I’ve been wanting ahead to testing the DeepSpace Seeker35 for some time. I’ve genuinely beloved the Seeker3, and I used to be curious to see how this barely bigger platform would carry out. However I didn’t count on this compact 3.5-inch FPV drone can rival 5inch when it comes to velocity! It additionally has all the trendy options like DJI O4 Professional assist and GPS Rescue / Return-to-House. On this overview, I’ll break down its strengths, weaknesses, and who this drone is basically for.
Try my overview of the smaller DeepSpace Seeker3: https://oscarliang.com/deepspace-seeker3/
The place to Purchase
You will get the DeepSpace Seeker35 from:
Right here’s what within the field:
- Two units of Gemfan Hurricane 3630 tri-blade propellers (8 whole)
- 2 battery straps (similar size)
- USB-C cable
- Stickers and fundamental directions
- Further black aspect panels (orange panels come pre-installed)
- Digital camera mounting {hardware} (DJI O4, DJI O3, and analog digital camera choices)
- Further screws and a GoPro-style mount
Specs
- Body Wheelbase: 167mm
- Flight Controller: HAKRC F722 (ICM42688-P gyro, 16MB Blackbox, barometer)
- ESC: 40A 4-in-1 BLHeli_32
- Motors: Aether 2006 2550KV
- Propellers: Gemfan 3630 triblade
- Appropriate FPV Methods: Analog / DJI O4 Professional / DJI O3
- Battery Connector: XT60
- Enter Voltage: 6S LiPo
- Advisable Battery Vary: 6S 1050–1400mAh
- Arm Thickness: 4mm
- Weight (with DJI O4 Professional, no battery): 280g
- Weight (with 6S 1100mAh LiPo): 473g
Body Choices: Deadcat vs True-X
The Seeker35 is on the market in two body variants:
- Deadcat (examined right here): The entrance arms are swept again to maintain propellers out of the digital camera view—particularly useful for vast FOV cameras just like the DJI O4 Professional.
- True-X: Sometimes most popular by hardcore freestyle pilots.
For many pilots, I like to recommend the Deadcat model. It’s merely extra versatile—nice for cinematic photographs whereas nonetheless performing very properly for freestyle. In real-world flying, most individuals received’t discover a significant distinction in dealing with between the 2.
Be taught extra about body right here: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/
Design and Construct High quality
The construct high quality is great—premium with out feeling delicate. A number of design selections stood out instantly.
Aluminum Entrance Digital camera Cage
The entrance aluminum digital camera cage design feels much like the Seeker3, additionally helps DJI O4 Professional, O3, and analog digital camera mounting choices, so that you’re not locked right into a single FPV choice. The digital camera angle adjustment vary may be very vast (roughly 5° to 45°), which is good if you happen to change between relaxed cinematic cruising and quick freestyle flying.
Aspect Panels
The injection-molded plastic aspect plates do extra than simply look good—they successfully protect the electronics from filth and particles. Usually, I’m not a fan of aspect panels on small quads as a result of added weight. Nonetheless, the Seeker35 has a lot energy that a number of additional grams don’t actually matter, and the added safety is helpful if you happen to’re flying in moist or muddy situations.
DeepSpace additionally contains two colour choices within the field, which is a pleasant contact.
Carbon Fibre Body
The carbon fibre body feels stable and powerful:
- 2mm prime and backside plates
- 4mm arms
The development may be very stiff and reveals no flex when twisted by hand, which is precisely what you need for each flight efficiency and sturdiness.
TPU Mounts
The antenna and GPS mounts are made out of 3D-printed TPU and look properly completed.
Weight
Though the Seeker35 is a 3.5-inch micro drone, it’s clearly not designed to be sub-250g. With the DJI O4 Professional put in, the quad weighs round 270g and not using a battery, and with a 6S 1100mAh LiPo, the entire weight is available in at roughly 472g.
Digital Elements
I took the quad aside to see what’s inside, there are 10 screws on the highest plate you could take away, which feels a bit extreme.
