How to be successful in FPV – A guide for the new hobbyists
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Chapter 1 – What is FPV and how does it work
FPV is something you do, not something you buy. – A. Greve
First, let me open by say this: If you are impatient, easily frustrated or discouraged, or are not willing to put considerable time and effort into this hobby, stop reading at the end of this paragraph. Flying FPV requires a vast knowledge of all sorts of different systems including:
- Wireless transmission systems
- Aerodynamics
- Standard DC circuits
- Video systems
- Optical systems
- Electric power systems
Luckily, if you already fly an RC airplane, three of those items are familiar, or at least somewhat familiar. In here, I will try to cover all of them.
So what exactly is FPV? FPV or first person video (or first person view, your choice) is a method of flying a model aircraft, helicopter or multicopter via an onboard video camera. It gives a different perspective of the flight of the model. The pilot now sees directly from the aircraft, instead of as a third party observer. Some pilots fly this way for the great aerial views. Some fly it because it feels more like actually flying a real airplane. And a select few (including myself) do it because it is a challenge to be conquered. It’s this third group that is generally the most successful in their ventures.
What is all that equipment? Really, the FPV “gear” is little more than a wireless security system fitted to an airframe. Granted, there is much modification involved and quite a few extra “goodies” are available specifically for the purpose of FPV, but almost nothing is new technology. The cameras and transmitters are analog. The cameras are basic CCD cameras. The airframes are just typical flying models. The only new technologies out there are the autopilot systems and antenna trackers. We will get into these in the advanced section.
So how does it work? It’s quite simple. Your onboard camera is hooked up to a video transmitter (which were designed to be compatible, even!) which transmits the video back to a receiver. The receiver decodes the signal and sends it to a viewer (whether goggles or a TV screen) where the pilot watches the flight in real time.
Chapter 2 – The airframe
The first thing you need to do is choose an airframe. Your choice depends on your goals. Do you want a good view? Do you want to feel like you are inside an airplane? Do you want to go really fast? Do you want to stay in the air for a long time? Do you want to hover around objects? You can’t get all of these in the same airframe. It is best to start with a fairly basic and slow airframe, perhaps one that is already familiar with you or that you already own. Durability might be a consideration as well. You will crash it.
By far the most popular airplane type is the pusher prop plane. This puts the prop behind the camera giving an unhindered view of the world in front of you. Some pull their cameras back a bit to put their nose in view so it feels like they are inside the plane, other stick the camera right on the nose so there are no obstructions. Flying wings are a great example of a pusher ship. However a flying wing is perhaps the worst choice for a beginner.
Having a prop out in front isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For some, seeing the spinning prop gives a more realistic feel to the plane. It also is necessary for flying powered gliders where the prop opens up and takes up much of the video screen.
The third option is the twin motor. Twin motors tend to be powerful, stable pattern ships. They are not necessarily easy to fly, and thus I recommend these for more experienced pilots or as a second FPV ship.
Some common airframes:
Pusher type
Multiplex Easy Star (also called and EZ*)
AXN Floater
Skywalker (EZ* clone)
Multiplex Funjet (advanced pilot only)
Parkzone Stryker (Advanced)
Falcon EPO (advanced/intermediate pilots)
RiteWing Zephyr (advanced pilots)
Tractor type
GWS Slow Stick
Parkzone Radian
Multiplex Cularis
Multiplex Easy Glider
Twin motor
Multiplex Twin Star (intermediate)
Eflite P-38 Lightning (advanced)
Chapter 3 – The video transmission system
“There is no such thing as “the best equipment” in FPV. However, there certainly is a worst.” – A. Greve
Rule #1 – There is no such thing as best.
Rule #2 – Long range is a long term goal. Your system can be upgraded to accommodate range as you progress.
Rule #3 – The only way to be successful with any FPV equipment is to understand it.
There’s no such thing as best. That’s right, no such thing, and never will be. While you might think that a system capable of 25 miles would work great in close, it doesn’t. There is a certain volume of air you are able to fly within. The size and shape of this volume can vary, but inevitably, you can’t make it any bigger. There’s also problems with signal noise. Some frequencies work well in some areas and work poorly in others. Just as an example, my system tested to 2 miles was only good for 1000 feet at a park 10 miles away. You need to build a system to suit your personal goals. This is why this is a do-it-yourselfer’s paradise.
