UPDATE: To avoid having it uncontrollably gain altitude DO NOT use the auto takeoff button. Instead pull both sticks down and in until motors start to spin. I have also purchased the UDI 46 which is the exact same item (but blue) which is sometimes less expensive.
DETAILED REVIEW:
Flying: With the altitude hold, this quadcopter hovers like the firefly, for which it’s named. You will need to make small corrections, but it makes it easy to learn the basics of flying. Try flying figure 8’s around obstacles and through the legs of chairs and soon you’ll be ready for something more expensive. It has 3 speeds from walking speed to jogging. It beeps to let you know. It is a bit tame for more advanced fliers and it doesn’t do flips. I’ve flown it outside up to 60 ft away and above the height of telephone poles. Understandably it can’t handle more than a light breeze. It has automatic motor shut off when it crashes (I crashed on purpose in my video).
Battery: It has a non-removable battery with a tiny plug that is a little tricky. I got 5 ½ minutes indoor flying before the lights started to blink and 7 minutes before it auto-landed. The charger has a small red light on the chord which turns green after about 30-40 minutes of charging.
Design: Made of a very durable rubbery plastic which seems indestructible. The propellers are well protected and they pull off if needed. The frames seem similar but is slightly shorter and wider than other mini copters (F36, H36, E010) but the body seems to have a much more premium construction (see picture). There is a nice white headlight and a red taillight which work well for orienting the front and back. It has a very small on and off switch and plug on the back. Some people may not like that the battery is not easily removable. The charging chord plug is also very small making it hard to tell which side is up and down but it is not a big deal.
Controller: It is small but easy to use and quality far superior to those on other mini copters. The control pads are a bit stiff at first but great once they break in. It takes 3 AAA batteries (not included).
My Tips: Periodically take off the propellers to remove dust bunnies which can build up inside. Remember to put them back in the right spot. There are 2 different props. Diagonal props are the same. Keep the box it is compact and nice quality. It can be used to transport it. Altitude hold seems to work better if it is manually launched (pull both sticks down and in) rather than using auto take off. If you have a hard crash you might want to shut it off and restart it because the gyros can get confused.
The Company & Quality: Mine did not work in headless mode and it had altitude hold problems. When I opened up the controller it looked like a bad solder on the circuit board. These toy copters often share stock parts and are prone to quality glitches so I don’t hold it against them. I contacted Potensic and their customer service was great. They were helpful in customer support and were willing to stand behind their product. The new one is perfect.
Other Options: The H36/F36/E010 are much harder to fly without altitude hold and they don’t seem as good in quality. There are similar models with cameras but that will drain batteries and cost more.
This is the best "mini-drone" (quadcopter) in its class out of three we have tried, and the first one that we felt worthy of repurchasing for family gatherings so the kids don't have to share. No camera on something this small of course.
Pros:
(1) Super easy controlled take-offs with the push of a button that then hovers in a very stable mode as you get ready to fly it. Great out of the box.
(2) Altitude lock works well and is a must have feature on these pocket drones if wanting to safely fly indoors
(3) When it is on slow speed it can be truly "slow" and still stay aloft. This allows for young kids to play with it better and allows for safer indoor use. I also think it increases the flight time on one charge compared to other pocket drones in the same price point (about 10 minutes, others 6, see here: Top Race Pocket Drone Quad Copter 2.4 Ghz With Headless Mode Unbreakable RC Mini Pocket Drone (TR-MQ7))
(4) Very easy to control, hardly ever ends up getting crashed
Cons: Not many, more like potential improvements
(1) Wish there was a light inside the main body that truly illuminated it for nighttime flying. The outside lights work OK for dusk but that is it.
(2) There is no "return" button that flies it back to the controller. However, there is a push button auto-land that safely lands it no matter where it is while in range. So if you need to panic, you can still push that button. Also given that we have not found the "auto return" function to work all that well on the models that do have it, I don't consider the lack of it here a big deal.
(3) The fans are partially exposed on the top unlike some other truly "caged" models, which may make them easier to damage. But there are still full 360 degree horizontal bumpers and so far this has not been an issue because we rarely crash it because it flies so well. They provide 4 replacement blades which we have not had to try to swap out yet.
