Syma X5sC-1: Stylish Drone for Beginners

All the kids are now back to school, and the parents (ok probably only the dads :)) will have more time to play with their favorite remote-controlled toys. Yesterday was my 6-year-old son’s first school day, he looks very enthusiastic, I’m curious if he will continue this way until he graduates college. We had a few agitated days with this school thing, but finally, everything looks calm and I have time to review my new toy, the Syma X5sC-1 quadcopter.

The Syma X5 series is known as the best beginner quadcopter. I’m very curious whether this new upgraded X5sC-1 maintains this reputation. “Steroid” features like headless mode and return to home never impressed me to much as I’m more interested in improving my the flying skills. It is not logical to fly your quadcopter too far away if you can’t bring it back by yourself.

Since I started my journey in the world of quadcopters, I have tested many Syma models, from the smallest X12 to the biggest X8W. Unfortunately, not everybody can buy all the models from the market to have the proper multi-rotor for indoor, outdoor or FPV flights. This X5sC offers an excellent intermediate solution, it has the perfect size for both indoor and outdoor flight. There is available an FPV upgrade kit for this aircraft that transforms it in a first-person view quadcopter.

I will be a bit shorter with my Syma X5sC-1 review because two more products are waiting in the box to be reviewed.

The package was delivered very fast; it took only eight days to have the X5sC in my hand. I thank Adam from GearBest for the professional approach by offering multi-rotors and related products for honest reviews. It is more consumer-friendly to offer products for review than just to buy banner spaces or other advertising techniques.

Syma X5sC-1 review

The main difference (and probably the only one) between the X5sC and the upgraded X5SC-1 is the smaller, more shipping-friendly packaging.

There are two different models of this drone, one without a camera which is called X5s, and the X5sC with a camera. Usually, the letter “C” in the name of the Syma models points to the aircraft being equipped with a camera.

I opted for the orange version of the Syma X5sC Quad, which was preferred by my son but is also available in white and black finishes.

The package includes everything that you need for your first flight, even a 4GB memory card to immortalize some decent aerial videos. For beginners, I recommend RTF quadcopters because they are ready out of the box for learning flights.

Prior to your first test flight, you should install the landing skids and the propeller guards. You should also check the battery voltage if you have a volt meter.

Syma X5sC-1: First impressions

As is shown in the image below, the aircraft was a bit redesigned compared to its predecessor. To allow a higher ground guard, the bridge-type landing skids are placed with 4pcs of taller individual landing legs. To protect the main gear and rotor shaft from excessive dust, strands of hair or grass are enclosed in the main airframe. These tiny brushed motors can easily burn out prematurely if these unwanted impurities slow them down.

left side Syma X5C – right side X5SC

The camera mount was redesigned, too, it can be easily removed in the field without any additional tools. Without the extra weight and power consumption of the camera, you can earn about 1-2 minutes of extra playtime.

To solve another design inconvenience of the previous model, the engineers from Syma have reallocated the battery compartment’s door from the aircraft’s belly to the bottom of the body. The battery compartment is slightly bigger, so there is probably enough room for a higher-capacity battery.

Syma X5sC-1: Transmitter (remote controller)

The transmitter looks 100% identical to its predecessor, and yes, the fake plastic antenna on the top is also present. I read it somewhere that, unfortunately, the transmitters are not compatible and interchangeable, the X5SC-1 transmitter won’t bind with the older X5C-1 quadcopter. For those with some DIY skills, the 50-meter control range can be extended by adding a real Wi-Fi antenna to about 100 meters. I made this easy hack to my X5C’s remote controller with successful results, you can read my step-by-step guide here.

A small LCD screen is present on the bottom of the transmitter and displays information like: the transmitter’s battery level, trim levels, yaw rate, and throttle level.

Syma X5sC-1: Camera

This X5SC-1 is equipped with the same well-known 720P camera used by many Syma models. The only improvement is regarding the storage space as it is delivered with a higher capacity 4GB microSD card. The 2MP offers decent image quality in good light conditions but nothing spectacular. The time stamp can be set through a text file (TIME.TXT) that must be copied in the root folder of the memory card. If you are curious about the beauty of first person flights and ready to spend some extra bucks (around $50), there is available a compatible 5.8GHz FPV upgrade kit.

I promise to add to my review some sample images and videos captured with the X5sC’s camera.

Syma X5sC-1: Flight performance

4pcs of 8mm provide the X5SC-1’s lifting power brushed motors, 1 mm thicker as the ones the previous model has. Leaving aside the wind bug (probably solved with a future software update), the X5SC is very stable and can easily hover. I recommend that beginners to set the flight speed on low, especially when they practice indoor. After familiarizing them with the basic flight movements, they can switch to HIGH speed, which causes the Quad to become even more responsive and agile.

My only disappointment regarding this quad-copter is the playtime. 5 minutes of continuous flight is just not enough for me. When I started to have fun, I was warned by the low battery alarm. By removing the propeller guards and the camera, the flight time can be increased by 2 minutes.

As usual, being pressed by my wife with household stuff, I forgot my camcorder at home, so I can’t show my test flight. I scheduled for next weekend my second flight with this beauty and I will post the results on my YouTube channel.