The range of micro-drones of Hubsan has been enriched by a new model appealing, the H107D. It revives the heart craft Hubsan: devices with an onboard camera and video transmission module in real time. We tested the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+. For the record, we have also chronicled the X4 V1, V2 and X4 X4 H107C. What is the X4 H107D? Here’s our answer.
Welcome the efforts of the Chinese manufacturer to offer a beautiful look. This was the case of H107C model and its onboard camera, which we found very successful. The good news? This is also the case of the X4 H107D, dressed in a white shell that covers the entire structure. Beehive-type cells were dug in the hull, in the front, for a beautiful style and effect to allow the heat from the motherboard to disengage.
Both eyes hide blue LEDs which indicate the front of the apparatus. To better understand a glance the position of X4 H107D in space, the engines are equipped with arms diodes. Two blue in front, two red rear. Sympa. Propellers and engines are the same as the X4 H107C. The feet of each motor is isolated from impacts with rubber blocks. Under the unit is an antenna, encased in a heat-shrink sleeve.
It is that of the 5.8 GHz transmitter for transmitting the video. At the front face of the camera lens, slightly inclined downwards. At the rear, a hatch to insert Lipo 380 mAh battery supplied with the X4 H107D. Weight? The device is indicated to 40.3 grams on our balance without battery. With it goes to 51.2 grams. By hand, it gives the impression of being quite heavy – who has already had the experience of previous models … X4 confirmed Impression, but very little: the H107D weighs 0.5 grams more than the H107C. Suffice to say anything …
We must charge the battery with the USB cable. Full charging takes 1:40 minutes, just like that of the H107C (this is the same charger and the battery itself, this explains it). We must also place 4 AA batteries in the remote control. And since we are on the radio, a brief description is required. The previous model with an integrated screen showed any width. It is much more compact; it is a rather compact block 16.5 cm wide 19 cm long and 6 cm thick (without joysticks).
The two joysticks are complemented by trims for fine adjustments. There is two other buttons hand side of the screen. The screen precisely proves rather large. Its diagonal is 11.4 cm (4.5 inches). More than an iPhone, for example. But the resolution of the screen, it is much less than an iPhone. The manufacturer indicates 720 x 480 pixels. A value that seems high to us. Our estimate? It would instead be 720 x 240 pixels (maybe even 720 x 200 pixels for the bottom of the screen is garbled us).
But we do not have the technical capacity to audit the rules of art. On the right is a door designed to accommodate a microSD type memory card. Edit: just off a USB connector Fig. What is it used for? To update the firmware of the radio, in the future, assured us Hubsan! On the left, two video connectors for connection of immersion glasses. At power up the receiver welcomes Hubsan logo and the message “System Initialize”. In an unknown language, then.
Perhaps the one that speaks Borduria, or Ruritania? Then she invites you to connect the X4 H107D with “Bind to the plane.” Insert the battery into the slot. We must go slowly, there is little space and avoid damaging the son of two power connector. Plug in everything and put the X4 H107D on a flat surface. The connection is established in less than a second with a beep to witness, and the image appears on the screen … and the look of this radio? It does not leave indifferent: you either love or hate. For our part, it is a success with its large screen. Moreover, it proves very lovely in hand …
For the first flight, no way to look only at the screen. We must first take control of the beast, understand its behaviour with steering custody. Push gas, X4 H107D off quickly, vertically, with minimal drift. You can reduce the slippage in one direction with the trimmers. Then it’s up to you. The flight is very nice, the device responds well to the stresses. The weight does not feel in flight; the climbs are nervous and quick if you push the gas. The behaviour of the H107D is very close to that of H107C, which is itself similar to X4 V1 and V2.
The engines are the same as those of the H107C, a priori at least because no reference can distinguish. Very satisfactory first flight, so. Autonomy? It is a bit tight, with a full power flight for 5 minutes and 50 seconds. Then the LEDs flash, indicating that it is time to ask. Moreover, push the throttle to stay in the air. 6 minutes and 10 seconds, the X4 H107D arises and propellers not restart.
It’s time to study the display can offer … Reminder first. The control functions (gas, advance, retreat, translation right, left, right rotation, left) are broadcast by the radio via a 2.4 GHz module. The video, however, is based on a 5.8 GHz transmitter. Why these two frequency bands? To limit the risk of interference between the flight and the video back.
The display shows the image captured by the camera under the X4 H107D. The quality is adequate at best. With the advantage of not suffering through familiar to the entry-level cameras. The colours are not frank and suffer from a lack of contrast, of course, but they do not take to blue or green. Also, almost no note of latency (delay) between what appears on the screen and reality.