There are pros and cons to all these different quadcopters, but so far this one is the best mix of things on average and the most fun by far. 4 1/2 stars.
Bought it as a gift. The kids played with it and it seemed to perform as expected. They had fun and at the end of the night it left with the birthday boy. He is a rough kid so I can only imagine once he got home he destroyed it ;-) no fault of the product. From my day of observation all were happy and it worked as expected. Seemed easy for them. One of the boys did knock it out of the air with a pillow. I powered off and on and once again she flew like a bird!
Feature Product
- Having Fun for More Time : 2 detachable batteries and 3 adjustable speed levels deliver exciting flight experience for amateurs and advanced pilots alike.
- Fast & Agile: You could control the drone fly toward any directions by Remote Controller. Once expert, you could adjust it to the high speed and fly through the obstacle course hoops by Eagle Pro.
- Easy to Fly: With Altitude Hold, Headless Mode and One Key Taking-off / Landing, you could fly it without worrying about the direction and control it easier.
- Portable: It's the width of an iPhone 5". Besides, it's extremely lightweight and easy to carry.
- Worry-saving & Convenient: It covers 12 months warranty and does not have to register FAA in the USA.
Description
One Button Take OFF/LANDING
One Button Take Off
Click on this icon and it turns red shortly.The drone will fly up automatically and stay flying.
One Button Landing
Click on this icon and the icon turns red,the drone will fly down slowly and land on the ground.All propellers also will stop.
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Altitude Hold Mode
Lock the flight height, give you an easier control of the flight. It can release one of your hand in controlling vertical direction, just focus on forward, backward, left and right.
Low Battery Alarm
When the drone battery is low, then the transmitter will sound beep di-di-di…to alarm and remind you to fly back the drone as soon as possible for avoiding lost and get rid of concerns.
Out of Range Alarm
When the drone is going to exceed the flight range, then the transmitter will sound beep didi…didi…didi…to alarm, you need to fly back the drone in controllable area, otherwise the drone will be out of control and lost.
This thing operates as smoothly and easily as an indoor drone will EVER operate (probably). Our 12 year old & 7 year old grandkids were doing great fun flights after just a few introductory instructions from 73 year old me. Just pair the drone to the controller (move left stick forward then backward) hit the OneTouch button to pop up the drone about five feet in air (keep the rear red light always pointing rearward for easiest operation) then move the drone where you want with the right stick. Use the left stick forward or backwards if you want to raise or lower the drone. Move the left stick Left or Right to rotate the drone clockwise or counter clockwise (to keep the red light pointing in its same starting position.
Try not to change the controller's orientation during the flight. In other words, keep sitting or standing and pointing the controller in the same direction throughout the whole flight - no matter where the drone goes. Hit the OneTouch button again when you are over your landing area. (Best controlled landing you could ask for.)
If you really want to trim the drone (to minimize drift when hovering in place) push straight DOWN on the TOP of the left stick (like you were trying to push the stick INTO the controller) while correcting any drift by moving the right stick as needed to hold the drone in place. Let go of both sticks and see if you are happy with your corrections to the drift.
If you want a fantastic little drone to fly in the house this little quadcopter is perfect! The quality of both the drone and the transmitter is more than I expected. It holds altitude and responds to trimming very well and is very stable while in flight. The three speed modes are great but I would recommend sticking with slow speed until you get used to flying it. The one button take off and landing as well as the headless mode work perfectly. I got about 6 minutes of flight and the USB charger took about 35 minutes to recharge the battery. I would highly recommend the Potensic A20 if you want an indoor flyer.
Very easy to fly for a five year old. And adults. I got three diferente mini drones this Xmas And this one stood out for its ease of flight and nice instructions (trust me, these were written in English as opposed to Chinese to English which are incomprehensible!) totally worth the price. It’s also fallen a bunch of times and seems more substantial than other mini ones.
In my opinion this is the PERFECT drone for beginners. Between the altitude hold (hovers by itself) and three speed levels, this thing is a breeze to fly. Flip it into high speed mode and it'll zip around the room like you wouldn't believe. I've also smashed it into plenty of walls and it still flies true. I bought two of these and had a blast teaching my father how to fly in my living room. A lot of fun to fly, you'll definitely get your money out of this little guy
My kids like it. It is very fun.
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