Nate, have you used the wifi backpack for FPV? I ask because I see a few problems with it: 1. The range is limited to wifi which isn't going to get you very far 2. The resolution is pretty poor from what I've seen 3. The latency of the backup was about 2 seconds from my test For any serious FPV these are big limitations in my mind. Perhaps things are better now, but I tested with my buddy's GP3 on a snowboarding trip earlier this year and wasn't very impressed. Better than nothing tho.
Very nice! What frame are you flying with? Also, I've read a lot of good things about the ZenMuse. Are you carrying an additional camera with the ZenMuse or just the GoPro? Just curious about your setup as it's something I've been looking into. Thanks.
I remember reading somewhere that the output voltage should be near 1V. What readymaderc cable are you using and I'm assuming your transmitter is sending video out?
Great question. I had researched this several weeks ago and never came to a definitive answer, but this is the closest I've found from IBCrazy in the FPV lab forums: Without HAM: Maximum power level: 10mW (2.4GHz), 25mW (5.8GHz) Available frequencies: 2410-2450MHz, 5625-5925MHz So you're looking at a 25mW TX without a license. I'm actually taking the HAM exam later this month and am trying to learn as much as possible about this topic. I'll let you know as I learn more.
David, I've tried to research this camera for you, but there's not much information. Can you tell me if it has the option to output live video? If so, I would think you could get this to work with the HK TX/RX FPV setup. Check in the manual and see if there's a TV output option.
Great video and am impressed with the range. How far have you taken your quad? It looks to me in the Freedom Hill video about a mile?
11 лет назад
Hi Dennis, thank you very much for this great tutorial and links! Really helped me a lot! Today I did my first flight with GoPro on board. As I am amateur and you look like really kind person, please, may I have two small additional questions? 1) So, if I get it right - you use one GoPro for FPV and simultaneously record on the card inside GoPro? 2) Please, do you have a clue how to charge a receiver from a portable battery? Thank you very much again! Petr
Glad to hear you were able to get all that equipment for relatively cheap. Hope the build goes well and let me know if you run into any problems. Good luck.
Thanks and you're absolutely right. The minimum operating voltage for this transmitter is 7V so a 2S lipo will work, but the recommended operating voltage is 12V so a 3S is the way to go. I only had a small 2S at the time of this video, but since have been using a 3S instead. I haven't measured the difference in range between 2S and 3S, but would be interesting to do.
Dennis, regarding the channel setting, switches in circuits like this are of course digital. Switch values are as follows. Sw 1 = 1 2 = 2 3 = 4 4 = 8 5 = 16 and so on. Therefore sw 1&2 are on and add to 3... Similarly if the channel was 8 it would be only sw 4 on. If it were ch 5 it would be sw 1 and 3 on, whose values are 1 and 4. I hope this helped a little
Thank you. You and several others are much smarter than the Boscam manuals! It's so aggravating to follow a manual that's obviously wrong. Appreciate you sharing this information for myself and others.
Yeah, that looks identical to the Hobby King setup I have. It should do much better than what you saw. Not sure what is going on. One suggestion is to put it on your multirotor and fly line of sight with a friend watching the signal to see when it drops. I would hope it does better than your test on the ground, but it's hard to say. One question I have is the orientation of your antennae when you did the test. Did you have them both facing up?
I just tested the set-up. It works great! I just had to add lipos and do some wiring! There is a good feed. I'm not sure if your Monitor does, but mine will display the GoPro Hero 3 information, such as the battery life, the camera mode, Rec time and stuff.
Yes, you can record and transmit at the same time with the GoPro Hero 2. My GP2 used to be my FPV cam, but now I use it just for recording and have a separate FPV cam. I believe the GP3 can do the same, but am not 100% sure.
Thanks for the feedback. I really enjoy the setup but the HobbyKing camera mount isn't the greatest. I guess you can't expect too much for something so cheap. It's a great starting place and I've been looking around at some higher end camera mounts. The X468 looks pretty good so I may give that a try. Will let you know what happens.
No, it's not HD and it's probably like standard def since it uses composite video. Just curious, did I say it was HD out somewhere in the video? If so, I'd like to get that correct. Thanks, James.
Steve, good question and unfortunately I don't have an answer. I'd have to say that the wireless link would definitely support a higher res, but have no clue how to quantify this at the moment. Perhaps in the future I can see what the bandwidth constraints are and will let you know. Yes, the picture is masked with the GoPro output but with my 600TVL FPV cam it fills the whole screen nicely.
Now finally an answer that makes some sense. That's really good to know, but I can't get over how the manuals don't even match up with the sticker on the receiver. Thanks for the info and I'm going to try putting the TX/RX on a different channel based on the binary config. Appreciate it!
Jack, thanks for the feedback. I used channel 3 mainly because it's what was recommended in one of the rcgroups forums. You should be able to use any channel as long as you have your TX and RX set the same. In the field I use a 800mA 2S lipo for the transmitter. I feel like I could go smaller because I did a previous test where I got almost two hours of transmit time with it. Hope that helps.
Great to hear you're up in the air with FPV. Yeah it is a very strange feeling. The monitor is tough because you want to keep looking up to see where your craft is. That's why I feel like the goggles will be something I purchase soon.
I'll see if I can dig up the rcgroups thread, but in the meantime you should be able to set this up if you wired everything up like in the video. As long as you have the proper GoPro cable you just need to turn on your GoPro and it will begin to output live video. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other problems.
