I have described the entire assembly and configuration process, and below there will be a slightly modified version containing more information from my previous articles.

I’ll leave the question of getting into this hobby out of the question and move directly to the quadcopter.

Choosing a quadcopter size

A year ago, 250-size quadcopters were the most popular. But now pilots prefer to assemble devices smaller size, which is very reasonable: the weight is less, but the power is the same. I chose the 180 size not for any practical reasons, but as a kind of assembly challenge.

In fact, this approach to selection is not entirely correct. It is much more reasonable to first choose the size of the propellers, and then, under them, the smallest frame into which the selected propellers will fit. And with this approach, the 180 format is generally rejected. Judge for yourself: the 210 format allows you to install the same 5-inch propellers as the 250, while the quad itself is lighter, and 4-inch propellers fit into 160 frames. It turns out that the 180th size is an intermediate format that is “neither ours nor yours.” It can also be considered a weighted 160. But, nevertheless, I chose him. Perhaps because this is the minimum size that can more or less comfortably carry a GoPro or Runcam camera.

Accessories

Let's start with the engines. The “intermediate” size of 180, as well as the richness of their assortment, makes the choice difficult. On the one hand, you can take what goes on the 160s, on the other hand, what is installed on the 210s or even 250s. You need to start from the propellers and battery (number of cans). I don’t see any point in using a 3S battery, but for propellers the general rules are:

• you need maximum static thrust - increase the propeller diameter and decrease the pitch (within reasonable limits)
• you need high speed - reduce the diameter and increase the pitch (within reasonable limits)
• you need high thrust with a small diameter - add the number of blades (again within reasonable limits, since if the difference between two- and three-bladed propellers is noticeable, then between three- and four-bladed ones it is not so big)

In my case, I have a 4" propeller size limit, but no motor limit. This means that the smartest thing to do would be to use three-blade 4045 bullnose propellers. They are difficult to balance, but they make the controls more responsive and predictable, and the sound is quieter. On the other hand, with two-blade propellers the speed of the quadcopter is higher, but I definitely don’t need that. “People” use the following setups on 180 frames:

• lightweight with 1306-3100KV motors, conventional 4045 propellers and 850mAh battery
• heavy and powerful for three-bladed bullnose propellers and an action camera with 2205-2600KV motors and 1300mAh battery

In fact, the frame allows you to install motors from 1306-4000KV to 22XX-2700KV. By the way, I don’t know why, but 1806-2300KV motors are now out of favor and little used.

For my quad, I took the motors - RCX H2205 2633KV. Firstly, I wanted to have a power reserve (although with my modest piloting skills, it’s unclear why). Secondly, my setups have never turned out to be super-light, in addition, I also plan to carry an action camera. Specifically, RCX motors are a compromise option. They are cheap, but there are many complaints about the quality. At the time of purchasing the components, these were one of the few 2205-2600KV motors on the market. Now (at the time of writing) the assortment is much larger and it is better to choose something else.
With the rest of the components I acted on the principle of “more challenge”:

Selecting a flight controller

You may have noticed that there is no flight controller on the list. I would like to describe his choice in more detail. Inexpensive building kits often include a CC3D controller, so now this is perhaps the cheapest PC. There is absolutely no point in buying CC3D today. It is outdated and does not have such necessary things as battery control and a beeper. Its successor, CC3D Revolution, is a completely different product with rich capabilities, but also a price of over 40 €.
Modern flight controllers have already switched from F1 to F3 processors, making the Naze32 a last-generation PC and significantly reducing its price. Now this is truly a people's controller, which has almost everything your heart desires for a price starting from 12 €.
Of the new generation PCs, Seriously Pro Racing F3 is the most popular, primarily due to the availability of inexpensive clones. The controller itself is in no way inferior to Naze32; in addition, it has a fast F3 processor, a large amount of memory, three UART ports, and a built-in inverter for S.Bus. It was SPRacingF3 Acro that I chose. Other modern PCs were not considered due to price or some specific features (closed firmware, layout, etc.)
Separately, I would like to note the currently fashionable trend of combining several boards into one. Most often PC and OSD or PC and PDB I do not support this idea with a couple of exceptions. I don't want to have to replace the entire flight controller because the OSD is burned out. Moreover, as practice shows, sometimes such a union brings problems.