It seems like magic that this signal comes back to a receiver, yet, we do it every time we take up and model airplane, FPV or not. You have a transmitter in your hands and a receiver on board the airplane. The signal and frequency are just different with the video! Yep that’s it! Same idea, just in reverse direction. Refer to rule #3. Keep this in mind in this section.
Start by watching this absolutely incredible video by Andology. Watch it, study it, understand it. I suggest watching it twice:
There’s the “black magic” explained.
Frequency selection
Ok, fine, so what do I need? So you made it this far. Now you can start your shopping list, finally! First you need to choose a frequency. Which one? It’s more or less a crap shoot. Refer to rule You’re your 4 bands are: 900MHz, 1.2GHz (or 1.3 in USA), 2.4GHz, 5.8GHZ. I will discuss each one:
2.4GHz
Obviously, if you have a 2.4GHz radio, 2.4GHz video gear is a bad idea. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, if you tend to fly with other who use 2.4GHz, it is best to choose another band. However, if you fly solo or with people who don’t use 2.4GHz and use a different radio frequency, 2.4GHz has the most options available and has the top of the line technology. The issue is that 2.4GHz is congested with WIFI traffic. 2.4 GHz is generally the best when flying solo in a rural environment.
1.2/1.3GHz
Many prefer the 1.2/1.3GHz band. It is perhaps the most popular band world wide in FPV. The technology is sound, cheap, and abundant. While antenna selection is more limited than the 2.4GHz band, the RF environment is often more friendly. It also allows the use of a 2.4GHz radio. Some UHF long range transmitters can interfere with this band, however. If flying UHF radios, equip your radio with a filter.
900MHz
Perhaps the most popular in the U.S. this band is still the choice of many pilots perhaps because it is what the original FPV vendors all sold. It is the easiest band to use when building your own antennas. It also generally has the lowest noise floor. However, this band also has the fewest selections and is not the latest technology. Reciever quality is generally the biggest obstacle to long range.
5.8GHz
The newest band used for FPV and generally small and lightweight. Currently the selection of products is limited (but better than 900MHz) and it is quite difficult to build your own antenna systems. However, this band is perhaps the most promising for the future. With digital electronics on the horizon and a very low noise floor, this band may take over as the first choice for FPV.
Ok, so which one is best for me? See rule #1. It is up to you to decide what’s best for you. What works for one very well may be horrible for another. Read above and make your selection. The real trick to making it better, is understanding how to use it properly. Just as an example; I flew with a fellow (now former) FPV pilot. He had the exact same equipment I did. Same transmitter, same receiver, and even the same antennas. Despite that, he could barely get ¼ the distance I could. The reason was his implementation was not as refined in his system as it was in mine. His problem: his patch antennas were 9” off the ground, mine were 5” off the ground. That subtle difference of 4” height dropped his range to 25% because patch antennas are ground plane dependent! Success is in the details!
Transmitter/receiver
How much transmitter power is needed? 500mW works well for almost everyone. Raphael Pirker holds the distance record at 27 miles on a 2.4GHz 500mW system. Second place is Crist Rigotti with 17 miles on a 700mW 1.3GHz system (he holds the round trip record). More transmit power will give you a stronger signal for a given distance. However one should note that doubling your range requires 4X transmit power! Also, adding more transmit power is a good way to swamp your onboard receiver in the model and crash due to loss of control. So how do I get more range? See the video above. If you had to ask that question, you need to watch the video again.
What about the receiver? This is the most forgotten component of the whole system. Not all receivers are made equal and this is perhaps the second most important (the first would be antenna selection). A good quality RX will do more to increase you range and video quality than a stronger transmitter. Good RX units have good filtration and are very sensitive. If your Rx has a tuning knob, throw it away or use it as a paper weight.
The antennas
Perhaps the most critical component of any FPV system is the proper antennas. MORE GAIN DOES NOT MEAN BETTER. IT MEANS MORE DIRECTIVITY! High gain antennas on the airplane are a bad idea in almost every single case. High gain antennas on the RX can increase range greatly. Every 6 db doubles your range. There are other factors that contribute to longer range with directional antennas such as multipath rejection. It is pertinent to keep your antennas oriented vertically. Why? Mounting them flat cuts your signal to less than 1%!