GPS Module
The GPS module is mounted beneath the entrance GoPro-style digital camera mount, properly hidden away. Some individuals would possibly fear about GPS sign with a plastic cowl above it, however in my testing, GPS efficiency was completely acceptable, so it doesn’t appear to be a problem in apply.
That mentioned, I do suppose putting the GPS below the GoPro mount is a nasty thought. Whereas it’s good that the GPS is positioned on the entrance, far-off from VTX antenna interference, it does introduce a possible downside if you happen to determine to mount an motion digital camera on the entrance. Though most customers in all probability received’t hassle with an motion cam for the reason that DJI O4 Professional is already very succesful, including one might bodily block the GPS or introduce interference from the digital camera throughout flight.
Motors
The motors are 2006 2550KV, that are in all probability the biggest motors I’ve seen on a 3.5-inch drone.
Flight Controller and ESC
The Seeker35 makes use of the identical 20×20mm FC/ESC stack because the Seeker3: an F722 flight controller paired with a 40A BLHeli_32 4-in-1 ESC.
Nonetheless, on this mannequin the FC is rotated 90 levels, and I’m not a fan of this design determination. This was doubtless performed to accommodate the aspect panels, which block direct entry to the USB port.
To work round this, DeepSpace added a USB extension cable, which in flip requires the FC to be rotated.
This feels a bit pointless and will trigger confusion down the road, particularly for newcomers who must reconfigure the drone after flashing Betaflight firmware afterward.
One other downside is the boot button, which is buried deep contained in the body behind the capacitor. Realistically, if you could press it—one thing that sometimes is required when flashing firmware—you’ll should partially disassemble the drone.
General, the FC structure and accessibility aren’t as refined as on another micro BNF drones from manufacturers like SpeedyBee or GEPRC.
Energy and FPV {Hardware}
The battery connector is an XT60 (not XT30) and is mounted on to the highest plate. It is a good design selection—there’s no dangling battery result in danger prop strikes.
The DJI O4 Professional Air Unit is mounted on the rear with easy accessibility to each the SD card slot and USB port.
There’s additionally a buzzer built-in beneath the body, neatly tucked away, which is a intelligent and clear implementation.
The receiver is mounted inside an injection-molded plastic protector beneath the drone. This not solely protects the electronics but additionally provides to the general premium really feel of the construct.
ESC Firmware
The ESC comes preloaded with an older BLHeli_32 firmware (v32.8). In my testing, it labored fantastic and didn’t trigger any points. Nonetheless, it’s price noting that BLHeli_32 improvement has formally ended, that means no future updates can be out there. You’ll be able to learn extra about that right here: https://oscarliang.com/end-of-blheli_32/
Solder Joints
All of the soldering work appears to be stable: motor wires on ESC, XT60 and so forth.. However I simply want they put some liquid electrical tape or glue on the XT60 joints to keep away from unintentional brief circuit.
Putting in DJI O4 Professional
The quad I obtained didn’t include FPV system, so I needed to set up the DJI O4 Professional air unit myself — however the course of is easy, right here’s a fast overview.
Take aside the drone, and take away the left aspect panel, the connector for the DJI O4 Air unit is situated on the left aspect of the FC.
The cable for the O4 is included within the field. You’ll be able to depart the SBUS wire linked. It’s wired to UART3 (RX3) on the FC, which isn’t used, so it shouldn’t trigger any issues. Nonetheless, if you happen to plan to make use of UART3 for an additional peripheral, make sure that to take away the SBUS wire from the harness or it might trigger conflicts.
Observe that the O4 Professional Air Unit connects to UART4, however it’s NOT configured in Betaflight. To configure it, observe directions on this information: https://oscarliang.com/how-to-setup-dji-o4-pro/#Setup-OSD-in-Betaflight
Steps:
- Go to Presets tab, seek for “osd for dji”, choose the preset that comes up.
- Within the choices, choose “map to displayport”, “set HDOSD”, and UART4. Click on Save and Reboot button.
- Lastly, go to the OSD tab in Betaflight Configurator. Below Video Format, guarantee HD is chosen.
That’s it.
