I recently finished a build using PH2.1, Here GNSS, 17" props, T-Motors, a lot of elbow grease and custom designed 3D printed parts for aesthetics and functionality. Anyway, someone came out to inspect my roof today and broke out a DJI Mavic Pro. What stuck out the most on the Mavic Pro was the HD FPV stream. After some YouTubing I found a video of someone who flew a Mavic Pro ~17,000 feet away and still had a decent signal on their HD video stream!! For us DIYers, the only thing I’ve found close to an HD FPV stream is the: Amimon CONNEX but it only has a range of 3,300 feet and costs $1,599.00, nearly double the cost of the entire Mavic Pro package! That really bummed me out and also perplexed me at the same time that the DIY community does not have something more competitive. It’s frustrating that DJI is able to offer an entire package with an amazing HD FPV stream and range for half the price of (what appears to be) our only option: Amimon CONNEX Wireless. Just an FYI, I looked up the FCC registration for the Mavic Pro and it appears it uses nearly 1 watt (995mW) for the power output which I guess explains the long range? So in conclusion, I suppose I’m venting a little but also wanted to get other’s feedback/thoughts on this matter.
The Insight SE 5G 1080P also caught my attention. According to this YouTube it can connect via WiFi to the Tower app and has OSD from the Pixhawk. I really like the video feed option with the Tower app bc that’s probably as close to a LightBridge setup as we will get for the time being.
There is a relatively new product on the market called fpv.blue
The thread to watch is on rc groups https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2703512-fpv-blue-720p-HD-FPV-50-ms-latency-7km-range
Website https://fpv.blue
I am in no way affiliated with these guys but what they are bringing to our fpv market is rather amazing, bonafidepirate (one of the tester/reviewers) managed just shy of 14km the other day.
The vTx is probably too big for mini quads but say 350 size and larger should be fine, fixed wing no problems.
I was googling around and this thread popped up, thought I’d share a new product with you guys.
Cheers
1240-1300MHz for that FPV blue system. Not sure that is a feasible frequency range for many people.
Might be an option when they release the 2.4GHz version.
Yes, I came across that but it appears to be in Beta stages and will not ship until January 2018. But I will agree that the FPV Blue would be a game changer for the DIY FPV…as long as they build a solid product and have it work with current apps (e.g. QGroundControl, Tower, DroidPlanner, etc…). Thank you for sharing!
wifibroadcast has lower latency than ligthbridge and very good range (more than 10km) and his power is to be open source!!
with good antenna you can achieve more than 30km in 2,4ghz
other thing, it uses standart technologie so you can build a complet system for less 150usd
I have the first gen that runs on the 23cm ham band. The modulation and encoding used by the system is DVB-T.
Even on 2.4GHz the system is not legal for non-hams in the US. It is not FCC Part 15 certified. The last I heard the 23cm system like I got is discontinued. Not sure why - 23cm is a way less crowded band than 2.4GHz. And there is two dedicated amateur TV frequencies available in ITU Region 2 for amateur operators.
I’m guessing since they lost a lot of money on the first batch of 23cm units they’re trying to get profitable by marketing to the larger masses on the 2.4 GHz bandwagon.
DJI Lightbridge has a lot of latency. It is totally useless for FPV. More advanced systems like FPV.Blue have <50ms latency glass to glass.
There’s a difference between a HD video stream and true FPV. It’s why analog pretty much rules in the world of FPV. And when it comes to DIY A/V transmitters there is literally none that are legal to use in the US without an amateur radio license. There’s a couple FCC Part 15 certified units that have a range of about 200-300 feet. Anything else requires an amateur radio license.
