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What Is an FPV Drone?
An FPV drone is typically a home built or professionally built quadcopter that features some combination of an FPV camera on the front of it. That camera’s feed is sent over the air to a receiver in a pair of goggles that displays the live image for the pilot controlling the craft.
Before I dive into some of the gear I use, if you’re new to FPV and just want to get your feet wet with a first drone, I recommend looking at the Joshua Bardwell fpv drone kit. It’s the best fpv drone for beginners based on price, value, and what you’ll get out of it. It is one of the easiest builds you can do if you’ve never built a quad before. There’s even a full drone build video to accompany it. You’ll still need a radio and goggles… see below.
6s Lipo Battery
Lithium polymer batteries (LIPOs) power most quadcopters and are a type of rechargeable battery that use a polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid electrolyte. They are lightweight, have a high energy density, and can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them a popular choice for use in the FPV hobby.
The term 6S refers to the cell count of the lipo battery. For example, a 6S (6-cell) battery pack has a nominal voltage of 22.8 volts (6 x 3.8 volts), while a 4S (4-cell) battery pack has a nominal voltage of 15.2 volts (4 x 3.8 volts).
I moved onto 6S after flying 4S and 5S for a few years. Here are some basics as to why it’s usually a preferred battery choice.
- Higher voltage: The higher voltage of a 6s LiPo battery provides more power to the drone’s motors, which translates into better overall performance. The drone will be able to climb faster, fly longer, and carry a heavier payload.
- Less Battery Sag: 6s lipo batteries tend to last longer and have a sharper end to their charge run. So while a 4S pack may become more squishy and saggy over the course of the flight, 6S tends to hold its power better until the end.
- Longer flight time: A 6s LiPo battery typically has a higher capacity than lower voltage batteries, which means it can provide power to the drone for a longer period of time. This is important for FPV drone pilots who want to fly for extended periods without having to constantly change batteries.
- Better voltage regulation: LiPo batteries have a more consistent voltage output than other types of batteries, which means they can maintain a more stable power supply to the drone’s electronics. This is important for FPV drones because they rely on precise and stable control signals to operate effectively.
Why Are Thunder Power Batteries Worth It?
On a lighter FPV freestyle drone setup with a Session 5, or DJI Action 2 I use either the 1100 Lunar Lander lipo batteries by Thunder Power or the CHNL 1300 mAh 6s lipo batteries for extra range or major bashing. While the CHNL packs are great for a heavier rig with a full-size GoPro with a bit extra hackability, I still like the Thunder Power Batteries for freestyle. They are EXTREMELY punchy, they last a long time, and the weight-to-capacity ratio is unbeatable. They are the lightest, punchiest, most powerful packs you can get for the weight. I like that!
The Thunder Power pack weighs 174 grams with 1100 mAh. Close competitors like the Tattu R-Line come in at 197g, and 20 grams for an extra 100 mAh doesn’t seem worth it to me. I’ve yet to use a battery that balances weight, power, and power. They are extremely powerful, and I typically run them for 10-15 months on average before I re-up.
Radio – Ethix TBS Mambo
I had old X9D radio, and I wanted something that had the same general shape. This is basically that but simplified. Although I accidentally got the Ethix Mambo in my order, I ordered the plain TBS Mambo to save money. You can too! I ordered the clear case and spray painted it with Montana Black Glitter as the first coat, then Montana Black Dark Indigo for a galactic look to make it my own.
Additionally I have done a heat mod to my radio, which allows a 6S lipo to be plugged into the back to head the sides. If you’re interested in that check out my video here:
FPV Goggles – Fatshark HDO2 / DJI V2 Goggle
The HDO2s are my bread and butter FPV goggles and have been for a long time. The HDO2s are great with the Mad Mushroom antenna and a Lumenier patch antenna. The Crosshair Extreme is good too, but I don’t really see a huge difference.
For commercial gigs or track work I usually switch over to the DJI FPV V2 goggles, and lately the DJI Avata 2 with the Goggles 3. They’re extremely popular in the industry, and in some ways outperform the new DJI Goggles 2 in regards to frame rate and expandability.
