Most of the other reviews have hit the major pros and cons with this, but there are still a few more that I can add. Hope they help in making your purchasing decisions! PRO:
- Thanks to the gyro, very short learning curve. Remote has two joysticks. Left side only moves up/down and controls speed of the rotors, which controls how much lift they generate. Right joystick moves up/down (controlling forward/reverse) and left/right (makes heli spin). You can also moving the right stick diagonally to make various turns while moving forward or backwards (reverse "figure-8's" are always impressive).
- Surprisingly large number of "mods" that can be done to a $30 heli. After experimenting, I have settled on two minor ones. First, I removed the spring from the left joystick in the controller. This lets me put the heli in a hover and let go of the remote ("look ma, no hands!"). I have also moved the landing gear forward in their mounts to push the center of gravity forward a little, which gives a tiny bit more forward speed. (Some people tape a paperclip to the front to achieve the same effect). One of the other big ones that I tried, but didn't keep, was the "flybar mod". Google it for more details.
- Very durable. Before flying the S107, I had a non-gyro 3-CH heli which broke after it's third flight. I'm now 2+ weeks into the S107 and despite crashing into just about everything possible: walls, ceiling, sofa, tables, pull chain for ceiling fan, the Christmas tree(!), but for some minor nicks on the blades that don't affect flight, everything has held up fine. [My "trick" is to cut power to the blades completely as soon as the crash occurs, and just let it fall]. Even if something does break, just about every part on the 107 is replaceable, from the wings to the motors to the body parts.
CONS:
- Because the S107 is so light (>40g), it absolutely cannot be used in any sort of wind. In fact, a decent draft can be enough to cause it to blow off course. Even indoors, you have to avoid open windows and fans of any sort. Not really a big problem as this happens to all small indoor helis.
- Due to IR control, people report having issues flying near/around LCD televisions and light bulbs that are on when flying. I can fly over lit lamps (incandescent and florescent) without issues, but my 46" LCD will occasionally cause the heli to lose contact with the controller, shutting down power to the rotor. Turning off the TV solves the problem completely.
- The power connector inside my controller will not charge my heli - after five seconds, it thinks its fully charged and shuts down. After taking the controller apart to look for issues, I found the the power wires' connection to the controller board were not soldered properly. Since the USB charger works fine, I did not bother returning the heli, but quality control still seems to be an issue.
- The USB charger (and presumably, the controller's built-in charger) are not "smart" chargers. That is, they will continue to charge the heli's battery as long as they are plugged in. As the heli comes with a Li-Po rechargeable, overcharging can cause all sorts of problems, ranging from shorter flight times to shortening the life of the battery, even to physically damaging the battery (can heat up and expand). Be sure to stop charging as soon as the indicator lights tell you to. [You can also significantly preserve the life of a Li-Po battery by not running it down completely after each flight.]
- Although the controller has markings for 3 channels (A, B and C), advertised as being able to have three people fly their S107s in the same room, there are actually only *two* channels available. (Again, I have taken the controller apart to verify this). So if you planned on giving this as a gift to your 3 children, keep in mind only two will be able to play with it simultaneously.
On the bright side is that to change channels, you just have to flip the switch on the controller and the heli will automatically recognize which one you chose.
All in all, the positives far outweigh the negatives and this makes a great toy for kids and adults alike.
Most of the other reviews have hit the major pros and cons with this, but there are still a few more that I can add. Hope they help in making your purchasing decisions! PRO:
- Thanks to the gyro, very short learning curve. Remote has two joysticks. Left side only moves up/down and controls speed of the rotors, which controls how much lift they generate. Right joystick moves up/down (controlling forward/reverse) and left/right (makes heli spin). You can also moving the right stick diagonally to make various turns while moving forward or backwards (reverse "figure-8's" are always impressive).
- Surprisingly large number of "mods" that can be done to a $30 heli. After experimenting, I have settled on two minor ones. First, I removed the spring from the left joystick in the controller. This lets me put the heli in a hover and let go of the remote ("look ma, no hands!"). I have also moved the landing gear forward in their mounts to push the center of gravity forward a little, which gives a tiny bit more forward speed. (Some people tape a paperclip to the front to achieve the same effect). One of the other big ones that I tried, but didn't keep, was the "flybar mod". Google it for more details.
- Very durable. Before flying the S107, I had a non-gyro 3-CH heli which broke after it's third flight. I'm now 2+ weeks into the S107 and despite crashing into just about everything possible: walls, ceiling, sofa, tables, pull chain for ceiling fan, the Christmas tree(!), but for some minor nicks on the blades that don't affect flight, everything has held up fine. [My "trick" is to cut power to the blades completely as soon as the crash occurs, and just let it fall]. Even if something does break, just about every part on the 107 is replaceable, from the wings to the motors to the body parts.
CONS:
- Because the S107 is so light (>40g), it absolutely cannot be used in any sort of wind. In fact, a decent draft can be enough to cause it to blow off course. Even indoors, you have to avoid open windows and fans of any sort. Not really a big problem as this happens to all small indoor helis.
- Due to IR control, people report having issues flying near/around LCD televisions and light bulbs that are on when flying. I can fly over lit lamps (incandescent and florescent) without issues, but my 46" LCD will occasionally cause the heli to lose contact with the controller, shutting down power to the rotor. Turning off the TV solves the problem completely.
- The power connector inside my controller will not charge my heli - after five seconds, it thinks its fully charged and shuts down. After taking the controller apart to look for issues, I found the the power wires' connection to the controller board were not soldered properly. Since the USB charger works fine, I did not bother returning the heli, but quality control still seems to be an issue.
