fpv question for English flyers

[Tomstoy2]

So, I have this friend in England who wants to mount an fpv system on his 550 Align srh. He uses a MicroBeast and CP2 on it. I'm pretty sure that the law there limits vtx to 25mw? Anyway, I'm looking for suggestions to filter thru and recommend to him, including places to get them from on the island. He only wants to fly los, in the country side.

 

[dg2010]

I use a 600mw VTX on 5.8Ghz, to be honest I don't think anyone is bothered about the 25mw legal limit here. Plenty of shops in the UK sell "illegal" VTX's

That being said, with a spironet patch and an antenna tracker, you can do several KM with a 25mw VTX.

I would suggest FirstPersonView.co.uk - prices higher than your average china reseller but then they support their products PROPERLY. Eg. if you have a problem they will fix or replace it in a timely manner.

 

[Ttelmah]

Or (much better really), get yourself an amateur radio license.
It is not expensive. Useful data on how radio propagation works etc., is learnt, and then you can be legal....

Best Wishes

 

[dg2010]

Or (much better really), get yourself an amateur radio license.
It is not expensive. Useful data on how radio propagation works etc., is learnt, and then you can be legal....

Best Wishes

Source?

I believe you are incorrect. Having a ham license does not exempt you from a 25mw limit on the 5.8Ghz band which is reserved for air to ground communication.

 

[Benjamin Kenobi]

I use a 600mw VTX on 5.8Ghz, to be honest I don't think anyone is bothered about the 25mw legal limit here. Plenty of shops in the UK sell "illegal" VTX's

That being said, with a spironet patch and an antenna tracker, you can do several KM with a 25mw VTX.

I would suggest FirstPersonView.co.uk - prices higher than your average china reseller but then they support their products PROPERLY. Eg. if you have a problem they will fix or replace it in a timely manner.

Excellent site! Highly recommend!

25mw is just fine for LOS. Mine goes 500m with spironet antennas. They also sell a diversity receiver for £150.

 

[vulcan2go]

For clarity:

The legal power limit for 5.8ghz video transmission is 25mw and 10mw for 2.4ghz - this is set by Ofcom and if they do find someone transmitting above those limits they will confiscate the equipment. Using cloverleaf/skew planar antennas will give significantly better video signal strength.

Having a radio ham license makes no difference at all and does not allow you to transmit above the power levels shown above. Air to ground video transmission is governed by different rules.

The legal distance limits for fpv flight is no further away form the pilot than unaided line of sight and no more than 400 feet high. This is controlled through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) though the Air Navigation Order and various articles such as CAP 166/7 etc. There is one specific "Exemption" that allows the FPV to be in control without the use of a buddy lead provided that a "competent" observer is present.

Cheers,

 

[Tomstoy2]

Thanks guys! He's already done a bunch of research, even sent me the CAA rules. He's in for a real treat when he does this. Others, at another site, have advised him to go higher in power, but I'll advise he stay within the 25mw. It's all about the antenna, and line of sight isn't that far, especially considering the weight restriction he will be under. SRH's are heavy by nature, a 550 weighs in at 1800 grams w/o battery. FPV gear doesn't add much weight so he ought to squeeze in.

 

[Ttelmah]

Interesting. Most of the sites selling things like the 125mW kit in the UK, have the line 'requires an amateur radio license for use in the UK'. Assumed they knew what they were talking about.

Best Wishes

 

[dg2010]

Interesting. Most of the sites selling things like the 125mW kit in the UK, have the line 'requires an amateur radio license for use in the UK'. Assumed they knew what they were talking about.

Best Wishes

They do know what they are talking about. The rules are different depending on where you transmit from. You can transmit above 25mw as long as it's from the ground, that is where the radio license comes into play.

Now when you fly from the air.... that is a completely different set of rules.

When buying a VTX.... Whether you have it on the ground or in the air is not up to the manufacturer or seller of such a device. It's up to you.

 

[vulcan2go]

Simply put - the if the vtx is on the ground - eg rc car or boat - the normal radio rules apply, so if you want to pump out a higher power signal then you may need a radio ham licence. However, if you put the same vtx into an aircraft then the radio ham stuff does not apply and you are governed by Ofcoms rules for air to ground transmission that specify the power limits I mentioned earlier.

Cheers,

 

[Ttelmah]

There is also the question of spread spectrum versus single frequency. Are the single frequency units legal at all?. I seem to remember the exemption for video up to 25mW, only applied to systems using spread spectrum transmission?.

Best Wishes

 

[dg2010]

nobody is using spread spectrum VTX in fpv. As far as i know you need to transmit digitally to take advantage of such a thing. do you know of digital vtx usable in fpv?