By Terry Dunnon Testing： Ares Quadcopters

In my recent look at starter FPV quads， I had an opportunity to log some flight time with the Ares Ethos FPV. I‘ll admit that I wasn’t really familiar with Ares products prior to pulling together that article. I later found out that Ares is a house brand for Hobby Town， a chain of brick-and-mortar hobby shops across the US. Until very recently， I didn‘t have a Hobby Town within 100 miles of my house. I guess that explains my knowledge gap. Regardless， I was impressed by the Ethos FPV. So I decided to investigate some of the other quads that they offer.

The quads in the Ares lineup vary greatly in size， but they are all geared towards beginners and sport flyers. While some carry cameras， none have gimbals or GPS that would be necessary to make them serious aerial photography platforms. These machines are primarily for the sole enjoyment of flying. I tested three models： the Spectre X， Ethos QX 130， and Ethos HD.

This family portrait of a few Ares brand multi-rotors illustrates the significant size differences between quads that were tested.Spectre X

The Spectre X （$89.99） is a mini-quad meant for indoor flying. With a diameter of 120mm， it is in the same league as the Heli-Max 1SQ and Hubsan X4 that we have often recommended as starter quads. While the Spectre X is not Ares’ smallest quad， it is the smallest with a camera.

The camera records video at 640x480 at 25fps and photos are 1280x960 JPEGs. With those specs， you won‘t be shooting any documentary scenes with the Spectre X. But the camera is a fun little novelty to play with. A 2GB micro-SD card for the camera and USB card reader are included as well.

The included transmitter is a medium sized unit with conventional layout. In addition to the two joysticks and trim levers used to control the quad， there are four buttons on the face of the transmitter. They allow you to start/stop video recording， take a still photo， switch between low， medium， and high control rates， and initiate an aerial flip. It runs on four AA alkaline batteries， which are included.

The Ares Spectre X offers very sedate handling， making it ideal for new pilots.

A 1S-700mAh Lipo battery is provided with the Spectre X. This is good for about 9 minutes of flight. The 500mA USB charger takes about 1.5 hours to charge a dead battery. The battery is housed in an enclosed compartment of the quad.

The hinged door of the battery compartment kept falling off every time I opened it. The piece that is supposed to hold the door’s hinge pin just didn‘t fit tightly enough. To correct this， I began by adding a thin layer of grease to the hinge pin. With the door in place， I then filled the gap in the plastic pin holder with Household Goop adhesive. The grease on the pin prevents the Goop from bonding to it.

The first time I flew the Spectre X， I appreciated how sedate the controls are. Many other mini-quads have overly sensitive controls， which makes them difficult to fly for beginners. Sure， most of them can be adjusted to make them more docile. But the Spectre X is the first I’ve seen that is configured this way out of the box. On low rates， it is really docile…just what new fliers need.

Switching the control rates has a significant effect on the performance of the quad. This should provide an easy progression for a newbie as their skills improve.

Switching the control rates has a significant effect on the performance of the quad. This should provide an easy progression for a newbie as their skills improve. I like to keep it on the medium rate when I‘m flying in my living room. I’ll usually bump it up to high rates and play with the flip button when I take the Spectre X to larger indoor venues or outdoors.

Ares offers a Wi-Fi FPV option for this tiny quad. It consists of a replacement camera and a clip to mount a smart phone to the transmitter. It only took a few minutes to swap the cameras and install the required app on my iPhone. The system works pretty well， with only occasional lag on the video link. The image quality you see is actually pretty good. But again， the recordings are not very high quality.

The app has cyber joysticks overlaid on the screen which can be toggled on or off. Presumably， these are intended to pilot the model. But they don‘t seem to work with the Spectre X， which is fine with me. Why would you use fake joysticks when you already have the real thing？

Overall， I think that the Spectre X deserves a place among my other recommended mini-quads. The beginner-friendly controls make it especially well suited as a first multi-rotor.

Ethos QX 130

I’ll go ahead and say it now， the Ethos QX 130 （$99.99） is my favorite of the Ares quads. In fact， it is now my favorite non-GPS quad of any size from any manufacturer. The QX 130 is a jack of all trades that does many different things well.

