FPV First Steps

Well the Boscam TX5823 Video Transmitter module arrived and I immediately put together the rest of the FPV Backpack Module I had been planning.  Here are some pictures of the results...

More details to come.

Here is some of my quadcopter pictures...

Micro FPV Update

In my penny-pinching quest to enter the world of quadcopters and FPV flying, I am slowly working into the hobby.

At this stage, I am attempting to build a micro FPV backpack for attaching to small quadcopters so that I can fly them via FPV.  Of course I don't own a pair of Fat Shark goggles yet... so I plan on using a temporary "base station" setup to use for my first flights.  Here is the basic wiring of the backpack (excluding the battery).

Including shipping, the parts cost are as follows:

• 600 TVL Wide Angle 3.3v CCTV Camera ($18)
• 3.3v Step-up/Step-Down Pololu Voltage Regulator ($9)
• Boscam 200mw TX5823 Video Transmitter ($11)

Which is about $40.  But you have to have a receiver... 

and that will be about another $20.  If I use my TV to display the video, then the total cost is under $60.

My next step is to actually finish the backpack.  For this, I am waiting for the TX5823 to arrive in my mailbox.  Anyway, until it arrives... I could attempt to build a circularly-polarized transmitting antenna.  I also need to figure out how to mount all of the pieces onto some sort of platform.  It needs to be light, strong, thin and stiff.  I am also not sure if the camera should be somehow separate.  I'm sure the battery can be off-platform... because I may at some point use the main battery.

Of course the biggest concern is weight.  Then there is the issue of weight distribution.

Things to think about and investigate.

Quick Update

Today's exercise will be the testing of the camera module I ordered from EBay.  I believe I can run the module off of the same 3.3V Pololu StepUp/StepDown regulator.
The problem it did not work before was because I was going through the 12V reduction cable. 

More to come...

Current Obsession

I have had a new diversion to occupy my time... quadcopters.  Yes, I have been bitten by the drone bug,  

I'll explain more later... but for now, I want to document my latest outing with my Hubsan X4 H107C quadcopter,

It's an inexpensive, Ready-To-Fly quad that I picked up from my local Fry's Electronics.  I actually upgraded the camera module from the SD version to the "HD" version when the original camera began to have problems.  Anyway, here is some test footage from yesterday.

I'll have more information, pictures and videos of all of my latest projects.  I just need to set aside the time to do it!