TEST: EACHINE EX100, better than the Eachine QX95 ?

[Drone News]

INTRODUCTION

After the QX’s series with the excellent QX95, Here is the smallest element of the new EX’s serie, the Eachine EX100. One more time, we have the same SPF3 Evo brushed board compatible with Cleanflight/Betaflight so a good sign for the stability of this machine. The difference are more located for the AIO FPV camera. From a 25mW 600TVL/170 degrees, we have now a 40CH 25mW 800TVL/120 degrees with a better light sensitivity. One novelty, the receiver is a DSM2/DSMX one with diversity antennas. Not yet any FrSky or FlySky version

BOX CONTENT

+ 1 x Eachine EX100 (with a 1S 600mAh LiPo with microLOSI connector)
+ 1 x USB charging cable
+ 4 x Spare props (2 CW, 2 CCW)
+ 1 x Battery strap
+ 2 x Velcro taped bands
+ 1 x Instruction manual (English)

Versus the QX90/QX95 notice the absence of an extra battery and spare motors …. No instruction manual also. For beginners, especially for the binding procedure, it’s a drawback. Don’t worry, I show how to proceed in my unboxing’s video.

OVERVIEW

In term of size and general shape, the design is close to the QX95. Except than now the camera is even more free of props intrusion. The Camera is solidely fixed to the frame. No possibility to ajust the tilt angle of it. In fact it can be a drawback since I think the base of the antenna connexion, PCB made, is potentially fragile and can break more easily than for the QX models. For these latter, the rubber band attaching the camera is paradoxally a protection for the antenna thanks to its flexibility. The frame is a 1mm model… and for rear arms more longer than for the QX95, it can be more fragile.

-FRONT VIEW

-SIDE VIEW

One positibility to bind the receiver is to jump the signal (white) pad with the GND (black) pad.

But the most safest way is to run the binding procedure via Cleanflight commands (see video)

The receiver is a iRangeX model assumed to be compatible with both DSM2/DSMX protocols. In practice, at least with my devo 7E, I was able to bind it only in DSM2 (set spektrum_sat_bind = 3). DSMX pairing was not fully working (set spektrum_sat_bind = 7), i.e. the binding was correct but channels control was overlapping between channels. Maybe a bug in the current DeviationTX DSMX implementation.

Diversity antenna can be placed front like this

-REAR VIEW

With the battery installed

-UPPER VIEW

-BOTTOM VIEW

All the connexions of the FC are not specifically protected on the bottom side.

It’s strongly advise to add liquid electrical tape there to make the board waterproofed.

-WEIGHT
More than 41g without battery so close to 3 extra grams versus announced specifications…..

A little bit more than 56g … so more or less the same weight than the QX95. It’s not super light and motors need absoluptly to be strong (at least as the QX95’s ones)

Motors

Props are exactly the same than the QX90/QX95.

Unfortunatly, they pop off super easily…. They need absoluptly to be glued…. of even better to be swapped to a strong model (Bebop spider or QX80 one for example).

The shaft lenght is 5mm.

Motors are assumed to be some strong Chiali 8.5mmx20mm model…. They are jailed with the same rubber ring as for the QX’s. Versus time motor won’t be perfectly vertically aligned. Time to time, you will need to fix their position. If the measured dimensions are correct… you will see in practice, they are very dispointing…

No real extra power expected…. and for sure less stronger that ones provided for the QX95….

The bottom side is at least protected by a foam element

LiPo

Exactly the same 600mAh 1S cell LiPo as for the QX’s serie. 25C of discharge rate mentioned;

Camera module

A new AIO is introduced here. It’s nothing else than the recent Eachine EX01 (https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2754418) A good 800TVL with a better light sensitivity than the QX’s one

The antenna’s base is not bendable and particulary fragile

On the left side, a tiny switch button to select the Vfreq(short press) or the Vband (long press)

40CH are supported and of course the race band is here.

FIRST USAGE

If the machine is super super stable so lovely to fly with…. the first impression is a disapointement. You will see than props will pop off super fast just after any minor contacts on the ground/objects. The gluing session is absoluptly necessary. More…. at least 40% of throttle is required to take off ….Punch out are so weak … We are far from the QX95 performances…. Damned these Chaoli motors are super disapointing…. Ok .. Let’s continue with positive points… The FPV signal is just great the FOV is really adapted for outdoors FPV flight… Really super stable especially after high turns… But don’t expect miracle for flips and rolls You need to apply minimym 70% to recover to any of these figures… The control range is super great too despite the DSM2 protocol… As expectable, with weaker motors, the flight duration is also negatively impacted. 4min30-5min of flight time maximum so close to 1min-1min30 less than for a QX95.

New video with more long range FPV test

CONCLUSIONS

One more time, I got a frustrating feeling with this machine. Why Eachine didn’t include directly the QX95’s motors with this EX100 coupled with QX80 props ???? It would have been probably the best Eachine brushed FPV machine. It’s really frustating since the FPV part is great as well as the other elements (FC & DSM2 receiver)… Of course, you can buy these elements standalone and install on the EX100. It’s probably the first mod to do. I think the EX100 is more adapted for outdoors conditions in the sense that I am afraid for indoors, the antenna base section can break more easily versus the QX’s especially on home hard surfaces.

UNBOXING, ANALYSIS AND CONFIGURATION

PROS

+ Super stable machine
+ Great AIO FPV cam
+ FPV signal free of props intrusion
+ SPF3 board
+ DSM2/DSMX receiver
+ Cheap ARF version

CONS

– Not strong Chiaoli motors
– Props pop off super easily
– No spare motors
– No extra battery
– No instruction manual
– No FrSky/Flysky version yet
– Buggy DSMX protocol ?
– Fragile Antenna’s base

RCgroups thread: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2750532

This quadcopter have been courtesy provided by Banggood in order to make a fair and not biased review. I would like to thank them for this attitude.
You can find it actually for 62USD at http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-EX100-100mm-Micro-FPV-Racing-Quadcopter-With-800TVL-Camera-Based-On-F3-Flight-Controller-p-1092168.html

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