- The USB charger (and presumably, the controller's built-in charger) are not "smart" chargers. That is, they will continue to charge the heli's battery as long as they are plugged in. As the heli comes with a Li-Po rechargeable, overcharging can cause all sorts of problems, ranging from shorter flight times to shortening the life of the battery, even to physically damaging the battery (can heat up and expand). Be sure to stop charging as soon as the indicator lights tell you to. [You can also significantly preserve the life of a Li-Po battery by not running it down completely after each flight.]
- Although the controller has markings for 3 channels (A, B and C), advertised as being able to have three people fly their S107s in the same room, there are actually only *two* channels available. (Again, I have taken the controller apart to verify this). So if you planned on giving this as a gift to your 3 children, keep in mind only two will be able to play with it simultaneously.
On the bright side is that to change channels, you just have to flip the switch on the controller and the heli will automatically recognize which one you chose.
All in all, the positives far outweigh the negatives and this makes a great toy for kids and adults alike.
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.
Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.
This book is intended for mature audiences.
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.
Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.
This book is intended for mature audiences.
The first few chapters of book one set the scene...naive, bookish girl meets attractive, billionaire CEO and lust ensues. The rest of book one was sex. Explicit sex. And at first it was "steamy." But I quickly found myself wondering when it would end. I read it all, though in reality, I could have skipped entire chapters and really missed nothing.
Books two and three got more into the actual story line and made me glad I stuck with it. I quickly realized that the descriptive sex scenes in book one were necessary to fully develop the two main characters. On the exterior, Christian is a powerful, worldly man but through his interactions with Anastasia, the reader begins to see his immaturity and "damaged" side. And Anastasia's oblivion over the fact that every eligible bachelor in her life is fawning over her betrays her presentation of herself as an ordinary, bumbling recent college grad. It was exciting to see the evolution of Christian and Anastasia throughout the trilogy.
To say that this is "a book about bondage" is wrong. Yes, there are a few select scenes that depict sex with restraints or spankings or floggers. But in the grand scheme of things, they were isolated, fleeting events. Instead, I would say this book is a love story. It's about the concessions we will make for the one we love and the "hard limits" that keep us true to ourselves. The author has created two very memorable main characters and a laundry list of amazing supporting characters, including "the inner goddess" who honestly was one of my favorites! And I especially liked the last chapter (following the epilogue) which was told from Christian's perspective. I would have liked to have had more of his point of view sprinkled throughout the books.
What's interesting to me is that these books have received such a wide array of ratings by Amazon users. Clearly the author has done her job of presenting a controversial theme and getting readers talking. I notice a few unifying comments from the reviewers who did not like the book (or gave it a low rating)....
1) The ebook is too expensive. - To this I say that it's unfair of readers to low ball their rating of the author's work simply because they're unhappy with the publisher's price. As a consumer, you have the option to buy or not to buy. You also have the option to buy hard copies rather than ebooks. If you don't want to shell out the extra few cents to buy the trilogy instead of the three individual ebooks, then don't. If you'd rather buy the paperbacks, then do. If you'd rather borrow a friend's hard copy or check it out of the library, go for it. But don't hold that against the author!
2) There was no story line. - To this I say, "You must have stopped reading at the end of book one."
3) There was too much repetition. - To this I say I think Anastasia's inner dialogue includes a lot of "holy crap" and "oh my" for a reason. Despite her personal and professional evolution, she's still a bit unsure of herself and her ability to adapt to her new lifestyle. No matter what, she's still young, naive Ana on the inside.
The first few chapters of book one set the scene...naive, bookish girl meets attractive, billionaire CEO and lust ensues. The rest of book one was sex. Explicit sex. And at first it was "steamy." But I quickly found myself wondering when it would end. I read it all, though in reality, I could have skipped entire chapters and really missed nothing.
Books two and three got more into the actual story line and made me glad I stuck with it. I quickly realized that the descriptive sex scenes in book one were necessary to fully develop the two main characters. On the exterior, Christian is a powerful, worldly man but through his interactions with Anastasia, the reader begins to see his immaturity and "damaged" side. And Anastasia's oblivion over the fact that every eligible bachelor in her life is fawning over her betrays her presentation of herself as an ordinary, bumbling recent college grad. It was exciting to see the evolution of Christian and Anastasia throughout the trilogy.
To say that this is "a book about bondage" is wrong. Yes, there are a few select scenes that depict sex with restraints or spankings or floggers. But in the grand scheme of things, they were isolated, fleeting events. Instead, I would say this book is a love story. It's about the concessions we will make for the one we love and the "hard limits" that keep us true to ourselves. The author has created two very memorable main characters and a laundry list of amazing supporting characters, including "the inner goddess" who honestly was one of my favorites! And I especially liked the last chapter (following the epilogue) which was told from Christian's perspective. I would have liked to have had more of his point of view sprinkled throughout the books.
What's interesting to me is that these books have received such a wide array of ratings by Amazon users. Clearly the author has done her job of presenting a controversial theme and getting readers talking. I notice a few unifying comments from the reviewers who did not like the book (or gave it a low rating)....
1) The ebook is too expensive. - To this I say that it's unfair of readers to low ball their rating of the author's work simply because they're unhappy with the publisher's price. As a consumer, you have the option to buy or not to buy. You also have the option to buy hard copies rather than ebooks. If you don't want to shell out the extra few cents to buy the trilogy instead of the three individual ebooks, then don't. If you'd rather buy the paperbacks, then do. If you'd rather borrow a friend's hard copy or check it out of the library, go for it. But don't hold that against the author!
2) There was no story line. - To this I say, "You must have stopped reading at the end of book one."
3) There was too much repetition. - To this I say I think Anastasia's inner dialogue includes a lot of "holy crap" and "oh my" for a reason. Despite her personal and professional evolution, she's still a bit unsure of herself and her ability to adapt to her new lifestyle. No matter what, she's still young, naive Ana on the inside.
