Basic Guide to FPV?

whiteturbo

whiteturbo

Multicopter Junkie
Hi,

I have been into multicopters for a few years now and always have five or six quads or tri's on the go and probably a couple being rebuilt/altered at any one time. So i am not a noob as far as multicopters are concerned. I have always built my own FC's except for a Hoverfly(Sold it) so i quite enjoy the construction side including frame building.
So just to be different i have just bought a Dji Flame Wheel F450 meaning to put one of my Flyduino FC's and a 10DOF Imu i have lyeing around in it, But after some Thought i am erring towards getting a Naza FC.
OK so thats where im coming from!
I have decided that next year i am going to give FPV a try using the DJI Flame wheel. So can anyone point me towards sites or articles that would enable a FPV noob get a good start. I am only looking for a simple/inexpensive setup, I dont intend to be going Trappy type distances infact 500 metres will be the absolute max, probably a lot less most of the time, i just want to experience flying from a birds eyes perspective and yet be relatively safe. I have no idea about equipment but experience tells me that its easy to buy the wrong things and i want to avoid all the hit and miss experiences i had when i first started in multicopters. Looking forward to your replys and thanks in advance.

Laters Ray
 

R

rwilabee

Member
Here in the states I use readymaderc.com. I'm not sure in the UK. There is also a link on his web site to an FPV Forum.

Rich
 




A

Airaid John

Member
Ross you are correct apparently the iPad will only play back digital movies, a guy on an Fpv forum said he looks every month as its
only a matter of time before its available.
 


seattle_helo

seattle_helo

Member
Ray, Jake posted some good links above. I'm just starting to fly FPV with my cinestar8 and it's some of the most exciting and fun flying I've ever done. Still pretty clumsy in the air but I'm improving with time and I can really see the potential for this type of operation. The choices for equipment are vast and it is challenging to pick stuff that's universally good because there are so many variables between setups and the type of other equipment we all use. In my case I fly with JR 2.4Ghz gear and I use a 250mW 5.8Ghz for the video RF link along with circular polarized antennas (from Alex at that video aerial systems link above). Compared to the guys who go out many miles the farthest I've ever flown thus far is 500 meters and that felt like a huge distance! But the video link was solid throughout and I think it would have little trouble going further with good video. Pay close attention to the camera you use. I picked up a WDR600 based on a recommendation and it looks good for SD. But the real feature that makes it ideal for FPV is the wide dynamic range (hence its name) which keeps the image intact during high contrast situations like flying into the sun. A big aid for me is using an on screen display or OSD. There are several out there and the one I'm using is tailor made for the MK system (smartOSD) but I'm sure people have figured out systems for DJI stuff. It is very helpful to have an altitude and speed display. The artificial horizon is also great. Helps you keep things steady in a hover and also gives positive feedback in fast forward flight. Some of them also have maps that show you the position of the copter relative to where you are. I didn't think that would be too valuable but it turns out to be nice when you are far away, not exactly sure where you're flying and you want to see at a glance where the machine is and what direction it's pointing. And finally I picked up a nice, small DVR to record my flights and review later. A place called Japan-FPV makes a portable DVR about the size of a deck of cards with it's own small LCD monitor that records to SD cards. The quality of the unit is high. Lasts all day on a single charge. I've learned a lot watching my own flights and seeing what I could do better or things that worked well.

Keep us posted on what gear you buy. I think you're going to love it from the start. :)
 
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