"100 tips" for FPV

- setup a PREARM switch to avoid accidently ARMing the quad. It will happen.

- always turn on the radio first before you turn on the quad itself

- take your time to add water protection to your electronics and be SUPER carefull if you dont. After you land on a wet grass your quad may start spinning full throttle ignoring the disarm command. True story. And disconnect the battery first.

- if you have access to a 3D printer you can print so many useful little things like TPU Arm Protectors, Stick Protectors, Battery protectors

- If you catch a FAILSAFE on a decent height you must be ready to do a right rearming procedure on a muscle memory. Practice it in a simulator. Extremely useful for long range pilots.

Tip number one (just repeat it every time possible): DO NOT put the props on until you are completely sure (double checked) that motors spin the right direction. EVEN WITH MICRO QUADS. The 3 inch prop CUTS flesh just as easy as a 5 inch prop when speaking 4S or 3S. Only 2S is slightly easier. 1S is totally fine in that matter, it wont cut through anything. Most of the bad things still happen with newbies on the bench.

- be ready to get a stuck quad from a high tree with a fishing rod OR a long paracord (rope) tied to another quad, flying above the tree while the other end of the rope is in your hands (you will need friends). - NEVER recover a quad with a DJI Mavic. It will drop automatically when lift anything heavier than it's own weight.

- scotch tape your MicroSD cards for easier ejection - use a 12V light bulb (lamp) as DIY Smoke Stopper whenever possible - Always disconnect the battery after crash while the quad is still ON THE GROUND. Do not lift it until you disconnect the battery or it may start spinning motors in your hands.

-Twist wires for clean build/ noise reduction -Superglue delaminating arms -Capacitors -don’t double soft mount -Cut gummies in half to use as Orings/spacers -Ummagrip/silicone under cam mount for jello also inside tpu mount for snug GoPro -Same Size motor bells from diff manufacturers are often interchangeable in an fpv emergency 🚨😂 -Adjust gimbal height and tension -Use lipo for qx7 not doubleA

Caphead screws on the bottom of quad so u can still open them and they aren’t ground down to nothing or full of mud 😂 also had no idea about yaw right in Bf osd thx!

If your mmcx connection is old and worn-out add a dob of solder on the join for a more permanent fit

Need to worry less about trying trying to tune your quad as a newbie and focus to learning to fly it. I'm flying with a new guy right now that is so caught up with trying to tune his quad and he can't honestly fly to tune it anyway.

Smoke Stopper

I just finished installing a small disable button on a hellgate buzzer thanks to your video on jumping the pads to shut them off (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxk6HY7FDpQ). Works awesome by the way. Anyway, I’d think your tweezers method should be in this list for sure.

Wiring diagram for commonly used combinations: Matek405/TrumpHV/XSR. etc.

What happened?

If you are flying near houses or as in my case near a construction site, do a scan of all the video frequencies to make sure there are no frequencies taken by someone security camera system.

Find some dead electronic component to practice solder on BEFORE ever soldering in a new part. Use sharp tweezers to hold good silicon coated wire in place to solder. Clean the tip, wet the tip before making a connection. Tin each pad and wire. Every solder joint should look like a little shiny bb. And should flow fairly quickly. If you’re sitting on a pad for more than a two count it’s too cold.

Always unplug Fatshark Fan after flying session.

Make your Taranis into a direction finder by shielding the antenna with your hand. Watch the RSSI reading on the Telemetry page as you turn around to find the strongest signal. Of course the Rx must still be powered.

After finish fliying always charge batteries to storage voltage. 1. keeps them healthy 2. you are faster the next time you charge them for flying.

Use a kwad map app to check the local flight restrictions before you get to fly at a new spot.

Never ever fly without goggle DVR turned on in the field or you will regret it. Trust me...

Get yourself a telescopic retractable painters pole off Amazon and a cheap paint roller holder. You can get a 12 footer from Amazon for $10. With a little careful bending turn the paint roller into a hook. Now when you get your quad stuck in a tree it’s no a problem getting it down. Also get a 50 foot roll of paracord too for those really tough trees. You can also find painter’s poles at garage sales and is where I got a 24 footer that collapses down to 6 feet for $20 and just stays in my car ready for when I need it, which is often the way I fly, well crash...lol

