Good "Beginner" FPV System

[BigAl07]

Well I have an "interesting" event yesterday flying. I got visually disoriented fling the goggles. By the time I got them off of my head and such I had lost sight of the thing. I finally decided time to kill the rotors to try and keep it within a reasonable area for recovery.

I walked to the last known spot before I got disoriented and could not find it (it was only a hundred yards from where I was sitting you'd think easy to find). I looked and looked. I armed it and hit the throttle. I heard a faint "squeal". I immediately disarmed and walked in the direction of the sound. After about 20 yards I armed and bumped the throttle... SQUEAL... this time a little close. Disarmed, walked. After about 6 times doing this I located it in a totally different direction that I had thought it was flying and about 60 yards in the WRONG direction. It was unharmed (other than some grass stains etc) and I flew several more packs through it with no incidents but I flew it VISUALLY and not using the goggles. I'm wondering if BETTER goggles would help me to not get so disoriented when flying "under the hood" or do I need to look at somethin else? When I put the goggles on I can hover fairly well and do short hops here and there but when I start flying further away I get disoriented quickly and apparently more than I thought LOL.

I can fly this rascal pretty well "visually" in Easy and Int mode but when I add the goggles I get lost.

Also is there a Find Me I'm LOST sound or something I can invoke rather than arming the rotors and risking that damage?

 

[Madhungarian]

Keep practicing, set marker points in the area your flying, maybe try flying a designated path by following a trail or walk way this way it will help you know where you are. Also keep in mind you can change the power on the vtx up to 200mw so you can get better video range. The drone should beep if you turn off your transmitter. I would try it first since you bought the RTF version, I just bought the bnf version. Arm your drone and then disarm it, turn off your transmitter and see if it beeps. I do not believe those goggles have a DVR so you can get some better goggles with a dvr or you can get a watch style dvr like this.

Amazon.com : FPV Watch with DVR OSD LCD Screen Monitor 5.8Ghz 48Channel Real Time DIY FPV Monitor Receiver FPV Wearable Watch with Raceband HD 2 Inch Mini Video Display for RC Drones by Flysight : Camera & Photo

Amazon.com : FPV Watch with DVR OSD LCD Screen Monitor 5.8Ghz 48Channel Real Time DIY FPV Monitor Receiver FPV Wearable Watch with Raceband HD 2 Inch Mini Video Display for RC Drones by Flysight : Camera & Photo

www.amazon.com

Having a dvr recording can help you find your drone if you crash by replaying the feed and seeing where you crashed.

 

[BigAl07]

Your are correct these goggles offer no recording options VIEWING only. I'm going to order a "DVR Unit" that I saw on one of the teaser videos last week. This will DVR in conjunction (or without) the goggles.

Great idea on setting up a designated flying area. I need to get better LOL!

Thanks for all of your advice. I'll report back

 

[okw]

Hey, @BigAl07. I've had the same issue flying my TH2 right after I got it. I crashed in my yard while flying around all of the trees. I first thought it was up the hill in the backyard. But then I started thinking that I may have been down near some other trees over to the side. It turns out that this was the first time that I turned on the DVR on my goggles and I eventually took the SD card out and went in to look at the video on the computer. I quickly saw that it was in a completely different tree 25 yards from where I'd been looking. Having the DVR is great for that reason alone, even if you're not going to watch the videos otherwise. I now carry an adapter so that I can watch the videos on my phone if I'm away from my computer.

Betaflight has the option of setting up a switch on the transmitter to activate a beeper on the quad. I'm not sure if there are any switches on your transmitter that are available for programming something like that. The problem with the TH2 is the beeper onboard (I'm guessing it's just the motors) is not loud enough for me to hear it more than 2 feet from my head. Too many years of loud machinery and firearms have really messed with my hearing. I'd expect the beeper on TH2 Freestyle to be the same. But you should be able to add another beeper. I added this one to my 5" quad and it's pretty loud, and it has a light that will flash if it's dark out. It also has it's own battery that charges while you fly and it will beep automatically if the battery on the quad gets disconnected in the crash.

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I actually needed it again yesterday when I got stuck in a tree. Glad I had my kayak paddle in the Jeep to knock it out of the tree.

 

[okw]

Also, having a background in RC airplanes and helicopters, I found it much easier to fly in AIR (ACRO) mode than ANGLE or HORIZON. The quad just doesn't act as I expected it to in those other modes.

