Holy Stone HS230 Drone Review 2019 – is the Holy Stone HS230 Drone worth the money? Review of features, pricing, flight duration, battery, camera and more.
Thanks to the proliferation of online stores, it is possible to purchase anything from them, including drones. Purchasing a drone is an exciting endeavor because they are so cool. However, never make the mistake of purchasing the first model you come across online. You should know what you will use the gadget for and whether it contains options and features that you need. On the one hand, if you want to use it for hobby purposes then any model will do. On the other hand, if you want to take high resolution images and videos, you should search for one that includes a high resolution camera r has a mount for attaching your own camera. Apart from this, there are other factors such as flying time, distance, as well as motor power. If you want to telecast streaming videos, make sure that the model has the feature. Having reviewed several drones, I have found one particular offering from Holy Stone as outstanding in most respects. Read my Holy Stone HS230 drone review for more details.
Holy Stone is the ruler
Unarguably, Holy Stone is among the best names in the professional and consumer drone industry. It is literally impossible to find a small drone that delivers satisfaction to both beginners and professionals. However, the Holy Stone HS230 drone with first person view (FPV) does than and even delivers more. It is excellent in terms of performance and build quality.
Thanks to the amazing features that this racing drone contains, you will enjoy its flying experience, whether you are an amateur or a professional. Its FPV real time transmission permits you to view live footage of photos and videos it captures and stores in real time, even when it is flying at its maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour.
Physical features and included stuff
Tipping the scales at only 116 grams, this drone boasts of an ultra-lightweight and compact design, which makes it convenient for the user to pack for travelling. The components of this drone are robust and long-lasting. I was pleasantly surprised by its streamlined design, as it helps thwart wind resistance. Apart from the drone itself, the package includes a user manual, screwdriver, a card reader, USB chargers, eight spare propellers, a transmitter, four spare propeller caps, and three batteries (3.7V 750mAh Li-Po) … one of the controller and two for the drone. The company has thoughtfully included battery charger cables too. Expect 20 minutes of uninterrupted flying time when both the batteries are fully charged. As the batteries take one to one and a half hour to charge, I recommend that you purchase three of them in case you are on an urgent photography mission and have to complete it immediately.
Camera
The HS230 RC contains a 720 HD modular camera boasting of 120º FOV (field of view), which captures high quality still photographs as well as high quality videos (1280 x 720 pixels) irrespective of the speed at which the drone is flying. The rotatable camera enables the drone to capture wide-angle photographs from different angles, ideal for scenery and landscape photos.
The wide FOV permits you to have panoramic view, allowing you to take stunning videos and photographs. The pre-installed four GB TransFlash card has enough space to store all of the videos and images you take. However, it is a good idea to back up the captured files on to a different storage media to free up the space of the TF card. While installing and uninstalling the camera is relatively easy, refer to the user guide if you face any problem.
Image transmission
This Holy Stone model makes use of an advanced analog signal receiver and transmitter, operating at 2.4GHz frequency to swiftly transmit videos and images on the controller’s LCD screen, permitting you to view them in real time. Although this drone includes a 4GB TransFlash card, I suggest you purchase bigger and compatible micro SD card. You can find this information in the user manual.
Flight and range
Those who love performing aerobics will simply love the Holy Stone HS230 RC, as it performs all types of aerobics including 360º flips in all directions. This drone has three different flight speeds: low, medium, and high. I strongly recommend beginners to start with the “low speed” to hone their flying skills and shift gears to “medium” and “high” speeds once they are comfortable with flying the drone. Unlike other drones that take lots of time to reach their maximum speed, this offering from Holy Stone shifts from zero to maximum speed in a few seconds. The range of the controller is 100 meters.
Safety features
This drone boasts of a headless security feature, which prevents from flying off course or backwards, ensuring that it does not get lost in flight. The low power alert on the controller notifies you when the power of the battery starts draining beyond a certain threshold, so you can fly it back home. Apart from this, the included bright LED navigation light allows you to fly this drone at night as well.
The controller
I loved the ergonomic design on the controller, which allowed me to use it for a long time without any fatigue on my hands. Easy to reach controls and joysticks compliment the inbuilt screen. This allows you to have a FPV of what the drone is seeing.
Conclusion of Holy Stone HS230 drone review
At only $139.99, this is one of the best drones I have come across. Taking its price and high resolution camera into account, this is the best drone you can buy for your money.
Pros
• Durable
• Precise
• Advanced real time transmission
• Blazing fast
• Cons
Limited 100 meters range
• No GPS
• Bulky transmitter
• Challenging to control for first time users
One of my colleagues said that he purchased the HS230 because of its speed and high quality real time picture and video transmission. He has flown it in wind speeds of 20 miles per hour without being swayed off course.
Another complained that he was only getting 10 minutes flying time. I checked his drone and noticed that he was only using a single battery. He can now use it for 20 minutes with both batteries installed.
