleet: wheels. A set of four wheels, as shown in the photo above, can be attached to the quad allowing it to be driven like a car. There is also a set of two large wheels that can be attached using a long axle that snaps onto the top of the drone running from side to side. There is a ground mode on the controller which prevents the "car" from taking flight when the throttle is increased. In normal flight mode the "car" will take off and fly like any other drone. A set of prop guards is also provided for use during normal flight when the wheels are not used.
I found the drone to be a good flier, similar to the UDI U-27. In fact, the batteries and the controller are interchangeable. However, I did not like either set of wheels. It was hard to steer the vehicle in both cases, and after one run of each, I have not tried them again.
The fact that the controllers for the U-27 and the U-841-1 are interchangeable came in very handy when I brought this quad home; the new controller for the U-841-1 did not work. The power indicator light did not come on and the unit would not bind to the drone. I tried the U-27 controller and it worked just fine for all the features. So, I decided to keep the drone and try to fix the controller if I could, knowing that I had another controller that would work with it.
I removed all of the necessary screws, opened the case, unplugged one connector, made a visual check for loose wires, and then, set to work with my Radio Shack multimeter.
After a few minutes, I found that no current was getting out of the battery holder. Then, I observed a small gap between two contact plates near where the power distribution wires attached. I used a flat screw driver to slightly bend one plate so contact was made. That solved the problem and the controller works fine. I now have two interchangeable controllers.
I wonder what others do when they get an inexpensive drone that doesn't work because of a small, correctable problem. They could write one-star reviews on Amazon saying how their grandson's Christmas was ruined. They could take it or mail it back to where it was purchased and ask for a replacement or refund. But, how many would try to fix it?
I found the drone to be a good flier, similar to the UDI U-27. In fact, the batteries and the controller are interchangeable. However, I did not like either set of wheels. It was hard to steer the vehicle in both cases, and after one run of each, I have not tried them again.
The fact that the controllers for the U-27 and the U-841-1 are interchangeable came in very handy when I brought this quad home; the new controller for the U-841-1 did not work. The power indicator light did not come on and the unit would not bind to the drone. I tried the U-27 controller and it worked just fine for all the features. So, I decided to keep the drone and try to fix the controller if I could, knowing that I had another controller that would work with it.
I removed all of the necessary screws, opened the case, unplugged one connector, made a visual check for loose wires, and then, set to work with my Radio Shack multimeter.
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| Circuit board inside of U-841-1 controller |
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| Control switches in U-841-1 |
After a few minutes, I found that no current was getting out of the battery holder. Then, I observed a small gap between two contact plates near where the power distribution wires attached. I used a flat screw driver to slightly bend one plate so contact was made. That solved the problem and the controller works fine. I now have two interchangeable controllers.
I wonder what others do when they get an inexpensive drone that doesn't work because of a small, correctable problem. They could write one-star reviews on Amazon saying how their grandson's Christmas was ruined. They could take it or mail it back to where it was purchased and ask for a replacement or refund. But, how many would try to fix it?