Wiring diagram

It is clear that all components that need 5V or 12V power will receive it from the BECs of the power distribution board. The camera could theoretically be powered directly from a 4S battery, since the input voltage allows this, but in no case should this be done. Firstly, all cameras are very susceptible to noise in the circuit from the regulators, which will result in noise in the picture. Secondly, regulators with active braking (such as my LittleBees), when this braking is activated, give a very serious impulse to the on-board network, which can burn the camera. Moreover, the presence of an impulse directly depends on the wear of the battery. The new ones don't have it, but the old ones do. Here's an educational one video on the topic of interference from regulators and how to filter them. So it is better to power the camera either from the BEC or from the video transmitter.
Also, for the sake of improving picture quality, it is recommended to connect not only the signal wire, but also the ground wire from the camera to the OSD. If you twist these wires into a pigtail, the ground acts as a shield for the signal wire. True, in this case I did not do this.
Since we are talking about “ground”, people often argue about whether it is necessary to connect the “ground” from the regulators to the PC or whether one signal wire is enough. On a regular racing quadcopter it definitely needs to be connected. Its absence can lead to synchronization failures ( confirmation).
The final wiring diagram turned out to be simple and concise, but with a couple of nuances:

• power supply of the flight controller (5V) from the PDB via outputs for regulators
• power supply of the radio receiver (5V) from the PC via connector OI_1
• video transmitter power supply (12V) from PDB
• camera power supply (5V) from video transmitter
• OSD connected to UART2. Many people use UART1 for this, but like on Naze32, here this connector is paralleled with USB.
• Vbat is connected to the PC, not to the OSD. In theory, battery voltage (vbat) readings can be read on both the OSD and PC by connecting the battery to either one or the other. What's the difference? In the first case, the readings will be present only on the monitor or glasses screen and the PC will not know anything about them. In the second case, the PC can monitor the battery voltage, inform the pilot about it (for example, with a beeper), and also transmit this data to the OSD, to the “black box” and via telemetry to the remote control. It is also easier to adjust the accuracy of readings via a PC. That is, connecting vbat to the flight controller is much preferable.

Assembly

First, some general assembly tips:

• Carbon conducts current. So everything needs to be well insulated so that nothing shorts to the frame anywhere.
• Anything that protrudes beyond the frame is likely to be broken or torn off in an accident. In this case, we are talking, first of all, about connectors. Wires can also be cut by a screw, so they too must be hidden.
• After soldering, it is highly advisable to cover all boards with insulating varnish PLASTIK 71, in several layers. From my own experience I will say that applying liquid varnish with a brush is much more convenient than applying it with a spray.
• It wouldn’t hurt to drop a little hot melt glue on the places where the wires are soldered to the boards. This will protect the soldering from vibrations.
• For all threaded connections, it is advisable to use Loctite medium fixation (blue).

I prefer to start the assembly with the motors and regulators. a good video on assembling a small quadcopter, from which I adopted the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe arrangement of motor wires.

Separately, I would like to say about mounting the regulators: where and with what? They can be mounted on the beam and under it. I chose the first option, since it seems to me that in this position the regulator is more protected (these are my speculations, not confirmed by practice). In addition, when mounted on a beam, the regulator is perfectly cooled by air from the propeller. Now let's talk about how to secure the regulator. There are many ways, the most popular is double-sided tape + one or two zip ties. “Cheap and cheerful”, and dismantling will not cause any difficulties. The worse thing is that with such fastening you can damage the regulator board (if you put a tie on it) or the wires (if you fasten it on them). So I decided to attach the regulators with heat shrink tubing (25mm) and soldered them together with the beams. There is one caveat: the regulator itself must also be in heat shrinkage (mine were sold in it) so that the contacts do not come into contact with the carbon fiber of the beam, otherwise there will be a short circuit.

It also makes sense to stick a piece of double-sided tape on the bottom of each beam where the motor is mounted. Firstly, it will protect the motor bearing from dust. Secondly, if for some reason one of the bolts comes loose, it will not fall out during the flight and will not be lost.
When assembling the frame, I did not use a single bolt from the kit, since they were all indecently short. Instead, I bought it a little longer and with a head for a Phillips screwdriver (this is a personal preference).

