QQ190 RTF. Racing Drone. User Manual V.96 Q Page 1

Transcription

1 QQ190 RTF Racing Drone User Manual V.96 Q Page 1

2 How to get the most from your QQ190 : PRACTICE, RESEARCH, AND KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY. To use this manual, pay attention to these icons: Warning Important Hints and Tips Reference Safety warning Hardware Warning Good Info Resources We have done our best to make this manual a definitive guide to the QQ190 Falcon RTF Racing drone. We also have resources to help you via the following URLS: help.qq190 racingdrone.com- An interactive Q&A resource moderated by professionals. pids.qq190racingdrone.com- A place to share PIDs and other settings that you have found to like flying with, as there is no one tune for everyone. videos.qq190racingdrone.com- Tutorial and flying videos. manual.qq190racingdrone.com- A link to this manual. parts.qq190racingdrone.com- A link to find replacement parts. tunes.quadquestions.com- A link to find the tune library. Practice, Practice, Practice. Page 2

3 We recommend that you learn how to fly using the Velocidrone simulator. You can fly the actual QQ190 in the simulator before you take the drone out into the real world. This will help you to prevent crashes, get familiar with the controls, and become a better pilot before you start flying in the real world. Before You Begin Safety warning disclaimer The QQ190 is not a toy, but rather a serious machine that demands respect. It is a racing drone and therefore will cause serious injury if used improperly. It is for this reason that we recommend that you REMOVE PROPELLERS BEFORE WORKING ON THIS DRONE. This means that if you are not flying the drone, and have a battery plugged in, the props need to be removed. Serious risk of personal injury- Remove props before servicing the drone Risk of injuring others- Do not operate the QQ190 racing drone around people or property. Adult supervision required-the QQ190 is not a toy- Adult supervision required under the age of 16. Fire hazard- Electrical and mechanical fire can result in the event of a crash or misuse. Lipo battery hazard-ensure that you are following proper charging/ discharging and battery safety protocols when handling LiPo batteries and chargers- charge batteries in a nonflammable area such as concrete outdoors. Always supervise batteries when charging. Make sure that you know and follow your local laws when it comes to flying FPV Drones- These laws vary by municipality and country. Page 3

4 Video Tutorials We have created the following video tutorials to make sure that you get full use out of your QQ190 Racing Drone. 1. Safety warning disclaimer and general hardware orientation. 2. How to fly- the basics 3. Unboxing and initial setup 4. Required gear 5. Quick start guide 6. QQTrictionary- A guide to learning tricks. More videos will be added according to user demand, so if you don't know something, or have a question, make sure to post it at ask.quadquestions.com Watch the video tutorials to learn how to use your QQ190 RTF Racing drone correctly and safely. The videos can be found at videos.qq190racingdrone.com Page 4

5 Table Of Contents How to get the most from your QQ190 : 2 To use this manual, pay attention to these icons: 2 Resources 2 Before You Begin 3 Safety warning disclaimer 3 Video Tutorials 4 General information 8 Introduction 8 Before First Flight 8 Required Equipment 9 Recommended Equipment Setups: 10 Highlights & Features 11 Electronics 11 Component Identification 14 Main Components 14 Assembly 15 Install a receiver module 16 Spektrum Receiver Installation 18 Frsky X4R-SB install & binding procedure. 18 FrSky Taranis Controller Setup 20 TBS Tango Configuration 21 TBS Crossfire Micro Receiver Installation & Binding 22 Initial Setup 22 RC Calibration 23 New or Changed Setup 25 Existing setup (if you have already configured Betaflight) ADVANCED 25 Page 5

6 Installing an HD camera 26 First Flight 27 Propeller Rotation warning 27 Propeller Rotation 27 Installing Propellers 29 Tightening Propellers 30 Installing the Antenna 32 Installing the battery 32 General Controls 33 Flight Modes 34 Assisted Modes 34 Manual modes 34 Reasons to fly in Rate mode 35 Calibrating the Accelerometer 35 Trimming the accelerometer 36 On screen display items 37 Using the OSD menu 37 QQ190 stick commands 39 Connecting to a computer 40 Installing Betaflight 40 Installing the Software Drivers 40 Connecting your QQ190 to a computer 41 Programming an arm switch 42 Backing up your tune 43 Backing up your switch settings 44 Flashing new tunes 45 Flying Tips 47 Battery Warnings 47 General Tips & Tricks 48 FPV Best Practices 48 Reset Procedure 50 Page 6

7 VTX/OSD Reset 50 Betaflight Settings reset 50 Troubleshooting 51 My QQ190 will not arm 51 My QQ190 will not stay level 51 My QQ190 falls out of the sky 51 No Video 51 My QQ190 Video cuts out or is noisy 52 My QQ190 Flips upside down and out of control when armed 52 My motors don't spin the right direction 52 My video is showing up on my friend s video channel 53 I cannot access the OSD Menu 53 GPS does not lock (if equipped) 53 Firmware update failed/ OSD not showing 53 Additional Help Resources 53 Appendix A-OSD Configuration 54 Navigating the OSD Menu 54 OSD Menu Information 54 On Screen Display Sub Menu 54 RSSI 55 RSSI Calibration Procedure: 56 Flight Controller Submenu 58 FPV Camera Submenu 58 Switch Setting Submenu 58 Video Transmitter Submenu 58 Updating via the TBS AGENT configuration software 59 TBS Agent Installation 59 Connecting to TBS Agent 59 Configuration via TBS Agent 59 Page 7

