The world of drones is exciting and if you are thinking of getting your very first drone, then take a look at the CX-23 from Cheerson.
Cheerson is a brand that gained great success with its CX-20 model and is known for providing units that offer great value for money.
If you want a drone that is strong and durable, then the Cheerson CX 23 is a perfect choice.
This budget-friendly beginner drone is also packed with features that are bound to impress.
It can also withstand the occasional crash so you can rest easy if you’re a beginner pilot.
Furthermore, it is equipped with a camera that captures decent photos and videos to share with families and friends.
If you want to know more about this drone, keep reading out Cheerson CX 23 drone review.
Drone
Features
Price
- Flight range: 500 meters
- Flight time: 14 minutes
- Weight: 8.1 oz
Cheerson CX 23 Cheer drone review
- Flight range: 500 meters
- Flight time: 14 minutes
- Weight: 8.1 oz
Update: The Cheerson CX 23 has been replaced with the Cheerson CX-32W.
This unit offers a longer flight time, longer flight range and comes with a stable flight system.
The Cheerson CX 23 is an awesome feature-rich beginner drone that is well built for those looking for their first drone.
The beginner-friendly drone features of this drone make it simple and easy to fly.
Its various modes and GPS functions allow you to take off and land in the exact same spot and all you have to do is hover at that spot for just a little while.
All in all the Cheerson CX 23 drone is going to thrill the beginner drone pilot in every aspect.
Let us take an in-depth look at what this drone has to offer.
Best features of the Cheerson CX-23 cheer GPS drone
Design
One of the first noticeable things about the CX23 is its unique and peculiar design.
This unmanned aerial vehicle features upside-down back propellers which is something we rarely see in drones.
Although the reason for this is unknown, it does give the quad a super sleek and cool look.
At the bottom, it includes a removable bumper that saves both the drone and the camera from minor crashes.
you could also find the battery at the bottom of the drone which has an LED indicator that gives you information about the status of the battery.
Moving on to size, the quad is not too big and is about the same size as the DJI spark when unfolded.
It measures 245*245*90 mm and weighs just 8.1 oz.
As a small and spiffy drone, this unit does have quite an appeal to it right off the bat.
Battery Life
For such an affordable and small drone this Cheer drone sports a decent 2S 1200mAh lipo battery with a 20C rating.
Although these specs might seem low you have to take into consideration that Cheerson CX23 only weighs around 8 ounces.
This means that the battery can provide enough power for such a lightweight model and allows it to have a flight time of 14 minutes which is not bad at all for a drone in this price range.
However, do keep in mind that flight time will be altered if you use the DVR function of the built-in camera.
Operating Range
The operating range of the Cheerson CX23 is out to 500 meters which, to be honest, isn’t bad for a budget-friendly beginner drone
Its predecessor the CX-20 had an operating range of 200 to 300 meters so it’s no surprise that this model kicks it up a notch.
Of course, the operating range can be affected by objects between you and the drone.
However, this happens with every drone on the market so it’s not exactly a disadvantage that you’d experience with the Cheerson CX23 only.
Camera
The CX 23 comes with a miniature built-in camera that can be manually adjusted.
You can tilt the camera up or down but keep in mind that you will need to do this before the flight as there are no controls that automatically adjust the angle once the drone is in the air.
The camera features a 2MPX sensor that captures images in 1920×1080 and 1280×7220 resolution videos.
The FPV video quality is decent however you may experience some bit of lag but this should not be too much of an issue when racing.
Speed
If you have the need for speed then you’re going to love this Cheer drone.
This beast was built for high-speed racing action with its mighty D1306 3300KV brushless motors.
Using brushless motors on this little unit was a great choice by Cheerson since these won’t burn out as easily as brush motors due to fly at high speeds.
With all that in mind, it is no surprise that the Cheerson CX23 can reach speeds of 33MPH in normal mode and 22 MPH in GPS mode.
In either mode, you get lightning-fast speeds with the Cheerson CX23 which is another reason to consider purchasing this unit.
Flight experience
Before you fly the Cheerson CX23, you will be required to calibrate it to avoid any issues during flight.
To calibrate the drone, all you do is simply press the mode button 10 times until the screen changes and pops up with the calibration instructions.
Follow the instructions on the screen who will have you rotating the drone both horizontally and vertically.
Be patient if it doesn’t go as planned and keep repeating the procedure until you’ve completed all the steps and everything is perfect.
Once you’ve completed all the steps and you’ve successfully calibrated your drone it’s time to hit the skies.
The flight time of 14 minutes and the range out to 500 meters along with speeds up to 33 mph all play a part in a suitable flight experience.
These along with the intelligent flight features makes flying the drone incredibly easy and fun.
Some of these advanced features include:
One Key Return
This feature allows you to get the drone back to its original take-off point with just the push of a single button.
Automatic Return.
The Automatic Return feature works in a similar fashion to the One Key Return but in this instance, you do not have to press any buttons.
The AR technology takes charge once the battery is at a certain level or if you are getting too close to the maximum range and automatically returns home.
Altitude Hold
This feature allows the drone to hover steadily in a particular location without you manipulating the controls or messing around with the throttle.
Point of interest
This useful flight mode points out a certain object to your drone.
The drone then flies towards that object and orbits it taking cool aerial shots or videos as it goes.
Remote controller
The remote controller of the CX 23 works with 5.1 GHz and works between 2400 and 24183 megahertz frequency.
The controller is equipped with GPS functionality, Altitude Hold and lots of other buttons that you will find quite useful.
There are also two small joysticks for Throttle/Steering and Elevator/Aileron with the Power switch in the middle.
There are five buttons for Landing, Height Hold, One Key Return, Photo/Video and for Takeoff at the bottom of the controller.
