This is exactly the configuration I was looking for. Naturally, they are out of stock at HDzero, but I hope to buy one as soon as they become available again. Thanks for the review and bringing this quad to my attention!
I bought a Crux35 when they first came out in analog [pre covid]. It became my favorite quad overall. It was/is so efficient 'has lots of power when needed and will stay in the air a very long time. I installed HDZero and love it. But this new one you have here looks fantastic as equipped at a very good price. I also see the new AIO board esc has twice the amps of the original too. I'm so impressed gonna order one today. Why Not!!!
This is very cool! I have the Crux35HDZ with the 200mw vtx and I was quite happy with that quad. Took it bando bashing too and it survived the day with only broken props. The frame is delaminating a touch but I crashed it A LOT. Still flies fine and the video is still great. What an improvement this 1w VTX will be with penetration and range! 👍👍
I bought one of these after destroying one I converted to use the Whooplite, and honestly I notice very little difference aside from penetration and range. It's the perfect little ripper even with a Runcam thumb pro 4k and a 850mah Tattu lipo. PSA: If you buy the BNF, the antenna wire leading to the UFL can bend at a severe enough angle that it can break from the connector itself. This is easy to solve for if you've got more slack in the antennas line. I've killed two antennas before figuring that out.
Well dang. The one bigger quad from happy model I've always wanted, almost got (logstics issue, order cancled). But now with the 1w vtx. So glad to see a BNF with the freestyle V2. Too much good stuff to save up for now. Thanks for the info. Really looking at the Crux35 now.
The Crux35 is a cool build and HM has always been really supportive of HDzero. I fell in love with these little quads when they first popped up late 2021, ordered one because it was so cheap and didn’t think much of it. I now have 4 of them, including the original HDzero runcam nano model. Somehow, happymodel just managed to hit the right mark with these, not too heavy, not too light, just the right amount of everything really for 3.5. It sounds ridiculous but anyone who has flown one just “gets it.” The frame unfortunately is the weakest point. I wish they would make a thicker, beefier bottom plate option. They’re cheap to replace but it’s the annoyance of having to do so. Hoping one day HM makes a thicc bottom plate.
As soon as I saw this announcement, I bought one. Didn't even have to look at it! This is exactly what I was planning on doing as soon as I saw the V2 drop, but didn't because of the time of year. Thank you for pushing!
Looks pretty fun. I am just about to build a Grinderino with a Freestyle V2 and a nano 90, so I think they are on the right track with this bind and fly. I will probably pick one up.
Absolute best video system for this size kwad!!! I have found myself solely flying my 2 1/2" and smaller kwads and have really fallen in love again with HDZ. I just installed a WS VRX onto my HDZ goggles but honestly after flying HDZ everyday for the last few weeks I literally can't stand the feel of my 5" that has WS... feels like a heavy log truck LOL Thanks for the review 👍
@@RyanQuellet I actually just watched the Kmart video you linked on the discord. That Is EXACTLY 💯% what I'm experiencing. LOL so crazy. Wished he made that video months ago. Haha
@@RyanQuellet Yes me too when I got my analog version it's really nimble and controllable for the size. Yes :) it is easy to do that! Was thinking about that already ;) then I will order the upgrade for the v1 analog module also!
you are so right about the stuff you say about having fun on a 3 inch im building my 2nd 3.5inch with the hdzero freestyle v2 and i couldnt be more happy with the results its just as fun as the 5inch but with cheaper lipos and more viable flying locations
I have a Happymodel Crux35 HD, but I don't have DJI googles. So I installed a Caddx Ratel starlight baby, AKK DVR VTX 1,000mw. The only thing I don't like about the Crux35 is that I can't get it in a 6s version. Thanks for the video
I have been preaching the crux35 gospel over the past year. With the 1s vtx/cam it weighs 87 grams and with nano 90 swapped on its 91.xx grams without backplate. This weight range is great because 4s 850 packs get you 16 minutes of cruising, 12+ flying harder. I built my latest two from frames with all stock happymodel 1404 3500kv motors and crazyf411 ELRS, which comes in around $125 if bought from racedayquads(they also have lower frame for $11.99). This deal for $250 is of course better and I'll be picking one up since I wanna try the 1w vtx anyways. The only weak point of the crux35 is the bolt holes they put in the arms right where they meet the stack area. Toronto FPV has an upgrade for it or I've heard of stacking two on top of each other.
@@RyanQuellet I am now patiently waiting on a freestyle v2 vtx to arrive, I already popped a 90fps camera in there so I really just need that 1w of transmission =D
5 and 7 inch freestyle guy here thats always ran dji. When i switched to HDzero i started building 3.5 freestyle drones like a maniac. 6s, over 250g durable ones that are little clones of my 5 inch builds. Its convinced my friends to not only switch to hdzero, but to build 3.5 clones of their 5 inch quads and its definitely the future of versatility. Great idea Ryan, emerging market. If they sell, look at a maybe offering a 250+ 6s version for bashers?
I really, really like flying my 300g 3in Apex. It has a lot of weight to fling around trees and objects. Battery life is poor though compared to this (half the flight time). I think 4s is quite good for the 3in apex, what would 6s give me vs the extra cost of these less common batteries?
@@RyanQuellet lower amps when running bigger motors. I get 8 minutes at 325g 6s 3.5inch 1804. My fav bat size is 650mah right now and I rip freestyle for 4+ minutes.