I wouldn't say it's a necessity if you're doing FPV, but it would definitely help you out if you get into trouble. The return to home feature and IOC (intelligent orientation control) will be extremely useful if you get disoriented. These are only available with GPS. Now if I read your comment correctly and you are just getting started then I recommend flying FPV within line of sight so you can always look up and bring it back home. Until you get better. This doesn't require GPS. Hope that helps
Glad to hear it! I'm actually using this setup with my TBS Discovery frame so my video tx is mounted on top of the quad. I have it ziptied with a bit of foam underneath it. I wouldn't say it matters too much where you put it, but just make sure it's well mounted and you try to minimize vibration. If you have GPS I've heard that the transmitter can interfere with the GPS if it's too close, but haven't experienced that personally. Good luck with your setup!
You and me both! I will get around to that soon. I'm still doing up-close FPV just until I get comfortable with longer range flight. I was going to do a stationary field test with the TX on the ground and then have the RX in my buddy's truck. We'd drive until we lose signal and measure the distance. Just not the same us doing an in the air test. Thanks for the feedback!
No problem and glad to hear it. I know what you mean by the manual and the stickers. They didn't seem to match up so thankfully I found out from rcgroups how to do the proper channel configuration. Greetings from Texas :)
Yes! It's a 3ft mini-ramp that I skate whenever I need a break :) I live in Austin, TX and do a fair amount of skateboarding at the local parks. I watched a few of your vids and you're an amazing skateboarder! My favorite is your tre flip to crook. Unbelievable!
Devin, is your TX going to be in an enclosure without any ventilation? Most TX setups come with a heat sink that helps dissipate the heat so you should be okay. I would be sure to do a bench test to see how hot the TX actually gets. Since the RX will be on the ground you should be okay there.
Just so I understand are you referring to the price of the entire FPV setup in the video? I'm surprised to hear the price has gone up, but FPV is becoming so popular that I guess they can raise the prices a bit and pilots will still pay. I just got a BlueBeam CP antenna setup and love it. Thanks for the feedback.
I like the receiver kit suggestion. I've been wanting to design and print one. I should've mentioned that the bottom of the LCD screen has a thread that I put onto my tripod. Now I just need a nice shield for sunny days. Thanks for the suggestion.
No, but I do plan on doing one soon. I can tell you that you should not expect to get more than 1/4 mile of range with the standard antennas. I'm going to upgrade mine and will do a before and after test.
That sounds like a fun project. I'm not certain if it will interfere with the Phantom TX/RX. I'm assuming that the Phantom runs on 2.4GHz so you should be okay. But I would do some research before you do. Good luck and let me know how it goes if you decide to upgrade.
Dennis Baldwin I'm working on a DIY project where the Receiver needs to be on the moving object and the Transmitter is a fixed object does it work this way with the current equipment and antennas?
I'm not sure what qualifies as "good" range, but let me share some thoughts. When I first received the FPV setup I did a simple car test. Someone was watching the feed as I drove off and broadcasted from my car. With a 2S lipo and somewhat clear line of sight I was able to get over 1/4 of a mile. Ideally this should be transmitted with a 3S lipo in a clear line of sight and my belief is you could get 3/4-1 mile. Don't quote me, but at some point I may do a test and let you know.
I've heard of some people blowing their "video out" on the GoPro by wiring the cable wrong. This will be very useful to help avoid frying any electronics unnecessarily. Thanks for the instructional video....good job :)
Yikes, that wasn't very far at all! Do you have the 200mW transmitter? I will do a range test this week and post my results so we can compare. Thanks for the video :)
The Volcom contest was insane. It was at House Park in Austin. Glad to know we share the same hobbies and if you make it to Austin, TX then let's go fly and skate!
It depends on the input voltage of your GPS. What flight controller are you using? Regarding police frequencies this will vary from location to location. I would check if there's a local database where you can find out what frequencies are being used by police, fire dept, etc. For example, in Austin, TX the police use 400MHz so 5.8GHz should be fine. But consult an expert if you have any questions about interference.
Im not sure why people are saying you were rambling. It was pretty minimal really, you just touched base on issues that other people might have.. Saves me a hell of allot of stuffing around. Cheers!
Hey, thanks for the kind words. I'm by no means an expert but try to cover the areas that I think will slow people down....or at least the areas that slowed me down. I probably do tend to ramble but have been working on getting straight to the point. I appreciate you watching and your feedback. All the best.
Good video, thank you for taking the time. You will notice a significant improvement with range (more than double easily) by changing your stick antennas to circularly polarized (CP) antennas. Immersion RC and other companies have them for around 40.00 for both (tx and rx). Just make sure you get the right type SMA connector SMA vs RP SMA in order to connect your system. I got 3.5 Km with a 5.8 GHz 500 mW tx (DJI AVL 58).
Good Q. I would have to say I believe this is possible but you obviously need to use two lipos since the TX will be in the air and the RX will be on the ground. Unless I'm misunderstanding your question.
I've seen guys with good results and DIY CP antennas, but I don't have the time or patience to do it. So I'd probably buy the Immersion RC antenna set. Glad to hear you figured out what the problem may be. What was it?
I know what you mean. It definitely happens with mine too. I use vibration dampening material under my transmitter, which helps a little bit. I'm trying to find the specific source of the problem. I do have a dedicated FPV camera coming and will post my results vs using the GoPro for FPV.
