Hubsan H501S Drone Review: Advanced Version

Hubsan has established itself as a reputed name in the drone industry, with a myriad of interesting drones available. One of my first quads was a Hubsan X4, and I had an absolute blast learning to fly it. Fast forward several years and Hubsan has released an affordable GPS drone with Follow Me, Return to Home, Altitude Hold, onboard 1080p camera, and a FPV screen on the transmitter, all in the H501S (https://tinyurl.com/ju39hre). 

Courtesy of Gearbest, I tried out the Advanced version of the H501S. It's a stellar drone, with a ton of potential, in terms of range and power. Check out my full video review here:

I spent a lot of time trying out different action cameras mounted onto the H501s. For this, a simple credit card mount with velcro was sufficient, although a GoPro-style bracket mount also worked well. You can see just sample footage from the H501S using GitUp2 and Firefly 7S, along with the stock camera, here:

Likes:

- Drone design is fluid, awesome lines and sleek appearance. Fairly compact too, easy to fit in a hiking backpack.

- Controller is powerful, yet not overwhelming. Instruction manual is pretty good at walking you through the first flight, and the switches are labeled fairly logically. FPV screen on the controller is awesome!

- Stable flight under GPS control, and return home seems to work quite well, very accurate

- Onboard camera, while not as good as action camera, is actually pretty decent!

- Very reasonable price for a powerful, GPS quadcopter with advanced options like Follow Me

Dislikes:

- Intermittent range issues. Horizontal range at times limited compared to vertical range. From my discussion with other users online, this is a known issue in a few of the models, fixed with an antenna correction. Refer to this thread on RCGroups. 

- Lack of image stabilization. This isn't too hard to correct using post-processing (YouTube stabilization, or Sony Vegas Pro stabilization)

Links: 

Purchase Hubsan H501S online: https://tinyurl.com/ju39hre

XK x251 Drone Review: Affordable Brushless Drone!

The XK 251 is one of the fastest and most fun quadcopters I've owned. I recently picked up courtesy of Gearbest, and it's been a blast to fly. It's incredibly just how powerful and yet how affordable this < $100 quadcopter is! Read on for my full review of the XK 251 drone!

Features:

The XK 251 is a brushless quadcopter, meaning it's motors do not need little brushed gears that tend to wear out rather quickly. It's also much quieter, making it much less intrusive during a hike. Range is roughly 300m from some reports I've seen online; I've pushed it far but not that far yet. It has an enormous transmitter/controller, with a host of options. Some reports indicate the latest versions of the controller have disabled the "Acro" mode, thus forcing it fly more conservatively. I think mine is similar to these, unfortunately, but it's incredibly fast and maneuverable. The controller requires 6 AA batteries, and the quad uses a 950mAH battery with a JST connector. The battery rack doesn't fit "normal" Tarantula X6 batteries, but a little modifying could probably work to get them in without a problem. There's also a set of spares props included with the XK 251, a welcome addition in the box.

Performance:

I flew the XK 251 both in the foothills and the mountains, with little wind, and moderate wind. It performed well in both situations, nimble, fast, and exceptionally powerful. There's a slight recovery time in between switching directions while flying, but this isn't unusual with the speeds such a quad travels at. I didn't have any signal losses, even while doing a few rough distance tests-this small quad will be out of your site most likely before you exceed controller range. 

As an avid outdoorsman, I am always on the lookout for a quadcopter that I can carry in my backpack and will carry an action camera to film my adventures. Early reports of the XK 251 indicated it might be able to carry a GoPro. 

I placed a credit card mount onto the bottom of the XK 251, strapped it in place with velcro, and secured a GitUp 2 action camera onto it. It needed a little more throttle to get it going, but otherwise flew like a champ. I was able to get some fantastic footage with it; take a look before:

Now, keep in mind it's not designed to be a camera quad, and putting too much weight on it will likely stress the motors prematurely. However, it still does a good job of carrying my action cameras, and I'll definitely be using this on future trips. It fits into my smaller hiking backpack without a problem, yet it still has enough power to carry the cameras-awesome!

Conclusion

I've flown many different quadcopters and hexacopters; including models from Hubsan, JJRC, Yizhan and more to name a few. This XK 251 is a true winner: it's a very affordable brushless quadcopter, with high quality performance. I don't feel the company scarified design or performance in their quest to keep it an affordable quadcopter. It's a little too powerful for someone brand new to flying drones; however if you have only been flying brushed quads and would like to upgrade to the next step with a brushless quadcopter, take a look at XK 251--it's a winner! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/2olpHQl 

Questions about the XK 251? Post 'em here, on my YouTube channel, or take a look at this excellent RCGroups forum threat: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2630741

Freeknight Backpack Review

Hasn't been a lot of fishing videos lately as I've been focusing on the recently opened Spiny Lobster season here in California. These critters are a exciting challenge to go after, especially as the water temperatures cool off. I've been using this handy backpack, called the Freeknight Backpack, courtesy of Gearbest to haul my snorkeling gear and it has done a superb job.

In addition, it holds several micro and mini drones, like my Mould King Super S without a problem, and is perfect for taking them along on a short hike. It has an emergency whistle, hip straps, water-resistant (not waterproof) fabric, and a purported 40L carrying capacity with multiple compartments. It's fairly comfortable as well. You can find this backpack online here. 

Bijia Monocular Review

Check out this monocular from Gearbest: It's compact, well-designed, and offers high-quality visuals while out on the trail. I see myself primarily using it for checking out distant creek channels and ridgelines. Very impressed with this sample provided courtesy of Gearbest! http://goo.gl/A5wIby

Who needs a LuminAid: Solar Camping Lantern

I've used the LuminAid camping lanterns quite a bit recently and found them very helpful for the few hours of light I need before going to sleep in my tent. However, they cost a pretty penny-and now I've found an alternative. Check out this affordable solar lantern from Gearbest, who kindly provided me with a review sample. It's easy to use, can be placed just about anywhere in your campsite, and offers 3 modes of light. The first two (strong, dim) are great, don't see a need for the flashing one at the end, unless an emergency occurs. Check it out here: http://goo.gl/GwIdPs

Started doing a lot of camping recently, and was using a somewhat expensive, but compact hammock. Folded down into a built-in pouch on the side of the hammock, and the ropes tucked into ontop. Enjoyed it, but had a hard time recommending it due to the cost. Fortunately, GearBest has release a very affordable hammock alternative and provided me with a sample. The only different is the ropes aren't pre-knotted, which I do somewhat miss. Check out my review of the Gearbest nylon camping hammock in the video above. Buy it online here: http://goo.gl/cpbqTo

Lazy Bag Product Review: Inflatable Camping Chair

Got to love this inflatable bag/chair courtesy of Gearbest! It comes in a compact package, then quickly inflates using only wind. Once enough air is inside, simply turn the bag handles shut (wrapping it down, similar to a dry bag system). Tighten it down, then snap it closed with the plastic locking system (note the quick release system when re-opening it). That's it! Check out my video demonstrating how do chill out with the Lazy Bag below, and grab it from Geabest here: http://tinyurl.com/lazybag and their other products for camping/outdoors here: http://tinyurl.com/jrwqfj9