The camera did not fit widthwise between the side plates of the frame. I slightly processed the edges of its board with a file (rather, I sanded off the rough edges) and it stood up without any problems. But the difficulties did not end there. I really liked the quality of the camera holder from Diatone, but the camera with it did not fit into the frame in height (by about 8-10mm). At first I attached a holder to the outer (top) side of the plate through a neoprene damper, but the design turned out to be unreliable. Later, the idea of ​​the most simple and reliable fastening came. I took only a clamp from Diatone's fastening and put it on a piece of rod with M3 thread. To prevent the camera from moving sideways, I secured the clamp with nylon sleeves.

I really liked that the only connectors on the PC I had to solder were the connectors for the regulators. Full-fledged three-pin connectors did not fit in height, so I had to resort to a trick and use two-pin ones. For the first five channels (4 for regulators + 1 “just in case”) I soldered the connectors to the signal pad and ground, for the remaining three - to the plus and ground, so that the PC itself could be powered and from it - backlight. Considering that Chinese clones of flight controllers suffer from unreliable fixation USB connector, I soldered it too. Another feature characteristic of the SPRacingF3 clone is the tweeter connector. As in the case of vbat, on the upper side of the board there is a two-pin JST-XH connector, and on the lower side it is duplicated with contact pads. The catch is that the clone has a constant ground on the connector and when using it, the beeper will always be activated. The normal working ground for the tweeter is connected only to the contact pad. This can be easily checked by a tester: the “plus” of the connector is connected to the “plus” on the contact pad, but the “minus” is not connected. Therefore, you need to solder the wires for the “beeper” to the bottom side of the PC.

The three-pin connectors of the regulators also had to be replaced. It was possible to use four two-pin plugs, but instead, I took two four-pin plugs and inserted the “ground” of all regulators into one, and the signal wire into the second (observing the order of connecting the motors).

The backlit plate is wider than the frame and protrudes from the sides. The only place where the propellers won't knock it down is under the frame. I had to do some collective farming: I took long bolts, put nylon couplings with pre-made slots on them (so that the ties securing the lighting could be fixed) and screwed them through the bottom plate into the frame posts. I used zip ties to attach a plate with LEDs to the resulting legs (the holes in the plate fit perfectly) and filled the ties with hot glue. I soldered connectors to the back of the plate.
After assembly, at the setup stage, it became clear that something was wrong with the tweeter. Immediately after connecting the battery, it began to squeak monotonously, and if you activated it from the remote control, then this monotonous squeak was superimposed on a rhythmic one. At first I made the mistake on the PC, but after measuring the voltage with a multimeter, it became clear where exactly the problem was. In fact, it was possible from the very beginning to connect a regular LED to the tweeter wires. As a result, I ordered several tweeters at once, listened to them and installed the loudest one.

Often the PDB and controller are attached to the frame with nylon bolts, but I don't trust their strength. So I used 20mm metal bolts and nylon couplings. After installing the PDB, I soldered the power supply to the regulators (the rest of the wires were soldered in advance) and filled the soldering areas with hot glue. I secured the main power wire going to the battery to the frame with a tie so that it would not be torn out in the event of an accident.

I removed all connectors from the receiver with wire cutters, except for the required three, and soldered the jumper between the third and fourth channels directly on the board. As I wrote above, it would be wiser to take a receiver without connectors. I also unwrapped his antennas and heat-shrink them. On the frame, the receiver fits nicely between the PBD and the rear rack. With this arrangement, its indicators are clearly visible and there is access to the bind button.

I secured the video transmitter with zip ties and hot glue to the top plate of the frame so that through the slot there was access to the channel switching button and LED indicators.

There is a special hole in the frame for mounting the video transmitter antenna. But you should not connect it to the transmitter directly. It turns out to be a kind of lever, where one arm is the antenna, the other is the transmitter itself with all the wires, and the place where the connector is attached will be the fulcrum, which will bear the maximum load. Thus, in the event of an accident, with almost 100% probability, the connector on the transmitter board will break off. Therefore, you need to attach the antenna through some kind of adapter or extension cord.

I decided to solder connectors to MinimOSD rather than solder wires directly. They write on the forums that this board often burns out, so it is wise to immediately prepare for a possible replacement. I took a strip with connectors in two rows, soldered the lower ones to the contact pads with holes, and brought vIn and vOut to the upper ones. After that, I filled the solder joints with hot glue and packed the entire board in heat shrink.

