SoloProFan

The H8 Mini is currrently pretty "hot", with low price, and decent flight performance being some key selling points. The X7 seems less well known, but is about the same size. The current versions of both quads can even bind to the same transmitter. So how do these compare head to head? I'll try to compare the two in a "head to head-review".



First Impressions:


Let's start with some pictures and specs:


Bayangtoys X7



Available for just a little under 20 USD here: http://goo.gl/iyQmQG

The X7 looks pretty amazing, with a sleek center part, and besides this vibrant metallic red, is available in 4 other colors:




Because on all versions, the bottom half of the frame is still white, selecting other colors than full white, will have less impact on night flying capabilities.
Measuring the distance diagonally from one motor to the other, we get 77 mm. When looking over the same diagonal and measure the prop guards, you get 132 mm. Weight, with battery, and prop guards, is 20 gram, I got 20.09 to be precise. Props are the same as on the X9, being 50 mm long.

The box for this quad is big, at first I thought they had sent me the wrong one. The reason for this big box, are that the transmitter is not placed under the quad, like with the X9, so it all fits in a more or less square box, but the TX sits next to the quad, making the box about twice the length of the X9 one. For those not familiar with the Bayangtoys X-series quads, here's an example of what the TX looks like:




Inside the box we also find a small screwdriver, 4 spare props, a USB charger, and a manual. One thing that is quite obvious when unpacking, is that the X7 has the prop guards screwed on, so these can easily be removed, if desired, or placed back. The same can't be said for the battery, as unlike most quads of this size, it's not instantly removable, but soldered onto the board.




To be able to charge the quad, there is a charge socket on the rear, as well as a power switch.




This kinda forces you to get multiple quads, so you can fly for a longer time than just a single battery.

As most small quads, it has a 6 axis gyro, making it very stable, and easy to pick up for beginners. The transmitter offers the selection of 3 different control rates, selected by using the left shoulder button.


The left shoulder button controls the auto-flip feature, press once to activate, and the move the "cyclic" stick in the direction you want the quad to flip in. The transmitter needs 4 AAA batteries to operate.



JJRC/Eachine H8 Mini


This quad comes under two different brand names. Banggood has it listed under the Eachine brand (http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-H8-M...-p-975808.html), while Gearbest has the JJRC version ( http://goo.gl/ANj9w5 ). Generally the BG version is a little under 15 USD, while Gearbest sells it for a little over 15 USD, but still cheaper than the X7. Unlike the X7, things are pretty "black and white" with the H8 Mini, quite literally, as this quad is only available in white, or black.






Since the black one is fully black, both frame halves, it will likely be less suitable for night flying. Better off getting the white one, in that case.
Dimensions and weight are pretty similar to the X7, distance between motors, when measured over the diagonal, is also 77 mm, while the prop guards, though shaped differently, are also 132 mm apart. Props are different, it uses smaller onse than the X7, measuring only 45 mm.
Oddly enought, the 4 props are the same color though, which probably won't help with orientation. The prop guards are part of the frame, so the only way to remove these are by cutting. One big plus though is that the battery is removable.




Even then, it's still smart to get at least two quads, so one can cool down when the other battery is being flown, but apart from the extra quad, all you would need are extra batteries, to fly for a longer time.

The box is small, and contains the transmitter, a small screwdriver, a USB charger, only 2 spare props, and some self adhesive foam pads, to mount under the motor pods. The stock transmitter has only 2 rates, where the lowest rate may already be too much for a beginner quad pilot, despite the 6 axis gyro stabilisation. Also, it's smaller than the one from the X7, and may not be very comfortable to use for every pilot.


As you can see it has no shoulder buttons, and for instance auto-flips are started by pressing down on the right stick. The transmitter needs only 3 AAA cells, so it may be cheaper to operate than the X7, but on the other hand, you often buy AAA cells in quantaties of 4, 8, etc. , so 3 is an pretty odd number then. The transmitter color matches the heli, when you get a white one, the TX will be white too.



With both quads introduced, it's time for some action...


Let's take to the air!


First, the X7, it hovers well, and has good yaw, though not as fast as for instance the X9. Motor and prop noise are about average for a quad this size, you're not likely to get complaints when buzzing around, making sweeping low turns, etc. After making a few passes and figure 8s, it's clear this quad is a nice flyer. Speed is ok, but what strikes me most is how smooth and precise the controls are. Not just the direction controls, but also throttle feels smooth and responsive, making it easier than the average quad to stay at same altitude. Flips are ok, I've seen tighter ones on other quads, but also less pretty ones. Like the X9, if moving forward, a flip can be triggered, and this results in a stunt that looks a bit like a loop. It doesn't keep momentum after the loop as well as the X9, that sometimes even seems to gain speed when coming down from the "loop," but it also doesn't come to full stop, like the JJ1000 for instance.