8 General information This chapter describes the features of the QQ190 Racing drone including how to assemble the drone. Introduction The QQ190 Racing drone is a quadcopter capable of achieving blistering speeds (over 80 Mph) whilst transmitting a video signal to the pilot on the ground (you) who operates the drone via FPV (first person view) equipment. Equipped with a specialized, angle-adjustable camera, the drone allows you to fly as if you are sitting in the cockpit. Adjusting your camera angle means that the drone can grow with your piloting skills, allowing more camera tilt as you progress so that you can achieve higher speeds. There are 2 camera options available with the QQ190 Racing Drone; a basic CMOS camera that is lightweight and small (for those that want the fastest possible drone), and an upgraded option for those who want more control over their video settings. The basic CMOS camera offers superb color rendering and brightness in a small package, whereas the upgrade features a CCD camera for excellent transitions between light and dark areas at the expense of some color degradation and extra weight. Before First Flight Before first flight, it is imperative that you understand the controls of the drone, are familiar with safety protocols, and keep clear of people and property during operation. It is encouraged that you check with your local laws and regulations to make sure that you are operating the drone in accordance with law. The QQ190 RTF racing drone is an advanced racing machine and is not intended for children under the age of 16 without adult supervision. Page 8

9 Required Equipment The QQ190 racing drone requires additional equipment to get in the air. You will need a control system and a video receiver. There are a myriad of options available, and the QQ190 works with most 5.8GHz video receiver systems and radio control systems on the market. Required additional equipment: 6+ Channel radio control system with 1-wire protocol receiver (SBUS, PPM, Spektrum Serial 1024 & 2048, Sum H, Sum D. **PWM receiver modules are not supported** 5.8ghz fpv goggles or video monitor with 5.8GHz receiver mah 4S Lipo batteries with XT-60 connector Lipo battery charger Page 9

10 Recommended Equipment Setups: Beginner setup, available here:<insert Link> TBS Tango controller Frsky XJT radio Module Frsky X4R-SB receiver. Tattu 1300mAh batteries TBS battery charger. Intermediate setup, available here: <Insert Link> TBS Tango Radio Frsky xjt module X4R-SB receiver TBS battery charger Advanced Setup, available here: <Insert Link>: Frsky Taranis Fatshark Dominator V3 FPV Goggles TBS Dominator Video Receiver with patch antenna X4R-SB Receiver Tattu Mah 4S Batteries TBS B6AC Battery Charger Expert Setup, available here: <Insert Link>: Frsky Taranis Fatshark Dominator HDV2 FPV Goggles TBS Dominator Video Receiver with patch antenna TBS Crossfire Transmitter TBS Crossfire micro Receiver Tattu Mah 4S Batteries TBS B6AC Battery Charger Page 10

11 Highlights & Features Supports multiple battery configurations: 3S, 4S, 5S, 6S compatible-the QQ190 has been engineered for 4S batteries. We recommend 4S mAh 45-75C Lipo batteries for best results. Multiple radio control systems supported- Works with most radio systems available: Crossfire, Spektrum, Frsky & Futaba Sbus, PPM, SumD, SumH Pro Tuned & Tested: The QQ190 has been pro-tuned and tested by top pilots and influencers around the world. It comes out of the box with an excellent tune that was created from scratch by Magnus at SuperFPVBros. Magnus is a world-renowned drone tuning expert and specialist. We love the stock tune, but a good tune can be subjective. Because of this, we have made additional tunes and settings available online and contributed by other top influencers in the hobby such as Joshua Bardwell, Typo FPV, Trappy, Team QuadQuestions, Bulbufet, the QQ190 pilots group, and more. These tunes are available at tunes.qq190racingdrone.com Carbon Fiber Construction: Advanced finishing techniques that put this QQ190 in first place include; chamfered edges, custom pocketing, small detail engraving, polishing, and a custom made carbon fiber that resists delimitation and breakage upon even the toughest crashes. Center mounted X-Frame design- A true x-frame design that performs incredibly well. This racing drone flies in a remarkable, acrobatic, and natural way because of it s symmetrical shape. Full Featured electronics package: The electronics package on the QQ190 racing drone features Team Blacksheep architecture. Easily rebuild and repair the drone without the need to solder by replacing boards with ease. This also means that components are easily added/upgraded. A real world racing drone-while other racing drones that claim to be made for racing might exist, the QQ190 has been engineered by experts in the field of drone racing, therefore, it is something that is competitive and compatible with many of the existing racing drone technologies on the market out of the box. Electronics The QQ190 has some advanced technologies onboard that you simply cannot find in other RTF racing drones. These technologies include: TBS FPV Vision Full graphic, Core Pro Programmable On Screen Display (OSD)- Important information is displayed such as current consumption, flight time, battery voltage, and more. The information from the OSD is overlaid onto the wireless video output signal for a information feed similar to what a jet fighter heads up display looks like. Main OSD FEATURES INCLUDE: Artificial Horizon- see your orientation to the ground by displaying a graphical display on the video feed. Page 11

12 Betaflight configuration via OSD- Adjust rates, PIDS, settings, calibration, vtx power, general settings, and filters without the need for a computer. Sensor OSD readout including-battery voltage, current draw, power index, callsign, flight timer, RSSI Level, Link quality, and failsafe count, Upgradeable-Additional OSD features can be unlocked by adding additional TBS modules to the drone- For example, adding a TBS GPS unit unlocks; GPS coordinates, satellite acquisition and count, altitude, distance to home, home direction, and speed (GPS sold separately) Power Adjustable Video Transmitter (VTx) mW- TBS Unify VTx features: Adjustable Power-Set the transmission power level via the OSD without ever taking your goggles off. For example, when flying with friends, you can turn down the power output to avoid interfering with others, or when flying indoors, you can turn down the power to avoid mulipathing interference. (when your own video transmission bounces off of multiple points and cancels itself out.) Crank the power to 800mW for longer range flying with less people. Pit Mode (in band and out band)- The QQ190 sports a video attenuation technology designed to let you power up your video transmitters during the race without interfering with other racers. CleanSwitch- The QQ190 doesn't blast out your friends when powered up or when channels are being changed. Dual camera capability Unlock-able for Hams- The QQ190 has the ability to crank up the video transmission power & unlock additional frequencies. Supports all popular 5.8ghz frequency bands and then some- A/B/ Race/E/Airwave/Custom VTX LED Strip - Changes color depending on the band used and future-proofed for continuing drone racing technology development. Full Featured Flight Controller (FC)-TBS Colibri Colibri features include: Betaflight enabled- Runs Betaflight flight controller software for stable, responsive and cutting edge flight characteristics. BST enabled-bst or Blacksheep Telemetry on board means that you can easily add additional electronic add-on systems to the QQ190 such as GPS or Crossfire long range systems. ESC Pass-through programming support- The QQ190 allows you to connect to your escs all via the flight controller USB connection. Smart ESC Protocol Detection. Bootloader Button for easy firmware update. Page 12

