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Discussion
Need some GPS advice
Hello all!! New here and have been in the shadows collecting as much info from searching as I could to give a nice setup for FPV. Having a hard time with understanding the OSD/GPS and rudder home equipment needed to complete the setup I am looking for. Here is my setup for FPV and I am in the process of finishing the plane and waiting on the other goodies to arrive.
The setup: 8' senior telemaster w/glow 2c engine futaba 9CAS on order from servo city 900mhz 500mW system on order from Range video and pandora pan/tilt 3dbi rubber duck and 8dbi patch from hyperlink on order Headplay goggles Aside from the plane, all the stuff above that I ordered was based on feedback from users on this forum. I plan to wing mount the camera and receiver based on the setup I have seen of others here having successful flights. Ok, so my confusion is what equipment is needed to have a GPS return the plane back to my location if the plane's rx loses its signal? How does is know what altitude, speed and heading to fly back? Did I read correctly that this is possible? Just for the record, I don't plan on using all this stuff on the first flight of this plane but a staged implementation after i get some time on the airframe. I have electrics but to be honest, I'm still hooked on glow and love the telemaster. I've braced the struts to support the known wing issue. From what I read from you guys, dragon will be the OSD I will order but can anyone give me advice on what else is needed to have the plane return back to me? And last, is there a video recorder that can be used and will not drop out with a slight interruption of signal that is <500 bucks? Every post I found, it seems there is not a resolution for us. This is really cool stuff and I just want to make sure I get the correct gear to do the job. Thank you all for the help I have found in your posts and I appreciate any info you can share with me! Great forum here!! Dave |
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Welcome to the forum!
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Hope all that rambling was helpful. |
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He's going with a 900mhz system so a diversity is out for now
The dragon will fly your plane back home quite nicely I'd go with: Dragon OSD Setup - Ready To Fly Current Sensor - With Solder Pads PC Connector - USB Included GPS - IF-3302 5Hz GPS That will get you everything you need! |
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This is the 900MHz solution. Best, Vova |
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Good point, thats a very good idea
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anci3nt, great explanation and I understand now. I ordered the 3dbi rubber duck ant. after seeing several posts that the one that comes with the rx is not the best choice for FPV. If I'm not mistaken, jetpilot was one that found that out.
Question, since the oracle bridges two wireless receivers together, assume I need to get another receiver for my 900mhz system with another 8dbi patch to make it work? Sorry if the questions are basic.. Still learning the RF hardware side of things and you would think I would know more since I have to work with RF plasma generators in CVD.. Just two different environments. Thank you all for the help!! Dave |
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ok, skip the question on needing two receivers/antennas. I should have read the Oracle manual in the link provided where it says... "This configuration involves placing the antennas (from two receivers) at slightly different locations. As little as a few inches apart is enough to offer noticeable signal improvement."
I've seen where there were good results with the 8dbi patch sitting on the ground at a20deg angle. When you use two, do I need to tripod them or use the ground plane method for best results? jeez..I'm going to need to get something together to carry all this stuff now.. Was bad enough when I forgot the glow igniter and drove 50miles to a rural field |
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Whoops, I missed the part about you using 900 MHz, so the YellowJacket is out and the Oracle can be your diversity solution. If you go with an Oracle I'd recommend trying to get two of the exact same receivers if possible.
What the Oracle does is take video feeds from two separate antenna/receiver pairs and chooses the 'best' source to pass to output. The advantage to using a diversity system is that it adds an additional path(s) for your link to be received. To understand why that's helpful, you'll need to understand a little about RF and antennas. There's so much to say about that subject so I'll just keep my explanation short right now to answer your question. Antennas usually work better when they have distance off the ground. The best angle a patch antenna should be at depends on your flying style/field and it's beam width. To give an example, I use a low gain omni antenna on one side, and an 8 dBi patch at 45 degrees directed upwind (where I keep the plane most of the time). If you wanted to do distance flying, an alternative configuration could be using two patches offset to each other but in the general direction you keep the plane. The best thing to do is try out different configurations because everyone has different setups, flying styles, and local environmental conditions. |
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wow! good stuff. Thanks Anci3nt! Guess I need to contact Vova and get the Oracle and matching receiver. With this setup, is the video recorder dropout from signal
interruptions mostly eliminated? I haven't found any post where someone says, this brand DVR unit works for our application and here is a good place to get it. I am still stumped on the recording part.. When I get the head plays on, I would feel more comfortable recording the flight so if I lose the plane, the recording may help with locating it. Thanks again!! |
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There's more information about DVR units / camcorders that work well for FPV in other threads here. The thing to watch with them is if they stop recording when signal is dropped. Even with an Oracle, there is a chance it can drop the video signal.
FYI, I use a Sony DCR-HC96 miniDV and it works great for recording FPV sessions. It's a bit pricey but I use it primarily as a personal camcorder so FPV usage is bonus. There are a number of other cheaper options. |
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