Speaking of the JJ1000, this X7 feels a lot like it when it comes to smoothness, but also feels lighter. After about 5 minutes, the leds will start to flash, indicating LVC is close, but still offers enough time to land the quad. Battery is down to around 3.70 volts afterwards, so the LVC is set correctly. The charger usually puts back about 150 mAh after such a flight, so the battery is not overrated, and really has 150 mAh usable capacity.

The X7 can handle some breeze, and make headway into the wind, but it does get affected by gusts. Either with a little wobble, or some bobbing if moving at speed. Maybe it has something to do with the prop guards, or the props, which are bigger than usual for a quad this size.


So, will the H8 Mini fly very similar, considering the similarities between the two? Well, there are some clear differences. First, it seems to be more quiet, Yaw rate has been discussed on other topics as well (see below for a list) and is already close to being too fast on low rates. On high rates, it's even faster, and crosses the border between twitchy and annoying, I think. It is possible to fly a smooth turn on the highest setting, but just a fraction more rudder, and the quad makes a 180, or more. Turns will often more look like a handbrake turn. Most of the times I fly on low rates, or actually, medium, as I prefer to use the X7 transmitter for the H8 Mini.

The quad has good speed, and does a nice acceleration jump if you punch the throttle in FFF. It's high yaw rate makes it a good candidate for making funnels. Controls are precise enough for precision landings, but don't feel as smooth as the X7. Like the Juncheng 3015-2, this one demands to go as fast as it possibly can. Flips are a bit weird with this one. It can make a fast one, but first loses altitude, then shoots up a little. Trying to do a "loop-flip", like the X7 can, and the X9 even better, will result in a weird wobbly stop, or in one case even resulted in the H8 flipping continuously, right into the ground. Better to keep these stunt to the X7/X9 series.

Flight times are also a little over 5 minutes, with clear LVC warning, at least with the white one. If you have the black version, it will be harder to spot. Speaking of visibility, the combination of good speed, and fast yaw, and having 4 identically colored props, is not a good one. Apart from the battery wire sticking out at the rear, there is no way of telling orientation when in a hover, and at a distance. It is possible to fix this, but it's still odd that they took the extra effort to make the transmitter in 2 colors, but couldn't do the same for the tiny props.
After LVC is triggered, the battery sits close to 3.70 volts resting voltage, so the protection is set correctly. After a flight like that, the charger puts back between 170 and 175 mAh, indicating the H8 Mini's battery is bigger, and has more "headroom" in capacity.

I've also flown the H8 Mini in a gusty breeze, and it does quite well. Some small altitude "jumps" when it hits a gust, but overall it cuts nicely into the wind. The fast yaw is pretty convenient here, when the quad is going downwind, you can quickly make a "180" to get the nose back into the wind.




Final Conclusion


So 2 pretty indentical size quads, able to bind to the same transmitter, and yet quite different. Here's what I felt are the pros and cons of each one.




Bayangtoys X7


Pros:

- great looks, much variety in colors
- very smooth and precise flyer
- good transmitter for a cheap quad
- flight time over 5 minutes
- good LVC warning
- all color versions suitable for night flying, due to white frame bottom



Cons:

- built-in battery
- yaw may not be fast enough for everyone
- box excessively big for a quad this size



So what are the stronger and weaker points of the H8 Mini?


Pros:

- good speed and agility
- flight times over 5 minutes
- good LVC warning
- very capable in a breeze
- battery can be easily swapped
- very cheap


Cons:

- yaw rate too fast on high setting
- transmitter is not very comfortable to use
- no real beginner rate
- same color props front and rear, making orientation harder
- only 2 spare props


So, in stock form, the X7 is a more polished quad, with smooth control, good speed, it has a really good feel when in the air. Yaw and banking angles are well tuned to each other. It's easy to keep track of it in the air, and keeping a close eye on the quads orientation. The H8 Mini has some rough edges, most notably, as mentioned more often, here and elsewhere, the twitchy yaw rate. When flying on low setting, it would have been nice to have the high rate's banking angles, combined with the low rate's yaw setting. That would have made for a better balance between controls. A more comfortable to use transmitter would have been nice too, as well as different colored props front and rear, and more spare props.

Looking at both quads, right from the box, the X7 wins, due to the better balance between yaw and banking angles, and providing a more complete "package" with the better transmitter. But when pairing the H8 Mini with the Bayangtoys transmitter (or modding the stock, or Bayangtoys transmitter for more controllable yaw), and adding some color to the front props, it becomes much nicer to fly, and edges close to the X7. It may even be surpassing it in areas like handling a breeze, and considering that it costs about the same RTF as a BnF of, like the JJ1000 for instance, is also a strong selling point.