13 Bus Power-5V for receiver and Flight Controller over internal BUS System and 3V3 available for Spektrum users. Fast on-board processor-equipped with the Silicon Labs STM32F303RCT6 72MHz 256kB MCU/FPU Processor. MPU6000 gyro & accelerometer- A BetaFlight preferred, low noise, 3- axis Gyroscope/accelerometer sensor for advanced stabilization control. Extra I/O- Add components such as dataloggers, LEDs, GPS units, and more with ease due to the fact that there are additional Serial connections available. Multiple receivers supported-ppm,sbus, Spektrum, SUMH, SUMD, Crossfire, and more. Crash resistant construction- features tough electrolytic capacitors and conformal coating (a type of waterproofing) to improve crash resistance. 2-in-1 Custom TBS BLHeli-S Powered Electronic Motor Speed Controls (ESCs) Escs provide precise and accurate power delivery and Speed control to the motors. ESC Features include: Custom designed specifically for the QQ190 RTF Silabs Busy Bee Processors-The fastest processor on the market in it s class. Dedicated PWM Driver BLHeli-S enabled Fast 8-Bit processing Over-Current protection 25A Constant, 35A burst- Made for any 5 prop you can throw at it. (also tested with Racekraft 5051 props) motor testing results will be published soon. Multishot Protocol enabled-the QQ190 electronics are fast and other esc protocols cannot keep up with the speed in which the QQ190 processes information. The Multishot protocol uses a 5-25µs signal that allows refresh rates of up to 32 KHz, while maintaining 240 steps of resolution. Active/regenerative braking-when you reduce throttle the QQ190 will actively reduce the motor speed. Active braking makes the QQ190 feel more responsive and dialed in, especially when making throttle changes for precise altitude control. Lost model/inactivity alarm (sounds by pulsing the motors at high frequency after a period of inactivity) Passthrough programmable- program via the flight controller USB interface without the need for additional connections. 3-Phase brushless motor output Page 13

14 Component Identification Main Components Figure 1. Enter/ Page 14

15 Figure 2. Figure 3. *A Special tool is required for removal of Powercube nuts and standoffs. Available at QuadQuestions.com Page 15

16 Assembly Unboxing Verify that you have received all of the included components with your QQ190 RTF Racing Drone: 1x QQ190 drone with camera pod (depending on configuration purchased) 2x battery straps 4x Propellers 1x Battery Skid Plate * If you ordered the upgraded camera assembly, then it will arrive detached from the QQ190 main frame. The camera pod assembly can be attached using the 4x M3x8 allen screws provided. After installing the camera assembly, you will need to plug in the camera wire to the bottom of the power cube stack on the left side into camera port 1 (figure 1). We recommend installing your receiver before finalizing the camera pod installation. The QQ190 is ready to fly out of the box, but it requires some extra electronics to get flying. This is an advanced product designed for the racer in mind and therefore no radio system for control is included. We have done this on purpose to allow any 6 channel radio system to be used with the QQ190 Racing Drone provided that it outputs a PPM or SBUS signal. This means that you can use any high-end radio system with the drone. QuadQuestions recommends using an Frsky Taranis or TBS Tango for best results. Install a receiver module Figure 4. Follow these steps to get air worthy: A.The drone comes pre-wired with a Jr style connector lead to connect a common SBUS receiver via a standard servo connection. It provides 5V power via this connection. The red wire is 5V, white is signal, and black is ground. A. The receiver port on the Colibri has 4 wires and outputs signal, 3v3, ground, and 5V from left to right. The receiver cables provided are made Page 16

17 in such a way that if the included Spektrum wire is installed, 3v3 is provided automatically. Likewise, the included SBUS receiver wire when installed provides 5V power for your radio receiver system. We recommend confirming the power requirements of your receiver before installing to ensure that the correct voltage is supplied to your receiver by the QQ190. You can also direct-solder a receiver to the Colibri flight controller behind the receiver port. The pinout is shown in figure 5. Figure 5. B. Once the receiver has been wired into your QQ190, we recommend that you bind it to your radio before burying it into the drone. You will need to follow your manufacturer s instructions to do this. Make sure that your propellers are off and then plug in a battery to the QQ190 to provide power to your receiver module. It is important to have the outputs of your radio properly mapped. The TBS Tango has this completed for you already, If you are a Taranis user, you should have access to the Taranis QQ190 model in your QuadQuestions user account available under my-downloads. The QQ190 model provided properly outputs the correct channels within the Taranis settings. Page 17

18 Spektrum Receiver Installation If you are a Spektrum user, you will have to install the Spektrum receiver wire that is supplied with your QQ190 to the receiver port. The QQ190 is designed in such a way that you will need to partially disassemble the drone to install the wire. We recommend that you gain easy access to the receiver port by rotating the LED diffuser housing out of the way. You can accomplish this by Figure 6. removing the allen screw from the rear right standoff and rotating the housing to gain easy access to the receiver plug on the Colibri flight controller. The other, easier option is to remove the Colibri flight controller from the top of the Powercube stack if you have access to the TBS nut driver (Available at QuadQuestions.com.) The TBS nut driver is made specifically so that you don't damage the Electronics stack when removing boards and is the only recommended tool for servicing the onboard electronics. For instructions on how to bind and setup your Spektrum radio, please refer to the manufacturer s documentation. Frsky X4R-SB install & binding procedure. If you are using the recommended Frsky Taranis or TBS Tango radio with an X4R-SB receiver, then you can bind the radio to the receiver by performing the following actions: Page 18