1. Plug new FC to USB and check with Betaflight Configurator prior to any soldering 2. After arriving to flying spot scan all video frequencies prior to plugging in quad (someone may be flying already in the vicinity) 3. Keep DVR always running (in case it is separate from goggles) 4. Check if any flexible (or relatively loose) parts of quad (like VTx antenna or battery leads) may be caught in props in case of crash 5. Disconnect omni antenna from goggles and use a directional antenna for quad search after crash (if VTx is operational, obviously) 6. When picking up quad after hard crash, mark a place where it was found, later you may find out that some parts were separated in a crash and was not picked up 7. Do “VTx range check” prior to first flight -- disconnect Rx antennas from goggles and walk away from plugged in quad to check range, should there be an issue with quad VTx or antenna it will be noticed 8. Check that prop nuts are tightened after crash. Loose prop nut may be unnoticed immediately after take off and reveal itself later in some hard maneuver 9. If quad is armed (sitting on the ground) and you need to take off your goggles -- always disarm first. 10. Save “diff” of BF configuration prior to flight session -- latest configuration may be lost in case of severe FC damage

Learn the definition of the word "clone" and don't delude it's meaning by overuse.

save your quad dvr and quad hd footage to a named dated folder, each day. like, aug 8 2019. preferably subfolders like dvr, quad, sony or whatever ground camera. make a empty template folder with empty sub folders and simply copy it and rename for that days flight. otherwise, you'll have 50 quad and dvr viddies from who knows when. :)

If you don't want to update betaflight firmware, don't.

If you need to work on your quad with battery plugged in, take props off.

If your quad loses power when theottleling harder, check if your vtx is the problem. ( i am not kidding, i changed everything 2 times and it was the tbs unify pro 5v doing weird things) it took days.

Verify FAA legality of where you are going to fly.

Check motor connection in bl heli to make sure motors are wired. If wiring is correct and still no motor perhaps one is doa

Flux for reflowing solder!

Doa*

Check fc when taken out of box by plugging straight into bf to check for do a

Keep some Zeiss lens wipes in your bag. They are like $5.00 for a box of 100 at WalMart. You can use them to clean your FPV camera lenses, GoPro lens, goggle lenses, radio transmitter screen, phone screen, etc.

17 touch corners very gently, if you do it right, all sticks will center at 1500 and the offest will be exactly -97.8 and 97.8. 🤯 right ? 38 not that useful in practice, because everyone has different aux configs.. so can be dangerous if you don't know exactly how both are set-up 43 Airmode should always be on, and some quads drop an arm whatever you do, the best thing is to increase idle to 5-7% These are all over the place : Turn off trims in the Flight Modes menu: 0: to -- Do a diff all, full chip erase, and paste back when upgrading. ALWAYS When you get a new FC check that the gyro and ACC are working before you solder to it. Point your transmitter antenna towards the sky Use average cell voltage if you fly more then one battery type Limit throttle if you are a beginner, don't buy a 3 cell... and don't buy less than 75C (5") Fatshark: Stuff a black foam cube (not too dense, this hole is there for ventilation) into circular vent on the inside the strap holder, to prevent light leaks from the side. (why they don't do this in the factory is beyond me) Learn to fly around problems instead of chasing your tail trying to tune them out, if you don't know that you are doing. Try to fix gyro noise mechanically first. Make sure stiff is not touching the gyro. turn the side with the gyro and CPU away from the 4in1 ESC "Base" gyro noise will limit D, which will limit P, so base noise dictates the tuning window If you wanna progress fast, do intentional focused practice. Dedicate a few packs a session for practice. Every so often, check that all the screws are tight. Disable ratcheting on throttle Oil the throttle friction plate thingy Look if the static on your channel looks normal before you power your quad Always check for continuity before powering anything for the first time When wiring up a 4in1 ESC with a 8pin cable, check for continuity of ground and vbat, before powering, if you flip the cable order, you will probably connect vbat into a motor output, and everting will instantly fry. Use only 8 channels with Frsky, to save a channel, use Fport and you get RSSI "for free". Or... Most Frsky receivers (xsr, r-xsr, xm+, xm) have a analog RSSI pad, and a large amount of FCs have analog RSSI input, this method has kinda been forgotten, and is now mostly a nuisance, but it still works. Charge before heading out, and storage change when you get home. A 3S Li-ion 18650 pack will just fit into a QX7 and provide A LOT of fly time. Same for googles, but 3S is a bit heavy on the side of the head... You can discharge each18650 cell much lower before the BEC inside the radio complains vs a 2S. (rated capacity of 18650s is usually measured to a discharge below 3v check the specs) Crosscheck with a few friends if you charger is balancing correctly. When parallel charging, every so often check the balance of each fully charged pack to see if one problem pack, or problem connection on the balance board is not running all your batteries. If you have a ISDT with a USB charging port you can discharge batters by changing your phone in peace and quiet. And with QC2/3 it may be faster than what your charger can discharge by making heat. My personal battery "management" method. Use a rubber band around the main battery lead to hold the balance cable in place. You will probably have to loop the rubber band around two or three times. Use that as a charge indicator. Balance cable strapped down fully = full. Only held by one loop = storage. Balance cable not held at all = empty. https://imgur.com/GSppz10

make sure your lens is clean with no fingerprints. Always start flying with a full battery in the aircraft as well as the transmitter. When flying fav have someone with you to look out for stray people, and help you find your quad when you crash.