The final touch is a sticker with a phone number. It will give at least a little hope in case of loss of the quadcopter.

The assembly has now come to an end. It turned out to be compact and at the same time maintain access to all the necessary controls. More photos can be viewed. The weight of the quadcopter without battery is 330g, with battery - 470g. And this is without an action camera and a mount for it. In the next article I will talk about the firmware and configuration of the resulting quadcopter.

If you've ever been interested in drones or quadcopters, you've come across the acronym FPV. FPV (First Person View) - first person view like in computer games. Every day the prices for quadcopters are falling and drones with FPV function are becoming available even in the budget UAV segment.

Flying an FPV drone can literally feel like a bird. That is why this trend is quickly gaining popularity. Seeing this, manufacturers have increased the production of drones with FPV flight capabilities. First-person view has given a big boost to the popularity of drones. Every day the number of people who are already flying or are just planning to fly is growing.

Prices for FPV drones start around $100. Such drones are mainly needed to get acquainted with FPV flights and understand which drone will be next. However, there are three different technologies FPV signal transmission: via Wi-Fi and at analog frequencies 5.8 GHz and 2.4 GHz. Let's look at them in detail.

What is FPV?

FPV in the drone industry is the broadcast of “real-time” video from the drone’s camera to the pilot’s monitor, glasses or helmet. In other words, this technology allows you to see what the drone “sees” while flying.

An antenna, video transmitter and camera are installed on the drone. There are 3 in 1 assemblies used on micro drones like . The pilot either has a remote control with a monitor and receiver, or glasses with a built-in receiver.

What's the use of this? First, to feel some degree of freedom of flight. Second, FPV allows you to control the drone over long distances.

With FPV, you see exactly where the drone is at a given moment in time and navigate the terrain around it. After we found out what FPV is, let's look at the three most popular methods of transmitting a video stream.

FPV types: digital and analog

As mentioned above, the transmission of a video stream over the air is realized through a transmitter and receiver, which in turn can operate in various radio frequency ranges - 900 MHz, 1.2 GHz, 1.3 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz. In the amateur niche, the most commonly used bands are 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz. And the equipment used for data transmission can be of two types: digital and analog. Each type has its pros and cons, but one is clearly better than the other. Let's take a look at each in turn.

Analogue FPV at 2.4GHz

Of the options described in this article, the 2.4 GHz analog band is the least popular. The reason lies in the low quality of the frequency for receiving FPV signals. Video images at this frequency are more susceptible to blur and noise. This is all due to the large number of devices surrounding us and operating at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. Starting from mobile devices connected via Wi-Fi to microwave ovens. All of them are sources of interference of this frequency. Accordingly, flying in FPV mode at a frequency of 2.4 GHz in the city will be problematic.

FPV over Wi-Fi at 2.4 GHz (digital)

The most popular technology through which FPV flight is implemented. Installed mainly on budget drones. Almost every quadcopter that costs less than a hundred dollars will have FPV over Wi-Fi. The first reason for its popularity is the cheap Wi-Fi transmitter that is connected to the drone’s camera, the second is that the kit does not include a monitor; its role will be played by a smartphone or tablet. In the case of analog equipment, the drone is additionally equipped with a remote control with a monitor or glasses.

Therefore, FPV over Wi-Fi is the easiest and most convenient way to fly in first person today. After turning on the drone, you need to connect the gadget to Wi-Fi point and go to the application. The disadvantages of digital technology are the signal transmission distance, limited by Wi-Fi capabilities, a large number of interference sources in the 2.4 GHz range and the biggest disadvantage is the image delay; the further the drone is from the pilot, the greater the delay value, which subsequently negates all further first person flight. This method is only relevant for the first acquaintance with FPV and nothing more.

Analogue FPV at 5.8GHz

FPV at 5.8 GHz is the choice of professionals and amateurs. Pros. Good balance between throughput and range. The picture delay is so small that it is invisible to the human eye. Currently one of the best ranges for FPV flights. By default it is installed on racing drones, since the delay of the transmitted image is optimal for high-speed flights.

There is only one minus - the price. Due to the additional monitor or glasses, the price is noticeably higher. You will also have to pay extra for a powerful transmitter.