19 1. Wire in the receiver as detailed in figure Wrap the exposed pins on the receiver with electrical tape or an equivalent insulating material to ensure that any exposed pins will not come in contact with the carbon fiber frame. If this step is ignored, you risk shorting out the power to the frame which can cause irreversible damage to the onboard electronics. Figure Before finalizing installation of your receiver, prepare a charged battery and make sure that your props are removed. Page 19

20 4. Power on your transmitter radio and put it into bind mode. Make sure that The D16 protocol is selected or you will not get a successful bind. 5. Hold down the button on the X4R-SB while plugging the battery into the XT-60 connector on the QQ190. The red LED on the receiver should blink, indicating a successful bind. 6. Unplug the battery from the XT-60 connector on the QQ190, and take the radio out of bind mode. 7. Now plug the battery back into the QQ190 and check to see that the green light is glowing on the receiver. If it is, you may now unplug the battery and finish the installation of the receiver. 8. The X4R-SB tucks in tightly under the camera. We recommend to install it with the antennas coming out of the front of the QQ190 and the servo plug sticking out of the back next to the FPV antenna. FrSky Taranis Controller Setup If you are using a Taranis radio, You can use a pre-configured model available at quadquestions.com/. This model should also be available for download in the myaccount section of quadquestions.com Figure 8. Page 20

21 We recommend flying in Mode 2 (throttle on left stick), which is the most common configuration used when flying FPV Drones. Figure 8 details our recommended mix mapping. TBS Tango Configuration If using a TBS Tango, the channel mix output is predetermined for you. Set up your model for Cleanflight in the Tango s menu. TBS Tango Channel Mappings Channel Map. Control the QQ190 is configured with the inputs as AETR1234. This means that ailerons are set to channel 1, elevator to channel 2, throttle to channel 3, rudder to channel 4, and Aux in to channel 5-8 Aux 1 is arm 1 AIL Roll 2 ELE Pitch 3 THR Thrust 4 RUD Yaw Pos Right (D) 2-Pos Right (C) 2-Pos Left (A) 3-Pos Left (B) 9 Tuner L (E) 10 Tuner R (F) Aux 2 is unused Aux 3 is flight mode selection Aux 4 is buzzer. Arm Mode Selection Page 21

22 TBS Crossfire Micro Receiver Installation & Binding The QQ190 is made to easily interface with the advanced TBS Crossfire Radio system. We recommend installing a TBS Crossfire micro receiver for best results. To install the Crossfire Micro to the QQ190 : 1. Install the BST wire provided with the Crossfire micro receiver to the Black Sheep Telemetry Port on the bottom right of the Electronics stack (figure 1) 2. Install the signal wire included with the Micro receiver to the Colibri Receiver port (fig. 2) 3. Bind the crossfire by turning on the radio and crossfire transmitter unit, then by plugging in a battery to the QQ190. (make sure props are removed) 4. Hold down the button on the crossfire transmitter module to enter the Tx menu. Go to binding, and select bind. 5. Push the bind button on the TBS Crossfire micro receiver. 6. The Crossfire transmitter should now bind to the Crossfire receiver. It is important to make sure to follow the prompts on the transmitter unit to update the firmware if necessary. 7. Make sure that the Crossfire micro is configured for SBUS output. You can do so by holding the button down on the back of the Crossfire transmitter, selecting Crossfire micro, and setting the output to SBUS. Initial Setup We have engineered the QQ190 to be configurable via the OSD with the radio transmitter sticks. This means that there is no computer connection required to setup the QQ190 for flight, however you will need an FPV receiving device such as a set of goggles or a monitor to perform the initial setup. We recommend that you use a 5.8ghz receiver setup such as a TBS Tango Radio, or a pair of Fatshark goggles, or a 5.8ghz FPV monitor to continue with setup. Page 22

23 RC Calibration RC calibration is completed via the OSD that is displayed onto the video output. It is controllable with the transmitter sticks after a receiver has been installed and bound. You can find more about the Core Pro OSD features here: It is recommended that you read this manual in addition to this QQ190 manual for a complete overview of the hardware that is installed on the QQ190 Racing Drone. R/C Calibration is required to teach the CORE PRO OSD and the Colibri flight controller inside the QQ190 which stick performs which action on your remote control. R/C Calibration comes up either automatically if you are running the QQ190 RTF for the first time, or, it is available in the R/C menu under Flight Controller Calibration RC Calibration. You can also access the RC Calibration menu by holding the reset/ enter button on the side of the electronics stack. (figure 1) For more information see appendix A of this manual. Make sure the props are removed before starting the calibration.entering the calibration prompts. Centering your sticks will start the countdown. If you are not using the currently-active RX provider (in this case SBUS), push the Enter/reset button (figure 1) to cycle through the available options. Follow the instructions on the screen and move your sticks accordingly. If the direction does not match, it needs to be adjusted in your R/C radio configuration. Betaflight can not interpret reversed channels. Page 23

24 1. After following the steps to install your receiver, make sure that you can see the channel being broadcast from the QQ190 RTF on your viewing device after it is plugged in. The stock frequency for the QQ190 Is Band A channel 1 at 25 milliwatts. 2. You should see a message on the video output that says Waiting for SBUS, or something similar. If not. Hold the reset/ enter button (figure 5) on the side of the power cube down for 10 seconds to reset the rc calibration procedure. 3. Waiting for SBUS means that the QQ190 is waiting for a signal from your Calibrating flight modes is not required. You can ROLL RIGHT to skip, or assign a free 3-pos switch in your R/C to take advantage of this feature. Keep in mind that the default flight mode for Betaflight is ACRO. receiver. If you are using an Sbus receiver, center your sticks and you should see a count down shown on the main menu which takes you to the next screen. a. If you are using another radio technology, such as Spektrum 1024, SumH, Xbus mode B, Spektrum 2048 or Sum D, Xbusmodebrj01, or PPM, then you can cycle through each one by pushing the reset button on the side of the power cube for 1 second. There will be a 10 second count down before the next receiver protocol will be enabled. Continue cycling through the various receiver protocols until your radio technology is shown. Follow the on screen prompts. Page 24

