Xiro Xplorer V Review – Features and Specifications

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The Xiro Xplorer V is released back in 2015 and it is one of the best looking drones currently in the market. The Xplorer V is a compact drone that can fly just as high and as far as significantly bigger drones.  This drone is the “Good Design Award 2015” and “2016 Red Dot Best of the Best Award” winner.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

This aggressive futuristic looking drone is considered to be one of the best and most affordable competitors to the DJI Phantom 2 Vision. The Xplorer V is ready to fly out of the box and has some advanced features.

Xplorer V comes in three different packages:

  • the standard Xplorer with no camera and gimbal
  • the Xplorer G with built-in Wi-Fi FPV transmission ranger increaser 800 meters
  • the Xplorer V with 14MP camera and 3-axis gimbal (this is the drone that we are reviewing on this article)

Without further ado let’s move on to the Xiro Xplorer V review.

Specifications

  • Dimensions: 399 x 399 x 137 mm (15.7 x 15.7 x 5.4 inches)
  • Weight: 1220 grams (2.7 pounds)
  • Battery: 11.1V 5200mAh Li-Po 3S
  • Flight Time: 25 minutes
  • Camera: 14MP 1080p camera
  • Maximum Speed: 55 km/h (34 mph)
  • Operating Range: 500 meters (1640 feet)
  • Controller Frequency: 5.8GHz

Flight Features

  • RTF drone
  • GPS Compatible
  • Altitude Hold
  • Position Hold
  • Flight Planning
  • Autonomous Flight
  • Follow Me Capable
  • Automatic Landing
  • Return To Home

In the Box

The Xiro Xplorer V is a “ready-to-fly” drone. This means that the basics to get you in the air are included. You may also require additional components, like additional flight batteries and a mobile device to access the application.

  • Xiro Xplorer V Model Quadcopter
  • HD Video Camera and Detachable Gimbal
  • Radio Controller
  • Wi-Fi Range Extender
  • 4 x Spare Propellers
  • 4 x Propellers
  • 4 x Rotary Motors
  • Flight Battery
  • Spare Battery
  • Battery Charger
  • Power Adapter
  • Set of International Plug Adapters
  • Installation Tools and Hardware
  • Screw Pack
  • Micro-USB to USB Cable
  • Manual Set

Design

As mentioned in the introduction of this review, the Xplorer V has already won two Design awards in the past and it is considered by many to be one of the better-looking drones currently available in the market. The aircraft is finished in black and green. This futuristic design truly makes XPLORER V stand out from the rest.

It has four rotors and the standard lights underneath each of its four arms.

The design is very smart from a functionality point of view. The design is very sharp and allows the drone to literally slice through side winds and gusts of airs. The second thing is a sturdy and secure structure that allows the drone to keep a stiff frame and balance itself out when it encounters turbulent weather conditions.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

Xplorer V is made off carbon fiber. This is one of the strongest types of materials used on drones. This highly resistant material will endure most crashes and hits and ensure the drone doesn’t break or bend easily.

The Xplorer V is right up there with some of the most resilient drones on the market when it comes to durability. It is important to note that it lacks propeller guards. However, the propellers are the cheapest spare parts on the market so this is not such a big problem.

The gimbal is part of the Xplorer’s modular design and if you want to fly the drone around without the camera unit attached it can be removed. The four props and rotary motors, flight battery, and flight control module are additional modular components. Thanks to the Xplorer’s innovative modular system all these components are easily replaceable.

The transmitter is also well designed and it is finished in the same matte black as the drone. It even has rubber pads on the back for better grasp and a clip to hold the mobile device that you use to view the feed from the drone’s camera.

Battery and Flight Time

The Xiro Xplorer is equipped with a powerful 11.1V 5200mAh Li-Po 3S battery and has a flight time of about 25 minutes. If you wish to fly during more than 25 minutes you can always buy an extra battery. Keep in mind that the flight time will decrease as you add additional weight. The flight time also depends on flight conditions.

The great thing about this battery is the fact that you can actually check the battery charge before you fly the drone. You take the battery out of the drone, push the green button on the side and wait for the small LED lights that indicate what charge the battery is currently holding to turn on. This will help you determine if you need to recharge the battery or if you can fly the drone.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

It is recommended to let the motors of the drone cool off between battery exchanges because you may damage the motors if you switch batteries and resume fly right away.

The Xiro Xplorer V comes with a controller with a built in battery. This battery can be charged from the same charger as the drone battery. This feature is very useful because you don’t have to keep track of more than one charger.

