It's only been about 4 years since I learned to fly FPV and RC. So take all this with a grain of salt.

To get started in FPV, all one needs:
- A slow, naturally or electronically enhanced stable platform- Your choice on how to get that...
- A reliable (read SIMPLE...less to go wrong) Video system- A camera, Video Transmitter, Video Receiver from any of the reputable vendors (I like HobbyWireless, NGHobbies, and RangeVideo) will do.
- A good video display...goggles or flatscreen, your choice...I prefer goggles. I use the slim R-visions, which allow me to easily peak out. Whatever you start out with, make sure you can see things.
- A reliable spotter...I use my Wife or Son...Better than any OSD, all for the price of a kiss or a bacon wrapped polse (hotdog).
- Good Environmental Conditions...If the wind is any more than 4 knots, it's raining, if the sun is low and always in the camera's view, just stay home...lols.
- Lots of space...Takes away the complication of having to dodge anything...also keeps the line of sight clear for your spotters...

That's it...Keep the gyros, co-pilots, super expensive OSD's, LRS radios, and hot planes on the ground until you get some experience...A complicated system is less reliable and REALLY EXPENSIVE. Why deal with that when you're just getting started? Keep it nice and close for now. Before you think of venturing out, learn how to handle the plane...take offs, landings, turns, climbs and descents. Discover your system's limits slowly...Push your limits one at a time. When expanding my system's envelope, starting from what is known flying within line of sight, I varied only one parameter at a time (altitude, range, endurance, speed...etc).

Hope that helps someone and that others share some advice...

and again, take all this with a grain salt...Consider the source...LOL.

Some info for novice FPV pilots:
FPV Podcast (EPISODE 96)- FPV talk starts at around 18 minutes.


Progression and Upgrades

Good sound advice!

Fantastic.

Thanks very much.

Nonsense! It's common sense that having the most complicated system on earth with a transmitter strong enough to broadcast to the moon and a set of 10 HD cameras on a plane with turbine jet engines will usually yield the best result for any beginner

You forgot to mention the best piece of advice.

Read the forums! Your noob questions have probably been answered 1000 times and 10 seconds with the search feature will get you all the info you need

How about
- Realistic goals

If I had a nickel for every time someone posted something like
"Hi, I'm new to FPV (or even R/C) but I'm looking for a system that will reliably allow me to fly 5 miles away.", I'd be rich.
About 1% of the people here have ever flown that far. The other 99% have
discovered that a tremendous amount of fun and challenging flying can be done
in the 1/2 to 1 mile range.

ian

Very good advice Scrtsqrl, lol @ trappy ah no i know what im doing wrong

I want to know more about these bacon wraped hotdogs. They sound delicious!

I don't want to start a fight here, as I agree with what has been said but i also reckon that if you're enthusiastic and rich enough to fit your plane with all the bells and whistles then why shouldn't you? Just make sure you test it before you fly it and never do anything that puts anyone or the hobby itself at risk. After all, even the most experienced people on the forum lose planes now and then?

I don't have a lot of experience but I have a LRS system because I didn't trust my glitchy old FM system even when it was covered in ferrites and I have a GPS - OSD because I nearly lost a plane once when disorientated. But most of all I have these things because I find them fascinating and enjoyable to learn about and set up, just as FPV itself is a technological delight.

OK that's enough from me

Ah yes, how often I haven't seen novice FPV pilots buying a fully outfitted modular OSD, everything and the kitchen sink included, cramming it all in the fuse of an EasyStar (wire spaghetti onslaught warning!) and then expecting to fly out at least 5 miles on their first flight as the RTH will save the day anyway ...

Needles to say these folks without exception slam into the first tree to be found in a 300 feet radius, or don't fly their plane further than they can throw it as the RC control craps out ... and generally end up with a smoldering mess of electronic bits and foam ...

Money well spent? I don't think so!