25 New or Changed Setup Betaflight will by default expect an SBUS output since this is the most commonly used protocol nowadays among FPV racers. If you are using any other receiver such as Spektrum satellites, or PPM-compatible receivers, press the ENTER/RESET button on the side of the QQ190 (figure 1) to cycle through the available options. A restart of the flight controller is required each time you cycle through the available options, so you must give each cycle some time to reboot. Once you have selected your correct protocol, center all of your R/C sticks, and the R/C Calibration wizard will launch. ** If the QQ190 just beeps when arming and doesn't arm** If the QQ190 is powered on and configured in Betaflight before the OSD calibration has been completed, the QQ190 will not arm. This is because the on screen display is set to mandatory calibration and this menu must be exited before the QQ190 can be armed and flown. In this case, follow the existing setup instructions below. Existing setup (if you have already configured Betaflight) ADVANCED For advanced users that know their Betaflight settings and who want to setup the QQ190 manually, select READ CLEANFLIGHT RC DATA in the OSD menu. This will allow the QQ190 to read the settings from your Betaflight setup. It is available in the R/C menu under Flight Controller Calibration RC Calibration Read Cleanflight RC Data. The read Cleanflight RC data will have to be run if you choose to SKIP a mandatory calibration procedure. After following these steps you will be able to control the OSD and arm/disarm with your roll and pitch stick. Page 25

26 Installing an HD camera The QQ190 has been designed and tuned to carry an HD camera for filming your flights such as the Go-Pro Hero 3 & 4 and the Go-Pro Session. Use an included battery strap to mount a camera onto the top of the camera pod. There are holes on each side of the camera pod which allow you to thread the battery strap through the top of the drone. (figure 15.1) Page 26

27 First Flight After a receiver has been installed, and you have gone through the RC Calibration procedure, you can take your first flight. Propeller Rotation warning Warning- Triple check your prop rotation before arming the QQ190. If they are on backwards or in the incorrect order, the QQ190 will flip uncontrollably during arming which could cause injury if you are close to the drone when arming. MAKE SURE TO GIVE YOURSELF GOOD DISTANCE BETWEEN YOURSELF, AND ALL OTHERS BEFORE ARMING AFTER INSTALLING PROPS. Propeller Rotation You can tell which way the props go on the QQ190 because the text should be on the top of the prop. The leading edge of the prop is the higher of the 2 when looking down the propeller. Another way to look at it is that HQ5x4 go on motors 2 and 3, whereas HQ 5x4R go on motors 1 and 4. We recommend that you be familiar with the outline shown in figure 16 before relying on this method because different prop manufacturers can have different standards when it comes to rotation designations. Page 27

28 Figure 15. Page 28

29 Installing Propellers Once you are ready to take first flight, you can install the propellers. Propellers install in this rotation: Figure 16. Motor 4 (R) Motor 2 Motor 3 Motor 1 (R) Page 29

30 Tightening Propellers DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN THE PROP NUTS!- Doing so will cause the motor shafts to fatigue and break. There is no warranty for broken motor shafts due to over-tightening. WARNING- If you install your propellers backwards, the quad will flip out of control very quickly during takeoff- make sure that you have triple checked that your props are installed correctly and that the quad is far from people or property before arming. We recommend that you arm and disarm quickly to test that all systems are working before applying throttle immediately. This will help to alert you if there is a problem before the QQ190 is airborne. The QQ190 comes with 8mm Counter Clockwise (CW) locknuts which should be used to secure the props to the motors. The included T-motor KV highperformance motors are optimized for lightweight operation. These lightweight motors are great for performance, but in doing so, the motor shafts have been hollowed which makes them more vulnerable to fatigue from over-tightening. Use caution when installing the prop nuts. You don t need to apply very much force. It is recommended that you install the prop nuts so that they are snug against the top of the prop, but that the prop can slip if force is applied. This will ensure 3 things: a. The prop nut will come off easily when it s time to replace a prop. b. The motor shafts are less likely to get damaged in the event of a crash. c. The motor shafts will not be overtightened. Page 30

31 Figure 17 Figure 18. Page 31

32 Installing the Antenna Install the provided SMA antenna by inserting it through the antenna hole on the top plate of the QQ190. Connect it to the SMA female adapter and hand tighten. Failure to install the FPV antenna before powering on could damage the video transmitter. Installing the battery The QQ190 is equipped to carry mah 4S batteries. To install the battery, install the battery strap provided through the holes on the main plate of the QQ190 and thread it through the provided skid plate. We recommend that you route the battery so that it's power lead comes out of the front of the drone. This will allow you to wrap the power cable around the battery and out of the way of the props when flying. Tuck the XT-60 connection between the battery and the strap for best results. Page 32

33 General Controls The QQ190 RTF racing drone is a 6-axis quadcopter with advanced modes for additional stabilization. This means that the QQ190 will auto-level, making it easier to fly, but it will not fly hands-free because it is a fine-tuned machine. During flight, you will constantly have to make minor adjustments in pitch, roll, yaw, and throttle to keep and maintain a hover- this is normal operation and isn't a sign of anything being out of adjustment. Most radio configurations are mode 2 and therefore control throttle and yaw on the left stick, and pitch and roll on the right stick. (figure 18) This means that to adjust the altitude, or more specifically, the thrust of the QQ190, you will need to raise the left stick. To make the drone yaw, or turn about a vertical center axis, move the left stick right and left. To roll the QQ190, move the right stick left and right, and to adjust the QQ190 s pitch, move the right stick up and down. (Figure 17) The throttle is the main controller of altitude and thrust/speed. Page 33

