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FPV with arducopters

Posted by David Anders on March 5, 2013 at 4:31am

Hey all,

I wanted to poll the community to see what people were using for FPV gear on their copters and get some comments on what works and what doesn't.

From what I have heard, Fat Shark seems to be the way to go.  Browsing their website (with the broken links and all), the attitude HD looks like something I would be interested in, but it doesn't appear to be available yet?

In terms of requirements...

* HD

* Large FOV

* Multiple headsets, or one headset and one external display (laptop for example)

* Head tracking (would probably purchase this now, but implement later)

* 5.8ghz.

So...  Anything else I should be aware of, look for and need to have?

Many thanks!
David.

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Replies

  • Tim Wilkin March 5, 2013 at 3:33pm

    You'll need a decent transmission power on the quad end... I've got 600mW currently, but pushing it to 1W will give further range. A circularly polarised (CP) antenna (such as a cloverleaf) is essential if you plan on flying near any man made structures or over hard surfaces that reflect RF.

    At a basic level, higher frequency provides a higher potential bit rate (but also typically comes with higher error rates). The bit rate you need depends on the frame rate and image size (dependent on camera specs). 5.8GHz is common and frequently used as it promotes higher frame rates, but also comes with more image corruption. This is fine if you're using the video just for flight control (assuming you don't get full signal drop-out, which is a range/antenna issue)...

    If you know you'll be doing shorter range work and/or want good quality, you might consider a lower frequency setup (and invest in a high quality transmitter/receiver setup with a tracking antenna).

  • james sowell March 5, 2013 at 3:24pm

    http://fpvlab.com/forums/forum.php  

  • Paul Braun March 5, 2013 at 3:19pm

    FWIW - There is a really nice overview of FPV issues in the RCGroups.com forum for FPV with the title 'How to be successful in FPV'.  Might be too beginner-ish for some but there is A LOT of good content there in a series of videos.

     

    I'd also be interested in whether folks are using mutiple goggles for several folks to experience the flight (i.e., a group of kids) and hardare recommendations for small screens/TVs for viewing and DVR for recording.  Ideally, I'd like to have a group with me have an FPV experience but also capture the HD video for later editing...

  • T3
    Richard Boyhan March 5, 2013 at 11:41am
    I heard that the range of 5.8ghz is somewhat limited. Also I've noticed some people using a special pretzel or cloverleaf shaped antenna to extend range. Also some people use antenna tracking systems that automatically track your copter or plane for more extended range. I've got a 1.2ghz system, but no goggles yet. I've not flown with it either, crashed my hex and I'm waiting on parts. :(
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