Conclusion

The result is:

1. 2.4GHz FPV is an outdated technology, practically not used
2. Wi-Fi FPV is a new technology, inexpensive, but the image is transmitted with a significant delay
3. 5.8GHz FPV is the best of the three, the choice of professionals and amateurs.

FPV is quickly becoming one of the most popular and extraordinary sports around the world. FPV gives everyone the opportunity to fly like a bird. For me, these are the most surreal sensations and are quickly addictive.

In this article we will look at what FPV for multicopters is, how to assemble an FPV system from simple to complex, how to choose hardware, and at the end there will be useful tips.

What is FPV

FPV is an abbreviation for First Person View(first person view). In the RC world, FPV basically means a way to control a drone using a video camera on board. Real-time video transmitted to the multicopter (drone) pilot allows you to control it out of sight.

Some FPV pilots compare it to playing computer games. This is true, the only difference is that you are flying a copter that costs about $300, which you spent several days putting together. The increased level of focus makes this hobby intense and exciting. Whether you're flying a racing mini quadcopter or a slow-moving aerial photography quadcopter, you won't be left indifferent.

Benefits of FPV

FPV flight is a more precise way to control your multicopter, especially if there are a lot of obstacles around that make it difficult to see the drone. In addition, the copter will be able to fly higher and much further than without FPV.

FPV also makes control more realistic for the operator and allows a better feel for the equipment. And in total:

• More agile flying
• Precise Control
• Flying higher and further
• More pleasure from flying

Cheap FPV Choice

I highly recommend building your own multicopter and FPV system, which is the purpose of this article. But if you have absolutely no experience in electronics or don’t have the time, ready-to-fly quadcopters are available. One of the most famous examples— Hubsan H107D FPV Mini Quadcopter.

This is a complete FPV system, LCD screen and video receiver are built into the radio transmitter. It's a relatively cheap way to get started in FPV flying and a good training platform.

How does this work.

Unmanned aerial vehicle technologies continue to develop, all drone indicators are rapidly improving and growing: reliability, safety, controllability, etc. Features such as “return to home”, “FPV systems with head tracking”, “3D FPV glasses”, “obstacle avoidance”, “follow me function” and others appear.

The most common FPV system consists of the following parts:

• camera
• video transmitter (VTX)
• video receiver (VRX)
• video display

The camera is installed in front of the multicopter, which gives the pilot the feeling of being inside the aircraft.

Live video is transmitted using a video transmitter over a radio channel, then received by a video receiver on the ground. After this, the video signal is displayed on the monitor or FPV goggles.

More complex systems may include GPS and various sensors to display various flight data on the screen using OSD modules.

FPV camera

FPV cameras are usually lightweight and small for easy placement on drones. As with other cameras, you should first look at the resolution. But there are other factors influencing the decision.

TVL - resolution

TVL is a measure of camera resolution.

600TVL is the standard resolution for an analog camera and is usually sufficient for most people and monitors. You can fly with a camera with a lower resolution, such as 380 TV lines, but the picture will not be as clear. There are also cameras with a resolution of 800TVL and 1200TVL, but if your transmitter operates in the PAL/NTSC standard, you will not see more than 700 TVL (standard limitations).

Matrix type – CCD or CMOS

CCD and CMOS are two types of sensors inside cameras. CCD matrices are more expensive than CMOS, but are better for the following reasons:

• less "jelly"
• greater light sensitivity.
• wide dynamic range
• less noise

GoPro, Mobius, Runcam HD are all CMOS cameras and are not ideal for FPV, although they do an excellent job of recording HD video. These cameras have an analog video output, but it has poor dynamic range and latency.

Video format – NTSC/PAL

It's not really a problem whether the camera is PAL or NTSC, usually FPV equipment supports both.

The main difference is that PAL offers higher resolution while NTSC offers more frames per second. Thus, if you need a better picture, then your choice is PAL. If you need to shoot a fast-paced scene, NTSC will do the job better.

PAL: 720 x 576 @ 25fps
NTSC: 720 x 480 @ 30fps

Delay

Latency in the case of an FPV camera is important if you need to fly close to obstacles or in case of racing. The delay in the video camera increases the pilot's reaction time. Individual analog video cameras provide significantly lower latency compared to HD video cameras such as GoPro or Mobius.

Video receiver and transmitter.

