XK DETECT X380: A cheap DJI Phantom alternative

I received some useful critiques on the RC Groups forum regarding my previous quadcopter review and thanks for this. I kindly ask all my readers, in case they find incorrect facts or just some mistyped words in my XK X380 review or in any of my articles to notice me. I never claimed that I’m a professional writer or a quadcopter specialist but I’m trying to do my best to help others discover the latest quadcopter models.

My goal through the product reviews that I do is to provide as many useful details as I can, not necessarily to convince my readers to buy them. I’m always trying to make my reviews as honest as possible and to share not just the positive but also the negative facts regarding the products. Taken into consideration the bad experiences of others with this X380 quadcopter, I was very skeptical regarding the final conclusions of my review.

Before my first flight with a new toy, especially with a complex GPS one, I read many blog posts and forum threads about the drone. I know it’s a bit time-consuming, but I always find some useful recommendations. Real user experiences are the best way to find out more about a product beyond the manufacturer’s “dry” specs. Also, it is cheaper to learn from other’s mistakes than from your own. For example, many owners reversely connected the Gimbal to the X380 and they burned out the receiver board.

XK DETECT X380 review and test

The XK DETECT X380 family has four models, the only difference being the video equipment:

• X380 – basic setup, no gimbal or camera;
• X380-A 1080P – HD Sports camera with built-in 1-axis gimbal;
• X380-B 1080P – Mobius alike camera;
• X380-C HD – GoPro-like camera with 2-axis brushless gimbal.

Already having some compatible action cameras and a cheap 2D Gimbal I decided to order from GearBest the standard model. I was very disappointed when after 4 days of posting, the parcel was returned back to China because of some “security issues”. After GB resends it to me, I will receive it in 2 weeks. I had luck with a friendly customs officer, and I didn’t pay any extra charges. He asked only what was inside the box, I said a “quadcopter“, he asked again “a kind of drone” I smiled and said Yes. After only 40 minutes of picking up my package, I finally had the X380 in my hand to review it. (it takes 30 minutes the way from the postal office to home).

XK X380: First impression

Both the aircraft’s and transmitter’s build quality is surprisingly good, with no cheap material as I expected. Everything in the box was well arranged to prevent any damages during the overseas shipment.

The airframe has a nice carbon-style painting that makes it look a bit different from other 350 mm-sized drones. Somehow, the design of the X380 tries to imitate a UFO with long landing legs.

Besides the X380 quad and its remote controller, the package contains the following:

• X380 user manual;
• 5400mAh 3cell 11.1V LI-Po battery (20C);
• Balance Li-Po charger (suitable for 2s and 3s batteries);
• 220V to 12V 2A power adapter;
• USB data cable for firmware upgrade and interfacing with ground station;
• Camera mount with dumping balls;
• 1set of propellers (2pcs CW and 2pcs CCW);
• Tools for installation of the propellers.

The aircraft comes with pre-installed landing legs, but in order to make my first fly, I had to install the propellers by myself. Both the blades and the arms of the drones are marked with the correct order of the propeller installation. Just a quick note: the white color props are for the front, and the red ones are for the back.

A big multicolor LED light in the rear of the quadcopter marks the status of the flight controller. In the X380’s user manual (page 6) there is a table that explains the meaning of all the possible color combinations (sequences). I recommend to consult this table before and during every flight.

In the front part of the airframe, there are two bright LEDs that look just like a vintage motorcycle’s headlights. The battery is loaded from the front, not from the back like as in other multi-rotors that I have. Compared to the WLTyos V303, this model has a bigger battery compartment to accept the high capacity 54000mAh Li-Po.

On the belly of the aircraft, four screw holes serve to secure the camera mount or brushless gimbal to the aircraft.

3 connectors on the bottom of the Quad allow feature extensions:

• micro USB connector for firmware upgrade and interfacing with ground station;
• 12v power port (JST), that allows powering up  gimbals or any other extension modules like FPV transmitters;
• 3 wire Gimbal connector, GND, +5V, and control signal.

Unfortunately, there are no pin-out marks on the connectors and it is very easy to accidentally reverse the gimbal wires. Unfortunately, this usually ends with bricking the X380’s mainboard.

XK X380 review: Transmitter

The 6-channel remote controller is quite large and has a pretty professional look. By long pressing the “stick mode” button, the transmitter can be switched between mode1 and mode2 control modes. The “Take OFF” beginners-oriented button allows to easily take off and land the aircraft. To switch between regular and headless flight mode can be made by a 2-way switch that is located on the top-left side of the RC. The “Return to home” function can be activated with the second 2-way switch, which is on the top-right side.

A radial dial button located on the right side near the LCD screen allows to fine-tune the gimbal’s position. Regardless of whether a 2D or 3D gimbal is installed, only one axis can be controlled through the remote controller.

XK X380: Flight performance

After I fully charged the X380’s battery and loaded 6pcs of AA batteries into the transmitter, I went out to test this bird.

To make the first flight, I proceeded with the magnetic sensor calibration. This is an essential step to prevent flyaways and crash-lands. I know these circle movements with the aircraft in your hand can be confused with some voodoo dancing by those not from the business :).

After finishing the calibration, I installed the propellers, which can be done easily and take only 2 minutes.

When everything was set up, I placed the X380 Detect quadcopter on a flat ground with a flying indicator (status LED) pointing to me, switched ON the transmitter, and I plugged in the battery’s connector. In just a few minutes, the red and yellow flashing of the status indicator was turned on to green flashing. The two green and one blank sequence mean the Quad is ready for safe flying, and it has GPS signal from more than 6 satellites. The aircraft can be armed in two ways, both sticks down to the outer position or by long pressing (at least 2secs) the “take off” button.

My maiden flight was smooth and lasted around 27 minutes with 3 takeoffs/landings. I tried only basic flight movements without testing the max altitude, headless mode or the one-key return to home function (RTH). When the green status light is changing into fast red flashing it is recommended to land a.s.a.p..

XK X380: Upgrades and hacks

You know, nothing is perfect out of the box, and we can always add some nice new features to our toys. Below you can find a list with some of my plans for the X380 Quad:

• Uploading the latest firmware with a circle hovering;
• Adding Li-Po battery to the transmitter;
• Installing 2G brushless gimbal and HD camera;
• Adding 5.8GHz FPV system (600mW TX and 7″ LCD).

Updates:

Just returned from the field after my second flight with the X380 Quad, and I was impressed by how stable was even in moderate wind. Due to this fact, I could call it “The Wind Fighter” because it easily maintained its position like a model for a photo shoot.