XIRO Xplorer V from Amazon seller DIYmall Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a XIRO Xplorer V Quadcopter / Drone from Amazon seller DIYmall for a product review. My package came with the following, but keep in mind this is a newer product so the contents might change:

- XIRO Quadcopter itself
- Charger and battery
- 3 sets of propellers (two different styles).  I don’t think this is standard.
- Transmitter, lanyard and range extender
- Camera with 8GB memory card installed, mounted on 3-axis gimal.  The camera includes a filter cover for use in bright sun, and a lens cover.  You can fly without it attached - in fact it is recommended you do not use it when you are just starting to learn.
- A few other smaller things, like a set of extra rubber feet for the landing legs

The package itself includes a piece of cardboard with “XIRO” on it, I actually use that as a takeoff and landing pad.  Everything is packaged up nicely, and you can actually use the box as a carrying case - you have to remove a few pieces, but still a great way to reuse the box.

The cardboard on the right makes a nice landing pad

Quadcopter removed, everything is packed nicely.

Setting up the quadcopter was pretty simple, just follow the directions - everything you need is included, which is nice.  I decided to update the firmware for the flight control and gimbal, I would recommend anyone with a quadcopter always run the latest versions of firmware.  As a note, the bottom of the battery charger gets hot so you may want to put it on the side.

Closeup of one of the motors

Close up of the battery mount - it has a green line to show you where to line it up, very useful

Flying this quadcopter is very fun and not difficult at all.  This unit uses GPS, which helps keep it stable even if there is wind outside - the fact the unit itself is fairly slim also helps minimize the impact due to wind.  The unit has 3 control modes, I keep mine in mode 1 most of the time which is best for new users but mode 3 does make it faster which is fun.  Basically it can grow with you.

Landing legs down ( use with gimbal )

Landing legs down ( you can use without gimbal if you want )

The XIRO has some pretty cool features, such as:

- Auto takeoff and landing, just press a button
- It can return home when you press a button (it will fly to you, then land within a few feet of where it took off).  It will also do this automatically when your battery is low.
- If the quadcopter loses connection with your transmitter, it will come back towards you to try to get signal and if that fails it will come back to the “Home” position and land.

Removable piece with camera and gimbal

Includes a 8GB microSD memory card, lens cover, lens filter for use in the sun

This version allows you to use your smartphone to connect and watch live video plus get information such as remaining battery which is very useful.  The transmitter has a cradle to hold the smartphone, which is very nice.  Using the software, you can trigger the onboard camera to take pictures or record video that gets stored on the included microSD 8GB memory card (which you can upgrade to 32GB).

To see the quality of video, I would recommend do some searches on Youtube to see samples -- I got my quadcopter up about 100ft and took some nice video of a local park ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfxXar_3W-0 ).  The 3-axis gimbal makes the video very stable and smooth.

I plan to keep using the quadcopter, and will update this review if I run into any issues.  I haven’t tested all the features yet, but so far from what I have seen it performs very well.

For anyone who decides to purchase a quadcopter, consider the following suggestions:

- Read all the directions/manuals first, it comes with paper manuals but you can get them online and the Android app also lets you access instructions.  Look at them all, too much information can’t hurt.
- If you live in the US, consider joining the AMA ( www.modelaircraft.org ).
- If you live in the US, make sure you know the FAA rules.  Commercial use is very restricted, but for hobby use check out ( https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/ ).
- If you live in the US, Check out this site ( http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/ ).
- Find an open space when you are learning how to use the quadcopter
- Avoid parks with kids, they will end up coming near you and ask questions which is a distraction or they will actually stand under it which isn’t safe
- Do NOT try to fly this inside your house, resist the temptation.

Bottom line: This is a very impressive quadcopter that should be able to handle a beginner with no problem, but provide features that an experienced owner will appreciate.

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B012FE0X8C

Volmate DMM Review ( model VOL880 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a Volmate digital multimeter ( model VOL880 ) for a product review. In addition to the meter itself, two probes (red/black) were included.

The meter can be used to measure the following:

- DC and AC voltage ( up to 600V )
- Resistance (200Ohm-2000K Ohm range)
- It can also test things like continuity, diodes and transistors

You have to manually set the ranges using the dial, so it isn’t as convenient as an autoranging meter but manual ones typically cost less than autoranging meters.

For real world tests, I used the meter to measure various voltages on supplies and batteries that I had -- the meter seemed to work fine.  The “hold” button is useful if you are logging your data and need to write down your measurements, and the backlight helps you see the screen clearly.  The backlight stays on for a few seconds before turning off, but the hold button doesn’t change the display until you press it again.

So far the meter works, I will update this review if I run into any issues.

Bottom line: If you are looking for digital multimeter for hobby use, and don’t mind having to manually set the range this is a nice option.