Flight Efficiency
DeepSpace recommends 6S batteries from 1000mAh to 1400mAh, which is actually the identical vary utilized by most 6S 5-inch freestyle drones. I examined the Seeker35 with BetaFPV Lava 6S 1100mAh and GNB 6S 1300mAh LiHV, and each proved to be glorious choices for this quad.
Acceleration and Pace
Hover throttle sat at round 20%, and truthfully, the uncooked energy feels similar to a full-size 5-inch drone. This factor is mainly a mini rocket.
In my testing, the Seeker35 reached a prime velocity of over 170 km/h, which is definitely greater than my GEPRC Vapor 5-inch, which topped out at round 165 km/h utilizing the identical battery. I didn’t imagine it at first and repeated the check 3 times, persistently getting the identical end result. This makes it the quickest 3.5-inch quad I’ve examined thus far.
Acceleration felt nearly instantaneous—small throttle inputs translate into huge actions. Should you’ve by no means flown a strong 5-inch earlier than, this quad will completely shock you.
Try some flight footage:
Dealing with and Smoothness
Regardless of being extraordinarily highly effective, the Seeker35 didn’t really feel uncontrolled. It’s extremely agile and nimble, but nonetheless manageable due to a comparatively linear throttle response—till you hit full throttle, at which level it really turns right into a rocket. That mentioned, it doesn’t really feel fairly as exact as a 5-inch, particularly at excessive speeds.
The quad is nearly vibration-free, and with no props in view, it’s a wonderful platform for clean cinematic flying. It handles wind noticeably higher than the smaller Seeker3, though a full-size 5-inch nonetheless has the benefit on the subject of stability in harsher situations.
Noise
Regardless of being smaller, the Seeker35 is definitely louder than my 5-inch drones. That’s not shocking given how briskly it’s. The sound may be very high-pitched, and other people inside half a mile might in all probability hear you flying.
Effectivity (Lengthy-Vary Potential)
The Seeker35 could be surprisingly environment friendly when flown gently. Nonetheless, as quickly as you begin flying aggressively, present draw ramps up rapidly, so flight time relies upon closely in your flying type and throttle administration.
With a 6S 1100mAh LiPo, I used to be getting round 5 minutes of flight time whereas flying arduous and doing freestyle strikes.
I additionally examined it with a 6S 3000mAh Li-ion pack from Auline. With light cruising, you may count on 16-18 minutes of flight time. Cruising at 50 km/h, it ought to be able to protecting roughly 13-14km of whole distance.
GPS and Rescue Mode
GPS lock is quick—below 1 minute to get an preliminary repair (round 8 satellites), with a most of 20 satellites after roughly 10 minutes.
GPS Rescue Mode is a improbable characteristic — it’s primarily a return-to-home perform that brings your drone again to its takeoff level whenever you lose sign. It’s particularly worthwhile for newcomers and long-range pilots who need peace of thoughts in case of a failsafe or lack of orientation.
Out of the field, GPS Rescue is configured because the failsafe motion, that means it would routinely activate if you happen to lose sign. Nonetheless, it isn’t assigned to a change within the Modes tab, so that you’ll must set that up if you need to have the ability to activate it manually. In my testing, it labored reliably in open fields, however it’s best to all the time fine-tune Rescue Mode settings to fit your flying setting.
Full tutorial right here: https://oscarliang.com/setup-gps-rescue-mode-betaflight/
Present Sensor Calibration
The present sensor is just not correctly calibrated from the manufacturing facility and considerably overestimates present draw. Setting the amperage meter scale to 275 introduced the readings a lot nearer to actuality.
Higher PID Tune
The inventory PID and filter tune on the Seeker35 is already fairly good, and most pilots can be completely joyful flying it straight out of the field.
If I needed to be essential, although, the inventory tune feels barely delicate and never as snappy or locked-in as I personally choose. It’s a conservative tune, which is sensible—it’s extra forgiving of bent props and minor vibrations. That mentioned, there’s undoubtedly room to tighten issues up and push the PIDs and filters additional to make the quad extra responsive and higher at dealing with propwash.