The QX 130 has a diameter of 227 mm， so it is significantly larger than the Spectre X. At the same time， it is not too large to preclude living room flights. I wouldn‘t want to fly anything much larger than the QX 130 in my house， but it’s really not a problem with this bird.

The Ethos QX 130 includes a full-size transmitter. The size of the quad makes it suitable for flying indoors or outdoors.

This quad features geared motors with large props…a more efficient setup than direct drive. Just as important， the larger， slower-turning props create much less noise than a comparable direct drive system. The smaller， direct-drive quads like the Spectre X emit a high-pitched whining sound. The note of the QX 130 is noticeably quieter and less harsh.

Another reason I like the QX 130 so much is that it has a full-size transmitter. While it‘s not fancy， it doesn’t need to be. The dual rates are fixed at 100% for high rate and 60% for low rate. I‘d prefer adjustable rates， but this arrangement works well enough. As with the Spectre X， there is also a flip button that will make the QX 130 somersault in the air. It’s a fun little diversion.

The QX 130 includes a 1S-500mAh Lipo that is good for about 7 minutes of flight. Extra batteries are less than $10， so it makes sense to grab a few extras. The included AC wall charger takes about an hour to refill a depleted battery.

The Ares QX130 is the by far most stable of all non-GPS multi-rotors that I‘ve flown.

In the air is where the QX 130 really shines. It is the by far most stable of all non-GPS multi-rotors that I’ve flown. At a recent indoor flying session， I was flying the QX 130 and set the throttle to a little under 50%. The QX 130 hovered in ground effect a few inches above the floor and stayed in place as if it did have GPS. At one point， I even set the transmitter on the ground （generally a very dumb thing to do） and pushed the quad around with one finger like an air hockey puck. My friend， Gary Jones， filmed it.

The body of the QX 130 provides a big boost to visual orientation of the quad. There is also a set of LED lights that help you know which way is forward. The lights can be turned on and off via the transmitter.

On low rate controls， the quad should be manageable for new fliers as long as they have some elbow room…an indoor basketball court or outdoors on a calm day. Anybody with multi-rotor experience should have no trouble keeping the QX 130 off the walls within a moderate sized living room.

On high rates， the QX 130 is responsive. You can really toss it around the sky. I was surprised by how much speed I could get out of it even within the space of a basketball court. It‘s really fun to fly. The only shortcoming I found with this quad’s flying performance is that it tends to wallow after a flip. It‘s like the motors can’t get back up to speed quickly enough to stabilize the quad.

I am very impressed with the flying qualities of the QX 130. It is now my favorite non-GPS quad of any size.

Ares offers a selection of neat accessories for the QX 130. These include an HD camera， winch， toy rocket launcher， squirt gun， and bubble blower. It may seem silly， but I was really excited to try those things out. Unfortunately， all but the camera were on backorder when I received the QX 130. As soon as I can get the other stuff in hand， I‘ll do a follow up to see if those accessories are as much fun as they sound.

I did try the camera for a few flights. It shoots still photos and video at 1280x720 resolution. Ares’ website says the camera shoots video at 60fps， but the footage I have is 24fps. If there is a way to change this setting， I haven‘t found it yet. Regardless of the frame rate， I wasn’t impressed with the media I was able to get with the camera. The photos were not sharp and the video was shaky. Perhaps the camera just needs a better mounting system to isolate it from vibration. That being said， I have yet to find any mini-quad-compatible camera that captures truly good media.

Ethos HD

The Ethos HD （$169.99） is the QX 130‘s big brother. The two quads look very similar and also share many features， including the transmitter. The main difference is that the Ethos HD is considerably larger， with a 355mm diameter （roughly the size of a DJI Phantom）。 The Ethos HD is also the Ethos FPV’s twin brother. The basic airframe is the same. Rather than a FPV system， the Ethos HD includes a HD camera.

The Ethos HD is much like the QX 130， only bigger and more powerful. It should be flown outdoors or in large indoor spaces.