And I don't know how you can hover with the goggles on. I can hover fairly well looking at it line-of-sight, but I'm lucky to keep it in a 20' circle using the goggles. Once I start moving forward, I'm good.

 

[BigAl07]

Also, having a background in RC airplanes and helicopters, I found it much easier to fly in AIR (ACRO) mode than ANGLE or HORIZON. The quad just doesn't act as I expected it to in those other modes.

And I don't know how you can hover with the goggles on. I can hover fairly well looking at it line-of-sight, but I'm lucky to keep it in a 20' circle using the goggles. Once I start moving forward, I'm good.

Maybe the term HOVER isn't accurate.... maybe it's more like not flying a lot in any one direction LOL!

 

[mrmund]

On the E6 transmitter that came with your kit, the middle position on the left switch should make it beep(the arm switch). That's how mine was from the factory. The beeping is definitely louder on the Freestyle than the TH2 but I still have a hard time hearing it over the loud crickets and birds. I've also had some luck using the goggles to find which direction I've crashed by turning my head back and forth and noting the change in rececption. I also try to fly around in a big box checking my tx signal on my first battery and pick out some sort on land mark (big pines on the north side, light pole to my left kind of the thing) and when I get disoriented I can look around and figure out where I am.
It's definitely gotten easier a the more I fly.

 

[BigAl07]

On the E6 transmitter that came with your kit, the middle position on the left switch should make it beep(the arm switch). That's how mine was from the factory. The beeping is definitely louder on the Freestyle than the TH2 but I still have a hard time hearing it over the loud crickets and birds. I've also had some luck using the goggles to find which direction I've crashed by turning my head back and forth and noting the change in rececption. I also try to fly around in a big box checking my tx signal on my first battery and pick out some sort on land mark (big pines on the north side, light pole to my left kind of the thing) and when I get disoriented I can look around and figure out where I am.
It's definitely gotten easier a the more I fly.

Great advice! It's ironic that "flying" the Freestyle isn't that hard (easy/Int mode only lol) but getting my mind to wrap around the FPV aspect is mind boggling LOL. I'm not giving up but dang it disorients me way too easily.

I looked back through the User Manual (gasp) and finally found exactly what you mentioned. It was hidden in a "tips" section which I had obviously over looked LOL. It's literally the LAST statement before the THANK YOU at the end of the instruction manual. I must have missed it in my eagerness to get the FreeStyle in the air LOL. (Color added by Allen for emphasis)

Tips: Work on maintaining a controlled altitude flight to begin while driving Tinyhawk
II Freestyle with pitch and yaw. Do not let the battery go lower than 3.2v. The arm
switch activates a beeper when set in the 2nd position (middle); this is useful when
looking for Tinyhawk II Freestyle.

 

[BigAl07]

Quick question about the VTX in the FreeStyle... if I want to unlock it to 200mw (hold button down while powering ON) does this have to be done during every power cycle? Or once it's set at 200mw does it retain that setting until changed again?

 

[Madhungarian]

Quick question about the VTX in the FreeStyle... if I want to unlock it to 200mw (hold button down while powering ON) does this have to be done during every power cycle? Or once it's set at 200mw does it retain that setting until changed again?

ON your goggles, you can access your osd menu screen.

Using your transmitter Mid Throttle Left Yaw Pitch Forward will show your options. In there you can adjust your vtx power options, no need to unlock anything on the vtx if you set it this way.

 

[mrmund]

Quick question about the VTX in the FreeStyle... if I want to unlock it to 200mw (hold button down while powering ON) does this have to be done during every power cycle? Or once it's set at 200mw does it retain that setting until changed again?

page six, just tried it. It works

https://www.rc-netbutik.dk/upload_dir/shop/Tinyhawk-II-Freestyle-BNF-Instruction-Manual-v1.5.pdf

 

[okw]

Quick question about the VTX in the FreeStyle... if I want to unlock it to 200mw (hold button down while powering ON) does this have to be done during every power cycle? Or once it's set at 200mw does it retain that setting until changed again?

As mentioned, you should be able to change the setting using the OSD and it should retain the setting.

If the Freestyle works like the TH2, I'll add that, if you're looking at the channel and power level on the OSD, it will still be set to 25mW before you arm the quad. I fought with my TH2 for probably a couple hours trying to get 200mW, thinking it wasn't working, because when I looked at the screen in the goggles, it said 25mW. Then I found out that it was always 25mW until you armed it.

 

[BigAl07]

As mentioned, you should be able to change the setting using the OSD and it should retain the setting.

