DIY FPV Drone for Less

FPV drone flying is a fun hobby that uses goggles and a camera to see what the drone 'sees', and people even race for cash prizes. However, it is tough to get into the world of FPV flying - and very expensive! Even the smallest FPV drones can be up to 100 dollars or more.

However, this Instructable will teach you how to make your own FPV drone for less, provided that you can find these items.

You will need:

Holystone HS210 mini drone - https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Stone-Quadcopter-Begi...

Wolfwhoop WT05 FPV camera - https://www.amazon.com/Wolfwhoop-WT05-Transmitter... Eachine EW30 - https://www.amazon.com/Wolfwhoop-WT05-Transmitter...

Soldering iron and solder

Rubber bands

Thick foam

The Holystone HS210 is an enjoyable, easy-to-fly drone for less than 30 dollars. Buy the drone for this Instructable, enjoy it for a little bit, and then move on to the next step.

Once you are ready, take off the drone's top case. There should be two pins on the side, and once you take the cover off of these pins, it will be easily removable.

Inside, you should find a circuit board. Towards the rear, there should be pins that connect directly to the battery. On the back of the camera, there should be a small wire attached, and inside the camera box there should be a connector. Connect the two and then snip off the end. Solder this snipped joint to the battery pin.

To mount the camera, cut a small square of foam big enough to support the camera. Place this on top of the drone's circuit board, and then use rubber bands to secure the camera in place. If desired, you can make some simple measurements and 3-D print a casing, so the drone will not be damaged in event of a crash.

Put on the FPV goggles and click the channel button (found in the user manual) until you can see the view that comes out of your camera. If you cannot see any views, make sure the drone is turned on and that the camera's lights are on, then check again.

Once you are ready, switch on the drone's transmitter and pair them, then put on the FPV goggles and enjoy flying your new drone! If you want to compete at the professional level, however, you will need an acro mode flight board as well as better motors and a better battery. This drone is meant for enjoyment.

Sometimes, the drone will not be powerful enough to lift all this weight. In the event of this happening, you can do one of the following:

1. Use velcro to attach the camera to the board. This way, it's removable.

2. Take out the foam holding the drone to the board and simply use the rubber band.

3. Hot glue the camera to the board and make sure it's completely stable before use.

4. Use electrical tape in place of the foam.

5. 3-D print a case and stand for the camera so that it fits snugly onto the drone.

For even more fun, set up a course with this Instructable inside of an Instructable!

1. Cut some loops out of a cardboard box that have about a one foot diameter. Make sure that it has a thickness easily seen from the drone's camera, since the resolution is not as good as your eyes.

2. Also create tunnels by cutting four equally long, thin strips of cardboard and gluing them together.

3. Have fun flying your drone through your new race course!

You are finished! Special photography thanks to @ArduinoPi.