These buttons all feature small graphics which makes it easier to know the function of each.
If you do have a hard time figuring out which button does what, you can find the explanation in the user manual.
Let us now move on to the best part of the controller which is the built-in monitor.
A built-in monitor on the remote controller means that you won’t always have to connect your smartphone or smart device to the drone for FPV.
This is a feature that you can find on the more expensive and advanced models so it was a welcome feature on this budget-friendly drone.
However, the picture on the monitor may lag a little but the captured footage will be clear.
The monitor and transmitter both have rechargeable batteries that are separate and if you opt to purchase a separate charger, you can charge both at the same time.
Finally, you could find a smaller screen under the big monitor with a bunch of telemetric data which gives you information about the status of the drone.
These will include anything like how far or how high the drone is.
Pros
- Affordable
- Durable
- Fast
- Cool design
- Easy to fly
- Smart Flight features
- Built-in screen on the remote controller
Cons:
- Camera quality can be better
- Lag in FPV transmission
Cheerson CX 23 vs CX 20
- Flight range: 300 meters
- Flight time: 15 minutes
- Weight: 35.2 oz
Let us take a look at how the CX-23 matches up against its predecessor the CX-20.
Right off the bat when comparing these two drones one can clearly see that they do not look anything like one another.
The CX-20 is more on the bulky side and is primarily meant for those who want to learn aerial photography since it is equipped with a mount for a Go-Pro or similar action camera.
On the other hand, the CX 23 is much smaller, comes with a built-in camera and is best used for fast-paced racing action.
However, feature-wise they are pretty similar with just a few differences here and there.
Even though the CX 20 is equipped to use a more powerful camera and battery, both these units have roughly the same flight time.
In the end, other than size and specs, there isn’t much more to compare with these 2 drones since they were both built for different purposes.
Alternatives to the CX 23 cheer drone
To give you a better idea of all that the Cheerson CX-23 offers, we created a short list of competitors to see how the Cheerson CX23 performs.
In this section, we’ll be taking a look at 2 of the Cheerson CX 23 competitors and compare them side by side to see which outperforms the other.
Without further ado, let’s get right to it.
- Flight range: 300 meters
- Flight time: 20 minutes
- Weight: 14.5 oz
The Hubsan H501S drone is probably the biggest contender for the best beginner drone prior to the introduction of the Cheerson CX23 drone.
However, with the introduction of the CX 23, the Hubsan H501S may have met its match.
While the Hobson offers a longer flight time of 20 minutes and the CX 23 just 14 minutes, the CX23 wins due to its operating range.
The CX 23 has an operating range of 500 meters while the H501S has an operating range of only 300 meters.
Although the camera on the H501S is better than the one on the CX23, it is fixed at a certain angle which can pose a problem to some people.
The CX 23 camera can be manipulated and adjusted manually which is something that most people will appreciate.
Feature-wise, these 2 drones are similar as they both incorporate GPS and a few intelligent flight features that can help improve the flying experience of beginners.
When it’s all said and done, both these drones are similar in some ways with the H501S having a slight edge due to its superior camera and longer flight time.
That being said, Cheerson’s range and ability to perform better in terms of FPV will definitely be a favorite for drone racing enthusiasts.
Parrot Bebop Quadcopter Drone
- Flight range: 300 meters
- Flight time: 11 minutes
- Weight: 14.1 oz
To make this a fair match-up, we had to review the Parrot Bebop without its Sky Controller.
This is because the cost of the quadcopter together with the controller will greatly exceed that of the Cheerson CX23 which would eliminate the Bebop as a possible competitor.
First off, the Bebop offers a flight time of just 11 minutes while the Cheerson CX23 offers a flight time of 14 minutes, clearly making the CX23 drone the winner in this department.
The CX-13 also comes out a winner due to its 5.8 G FPV due to its superior range and responsiveness.
The Bebop has a range out to 300 meters when controlled using the FreeFlight App while the Cheerson has an operating range out to 500 meters.
Moreover, the Bebop isn’t exactly the most agile drone when controlling it using the FreeFlight App.
The controls can be a little tricky and can prove hard to deal with at times.
That is so unlike the Cheerson CX23 that comes with a dedicated controller with lots of telemetry information and a built-in screen.
The controller on the CX 23 also supports advanced GPS-powered features which the Parrot bebop cannot without the Sky Controller.
In the end, the CX-20 is the clear winner in this comparison between the two since it has more features, better specifications and a superior FPV system.
- Easily updates to meet FAA requirements
- Explore the world in 14 megapixel full HD 1080p and capture any vista with Bebop’s 180° field of…
- Cruise at your own pace and return home automatically
- Take clear photos and videos using advanced 3-axis image stabilization
- Fly farther and faster with quick charging Lithium ion batteries (included)
- Control your experience with our Free Flight Pro app (iOS, Android, Windows 8.1)
Final thoughts
In this Cheerson CX-23 Cheer GPS drone review, we have found that this unit has some exceptional features and comes at a more competitive price when compared to similar drones.
It is a very durable unit that gives confidence to beginner flyers with its intelligent flight modes.
Although the camera is not professional grade, it is of decent quality that gives you good enough pictures to share with family and friends.
It is best used for high-speed action and offers enough flight time and operating range for a drone at this price point
Other than features, the Cheerson CX23 does look pretty slick and cool due to its unique design.
Overall, the drone is an absolute hit since it’s cheap and pretty easy to use.
It comes with some features that you will find on more advanced and expensive drones which is one of its major selling points.
For more drones, check out our affordable drones and best drones articles.
Drone
Features
Price
- Flight range: 500 meters
- Flight time: 14 minutes
- Weight: 8.1 oz