If the Freestyle works like the TH2, I'll add that, if you're looking at the channel and power level on the OSD, it will still be set to 25mW before you arm the quad. I fought with my TH2 for probably a couple hours trying to get 200mW, thinking it wasn't working, because when I looked at the screen in the goggles, it said 25mW. Then I found out that it was always 25mW until you armed it.

YEs it IS like that one in that regards. It said in the manual that until armed the OSD will still show 25mW.

 

[BigAl07]

On the E6 transmitter that came with your kit, the middle position on the left switch should make it beep(the arm switch). That's how mine was from the factory. The beeping is definitely louder on the Freestyle than the TH2 but I still have a hard time hearing it over the loud crickets and birds. I've also had some luck using the goggles to find which direction I've crashed by turning my head back and forth and noting the change in rececption. I also try to fly around in a big box checking my tx signal on my first battery and pick out some sort on land mark (big pines on the north side, light pole to my left kind of the thing) and when I get disoriented I can look around and figure out where I am.
It's definitely gotten easier a the more I fly.

That Middle Position on the Mode Switch does cause the motors to produce a mild BEEP. That's good to know. Thank you

 

[HighTechPauper]

That Middle Position on the Mode Switch does cause the motors to produce a mild BEEP. That's good to know. Thank you

Just so you know @BigAl07, you can get into the ESC through BLHeli and increase the volume of the ESC beeping, but remember that ESC beeping is hard on the motors and ESC's so don't do it continuously so the motors don't overheat.

 

[BigAl07]

Just so you know @BigAl07, you can get into the ESC through BLHeli and increase the volume of the ESC beeping, but remember that ESC beeping is hard on the motors and ESC's so don't do it continuously so the motors don't overheat.

That's very good to know Thank you.

 

[BigAl07]

I spent a good amount of time flying under the goggles this weekend and it's definitely starting to kick in a bit now. I went from flying figure 8's across the yard to flying "gently" under tree overhangs and through some more open trees. I found myself getting braver and of course faster. I only got disoriented 1x and it was but a moment.

A quick question about "Better goggles". I have to use reading glasses for reading etc and I have to use them when wearing the EMAX goggles. This is not a "comfortable" arrangement as they don't fit correctly "inside" the goggles. Are other goggles able to adjust for sight differences or do many also have to wear Readers when using the goggles? I've got them adjusted as close as possible (mechanically with the sliders) but I still have to use Readers to get a clear view.

 

[Madhungarian]

I spent a good amount of time flying under the goggles this weekend and it's definitely starting to kick in a bit now. I went from flying figure 8's across the yard to flying "gently" under tree overhangs and through some more open trees. I found myself getting braver and of course faster. I only got disoriented 1x and it was but a moment.

A quick question about "Better goggles". I have to use reading glasses for reading etc and I have to use them when wearing the EMAX goggles. This is not a "comfortable" arrangement as they don't fit correctly "inside" the goggles. Are other goggles able to adjust for sight differences or do many also have to wear Readers when using the goggles? I've got them adjusted as close as possible (mechanically with the sliders) but I still have to use Readers to get a clear view.

I use the viper FXT goggles, give those a try they are best for glasses.

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Look at the 5 picture down on the left. Shows how you can wear with glasses.

 

[okw]

A quick question about "Better goggles". I have to use reading glasses for reading etc and I have to use them when wearing the EMAX goggles. This is not a "comfortable" arrangement as they don't fit correctly "inside" the goggles. Are other goggles able to adjust for sight differences or do many also have to wear Readers when using the goggles? I've got them adjusted as close as possible (mechanically with the sliders) but I still have to use Readers to get a clear view.

They definitely aren't the cheapest option out there, but the Fat Shark HDO2 have adjustable diopter (around +2 to -6). I think they may also still have an option for inserting additional lenses, if the adjustments aren't enough. I know the old versions had that option anyway.

I don't have these goggles, so I can't give you a first hand review. I do have the Fat Shark Attitude v5 and find that I don't need any correction for a clear view. Though I can still read halfway decently without wearing my bifocals.

 

[BigAl07]

Thank you BOTH!! I found someone local who has some FS HD02's and I'm going to meet up with him to see how the "work" with my eyes. My reading glasses just won't fit inside the EMAX googles "comfortably" and they are only diopter of +1.50 Hopefully I'll know more once I actually try on a set other than EMAX. If they don't suit my needs I'll source the viper FXT units and just wear my readers with the goggles.

THANK YOU!