34 Flight Modes The QQ190 runs Betaflight and therefore has 3 flight modes. Assisted Modes Angle mode- Your sticks controls the tilt angle of the QQ190. When your stick reaches the maximum position the QQ190 will stop and hold there as it has reached the max tilt angle allowed of 45 degrees. If you release the stick back to the center, the QQ190 will level itself. The best way to think about this is to imagine the drone is like a hockey puck- an input in the pitch or roll will push it forward, back, left or right. The QQ190 will slowly glide to a stop after the sticks have been centered. Horizon mode- When the stick is near the center, it s the same as being in angle mode, but when the stick is at the maximum position, the QQ190 will fly similar to rate mode. This allows you to have control like in angle mode but it also allows you to do flips and rolls if you fully move the sticks to their maximums. Horizon mode is a great mode for those that want the ease of flying in angle, such as auto-leveling, but who also want to do flips and rolls. Manual modes Rate Mode (ACRO) -The sticks are used to control the QQ190 s angular velocity of rotation, not the angle. Simply explained, the sticks controls how fast the QQ190 rotates. That means if you move your pitch stick all of the way forward and hold it, the QQ190 will keep rotating and flipping at a constant rate, instead of just remaining at an angle like it does in angle mode. If you let go off the stick, the QQ190 will maintain its current attitude (angle) and will not return to level, unless you move your pitch stick in the opposite direction until the attitude is level again. Rate mode is the favorite mode for advanced pilots and once you master flight in this mode, you will be amazed at how natural it feels. We recommend that you practice flying rate mode in a simulator to get used to the controls and the mechanics of flyingit will make it easier! Page 34

35 Reasons to fly in Rate mode Rate mode makes acrobatics such as flips and rolls much easier. Rate mode allows for smooth and precise control of the drone during FPV flight. Rate mode requires less processing power. Rate mode makes the QQ190 fly more naturally like a glider, which can be more intuitive and feel more natural. Rate mode allows for smoother videos Rate mode can be mastered with lots of practice and determination- It can be intimidating to learn at first, but trust us, it is the only way to fly! Calibrating the Accelerometer The Accelerometer helps when flying in angle and horizon mode. It does not affect rate mode. If the quad is flying funny in angle or rate mode, try calibrating the accelerometer. Step 1- remove props Step 2- put the quad on a level surface Step 3- plug in battery Step 4- use the stick command for calibrating the accelerometer while the quad is unarmed.(figure 19) **NOTE. the accelerometer and gyro undergo a startup procedure when the QQ190 is first plugged in. This means that when you plug it in, you have to set the drone down immediately without moving it for the calibration procedure to complete. You will see the LEDs on the Colibri flicker briefly after plugging the battery in, indicating that the startup procedure is taking place. If you interrupt the startup procedure, it can lead to poor flying performance. The solution is to unplug and replug the battery and set the QQ190 down again to let the startup procedure complete. Page 35

36 Trimming the accelerometer Even after calibration of the Accelerometer, the QQ190 might still not fly perfectly level in angle mode. If this is the case, you might have to trim the accelerometer. Make sure that the radio trims are perfectly center- The trims on your radio should not be used to trim the angle of the QQ190. Instead, observe the direction of drift, land, then use a stick input command to trim the accelerometer in the opposite direction. This means, if your QQ190 is drifting left the procedure is to; land, disarm and input the accelerometer trim to the right using the Trim ACC Right stick command. You will see a red light blink on the Colibri, indicating that the trim is being registered. One blink equates to about 5 units and these units are represented in Betaflight on the Accelerometer trim menu. You can adjust the Accelerometer trim values manually in Betaflight for further refinement after flying. (figure 18) Figure 17. Page 36

37 It sometimes can take several attempts to arm, hover, observe drift, land, disarm, trim Acc, repeat to get the QQ190 flying perfectly level, If all is lost, you can always recalibrate the accelerometer by placing the quad on a level surface, then perform the acc trim procedure again. (figure 17) On screen display items Items denoted with a * are items that will disappear after the QQ190 is armed. It is important to monitor the health of your batteries during flight. You need to make sure that you have enough power to get back, and you need to make sure that you don't over-discharge your batteries as this is the fastest way to destroy them. Using the OSD menu To enter the OSD menu, hold the left stick down and to the left. A count down will display for 3 seconds, after which the OSD main menu will be displayed. Page 37

38 To navigate, use the right transmitter stick to scroll up or down. To enter a menu, move the right stick right right to exit, move the right stick left. To go back, move the right stick to the left. For A full list of options and what they do, please see appendix A of this manual. Figure 26 Page 38

39 QQ190 stick commands Figure 19 details the stick functions available on the QQ190 when using Betaflight Note: Some functions may be disabled, such as arming if an arm switch is enabled. These commands are applicable via the transmitter sticks when the quad is unarmed and powered. Figure 19. Enter OSD/ Page 39

40 Connecting to a computer Remove propellers before working on the QQ190. Installing Betaflight You can download the latest version of Betaflight from the Google Chrome web store. 1. Install Google Chrome onto your computer 2. Download the app via this link: Installing the Software Drivers Once you open Betaflight, you will see an option to download the latest VCP drivers. Click the link and install the drivers according to your operating system. Page 40

41 Connecting your QQ190 to a computer Connect a micro USB cable between your computer and the Main USB Programming Port (figure 1). We recommend turning on autoconnect in the Betaflight settings so that the quad autoconnects when the USB is plugged in. We have found that the majority of communication issues between the QQ190 and a computer come from the use of a bad USB cable. If you are experiencing communication issues, try swapping out the USB cable. You can find an official QQ190 compatible cable at quadquestions.com Page 41

42 Programming an arm switch By default, the QQ190 RTF comes configured to arm and disarm via the transmitter sticks. You move the left stick down and to the right to arm, and down and to the left to disarm. This approach is the most universal, since it works with all transmitters, but it is not the approach that we recommend. The best method that we have found to arm and disarm is to use a separate switch. This allows you to use your control sticks for one thing--controlling the copter--and arm and disarm with a dedicated control. WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING One risk of using switch arming is that it is very easy to accidentally arm the drone by bumping the arming switch. The QQ190 will not arm if the throttle is raised. Therefore, we recommend that you slightly raise the throttle after you disarm the copter. as a safety precaution. Make it a habit of "disarm, raise the throttle", and always leave the Page 42