TX side
It’s generally best to go with a very low gain on the transmitter. Why? Remember gain = directivity. You can’t aim the air antenna as the plane is constantly in motion and continues changing orientation. Read this guide on TX antennas. The Vee antenna is the FPV standard transmit antenna. I would highly suggest building one of your own in the future: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1159968
Rx side
The RX antenna is where the real science is. When selecting an RX antenna first consider your mission: Are you going to fly around yourself in all direction? Are you going out to explore and area out in front of you? Are you going to explore an area out away from you at a distance? You must select the antenna that best fits your mission.
Take the diagram below for the 11 dbi BiQuad antenna. You would select this antenna for a target far away from you. While suitable for distance, this antenna obviously does not do well when flying near yourself:
11 dbi BiQuad antenna radiation pattern
However, now consider the dipole Radiation pattern:
Dipole radiation pattern
The dipole might look like it covers more area at first glance, but the scales aren’t the same. Note the scale only goes to 2 db. This is obviously a poor long range solution, but the ideal antenna if you wish to fly around yourself.
Diversity, tracking, and circular polarization
Diversity, tracking, and circular polarization are ways to get a little more performance out of your FPV system. I recommend these for intermediate and advanced level pilots.
Diversity
Also called voting, diversity allows you to connect two or more antennas to your base station. I recommend this for almost any pilot. It’s easy to set up and get working. The diversity system automatically selects the best signal between multiple antennas. What advantage is this? This increases your flight area. For example, if you take two 8dbi patch antennas (whose beam width is 75 degrees) and aim them 60 degrees apart on a diversity controller, you now have a 130 degree beam to fly within and twice the range of your dipole. This is a good intermediate pilot set up.
Some people prefer a single directional antenna coupled with an omni directional antenna. This allows you to fly a distance, yet come back and fly all around yourself as well. Perhaps the most popular form of this is the patch/dipole combination. This is an excellent set up for both beginners and intermediate pilots.
Tracking
A new technique that is totally unique to FPV and satellite communication. An antenna tracker will follow your plane in the sky as you fly pointing the antenna at your plane allowing broad coverage and added range. These set ups are very complicated and require the plane to be transmitting GPS signals down to the ground station. Alternately IBCrazy’s DIY station uses signal strength to target the aircraft.
Tracking is for advanced pilots only. Why? It’s complicated and difficult to get correct. Tracking isn’t perfect either. There will be errors in targeting. Also a loss of GPS satellites will cause a loss of tracking. While an excellent technology, it is prone to errors.
Circular polarization
Circular polarized antennas offer two distinct advantages: They reject multipath interference and they do not weaken signal strength when banking. Cicularly polarized antennas are complex in design and construction. Circular polarization is a good idea for all pilots who can spare the expense and drag of the complex antennas. Currently there are only two antennas tested for fpv: Old Man Mike’s CPOD and the skew-planar wheel found here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1352583
The Fresnel zone
The Fresnel zone is one thing that must be respected at all times. Not doing so will result in loss of control and/or video. It is this very thing that keeps you from being able to fly behind houses, trees and hills.
What is it? Imagine a football (American football) shaped range between your receiver and your airplane. It isn’t very wide, more like a very narrow football. When objects enter this zone, your signal weakens significantly. Thus, when you dip your plane behind a tree, you disrupt the Fresnel zone.
In short, if you can’t see your plane (whether by eye or binoculars) your receiver can’t either.
Noise floor
This is something that is very difficult to measure and quantify. Areas around cities and other highly populated areas typically have a higher noise floor. The higher the noise floor, the harder it is to get a usable signal. For example: I range tested a system out to 2 miles in the countryside, then drove 6 miles away to a park in a small city (Lynchburgh) and couldn’t get 1200 feet without loss of control and video. The noise floor was much lower in the countryside as one would expect.
Sometimes this is unpredictable and changes for no apparent reason. Let me cite a great example:
I went out flying with a friend to test receivers. I used a very powerful base station while he had only a simple dipole antenna. I would routinely fly to the edge of his range and he would cite the distance where the signal got weak. The average range was about 2500 feet.
A couple of months later, I flew at the same location with the exact same set up and couldn’t get 500 feet! I tried different Rx units to no avail. Eventually I went back to my antenna tracking base station which fixed the problem. What happened? I don’t know. Somewhere behind me was a strong interfering signal. I never did figure out what it was.
