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Re:Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shoppi... by jcims on Saturday May 08, 2021 @03:21PM (#27089941)
I've wanted to dive into FPV drone flying for some time. Finally pulled the trigger on the components I needed to get started...controller, transmitter, goggles, charger, battery, BNF drone. I did this online because it seemed impossible to sort out locally and the prices I did see were +30% or more in price.

Somehow in the process I goofed and ordered batteries with the wrong connector (xt60 v xt30). I spent this morning trying to find other batteries or an adapter in the local metro area.

- There are ~8 hobby stores within 50 miles

- None of them have any stock info online

- I called every one of them and nobody stocked the battery I need, nor an adapter.

- I can go on Amazon, GetFPV, HobbyKing, ReadyMadeRC, etc and find the exact parts I need.

In the same vein I've noticed is that many of the traditional sporting goods stores have basically become clothing stores with an online store for everything else.

Too bad I haven't figured out how to trust random extensions or I would consider using something like this.

All of this said I used to work at a local computer store back in the 90's and can imagine just how difficult it is to run a local store that competes with Internet-based stores.

Re:Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shoppi... by walrus01 on Saturday May 08, 2021 @06:29PM (#27091376)
> Somehow in the process I goofed and ordered batteries with the wrong connector (xt60 v xt30). I spent this morning trying to find other batteries or an adapter in the local metro area.

As someone with direct experience in this whole class of hardware (hobbyist grade UAS stuff), you're going to want to have a soldering setup and low cost consumables (heat shrink tubing, etc, extra connectors that cost a few dollars each) to have your own capability to do things like change out DC power connectors. It's totally normal to get a battery with a connector that you might not want.

If you stay in the hobby for the long run it will cost you a lot less money to have the capability to buy discrete parts and repair things yourself (example: buying a new $40 4-in-1 ESC) than buying bind and fly stuff.

Re:Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shoppi... by snuxoll on Saturday May 08, 2021 @08:59PM (#27092227)
For a lot of hobbies involving electronics having a decent soldering station (and possibly a decent hot air station) is extremely useful. A Hakko FX-888D isn’t terribly expensive, but even a Pinecil or TS-100 will get you far for cheap.
Re:Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shoppi... by walrus01 on Saturday May 08, 2021 @11:24PM (#27092960)
Indeed so, and even some $80 soldering stations sold on amazon are remarkably not terrible these days. Some even come with hot air guns. somewhat randomly chosen example:

https://www.amazon.com/YIHUA-Soldering-Conversion-Temperatur...

Re:Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shoppi... by snuxoll on Sunday May 09, 2021 @12:33AM (#27093263)
I’m always wary of no-name stations not because I think they’re inherently garbage or something, but that few people who really care about a quality station would give them a passing glance so reviews come from people who have no idea what even makes a quality station. I have seen tear downs of Hakko counterfeits that could be confused for the real thing and others that have serious reliability, consistency of safety issues - and these random Chinese direct-to-Amazon ones have the same problems.

Do they probably work most of the time? Sure. But I want the temperature display to mean 500C when it reads 500C and not 450C, and for my iron to be up to temperature just as quick as my FX-888D does without being a fire hazard or potentially let out the magic smoke because some cheap component died.

That said, if anybody is looking for a hot air station don’t buy from Hakko - they’re current models are overpriced and take forever to heat up. Atten (a Chinese brand) sells fantastic stations in the $250 price point that heat faster and have a saner interfaces. Point I’m trying to make here is don’t spend money for a well known brand if you don’t have to, but make sure whatever you buy is equipment you can trust instead and that means having reviews from trusted sources outside of Amazon customers.

Re:Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shoppi... by jcims on Sunday May 09, 2021 @10:06AM (#27095995)
This is fantastic advice. I actually have lots of the tools from tinkering with motor controllers but none of the parts lol. I have all that on order (of course, because it's not available locally) so I hopefully will not find myself in this spot again.