Remote Controller

The Xiro Xplorer V comes with the Xiro radio controller that has excellent grip. This is not your typical drone flight controller as it has an ergonomic shape, with nice comfortable textures. It also has a lean curve at the back to ease joint and hand stress after prolonged usage.

The controller has surprisingly comfortable tactile silicon and vibration alert that warns every time the drone is running low on battery. This truly enhances the flight experience.

The remote controller includes a phone holder. This feature allows the pilot to place its Smartphone and provide a better flight experience. You can actually tilt and angle the external device on the controller without reducing the flight performance or obstructing the signal.

This is amazing feature for aerial photography and videography. The controller also has three flight levels and three features buttons (a return-home-button, an IOC button and an automatic takeoff and landing button at the bottom-mid part of the remote controller).

The maximum operating range is a somewhat negative aspect of this drone. You can operate the Xplorer V up to 500 meters away from you. This is slightly less than other drone within same price range. However, for capturing good quality footage without any hassle this operating range is still enough.

Camera

The Xplorer V features an all-in-one HD camera mounted on a 3-axis gimbal. This camera enables you to record video of all your aerial adventures with enhanced details. Even during turns and other aerial maneuvers the gimbal stabilizes footage without any problem.

The pilot can tilt the camera through the controller. This feature allows different view angles. You get an ND8 filter with the camera. It protects your photos and video from overexposure and the “light bloom” effects.

A Panasonic CMOS module is also onboard to help maintain picture quality and the camera also fully supports Adobe Lightroom if you want to correct and adjust the lens properly.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

The 14 MP camera captures 1080p video at 30 fps and 720p footage at 60 fps. Footage is saved in QuickTime format at a meager 12Mbps bit rate and can be accessed later after flight. But the footage is pretty decent and details are crisp even with that amount of compression.

The Xplorer V is also capable of transmitting live video through its built-in Video Wireless Transmission and it transmits live video directly to the pilot’s device through a free app.

The app also displays real time flight data information on screen. The Live Video is transmitted via Wi-Fi with no delay and flyers can also select images to wirelessly download to their Smartphones or tablets.

Features

The Xplorer V comes with an amazing set of features. It has GPS and compass that allow features such as Intelligent Orientation Control (IOC). This feature is somewhat like Headless mode but much more efficient. Thanks to its inner compass that memorizes the drone’s position, the drone has more automated features such as Return to Home.

This drone will safely and automatically return to where it began flight with the press of a button. This feature also serves as a security measure because the drone will return to pilot whenever it is running out of battery or flying too far.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

The Xiro Xplorer V also has automated landing and take-off. With the push of a button on the controller the quadcopter will automatically take-off and begin hovering steadily in air waiting for further flyer’s instructions. Same button also works for auto landing.

The Xplorer V also provides more features through its application. The application allows for the pilot to pre-program a flight path with up to 16-waypoints. This enables the drone to complete the flight path by itself. While recording, you can also select an object and drone will track and follow it, which is very useful for getting that one perfect shot without any trouble.

Flight Performance

The Xiro Xplorer V is steady flyer and very wind resistant. Regardless of the level of skill you have flying drones this drone will give you quite some fun and a lot of enjoyment.

The remote controller comes with 3 flight modes based on difficulty and overall skill. This means that even people who have never flown a drone in their lives can have a crack at the Xplorer without having to fear for the drone itself.

The beginner mode is the safest and by far slowest out of the 3 flight modes. This mode is designed for the most inexperienced pilots.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

The drone is the most fun in the second flight mode because you can have a lot of fun pushing the drone to its limits, banking hard and fast and taking fast turns. However, you still don’t have complete and ultimate control over the drone. Also, if you are skilled enough you can even perform tricks in this mode.

In the last and most advanced of the flight modes literally every single aspect of the drone is put in your hands. This can be a bit too much even for more experienced pilots because flying can be a bit too hectic and a bit too demanding.

Value for Money

For any enthusiast looking for a powerful drone, with great flight time and featuring most useful functions for aerial video and photography the Xplorer V is a great affordable choice. The camera is also within average, considering the price of the drone and it also comes with a gimbal that supports a GoPro 3 or GoPro 4. The Xplorer V has less control range compared to other same price drones. However, its modular design makes it easy to add 800 meter range increaser.

Xiro Xplorer V Review

The Xplorer V also has a lot of interchangeable parts that can be replaced easily with spares, which are rather cheap.

Summary

The Xiro Xplorer V is a drone that has a lot to offer on a lot of fronts and it sports a lot of smart technology and a lot of automated processes that make flying it a lot easier. This drone is perfect for people who want to take on productive projects as well as people who are new to flying drones.

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