Video signal transmission is the basis of an FPV system. She determines how it will be reliable connection and how far you can fly without cutting out the video signal.

FPV frequencies

Before purchasing this special equipment, you need to understand what frequencies the video transmitters and receivers operate on.

Most commonly used frequencies:

• 900 MHz
• 1.2 ghz
• 1.3 ghz
• 2.4 ghz
• 5.8 ghz

The lower the frequency, the greater the penetrating power, but the larger the geometric dimensions of the antenna. Additionally, not all FPV frequencies can be used legally, depending on local regulations and laws.

At the moment, the most popular frequency is 5.8Ghz for the following reasons:

• legal in most countries
• small antenna
• cheapness
• widespread
• does not affect or only slightly affects the 2.4Ghz frequency

Each frequency has its own number of channels. For example, at a frequency of 5.8 Ghz there are 32 channels. This allows pilots to select different channels when flying together. This way they can not interfere with each other.

Not all video transmitters and receivers can work on all channels, depending on the specific brand. Make sure the video transmitter matches the receiver.

Video transmitter power.

You can see video transmitters with powers of 25mW, 200mW, 600mW and even 1000mW (1W). More power means more range. But don’t blindly purchase a transmitter with more power.

First, you must check whether the selected FPV frequency and power is legal in your country or region.

Second, increasing the range by increasing the transmitter power is not very effective. To double the range, the power must be quadrupled. Let's say, if with a 200mW transmitter you got a range of 1 km, then to achieve a range of 2 km. your transmitter should output 800mW power.

I believe that there is no need to chase ultra-high power. Many people install a 5.8 Ghz transmitter with a power of 250mW and control a mini-copter at a distance of up to 1 km (with good antennas). Most people don't need to fly any further. However, the 5.8 Ghz frequency is not very suitable if there are objects such as trees and buildings between the pilot and the multicopter.

Antenna for transmitter and receiver

When it comes to choosing an antenna, you need to decide on several basic parameters.

• Antenna polarization: circular or linear
• Antenna gain: directional or omnidirectional.

Typically, transmitters and receivers come with whip antennas, which have a short range and are easily susceptible to interference. These are linearly polarized antennas. It is recommended to use circularly polarized antennas to improve the performance of the FPV system.

Directional antennas have a longer range, but you need to keep the antenna pointed towards the copter at all times. Otherwise, the signal reception quality will deteriorate.

Antenna types

Exists large number antennas used in FPV. I will list the most popular and frequently used ones.

• Omnidirectional antenna– This is a stock whip antenna that comes with the transmitter and receiver. They have the same reception range in any direction, and they are easy to make yourself.

• Clover antennas- These are circularly polarized antennas, usually with low gain. The radiation pattern of these antennas is donut shaped. Less gain above and below the antenna, most of it in the horizontal direction.

• Helical and patch antennas- These are directional antennas that have greater range and penetrating ability.

Antenna connector type - SMA and RP-SMA

When choosing antennas for the receiver and transmitter, make sure that the connectors on them are compatible.

FPV glasses and monitors

Many people find it difficult to choose glasses or a monitor. FPV goggles are more expensive than a monitor, so I started with a cheap 7″ LCD monitor. A year later I upgraded it to good FPV goggles.

I truly enjoyed flying with the monitor. I could easily move my gaze from the monitor to the quadcopter - this is especially useful when landing. But I liked flying with FPV goggles even more. I could see my surroundings more clearly and felt more in control. In addition, the glasses are easier to carry and they do not sag at all in the sun.

In addition to price, the choice is influenced by personal preferences. Some people enjoy the thrill of flying while wearing glasses, others may experience headaches or feel uncomfortable wearing them. Your level of vision may also affect your use of glasses.

If you're interested in glasses, it's best to try them out from friends before making a purchase.

If you decide to buy a monitor, pay attention to the following details:

• Correct video input: Make sure your monitor has AV input.
• Input voltage: Make sure the monitor can be powered by 2S or 3S battery.
• Options: Some monitors come with built-in recorders and receivers - this is quite useful.
• Size: I think 7″ is quite sufficient and comfortable.
• Brightness and backlight: this is important if you plan to fly in the sun. Although you can use a privacy shutter, problems may still arise if the image is not bright enough.
• Blue screen: When the video signal is lost, some monitors show blue screen(or black). This is not suitable for FPV, you need a monitor that shows interference when the signal is lost. Because if the video signal is bad, you can still return the copter back.

