FPV help

[apollo7]

Right guys, first up i know jack shoosh about FPV but i have decided to build a TBS discovery clone, this will be Naza m and all the usual stuff, but here is the question, do i go with cheap goggles or try to fit a monitor to my flysky ai6, i am not into the racing fpv thing so i think maybe the monitor would be best, what would you guys do?

[Cheredanine]

Ok no expert on screens, but, and this is just opinion, if you are building a racing drone, they don';t fly themselves, goggles are more immersive so much better

But it sounds like you will be flying something with all the stuff racers don';t have. Such as gps, altitude hold, possition hold, waypoints, RTH and a built in coffee maker.

In which case I would think a screen is entirely appropriate, although I would want a hood on it, probably look to put it on a tripod rather than the radio, that would be what I do

[apollo7]

Ok no expert on screens, but, and this is just opinion, if you are building a racing drone, they don';t fly themselves, goggles are more immersive so much better

But it sounds like you will be flying something with all the stuff racers don';t have. Such as gps, altitude hold, possition hold, waypoints, RTH and a built in coffee maker.

In which case I would think a screen is entirely appropriate, although I would want a hood on it, probably look to put it on a tripod rather than the radio, that would be what I do

Pretty much sums it up, the coffee maker sounds good 
all i will be wanting to do is maybe fly around open woodland and that sort of thing, so maybe putting monitor on tripod makes sense, cheers

[Bajadre]

Agree with Cheredanine about goggles being more immersive etc
but screens are great too if you need to check on where you quad is at all times a few of our guys run screens and cant get on with goggles etc
best to try both and see which you prefer matey 

[ched]

There is a different option. You can get goggles that can convert into a screen! So you can try both out. Screens are handy if you cant get a spotter but you have to try and avoid sun on the screen as you will have difficulty seeing the picture in bright sunlight.
Goggles are much more immersive and no problem with sun.

These are 2 of the options:
https://goo.gl/Uqkh7A  £40 single receiver no dvr
https://goo.gl/8owPA6  £70 with diversity and dvr

[apollo7]

I do have a 7" display with rx and lipo so will use that when i am up and running, a mate has some goggles so might try them when ready see what i prefer

[apollo7]

Wow, i now have a basic working FPV system, having bought the used monitor a long time ago, with rx, i had also bought the little eashine TX01, and just managed to get it all working, sharp image but suspect the range will be very limited

[Bad Raven]

Having set up a lot of the micro-combos a few things from my experience may help. 

Yes, they do not inherently give the range of a full on VTX, but a lot hangs on other signal producing items and if the signal is masked line of sight to the receiver.

Firstly, do NOT locate the camera units aerial where ANYTHING on the quad can come between it and the receiver aerial(s) line of sight. I have seen several people build a quad which looks great until the battery is fitted as it sits on top of the frame completely masking the VTX antenna signal from LOS when travelling away. Add distance and the result is avoidably poor reception.

Use the best Receiver you can afford, this is a good investment and will make a difference, I have several but normally use a Lumenier Diversity unit that has dual receivers and outputs to screen the best of the two.  I use two dissimilar make RHCP antennae which I have found have slightly differing abilities relative to quad location, neither were expensive, but were found by trial comparison, and several discarded along the way.

It is said very often not to have the 2.4GHz aerial and the video 5.8GHz antenna close. I have not found this that significant, in fact a couple of my micro quads have the 2.4 aerial laced THROUGH the 5.8 with no noticeable effect on either! YMMV, but its not something I have found as vital as is made out.

Antennae get knocked around. One of my circle the other day was saying his reception was poor, but I found that two of the RHCP loops were badly distorted and one missing!!! Hardly rocket science, but keep the antenna the right shape and the right angles!

Be VERY careful not to leave the camera lens where bright light will fall on it even when not "on". If you do not replace the lens cap (I flouro paint mine as they escape!!), at least point the thing into shade!!

Finally, if operating around others on FPV, keep a good separation of frequency, at least 20MHz, pref more. And use the four figure number to tell, as differing VTX and VRX have differing notation, A7 on one may not be A7 on another, but 5745 should be!!
I produced an allocation grid sheet for my circle so we can "turn up and go" safe that we are apart as far as is possible to avoid cross talk interference.

Enjoy...................

[Bad Raven]

As an example of how NOT to do it, here';s a pic of a "well known brand" 250 "Racer" which was given only a micro set, low mounted.



Very bad placement buried within all sorts of noisy signal sapping frame/motors, etc, and it';s worse, as this is with the part silver painted body off!!)

Now someone I know didn';t like the battery on this thing where the maker intended it (bad enough) so mounted it as far forward as poss on top of the frame near over the aerial, then made a large metal undercarriage/pair of landing skids from metal Heli booms, then wondered why he kept getting total signal loss when the quad was nose down at speed moving away!

Yer cud not mak it ooop, cud yer.....................   

[Cheredanine]

I really can';t fault anything raven said there, it is all very good advice, the one thing I would add is the antenna, he is very right about placement, but also the quality of the antenna in my experiance is the biggest difference on an fpv feed.

[Bad Raven]

but also the quality of the antenna in my experience is the biggest difference on an fpv feed.

Yes, agree totally when talking separate Cameras and VTX with connector fitment, but above was essentially about micro combos, where there is little std choice, you get a soldered on RHCP stamped out wire array (usually brass) or you get...................... a RHCP soldered on stamped out wire array.

My own experience in trying to better that with such micro combos has been a dismal failure so far, I have stripped rubber ducks/twigs, made my own, to no noticeable improvement at all!!   (I had several quads same make etc to play with to get a direct comparison)

Along the way I sourced some better lower loss small co-ax cable to raise the RHCP end higher further out of the clutter , and the seller who was a Radio Ham now thinks I';ll be chatting to him soon........................   :evil 

Of all the micro combos from Banggood/Eachine (and thats a few!!) the best FOR MICRO QUADS I have found is the "spare" being sold for the Aurora 90. Smallest footprint, lightest, etc. 

How this fits into use on bigger beasts I would not know, as by the time I reach 150 plus I';m on full sized separate Camera and VTX and the Cameras are all HS1177 CCD, many Foxeer.