Contixo F18 2K FPV RC Drone with Camera for Adults - Quadcopter with Brushless Motor - Beginners GPS Drone for Kids-5G WiFi- Follow Me - Auto Return - Point of Interest - Modular Battery with Backpack

The Contixo F18 is my first drone, which I received as a Christmas gift. After reading the manual times, I found the assembly of the props easy. You do have to pay attention to the "A" prop and "B" prop positions on the drone as well as the particular screws for each. Paying attention to the direction to tighten the props, i.e., clockwise and counter clockwise is important in order to avoid stripping the screws/prop post.After the assembly, the start up is pretty straight forward. Charge the drone battery for approximately 5 hours and install four new AA batteries in the controller. The next step was a little confusing at first but after watching several videos on YouTube from other F 18 users, it all became clear. I recommend that any new users take the time to watch these videos!Starting the drone was a easy as was the first flight. I do recommend that the new user become familiar with the controller before the inital flight. I also recommend getting in multiple practice flights before pushing limits.The wifi signal on my unit has been exceptional each time out. You do have to wait a couple minutes for what ever number of satellites there are to connect to the remote/F18 before flying. I've had my unit up as high as 395 and never lost a bar of the 5 bars of signal strength.The RTH (Return Home) has worked well each time out with my unit. The unit will rise after pushing the RTH button as it hovers above the landing site. This is for GPS positioning. My landings have consistently been within 6 feet of the take off point. I have not yet tested the low battery return home function.I recommend caution when flying in wind speeds of 7 plus mph as the drone will tend to drift. While it does test piloting skills, it can cause a little anxiety. Making sure the GPS mode is on will greatly help prevent drift. I also recommend that when piloting, remember that as the orientation of the drone changes, i.e., north to south, east to west, the control joystick will change. Not paying attention to this could be a problem if the user needs to avoid obstacles quickly. For example, if the drone camera is facing away from you the joystick will work as described, i.e., up is north, down is south, left is east, right is west. If the camera is facing the user, the controls would work in opposite. Sounds a little complicated but not so much as long as the user is paying attention to drone orientation.The headless mode can be helpful with this issue but read the warning about using this mode before turning it on.I read a few concerns about some danger the F18 can pose. I can say from first hand knowledge that you should be aware that the propellers are turning at a very high rpm and can cause serious damage to a finger, or any other part of the body it may come into contact with. The F18 is small but I would not classify it as a child's toy. For this reason, proceed with caution with small children and pets nearby. First time users would be better to gain skills in an wide open area. If not in the countryside, then a high school football field, etc. when few people are around.The 1080p camera does a better job than I expected. The range is great and for basic photography from above, the quality is fairly good. The camera does okay in low light photography, much better in daylight. The examples are from 300 to approximately 375 ft. The drone holds altitude very well and can hover at any altitude for photography. The camera does well with video photography as well given it is only 1080p. If you want a high resolution camera or at least 16mp, expect to pay $500 or more. For a starter, the camera in the F18 is better than expected.The F18 is a great starter drone especially with its features and for the price. I cannot compare this drone to any other but I have no problem recommending it to someone looking to get started.

I bought my Contixo F18 drone less than a week ago and could not be happier with the product. It was easy to assemble and easy to start up. On my first flight the drone got away from me, high and almost out of site over thick brush and cactus. I hit the return button and, after a few tense moments, it landed right where it took off. I flew all weekend over water, buzzed trees, flew in 20 mph wind and pushed the range of the drone as far as I was comfortable. It performed like a champ every time. I have to admit I crashed it once into a metal gate and again into a portable building, both instances were my fault misjudging speed and distances. After performing the start up procedures I was off and flying again...no prop replacement or any other repairs needed. I also carefully flew until the battery was almost drained to see how the auto landing sequence performed. Perfect every time, even over water...which was accidental and something I wouldn't recommend. I did have a bit of trouble getting the drone video to continuously sync with my iPhone 5S, but I was having too much fun flying to figure out why. I will experiment a little more on future flights. I purchased extra batteries which do offer 15 minutes of flight time each. Unfortunately they also take the full 5 hours to recharge, but t's only a minor inconvenience and gives the drone a chance to "rest" anyway. I'll probably buy more batteries once I am more proficient with the flight controls. This was a great choice for a first drone, with sharp video and adequate snapshot quality. Lots of fun ahead.Feb 1 UPDATE:Yesterday, I had an incident where I brought down my drone too fast and damaged the landing gear. I contacted Contixo customer support and they were prompt and amazing with their explanation of what could have gone wrong. I appears that I had given conflicting signals to the drone and was flying with the batteries that were not fully charged. Admittedly, I was in a hurry to fly before dark and rushed the start up procedures. This drone is just too much fun! Since my earlier review, I have flown many times and the results of the video and photos have been amazing. If you're looking for a drone, this is a great one! I confess that, during the flight yesterday when I thought I might lose it, I was planning to run home and order another one. It's that much fun!