HOBBYMATE Comet User manual

Hobbymate 5” Racing Drone
Assembly Instructions
Version 1.5
Meteor Comet

Initial Thoughts & Helpful Tips
•Thank you for purchasing this quality Hobbymate product
•Please read and understand all instructions, including the Appendix, before starting
assembly
•Avoid static discharges as they can damage electronic boards
•Don’t trim wires over drone circuitry, small bits of wire can short out and damage
electronics
•Use good quality solder and flux
•Adjust soldering iron to lower temperature when soldering to boards as too much heat can
loosen or damage board components
•Ground pads typically require slightly higher heat setting as they are large and dissipate heat
•Pre-tin wires that will soldered to board pads, use minimal stripped wires to avoid potential
shorts
•Use thread lock on motor and frame bolts
•Before powering drone with battery for first time or after modifying wiring, check for shorts
with a digital voltmeter and use a Smoke Stopper or similar device
•ALWAYS remove props when configuring drone or testing motors with battery connected
•Camera has a built in OSD which can be turned off using supplied camera joystick. If left on,
it may clutter screen with Betaflight OSD enabled
•Technical support is available via email [e-mail] or on the RC
Groups Technical Support thread

Assemble Frame - Comet
Use M3*30 for 3 pcs stack
ESC, FC, VTX

Assemble Frame - Meteor

Flight Control Board –Flash Firmware
•Hold Bind button on flight controller while plugging in USB to computer
•Open Betaflight, see DFU
•If problems, install drivers listed on 1st page of Betaflight
•Press Firmware Flasher
•Load Firmware either Online or Local
•Flash latest version of OMNIBUSF4FW, be sure to use same version of
Betaflight Configuration File (see next page)
•Flight controller will reboot
Bind button
Omnibus F4 V6

Flight Control Board –Apply Configuration
•Plug in USB to computer
•Open Betaflight, connect to Comm Port
•If problems, install drivers listed on 1st page
•Click CLI on left side
•Note: there are 4 Configuration file options:
–XM+ or R-XSR receiver, each with either “back” ESC battery terminal
orientation or “left side”.
–For DSM and Flysky receivers, apply XM+ configuration file and make
changes noted in Appendix on DSM and Flysky specific pages.
•Open Configuration text file using text editor, copy all text
•Right click into Betaflight CLI “write your command here”
box
•Paste text file contents (you will only see last line of what
you pasted), press Enter
•See configuration being applied as it scrolls by above
•When finished, type SAVE, press ENTER
•Flight controller will reboot, configuration is finished
•Note: Configuration files for “back” ESC battery orientation
uses motor resource remapping.
•Note: If configuration file is not used, you must go to CLI
and type: set gyro_to_use = second, press Enter, type
SAVE, press Enter. This enables gyro and accelerometer.
See Appendix for manual configuration settings.
•Note: May be necessary to update FrSky receiver firmware
to at least: (to make RSSI display or Lua Scripts work)
XM+: XM+xxx170313-RSSI8.frk (xxx indicates either
R-XSR: R-XSRxxx171009.frk FCC or LBT version)
Firmware Flashing Tutorial

Install Motors and ESC Board
•Comet Spacing: Hex nut, ESC board, fiberglass spacer that comes in ESC package, 6mm spacer, O-ring
•Meteor Spacing: 8mm bottom spacer, ESC board, fiberglass spacer that comes in ESC package, 6mm
spacer, O-ring
•Install 4in1 ESC with battery terminals exiting rear of drone, apply foil
•Solder battery lead
•Install motors with supplied screws
•Solder motor wires to closest ESC pads (motor locations will be remapped in Betaflight with the
configuration file)
•Install 8 pin cable

Flight Control Board –Wiring Diagram
FrSky
XM+
FrSky
R-XSR
Omnibus F4 V6
DSM
+3.3v
Sig
Flysky

Install Flight Controller with connections
•Comet Spacing: FC, O-ring, 6mm spacer with threaded end
•Meteor Spacing: FC, O-ring, 8mm spacer with threaded end
•Solder receiver, VTX, Camera per wiring diagram
•Connect 8 pin cable to FC
•Foam tape receiver to bottom of VTX or other easily accessible location
Ensure insulation is pulled over any exposed wire
on unused VTX 5v output and extra GND wires
FC orientation with USB
on right side of drone
Front of
Drone

Install VTX, Camera, Antenna
•Install VTX using hex nuts
•Install Camera using supplied screws
•Install MMCX cable and antenna
•Connect VTX, camera and MMCX cable to VTX
•Attach top frame with supplied screws

Final Steps
•Bind receiver to transmitter
•Connect to Betaflight and verify settings, receiver is responding and flight modes are as
desired (see Mode and Receiver Tab configuration in Appendix).
•Without props but with battery connected, verify motor rotation is correct using Motors Tab
•If any motor rotation is wrong direction correct using BLHeliSuite32

BLHeliSuite32
•With no props, but with battery connected,
connect FC to BLHeli_32 Suite
•Click Read Setup
•Select ESC that needs to be reversed
•Click Write Setup to save change to motor
rotation direction
•Repeat on other motors ESCs as needed
•Confirm motor rotation directions correct
either on BLHelitSuite32 Motors tab or
Betaflight Motors tab

OpenTX Transmitter Setup
Input
Input –RSSI detail
-No changes will be needed from default input setting
with the exception of assigning RSSI for R-XSR receiver.
Reference video: https://youtu.be/t-evOAS9Mkg
Mixer
Mixer –RSI detail
Input and Mixer
If first time setup of transmitter, see reference video:
https://youtu.be/Z6ZfTTmDTrc
-Assign Ch5 switch, this which will be Aux 1 in Betaflight
-Assign Ch6 switch, which will be Aux 2 in Betaflight
-Assign Ch7 switch, which will be Aux 3 in Betaflight
-Assign Ch8 to RSI Input, this will be Aux 4 in Betaflight

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Setup tab
Base Configuration (includes all receivers, RSSI only for FrSky) -With drone on level surface, press Calibrate Accelerometer
When properly configured per following pages , please notice:
-Battery voltage, Gyro, Accel, Baro, RSSI enabled
-Notice when moving drone, tilts with correct angles

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Ports tab (FrSky Receiver)
Base Configuration (includes XM+ receiver)
Additional for R-XSR receiver
To configure SoftSerial1 execute the following CLI commands
(needed for R-XSR telemetry):
-Type: RESOURCE SERIAL_TX 1 NONE press ENTER
-Type: RESOURCE SERIAL_TX 11 A09 press ENTER
-Type: SAVE press ENTER

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Ports tab (DSM or Flysky Receiver)
DSM and Flysky Configuration

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Configuration tab –Part 1
Base Configuration (includes all receivers)

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Configuration tab –Part 2 (FrSky Receiver)
Base Configuration (includes XM+ receiver)
Additional for R-XSR receiver

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Configuration tab –Part 2 (DSM and Flysky Receiver)
DSM Configuration
Flysky Configuration

Appendix –Betaflight Manual Configuration
Configuration tab –Part 3
Base Configuration (includes all receivers)