Introduction: An RFQ built around 100m working height, cable length, payload, power input, and trade terms turns a supplier shortlist into an order you can actually place.
Sourcing an industrial tethered drone is different from buying a consumer quadcopter from a catalog. Sourcing teams often compare several Chinese drone manufacturers that claim the same 100m system, and the real differences rarely appear in the headline marketing. They appear in the specifications you request in writing, the customization questions you raise before pricing, and the trade terms you agree on before shipment. Use the LZZ-THOR-100 configuration as a working reference and turn each supplier conversation into concrete RFQ line items.
A tethered UAV system is a ground power and reel unit, a specialized composite tether, an onboard step-down module, a backup battery, and an aircraft that must hold position at height while the whole chain stays synchronized. When you screen a drone manufacturer, ask not only whether they sell a 100m system but whether they control the supply chain behind each subsystem. Some manufacturers build the reel, tether, and power module in-house; others integrate those parts from third parties and resell a package. That difference affects your risk profile. If one supplier owns reel synchronization, tether extrusion, and the onboard power module, spare parts and engineering support stay with one accountable company. If not, every fault inquiry may lead to a different vendor, and replacement-part lead times depend on another company's production schedule. For a system deployed at a fixed industrial site, that gap can mean weeks of downtime on a surveillance or emergency-communication task. Supplier screening should therefore include a written description of what the manufacturer builds in-house versus what it integrates. Documented specifications also matter. A 100m working height claim is useful only when the same sheet gives cable length, insulation rating, tensile strength, input and output voltage, and onboard power rating. That level of detail separates a manufacturer you can plan an order with from one you can only quote.
The specification sheet you receive during supplier comparison should be mirrored in your RFQ. When you write the RFQ in the same terms the manufacturer uses—height, cable length, power input, output voltage, payload, operating duration—the replies become far easier to compare across suppliers.
Request the electrical chain as one block. On the LZZ-THOR-100, the ground unit takes AC 220V input and outputs DC 375V / 400V at under 3000W, feeding a 3000W onboard power module. The onboard module supplies the aircraft's power, so its rating and thermal behavior belong in the RFQ, not only in marketing copy. The tether belongs in the RFQ too. Cable length, weight per 100m, tensile strength, insulation rating, and current capacity determine whether the reel survives real use. On this system the cable is 120m, weighs 2kg per 100m, is rated at 2000V insulation, has over 100kg tensile strength, and carries 7A. These numbers show how much margin is built in beyond the 100m working height. Then request the flight envelope: continuous operation, payload, hover accuracy, deployment time, and emergency landing time. The LZZ-THOR-100 runs ≥8 hours of continuous ground-powered operation, carries 2.5kg, deploys in ≤4 minutes, and lands under emergency power in ≤2 minutes. List the 5200mAh 35C backup battery as a separate RFQ line so it is clear whether the fallback is included or optional. Also ask whether the fiber variant with 10Gb/s single-mode optical transmission is available on the unit you are pricing.
Customization reviews go faster when you bring a defined payload requirement rather than a vague idea. If your gimbal, spotlight, or communication relay module stays within the 2.5kg payload and fits the onboard power budget, the manufacturer can confirm fit and interface. If it does not, the review may point toward a different configuration in the same family instead of a rebuild of the 100m system you originally requested. List export paperwork in the RFQ as well: commercial invoice, packing list, and any certificate of origin or inspection documentation your customs broker requires. With the LZZ-THOR-100, the manufacturer uses an offline quote request process, so customization scope, the fiber option, and the document set are settled within the same quotation rather than negotiated later.
Once specifications are comparable, agree where responsibility sits after the packed 52kg ground unit and the aircraft leave the factory. Trade. gov's Incoterms reference is a practical starting point: each three-letter term—EXW, FOB, CIF, or DAP—defines which party arranges carriage, which party arranges insurance, and at what point risk transfers. Name the term you want in the RFQ and ask the manufacturer to price against it instead of accepting a default term and adjusting later. Battery handling belongs in the same conversation. UL 9540 covers thermal safety and battery management expectations for energy storage systems. Use it as a framework for asking how the 5200mAh backup pack is managed during continuous operation and what protection the system provides if ground power is interrupted. For planned flights in US airspace, the FAA commercial operator guidance is a useful reference because flight rules follow the operator, not the aircraft. Operators elsewhere should check their own regulator before deployment. After-sales response matters most at this stage. Tinko provides 24/7 response and technical guidance, which helps during commissioning and fault diagnosis. Keep commercial terms separate: ask the manufacturer to confirm MOQ, price, lead time, warranty years, and any regional certifications in the formal written quotation so all terms sit in one document you can compare across suppliers.
Sourcing a 100m tethered UAV system comes down to three moves: get the factory supply chain described in writing, mirror the specification sheet into your RFQ line by line, and settle trade terms and after-sales commitments before comparing final numbers. When specifications, the customization review, and the Incoterms all sit inside the same quotation, supplier comparison becomes concrete. Submit your payload and deployment details through the offline quote request, and the reply should identify which 100m configuration fits.
A：Include the electrical chain: AC input, DC output, and onboard power. Add tether data: length, insulation, tensile strength, and current capacity. Add the flight envelope: working height, continuous operation, payload, hover accuracy, and deployment time. Include the backup battery and any fiber option. Also add the customization scope, required export documents, Incoterm, and the after-sales items you want confirmed in the quote.
A：Ask each supplier to describe what they build in-house versus what they integrate, then request a documented specification sheet for the same parameters so replies sit side by side. Compare payload margin, tether ratings, backup battery configuration, fiber availability, and how quickly each supplier answers technical questions. Price becomes meaningful only after those lines are aligned.
A：Name the Incoterm you want—EXW, FOB, CIF, or DAP—and ask the manufacturer to quote against it, since that decides who arranges carriage, insurance, and where risk transfers. On after-sales, ask for the response channel, technical support scope, warranty years, and spare parts availability in writing. Confirm these inside the formal quotation so they are comparable across suppliers.
Know Your Incoterms - Trade.gov
UL 9540 - UL Standards & Engagement
Certificated Remote Pilots including Commercial Operators - FAA