At the top left of the screen is indicated the period since the connection is established between the device and the remote control. Convenient to monitor the flight time if you decide to move away from a little. In the middle is the status of the battery X4 H107D in volts. At full load, it is 4.4 volts. In the end battery, it falls to 3.1 volts. Top right is the battery indicator on the radio control.
It has its importance because the screen is power hungry. We have not made precise measurements of the autonomy of the radio, but know that a rechargeable battery pack provides more than 50 flights. Right next to this indicator Figure icon that appears only when you trigger recording a video. At the bottom of the screen are indicators of trims.
By default, the H107D X4 is set for a nervous flight but easy to master. This is the “normal mode”. If you want to spice things up a bit and practice your acrobatics, switch to “expert mode”. Simply by pressing the joystick left (mode 1) or right (mode 2). The deflections are changed, allowing much tighter movements. As in previous models, you can easily trigger a barrel or a loop.
Push the translation joystick right then immediately left, and presto! H107D X4 performs a quick barrel you can stabilise fairly easily. With a little practice, handling is done in a handkerchief, indoors. If you need to nervousness “fashion expert”, but never from acrobatics, press the right stick (Mode 1) or left (mode 2). The display shows either “flip off” or “flip it”. The first mode prohibits acrobatics, the second allows. What is it for? If you insist on flying in a strong wind, switch to “expert mode” for nervousness, but choose “flip off” to never pay. Convenient! A good point: all modes can be switched on and off during flight.
The button on the left edge of the screen allows you to switch from “stable” default to “manual” mode. But then, the function is not documented in the manual, and we did not notice any change in steering by changing profiles. Bizarre. Edit: Hubsan told us that this button had so far not associated function, but it would come in the future, probably with another X4 model. If you press this button and turn on the radio, you get a hidden menu. It contains the RSSI value of the 5.8 GHz signal, the firmware version of the receiver, that of the LCD.
What is the RSSI value? The higher it is, the better the video quality. Once in this menu, connect the battery X4 H107D. The 2.4 GHz connection is not established (you cannot fly), but you can review the frequencies until you find the one to which the unit is attached. To do this, long press the joystick left (mode 1), and go to the 5.8G Frequency menu, then scroll frequencies up to see the image on the screen.
Make a long press on the joystick again to return to the value of RSSI. It is probably 60 or more. Repeat with a frequency close to see if the image can be improved. Nice but … what is it? To nothing. Unless you decide to change the antenna of the radio control: this will allow you to see if the quality is improved. Users seem to have gained in scope by merely cutting the plastic front of the antenna of the radio!
The button on the right edge of the screen is used to start recording a video. There is, of course, a microSD memory card type is present. Otherwise, you will not have the right to register. Hopefully, the display shows “rec” and the output is saved to the memory card. What do you need to know? The video is stored in multiple files 131 MB (never more), in Avi format, being the MJPEG encoding.
The stored duration varies, but on average, you can expect to store 1 hour and 40 minutes of video on an 8GB card It has an audio track but is voiceless. There is no microphone H107D edge of X4. For the resolution of the video? It’s a bit complicated. Hubsan says she is played in 720 x 480 pixels on the screen, but it is recorded in 720 x 240 pixels on the memory card. Bizarre weird. Our theory (but we do not have the technical means to check it), is that the camera films well in 720 x 480 pixels.
However, the video sent by the transmitter on board is 720 x 240 pixels to reduce the volume of data transferred and hope such a fluid connection as possible. What is displayed on the screen is an extrapolation to 720 x 480 pixels of an image to 720 x 240 pixels (each pixel is repeated twice on the vertical). With a slight crushing of the picture, since the screen is 16: 9, while the video is 4: 3. So shooting subjects appear smaller, crushed, compared to reality. The image quality is degraded, therefore, but the fluidity is optimised.
Again, this is just a guess. However, what is certain is that what is recorded on the memory card is indeed in a resolution of 720 x 240 pixels. This means that the image is very crushed (more than the screen). An additional note is provided by Hubsan to convert this format to the 4: 3 more conventional.
The display shows the image captured by the camera under the X4 H107D. The quality is adequate at best. With the advantage of not suffering through familiar to the entry-level cameras. The colours are not frank and suffer from a lack of contrast, of course, but they do not take to blue or green. Also, almost no note of latency (delay) between what appears on the screen and reality.
