[chaseideas]

Drones are awesome!

I've currently got the AR Parrot Drone 1.0 and looking to pickup the 2.0 soon, and maybe a hobbyist grade quad-copter later this year or next. They're way too much geeky fun!!

Highly recommend anyone on here who hasn't played with a drone/quad-copter to have a go at it. You won't regret it.

[polyfractal]

I've been thinking about them for a while. What kind of flight time do you get out of a standard quad-copter? 15 minutes? 30 minutes? That's my biggest hesitation...how fun is 15 minutes of flight time?

[bri3d]

15 minutes is ridiculously fun, and about average.

My "450" sized quadcopter (4x 10" rotors) gets about 13-15 minutes with about 150g payload on top of the 3.3Ah 3S battery. I carry a GoPro Hero HD camera sans waterproof case combined with a video transmitter and 15 minutes of first-person flying can be quite rewarding and almost tiring at times, especially in exciting environments (between trees, etc.).

I'd strongly recommend picking up a MultiWii board and a cheap transmitter and parts from HobbyKing and trying it out - learning to fly isn't too difficult since they stabilize themselves, and starting out will cost less than $500.

Watch out though - it's addictive!

[chaseideas]

It's ridiculously fun! I highly suggest at least checking out a friend's quadcopter; you'll want one after the first few seconds of being behind the controls.

I bought my AR 1.0 used, but like-new, for $200 with the factory battery which lasts about 10 minutes or so, as well as a MaxAmps upgraded battery for extended flight time. I get about 20-25 minutes out of the aftermarket battery under normal wind conditions. It's plenty of time to have a lot of fun with, but I'd highly suggest having at least one spare battery to follow-up with for max flight time. On the flip-side, you don't want to run your equipment for too long without giving it some time for cool-down, so it's kinda a silver lining in regards to longevity.

If you're on the fence, I'd say spring for it and go for the AR Drone first, it's a great starting platform for people new to quadcopters and RC flying. If it's something you can see yourself getting more into, then debate pursuing more of a hobby-grade setup as you go.

There are a ton of nuances to the RC hobby alone, flying doesn't make it much easier for newcomers unfortunately. Start with something polished and make your life a lot easier, you'll no doubt be hooked. Either way, it's so worth it!!

[base698]

I like the aeroquads. A bit more expensive but way more customizable. Get to dust off your EE skills too.

http://aeroquad.com/content.php