Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 850m

[boat chaser]

Did some testing this afternoon with the new Futaba receiver and put together a quick video of the first range test. I look forward to testing how far I can really go. I'm getting about seven and a half minutes hard flying. Was thinking about dual battery but I think that would just overload the motors. 7 mins is plenty of time. Video goes for just over 2 mins actual flight was 4 mins. I put in intervals of distance from google earth.

http://youtu.be/cc41o3BVWCo

 

[martcerv]

Re: Futaba T8FG super first range test video 850m

I asked some questions on your yt page but figured here may be better

I think range wise you should be able to push well beyond that as I have done 850m+ on stock radio but have lost control a few times now between 650m and 1km depending on interference from things. I found high tension power lines are no god for stock radio a couple times by accident. Flying over some houses tends to lose stock radio over one particular house 700m away from my place but going between it and the power lines I can get to 900m without control issues. My video link has been fine on the few occasions I have lost the radio for a short period and this makes testing range in FPV quite a bit safer though not recommended lol.

I am looking at the Futaba T8FG but these issues by the HPI guy "Wheels" have me a bit hesitant.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNnYvD7p5RI[/youtube]

Also saw similar things with a couple other guys using that radio and NAZA controllers but must be thousands without issues too. The 8J doesnt seem to have any issues but I would really prefer the FG for future use and my screen will mount to that but not the 8J which doesnt have the steel support bar.

Is that the DJI gimbal your using there too, I forgot which one you have got sorry.

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Futaba T8FG super first range test video 850m

I think that guy either needs to calibrate that tx or he got a dud. I flew about 5 times inside in a 4m x 4m room with no issues whatsoever. Also picked up a magnetic prop balancer whick has made a difference. I run the zenmuse, hit hibernation a little easy for my liking but I rather it sleeps than wrecks itself.

I have a question about vtx antenna placement. When I turn around to comeback I get quite bad visual disturbance in the goggles. I have placed my vtx on the back of the phantom with the aerial pointing down. I think the camera and gimbal being in the way has something to do with the disturbed signal. Is there a better place to position the aerial for the phantom?

 

[martcerv]

Re: Futaba T8FG super first range test video 850m

I get that interference too without a gimbal just from the GoPro and carbon fiber mount if flying directly towards me especially at speed where it is pitched nose down quite heavily and the signal needs to go through the camera and mount. Mine doesn't even hang as low down as yours and Im looking for an antenna extension to get it down as low as possible but still above the landing gear. Though getting too low may cause issues with low altitude flying so its something I will need to experiment with.

I think the only way to really avoid this is to have 2 antennas and a diversity receiver type setup as no matter where you place it with a GoPro hanging down so low it will get in the LOS site on some orientation. Mine is very narrow line of interference and I pretty much just avoid flying nose in towards me at speed especially if very low to the ground for extended period. If I had a second antenna on the front door it would avoid this issue completly I think just dont see that as being possible unless spending a fair bit of cash on a diversity receiver and second video tx.

Carbon fiber and metal are never good in the line of site of a radio signal and my carbon fiber mount I think causes more interference then the GoPro itself, the gimbal does have an aluminum back and this wont be great for your signal if it has to go through it.

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

I wonder how 2 vtx out the sides would go :?

 

[CameraGuy]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

Did some testing this afternoon with the new Futaba receiver and put together a quick video of the first range test. I look forward to testing how far I can really go. I'm getting about seven and a half minutes hard flying. Was thinking about dual battery but I think that would just overload the motors. 7 mins is plenty of time. Video goes for just over 2 mins actual flight was 4 mins. I put in intervals of distance from google earth.

http://youtu.be/cc41o3BVWCo

I don't want to be critical.Lord knows there are enough people here being critical, but why would you either want to or need to fly that far away?

I get that FPV gives you the ability to see where you are, but.... That's true drone distance in my humble view.

You also have no opportunity to see where it goes if it goes down, and has a flyaway.

Did you make it further?

D

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

I do boat chase footage of wakeboarding, hence the name. It is to difficult to pilot the phantom from a moving boat chasing another boat. Very difficult to get the right angle to shoot from. With this setup I am hoping to be able to follow them from the campfire. Fpv is quite important if you want to see what footage your taking. Its also pretty cool to fly like a bird. I may have to head out of town for some proprer testing. not enough room in the city without flying over houses. If my phantom fly's away I will get an f550. A fly away will happen if you have fpv or not. At least I could hopefully see where it lands. when I do fpv I always have a second person who carries binoculars and I will never fly around crowds or lots of people.

Looking forward to future flight.

 

[TickTock]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

I wonder how 2 vtx out the sides would go :?

It's tight, but I was able to get two to fit:

Night Ops Phantom

 

[martcerv]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

Nice ticktock its tight, how does it go with heat are those vtx fan cooled?

Cameraguy its good to find your setups limits or at least to find that your own personal limits are well within its technical limitations. Flying FPV is pretty much the same 20m away or 1km away assuming you have a good control and video link and you need to know these limitations for keeping it safe. Many flyaways are simple pilot error too and by having a live video feed orientation isnt an issue plus you can see where you are. You dont want to go down at any point unless its where you want to land and this is the same fpv or los flying. If your losing control and going down where you aren't planning you need to figure out what your hardware and software is capable of and fly within these limits along with your own flying abilities. Practicing worst case scenario issues in a safe environment along with your hardware limits will make you a better pilot in the end as you want to try and learn how to overcome any issues that may come across later when you least expect it and get a good understanding of your setup.

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

Tick tock, that is a very nice setup! Martcerv well said. Do you point the antenne out when you fly? How can you run 2 at once? I was planning to set them up on the exterior just outside the battery box. That way it will be well balanced and also air cooled. How do I plug 2 vtx into a gopro 3? New to fpv.

 

[TickTock]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

They are located near the vents in the arms but other than that I've done nothing special to cool them. I felt them while I had it on the bench and they don't get very hot since they are only 200mW (I figured with a 1000m max range of the control TX, no need for a high power video TX). The link is good well beyond the transmitter range (I have gotten to witness FPV view of the RTH feature in action). Each TX is on its own channel and I have two antenna of each channel on the diversity RX (one helix(directional) and one CP(omni-directional)). My hope was the strong multi-path rejection from the helical would make it cope better with obstructions and it has been somewhat successful (I can fly it behind the house and still have video albeit a little grainy). I do keep it pointed toward the craft although not required unless it is far away and/or behind something.

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

Cheers ticktock.

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

I took off the elbow joint on the vtx so the antenna no longer sits down at 90 degrees. I just have it straight out the side now and video disturbance is almost non existent.

 

[martcerv]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

Do you mean straight out the back of the phantom? Or are you coming out one of the sides now? Is this also good if flying toward you fairly quick with the quad pitched nose down heavily?

 

[boat chaser]

Re: Dominator FPV Futaba T8FG super first range test video 8

I have it coming straight out the left side by about 7cm. My vtx is externally mounted just under the large round led. I have found this position to be much better as there is very little disturbance from the gimbal and camera. also keep the 600mw vtx cooler being on the outside. I don't get the video cutting out on return from where I have travelled. I will be doing some full range testing today hopefully. After I finish work.