That's a good question that I unfortunately don't have the answer to. If there is a wall that sits between your TX and RX your signal will be degraded and could result in complete loss of signal although it's difficult to quantify. I always recommend having failsafe configured in case this happens and your quad can either hover and land or return to launch.
That doesn't sound very good. Are you using the standard antennas? If so, I would recommend upgrading to circularly polarized antennas. But you still should be getting better than 10m before you see noise. Make sure your antennas are both vertical as that may be the source of some loss. You may also want to check that you don't have any interference from any other part of your quad. Also check that you're supplying enough power to your video TX. Those are just some quick ideas.
Yes, you can transmit sound as long as you have a the audio channel from the GoPro hooked up. I only have video mainly because in FPV all you'll hear are the motors spinning. But if you're using this for a different application then you could transmit audio as well.
Hi Dennis. Thanks for the video. I just got a used version of this same tx and rx today, so your vid was timely. However, I noticed a difference between your tx video in and mine. Looking at it from the heat sink side, the three wire setup on mine is black, yellow, red, in that order. Your video shows the yellow wire where my red one is (3rd position). I wonder if you are really getting video out of the 3rd position? I ask because mine is identical to yours in every way except that, and since mine is used, the person I got it from says his works fine. The only difference could be that he is using the red wire for video, instead of yellow. So, what has been your experience? Thanks.
Yes, an iOSD for flight data, datalink and Wookong M 5 waypoint. Two tx/rx, one for the GoPro and the other for the ZenMuse. Your video was very handy, got my to go purchase the battery powered LCD monitor.
You're right. I did say it didn't make sense, but at the time didn't think about it having binary representation. And yes, you're right again that the manual & sticker appear to be wrong. Or maybe I don't understand how to read the manual :) At any rate, did you try CH3 or any others and get it to work?
The red plug is known as the JST connector and the white one is the balance plug. Your battery will come with these connector attached. And on the other end you plug those into your charger. I hope that's what you're asking about. If not, let me know.
Dang that looks like an incredible deal. I'd like to adapt the mount to fit on my tripod. That would be perfect. I may have to get one and appreciate the tip. Hope to see you on Garage Pilots and thanks for following along with my videos. All the best.
Good question. It's been a while since I flew without the FPV gear, but all up with the FPV gear is about 2.7lbs. So without it I'm assuming about 1.5 to 1.7lbs. I hope this helps.
I don't have the cable in front of me, but an rcgroups thread states the following: Connector tip: White wire Second from tip: Red wire Third from tip: Yellow wire Fourth from tip: Green wire and: Green = Ground Red = Audio Out Yellow = Video Out White = Audio Out Keep in mind that the cable I'm using only has video so you're looking at the third segment from the tip (video) and the fourth segment from the tip (ground). I hope this helps. If I get a chance this week I'll do a test to confirm
Great video, going to make a favorite so that when it comes time for me to set up my GoPro for FPV I can refer back to it. Thanks for taking the time to make and post the video.
On the HobbyKing site it's advertised with a 500m range and up to 1km with a directional antenna. For me, I've haven't gone beyond 250m and didn't lose signal. I feel like I could get close to 500m, but will verify in the future. There are obviously better FPV options, but this isn't too bad for such a reasonable price.
Josh, if I understand your question that cable comes as part of the HobbyKing FPV TX/RX kit. If you click on the link in the description above you should see the cable on HobbyKing's product page. Hope this helps.
The receiver is not compatible with the RC-305 receiver from what I've read. See if you can find out the specs on your Fat Shark TX and maybe I can help you find a receiver. Have you checked RangeVideo?
how would the connection work without a gopro. i have a runcam 600tvl camera with the same Tx/Rx and a epath china monitor but my battery dosent have your connections. its a turningy 2200 mAh 11.1v battery with a XT60 and a 4pin connector.
MaxAmaSity As long as your setup can handle the 3S this won't be a problem. If you have an XT60 instead of the JST connector you'll obviously need to change that out. I've never used more than 1600 mAh for my receiver. This video may help with your connections: ruclips.net/video/PiutC2mvriU/видео.html Good luck.
Total = $126.47 not including shipping and battery to power your system. Here is the breakdown: FPV Monitor = $59.99 Hobby King FPV TX/RX = $57.99 Readymade RC Cable = $8.49 I hope that helps and all the links are above. You can very likely find a decent LCD display for cheaper than the one I listed in the description.
Thanks for the question. I haven't run into any noticeable delay. I'd have to say if there is any we're talking about milliseconds of delay. I don't know if that will vary as you get further out, but everything is very responsive from my testing.
Great to hear and thanks for the feedback. As for your questions... 1. Yes, that's correct. I use GoPro for both video TX and recording to SD. I'm working on a video that demonstrates installing a dedicated FPV cam, because it's hard to fly FPV with the GoPro lens...at least for me it is! 2. I'm not sure what you're asking. What do you mean by charging a receiver? Are you asking how to charge the receiver's battery? I'm assuming you're using a standard 2S or 3S lipo for your receiver?
Thanks for your earlier response Dennis, the USB is working fine through my HK 5.8Ghz Tx. Another probably dumb question... to connect an OSD (DJI Mini iOSD) to the HK Tx do I simply join the OSD signal & ground wires to the video out yellow / black wires from the Gopro to the Tx? Thanks again.
Peter, it's really hard to say without seeing your setup. What I recommend is take a photo and post it in the forums at www.garagepilots.com. Either myself or someone else in the community will be happy to help you out. But as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words. Thanks.