Do you wish to see a customized tune? Let me know. If there’s sufficient curiosity, I’ll make one and share it on my Patreon.
The way to Setup for First Flight
FC / ESC / RX Firmware:
- Flight Controller Board Goal: HAKRCF722V2(preloaded with Betaflight 4.4.3). Unique CLI Diff out there right here.
- ESC Firmware: BLHeli32 (Model 32.8)
- Receiver: Generic ESP8285 PA 2.4GHz RX operating ExpressLRS v3.5.1
Setup Directions:
Connecting the drone to Betaflight Configurator:
- Setup the Modes Tab: Configure your arm change, angle mode, and turtle mode. For steering, see this tutorial: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-modes/#How-to-Setup-Arm-Swap
- In Energy tab, set Amperage Meter (present sensor) scale to 275 for extra correct present / mah drawn readings.
- Setup DJI O4 in Betaflight as I discussed in “Putting in DJI O4 Professional” part.
That’s it—your Seeker3 ought to now be prepared for its maiden flight!
Right here’s the included handbook, very fundamental and doesn’t embody any photographs, not very newbie pleasant TBH, however for skilled pilots you in all probability don’t must learn it in any respect.
FC wiring diagram:
Last Verdict: Ought to You Purchase the DeepSpace Seeker35?
The DeepSpace Seeker35 is among the strongest 3.5-inch quads I’ve examined thus far. Construct high quality is premium, the inventory tune is stable, GPS Rescue works out of the field, and it delivers that uncommon mixture of being wildly quick whereas nonetheless feeling controllable.
Should you’re prepared for a compact adrenaline machine that appears like a 5-inch drone in a smaller body, the Seeker35 is a straightforward suggestion.
Seeker35 vs 5-Inch
From left to proper: GEPRC Vapor 5inch, Seeker35, Seeker3
You’ll be able to fly the Seeker35 very like a 5-inch. It’s simply as quick—if not quicker—glorious for aggressive flying, and able to clean cinematic photographs too. Nonetheless, it’s not going to completely change a 5-inch.
If you need a drone that may really do the whole lot open air, a 5-inch stays the extra versatile selection for most individuals when you’re above the 250g mark. It carries full-size motion cameras effortlessly, is extra succesful for hardcore freestyle, and tends to be extra environment friendly for cruising. With a big Li-ion battery, a 5-inch can even double as a really succesful long-range platform.
When it comes to noise, the Seeker35 is simply as loud as a 5-inch—if not louder—on account of its higher-pitched sound profile.
The Seeker35’s most important benefit is solely measurement.
Seeker3 vs Seeker35
Regardless of solely a 0.5-inch distinction in prop measurement and using the identical FC/ESC stack, the Seeker3 and Seeker35 belong to utterly completely different courses on the subject of uncooked energy.
Left: Seeker35; Proper: Seeker3
The Seeker35 is considerably quicker and extra highly effective, primarily on par with a 5-inch. If you need a quad that’s quick and extra wind-resistant, the Seeker35 is clearly the higher selection.
Nonetheless, the load distinction is substantial. If staying below 250g issues to you, the Seeker3 is the apparent choice. It’s simpler to hold, extra travel-friendly, and higher fitted to flying discreetly in smaller parks. It’s additionally a lot quieter, whereas the Seeker35 is as loud as a 5-inch—if not louder.
In terms of vary, each drones use related {hardware} (DJI O4 Professional and ELRS), so uncooked RF vary is comparable. The actual limiting issue is flight time. The Seeker35 has a bonus right here since it will probably carry bigger batteries, together with Li-ion packs. That mentioned, neither drone is really designed for long-range flying—if that’s your aim, a purpose-built platform just like the Flywoo Explorer could be a more sensible choice.
Anyway, you actually can’t go unsuitable with both drone actually, each provide glorious efficiency and top-notch construct high quality—it simply comes down as to whether you prioritize uncooked energy, weight or noise.
Try my overview of the smaller DeepSpace Seeker3: https://oscarliang.com/deepspace-seeker3/