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At first sight, the UDI RC U829A looks a lot like AR.Drone from Parrot. It is only significantly cheaper and therefore more interesting for a beginner. With UDI RC you get a affordable Quadrocopter that has a flip function and an integrated camera – and makes a lot of fun.
Extensive Equipment
With the starting price of just about over $80, you should not expect a profi equipment to come along with the drone. Standard equipment gets you a 4-Channel remote control, a charger with a balance function and a 800 mAh strong battery. The package contains an additional set of propellers and a 2GB SD card.
Small shortcoming was a missing set of remote control batteries but that is not a big surprise in this price class.
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- UDI RC U829A Quadrocopter
- 2,4-Ghz-remote control (no batteries!)
- 220V-power supply unit
- 4x Propeller
- 4x replacement propeller
- Propeller protection
- 2S LiPo-Battery (800 mAh)
- SD-Memory card (2GB)
- USB-cardreader
- Manual (English und chinese!)
Big, bigger, UDI
After a couple of hours charging time, we took this baby out for a spin. UDI is big – you will notice that as soon as you take it out. Its predecessor UDI 818A was significantly smaller than the 520 mm big U829A. The rotor blades are also big, with a 190mm span.
Rotor blades that big are also a big surface for wind gusts that can destabilize the drone during the flight. But surprisingly, that was not the case – U829A was remarkably stable. UDI is much faster and more agile when you remove the frames and strengtheners.
The remote is simple, blue LCD Display that is easy to understand and use. It has a nice design and appears of top-quality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx51t93Q8Hk
Technical Details UDI RC U829A
- Size: 520 x 520 Millimeter
- Battery: LiPo-Akku 800 mAh (7,4 V)
- Other: 6-axes-Gyrometer, 2,4-GHz-remote control, LEDs
- Fly time: 5 to 8 Minutes (manufacturer information)
- Charging time per power supply: 60 Minutes
HD Quality is relative
After a couple of attempts, we managed to fly UDI for 7 minutes. The integrated camera that films at 1280 x 960 Pixels /1080p is relatively decent. The HD-filming is possible but the huge propellers and the lack of gimbal spoil the experience. If you keep it still in the air – you can make some awesome photos but if you hope to make high quality videos with it – sorry to dissapoint you, UDI is not the drone you want to use for that.
Conclusion
At the end, it is always the wallet that makes the calls. The UDI RC U829A is a great Quadrocopter and in terms of design is every bit equal to Parrot AR.Drone. But, if you take a closer look at it, the lack of functions that AR.Drone has, reflects the UDI price.
Nevertheless, UDI RC U829A is definitely a good newcomer model. Especially if you put more value in flying the drone in comparison to aerial photos. The material quality and the scope of supply are praiseworthy if you keep in mind that UDI RC U829A costs only about $80.