43 throttle slightly raised when carrying your transmitter and copter around. This will prevent the copter from arming if you accidentally bump the switch. When an arm switch is enabled, stick arming will be disabled. Backing up your tune Click Backup from the setup screen and save your config. Then go to the CLI TAB, type Diff in the command box. You will want to copy and paste all of the output to a text file and save it. This will enable you to reload your personal configuration at a later time. Page 43

44 Backing up your switch settings Recording the CLI diff will not save everything. Items such as your switch settings, modes and other pilot preferences need to be backed up using the backup button on the setup tab of Betaflight. Page 44

45 Flashing new tunes We have worked hard to bring you the best possible tune for the QQ190, which was done by the world-renowned Magnus with SuperFPVBros, however, you might want to try some other tunes. Tunes are subjective and there is no one perfect tune for all flying styles. You can download the tunes from tunes.qq190racingdrone.com Each tune comes with 2 files, The CLI Diff file, and the Settings backup file. The CLI Diff is the main settings file that was changed from the stock Betaflight settings and is where the tune is updated from. The restore file contains settings such as switches and modes and is more user-subjective. We recommend only flashing the restore files if you want to explore the user s mode settings. It is typical for a user to backup his or her settings before moving to another quad, and then restoring them to get the same stick/mode functionality. Download both files and save them to your computer. Open the CLI Diff that you downloaded in a text editor and copy all of the text. Page 45

46 Open the CLI tab in Betaflight and paste all of the copied data into the command input box. Use command/contol V or right click and select paste. Type save Press enter. Restoring the switch settings (optional) If you want to use the switch settings and other profile specific settings, you can use the restore file to restore those settings. **Warning, restoring settings will change your modes and switch settings. Do so at your own risk!** Go to main page in Betaflight Click restore. Page 46

47 Open restore file downloaded earlier to restore the switch settings. ***Warning, restoring switch settings will override your current setup- make sure you know what you are doing here** Flying Tips Practice practice practice practice. Battery Warnings The battery life on the QQ190 can vary depending on many factors including; flying style, battery health, weather, temperature, altitude, prop choice, and more. It is recommended that you monitor your batteries in flight. The QQ190 will tell you when your battery voltage is getting low via the OSD. It also has some advanced features built in to tell you if your battery is fully charged when you plug it in, as well as when it is low. When you see a battery low warning, it is recommended that you immediately come home and land. Not abiding by the battery warnings can cause power failure which will result in a crash, harm to the battery health, and possible loss/breakage of the QQ190 itself. It is important to remember this when flying long range missions as you will need to make sure that you have enough power to return home. Lipo batteries are dead when they reach approx. 3.3V per cell. A good rule of thumb to keep your batteries healthy is to stop flying when they reach roughly 3..75V This means that if you have a 4S battery, it will be fully charged at around 16V and ready to land at around 15V. You can push them to 13.5 but doing so will shorten the life of your batteries. If you over-discharge a Lipo battery, you will significantly reduce it s effective lifespan. Page 47

48 General Tips & Tricks 1. Check your video channel before plugging in to make sure you don t step on someone else s channel. 2. Make sure that your video frequency on your receiver matches that of your transmitter BEFORE FLYING. 3. Be respectful of people and property around you. Drones already have a bad reputation, let s work to change people s minds for the better. FPV Best Practices We have compiled a list of all of practices which have been tried and tested in countless environments and situations by the QQ & TBS crew and other experienced FPV pilots. Follow these simple rules, even if rumors on the internet suggest otherwise, and you will have success in FPV. Start with the bare essentials and add equipment one step at a time, after each new equipment was added to proper range- and stress tests. Do not fly with a video system that is capable of outperforming your R/C system in terms of range. (the QQ190 has been range tested with Frsky and Crossfire systems and these meet the criteria.) Monitor the vitals of your QQ190 While Flying. (R/C link and battery). It is recommended to monitor RSSI if possible. Range test your radio before flying, especially if using a 2.4GHz radio system. 2.4 GHz is not recommended for long range flights. Do not fly at the limits of video, if you see noise in your picture, turn around and buy a higher-gain receiver antenna before going out further. Do not use diversity video receivers as a replacement for pointing your antennas, diversity should be used to mitigate polarization issues. Improving the antenna gain on the receiver end is better than increasing the output power (except in RF-noisy areas). 500mW is plenty of power! Page 48

49 Try to achieve as much separation of the VTx antenna and R/C receiver as possible to lower the RF noise floor and EMI interference. Do not buy the cheapest equipment unless it is proven to work reliably (e.g. parts falling off, multitudes of bug fix firmware updates, community hacks and mods are a good indicator of poor quality and something you do NOT want to buy for a safe system). Do due diligence and some research before sending your aircraft skyward. Don't fly in an area where crashing the QQ190 will make it difficult to find. Always fly with a spotter to help you find the drone in the event of a crash. If you are flying long range, we recommend using a tool to find the QQ190 such as a bluetooth tracker or GPS system so that you can have a better chance of recovery. Page 49

50 Reset Procedure VTX/OSD Reset If the QQ190 starts to fly in a strange manor, or if you need to reset because you cannot find the video channel, first remove your props, Then make sure your radio trims are center, then hold the reset button on the side of the power cube stack for 10 seconds. This will reset the drone to the stock output of Band A channel 1. You will have to re- run the RC calibration procedure upon a reset. Betaflight Settings reset To reset Betaflight settings, click reset settings from the setup screen in Betaflight. This should restore settings to default- To completely restore settings, follow the guide to flashing new tunes and load the QQ190 Default tune available at tunes.qq190racingdrone.com. Page 50

