3DR power & 12V FPV system?

I picked up a used DIY quad last year and have learned a TON about quads and arducopter as a result.

Whatever is going on with the power module is very well wrapped up and I havent wanted to cut it open. I am willing to if it is important of course.

I assume it is a 3DR power module. Once enabled i can see voltage in my ground station and use the low battery safety in ardupilot.

The power lines coming out (not to the ESCs) have some empty connectors and power the LEDs. These wires are supplying 12 Volts ( crazy for an LED I know)

Can the 12 Volts be coming off the 3DR power module or does this imply another piece of equipment is in there?

Can i try just hooking up a 12V FPV system or should i be concerned about needing a BEC or converter or something in line?

Any recommendations on a 12V FPV setup? I use FatSharks with NexRF receiver so I believe that is raceband.

I was told that the empty 12V connectors used to power the FPV setup.

Thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom - learning arducopter has been fun and these forums have been critical.

A photo would help identify your setup, as what you describe doesn’t match a stock 3DR power module. I suspect that you have an aftermarket power distribution board. Like this:

That unit will measure voltage and current for the autopilot as well as doing 5V and 12V conversion for accessories.

It should be safe to connect the 12V output to power your FPV system, especially if you were told they were there to power FPV, as most transmitters are tolerant of a fairly wide voltage range. The danger is burning out your 12V source on the power module if it’s not in fact a decent capacity UBEC like I think it is. There’s definitely a methodical way to approach this to avoid any risk of damage but I’d probably just try it and see if it works.

I don’t have any strong preferences for video transmitters. Pick the minimum power that suits your flying needs. I fly 250 mW usually because I keep my craft within sight range and that’s more than enough power. Get a decent antenna, though expensive isn’t always better and sometimes you need some trial and error (I’m flying Aomway’s CP antennas almost exclusively now).