Mad Mushroom Antenna Made By Ethix
The Mad Mushroom is a right-hand polarized (RHCP) antenna made by Video Aerial Systems that is a high gain antenna (1.35db) with a very wide bandwidth that covers 5100MHz-6500MHz. It’s got a long antenna feed cable which allows the antenna to stand above the head and thus, allows the signal to pass around (instead of getting stopped by the water in one’s body.) I like it because it stands tall, is very durable, and works every time like a champ. The included plastic grippy is a nice touch, and helps to make screw on/off a snap.
Frame – ImpulseRC Apex
The Apex holds up insanely well. I’ve got a few that I’ve basically rebuilt a million times at this point. I have both the analog version and the new Apex Evo version.
FPV Drone Motors
I’ve tried many motors over the years, including Xhover, Hypetrain, T-Motor, Eachine, etc. Everyone will gravitate towards the motors they like, but I use the Ethix Stout/Silk series. Some people get on them since they’re not the most powerful motor — but that’s not what I care about when I fly.
I care about cost efficiency, bang for the buck, and how much smashing I get out of the experience. Yes these motors are a couple dollars more than the cheap stuff, but some of these motors I’ve had for a YEAR PLUS — which means while some people tote saving $10 because they got the cheapest stuff on Amazon — how many motors do you think they’ve bought in the last year compared to me?
I stand by them because it they have a few perks the other products don’t have:
• Spare bells can be purchased! While motor durability has improved with each iteration, getting spare bells makes them cheaper to run over time because I replace less motors.
• Weight is generally 30-31 grams or less per motor, lighter than a lot of competing motors.
• Dust guard / protection guard: These motors come with ‘pants’ that keep dirt and gunk out. Most motors are fully exposed, and get dirty faster.
• Smoothness to power ratio is excellent especially on lighter rigs.
• Cost is negligible because I get a lot of time with them.
Stack – Fettec / Hobbywing
I use a combination of the Fettec F7, G4, coupled with their 45amp esc. I’ve also been running the Hobbywing F7 with 60amp esc on the drones I run at the drift track.
Long Range FPV
Click here to see the long range ApexLR BNF or click here for the frame itself.
For long range FPV flights, check out the BNF ApexLR. It’s essentially the same as the freestyle 5 inch Apex, but it has 7 inch reinforced arms and an excellent electrical noise separation material that separates the VTX from the carbon frame for a cleaner signal.
Backpack – Ethix Backpack
I love this thing. I actually bought mine from Doomrider! Ha! It’s a great bag if you’re in the ecosystem and that is why it makes sense. It’s like an Apple product, I have the radio bag, and the lipo bag already, so it fits perfectly inside the Ethix bag. Since it’s all pretty tight, I like it. I pack light to begin with and it works for me. Some people like carrying a suitcase on their back, but I don’t!
Lipo Bags – Ethix Heated Lipo Bag / GoPro case
Living in the northeast means a lot of cold flying which is why I ended up getting the Ethix heated lipo bag. If I don’t need the heating element though, more and more I find myself using a much more compact and simple GoPro large carry case that I strip down. It’s more than enough.
Ethix Chesty
Ethix recently came out with a tactical chest mount / lanyard all in one. It’s pretty interesting, and I’ve been using it in situations where I don’t want to either put my bag down, or if I want to leave my bag and go off to do some flying. It’s sort of if the right time and place align that I’ll bring it. I’ve got a full video on its use here –> https://youtu.be/XB_gG4Xs5jg
Action Camera Protector – Glass Protection
Aside from using a 3D printed case for my Action 2, I use these glass screen protectors for regular fpv freestyle.
Wire Cutters
I use Irwins plier style wire cutters and smaller snips. If you’re getting into ANY HOBBY, you will want a set of these. Here’s a page dedicated to the tools I carry with me when flying.
Charger – ISDT
I use the ISDT 1000 watt hobby charger. I like it because it’s fully featured and can charge everything under the sun. You can couple it with a 400 watt power supply.