FPV PILOT TRAINING CENTER - YOUR ROAD TO FPV SUCCESS

[IBCrazy]

Hello Everybody,

First a big thanks to this site, it is such a beautiful on-line school for whom to want to get his feet wet and learn about FPV.

I'm about to put my first FPV equipment on my EZ. It's going to be on 5.8 GHz, as I'm using a 2.4 GHz controller.
I'll be mainly flying in short range for now , in an open field (about 300m), no obstacles (well sometimes they're sheep there, hope they'll not become obstacles...) just a bunch of trees at the end of it which are yet too far for my beginner's attempt, the field is on top of a very small hill. My goal is to go for longer range (hopefully) in the future of course...

I have 2 questions:

1) Would you recommend to start with a 25mw Tx and go for a more powerful one later on (I'll go for ImmersionRC ones), which will be more costly but maybe more in the logic of going step by step...

2) Regarding the antennas, do you recommend to start with using the stock antennas coming with the VTx and Receiver (or shift to RAF 2.4/5.8GHz dual band antenna as stated in this thread at the bottom of the page) or going straight for Skew planar or Cloverleaf ones?

Thanks for your answer and your time
Have a great day

Alain

Sorry for any mistakes or clumsy style, English is not my first language, hope what I just wrote make sense....

My recommendation: 100mW FatShark transmitter and a circularly polarized antenna set. Remember that there is the windmill/Fan combination as well as the cloverleaf/skew wheel combination to choose from.

-Alex

[wanderer]

Hello,

@MonZon: thanks

@Alex: Thank you, I'll indeed not forget to have a look at the antennas combination you pointed. One question regarding those antennas, I've seen that they can be bought either in the US or in Canada, but are there any retailers here in Europe that sell them?
By the way Alex, a very very big thank you for your tutorials, I'm currently preparing my Ham license, and they're helping me greatly in my understanding of the courses (I know reason will tell to get the license first and then worry about FPV after, I'm good at putting myself in situations where I am chasing several rabbits at the same time, that's very me....)

Have a beautiful day

Alain

[wanderer]

My recommendation: 100mW FatShark transmitter and a circularly polarized antenna set. Remember that there is the windmill/Fan combination as well as the cloverleaf/skew wheel combination to choose from.

-Alex

Hello Alex,

I've been looking on the different Circular Polarized antennas, I just notices that you didn't mention the Bluebeam ones, is it an option for later on, ie longest ranges, or I should consider this option as well for my setting?

And amongst those 3 options (Windmill/Fan, Cloverleaf/Skew and Bluebeam) what would be the best choice?

Thanks in advance for your answer and your time
Have a Great day

Alain

[MonZon]

@Alex (IBCrazy), sorry for interrupting this thread - could you explain why 100mW is better than 600mW? I'm not being picky, just wanting to educate myself. Personally, I have both of them. Mostly using 600mW version - it gives longer distances with no extra noise or interference to any other device. Except that I'm flying on my RC radio limits now =)

[IBCrazy]

@Alex (IBCrazy), sorry for interrupting this thread - could you explain why 100mW is better than 600mW? I'm not being picky, just wanting to educate myself. Personally, I have both of them. Mostly using 600mW version - it gives longer distances with no extra noise or interference to any other device. Except that I'm flying on my RC radio limits now =)

You said it yourself: You are running to the ends of your radio link. You can fly with bad video and still turn around and come back. Lose RC link and you're done for.

Here's the other thing: when was the last time you saw the 600mW version for sale? It has been out of stock for months.

-Alex

[IBCrazy]

Hello Alex,

I've been looking on the different Circular Polarized antennas, I just notices that you didn't mention the Bluebeam ones, is it an option for later on, ie longest ranges, or I should consider this option as well for my setting?

And amongst those 3 options (Windmill/Fan, Cloverleaf/Skew and Bluebeam) what would be the best choice?

Thanks in advance for your answer and your time
Have a Great day

Alain

BluBeam is the trade name for the CL/SPW pair. The "True Wired" is the trade name for the windmill/Fan. There is no best. They both work exceptionally well.

-Alex

[wanderer]

BluBeam is the trade name for the CL/SPW pair. The "True Wired" is the trade name for the windmill/Fan. There is no best. They both work exceptionally well.

-Alex

Ah ok, thanks a lot for the clarification, and sorry if it was a dumb question....

[jgrueneheidt]

It is hard to find them in stock nowadays. The one I've found cost around $150 with receiver. For this amount of money I can get myself OpenLRS RX and TX. It is not that powerful as ezUHF, but people say that it is ok.

I'm planning to switch to FPV specific antennas when my connectors arrive (in a month or so), so buying 35 MHz radio module can be double spending. If after that I'll need LRS - why to buy middlestep which is 35 MHz TX and RX?

Yeah what he said. Why not get a LRS instead of a 72 MHz?

[Hucker]

People do the middle step to save money and reduce complexity. IBCrazy flew on 72mhz for a long time and says he flies 2 miles out with ease. That is an awefully big area to fly in on very cheap gear. When you got to lrs RX's triple in price if not more. You have to wire up your lrs, you have to make antennas. More steps, more complexity, more cost, more expensive crashes. You lose one plane as a beginner and you'll be double spending on your lrs gear.

It's not to say you can't start with lrs, just that there are some good reasons to be flying cheap (mostly stock) airplanes, with cheap (but known to work) electronics, at fairly close (omni to omni) range while learning. Then add one piece of gear at a time, osd, lrs, patch, better plane, tracker ...

[IBCrazy]

Flew 72 MHz? I still fly 72Mhz and love it. I have a Dragonlink with the new firmware and 2 RX's sitting in a box. I also have a Chainlink (got it free), and it sits in a box on my shelf. My airplane cost increases 75% by putting a UHF RX on it.

Like Hucker says, LRS is not a requirement for FPV. it's just an add on which will greatly increase the cost of the aircraft.

Start basic, then add bells and whistles.

-Alex