FPV Drones
What are FPV drones? They are quad copters with a camera at the front that transmits the video signal to a headset that you wear, you are able to see what the drone sees and fly it like you are in the cockpit. I started flying FPV drones with a prebuilt drone, which I promptly crashed within the first few minutes of flying. After learning how to fix what broke I would fly and break it again. This process crashing and fixing parts helped me learn how drones are built and how to configure them. Over time I have learned how to build drones from scratch, configure the software correctly, and became great at soldering. The original drone I started with has been crashed and fixed so many times, the only original part is the camera.
3D Printing
My desire to get into 3D printing came from a problem I was having with my car keyfob. The keyfob itself was bulky, heavy, and the buttons were easy to press. If the keys folded on top of the keyfob in my pocket or if I wasn't careful putting it back into my pocket, the buttons could get pressed and unlock the car. Sometimes I would come back to my car and it would be unlocked. I wanted to make a new keyfob case that was low profile and make it harder to press the buttons. There were no products that seemed to fix this issue so I made my own. I learned how to use a CAD software called Solvespace and was able to make a replacement keyfob case. Learning how to make the keyfob transferred to other hobbies as well, the 3D printer has been very useful when it comes to my FPV drones. My original radio was made by Flysky, and I wanted to upgrade to using ELRS radio protocal which my radio didn't support. After purchasing an ELRS module and flashing new firmware onto the radio, I made a 3D printed mount to stick the module to the back of the Flysky radio. Many drone parts need custom mounts made for them and the 3D printer has allowed me to design and print my own mounts for parts that I otherwise would be unable to secure to the frame of the drone. Around the house I have been able to make replacement parts and tools that would otherwise be difficult or impossible (discontinued product or custom part) to purchase.
