Build Your Own Quadcopter: Power Up Your Designs with the Parallax Elev-8

This is an outstanding book for what it is. As someone with a background in computer science, some basic electronic engineering knowledge, and a ham radio license I found the material to be very approachable and a useful introduction to the underlying function of modern RC technology. I do not have nor expect to have the parallax product referenced in the book, so I was able to move quickly through sections which were specific to that hardware. The book would have been just as good if it left the parallax portions out, and even better if it replaced them with some more hardware agnostic material addressing i2c, sbus, and other common technologies in use today.All in all, this book is the most technical book I have found on the topic and written in a way that someone new to RC but versed in adjacent field of knowledge could make great use of it. Well done to the author.

The book is an excellent reference book for one looking for details at a grass roots level when building a unique quadcopter. There are numerous examples to help with understanding what the issues are for designing firmware, sizing motors, flight control considerations, etc. Very helpful for a newbie just getting into quad building. What it lacked was the latest standardized flight control PCB's like the Naze32, etc. It is oriented toward the DJI products that were current about 18 months an earlier ago.I recommend the book to any newbie and it would be helpful to sit down with a very experienced quad builder to help with some of the details if details are important. Somewhat like a new aspiring pilot would do with a CFI.

This book is a comprehensive and in depth look at every system and circuit needed to make a Elev-8 copter. I will admit it is not for people that are not somewhat familiar with engineering or technically inclined. I admit that I have a degree in engineering, but I knew nothing about RC planes and quadcopters. After reading this one book, I am comfortable talking about them with people that have built them and fly them. I will be ordering my Parallax copter next month...it looks like a new design is in the works :)

This very technical, and will be useful for people who got some back ground knowledge on programming micro controllers. General hobby people may or may not find this book very useful.

No Comment

Very detailed lots of information on building quadcopter.

I completely misunderstood the purpose of this book. I thought it was how to physically BUILD a quad not program it from scratch. I'm not saying it is not a good book to read if you are an aeronautical engineer with advanced programming skills, but it is not for ME. I have done programming my whole life but not this advanced. I will see if I can return it or wait until I advance my programming skills. I give it generously two stars because it was not adequately described.

Great book! It is written by an Engineer so it probably goes a little deeper than most people want but the author explores some really cool options if the desire is there to mount a camera for FPV flying, GPS auto piloting, etc.

BOOK IS AS EXPECTED, SERVICE VERY GOOD

complicated

If you are planning on using Parallax Elev-8, this is the book for you. Despite what a number of other reviews say, this book does not provide a detailed top-down explanation of all-parts that are needed for a quadcopters to operate autonomously or via a remote control mechanism. The explanation related to the required parts are scattered and are not described in a structured manner.Almost everything is explained in the context of Parallax Elev-8 which makes the drone very bulky and expensive to make. With lack of a general book that can deal with building a small affordable quadcopter, either you have to buy a few books and pick-up bits and pieces from each or actually dive-in and starting tinkering with the available kits and learn everything on your own.

This book has been and will be very good over all for some one new to the hobble, it does go over a lot of the core components and drills down to n each one. This is currently my go to book as I try to better understand quad-copters. Thank you again

I did not build any thing from this book, but reading it provided lots of really useful information toward my understanding while building others. Good guide and reference.