Start simple, set realistic goals, but first and foremost spend time setting up your gear properly and triple check it all works before you take to the skies! Oh, and have a spotter handy when you put those goggles on ... and learn to fly regular RC before attempting FPV, that about sums it up /methinks.

Cheers,

Sander.

but i also reckon that if you're enthusiastic and rich enough to fit your plane with all the bells and whistles then why shouldn't you?

I think that yes buy all the bells and whistles if you can, but for a rookie starting, flying with a OSD, pan and tilt headtracker, LRS etc is a recipes for disaster.

I would always say use the Kiss approach, Keep It Simple Stupid.

You see with all the complication going on, finding what should be a simple problem would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. You would soon be disassemblling your system and starting with basics to find interference issue or something, which defies the ppoint of starting full house setup in the first place.

I know that my first few flight for some reason i couldnt stop tilting my head when making banked turns, now if i had a head tracker on, it would not have gone well

Originally Posted by Daemon

How about
- Realistic goals

If I had a nickel for every time someone posted something like
"Hi, I'm new to FPV (or even R/C) but I'm looking for a system that will reliably allow me to fly 5 miles away.", I'd be rich.
About 1% of the people here have ever flown that far. The other 99% have
discovered that a tremendous amount of fun and challenging flying can be done
in the 1/2 to 1 mile range.

ian

Hey man, I'm new to FPV but I'm looking for something that can intercept and shoot down full-sized Predator drones. Can you give me a list of parts and build directions? My budget is $150-200.

Originally Posted by MikeTheCrash

but i also reckon that if you're enthusiastic and rich enough to fit your plane with all the bells and whistles then why shouldn't you?

because you need to build your system slowly in order to see what works and what doesn't. once you have a solid frame of reference, you can start adding gear and immediately see how it affects the remainder of your system.

to put it into simpler terms: If you do a range test without a video transmitter, and one with video transmitter, you can make a fairly precise judgment on how your vtx affects your R/C range. If you just pack all your gear on and then do a range test, you don't have that frame of reference. Same applies to each individual component, with the various combinations that are likely to cause problems growing exponentially with every piece of equipment you add.

This is exactly why modular systems are, from the point of view of a FPV flyer, a bad idea. If you have a
"product package" you can assume it has been tested in itself, so you add a lot of features without creating a whole new set of failure points. in a modular system, each component you add can cause some issue somewhere in your system.

EDIT: this obviously also applies to all other aspects of the hobby. e.g. if you fly with an OSD from the beginning, you will rely on the OSD and have difficulty navigating without it. if you rely on antenna tracking from the beginning, you will not know how antenna positions affect your flight. in short, once one of the systems fails on you, you're screwed.

Originally Posted by AgentCow007

Hey man, I'm new to FPV but I'm looking for something that can intercept and shoot down full-sized Predator drones. Can you give me a list of parts and build directions? My budget is $150-200.

How much is a black market ak47 ?

Originally Posted by trappy

because you need to build your system slowly in order to see what works and what doesn't. once you have a solid frame of reference, you can start adding gear and immediately see how it affects the remainder of your system.

to put it into simpler terms: If you do a range test without a video transmitter, and one with video transmitter, you can make a fairly precise judgment on how your vtx affects your R/C range. If you just pack all your gear on and then do a range test, you don't have that frame of reference. Same applies to each individual component, with the various combinations that are likely to cause problems growing exponentially with every piece of equipment you add.

This is exactly why modular systems are, from the point of view of a FPV flyer, a bad idea. If you have a
"product package" you can assume it has been tested in itself, so you add a lot of features without creating a whole new set of failure points. in a modular system, each component you add can cause some issue somewhere in your system.

EDIT: this obviously also applies to all other aspects of the hobby. e.g. if you fly with an OSD from the beginning, you will rely on the OSD and have difficulty navigating without it. if you rely on antenna tracking from the beginning, you will not know how antenna positions affect your flight. in short, once one of the systems fails on you, you're screwed.

Totally agree!

ya gotta be able to walk before ya can run....