The included camera is very similar to the popular Mobius Action Camera in size and video specs. A switch on the side lets you choose between 1080P/30fps or 720P/60fps. The camera lens can be tilted manually within about a 20-degree range of motion. The camera‘s video and photo operations can be controlled in flight via buttons on the transmitter.

Unlike the other cameras looked at here， the HD’s camera mount does have a vibration isolation system. Although there is occasional jello distortion in the video， the footage is typically pretty good. The primary limiting factor is smooth flying. The one day that I set out to shoot video with the Ethos HD was windy and I was located between several tall buildings. The turbulent air knocked around the quad and made steady shots hard to come by. I expect much different results on a calmer day.

The Ethos HD includes a pretty decent camera that is mounted on rubber vibration isolators. It produces the best photos and video of the Ares quads I‘ve flown， but I wouldn’t consider it a serious camera platform.

As with the Ethos FPV， the 2S-1200mAh battery provides flight times of about 9 minutes. It could take up to three hours for the included charger to fill a dead battery. The same accessories that can be used with the QX 130 are also compatible with the Ethos HD （and Ethos FPV）。

This photo taken with the Ethos HD shows the image quality in bright sunlight.

The Ethos HD is too big to comfortably fly in my house， but it is great at an indoor basketball court. The performance and handling of this quad Is quite similar to the QX 130， but with more power on tap. Not only does the HD perform flips without wallowing， I was able to repeatedly do flips without even losing any altitude.

The relative higher power of the Ethos HD also makes it a good outdoor flyer. I‘ve flown it in pretty rough conditions and it has the power needed to buck significant headwinds. As I mentioned， high winds can stymie your camera footage. But the quad will fly in wind just fine. The Ethos HD does not have GPS， so it will not stay in position by itself when the wind is blowing.

Just like the QX 130 and Ethos FPV， the body on the Ethos HD is a huge benefit for in-flight orientation. Also given the larger size of this quad， you can comfortably venture out a little further.

With more power available， the Ethos HD is capable or more aggressive maneuvers than the Spectre X or Ethos QX 130.Conclusion

As a relative unknown in the increasingly-crowded quadrotor market， I wasn’t sure what to expect from Ares quads. After all， you wouldn‘t normally expect a hobby shop house brand to be a top contender. Now that I’ve flown four quads in the Ares lineup， I have to say that they‘re pretty good--especially the Ethos QX 130. While none of them are perfect， they are all solid performers with good features.

The Spectre X can hold its own against any other micro-quad I’ve flown. The QX 130 is the best non-GPS quad I‘ve flown， period. The Ethos HD is like the QX 130， but it simply has no peers in its size range to compare to （that I know of）。

I will continue to fly these ships to determine if there are any long-term durability issues. I will also report back once I’ve had a chance to test out the full array of accessories for the Ethos quads. I‘m really looking forward to being the first guy on my block to have a quad with a squirt gun…seriously！

Terry spent 15 years as an engineer at the Johnson Space Center. He is now a freelance writer living in Lubbock， Texas. Visit his website at TerryDunn.org and follow Terry on Twitter： @weirdflight

自動翻譯僅供參考

Ares飛行器測評 特里Pd降低戰(zhàn)神quadcopters

在我最近看起動器FPV Quad，我有機會記錄一些飛行時間與戰(zhàn)神EYOS FPV。我承認，我不熟悉ARES產品之前，拉在一起的文章。后來我發(fā)現，阿瑞斯是一個房子品牌的嗜好鎮(zhèn)，一個連鎖磚和砂漿愛好商店橫跨美國。直到最近，我在我家100英里以內沒有一個嗜好小鎮(zhèn)。我想這可以解釋我的知識差距。不管怎樣，我對FPV精神留下了深刻的印象。所以我決定調查他們提供的其他四個部分。

四在戰(zhàn)神系列的大小差異很大，但他們都是面向初學者和運動的傳單。而一些攜帶相機，沒有框架或GPS，就必須使他們嚴重的航空攝影平臺。這些機器主要用于飛行的唯一享受。我測試了三種模式：幽靈X，精神和民族精神的QX 130，HD。

this幾頃品牌多轉子全家福說明四邊形進行了測試之間存在明顯的大小差異。幽靈X

幽靈X（89.99美元）是一個小型的四指室內飛行。一個直徑120mm，它是在同一個聯盟的合力最大1sq和hubsan X4，我們經常推薦曲四邊形。而幽靈X不是阿瑞斯的最小的四，它是最小的一個相機。

