How much do you spend per month on this hobby?

[Frisbee]

The initial investment to get into this hobby is fairly expensive, but the cost includes a lot of items that shouldn't break (FPV goggles, TX/RX, tools). I feel kind of embarrassed, and maybe a bit ashamed that I spent around $500 this last month. But I'm hoping that the maintenance cost for the hobby will be a lot lower than the startup cost. So, from your experience, how much do you find that it costs per month to keep a quad flying? (Not including upgrades.)

And I guess a second question is, do you find yourself frequently wanting to upgrade items? If so, how much do you find that you spend on this hobby in total?

 

[VirtueViolater]

i spend $100 to $300 a week on quads. props, motors etc. i can see me leveling out at about $100 a week eventually (maybe....lol) theres lots of stuff i want but tryin to stick to what i need to start racing atm

 

[theGreenOrange]

Depends if you are still crashing every flight. Once you get to where crashes are more rare, it doesn't cost much at all. Mostly just some props now and again. Of course there is always something you would like to upgrade, depends how good you are at resisting the itch on uneccesary purchases.

 

[Frisbee]

i spend $100 to $300 a week on quads. props, motors etc. i can see me leveling out at about $100 a week eventually (maybe....lol) theres lots of stuff i want but tryin to stick to what i need to start racing atm

$100-$300 per week?! $400-$1,200 per month?! Please tell me that is for really high end gear and lots of upgrading?

 

[VirtueViolater]

$100-$300 per week?! $400-$1,200 per month?! Please tell me that is for really high end gear and lots of upgrading?

just what ive been spending the last 2 mths, im flying several quads

 

[Frisbee]

Depends if you are still crashing every flight. Once you get to where crashes are more rare, it doesn't cost much at all. Mostly just some props now and again. Of course there is always something you would like to upgrade, depends how good you are at resisting the itch on uneccesary purchases.

Ok, that makes me hopeful. Then I just have to get to the point where crashes are rare. I really didn't crash very hard though, probably as lightly as the lightest crashes in the following video compilation for the Wizard X220 RTF.

He included a list of parts broken in 4 months, so I doesn't seem that expensive considering the number of hard crashes he had.
- 1 x VTX TS5823S 40CH 5.8G 200MW
- 2 x RX Flysky 2.4G 6CH FS-iA6B
- 1 x QUMOX sj4000 action cam
- 3 x AOMWAY 5.8G 3dBi antennas
- 2 x Landing Gear Sponge Mat lost
- 1 x Flight Controller's USB port
- 3 x Screwx lost
- 1 x Lower Plate Carbon Fiber frame
- Tons of props

 

[Frisbee]

just what ive been spending the last 2 mths, im flying several quads

Oh I see, so you're flying multiple quads, probably racking up 4-10 times more flight time than other people, and maybe pushing your limits and crashing more. I don't know how it compares, but I was hoping to fly about 3-6 batteries worth each day, if I can get two sessions per day, before work then charge and fly again after work.

 

[VirtueViolater]

3-6 paks a day is a good bit of practice. Sometime i fly 1-2 paks, sometime i fly every pak i have. Depends on time and crashes

 

[kandelin16]

I dont fly nearly as much, but I built my ZMR for 250 and have only bought a couple more props and super cheap fpv gear since.

 

[QAVRT]

I'm very new to the hobby. I didn't go cheap on buy-in so I spent around 1500 bucks to get into the hobby. Based on my friends experience who have been flying a few months, seems the costs is "maybe" 100 bucks a month at most. Thats provided you aren't killing batteries or totaling your drone or having to upgrade your drone. But thats just "maintenance".

But on the other hand my buddies spend more than that to some degree, some have multiple drones so they seem to be building/buying a new one a month which is about 400ish bucks...

I'd be surprised if I wind up spending more than 100 bucks in "maintenance"...

 

[Danny Z]

I have built 3 identical machines, bought a pair of FS Dom V3's , Taranis radio, two 80 watt chargers, 15 4s batteries.

I'm guessing I'm about $3000 into fpv.......
That being said, I am a complete noob, but I know what I want.

Now that I am set up how I want, and have been flying pretty steady for the last 8 weeks, i will go out on a limb (speaking strictly for my self and based on my extremely limited experience) I can see myself spending $100 a month .........maybe, and again based on my short time doing this, I agree with what has been said before, that more than not I will spend money on a "want" not a "need"

I fly more on the conservative side, only being aggressive after I have gotten comfortable with any new maneuver on the simulator.

I have also found out the hard way that steel and concrete is nowhere near as forgiving as grass.

Danny Z