I'm anxious to watch your review. I thought about adding a 600tvl, but held back because of extra weight. If you have perfect success, i'll definitely add it to my quad.
Yes, but it depends on your input voltage. So make sure your battery voltage rating does not exceed the input voltage of your transmitter. For example, if the input voltage for your transmitter is 12V then a 3S lipo (11.1V) should do the trick. Just keep in mind this will give your quad less flight time since the motors and transmitter are consuming power. There are many things to consider when evaluating a single or dual battery setup. Google "fpv separate battery" and first link has details.
You're right. The inconsistency really threw me off. If you look at 5:20 you can see the switch positions for channel 3. This means are switches 1 & 2 are on with both the TX and RX. Hopefully that will get you transmitting.
Thanks, and my apologies. Several people have posted about this and to be honest I had no clue I was chewing gum. I won't be doing that anymore. I just watched and realized how annoying that was!
Yeah, that's because this was a build video and I hadn't taken this into the field yet. If you look at the HobbyKing literature it states about 500m range with the stock antennas. I've found that to be pretty close to what I'm seeing.
The monitor is battery powered, which is awesome. There's a link to it in the video description. The cable that I use with the GP2 is from readymaderc. Here is a link to do the same with the GP3. Actually, I can't post a link so Google this: diy-gopro3-video-out-cable I'm not sure what video receiver you have but mine has two video out ports. So you can run one to the monitor and one to goggles. Good luck!
I assuming you meant to say "video" instead of "audio"? Or are you really recording audio? Anyway, the 3S should work fine since the operating voltage is between 7 and 15V. But make sure you check the model # of your transmitter and look at the manual. If it is the HobbyKing setup then it's 7-15V input. Good luck!
Thanks for the video... Very informative. When using the Gopro for recording device and FPV, Is there any lag (delay) with viewing FPV ? Thanks in advance.
There is a bit of lag, but it was never enough to cause me any problems. The bigger problem was the convex lens of the GoPro and the perspective that threw me off more than anything else. That's why I ultimately switched to a dedicated FPV cam. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the positive feedback and great question. I didn't know the answer to your question until a few minutes ago. Check out the video I just posted titled "Basic FPV Monitor Signal Test w/ 7" Digital Prism LCD Monitor and GoPro Hero". Hopefully that helps. Feel free to post any comments over there.
I'm sure that's possible if you want to undo your connectors and run the leads from the servo connector into the connector for the TX. It was just easier for me to use a header pin and solder. You may be able to shed a gram or two by doing what you suggest.
Let me ask a few questions to get a better understanding of your setup: 1. What resolution are you recording? it may be worth testing your setup with some different resolutions. 2. Where did you get your video plug? Actually I just did some searching. Unfortunately I can't post the link but go to Google and search for "Video Recording Freeze after Hero 2 firmware update " Click the first link and scroll down to the post that is starred about half way down. He talks about formatting.
Hi Dennis. Hey, I have the same setup (minus the GoPro). Got the switches to work (THANK YOU). The issue that I am having is that video works as soon as I plugin the battery then in about 25 seconds I get a no signal. Could this be that I am using to big of a battery and its overheating? I have the power source hooked up to my Quads main board running a 30C 2450 battery. When I plugged in a 25-50C 4000 battery, it lost signal a lot quicker? I ordered a 2S 1000 battery today and plan to run it separate to see if this corrects the problem. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
+Elimin8tor65 It's unclear if the 2450 and 4000 mAh batts are 2S or 3S. I'm assuming at least 3S since they are your flight batteries. Most transmitters will support up to 3S but I've seen in some cases where 2S is the max. Give that 2S a try and let us know what you find out. Then we can take it from there. Good luck.
There is a link in the description above, but unfortunately they've replaced the monitor only version with a monitor and TV tuner. It costs about twice the amount I paid for mine ($54). I'll see if I can find another supplier and will let you know. Thanks for the feedback on the video!
![GEEK TIMË [OFFICIAL AUDIO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ry-6RvkH880/mqdefault.jpg)
Did you check the video description? Hopefully it has everything you need. Let me know if you have any questions about the parts.
Nate, have you used the wifi backpack for FPV? I ask because I see a few problems with it:
1. The range is limited to wifi which isn't going to get you very far
2. The resolution is pretty poor from what I've seen
3. The latency of the backup was about 2 seconds from my test
For any serious FPV these are big limitations in my mind. Perhaps things are better now, but I tested with my buddy's GP3 on a snowboarding trip earlier this year and wasn't very impressed. Better than nothing tho.
No problem and thanks for the feedback. What is the setup you're flying? I'm assuming you have the WKM controller?
Very nice! What frame are you flying with? Also, I've read a lot of good things about the ZenMuse. Are you carrying an additional camera with the ZenMuse or just the GoPro? Just curious about your setup as it's something I've been looking into. Thanks.
I remember reading somewhere that the output voltage should be near 1V. What readymaderc cable are you using and I'm assuming your transmitter is sending video out?
Are you asking if it's okay to power both the receiver and video transmitter with the same battery?
I'm sorry, but which wires are you talking about. Can you point e to a specific time segment in the video where you see them? Thanks.
Do you have a video cable and need to know the connections for the lawmate or do you not even have a cable yet?
Jimmy, did you end up ordering the cable that Wayne suggested? Just curious as I may be doing the same in a couple of weeks. Thx.
