My First FPV Setup and Gear Purchase - Any opinions or advise?

[fretsman]

Whats up FliteTest community...

So after doing a ton of research I finally pulled the trigger and placed an order for a bunch of FPV gear. This is my first FPV setup ever. Even though I am not new to the world of RC I am new to FPV.

Like I mentioned above I did a ton of research and I am fairly confident that the gear I purchased should work for me but I thought I would list everything I ordered so you guys can look it over and post opinions, advise, give reviews of the gear if you own it and most importantly let me know if I forgot anything or if I messed up and ordered the wrong stuff.

I decided to go with Foxtech instead of Fatshark because my research indicated that the Skyzone goggles come with more features right out of the box with no need to purchase extra "modules". Like built in diversity (no need for a separate ground station) and head tracking. I also decided to get the CYCLOPS BREEZE PRO OSD even though my research indicated it is not the best choice for multi rotors but it is cheap and a lot of people are using it on multi rotors successfully. (opinions???)

Gear I already own and plan to fly FPV with:

DJI F550 with the Naza M V2 +GPS
GoPro Hero3+ Black
DJI Zenmuse H3 2D gimbal
Spektrum DX8 with the Spektrum AR8000 receiver, including telemetry module
I also plan on flying FPV with my FliteTest Versa Wing

The new gear I ordered:

1- SKYZONE FPV Goggles
2- CYCLOPS BREEZE PRO OSD
3- Foxtech TS800 32CH 1.5W VTX(Remote CH/Freq. Select)
4- Foxtech 5.8G TX/RX Cloverleaf antenna(SMA, inner pin)
5- Wireless 8CH 5.8G DVR-DV01
6- Foxtech 5.8G 12dbi Helical Antenna(Left/SMA) for Receiver
7- Plastic pan/tilt for 9g servos
8- 160degree metal gear servo
9- FH32-700 700tvl camera with OSD function(NTSC)

Thanks Guys!
fretsman

 

[Dumpster Jedi]

For most folks, I'd say that's some pricey gear for a "first" setup, but considering what you're flying it on it seems appropriate not to go with ultra-budget grade gear. While I've only got $320 or so tied up in my no-OSD setup, if I were flying Naza and Zenmuse stuff I'd probably spend a bit more on FPV as well.

So while I don't have any direct experience with Foxtech, I can't see any issues with what you've got laid out there.

 

[fretsman]

For most folks, I'd say that's some pricey gear for a "first" setup, but considering what you're flying it on it seems appropriate not to go with ultra-budget grade gear. While I've only got $320 or so tied up in my no-OSD setup, if I were flying Naza and Zenmuse stuff I'd probably spend a bit more on FPV as well.

So while I don't have any direct experience with Foxtech, I can't see any issues with what you've got laid out there.

Thanks for your reply Jedi...

Pricey? Hmmm... From the research I did the I thought the prices on this gear was pretty average aside from the SkyZone Googles I guess. But they are only about $120 more than a set of Fatshark Dominators and they already include two 5.8G receivers for built in divercity. Also the Cyclops OSD is the cheapest one I found anywhere at $95. The transmitter I got was $80 and the ImmersionRC 5.8G transmitters are going for around $70, and the one I got is 1500mw as opposed to 600mw ImmersionRC. I thought that getting twice the power output on the transmitter for only $10 was worth it, but I guess I could be wrong here, I am new to FPV...

I think the only real "luxury" items on my list are the Wireless 8CH 5.8G DVR-DV01 ($100) and the Plastic pan/tilt for 9g servos ($4).

HHmm. Perhaps I went over board a bit....????? Shhhhhhh. Don't tell my wife.... I am curious. Can you list your $320 setup?

fretsman

 

[jhitesma]

The skyzones sure look nice, and for what they include seem like a fairly good deal. IMHO they're just a bit overkill for a "first taste". I've always been a fan of starting simple and then getting deeper into things. Of course I'm also on a super tight budget and built my quad for almost as much as your OSD

Dumpster hasn't replied but I figure since I'm as cheap as they come and just put together my own budget started set for FPV I'd chime in.

I started super super cheap trying to use a camera I had on hand (but paid $50 for almost 10 years ago) and a LCD screen that's almost 15 years old which I also paid about $50 for at the time. I added in the $55 200mw boscam TX/RX set and a set of cheap $11 circular polarized antennas.

It "worked". But there were some issues. The lens on my old cam was way too narrow of a field of view, and the low resolution small finicky monitor was really hard to see even with a shroud. I was able to make a few short flights with it...but knew a few upgrades were in desperate need. Thankfully while my camera was old it still used a standard lens, so I ordered up a 2.8mm lens for it...and the single biggest expenditure I've made in RC - a set of fatshark base SD's for $260 (had to sell off one of my amateur radios to justify the expense.)

The new lens and goggles made a world of difference. But my old cheap cam was still a big Achilles heel. Even when I got that cam in 2004 it was low quality. I splurged one final time and got myself a 600tvl Sony SuperHAD II for $50 off ebay. Didn't see much point in going for higher TVL since the goggles are lower rez anyway and the SuperHAD II is supposed to be great a low light which was important for me since I mostly get to fly in the evenings.

Bottom line from all that. A good camera makes all the difference in the world. Though I strongly suspect that even a cheap 480tvl CMOS camera for $15 would be just find and blow my original old camera out of the water. It wouldn't do the low light like the SuperHAD II does...but what do you expect for 1/3rd the price

The 200mw 5.8 has been plenty of range for most quad flying. I've gone to .5k without any real dropouts and that was more than far enough for me as the quad was invisible in the sky at that distance and I didn't have the battery power to make it back 1500mw is borderline abusive. And even 200mw is illegal in the US unless you have an amateur license (got mine in the 3rd grade and it was a lot harder back then.) Getting a license won't only make you legal it will also teach you why doubling the power will do less than improving your antenna for getting a better signal.

Oh yeah, OSD. I went with a minimOSD for $11 since it can just use the sensors on my homebrewed multiwii based flight controller so there's no extra weight or cost of doubling parts. Heck even my GPS was only $15 off ebay but works great. My controller I initially built for free out of parts I had on hand, but I put about $30 into upgrading it with better sensors. I've got less than $80 total into my FC/OSD/GPS package and more features than I've had time to explore.

But - for me a lot of the fun of the hobby comes from building and figuring things out. I've always felt cheated buying something RTF or ARF even if it was for a bargain price. I know that's not for everyone though - just sharing a polar opposite approach.

Honestly I suspect you've over complicated things. Adding in diversity OSD headtracker and all that is best left for later. Start simple master flying it and then start adding on the extras. It will come a LOT easier and you'll break less stuff