Hi All,
Is it possible to mount a GPS to a GepRC Phantom?

Thinking to use a TBS M8.2 GPS Glonass ($10.95 plus shipping) Input Voltage - 3.3V-5V or MATEKSYS M8Q-5883 GPS Module ($34 plus shipping) Input voltage range -  4V-6V.

The GepRC uses the STABLE F411 ESC with BEC Output: 5V@2A. 

Any suggestions for a GPS mount? Thinking to mount GPS above the antenna.  Thank you!

Unfortunately it looks like the GEPRC Stable F411 stack only has one accessible UART, which is probably being used by your receiver. If you really wanted to, you could connect the GPS to the LED pad and use Softserial, but first make sure you understand the limitations of using a GPS with Betaflight. Adding a GPS will only add some information to the OSD (eg speed, position, a very inaccurate altitude, and home arrow) and enable a rudimentary RTH in event of a failsafe. It will not do position hold or altitude hold or anything like a DJI Mavic.

Since the Phantom is pretty tiny I'd get the lightest GPS I could find. Something like: https://www.racedayquads.com/products/fl...ini-v2-gps

If you mount the batteries underneath you could just put the GPS on the top deck, or if you mount the batteries on top you could put the GPS in a 3d printed battery strap holder like this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3217191

I can't seem to find a suitable mount on thingiverse but it should not be hard designing and printing your own GPS mount.

Worst case you can mount a GPS on the lipo strap using a similar 3d printed design: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4743135

(09-Feb-2022, 09:31 AM)V-22 Wrote: Unfortunately it looks like the GEPRC Stable F411 stack only has one accessible UART, which is probably being used by your receiver. If you really wanted to, you could connect the GPS to the LED pad and use Softserial, but first make sure you understand the limitations of using a GPS with Betaflight. Adding a GPS will only add some information to the OSD (eg speed, position, a very inaccurate altitude, and home arrow) and enable a rudimentary RTH in event of a failsafe. It will not do position hold or altitude hold or anything like a DJI Mavic.

Since the Phantom is pretty tiny I'd get the lightest GPS I could find. Something like: https://www.racedayquads.com/products/fl...ini-v2-gps

If you mount the batteries underneath you could just put the GPS on the top deck, or if you mount the batteries on top you could put the GPS in a 3d printed battery strap holder like this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3217191

Dear @V-22,
Thank you for getting back to me, very much appreciated ! 

I am trying to decide between the GepRC Phantom and the Flywoo LR V2, I really like that the Flywoo LR V2 has the GPS with return home future. I was thinking if I could add a GPS to the GepRC Phantom, I could have both the GPS of the Flywoo LR V2 and the more freestyle attributes of the GepRC Phantom. 

Thank you, I did not realize that the GPS on the GepRC would be limited;
"Adding a GPS will only add some information to the OSD (eg speed, position, a very inaccurate altitude, and home arrow) and enable a rudimentary RTH in event of a failsafe. It will not do position hold or altitude hold or anything like a DJI Mavic."

As this is my next Quad after my Mobula6 HD and Tinyhawk S, maybe the Flywoo LR V2 is a better choice. Any suggestions ?

Thank you !

I have a GEPRC Phantom and I personally wouldn't put a GPS module on it. It's a tiny 2.5" quad which is already quite heavy for it's size so adding additional peripherals like a GPS module is just going to make it less pleasant for flying freestyle with. While the FC does have two hardware UARTs, the second one is hardwired to the VTX via header pins between the boards for IRC Tramp control, so you can't easily repurpose that UART for something else.

There also aren't enough available spare output pads that can be remapped to SoftSerial so you don't even have that option. The bottom line is that unless you swap the Stable F411 Stack for something else or you are skilled enough to solder directly to pins on the F411 MCU then you aren't going to be able to put a GPS module on a GEPRC Phantom that comes as a BNF version. Of course, you could just buy the frame and build your own with your own choice of FC, but it doesn't sound like you want to do that.

Based on what you said, I would just get the Flywoo LR V2 instead.

+1   I agree with SnowleopardFPV.   Yeah, just get the Flywoo LR V2.

I also have a GEPRC Phantom and would not put a GPS unit on it.

It is not about the mounting as that could easily be accomplished.


Just a note about RTH. It works {or doesn't depending on your perspective}
the same with any quad that is running Betaflight; regardless of brand or
even if you DIY the GPS or do a build. From everything that I have seen,
Betaflight's RTH feature is rudimentary.

If you really want good RTH, then you would need to consider iNav.