JJRC H31 Quadcopter Review – Completely Waterproof Drone
Thanks to its waterproof-treated circuit board, the JJRC H31 Quadcopter is completely waterproof. This makes it one of the most unique quadcopters on the market, but how well does it fly?
The JJRC H31 flies almost exactly as you’d expect any sub-$35 quadcopter to fly. Slow and steady enough for even a beginner to fly.
It has three rates, all of which change the overall speed and yaw (turning). Beginner and intermediate modes are the slowest and are good for newer pilots to learn on. Expert mode doesn’t fly much faster, however, it’s yaw rate becomes insanely fast which allows this quadcopter to spin like a top!
JJRC H31 Quadcopter – Price, Controller range
Overall, the flight experience is pretty average. The range is decent at about 70-80 meters and it flies like your typical toy quadcopter. Not extremely fast, but stable and gets the job done!
Aside from its affordable price tag, one of the main draws of the H31 is its waterproofing.
In this case, waterproof doesn’t mean that water can’t get inside the frame. In fact, when submerged in water, it’s very easy for water to leak out into the frame and onto the circuit board. Where the real waterproofing comes in is on the circuit board itself.
The circuit board is the main electrical component that controls the drone’s operation. Usually, getting it wet would spell disaster. The H31 circuit board has been specially treated with a coating that protects it from the water.
JJRC H31 Quadcopter – Flights in the rain
Even weeks later, many flights in the rain, being completely submerged in a pool of water and even sinking in a local lake, the H31 still flies no problem.With the landing leg on, it can actually float above the surface of the water. I have the white version, but the green version kind of reminds me of a frog when it does this. Keep in mind, water does get inside of the frame. The more water that gets inside, the heavier this drone becomes, making it more sluggish, and even causing it to sink.
Overall it’s surprising how well this quadcopter holds up after being dunked in water. Most other toy quadcopters would be completely unfunctional and need some replacement parts to get flying again.
Mounting a camera will affect your flight performance
Mounting a camera is a relatively simple process as seen below. Keep in mind that a camera will affect your flight performance, but only barely, and you’ll get reduced flight times as well.
Good thing about cheap drones is that quite a variety of cameras are compatible.
Flight Time
The included battery is a 400 mAh LiPo battery that takes about 60 minutes to charge with the included USB charger. You’ll get flight times of around 5-7 minutes, which is slightly below average.
Conclusion
The H31 has a lot going for it. It’s extremely cheap, compatible with some popular tiny action cameras and most importantly, waterproof!
It’s extremely easy to fly so even beginners will be able to enjoy this, no problem. Not to mention you can fly it in the rain! For the price, it’s hard to beat.
