My first fpv setup

[eagle4]

I'm still yet to purchase my first piece of FPV equiptment, and was just after some advice.

I'm curious what your thoughts are on the Fatshark Predator V2 goggles were? I see I can get them online with the whole kit and kaboodle for about $280. That's camera and everything. is this a good deal? I guess the FatShark transporter V3 is designed for people to basically upgrade straight away, but i wonder about the predators. I know that I'll probably need to upgrade to a cloverleaf antenna straight away, but would this be good enough to get into the hobby? is there a problem going with the predators rather than the dominators, as i've heard you can change the reciever module in the dominators, which means you're not tied into the fatshark system incase another brand has other stuff you want to use. What are your thoughts on this?

Also it seems that almost everyone is out of stock on anything fatshark, I have however found these guys. http://hobbywireless.com/ are they any good? anyone had problems with these guys? Can you recommend someone else (who has stock).

Is it customary to get the transmitter away from things like the esc? or is it better to keep the transmitter close, but have the aerial on a long extension to get it away from all the other wiring?

In the attitude goggles, i see that you can adjust the distance between your eyes, ipd adjustment, is this a big deal? i dont think my face is too abnormal, but not sure how bad this could be if you're slightly off.

and any other advice for a super beginner would be truly appreciated.


Dave

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I'm still yet to purchase my first piece of FPV equiptment, and was just after some advice.

I'm curious what your thoughts are on the Fatshark Predator V2 goggles were?

I LOVE THEM!

I see I can get them online with the whole kit and kaboodle for about $280. That's camera and everything. is this a good deal?

I have been VERY pleased with the service from ReadyMadeRC. They're out of stock too.
As much as I would encourage you to get right in and do some FPV flying, I'd wait until they had it in stock. They're selling it for the same price, but the service they provide is second to none.

http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=165_107&products_id=1129

I guess the FatShark transporter V3 is designed for people to basically upgrade straight away, but i wonder about the predators. I know that I'll probably need to upgrade to a cloverleaf antenna straight away, but would this be good enough to get into the hobby?

In my opinion, yes. I've been trying to fly FPV for a few years, but never had enough success to stick with it. With my Predator V2 system, I was able to get out and fly in some fun and exciting spots pretty soon after my first time with them.

Fixed wing...

Quadcopter...

As to the antenna upgrade, great idea. I went ahead and bought a set of IBCrazy cloverleafs from the guys at RMRC.

is there a problem going with the predators rather than the dominators, as i've heard you can change the reciever module in the dominators, which means you're not tied into the fatshark system incase another brand has other stuff you want to use. What are your thoughts on this?

If you have the money, the Dominators is a great way to go. It has the option to use 2.4 or 5.8 ghz. It also has the ability to use integrated head tracking. I'll eventually go that route. But the good thing with the Predators, is I'll never regret owning them. Even when I upgrade, I can still use them as back up, or to give "rides" to other people. Right now when I want to show someone how it feels to fly from the goggles, they get a neutered experience, because I'm flying LOS. I fly much better with the goggles on now.

Also it seems that almost everyone is out of stock on anything fatshark, I have however found these guys. http://hobbywireless.com/ are they any good? anyone had problems with these guys? Can you recommend someone else (who has stock).

I haven't heard anything bad about them. I'd use them, but like I said, I KNOW how good the customer service is from RMRC. You go through the threads they monitor, and if a customer even hints there's a problem, they tell them to file a service ticket, and they'll take care of them.

Is it customary to get the transmitter away from things like the esc? or is it better to keep the transmitter close, but have the aerial on a long extension to get it away from all the other wiring?

Yes, there's a lot of things you can do to improve your FPV experience, and little things can make a big difference. IB Crazy has done a great job of making a video tutorial series on youtube showing you how to be successful in FPV.

In the attitude goggles, i see that you can adjust the distance between your eyes, ipd adjustment, is this a big deal? i dont think my face is too abnormal, but not sure how bad this could be if you're slightly off.

I find that my eyes are not quite centered with where the screens are in my view. It's a little bothersome at first, but once I start flying, I don't notice it. It could be more distracting for other people.

and any other advice for a super beginner would be truly appreciated.


Dave

Do you have a cape?

I would HIGHLY recommend buying a separate ground station with a recording device. I bought a second receiver (that was Fat Sharks compatible. There's several channels in the 5.8 spectrum, but Fat Shark only uses a few of them, other companies use the others.) and I bought the DVR from... yeah you guessed it, ReadyMadeRC. What can I say, they're quick, reliable, and they have a really good name on the internet with other customers.

http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_14&products_id=1204

Until you buy a recording device, DO NOT fly outside of a very small area. If you have a problem, you can lose the aircraft and all of the electronics on board.

I crashed my Penguin well outside of the area I thought I was in. Fortunately for me, it was my first flight with the recorder. I was able to upload the video to my laptop, review the last part of the flight, and find exactly where I had crashed. It was at least two hundred yards further than I would have searched for it.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

My ground station...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201456173620045&l=3370550941319999927

 

[DDSFlyer]

Nice stuff! I really want to get into FPV as well but just can't seem to take the plunge (financially mostly). I really think I'll get into multirotors first then go FPV for aerial videography.

iBcrazy and his buddies make great videos on their YouTube channel Stone Blue Airlines.