1.3 FPV. No Range, No image quality. MULTI ROTOR FPV GODS PLEASE HELP.

[RyanMcCrae]

Ok, so a few months back I crashed my f550 and broke the frame. I decided on building a TBS discovery to get into FPV.
My symptoms are, I cant make it 20m before I loose all signal, even at 2m its practically not visible. The video quality is 100% not useable for FPV. I thought maybe it was because I was inside my house bench testing it. So I took it out to a park yesterday and it was a tiny bit better but still terrible. Can some one please help?

Along with the TBS frame, core and tin sheild I bought a TBS 69 camera. For the TX and RX I bought the 1.3GHz receiver with SAW filter upgrade and the 400mw 1.3GHz Transmitter from readymaderc.
For the aerials I went with the IBCRAZY clover leaf and skew Planar combo. I also purchased the skew planar antenna set from True Wireless to test the difference if any.


Here are the links if it helps.
RX: http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_34_44&products_id=1020
TX: http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_30_38&products_id=916

Antennas:
http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_45_52_100&products_id=838
http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_45_52_100&products_id=993
http://www.readymaderc.com/store/in...duct_info&cPath=11_45_52_100&products_id=1112


My discovery is running Naza without GPS, and using it with a Graupner GR-16 and currently have it wired up using PPM output to minimise wiring, but will change back to normal when my short servo leads turn up from hobbyking. (There are some glitches and jitter which can bee seen in the assistant software.) When I throttle up it looks like the signal gets a little worse.
The other strange thing is my; Iftron 5.8GHz 500mw system has far better quality even inside the house, which leads me to think there isnt excessive interference happening in and around the house.


Can some one please help me? Im lost. I took the tx and camera out the Disco and wired them up separately to test if it was an issue with the Disco, but I get the same issue virtually no image and no range.

This is what the video looks like when its sitting on the ground with the throttle off about 1m from the receiver:
View attachment 7421


This is about the best I can get when its flying, this is about 2m up and 3-5m away.
View attachment 7422

Here are a few images that might help diagnose my problem?
View attachment 7423View attachment 7424View attachment 7425View attachment 7426


Thanks guys.

 

[kloner]

it looks like it will when the channels aren't matched. can you put the rubber antennas back on and test with those till you can make it work, then get fancy again with the cp's.

Show me a macro shot of the wires where they go from the bottom frame to the rx and cam,,,, the solder on teh audio looks outta control, but make sure that's all clean and clear of shorts.

Is the tx getting hot really fast? is the osd overlay suppose to be on?

 

[Efliernz]

After a crash, I have had the the aerial connector on the tx break solder / come loose... where I had to take it apart and resolder. Just something to look at...

Pete

 

[RyanMcCrae]

So rubber antennas back on. Checked the channels I was using 1280 and 1320, but that was the best combo from what i could see flicking through the channels checking reception.
Went through the available channels and 1280 was the best. 1360 had no signal at all, does that seem odd? Its set to 1280 now.

TX is lukewarm, its about 10degrees here at the moment. Yes the osd is meant to be on.

I admit that soldering job isnt too flash. So ive just re done it. The cables colours are around the wrong way, but they are the correct way around for the rx.
Hope these are the pictures you wanted.

View attachment 7428View attachment 7427View attachment 7429


This is the resulting image now. tx is sitting on top of the draws, so 2 meters away. A bit better.
View attachment 7430

 

[RyanMcCrae]

After a crash, I have had the the aerial connector on the tx break solder / come loose... where I had to take it apart and resolder. Just something to look at...

Pete

I did have small crash yesterday, hence missing an arm that some how broke from about 2 meters up. But the image was like this before the crash happened.

 

[kloner]

usually the red wire is power, white is audio,,, are those reversed?

just to eliminate it as a problem, is there a chance of getting the tin off the core still?

 

[RyanMcCrae]

Heres a picture of the original VTX cable. It was sliced appart when I removed the large heatsink that was on it.
View attachment 7431

So thats why that colours are different where there soldered on to the frame, to make it correct on the VTX.

I can try and remove it if you think there could be an issue there?


Just realised I've been referring to the rx and tx the wrong way round. sorry if thats confused you. VTX on the craft and VRX on the ground?

 

[kloner]

I'm a little confised so i think this is the problem.... i think it is powering up through the audio channel.


the wires can be unclipped from the plastic end and resorted. theres no standard, each company does it's own thing. I've had the setup you have here and it was perfefect other than messed with my gps

make sure the end in the vtx is wired as it came, then red is power, black is ground, white is audio and yellow is video. I never use audio cause theres not alot to hear other than a bunch of prop noise and thransmitting that is making noise in your system. just leave the white wire out completely

 

[RyanMcCrae]

I thought audio was odd, didnt see the point of it but since im new to this i thought id just keep it as it is.

Il redo the cable now and see what happens.

 

[RyanMcCrae]

Re did it, use a new cable. double checked the order. It all looks right.
Its just the same. Looses signal after 5 meters. I know its probably something simple, which is annoying.:upset:

View attachment 7434View attachment 7435

 

[kloner]

ok, so help me understand what all i'm looking at. unless pictures are mirrored, skewed, etc, your pinout form the transmitter is still crossed up. the top picture is from the link you gave me. lets call the bottom the shortest side from edge to plug,,,, left as shown here. white, yellow, black, red is how theres is, in comparison, yours is yellow, red, white, black... that's the wrong pinouts i'm talking about.... you should be able to re-arange the wires at the vtx

 

[RyanMcCrae]

Just changed them around. No luck. Doesnt power on now. Checked it with a multimeter and powers there. 12.3v.
Check this picture again of the supplied cable that broke, its black, white, red, yellow.
View attachment 7436

I had them the same way around as the supplied cable. Looks like the order has been changed between our version of the VTX.

 

[kloner]

hmmmmm...... things to try would be hooking the yellow form the cam straight into the yellow of the vtx and bypass core,,, work? just gotta start trouble shooting it

when that shield goes on, it is super easy to slide solder over onto core..... it's all super tight, was why i mentioned that earlier, aside from unless it is all setupe, you need access to the switch on the side of it

 

[RyanMcCrae]

Ive tryed it with out the core, I wired it up yellow-yellow, black- black, red-red; then powered it and tested it, same deal. Doesn't get reception, il try again in a few hours. I put the shield on hopping it would help, it didn't. so il remove it later. But it seems like a problem with the VTX or VRX not the TBS.

Whats the switch on the side of the core?

 

[kloner]

page 7-8

http://www.team-blacksheep.com/tbs-core-manual.pdf

your current sensor on the disco is 100 amp so set as such

 

[RyanMcCrae]

I Just tryed removing the yellow cables from the tbs and soldering them directly together. Same thing
Removed VTX and camera from TBS, soldered them together. Same thing
Added a ReadyMadeRC LC Common Mode Power Filter: http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_15&products_id=533, same Thing.
So I would think it has nothing todo with the Disco frame, but the VTX or VRX?

 

[kloner]

you got me bro, what your showing me isn't normal

 

[Stacky]

Have you double checked the connectors on your aerials?. I have been caught out with having the incorrect connectors on the aerials. Check that the male is male and female is actually a female connector

 

[RyanMcCrae]

I dont quiet know what to look for as these are my first fpv aerials, any pictures of what i need to look for?

 

[DucktileMedia]

I had this same problem but was all due to using a monitor that wasn't static friendly. Clearly yours shows static but is there any chance it's what your viewing it on? I know it doesn't make sense but that was the answer to my problems.