Runner 250 FPV Racing Quadcopter Quickstart Guide

[unmannedtech1]

The walkera Runner 250 is a great little 250 size quadcopter kit that arrives fully assembled and configured making it an ideal platform for anyone wanting to get started in the FPV racing quadcopters. However there are still a few things that you need to take care of and do before you can fly, this guide will show you how to safely and easily get started. Also if you have any questions or problems just ask

Quickstart Guide Video

The video below first shows you how to connect and charge your battery which is something you will need to do before your first flight. It then moves onto connecting your battey and binding your Devo 7 radio to the Runner 250. The last section shows you how to unlock/arm the motors before your first flight.

Walkera Runner250 User Guide

Flying for the first time

If you have never flown a quadcopter before, I would highly suggest you dont try fly this one (although it is fairly easy to fly) its not something you want to learn on as crashes can get expensive. My personal suggestion would be to buy something like the CX-20, a super cheap and small quadcopter that you can use to learn the basics of flying without worrying about breaking anything. Once you are happy with flying that I would move onto something bigger like the Runner 250

Thats all for now, but I will be adding some more details over time based on feedback… Otherwise if you have any comments feel free to add them below

[Adam_Featherstone]

Started on hubsans x4s then bought a runner whilst I plan and build an Fpv racer.

There are issues with the runner notably:
The frame isn’t pure carbon fibre but a laminate, add to that the top and bottom plates are only 1mm and the power board is part of the structural integrity and it isn’t particularly crash resistant,
It has the flip of death
Fail safe out the box is “run away never to be seen again”

But that said, it is fun to fly, I have banged it into the ground many times and it has no problems (in fact I haven’t even broken a prop, although they are not as straight as they once were)

I have thoroughly enjoyed using this as a “learning to fly 250 drones” machine/ learn Fpv

If you buy one, there are a number of things you need to do before you fly, these are thoroughly documented on you tube but the main ones are:

1. Switch throttle failsafe
2. Set throttle hold
3. Up the throttle trim to avoid flip of death
4. Fix id

You are going to need spare props, spare batteries and you will want a better charger than the one provided

Otherwise, I agree, get a nano quad and learn how to fly first, don’t expect to be Charpu and you can have fun with this quad

[Toohightofly]

So I have noticed flying the Walkera 250 with the provided remote (Devo 7) is fairly too highly sensitive.

Is there a way to diminish the flight controls sensitivity? I find it less stressful to manoeuver the drone at low altitude while the batteries are blinking warning of low voltage, because then the controls are less sensitive because the rotors don’t act like on amphetamines or something.

What can I use the AUX2 for?

What is the mix switch for?

If I switch the dir switch from 0 to 1 whilst the drone is flying towards me, will it behave as when it was flying away from me?

What happens if I put the FMD switch from 0 to 2? Instructions say the drone will go into roll mode. But isn’t that what it is already doing? Rolling when I use the right stick left and right. I do have to use rudders to make an actual turn just like when flying an actual plane.

[unmannedtech1]

It will probably be easier if you just connect it to your PC and change the PID values to make it less sensitive:

and if you need some more details on PID’s there are a bunch of tutorials on the internet, but here is a starting point.

P, I (and D) gains in a nutshell

I have been reading up on what I will need to do for setting up my APM. One of the confusing aspects was the PID settings. I have con across these before from using my 3D printer but really had very little idea as to what they really do and how they effect the machine. I found this site: P, I (and D) gains in a nutshell | Flite Test which has a great guide as to how the PID setting work on a rotary wing machine. Thought I would pop it up here for others who may not have seen it

[Toohightofly]

I’m not comfortable writing back to the controller
How about the remote is it possible to diminish the sensitivity of the remote itself for thrust, rudder and roll?

[Toohightofly]

Today I had a normal flight with my Walkera 250 but later on I decided to empty the battery by hovering over my bad. It kept flipping backwards on takeoff. Holding it from the frame I noticed it was backwardsing itself to a 45% tilted backwards angle. What gives? I messed with the antenna a bit, restarted the drone and remote and it started to behave normal again. What could cause the attitude indicator of the W250 to think it should tilt itself backwards?

[Toohightofly]

I realised the attitude indicator (AI), or artificial horizon, of the WR250 calibrates the moment you plugin the battery.

So it needs to sit on a flat, horizontal surface when you plug-in. Don’t hold it up in a random assiette and plug the battery or the drone will believe that’s horizontal and tilt and fall over on take-off.

In the course of finding this out I also noticed the WR250 is a pretty good lawnmower

[unmannedtech1]

Thanks thats a good point!