Spark is a little powerhouse

[Tafische]

So I was taking my furthest flight the other day. I was out 7,100 feet. I flew out at a pretty good clip of 28 mph. I turned around and headed back. All I could get was 18 mph and that was starting to worry me. Ended up getting her back at about 16% but got a little worried along the way.

After a little analysis I discovered conditions changed and I encountered an unexpected 21 mph headwind.

What this told me is the Spark has quite a bit of power in reserve. I read about people hacking and getting much faster speeds and that is cool, but at what impact? I probably could have gotten out further, but would I have been able to come home? Who knows. I’m just glad to know she has some power in reserve to get me home.

 

[RPL]

They’re amazing little machines.

 

[cozzykim]

I'd swap the duration and stamina for a 50g weight reduction, to put them under the regulatory size, even if it was just with a smaller battery.

 

[Mark M]

So I was taking my furthest flight the other day. I was out 7,100 feet. I flew out at a pretty good clip of 28 mph. I turned around and headed back. All I could get was 18 mph and that was starting to worry me. Ended up getting her back at about 16% but got a little worried along the way.

After a little analysis I discovered conditions changed and I encountered an unexpected 21 mph headwind.

What this told me is the Spark has quite a bit of power in reserve. I read about people hacking and getting much faster speeds and that is cool, but at what impact? I probably could have gotten out further, but would I have been able to come home? Who knows. I’m just glad to know she has some power in reserve to get me home.

Agree, Sparky is a very capable little beast. Also agree with your thoughts on hacks. Doing a speed hack may consume greater battery, leave you short on return, and also impacts ability of the gimble to keep up. Out of the box configuration is plenty capable for me.

Note, recommend downloading the free version of UAV Forecast. You'll get important details to consider before flight such as wind direction, wind speeds at various altitudes, GPS sats that are lockable, environmental RF interference, etc.

 

[Eljay]

They're remarkably capable little machines.

Definitely wind will get you on a long flight like that. Obviously the best thing is to just avoid it but if you're in that situation sometimes changing altitude can help with the wind. Maybe try dropping down 100 feet and seeing if your velocity picks up. Then once you find a good altitude throw it into sport mode and see if you can get some distance back fast.

 

[John Harvey]

They are great machines, but operators need to be aware of battery time and returning home,, many a Spark has been lost due to this..

 

[maumau]

Against strong wind sport mode must be used. But you were in sport mode weren't you? If yes, i don't get your talking about people going faster and the impact... if not, you should definitely have used it.

 

[Tafische]

Against strong wind sport mode must be used. But you were in sport mode weren't you? If yes, i don't get your talking about people going faster and the impact... if not, you should definitely have used it.

Yes - I used the sport mode. What I am talking about are the hacks that allow it to go faster.

 

[graywoulf]

You need a mini quad then. Too many chances of losing a Spark with high speed and long distances from my point of view. But to each their own. And good luck with that.

 

[RENOV8R]

You need a mini quad then. Too many chances of losing a Spark with high speed and long distances from my point of view. But to each their own. And good luck with that.

Good point. I accept the Spark for what it is, which is a sporty little quad that anyone can fly and takes excellent video. If I want crazy speed, I've got a couple minis. This one tops out at a little over 110mph

 

[graywoulf]

I used to want a mini quad but decided I wanted to do more than just fly fast and do aerobatics. I am rethinking that idea due to all of the problems that are occurring with the Go 4 app.
Seems that I can't rely on having an issue free flight with my Spark anymore.

 

[DPJ]

Good point. I accept the Spark for what it is, which is a sporty little quad that anyone can fly and takes excellent video. If I want crazy speed, I've got a couple minis. This one tops out at a little over 110mphView attachment 5962

I’ve just started to get the bits together to build my first FPV Quad. It’s going to be a low budget one for now, to ensure I get along with the change in pace and style. I’ve gone for a TransTEC Frog frame and I’m keeping everything simple with an all in one ESC/PDB. The only thing I’m going to go a little higher on is the camera, where I’ll be using a RunCam Split 2. That way I don’t have the extra weight of a GoPro for HD recording.