I have a new FPV setup video that may be less confusing. It's my most recent video. Hope it helps and let me know if you have any questions.
Great question. I had researched this several weeks ago and never came to a definitive answer, but this is the closest I've found from IBCrazy in the FPV lab forums:
Without HAM:
Maximum power level: 10mW (2.4GHz), 25mW (5.8GHz)
Available frequencies: 2410-2450MHz, 5625-5925MHz
So you're looking at a 25mW TX without a license. I'm actually taking the HAM exam later this month and am trying to learn as much as possible about this topic. I'll let you know as I learn more.
Totally. I'm about to order some because I need to increase my range. What kind of range are you seeing with them?
David, I've tried to research this camera for you, but there's not much information. Can you tell me if it has the option to output live video? If so, I would think you could get this to work with the HK TX/RX FPV setup. Check in the manual and see if there's a TV output option.
Which battery to use for the receiver?
The channel setting explanation helped a lot! Thanks for that man!!!
Great video and am impressed with the range. How far have you taken your quad? It looks to me in the Freedom Hill video about a mile?
Hi Dennis,
thank you very much for this great tutorial and links! Really helped me a lot! Today I did my first flight with GoPro on board. As I am amateur and you look like really kind person, please, may I have two small additional questions?
1) So, if I get it right - you use one GoPro for FPV and simultaneously record on the card inside GoPro?
2) Please, do you have a clue how to charge a receiver from a portable battery?
Thank you very much again!
Petr
Glad to hear you were able to get all that equipment for relatively cheap. Hope the build goes well and let me know if you run into any problems. Good luck.
The Receiver requires 5 volt to operate, but you plug it in at 12 volt?
Im guessing that a 2s lipo can supply enough for the receiver?
Thanks and you're absolutely right. The minimum operating voltage for this transmitter is 7V so a 2S lipo will work, but the recommended operating voltage is 12V so a 3S is the way to go. I only had a small 2S at the time of this video, but since have been using a 3S instead. I haven't measured the difference in range between 2S and 3S, but would be interesting to do.
Dennis, regarding the channel setting, switches in circuits like this are of course digital. Switch values are as follows.
Sw 1 = 1
2 = 2
3 = 4
4 = 8
5 = 16 and so on.
Therefore sw 1&2 are on and add to 3... Similarly if the channel was 8 it would be only sw 4 on. If it were ch 5 it would be sw 1 and 3 on, whose values are 1 and 4.
I hope this helped a little
Thank you. You and several others are much smarter than the Boscam manuals! It's so aggravating to follow a manual that's obviously wrong. Appreciate you sharing this information for myself and others.
Yeah, that looks identical to the Hobby King setup I have. It should do much better than what you saw. Not sure what is going on. One suggestion is to put it on your multirotor and fly line of sight with a friend watching the signal to see when it drops. I would hope it does better than your test on the ground, but it's hard to say. One question I have is the orientation of your antennae when you did the test. Did you have them both facing up?
I just tested the set-up. It works great! I just had to add lipos and do some wiring! There is a good feed. I'm not sure if your Monitor does, but mine will display the GoPro Hero 3 information, such as the battery life, the camera mode, Rec time and stuff.
Yes, you can record and transmit at the same time with the GoPro Hero 2. My GP2 used to be my FPV cam, but now I use it just for recording and have a separate FPV cam. I believe the GP3 can do the same, but am not 100% sure.
Thanks for the feedback. I really enjoy the setup but the HobbyKing camera mount isn't the greatest. I guess you can't expect too much for something so cheap. It's a great starting place and I've been looking around at some higher end camera mounts. The X468 looks pretty good so I may give that a try. Will let you know what happens.
No, it's not HD and it's probably like standard def since it uses composite video. Just curious, did I say it was HD out somewhere in the video? If so, I'd like to get that correct. Thanks, James.
Steve, good question and unfortunately I don't have an answer. I'd have to say that the wireless link would definitely support a higher res, but have no clue how to quantify this at the moment. Perhaps in the future I can see what the bandwidth constraints are and will let you know. Yes, the picture is masked with the GoPro output but with my 600TVL FPV cam it fills the whole screen nicely.
Now finally an answer that makes some sense. That's really good to know, but I can't get over how the manuals don't even match up with the sticker on the receiver. Thanks for the info and I'm going to try putting the TX/RX on a different channel based on the binary config. Appreciate it!
Jack, thanks for the feedback. I used channel 3 mainly because it's what was recommended in one of the rcgroups forums. You should be able to use any channel as long as you have your TX and RX set the same. In the field I use a 800mA 2S lipo for the transmitter. I feel like I could go smaller because I did a previous test where I got almost two hours of transmit time with it. Hope that helps.
Got it. That makes sense. Good luck with your search and I'd love to hear what you end up doing.
Great to hear you're up in the air with FPV. Yeah it is a very strange feeling. The monitor is tough because you want to keep looking up to see where your craft is. That's why I feel like the goggles will be something I purchase soon.
Glad to hear it. I'll be interested in how your Hero 3 setup works. I've only used the Hero 2, which works great. Good luck with your setup.
I'll see if I can dig up the rcgroups thread, but in the meantime you should be able to set this up if you wired everything up like in the video. As long as you have the proper GoPro cable you just need to turn on your GoPro and it will begin to output live video. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other problems.