攝像機記錄視頻在640x480在25fps和照片JPEG 1280x960。有了這些功能，你不會任何拍攝紀錄片的場景與幽靈X.但是照相機是一個有趣的小玩意兒玩。一個2GB的Micro SD卡的攝像頭和讀卡器都包括在內。

包括發(fā)射機是一種中型機組與常規(guī)布局。除了兩搖桿和裝飾桿用來控制四，有對發(fā)射面四個按鈕。他們允許你開始/停止錄像，采取一個靜止的照片，低，中，高控制率之間的切換，并發(fā)起空中翻轉。它運行在四節(jié)AA堿性電池，其中包括。

the戰(zhàn)神幽靈X很穩(wěn)重的處理，使其成為理想的新飛行員。

一1s-700mah鋰電池具有幽靈X。這是約9分鐘的飛行好。500mA的USB充電器大約需要1.5小時才能死電池充電。電池被安置在一個封閉的隔間里。《 /對了，在每一次打開它時，電池倉的鉸鏈門一直在脫落。一塊被認為是在門的鉸鏈銷，只是不適合足夠緊。為了糾正這一點，我開始加入一層薄薄的潤滑脂的鉸鏈銷。隨著地方的門，然后裝入塑料針座差距與家用液體粘合劑。在銷的潤滑脂防止液體從結合到它。

我第一次飛的幽靈x，我欣賞的控制是多么平靜。許多其他小型四邊有過于敏感的控制，這使得它們很難飛的初學者。當然，他們中的大多數可以調整，使他們更溫順。但幽靈X是我第一次看到如此配置開箱。在低利率的情況下，它是很溫順的…就是新飛行員的需要。

開關的控制率，對四性能效果顯著。這應該提供一個新手的技能提高一個簡單的進展。

切換控制率對四性能效果顯著。這應該提供一個新手容易提高自身技能的進展。我喜歡在我的起居室里飛行時把它放在中等速度上。我通常會撞到高利率和玩翻頁按鈕，當我把幽靈X較大的室內場所或室外。

阿瑞斯提供Wi-Fi的選項，這個小小的四。它由一個替換的攝像頭和一個夾子安裝一個智能手機到發(fā)射機。只花了幾分鐘就可以把相機換上，并在我的手機上安裝了所需的應用程序。該系統工作相當好，只是偶爾滯后的視頻鏈接。你看到的圖像質量真的很好。但是，這些素質不是很高。

應用程序網絡游戲桿蓋在屏幕可開啟或關閉。據推測，這些都是為了試點的模式。但他們似乎不與幽靈X的工作，這是我的罰款。你為什么要用假桿的時候你已經有真實的東西嗎？《 / P 》

總的來說，我認為幽靈X值得我其他推薦的迷你線之間的地方。初學者友好的控制使它特別適合作為第一個多轉子。

風氣QX 130

我先走一步，現在說，風氣QX 130（99.99美元）是我最喜歡的是四邊形。事實上，它是我最喜歡的非全球定位系統的任何大小的任何制造商的任何大小。QX 130是一個多面手，做許多不同的事情。

QX 130直徑有227毫米，所以它是在同一時間比幽靈X明顯大了，不太大，使客廳的航班。我不想要飛比我家的QX 130大得多，但它真的不是這種鳥的一個問題。

the風氣QX 130包括一個全尺寸的發(fā)射機。四的大小使得它適合在室內或室外飛行。《對大道具的四個特點是齒輪馬達，更有效的設置比直接驅動。同樣重要的是，更大的，慢的轉向道具創(chuàng)造的噪音比一個可比的直接驅動系統。小的，像幽靈X直接驅動四周發(fā)出高音調的聲音。的QX 130注更安靜和不太苛刻。