Was the 6-10 min flight time while flying fast acro like you are in the videos, or like, hovering/slow flying? 'Cause if it's acro then that's really impressive.
In addition to the 90fps camera, it would be great if there were an HDZ low light camera for dusk or night flying. There seem to be very few low light cameras available for any of the HD systems other than Walksnail.
Hd Zero shop needs to be like most P&P suppliers sell the whole package,that is spare props etc we all need spare props but the recommended are few available in Australia and usually requires an overseas purchase. What props are you using as an alternate ? HQProp T3.5X2X3Grey (4cw+4ccw)
Your flight was great. Nice flight time. Mind my asking if this camera will work on my hdzero vrx module? I am using it on my old aomway v1 commander goggles. thanks.
What battery you running it on? This is pretty much exactly what I’ve been wanting to build but hadn’t yet. I like the quietness of the toothpick prop/weight ratio. Doesn’t fly/fling like the heavier ratio stuff but nice to not be so loud for neighbors with as much backyard flying I do. Might just snag me one at this price.
I mostly flew it with 4s 650Mah batteries. It flies more tame with a 3s 650Mah battery though. You're right about the "fling" factor with this build, it's more of a point and shoot quad than a fling and throw weight around quad. It's certainly a good quad to have in the fleet - I fly it often
Hey Ryan! This looks pretty cool. I only have experience with flying quads LOS, is this a difficult one to learn FPV with? is it BNF with open TX only, or does it work with DSMX/ DSMX2? I've still got the Skyzone cobra goggles you sold me, and if nothing else I'm going to fly the race wing again soon ( everything still works -:) and occasionally I get the impulse to want to try a quad FPV.
This is a good first quad for flying in a wide open field. It is stable and can handle the wind easily compared to a small whoop. You'll need an ELRS radio or module to use this quad. You can get an ELRS module with CRSF output and wire it into a Spektrum radio. I recommend just buy the Radiomaster Pocket radio with ELRS built in though ($65) - I bought this for the kids and I've found that I really like it
Mine came broken out of the box, and there was no documentation that was needed when I had to reflash it! I messed with it for three days and looked around to find all of the configuration settings to get it back no thanks to HDZero!
Very intriguing! Wonder if it would do ok in my situation; a 10 acre track, house near the center and I fly from the front porch? 400mw analog handles it np, but my current 200 HDZ doesn’t quite make it and I have to fly a truncated path. Appreciate the improved pricing 👍🏽
Yes, 1W should get you that little extra range and signal quality. Also make sure you minimize local interference - even signals that are not 5.8ghz, but are very close can reduce reception on hdzero. So, radio power 250mW or less, and don't sit right under a wifi access point
Is there ANY way to buy the F405 HD ELRS AIO from Happymodel as a Standalone/Replacement? I seem to not be able to. Happymodel only has a short Manual where it shows this exact AIO, but it doesn't offer it in their Shop.
That would have been an easy instant sell to me if it had come with the nano V3 as an option. I dont think I need 90FPS, but I do know I want more than 4:3 (and wouldnt even mind trying 1080p once in a while). The improved low light performace would have been welcome too, but its mostly aspect ratio. The nano camera has this ultra wide, full sensor setting that is 16:9 -ish but with heavy vignetting, and thats actually a perfect compromise for me. 4:3 feels wrong for me, as I dont race.
I've been thinking of installing the Nano v3 in this quad just to see if I prefer it more. It's a tough call really. I find myself flying in the higher resolution 720p60 mode more often than the 90fps mode on this quad
The camera mounting plates on the Cux35 only support 14mm wide cameras. This limits it to nano sized cameras only like the Nano 90 or the Nano v3 camera. Nano v3 is a very good camera option though - second in quality to the Micro v3.
Ok last question. I’m currently flying tiny whoop with hdzero with eMax box goggles. Would you recommend I upgrade goggles first or go for a drone like this and upgrade goggles later?
That's a good question - I dug into the docs more on this and it seems to be a newer version capable of 20a continuous (25a burst). The board is CruxF405 HD ELRS AIO Flight controller and has a uart based ELRS rx.
If anything, the extra weight of the freestyle VTX will BALANCE this quad out - I built one up on the 200mw board and the power to weight made it almost TOO touchy without a motor limit
Isn’t the vista and nebula pro nano lighter than this combo? I use the 1s vtx on toothpicks but still have not tested the 90 fps camera. Now, I’m very tempted.
The total weight should be similar since the vista kit and the hdzero freestyle kit are similar weights. If anything, this quad benefits from a little extra weight - it's a little over-powered on 4s
This has the HDZero Freestyle v2 1W vtx and a ELRS receiver. If you're looking for a radio for ELRS, the Radiomaster Pocket is a surprisingly good radio for a very low price. This is a good beginner setup
This uses the smaller XT30 connector - which I think is just right for this sized quad. I have stubby XT60 -> XT30 adapters on my chargers for charging these smaller batteries
@RyanQuellet I hope you have an affiliate program with HDZero. I uh, just got a work bonus so decided to treat myself and am just gonna get the full package. I'll keep the other one as backup/spare parts as it's a bit banged up anyway =D Thanks again for this video. One of my favourite quads and definitely with my favourite video link system.