I wouldn't say it's a necessity if you're doing FPV, but it would definitely help you out if you get into trouble. The return to home feature and IOC (intelligent orientation control) will be extremely useful if you get disoriented. These are only available with GPS. Now if I read your comment correctly and you are just getting started then I recommend flying FPV within line of sight so you can always look up and bring it back home. Until you get better. This doesn't require GPS. Hope that helps
Glad to hear it! I'm actually using this setup with my TBS Discovery frame so my video tx is mounted on top of the quad. I have it ziptied with a bit of foam underneath it. I wouldn't say it matters too much where you put it, but just make sure it's well mounted and you try to minimize vibration. If you have GPS I've heard that the transmitter can interfere with the GPS if it's too close, but haven't experienced that personally. Good luck with your setup!
You and me both! I will get around to that soon. I'm still doing up-close FPV just until I get comfortable with longer range flight. I was going to do a stationary field test with the TX on the ground and then have the RX in my buddy's truck. We'd drive until we lose signal and measure the distance. Just not the same us doing an in the air test. Thanks for the feedback!
No problem and glad to hear it. I know what you mean by the manual and the stickers. They didn't seem to match up so thankfully I found out from rcgroups how to do the proper channel configuration. Greetings from Texas :)
where can buy these 0.5 battery wires for charge? Thanks
Yes! It's a 3ft mini-ramp that I skate whenever I need a break :) I live in Austin, TX and do a fair amount of skateboarding at the local parks. I watched a few of your vids and you're an amazing skateboarder! My favorite is your tre flip to crook. Unbelievable!
Devin, is your TX going to be in an enclosure without any ventilation? Most TX setups come with a heat sink that helps dissipate the heat so you should be okay. I would be sure to do a bench test to see how hot the TX actually gets. Since the RX will be on the ground you should be okay there.
Just so I understand are you referring to the price of the entire FPV setup in the video? I'm surprised to hear the price has gone up, but FPV is becoming so popular that I guess they can raise the prices a bit and pilots will still pay. I just got a BlueBeam CP antenna setup and love it. Thanks for the feedback.
I like the receiver kit suggestion. I've been wanting to design and print one. I should've mentioned that the bottom of the LCD screen has a thread that I put onto my tripod. Now I just need a nice shield for sunny days. Thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks. I'll be sure to post when I have the video ready. What setup are you flying with right now and what's your total AUW (all-up weight)?
No, but I do plan on doing one soon. I can tell you that you should not expect to get more than 1/4 mile of range with the standard antennas. I'm going to upgrade mine and will do a before and after test.
That sounds like a fun project. I'm not certain if it will interfere with the Phantom TX/RX. I'm assuming that the Phantom runs on 2.4GHz so you should be okay. But I would do some research before you do. Good luck and let me know how it goes if you decide to upgrade.
+joe mcDonald To answer your question the jack is NTSC/PAL compatible. It's this receiver right here: amzn.to/1npiYOh
Dennis Baldwin I'm working on a DIY project where the Receiver needs to be on the moving object and the Transmitter is a fixed object does it work this way with the current equipment and antennas?
I'm not sure what qualifies as "good" range, but let me share some thoughts. When I first received the FPV setup I did a simple car test. Someone was watching the feed as I drove off and broadcasted from my car. With a 2S lipo and somewhat clear line of sight I was able to get over 1/4 of a mile. Ideally this should be transmitted with a 3S lipo in a clear line of sight and my belief is you could get 3/4-1 mile. Don't quote me, but at some point I may do a test and let you know.
I've heard of some people blowing their "video out" on the GoPro by wiring the cable wrong. This will be very useful to help avoid frying any electronics unnecessarily.
Thanks for the instructional video....good job :)
Yikes, that wasn't very far at all! Do you have the 200mW transmitter? I will do a range test this week and post my results so we can compare. Thanks for the video :)
The Volcom contest was insane. It was at House Park in Austin. Glad to know we share the same hobbies and if you make it to Austin, TX then let's go fly and skate!
It depends on the input voltage of your GPS. What flight controller are you using? Regarding police frequencies this will vary from location to location. I would check if there's a local database where you can find out what frequencies are being used by police, fire dept, etc. For example, in Austin, TX the police use 400MHz so 5.8GHz should be fine. But consult an expert if you have any questions about interference.
Im not sure why people are saying you were rambling. It was pretty minimal really, you just touched base on issues that other people might have.. Saves me a hell of allot of stuffing around. Cheers!
Hey, thanks for the kind words. I'm by no means an expert but try to cover the areas that I think will slow people down....or at least the areas that slowed me down. I probably do tend to ramble but have been working on getting straight to the point. I appreciate you watching and your feedback. All the best.
Good video, thank you for taking the time. You will notice a significant improvement with range (more than double easily) by changing your stick antennas to circularly polarized (CP) antennas. Immersion RC and other companies have them for around 40.00 for both (tx and rx). Just make sure you get the right type SMA connector SMA vs RP SMA in order to connect your system. I got 3.5 Km with a 5.8 GHz 500 mW tx (DJI AVL 58).
Good Q. I would have to say I believe this is possible but you obviously need to use two lipos since the TX will be in the air and the RX will be on the ground. Unless I'm misunderstanding your question.
I've seen guys with good results and DIY CP antennas, but I don't have the time or patience to do it. So I'd probably buy the Immersion RC antenna set. Glad to hear you figured out what the problem may be. What was it?
