With the commercial drone industry booming and currently growing by nearly 20% each year, there are now an unprecedented amount of drone kits that are available to you depending on your need. Thanks to heavy levels of research and development, drones can now be purchased for an affordable price whilst still maintaining a high quality design and a number of useful features.
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| Quadrocopter (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
If you are looking to purchase a drone, we have some things that you should keep in mind. Firstly, don’t get over-awed by some of the terms that may pop up, you may see acronyms such as ARF, RTF and BNF but once you know what they mean, you will be ready to find the right drone for you. RTF stands for ‘Ready-To-Fly’ and is a great option for beginners because it requires minimal assembly and can be used within a short period of time. RTF drones normally need charging, connecting with the controller and possibly installation of the propellers but other than that, it is ready to go.
Secondly, BNF means ‘Bind-And-Fly’; this option comes without a controller. This can be useful if you already have a handheld controller for a drone and don’t want to pay extra for one included with your new drone. You do have to check whether the new drone is compatible with your old controller because some may not work even if they are on the same channel or frequency. Finally, ARF stands for ‘Almost Ready-To-Fly’. This description for a drone can actually be quite broad and may mean different things for different products so be sure to read the description before purchasing. Some ARF products will include everything bar the transmitter and receiver whereas others may not even include a battery.
As a result of the booming industry, drones can be bought from just about anywhere in the world from a number of major online retailers. The main stores of this kind are based in the US as well as China but offer shipping around the world. You may be able to find a retailer closer to you if you search a little but you can’t go wrong with a big name.
Hobby King is one of the biggest names when it comes to drones and for good reason too. They manufacture their own products, have permission to manufacture others as well as sell some of the biggest brands available. While the thousands of options is great from a consumer point of view, you also have to remember that some parts or even drones themselves may not be that good in quality so remember to check the reviews before you make a purchase. RCGroups.com also offers a wide selection of products in its ‘classified’ section. This is where people can put their drones/parts up for sale creating a market for the products. Again, you have to be careful with this one as there maybe scammers (as there is everywhere online) so be sure to talk to the seller and maybe even view the desired product for yourself. There are also many other fantastic sources for drones and drone parts including DJI, quadrocopter.com and amazon. Just remember to stay safe when purchasing online and do not pay out money in a situation where you feel uncomfortable.
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