《 P 》的另一個原因我喜歡QX 130這么多的是，它有一個全尺寸的發(fā)射機。雖然不喜歡，它不需要。雙率固定在100%的高利率和低利率60%。我希望可調利率，但這安排工作很好。與幽靈X，還有一個翻頁鍵，將使QX 130空翻。這是一個有趣的小分流。

QX 130包括一個1s-500mah脂很好，大約7分鐘的飛行。額外的電池不到10美元，所以要抓住一些額外的電池是有意義的。包括AC充電器大約需要一個小時補充耗盡的電池。

戰(zhàn)神qx130是迄今為止最為穩(wěn)定的非GPS多轉子，我飛在空中。

在QX 130真正的光芒。它是迄今為止最穩(wěn)定的所有非全球定位系統的多轉子，我已經飛。在最近的一次室內飛行期間，我在飛的QX 130和設置油門略低于50%。QX 130在地面幾英寸以上的地板和呆在的地方，如果沒有GPS。在這一點上，我甚至將發(fā)射器在地上（通常是一個非常愚蠢的事），把四周圍用手指像空氣曲棍球。我的朋友，加里瓊斯，拍攝它。

身體的QX 130提供了一個很大的提高，視覺定位的四。還有一組發(fā)光二極管燈，幫助你知道哪條路是向前的。燈可以打開和關閉通過發(fā)射機。

低利率管制，四應該可以控制新的傳單，只要他們有一些空間…一個室內籃球場或在一個平靜的一天。多轉子經驗人應該不難保持QX 130上墻在一個中等大小的起居室。

高利率，QX 130響應。你可以把它扔到天空。我感到驚訝的是，我可以在一個籃球場的空間里，能有多快的速度走出去。飛行真有趣。唯一的缺點我發(fā)現這四的飛行性能，它往往沉溺在翻轉。就像汽車不能回到速度之快足以穩(wěn)定四。

i是與飛行品質的QX 130印象很深刻。現在是我最喜歡的非GPS四的任何大小。

戰(zhàn)神提供了一個選擇的QX 130整齊的配件。這些包括一個高清攝像頭，絞車，玩具火箭發(fā)射器、水槍、泡沫機?？赡芸雌饋砗苌担艺娴暮芨吲d去嘗試這些東西。不幸的是，除了相機缺貨時我接到QX 130。只要我能用手拿其他的東西，我會做一個跟進，看看這些配件是否像他們的聲音一樣有趣。它拍攝照片和視頻在1280X720分辨率。“戰(zhàn)神”網站說，攝像頭拍攝的視頻在60fps，但我的鏡頭是24fps。如果有一種方法來改變這個設置，我還沒有找到它。不管是什么速度，我都沒有印象與媒體我能夠得到的相機。這些照片并不是很清晰，視頻也不穩(wěn)定。也許相機只需要一個更好的安裝系統來隔離它的振動。也就是說，我還沒有找到任何迷你四兼容相機捕捉真正的好媒體。

精神高清

風氣HD（169.99美元）的QX 130的哥哥。兩四周看起來非常相似，也有許多共同的特點，包括發(fā)射機。主要的區(qū)別是，風氣HD是相當大的，與355mm直徑（約一DJI Phantom的大?。?。民族精神是民族精神的HD FPV的孿生兄弟。基本的機身是一樣的。而不是一個FPV系統，風氣HD包括一個高清攝像頭。

the風氣HD很像QX 130，只是更大和更強大的。它應該懸掛在室外或大的室內空間。

包括相機非常類似于流行的Mobius行動相機的大小和視頻規(guī)格。旁邊的一個開關可以讓你1080P/30fps或720p 60fps之間選擇/。該相機的鏡頭可以在大約20度范圍內手動傾斜。該攝像機的視頻和照片操作可以通過在發(fā)射器上的按鈕來控制飛行，而不像其他的相機在這里看，高清的攝像機安裝有隔振系統。雖然是在視頻中偶爾的果凍失真，畫面通常是很好的。主要限制因素是平穩(wěn)飛行。有一天，我拍攝的視頻與民族精神的高清是有風的，我在位于乙