I know what you mean. It definitely happens with mine too. I use vibration dampening material under my transmitter, which helps a little bit. I'm trying to find the specific source of the problem. I do have a dedicated FPV camera coming and will post my results vs using the GoPro for FPV.
didn't your mamma teach you not to say anything if you can't say something nice. The fellow took the time to create this video. I appreciate that.
That's a good question that I unfortunately don't have the answer to. If there is a wall that sits between your TX and RX your signal will be degraded and could result in complete loss of signal although it's difficult to quantify. I always recommend having failsafe configured in case this happens and your quad can either hover and land or return to launch.
That doesn't sound very good. Are you using the standard antennas? If so, I would recommend upgrading to circularly polarized antennas. But you still should be getting better than 10m before you see noise. Make sure your antennas are both vertical as that may be the source of some loss. You may also want to check that you don't have any interference from any other part of your quad. Also check that you're supplying enough power to your video TX. Those are just some quick ideas.
Yes, you can transmit sound as long as you have a the audio channel from the GoPro hooked up. I only have video mainly because in FPV all you'll hear are the motors spinning. But if you're using this for a different application then you could transmit audio as well.
Hi Dennis. Thanks for the video. I just got a used version of this same tx and rx today, so your vid was timely. However, I noticed a difference between your tx video in and mine. Looking at it from the heat sink side, the three wire setup on mine is black, yellow, red, in that order. Your video shows the yellow wire where my red one is (3rd position). I wonder if you are really getting video out of the 3rd position? I ask because mine is identical to yours in every way except that, and since mine is used, the person I got it from says his works fine. The only difference could be that he is using the red wire for video, instead of yellow. So, what has been your experience? Thanks.
Yes, an iOSD for flight data, datalink and Wookong M 5 waypoint. Two tx/rx, one for the GoPro and the other for the ZenMuse. Your video was very handy, got my to go purchase the battery powered LCD monitor.
You're right. I did say it didn't make sense, but at the time didn't think about it having binary representation. And yes, you're right again that the manual & sticker appear to be wrong. Or maybe I don't understand how to read the manual :) At any rate, did you try CH3 or any others and get it to work?
The red plug is known as the JST connector and the white one is the balance plug. Your battery will come with these connector attached. And on the other end you plug those into your charger. I hope that's what you're asking about. If not, let me know.
3S battery for what part of the setup?
Dang that looks like an incredible deal. I'd like to adapt the mount to fit on my tripod. That would be perfect. I may have to get one and appreciate the tip. Hope to see you on Garage Pilots and thanks for following along with my videos. All the best.
Good question. It's been a while since I flew without the FPV gear, but all up with the FPV gear is about 2.7lbs. So without it I'm assuming about 1.5 to 1.7lbs. I hope this helps.
I don't have the cable in front of me, but an rcgroups thread states the following:
Connector tip: White wire
Second from tip: Red wire
Third from tip: Yellow wire
Fourth from tip: Green wire
and:
Green = Ground
Red = Audio Out
Yellow = Video Out
White = Audio Out
Keep in mind that the cable I'm using only has video so you're looking at the third segment from the tip (video) and the fourth segment from the tip (ground). I hope this helps. If I get a chance this week I'll do a test to confirm
Great video, going to make a favorite so that when it comes time for me to set up my GoPro for FPV I can refer back to it. Thanks for taking the time to make and post the video.
On the HobbyKing site it's advertised with a 500m range and up to 1km with a directional antenna. For me, I've haven't gone beyond 250m and didn't lose signal. I feel like I could get close to 500m, but will verify in the future. There are obviously better FPV options, but this isn't too bad for such a reasonable price.
Josh, if I understand your question that cable comes as part of the HobbyKing FPV TX/RX kit. If you click on the link in the description above you should see the cable on HobbyKing's product page. Hope this helps.
The receiver is not compatible with the RC-305 receiver from what I've read. See if you can find out the specs on your Fat Shark TX and maybe I can help you find a receiver. Have you checked RangeVideo?
how would the connection work without a gopro. i have a runcam 600tvl camera with the same Tx/Rx and a epath china monitor but my battery dosent have your connections. its a turningy 2200 mAh 11.1v battery with a XT60 and a 4pin connector.
MaxAmaSity As long as your setup can handle the 3S this won't be a problem. If you have an XT60 instead of the JST connector you'll obviously need to change that out. I've never used more than 1600 mAh for my receiver. This video may help with your connections:
ruclips.net/video/PiutC2mvriU/видео.html
Good luck.
Total = $126.47 not including shipping and battery to power your system. Here is the breakdown:
FPV Monitor = $59.99
Hobby King FPV TX/RX = $57.99
Readymade RC Cable = $8.49
I hope that helps and all the links are above. You can very likely find a decent LCD display for cheaper than the one I listed in the description.
A 3S lipo for your 12V receiver would be perfect. That's what I use. Best of luck with your setup.
Thanks for the question. I haven't run into any noticeable delay. I'd have to say if there is any we're talking about milliseconds of delay. I don't know if that will vary as you get further out, but everything is very responsive from my testing.
Hey Dennis,
thanks for the vid. I was totally confused because of the manual and the stickers.
Now all components work well.
Greetings from Austria
Thanks for this tutorial. It really helps me out in understanding the rx/tx on a different FPV, the iOSD.
Great to hear and thanks for the feedback. As for your questions...
1. Yes, that's correct. I use GoPro for both video TX and recording to SD. I'm working on a video that demonstrates installing a dedicated FPV cam, because it's hard to fly FPV with the GoPro lens...at least for me it is!
