Hubsan X4 H122D Drone

Hubsan X4 H122D Drone Review

Hubsan X4 H122D Drone Review 2020 – is the Hubsan X4 H122D quadcopter worth the money? Review of features, pricing, flight duration, battery, camera and more.

HUBSAN X4 H122D Storm Pro Version Racing FPV Drone with...

$119.00
1 new from $119.00

in stock

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Hubsan is known for making excellent beginner drones and the H122D reinforces this notion. This small quadcopter ticks all the boxes at a compelling price point. It may not be the best out there but it is reliable, easy to operate, and a lot of fun to use.

The Build

The Hubsan X4 H122D drone is far from sleek or serious. The exposed circuits, yellow accents, sudden protrusions, and low price all point to the fact that this is a fun toy and not a professional tool. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your while. This is a compact package that has been built for speed so you can use it for racing with friends. It even has a carbon frame.

The minimal bodywork means that it is easier to tinker with the unit and make upgrades, if you are so inclined. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have brushless motors so expect this to be a noisy flyer. With arms extended, this drone measures 3.7 inches x 3.7 inches. The weight is just 116.5 grams and that already includes the battery. There are cut-outs across the cage to reduce mass and improve cooling. This unit is capable of performing 360-degree flips and rolls.

The Camera

It has a 720p wide-angle camera that can take pictures and capture video. It can be tilted at will. The HD resolution seems quite low these days are 1080p full HD seems to be the standard. In fact, 2K and 4K cameras can be found on a lot of the more expensive drones for videography. If generating quality content is your priority, then this is probably not the unit for you. The visuals are only good for beginners who want to see a first-person view to help them pilot the thing. In fact, some versions of this model come with 3D goggles where you can place the monitor for an immersive experience.

The Battery

Charging time is around 130 minutes while the flight time is a very short 6 minutes with the 7.6V 710 mAh LiPo battery. Given the time constraint, it would be best to have multiple batteries charged for quick swaps once one of them runs out. The battery sits on top of the drone and secured by a Velcro. It should be easy to take it out when you need to. The good news is that the unit can fly fast at 10 m/s or 36 kph, so you should be able to cover a large distance while in the air. Some say they can go much faster on dives. Pilots need to be efficient with their movements.

The Controller

Users will appreciate the fact that this comes with its own LCD monitor for the remote control if they buy the pro version. Unlike most other packages that require people to place their smartphone on the cradle, this one have a built-in viewer that even has its own tall antenna for enhanced signal reception. It uses the 2.4GHz band for to transmit control signals and 5.8GHz for real-time video transmission. Flight control distance and image transmission distance are both around 100 meters. It is best to keep it near if you want pristine videos.

The Flight Modes

Keep in mind that this is not a drone for filming so you don’t have features like Follow Me or Orbit. Instead, it is meant to be used for racing with your friends around an open field or a large stadium. There must be minimal wind as the lightness of the drone makes it susceptible to turbulence. It can be fun to make it do flips, rolls, and other nifty tricks in mid-flight. It can quickly recover and zip around again. It is able to Return to Home when the battery reaches a critical low point, so users won’t have to worry about losing their unit by going too far.

What People Say

The feedback is generally positive for the Hubsan X4 H122D drone. Buyers generally understand what the product is for and are happy with the package. The small size makes it possible to slip it in a jacket pocket while looking for a perfect spot for outdoor flight. Durability is good enough that a few crashes won’t result in major damage. The meager battery life can be a frustration, though there are ways around it such as getting extra batteries.

H122D vs Other Drone Models

The H122D is an improvement over Hubsan’s previous model, the H107D. The older version had a narrow camera angle, a fixed camera, a power-hungry remote control, sudden auto flips, and a small frame. All of these have now been fixed. In addition, the motors are easier to repair and a beeper is available for finding lost units.

The EMAX Tinyhawk RTF is another option if you would like a small racing drone. The all-white ensemble also comes with 3D googles if you like immersive flights. The propellers are protected so drops should not be as much of an issue. That’s great for beginners as they won’t have to be afraid of making mistakes. It is even smaller than the Hubsan H122D but at the cost of an even shorter flight time of only 4 minutes due to a low capacity 450 mAh Li-Po battery.

PROs & CONs Listing

Pros

– An affordable package even with the added monitor and goggles
– Easy to pilot even for complete novices
– Can perform fun tricks while flying
– Zippy speed that’s suitable for racing
– Wide camera angle captures more in every frame
– Return to Home feature when battery runs low

Cons

– Low camera resolution not meant for professional filming
– Control and camera range are fairly short
– Flight time is extremely short at 6 minutes
– No extra propellers included in the package

Conclusion

The Hunsan X4 H122D drone offers a compelling package at just a little over $100 for the pro version. The amount of features that you get for the price is amazing and makes it worth every penny. It’s a good option for beginners with a penchant for speed and aerial tricks, as long as you are fine with the short flight time.

HUBSAN X4 H122D Storm Pro Version Racing FPV Drone with...

$119.00
1 new from $119.00

in stock

Buy this item

Tyler West

Tyler West received a Bachelor Degree in computer science from The University of Texas Austin. Tyler has been working as a full-time computer programmer for the past 3 years. In his spare time, Tyler’s favorite hobby is flying drones. One of Tyler’s life goals is to become a full-time drone pilot.