Product Review: JJRC H12CH

JJRC H12CH is a great little quad-copter that’s really beginner friendly. I’ll first go over some of the bragging features of this quad-copter, then go over my experience with it, from the initial unboxing, to the flight test, and to camera and video quality. A big thanks to T-Mart for allowing me to review this quad-copter for them.


The copter is available on Tmart.com now. Use the coupon code: H12CHH for a discount, finally price is only $66.99, click http://www.tmart.com/JJRC-H12C-CF-H...amera-Switchable-Mode-RTF-Orange_p324746.html.

The JJRC H12CH Package comes with the following:

• 1 x RC Quadcopter

• 1 x Transmitter

• 1 x Spare Blade Set

• 1 x Charger

• 1 x Battery

• 1x User Manual


Specs:

1.2.4GHz 4CH headless mode

2.6-axis design makes the gyroscope adjustable, promoting flying stability

3.Premium PC outer shell; lightweight airframe with great durability

4.Easy operation, steady flying performance and exquisite workmanship

5.It is controlled by left & right hand

6.Make you enjoy stable and wonderful flying experience

7.Support one-click return

8.Support flying, running, camera and video performance

9.5.0MP camera ensures highly legible views in the upper air

10.With high hold mode can set height

11. Weight 4.41oz / 125g

12. Color Orange

13. Dimensions (7.09 x 7.09 x 2.36)" / (18 x 18 x 6)cm (L x W x H)

UNBOXING:

When I first got the H12CH, the box was in great condition, no dents or anything. The box I got came with the quad-copter, the camera kit, the radio controller, battery, SD card reader, usb charging cable, and an extra set of propeller blades. The copter is full plastic, with a length and width of 31 cm, and a diagonal of about 21 cm. The unit also comes with instructions in Chinese and in English as well. Came with a screw driver as well for installing the plastic guards. Landing gears and guards are installed with push pins and screws, and is really easy to install. My biggest gripe is that it didn’t come with a micro SD card, so I had to use one from my cellphone for testing.


The Drone/Transmitter:

The JJRC H12CH has some very neat features. First, it has swappable throttle controllers, so you can turn/accelerate with either thumb. It’s got a button that lets you automatically do a 360 for cool video effects. It’s got 5 LED lights, with one in front so that you can tell which way is forward, even if you’re far away. It runs on the 2.4 Ghz bandwidth with 4 channels. Everything is nicely labelled, and correctly at that. It has a nice LCD screen with good contrast so it’s not too difficult to see outside in the sun. It has a fake antenna though. I have a picture of the real antenna in the transmitter after you take the case off.


Flight/Camera:

In terms of battery life, powered by a 750mAh 3.7 Li-Po battery, the drone gets about 6-7 minutes of flight without the camera on, and about 4 to 4 ½ minutes with the camera. I’d suggest if you’re just flying the drone, take off the camera and the landing gear to save weight, so you get the most battery life out of your drone. When you reach low power, the LEDs act as a low voltage warning system, and once it goes off, you have about 1 more minute of power to return the drone. You shouldn’t fly it with the LED warning lights, because your drone can just drop out of the sky it if loses all power.

The JJRC is a pretty good flyer in light to medium winds, but in strong winds, I don’t think you should risk it with this quadcopter. It’s very stable and agile, making it pretty easy to fly indoors. You can also adjust the rate from 0% to 100% with the dial on the transmitter to gradually adjust the flight speed of the drone. Setting the speed to 10%-20% makes it very hard to hit anything at all, making this a very good drone to practice with. Speaking of good for practicing, it’s got an auto altitude hold function, so it’s pretty good for beginners. If the drone is shifting slightly when hovering, there are buttons on the transmitter that will allow you to adjust it so the drone hovers neutral.

It’s got a “headless mode”, or “CF” return. It means that once you press the button on your transmitter, the JJRC H12CH ignores heading, so whatever direction it’s facing, it will head towards you if you move backward on the throttle, and away from you if you move forward on the throttle. This is useful for returning the drone if you can’t see what direction the drone is flying at. Simply press the headless flying mode and pull the throttle towards yourself.

The JJRC H12CH also has a One Key Return mode, but since the unit doesn’t have GPS capabilities, it’s pretty inaccurate. If the drone is really far away, it’ll come “back” to you with an accuracy of plus or minus five meters. Once it’s near you, you can go into headless mode and bring it the rest of the way back to you though. By the way, the unit boasts a range of 300 meters, but in real life, I’d only operate it at a max of 100m to 150m.

The JJRC H12CH boasts an HD 5MP 1080p camera. However, the camera clips directly on the body, and there is no cushioning at all, making for noisy videos with jello effects. Don’t expect a professional quality video, but the feature is there, and we have to keep in mind this is a budget entry level drone. Two fixes for the jello video is to one, fix your propellers. If you have damaged propellers, it’ll cause unwanted extra vibrations. Replace it, and you’ll have a better video. Second, add a piece of foam between the camera and the body of the drone. This dramatically reduces the jello effect.

Re-calibrating

Do the following to re-calibrate your transmitter and quadcopter.

1. Turn on your quadcopter and transmitter

2. Move both control sticks to the bottom left corner until the LCD reads 0% for both sticks

3. Press the flip button.

4. Your quadcopter should flash a few times and then you’re re-calibrated.

Binding

To bind to the quadcopter do the following

1. Turn your quadcopter and transmitter on

2. Move the throttle from down to up and then back

3. Your quadcopter should blink a few times and then you are binded.


Here is my youtube review of the quadcopter!