Some good proven systems:
The 900 MHz system: http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=258
http://www.dpcav.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16405&cat=270&page=1
http://www.rangevideo.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_21&products_id=24
2.4 GHz Lawmate system (world record distance holder)
http://www.nghobbies.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=36
http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=275
http://www.rangevideo.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_22&products_id=5
1.3GHz Systems: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1279902
Some antenna systems:
For beginners (omni directional coverage):
Upgraded 3dbi whips on both the plane and the transmitter
IBCrazy Vee on the plane and a ground plane antenna on the RX
IBCrazy Vee on the plane and 3dbi whip on the RX.
Skew planar wheel antennas on both TX and RX
For intermediate pilots (slightly more directional):
IBCrazy Vee or 3dbi whip on the airplane and 8dbi patch on the Rx mounted very close (ie 4-6”) to the ground.
3 dbi whip or IBCrazy Vee on the airplane and a 7-9dbi Yagi mounted on a tripod.
3dbi whip or IBCrazy Vee on the airplane and a 3dbi omni and 8dbi patch on a diversity controller. – This is a very common upgrade.
3dbi Whip or IBCrazy Vee on the plane and dual patch antennas on a diversity system (such as an Oracle or Eagle Eyes) on the ground. - This is a more advanced mid range system that will satisfy most intermediate and advanced pilots.
IBCrazy Vee on the airplane and an 8dbi patch on an antenna tracker on the ground
For advanced pilots
3 dbi whip or IBCrazy Vee on the plane and dual Biquads, 11-14dbi patches, or 9-15dbi Yagis on a diversity controller.
3dbi whip or IBCrazy Vee on the airplane and a BiQuad on an antenna tracker on the ground.
Chapter 4 – Cameras and viewing screens
Ok, so now we have the black magic out of the way. Now how about that video system? We need a camera and a screen. We’ll start with a camera.
Cameras
The most popular type of camera is the 1/3” sony sensor CCD camera. CMOS cameras are also fairly common. Thanks to the huge security industry, there are hundreds to choose from. Anything from board cameras to encapsulated cameras to parts needing assembly, you can choose almost anything.
The most important thing is the lens. The lower the focal point, the wider the view. For example: a 2.1mm lens will have a 120-150 degree view. A 3.8mm is standard and has about a 70-90 degree field of view. 6mm is a ‘normal’ lens. It has a 60 degree view but all distances are realistic. What’s this about distance??? Wide angle lenses make things seem farther away than they really are. Wide angles make the scenery pass by slower and are generally better suited for beginners. Objects are harder to depict, however. Most pilots prefer a 2.8mm-4mm lens.
The second most important thing is BLC or backlight compensation. Many cameras have trouble with a bright sky and dark ground where the ground loses all recognizable texture and becomes a gray blob. The ability of cameras to overcome this varies greatly. My suggestion is to watch some videos that look appealing and then buy the camera they use or choose from the list at the end of this chapter.
The next thing to consider is resolution. Higher resolution will help you distinguish objects better. 420TVL is sufficient in most cases. 540 TVL is the highest resolution that most viewing screens can display. 600TVL is the upper limit with most cameras available. That said, I can hardly tell the difference between 540 and 420 TVL unless I’m trying to soar with the turkey buzzards.
Here is a short list of cameras that seem to work very well with FPV:
$26 cheapo, but it works – http://www.securitycamera2000.com/products/420TVL-1%7B47%7D3-Sony-CCD-CCTV-PCB-Board-Camera-3.6mm-Lens-for-CCTV-Camera.html
$50 camera with adjustable settings: http://www.securitycamera2000.com/products/540TVL-SONY-CCD-Chipset-Color-Board-Video-Camera-for-Security.html
The VSN500. Generally considered one of the best cased cameras (but requires a filter if using a GPS): http://usasecuritysystems.com/products/KT&C-KPC-VSN500NHB.html
A word of advice: Glue your cameras connector in place. They are easily damaged and the last thing you need is to have a bad connection with your plane in the air.
Viewing screens
Now you are transmitting video from your airplane to your receiver. How do you view it? Simple. Buy a TV and plug it in, right? Not so easily done. Why? It is a phenomenon we call “The Blue Screen of Death”. Most video screens are designed to go to a blue screen when they see static. In FPV, this is likely to mean you will crash.
So what do you do? One solution is to buy a set of video goggles from an FPV vendor. There are many available that do not go to blue screen. Headplay goggles have diopter setting for people with glasses. I personally use iCinema 80” goggles (also known as R-Visions). The fatshark goggles have a receiver built into them making them the least cumbersome.