Always have a list of acronyms to hand then you can understand the advice you are looking for properly.

This is amazing. Your content catalog is so extensive I really think you need to create an fpv wiki. Words for when that's appropriate and links to your videos otherwise. I mean, beyond your own content, the hobby in general could use one(a wiki,,,a good one) I can't think of a better person to lead it.

Tips for learning: takeoff and land using angle mode. Tips for learning to fly with uptillt and not going too fast: look through some OSD element near the bottom center of the screen.

Maybe some such as battery safety, using a high quality soldering iron, other components to have on hand (most likely components to be damaged), and where to get info on safe flying locations.

Chris Collander

When trying to fly longer range, fly along a known path and rotate your quad every 10 or so meters, to check if they signal strenght of control and video link is stable in all orientations of the quad.

Christian Epple

Talk to passersbies and people that stop to watch, maybe show them even some fpv flown line of sight to increase support for the hobby.

Christian Epple

Use Google Maps to find new spots to fly, and explore satellite images to familiarize yourself with a new area before you fly. Note things like public roads, trails that might have pedestrians, radio towers/power lines, etc.

Tindurbox

If you have one, always bring a backup quad to the flying session, even if it doesn't fly as well your favorite quad, so that you can keep flying after an early crash.

Christian Epple

Change camera settings (hue, saturation, gamma, pedestal, contrast and brightness) for a natural-looking image in your goggles. It'll help you see more and crash less.

Also, do a frequency scan when you first setup before each flight, even if your tx/rx are on the right channel, using your frequency analyzer will show you if there are a lot of 5.8 signals around, and you can adjust to a part of the band with less traffic.

Tindurbox

Learned a bunch already. Ideas: Use RapidFire to locate downed quad, always power on with smoke stopper after any solder/motor work. Use a secondary arming switch to prevent accidental arming. Maybe some tips about powering on with other pilots around (FPV etiquettes?).

Tindurbox

Props off inside

Did my comment get deleted? :(

Lastly, there is this Know-It-All kind of guy on YouTube that's just great for all kind of info and is sometimes kind of funny too. I think his name is Bruce Smith... But then there's this other guy that is even more snarky and even smarter, younger and probably stronger, but you will have to guess who that is, but his initials are J.B.

Great idea! Good luck :)

Use your Ryobi, Makita, Dewalt, etc. power tool batteries to provide the charge to your USB 1S or standard Lipo field chargers. You may need to purchase a step-down buck DC to DC power module depending on your charger/power tool battery situation to make this work.

These three go together.... After new build or repair, test hover in line of sight first (no goggles). Setup failsafes in the event of RX loss, etc before the test hover/test flight - so if anything goes wrong you can disarm and it will fall to the ground instead of going to the moon. Test failsafes with props off prior to test flight - so you know it's going to disarm from the switch. Example, arming the quad then powering off TX.

Eu sou muito leigo no assunto, escrevi para dizer que concordo apenas. um abraço!!

Use a drop of Isopropyl Alcohol to loosen the bond of Hot Glue almost instantly without having to dig, scrape or cut at the glue.

1. How to set Camera OSD settings. I see a lot of people flying around with RUNCAM and 9.0V at the bottom of their screen, even when they have BF OSD. 2. Transmitter switch selection suggestions? Maybe... 3. Prop/motor/KV selection based on your desired flying style 4. Setting your failsafe on your TX (and I guess BF) 5. Wire selection (size/color) when building/repairing your quad 6. Good idea to use a low ESR capacitor on nearly all builds 7. When you have smart audio, setting your video frequency/power on your VTX doesn't work (it will likely change back) 8. Motor stop is a bad idea for most people 9. If you're having motor/ESC problems, DSHOT 600 is often more reliable than 1200 10. Increase your max cell voltage by 0.1/0.2V it will help prevent bad cell counts I'm sure I'll think of more...

Brandon Nimon

Buy quality gear from reputable vendors and you will save yourself from the frustration from poor QC and the lack of customer service.

Know your regulations and fly responsibly. Get your HAM license. 200mw is good enough for 5.8 at a couple miles.

