2.4ghz FPV in UK

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Hi
I am new to the forum and the proud owner of a new FC40. I wanted to get in to FPV with quads after flying aircraft and hellis for some years. Now I want to get some better video using my 1080P Gopro and am finding most FPV gear on sale in UK is 5.8ghz. Firstly, is it ok to use 2.4ghz on my FC40 for the FPV, is it legal ?, will it interfere with the 2.4ghz system already installed in my FC40. I am looking at a monitor screen with built in 2.4g receiver and an Immersion 700mw video transmitter, I have checked the specs and the channels available correspond to both TX and RX so I assume they should work. I am currently awaiting delivery of a brushless Chinese gimbal which will take the gopro.
The whole issue seems a little daunting when your knowledge is limited and you need to avoid buying the wrong gear, I am sure it is a lot simpler in practise lol. Any help appreciated.
Cheers
Marty
 
You should not use 2.4GHz for aerial work in the UK and 700mW is well over the allowed power level. It could well swamp the wifi signal and will certainly reduce the range, but would you be using this if you have FPV and a go-pro?

The limit on 5.8GHz is 25mW, but many run 600mW, as it makes the range usable up to about 1Km. On 2.4GHz with 700mW, you would be transmitting about 2Km, which is far in excess of your control range.

If you do use 2.4GHz, limit TX to 50mW and this should avoid interference issues and match your control range. It's not legal, but you won't be causing interference and are less likely to get caught. 700mW might well cause a nuisance and people might well take an interest!
 
Just to clarify.. My intention is to remove the existing FC40 camera and so will not use the wifi set up for FPV. I want to use my gopro instead

Cheers
Marty
 
50mW.
500mW on a congested band will cause interference to other people and you could end up in serious trouble.

If it was me, I would swap out the TX and RX for a 2.4GHz system and use 5.8GHz for video. This is legal and gives better control range.

You may find it easier to sell your FC40 and buy a P2. Accepted it will cost you quite a bit more in the outset, but the end result will be better.
 
Hmmm.. I looked into changing the TX / RX and mailed Hellipal who sell a TX and RX for the P2 to make sure I was buying the right stuff. They mailed back and said that it was not possible to simply swap the TX / RX ??

Marty
 
You can use the phantom 2 RX & the TX, Bind it n fy no big deal , fat shark have a camera goggles starter kit $279. That's what I did , very easy to do,
 
Remember 5.8ghz is very line of site, so don't go behind a tree, I use 1.2ghz far better....
 
I use a 200mw cheap video TX which gets me to just over a mile although I only do that way out in the hills or nearer town very early in the morning.
http://www.tecnic.co.uk/2.4ghz-500mw-Transmitter-Receiver-set.html This should give you a well reasonable range with a better antenna although I wouldn't recommend using it in town or you'll possibly stomp on people's WiFi.
 
I'm confused, which is easily done. The PV2+ uses the 2.4Ghz band to transmit its FPV and are happily sold in the UK but someone here has said that's illegal?

Also if the penetration of 2.4Ghz is as poor as people say, how would you impact the wifi inside someone's house to such a degree that they would notice/complain?

Forgive me if these are stupid questions.
 
1.2GHz & 2.4GHz are illegal for aerial FPV use in the UK, even with an amateur radio licence but...

Wifi can be used to communicate with an aerial device (At least, there is no specific restriction barring it), so the Wifi based systems of the P2Vs and FC40s are fine. 100mW may be used, so a usable range of 1Km is quite possible with the right equipment.

The ONLY licence free FPV (Analogue Video) link that you can mount on any aircraft in the UK is 5.8GHz @ 25mW

It is not only WiFi and domestic users, but also ISM (Industrial, Scientific & Medical), fixed video links, telemetry, satellite, radar and military users who you could trip over.

Think of it this way, if you were transmitting 500mW @ 300ft, this could be received by a military or civilian radar installation operating on an adjacent band and seen as a bright "spot" on their system!

There is a lot of difference between a wifi or control signal and an analogue video link. Wifi or control uses quite narrow channels and short bursts of data, while video is a wideband signal with continuous carrier. This makes it much more likely to cause interference and is also easier to trace.
 
job2310 said:
The PV2+ uses the 2.4Ghz band to transmit its FPV and are happily sold in the UK but someone here has said that's illegal?

I believe the P2V+ WiFi transmitter it 20mw which is <= the legal limit.

Also if the penetration of 2.4Ghz is as poor as people say, how would you impact the wifi inside someone's house to such a degree that they would notice/complain?

Someone sitting in their garden and surfing the web wirelessly for example might possibly be kicked from their connection if you were flying in the vicinity. If you were to do it too often they might get a little annoyed.
 
job2310 said:
I'm confused, which is easily done. The PV2+ uses the 2.4Ghz band to transmit its FPV and are happily sold in the UK but someone here has said that's illegal?

Also if the penetration of 2.4Ghz is as poor as people say, how would you impact the wifi inside someone's house to such a degree that they would notice/complain?

Forgive me if these are stupid questions.

Within 20m inside walls and steel are not a problem to wifi, the PV2+ wouldnt be sold if video tx was illegal - who told you this rubbish....?!
 
Just to complicate things, there are a lot of illegal to use systems that can be sold perfectly legally within the UK.

Look at all the high powered 5.8GHz stuff on general sale. 600mW & 2W Txs are openly sold in shops and online, but are illegal to operate in the UK.
 
Wow.... now I am more confused than I was before. My logic suggests that 5.8g is the way to go due to the fact that all the model shops supplying UK market stock that gear, and very few stock 2.4g. Unless I am mis informed it would be easy to buy a new DJI 2.4 transmitter and receiver to change my FC40 to 2.4g and then go buy a Black pearl screen and receiver and immersion transmitter.... Job done
RC Geeks supply the items I (think) are required


https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/spares-finder ... itter.html
https://www.rcgeeks.co.uk/spares-finder ... eiver.html

Marty
 
SimonH78 said:
job2310 said:
I'm confused, which is easily done. The PV2+ uses the 2.4Ghz band to transmit its FPV and are happily sold in the UK but someone here has said that's illegal?

Also if the penetration of 2.4Ghz is as poor as people say, how would you impact the wifi inside someone's house to such a degree that they would notice/complain?

Forgive me if these are stupid questions.

Within 20m inside walls and steel are not a problem to wifi, the PV2+ wouldnt be sold if video tx was illegal - who told you this rubbish....?!


It's in this thread, more than once.
 
If you are confident to change the TX and RX, then yes, go down this route. You can then use the more legal 5.8GHz video equipment and benefit from increased control range as well.
 
Thanks for the responses. I have no issues fitting a new receiver and effectively turning my quad into a P2, I just wanted to be sure that was all I needed to do and that a P2 receiver would fit into my FC40 set up. As a matter of interest, has anyone done this. I am sure they must be others who purchased the FC40 then very quickly got bored of the crude camera and wanted to utilize their Gopro.
Cheers all
Marty
 

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