At the top left of the screen is indicated the period since the connection is established between the device and the remote control. Convenient to monitor the flight time if you decide to move away from a little. In the middle is the status of the battery X4 H107D in volts. At full load, it is 4.4 volts. In the end battery, it falls to 3.1 volts. Top right is the battery indicator on the radio control.
It has its importance because the screen is power hungry. We have not made precise measurements of the autonomy of the radio, but know that a rechargeable battery pack provides more than 50 flights. Right next to this indicator Figure icon that appears only when you trigger recording a video. At the bottom of the screen are indicators of trims.
By default, the H107D X4 is set for a nervous flight but easy to master. This is the “normal mode”. If you want to spice things up a bit and practice your acrobatics, switch to “expert mode”. Simply by pressing the joystick left (mode 1) or right (mode 2). The deflections are changed, allowing much tighter movements. As in previous models, you can easily trigger a barrel or a loop.
Push the translation joystick right then immediately left, and presto! H107D X4 performs a quick barrel you can stabilise fairly easily. With a little practice, handling is done in a handkerchief, indoors. If you need to nervousness “fashion expert”, but never from acrobatics, press the right stick (Mode 1) or left (mode 2). The display shows either “flip off” or “flip it”. The first mode prohibits acrobatics, the second allows. What is it for? If you insist on flying in a strong wind, switch to “expert mode” for nervousness, but choose “flip off” to never pay. Convenient! A good point: all modes can be switched on and off during flight.
The button on the left edge of the screen allows you to switch from “stable” default to “manual” mode. But then, the function is not documented in the manual, and we did not notice any change in steering by changing profiles. Bizarre. Edit: Hubsan told us that this button had so far not associated function, but it would come in the future, probably with another X4 model. If you press this button and turn on the radio, you get a hidden menu. It contains the RSSI value of the 5.8 GHz signal, the firmware version of the receiver, that of the LCD.
What is the RSSI value? The higher it is, the better the video quality. Once in this menu, connect the battery X4 H107D. The 2.4 GHz connection is not established (you cannot fly), but you can review the frequencies until you find the one to which the unit is attached. To do this, long press the joystick left (mode 1), and go to the 5.8G Frequency menu, then scroll frequencies up to see the image on the screen.
Make a long press on the joystick again to return to the value of RSSI. It is probably 60 or more. Repeat with a frequency close to see if the image can be improved. Nice but … what is it? To nothing. Unless you decide to change the antenna of the radio control: this will allow you to see if the quality is improved. Users seem to have gained in scope by merely cutting the plastic front of the antenna of the radio!
The button on the right edge of the screen is used to start recording a video. There is, of course, a microSD memory card type is present. Otherwise, you will not have the right to register. Hopefully, the display shows “rec” and the output is saved to the memory card. What do you need to know? The video is stored in multiple files 131 MB (never more), in Avi format, being the MJPEG encoding.
The stored duration varies, but on average, you can expect to store 1 hour and 40 minutes of video on an 8GB card It has an audio track but is voiceless. There is no microphone H107D edge of X4. For the resolution of the video? It’s a bit complicated. Hubsan says she is played in 720 x 480 pixels on the screen, but it is recorded in 720 x 240 pixels on the memory card. Bizarre weird. Our theory (but we do not have the technical means to check it), is that the camera films well in 720 x 480 pixels.
However, the video sent by the transmitter on board is 720 x 240 pixels to reduce the volume of data transferred and hope such a fluid connection as possible. What is displayed on the screen is an extrapolation to 720 x 480 pixels of an image to 720 x 240 pixels (each pixel is repeated twice on the vertical). With a slight crushing of the picture, since the screen is 16: 9, while the video is 4: 3. So shooting subjects appear smaller, crushed, compared to reality. The image quality is degraded, therefore, but the fluidity is optimised.
Again, this is just a guess. However, what is certain is that what is recorded on the memory card is indeed in a resolution of 720 x 240 pixels. This means that the image is very crushed (more than the screen). An additional note is provided by Hubsan to convert this format to the 4: 3 more conventional.
Some flights inside and outside. The X4 H107D proves easy to drive, even when confronted with gusts of wind. But in this case, the filmed videos are a little hard to watch. Flying beats calm weather for a few more stable videos.
Do not expect a GoPro type image or even an entry-level camera like Keychain 808 # 16: the quality is just OK. But the frame rate is quite high, close to 30 frames per second. This ensures a pleasant fluidity, especially if we want to drive by looking only at the screen, that is to say by immersion. The camera’s viewing angle is a little tight (probably within 80 °), but we made it.