Don't forget your family, FPV is an addiction! Happy flying

When asking for help online post a picture or video. Be discriptive and say what trouble shooting steps you have tried and what was the outcome.

Nudge the pitch and roll stick before throttle after changing props to avoid a flip out.

Blackbox logging how to and tools for doing it

Buy spares for everything. Tools, repair parts accessories. It's good to have enough spares for the work bench and a few things that stay in your flight bag for field repairs.

If you are flashing a new, un-bound, receiver with your transmitter, bind it afterwards before putting it in a quad. (See AndyRC video).

Lighter shades of Nail Polish makes a great substitute for conformal coating, plus you can snag a bottle or two from your wife and daughters.

Charge your transmitter battery before going out to fly. Get a high cap lipo and only charge once a month.

Proper soldering technique Keep batteries at storage voltage unless flying

Liquid tape is almost worth its weight in gold to protect exposed power connections from short circuits.

A piece of heat shrink to bridge the gap in your fatsharks where the goggle strap slides in will keep the strap from popping out wile your are putting them on.

Put a lipo checker with low voltage alarm on your large batteries used to power field chargers of smaller batteries. It will save you from a painful deep discharge of an expensive battery.

Smitty's Glass Wax is great for removing or minimizing scratches to glasses, lenses, and screens. Is cheap and one tube will last you a decade or more. Available on Amazon.

don't run with scissors

Rick LaBanca

Use Low ESR capacitors for cleaner video.

Set angle to 180 every quad

Double check motor mapping and rotation on initial set up new build

Always touch something metal that is grounded before touching the bare FC or ESCs to avoid a static discharge going through them.

Never carry charged Whoop batteries in your pockets along with your keys or walk in the woods with batteries in your pockets. As a sharp thorn from certain plants or your keys can puncture the battery leading to fire in your pants! (Yes, it happened to me and I have the scars to prove it.)

If VTX blacks out consider connecting power direct to Vbat. Powering the VTX thru the FC is filtered but might not be able to supply the power needed for high watt settings ie 600w 800w etc.

Wipe FPV and Gopro camera lenses before every flight

Based on the fella losing his emax buzz this week: If flying LOS, disarm when you lose LOS immediately.

Joe Locastro

If you have a quad that pulls slightly, on a punch out, left or to the right, you may have a weak or failing motor. Determine if it is going more to rear or forward of left or right and you have found your weakest motor

Adjust WDR on runcam fpv cams lol. I do

Do never fly all packs you have! Always come back Home with at least one lipo full. The worst things happens on your last lipo...

What about build tips. Since you mentioned in a video about plenty of flux when you get sharp points on solder joints I have very pretty solder joints now.

Always take off props when you do something with your quad connected to lipo

OSD settings may not save if you don't have usb + battery connected

Rick LaBanca

Use a WiFI scanner app to check for routers that could cause interference. RaceBand 1 and 8 fall outside of the router bands for reference, so you can find a clear set of channels to set your router.

Use switch to toggle between acro and angle mode

François Mathieu

OSD screwed up? Watch bardwell vid on resetting fonts

Rick LaBanca

Use dental floss to tighten up the hub of props that fall off of those micros and whoops with press-on props.

Test your quad at every step. (doing so eliminates where you went wrong), by this I mean,wire battery, test, wire rx, test. Wire vtx, test.

Rick LaBanca

Never, NEVER disarm

Design in strain relief for your battery connection

Rick LaBanca

Make sure FPV goggles will work with a simulator, BEFORE purchasing

Always point TX antenna the same direction as your RX antenna for best range. Always cover as much of your FC when soldering over it, when done check for any stray solder using magnifying glass. Put what wires are for what: ex a motor has 3 power wires and 1 or 2 for signal. A cam has power and video signal and osd, etc etc.

The S-Port-cable delivered with Frsky receivers is not usable as receiver cable at the FC (wrong pin routing)

Here's a tip: Take an accurate measurement of the exposed "active" tip of your antenna for your various receivers and make a list of it to keep safe or write it on the sleeve of the receiver. So that way you can check when you suddenly lose range and can't figure out why. It may be because of losing a small bit off the tip of your antenna.

The more time you spend on the bench during a build, the less time you'll spend repairing in the field

Disable accelerometer and barometer to free up cpu usage if you notice it’s running high

Always use a smoke stopper after working on the electronics of your quad. Or at least test with a multimeter in continuity mode.

Don't forget your family, it's an addiction!

Always props off on the bench.

Take your transmitter off the neck strap and set it down prior to picking up your Quad.