Another solution is a filter. You can filter the signal by passing it through a recorder such as the AIPtek MPVR. You can also pass it through a coaxial to RCA converter box. These generate an artificial sync signal that keeps the monitor going through static.
Recording
Why bother recording? Just to post videos on the internet? Well, sure, that’s what many do as a side thought. The real advantage to ground station recording is when you crash. You didn’t see where it went down, nor did you likely identify where you were as you were likely too concerned about getting the plane back. This is where the recorder comes in handy. Go back to the last few seconds of your video and review where you were. Get a map from Google Earth to help you if needed. Computer memory is cheap and can be easily wiped clean. A lost plane is an expensive loss.
Chapter 5 – Hooking it all up
Unfortunately, none of the equipment for security systems was designed to be flown. You need to make your own connectors. Most folks buy a couple of servo extensions and cut them. Rather than pass a servo signal, they now pass a video signal. Simple as that! Just cut the bulky connectors off of your VTX and camera and splice in some servo wires! You do not need to use shielded wire! There is nothing special about the RCA cable wire.
Now to power it. The quick and easy way to do it is just to use a separate battery. The other method is to connect it to your main flight battery through a power filter. Why do you need a filter? The airplane’s electronics will scramble your video signal the instant you touch the throttle. There are many commercial filters available, but you can make a “Sander style” or “IBCrazy style” LC filter in a couple of minutes. Both work well. The “Sander style” shown below uses a ferrite ring and a capacitor of around 470uF. The “IBcrazy style” is simply 1 meter of thin (20-24AWG) wire wrapped around a pencil or nylon bolt and a 47uF capacitor.
Noise reduction
Notice what happens the instant you power up your video transmitter. The servos begin to jitter. Some jitter worse than others. This problem is caused by RFI. RFI is interference that comes through the wires. Getting rid of it is usually simple.
Noise reduction is most easily achieved by use of a choke. A choke is nothing more than a ferrite ring with the wires wrapped around it several times. I recommend placing one on the wires to your video transmitter with at least 5 wraps. This will eliminate most servo jitter issues. You can also put ferrite chokes on individual servos for additional filtration.
Thomas Black has an excellent publication on this issue and can be viewed here: http://www.dpcav.com/data_sheets/whitepaper_RFI.pdf
Chapter 6 – Your first flights
Flight time! Hooray! Well, sort of. You’ll need a spotter/pilot whom you trust to fly your plane. Why? You won’t be flying it, they will. Sit down in front of your viewing screen and have your pilot fly the airplane for you as you watch the video. Study what happens. Notice how the signal gets bad in a bank? Notice how often you have to turn to keep it in the field? Did you even figure out exactly where you are? There’s the problems and why you shouldn’t be trying your first flights alone.
Now your second or third flight you can get on a buddy box. You have the slave transmitter. Let the POV flier take off and fly 2 big circles, then let him hand the control over to you. Take it easy and repeat the circles several times. Take it easy. Fly slow and make smooth easy turns. If at any point the plane ventures out too far, the master should take over and bring it back in to avoid losing the model. Once you get comfortable with the sticks under the hood, try banking a bit steeper and adding a bit more speed. Keep the plane high and stay in constant communication with the master controller. Talk to each other to let the other know what is going on. You are existing in different worlds and neither of you has any idea what’s going on with the other person.
Let the master land the airplane and get ready for your first full control flight. This time, try a take off (if you have landing gear and can go from the ground) and try a landing. Practice landings. LAND THE PLANE HOT! Stalling is very easy to do in FPV. It’s better to do a high speed skidding belly flop than a 4 foot tip stall crash.
Go for another flight. Gain some altitude, now. Throttle up, dip the nose and pull back on the stick and execute a loop. Note how you aren’t dizzy.
Chapter 7 – Expanding your limits
Now that you have a few flights under your belt, you can think about pushing your limits a bit more or at least finding out where they are. This can be a very nervous process if you don’t do it properly. Once you find your limit, you’ll quickly begin to upgrade. Do it one step at a time.
Perhaps the best thing to do is experiment in a comfortable area and keep pushing your comfort zone gently. Note I said GENTLY. I personally like to practice flying through static. I get my plane in an area where I know I will encounter predicable static such as flying low to the ground, making a sharp bank or flying behind a row of trees. Once I hit the static, I work my way out of it. I then push a little further in the static making it a little stronger as my skills increase. The trick is practicing it in a predicable environment because inevitably, you are going to have static when you really don’t expect it. Then you’ll be ready for it.