2. I'm not sure what you're asking. What do you mean by charging a receiver? Are you asking how to charge the receiver's battery? I'm assuming you're using a standard 2S or 3S lipo for your receiver?
Thanks for your earlier response Dennis, the USB is working fine through my HK 5.8Ghz Tx. Another probably dumb question... to connect an OSD (DJI Mini iOSD) to the HK Tx do I simply join the OSD signal & ground wires to the video out yellow / black wires from the Gopro to the Tx?
Thanks again.
Peter, it's really hard to say without seeing your setup. What I recommend is take a photo and post it in the forums at www.garagepilots.com. Either myself or someone else in the community will be happy to help you out. But as they say, a picture's worth a thousand words. Thanks.
I'm anxious to watch your review. I thought about adding a 600tvl, but held back because of extra weight. If you have perfect success, i'll definitely add it to my quad.
Yes, but it depends on your input voltage. So make sure your battery voltage rating does not exceed the input voltage of your transmitter. For example, if the input voltage for your transmitter is 12V then a 3S lipo (11.1V) should do the trick. Just keep in mind this will give your quad less flight time since the motors and transmitter are consuming power. There are many things to consider when evaluating a single or dual battery setup. Google "fpv separate battery" and first link has details.
You're right. The inconsistency really threw me off. If you look at 5:20 you can see the switch positions for channel 3. This means are switches 1 & 2 are on with both the TX and RX. Hopefully that will get you transmitting.
Thanks, and my apologies. Several people have posted about this and to be honest I had no clue I was chewing gum. I won't be doing that anymore. I just watched and realized how annoying that was!
Does this camera transmitter and reciver work in a jammer restricted area ?
Yeah, that's because this was a build video and I hadn't taken this into the field yet. If you look at the HobbyKing literature it states about 500m range with the stock antennas. I've found that to be pretty close to what I'm seeing.
The monitor is battery powered, which is awesome. There's a link to it in the video description. The cable that I use with the GP2 is from readymaderc. Here is a link to do the same with the GP3. Actually, I can't post a link so Google this:
diy-gopro3-video-out-cable
I'm not sure what video receiver you have but mine has two video out ports. So you can run one to the monitor and one to goggles. Good luck!
I assuming you meant to say "video" instead of "audio"? Or are you really recording audio? Anyway, the 3S should work fine since the operating voltage is between 7 and 15V. But make sure you check the model # of your transmitter and look at the manual. If it is the HobbyKing setup then it's 7-15V input. Good luck!
Hi John, thanks for the comment. i'm not exactly sure what you're asking. Do you need help with soldering something?
Thanks for the video... Very informative. When using the Gopro for recording device and FPV, Is there any lag (delay) with viewing FPV ? Thanks in advance.
There is a bit of lag, but it was never enough to cause me any problems. The bigger problem was the convex lens of the GoPro and the perspective that threw me off more than anything else. That's why I ultimately switched to a dedicated FPV cam. Thanks for the comment.
Not a problem. Thanks for taking the time to watch and hope it helped.
Thanks for the positive feedback and great question. I didn't know the answer to your question until a few minutes ago. Check out the video I just posted titled "Basic FPV Monitor Signal Test w/ 7" Digital Prism LCD Monitor and GoPro Hero". Hopefully that helps. Feel free to post any comments over there.
I'm sure that's possible if you want to undo your connectors and run the leads from the servo connector into the connector for the TX. It was just easier for me to use a header pin and solder. You may be able to shed a gram or two by doing what you suggest.
Dennis,
Thanks you for this great video. I would love to see the range that you get with this setup. Please do it soon.
Let me ask a few questions to get a better understanding of your setup: 1. What resolution are you recording? it may be worth testing your setup with some different resolutions. 2. Where did you get your video plug?
Actually I just did some searching. Unfortunately I can't post the link but go to Google and search for
"Video Recording Freeze after Hero 2 firmware update "
Click the first link and scroll down to the post that is starred about half way down. He talks about formatting.
You're absolutely right and I realized this after I posted the video. Also, the video display is SD so no way to get HD out. Thanks for the info!
You got it, Steve. We'll get a setup going for you soon.
No problem at all. Thanks for the kind words.
Hi Dennis. Hey, I have the same setup (minus the GoPro). Got the switches to work (THANK YOU). The issue that I am having is that video works as soon as I plugin the battery then in about 25 seconds I get a no signal. Could this be that I am using to big of a battery and its overheating? I have the power source hooked up to my Quads main board running a 30C 2450 battery. When I plugged in a 25-50C 4000 battery, it lost signal a lot quicker? I ordered a 2S 1000 battery today and plan to run it separate to see if this corrects the problem. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
+Elimin8tor65 It's unclear if the 2450 and 4000 mAh batts are 2S or 3S. I'm assuming at least 3S since they are your flight batteries. Most transmitters will support up to 3S but I've seen in some cases where 2S is the max. Give that 2S a try and let us know what you find out. Then we can take it from there. Good luck.
With the standard whip antennas you're looking at 0.25 miles. You can increase this to 2 or 3X with higher gain antennas, but I haven't tested yet.
There is a link in the description above, but unfortunately they've replaced the monitor only version with a monitor and TV tuner. It costs about twice the amount I paid for mine ($54). I'll see if I can find another supplier and will let you know. Thanks for the feedback on the video!