I have been chatting with a new upcoming freestyle pilot about building and such and trying to guide him along the way about the "bling" pitfalls newbies find themselves in when sourcing parts etc. and thought I could share with others.

My views here are just that, my views, and I do not profess to know it all, just passing on some things I think may be useful to those just coming into multirotors, more so about Racer/freestyle quads.

Firstly let me say that I am not a pro pilot, nor am I a multirotor engineer, I am a multirotor enthusiast and FPV pilot, and love building and flying. So, the information provided it only based on my personal experiences and from a handful of fellow flyers who helped me along the way. This is one way I know I can "Pay it Forward".

My Tips for Newbies:

Price: Most of what we as humans buys comes down to price, can we really afford it? Often we settle for second best believing that a $20 frame is just as good as a $200 frame. Truth is, for the most part, the cheap frames are not worth it. However, that being said, overpriced frames are not worth it either. Be aware that the whole RC Multirotor business has skyrocketed over the last 2 years especially and as such vendors will charge almost anything to get your cash. Shop around, ask the Guys and Girls who have been flying for a while what they recommend, as in all probability they have been right where you are now.

The Lumineer QAV series of frames are very good, look stylish and hold up very well in crashes, and priced fairly well. Good choice
ZMR series of frames, Nothing pretty about them at all, but they are damn good frames, very popular, hold up very well and parts are plentiful. Priced lower than some. another good choice.

tattu pilots

Shendrones, Tweaker frames, great frames, tough durable and again well priced. another good choice.
I am not going to run through the 100's of different types of frames out there. The point is, there are some great frames at realistic prices.

This may be a biased comment, but I recommend staying away from the fiberglass canopy covered bling quads, As a newbie pilot you will crash so much that your new pristine canopy quad will be nothing more than a mushed up looking bag of soggy peas. Buy one at your own peril.

The bottom line on frames.. Ask others, think about how it will survive your first few months pile-driving it into trees, fences and the ground. Do not always use price as your guide. "Buy Right, Buy once, Buy wrong and buy over and over and over"

Motors: First thing a newbie will say is I want POWAH.. heaps of POWAH. yep, good on you, go and buy some F40 motors or XNOVA motors etc and watch your cash go down the drain when you crash over and over. Don't buy el cheapo motors buy middle of the road motors that will see you out for a while and as you get better, swap them out to better ones as and when your skills and budget allow. again, ask others, Google.

ESC's: Get at least 20 amp esc's minimum, The price of ESC's now is so good that almost not worth buying anything less than 20 amp ones anyway, and they are often just as small as the 10 amp. 12 amp ones.

FPV gear: I recommend the HS1177 FPV cam and a 200mW mini or micro 5.8ghz VTX, 32 to 40 channels., do not get sucked in think a 600mW VTX will give you 3 times the range that of a 200mW vtx, what it will get you is probably half a dozen knuckle sandwiches to the noggin if you race with others and you use a 600mW Vtx.

Batteries: Personal choice, on 3S or 4S, but go for the middle of the road batteries (cost wise that is).

Radio: A lot of good and great Radios out there, and really this is one piece of Kit you buy as a long-term investment in the hobby. My advice, right from the start, buy 1 with a minimum of 8 channels. Things to watch out for...The RXers the Radios use, and the cost of said RX. Futaba radios are good but the original RX's cost about the price of a small countries annual income. Look, while I do not like the Taranis radio all that much I have to admit it does the job very well (and yes I do own one) and it is a good price to pay, can use a lot of different rxers which do not require you to sell a kidney to purchase one.

I guess I could go on for ages, but the Bottom line:
Be smart
Do not be dazzled by fancy schmancy looking frames
Buy what is right for your wants and needs.
Ask a heap of questions
Remember, all of us have been there done that, learn from us.
Pass on what you have learned along the way as you progress.
Most of all..Have fun doing it, stick at it, and always fly safely.

source: http://intofpv.com/t-tips-for-new-fpv-pilots