Upgrading
I leave this up to you. This is where the forums are really helpful below is a list of items to upgrade in the order I believe they are important:
OSD with GPS (nice to have when flying alone)
Directional antenna
Second RX and diversity or an antenna tracker
Return to Home system
Long range UHF radio
Chapter 8 – Troubleshooting
Why am I not getting the range others are? Why did this work great one day and now not at all? What is going on? How did I lose control suddenly? Why is my video so poor? This requires analysis of the system by the owner to figure out what scenarios to investigate. I will attempt to diagnose the most common problems people have with their FPV systems here.
My range stinks – Why does everyone else seem to get farther away than me?
A1: Polarization, maybe? Are both of your antennas upright and polarized correctly (vertically)? Are you losing signal when banking hard?
A2: Fresnel zone issues? Is there something between you and the airplane disturbing line of sight at these distances? Remember, if you can’t see your plane cleanly (with binoculars or other instrument), neither can your receiver.
A3: Did your choose the proper antennas? Are you staying inside the beam of your directional antenna or are you venturing out of it? Did you select a good antenna? Is it matched to your RX? Are you implementing it properly (path near the ground, Yagi high in the air, ect).
A4: Multipathing maybe? Are you near a large metallic object? Are you near a building or standing on gravel or in a parking lot? Is the ground wet or does it have a high mineral content? These things reflect the signal causing distortion. The best thing is an open field on dry dirt.
A5: Noise floor? Are you flying in or near the city? Are there lots of other antennas around? This is something you simply cannot change except by changing your location. It’s also not measureable (easily at least) and hard to quantify. Try flying in another area and see what happens.
A6: Weak sync signal. Are you getting the “blue screen of death”? If so, fix it. Pass the video through some type of converter or recorder or get a video screen that shows static. This is an issue that is unsafe to have.
My video is horrible! I get lines through the video feed constantly
A1: Multipathing is likely the culprit. Is the interference short lived or consistent? Are you near a metallic structure or on wet or high mineral content ground?
A2: Poor antenna selection is another likely culprit. Did you select proper antennas for your flight?
A3: Did you place a filter on your power system or use a second battery for video? If not and the lines typically appear on throttling up, this is the problem. You need a filter or separate battery.
My video is poor quality. I can’t see the ground texture, all I get is a shadow.
A1: This is likely a case of the camera having poor back light compensation. This problem usually occurs in the afternoon when flying toward the Sun. The only solution is a better camera.
A2: Sometimes the case is your video screen is not adjusted properly. Try changing the contrast in areas where video is worse (preferably with the plane on the ground).
I can’t see anything from up in the air! Why?
A1: Did you choose the proper lens and focus it correctly? Resolution is poor in the cameras to begin with. A wide angle lens (such as a 2.5mm) makes this problem worse.
A2: Does your camera/screen have good resolution. If your screen is QVGA (230X320) and/ or your camera is 330 TVL or less, this could be your problem.
My screen is blank! I can’t get anything! Why?
A1: Triple check your connections. Are they tight? Are they correct? Did you recently wreck or did you change wiring harnesses?
A2: Is it the camera or transmitter/receiver? Try hooking your camera directly to your viewing screen. Do you get a picture? Now Hook the system up to the transmitter/receiver? Does your screen show any change when you power up the TX? If not, then the TX or RX could be bad.
I lost control, but wasn’t out that far. Why?
A1: Improper frequency selection. If you fly a 2.4 GHz radio and a 2.4GHz video, you are asking for trouble.
A2: Improper RX selection. Are you flying a park flyer RX? FPV requires a good long range RX.
A3: Random noise floor. Sometimes there is just a pocket of bad interference. This can be close or far away. There is no way to predict it and the only way to measure it is with RSSI indication on your screen if you fly OSD. However, by the time you realize it, it’s too late.
Watch the following video. The plane traveled out a mile only to turn around and lose signal 400 feet away: http://www.vimeo.com/10317286
Great page and website!
Excellent guide you have created here Alex. A must read for just about everyone. Whether just getting into FPV or you have been involved for some time there is still loads of useful info.
This is the best article I’ve read on FPV–great job!
Thank you very much for the time and effort you put in to this guide … I’m sure it will come in handy
thanks
Khaled