An episode untangling FPV options

[RoyBro]

Hi Guys,

I've been looking into FPV, and have run into a lot of hearsay and conflicting information. Can you guys put together something that would lay out the pros and cons of the various options?

Stuff like:

Which frequency gives the clearest video?
Which frequency gives the greatest range?
How much power do I need? I see options from 100mW to 1.5W and higher.
Does twice the power give me twice the range? I assume that at some point there are diminishing returns.
At what point do I have to consider a separate power source or separate uBEC for the FPV transmitter?

Does the 2.4GHz FPV transmitter really stomp all over the 2.4GHz RC receiver or does the frequency hopping neutralize that?

Everybody has their own opinion, and I know that answers to all of these questions are relative and come with lots of caveats but I think that something like this is really needed.

Of course it doesn't have to be a "How to" on setting up FPV, you've already done that. Just an explanation of the pros and cons of the various options.

Thanks for everything you guys do.

RoyBro

 

[Anthemius]

hi RoyBro

i do have a 900mhz 1500mw vtx/rx
my radio is 2.4ghz
i do not have any filter or something.
i didnt try it yet but next week, i ll try for the first time. then ll be abble to say if it is a good setup or not..

 

[earthsciteach]

Here are some resources that may help. The first is a Flite Test episode discussing the various frequencies.
http://flitetest.com/articles/fpv-frequencies

This is David's site that is packed full of great info. Much of it is pretty technical, but certainly not overwhelming. There is so much info here that I'm just going to suggest you explore the site. Look under the DIY and Education tabs, in particular.
http://rcexplorer.se

And Alex (Stoneblueairlines) has a 10 part series of articles on Flite Test titled, "How to be Successful in FPV." He's a tremendous resource and will be featured in an upcoming episode.
http://flitetest.com/articles/How_to_be_successful_in_FPV_Part_1_What_is_FPV_

 

[earthsciteach]

OH! And to answer the question about 2.4 GHz for both video and aircraft - YES IT WILL DROWN OUT THE SIGNAL TO YOUR PLANE!!!! DON'T DO IT!

 

[aiidanwings]

The problem with fpv equipment, is that what is best usually depends on factors unknown until too late.

 

[earthsciteach]

It does seem like a big Catch-22. I was settled on a 900 MHz system until I started thinking about cell towers. Now, I'm thinking 1.2 GHz, but am worried about the harmonics with my 2.4 GHz tx. Hopefully the low pass filter will take care of that.