The camera is tilted toward the ground, enough to see well down, but not too precisely to not see the bottom – as is the case with the camera of the TX5805 accessory Walkera. The first big question is: can you steal immersion, that is to say, leave the camera eye and trust that video back on the screen of the remote control? The answer is yes. The screen is large enough to make the most of the picture, the fluidity of the video link allows to react like clockwork, and X4 H107D is reliable enough that rely on its assistance to stabilisation in flight.
No worry to steal immersion in property released as a football field space. Things get complicated if you want to fly under trees, between the branches, but it is possible. Do not try to steal immersion with the wind: the X4 H107D drift too fast for you see you in time and you have time to react. Another challenge is to take immersion indoors. Again, this is possible, but you will have all the chances to go banging against the walls of a lack of benchmarks.
The practice is less risky if you equip the X4 H107D its protection of propellers. It is supposed to be in the form of an accessory purchase separately – is the same as that for the X4 H107C – but we were lucky to find it in the box! At worst, it only costs a few euros (several colours are available) … and reveals saving to fly indoors looking only at the screen. One final note? Know this: flying a small device like this immersion is much more challenging to take command of a more important device like the Phantom of DJI or Blade 350 QX Horizon Hobby!
This is the second major issue. How far door embedded video transmitter? Indoors, the range is insufficient. Blame it on 5.8 GHz technology chosen by Hubsan, susceptible to obstacles. Indoors, you go through one or two walls, but not a third. The video is blurred, becomes black and white, and the image finally disappears in the fog that we knew on TVs before the arrival of DTT.
Outside, everything is much better. We tried to get “high”: the video stream remained very good all the time. But hard to know how high we went, for lack of reliable indicator – probably about 40 meters. We then tried to fly at very low altitude and go as far as possible. This is a test that puts a strain video connection and belies the extent promised by the manufacturers. But Because being far away and close to the ground is a situation that you’re likely to meet, better know how far you can go.
The result of our tests? The video remained very correct up to a distance of 115 meters! Also, the image blurs very quickly to become snow. 115 meters is an excellent performance, especially by taking some altitude (about 20 meters), the video returns! We went up to 138 meters, after which the image is permanently lost. An excellent surprise, therefore, that this very satisfactory range. One caveat: the antenna works best by pointing the front of the radio to the X4 H107D. So you have to follow its movements in the “pointing” to radio as it moves away to ensure that the reception is optimal. Apparently, this manipulation is unnatural and, above all, it is not possible when you fly only with the screen since you do not know where the device is located relative to your position.
The radio offers a configuration menu. To access, you must perform a long press on the joystick left (mode 1). Among the available functions, launches the first viewing videos stored on the memory card. The second allows you to tell the time. The third format the memory card. The fourth reverse orders on demand. The fifth is handy: it enables to adjust the sensitivity of the flight modes. If for example the “normal mode” seems a little soft or too nervous hand, you can increase or reduce deflections.
Ditto for the “expert mode” that you can “calm” somewhat necessary. The sixth and final function changes the frequency that is transmitted to the video. What is it for? To avoid interference on the one hand: if you find that the video quality is poor, change frequency to hope no longer be disrupted by interference. Use the video back with another material that the other radio. If you have such glasses Fatshark with integrated receiver, you will be able to drive the X4 H107D total immersion! But most market receivers are compatible.
Or rather, the X4 H107D which is consistent, since its transmitter operates on nothing less than … 45 frequencies from 5725 MHz to 5945 MHz, 5 MHz increments. The frequency change is immediate, allowing you to review all values until you find one that suits you. Nice work from Hubsan! Is it easy to improve the scope of H107D X4? Hackers can easily replace the antenna of the radio control with a more efficient model, type Pinwheel or cloverleaf. It will be more challenging to place an antenna on the X4, but it must be possible.
You can also prefer a more efficient receiver Diversity type for example – but you have to use your video device (a monitor or glasses). Warning, you lose the information about the state of the battery from the device. Can we turn the radio mode 1 to mode 2? Your servant hacker’s talents are not enough to tell. A priori not, therefore, but you never know … Like other X4 models, the H107D can be calibrated to overcome the adjustments with the trims. Turn on the radio, connect the battery, turn the trims to 0 (a beep indicates that you are there). In mode 1, twist the joystick throttle to 0, and the other joystick down right. Shake the joystick of gas several times to the left and the right (leaving it to 0). Diodes X4 H107 will flash rapidly: the device is stabilized! In mode 2, move the joystick in the lower right gas, then shake the other joystick several times to the left and the right. Idem, the LEDs flash, it’s done.