OSD – displaying data on the screen

OSD is used to display information during flight in live FPV video. This is not a required option, but knowing information such as battery voltage, GPS coordinates, speed, altitude, etc. is very useful.

Input voltage and voltage regulators.

You must be sure that your FPV equipment is powered at the correct voltage. Most FPV equipment currently runs on 12V. If your quadcopter is powered by a 3S LiPo battery (11.1V), then you can power the FPV system directly from the battery.

However, if the main battery is 4S or larger, you can power your FPV equipment with a separate 3S lipo battery. Another option is to use a voltage regulator to reduce, for example, from 4S 16.4V to 12 V.

LC filter (power filter)

Motors generate a large amount of interference in the copter's power system. If the FPV system is powered by the main battery, interference may occur on the transmitter and camera, resulting in jumpy white stripes in the video. This is especially noticeable if you apply gas.

An LC filter (power filter) is used to reduce noise in the power supply. They are sold ready-made or you can assemble them yourself.

If you use multiple cameras on cameras on a copter. For example, FPV camera and GoPro, you can use the video switch to display cameras alternately on the monitor or FPV goggles using one of the channels on the radio transmitter.

This is especially useful for those who fly with an FPV camera, but also want to periodically check what the HD camera is capturing.

Video frequency conversion!

Some FPV goggles have a built-in receiver that only supports 5.8Ghz. If you need 1.3Ghz or 2.4Ghz frequencies, you can make or purchase a conversion module.

Can I use my iPad, smartphone or other handheld devices for FPV?

Of course you can! You can stream live video via wifi or use an analog to digital video converter to display the video on your mobile device.

Where should I place my FPV components on the copter?

Locate the transmitter antenna as far as possible from other antennas, such as the receiver antenna or GPS antenna.

What is this jelly that I keep hearing about?

Jelly is an effect that occurs when the camera is exposed to vibrations from motors, propellers, or simply a poorly tuned quadcopter.

You may not see the jelly when flying on an FPV camera, but look how much vibration there is in the HD camera footage. CMOS cameras are more susceptible to vibration than CCD cameras due to differences in shutter operation.

What to do with the audio output of an FPV camera?

If you don't use it, just ignore it or cut it off.

How to learn to fly FPV?

Some first masterfully learned to control the copter visually, and then began to fly FPV. I think it's perfect different ways management.

Also, various simulators will help you quickly acquire basic control skills, reducing the cost of broken copter parts.

FPV equipment in Irkutsk can be purchased in our online store

2018 promises to be an exciting year for GearBest and its customers! There are a lot of amazing new drones coming out and we can't wait to tell you about them!

So, here are some of the best FPV (First Person View) drones from GearBest: DJI Ryze Tello, Lieber Zulu and FuriBee Geniuser.

Rating of the best FPV drones from GearBest

One of the most anticipated drones of the coming year. The famous DJI brand and the Chinese startup Ryze have joined forces to design and release an amazing drone designed not only for young users but also for adults.

The design is very similar to the DJI Spark, which is popular among a wide range of drone enthusiasts. The black and white frame is made of lightweight and durable material – ABS plastic. The drone measures 9.80 x 9.25 x 4.10 cm and weighs 80 g.

As expected from a DJI device, the Tello quadcopter is equipped with a whole range of useful functions for an exciting and safe flight. These include automatic take-off and landing functions; low battery indicator; protection against accidents in case of loss of connection; hand-held take-off (to make the drone fly, you just need to throw it up); performing flips in eight directions (you can use the control device screen to perform cool aerial tricks); automatic take-off and landing by hand; visual positioning system (for precise flight). You will be even more surprised to know that this drone is equipped with a powerful 14-core Intel processor. But that's not all! The drone can be programmed using a special tool called Scratch - a visual (block) coding system that even children and teenagers can easily master!

A DJI product wouldn't be complete without a powerful camera, and the Tello is no exception. This amazing mini quadcopter comes with a built-in 5MP camera with electronic image stabilization. In addition, the camera has a feature called EZ Shots, which allows you to shoot 360° panoramic video. FPV broadcast is also available in high quality and compatibility with VR headset.

