Air65 Durability: What Broke and Key Considerations

The Air65 Took a Beating - Here’s What Broke and What to Watch Out For

After fixing up the Air65 and then beating it up, it has become very clear what to look out for when buying or building a whoop.

The first thing I noticed on the Air65 is the motor wire and soldering quality - and let’s just say, it leaves a lot to be desired. After a few crashes, the motor wires tend to become brittle and snap right next to the AIO pads. I suspect this happens because the solder doesn’t flow far enough under the wire insulation. A better approach might be to use more flux and make sure the solder wets the wire slightly under the insulation. Alternatively, solder the wire so the insulation sits as close to the pad as possible - I suspect this could give more support and help the solder bond to a larger section of the wire. I’ll test this out and report back in a bit.

The second major issue is the antenna connector. After a harder crash, the antenna can partially or fully disconnect, which can fry the VTX (that’s what happened to our Mobula6). The worst part is when it only comes loose slightly - it’s much harder to notice. So, here’s a big reminder: after any big crash, before every flight, and after every flight, always check that your VTX antenna is firmly attached!

I’ve seen plenty of posts online about RXs and VTXs refusing to cooperate on these AIO boards, and it’s not the end of the world since there are great nano RX and VTX replacements available. But it highlights another issue: the lack of UART ports and analog video out (VOUT).

Until recently, I hadn’t looked too closely at our Air65, but when the VTX started acting up, I did some digging. It turns out that the Air65 uses the BetaFPV G4 4-in-1 AIO - not a bad board overall - but it doesn’t have a VOUT pad (video with OSD out). This doesn’t stop you from wiring in a separate VTX (you can connect the VIN directly to the camera’s VOUT), but you’ll lose your OSD, which for me is pretty essential. So here’s another lesson learned: when buying or building a whoop, make sure your AIO has a VOUT pad and at least one free UART for the VTX, as these components are prone to failure.

It might also be worth getting some UV resin to secure wires and the VTX antenna - this won’t guarantee that nothing breaks, but it can help prevent the most common issues.

Lastly, keep an eye out for AIOs with motor connectors instead of direct-soldered motor wires. It makes motor replacement infinitely easier, but the tradeoff is that it adds a bit of weight. And speaking of motors - always keep a few spares on hand, because sooner or later, after a crash, one will inevitably give out.

EDIT: inserted links