51 Troubleshooting My QQ190 will not arm Make sure the QQ190 is on a level surface, it will not arm if the pitch and roll axis have more than 15º of tilt. Make sure that you are on the proper profile for flight. See figure 19. Profile 1 should be the default profile. Check that the accelerometer is calibrated. My QQ190 will not stay level The QQ190 will drift somewhat in the assisted modes- this is the nature of racing drones. Check to make sure that your radio trims are centered, then make sure to use the stick inputs to trim the accelerometer in the QQ190 (figure 19) Try flying the QQ190 in Acro mode- if the issue goes away, re-calibrate your accelerometer and perform the accelerometer trim procedure. Try unplugging and re-plugging in the battery. The initial gyro calibration might be off. My QQ190 falls out of the sky Check failsafe settings. The failsafe on the QQ190 is set to drop, this means that if the radio link is lost, the quad will fall out of the sky. Check your antenna positions, make sure that you are flying within range, and make sure that there aren't external sources of RF noise around you. Check that the propellers that you are using are of good quality. We have seen several props from different manufacturers fail in flight, that is why we recommend HQ 5x4x3 props for best results. Try the reset procedure to restore settings to default No Video Verify that you are on the correct channel Verify that your antenna is properly installed Try resetting the QQ190 and setting your video to the stock frequency of Band A channel 1 Page 51

52 My QQ190 Video cuts out or is noisy Check that you are flying within range. The stock video transmitter power level is 25mW, which is not very powerful, and will not work well for long range flying. Check that your antennas are properly attached to the QQ190 Racing Drone and to your Receiver. Verify that you are on the correct video channel on your receiver. Make sure that it matches the channel displayed on the OSD during power-up. Check channel for interference and change channel if needed. The nature of analog video signals is that they do fade in an out- this is normal operation and not indicative of a defect or malfunction. My QQ190 Flips upside down and out of control when armed Check and verify that the props are on and spinning the correct direction. If not, see the Propeller Rotation section of this manual under First Flight on page 27. Verify that the motors are spinning the correct direction. To do this, arm the quad with the props off and check the direction. You can put your finger on the side of the motor when the props are off to verify the rotation if you cannot visually confirm it. See the Figure 15 on page 29. My motors don't spin the right direction Your QQ190 motors will spin the correct direction from the factory. If you have unplugged the bullet connectors coming out of the motor, there is a chance that you may have inadvertently changed the motor's direction. There are 2 ways to fix this problem. 1. If a motor is spinning the wrong direction, you can reverse its direction by swapping ANY two of the three motor bullet connectors with each other. Which two doesn't matter. 2. You can also change motor direction using BL-Heli Suite and pass thru programming via USB with a PC. Page 52

53 My video is showing up on my friend s video channel Verify that you are on the correct video channel Turn down video transmission power- when flying with more people, you should turn down your power level. I cannot access the OSD Menu Verify that your radio trims are center Verify that your radio and receiver are bound Try completing an RC calibration reset. GPS does not lock (if equipped) Try to move the GPS module as far away from switching power regulators, UHF transmitters, pilot cameras and video transmitters. Leave the GPS to initialize for 30 seconds before moving the model. Firmware update failed/ OSD not showing Disconnect any power supply and USB cable. Press and hold the enter button and plug-in the USB cable. This will boot the TBS CORE PNP PRO in a emergency mode. You can now upload a working firmware to the device by the TBS Agent software. Additional Help Resources For more information or general help, please visit quadquestions.com and submit a questions on our Q&A Forum. We are happy to help you there and your question will also help other QQ190 owners. The QQ190 has been setup from the factory ready to fly and fully tuned. After completing the RC calibration you should be set to arm by moving the left stick on your transmitter down and to the right.. We recommend that you test this function before installing your props. Page 53

54 Appendix A-OSD Configuration Navigating the OSD Menu To access the OSD, Remove the propellers, and then hold the left stick down and to the left. (figure 26) Navigate using the right transmitter stick. Left is back, right is forward. Up and down change options. You can navigate back to save options, or if available, choose enter by moving the the right stick to the right. See Figure 26 for more details. OSD Menu Information Use the following guide to learn more about the configurable options available via the On Screen Display Menu. On Screen Display Sub Menu Units This menu adjusts the units used to display the speed, distance and altitude. These options can be changed individually to either Metric, Imperial or Knots. Speed - Metric (km/h), Imperial (mi/h), Knots (kts/h) Distance - Metric (m), Imperial (ft) Altitude - Metric (m), Imperial (ft) Compass calibration (if GPS equipped) When the GPS module is connected, the home direction arrow will only display properly after a 360 degree rotation calibration has been performed. The calibration sets the offset value for the compass. To get the best accuracy, do this outdoors at the field. Step 1 - Move the GPS module away from other electronics and magnets, select Start Calibration Step 2 - With the GPS module level in your hand, rotate it one full 360 degree turn and press Enter Page 54

55 Figure 27 Step 2 - For the first flight the calibration will capture additional data to fine tuned the calibration an! will be displayed next to the home arrow indicating that it is in learning mode It is only necessary to do this once, but it may be necessary to recalibrate the compass if you have moved a significant distance away from where you performed the initial calibration -Such as when traveling internationally. RSSI The QQ190 has many different sources to read RSSI; Analog (voltage), Digital (PWM) and Via BST. To connect an analog or digital RSSI signal from your receiver, solder your RSSI signal wire to the pad on the bottom of the FPVision layer of the electronics stack labeled RSSI. If analog (voltage) or digital (PWM) is used, the maximum and minimum signal strength has to be recorded using the RSSI calibration procedure. Source - Off/CrossFire/EzUHF OSD Link/ Digital FPvision Layer source type (PWM)/Analog (voltage) - RSSI signal POWERCUBE BST Bonus: It is also possible to use RSSI sent via a PPM channel from the transmitter if connected via Blacksheep Telemetry (Crossfire) Alarm - Enable/Disable - Display a textual warning and the RSSI read-out will blink when the signal is critical Calibration - Used to set the max. (100%) and min. (0%) value for the signal source. Page 55