In addition to the speed regulator - RC controller, as a remote control remote control You can use a smartphone or tablet. To do this you need to install free application(available for Android and iOS). The user interface of this application is very convenient and simple - it gives access to all the functions of the drone and broadcasts first-person video on the screen in real time.

The specifications of the DJI Ryze Tello will pleasantly surprise the drone community. For such an affordable device, the maximum flight time is a whopping 13 minutes, thanks to the powerful 3.8V 1100 mAh removable battery. This is above average compared to other drones in the same price range. The maximum control range is about 100 m.

One of the most interesting and complete FPV racing drones ready to hit the market in 2018. The drone comes with everything you need to start racing right out of the box.

The Lieber Zulu drone has a very attractive design in a bright blue color, which will certainly allow it to stand out among similar racing mini-drones. The device is made of ABS plastic. The drone measures 10.1 x 10.16 x 4.06 cm and weighs only 42 g.

This mini racing drone is equipped with a powerful brushed motor; SP Racing F3 EVO flight controller for racing quadcopters; built-in camera with a resolution of 700 TVL and a video transmitter 25mW FPV VTX Combo. Great news - the drone comes with its own 48CH FPV Goggles, allowing you to immerse yourself even deeper into the racing! The Lieber Zulu kit has everything you need to enjoy exciting racing with your friends at a minimum cost.

Any racing drone needs an FPV camera, and the Lieber Zulu is no exception. The built-in camera with a video resolution of 700 TVL has a field of view of 148º horizontal / 170° diagonal and is controlled in the 5.8 GHz frequency range. First-person video is transmitted in real time to the FPV Goggles headset (included), allowing the pilot to control the drone accurately and efficiently without wasting a second.

This miniature racer can fly long distances. The control range is much higher than the average in a group of racing quadcopters of approximately the same price. You can race along a track up to 300m long without losing contact with the drone - amazing! The flight time is a little short - only 6 minutes. But keep in mind that this is a racing drone, so you will have to change the batteries after each race.

A powerful, professional FPV racing drone with a new proprietary X-type frame, brushless motors and an 800 TVL camera.

FuriBee Geniuser belongs to the category of racing drones with a frame of 160 mm diagonally. The frame is made from carbon fiber, one of the strongest materials in the world, as well as being incredibly lightweight and resistant to crushing and impact. The drone weighs only 14g.

Among the racing drones of this price range FuriBee Geniuser comes with some of the most interesting features. This is F4 6DOF flight controller with built-in OSD unit and LED module; advanced 4-in-1 flight control system BLHeli – S 28A; latest version supported firmware 3.2.0 BetaFlight (may be updated after release new version); and of course the incredibly powerful 1506 3400KV brushless motors. What can I say - it is indeed a multifunctional racing quadcopter, equipped with the latest technology.

During the race, the pilot must clearly see the flight path, so the Geniuser drone is equipped with an 800 TVL video resolution camera, a CCD image sensor, a 145° viewing angle and a 2.1 mm lens. The race footage is transmitted in real time to the FPV screen or FPV goggles.

It comes with the Frsky 8CH receiver, which operates in the 5.8 GHz frequency range and allows you to control the drone at distances of up to 600 m without losing connection. This is one of the best remote controls for professional racing drones and is the one that many air racing enthusiasts prefer to use.

• A wide viewing angle from 110 to 140 degrees allows you to take panoramic shots and take excellent photographs. Connecting high-resolution cameras will allow for high-quality video recording of commercial projects, corporate celebrations, etc.
• Easy to control, realistic flight.
• The ability to take photos, shoot videos in real time and send them directly to your computer as an encoded stream.
• FPV DRONES perfectly fit and meet the requirements of modern aerial filming, television news filming, film shooting and professional video.

ARMAIR company – why can you trust us?

• We have been working in the device market for more than three years.
• Our own staff of programmers and technical specialists (unmanned vehicle specialists).
• We work with more than 6 factories and research and development bureaus.
• We are developing our own drone service network.

Still have questions? Need technical advice? Do you want to know the prices, capabilities and performance characteristics of the devices? Leave your request or call us right now! Promotion! We'll provide the setup. software, we’ll teach you the basics of piloting and give you more than 15 tips on proper care for equipment and 5% discount on extras. equipment. The promotion is valid until the end of this week, until Friday, until 23.30.