Hello everyone,
I'm looking to get into FPV after flying a Mavic since they came out and RC planes for years.

I'm not sure where to start with FPV. Whether I get a $300 tinyhawk II kit that has RX/TX/drone/goggles (that's the only complete kit I can find really) , OR go all out and get DJI digital gear and build something around that...the image quality looks amazing

Thanks James

This is a loaded question. Either is not wrong. If you are going to really invest into this hobby, you probably look into getting the best radio first that you can afford. Then goggles, and lastly the quad. You can also invest in all at once.

Tinkhawk are good for beginners because they are more durable. But you will need to learn the fix and build process afterward.

I always encourage people to build, but this can be a steep learning curve.

If you can afford it, get a Tinkhawk or Whoop style quad to fly right away. And buy a DIY or custom select your components. If you go the custom route, rotorbuilds.com is a great place for inspiration. Also check out the mini quad, tiny whoop and long range forum here for build logs.

https://intofpv.com/forum-mini-quad
https://intofpv.com/forum-tiny-whoop-micro-quad
https://intofpv.com/forum-long-range-fpv

Well before spending tons of money (scratch that if you can afford it, definitely go for the digital system) get on a simulator and try flying a racing drone and see if you like it.

It may turn out your enjoyment from the mavic is something you won't get from FPV.... it's not the same AT ALL. 

Seriously, I can see someone loving the mavic but then getting into FPV and just being frustrated and regret they din't just get a photography drone....

But lemme make something clear before I'm misunderstood... FPV is way... WAY better 


Edit: Like... WAAAAYYY better ;D

I'd agree with the simulator. Or the tiny whoop style. Or both. And build a larger quad.....

Yup, it escalates quickly!

I'm still getting into it and learning but here is my experience and opinion:

Most of my flying is home, indoors or local, in smaller parks and spaces where I need to be aware of people and also the regulations. This pointed to tiny whoop and micro rather than 5" and long range. Your use case will affect your choice.

I started with some cheap goggles, a UR65 quad an a decent radio. I utterly struggled to work out FPV and it sat on the shelf for a while with the odd line of sight flight, which got boring.
I then got the simulator and worked on the Veloicdrone tutorials and fairly quickly cracked it after that. I then got the goggles on and was away.
Pretty quickly I realised my cheap goggles were not good for me so upgraded.
I then built a micro from scratch - which I've still not had a chance to fly properly as the outdoors is now on lock down here.

So, if I were to recommend;
Good radio and simulator to start and put the time in on acro mode. Needs a reasonable PC.
Once you can fly and know you are hooked, good goggles and tiny whoop. It's cheaper, and safer.
The big decision is goggles. For me, I went for Skyzone 03O OLED goggles, to work with analogue tiny whoops and the result is excellent.
If you are planning on flying larger models that can take the digital kit, and are can work with space/regulations/budget, then DJI looks amazing.

I started a few months back and if I would start over I'd do the Sim and transmitter first, then get a Tinyhawk and fly LOS, THEN get the goggles.

I got one of those Tinyhawk/goggle/transmitter sets and wound up getting new goggles and a transmitter soon after.

Hi James,

First, I started with a combo (a tiny whoop drone, transmitter, goggles..(toy) because I wasn't sure that I would even like the done/FPV thing. By the way, I still fly that first drone, but with better googles. Since, I didn't buy an expensive transmitter (radio controller), the simulator thing was just not an option, period. So I just learned to fly indoors with an actual tiny whoop drone.

If you are serious enough to shell out for a good transmitter (I have a Jumper T16) as your first purchase, then using a simulator makes a lot of sense.  You could learn to fly on that. You could also purchase an inexpensive BNF (Bind N Fly) tiny whoop that will work with your transmitter and fly indoors, even when you can't fly outside. These tiny quads bounce off everything and don't hurt anything.

By the way, I wear eyeglasses and I had to modify the cheap goggles so that I could even use them (cumbersome, but it worked).  If you don't wear glasses, then you have more choices. I do so, I did my research and bought the FXT Viper V2 goggles. For those who wear eyeglasses, these are great goggles. For $180, they are even cost effective and good value.

For my first open prop, brushless, quad; I weighed a lot of options and considerations including cost. To buy or build, that is the question. I have no problem building, but for $100 I bought an EMAX Tinyhawk Freestyle; you can't build this quad for that money. This quad is a lot of fun, but the range is not that great. Rather than upgrade it, I bought a GEPRC Phantom for about $125. The range is more than double that of the Freestyle and is really a blast to fly. Again, you can buy the Phantom BNF cheaper than you can build it. 

I am, however, a believer in building and I am working on my own 3 inch build...including my own frame design. We will see how that goes. I am buying the electronics and building the frame and some assorted parts. 

Given the FAA situation here in the US, I will keep the weight of anything that I fly under 250g. By the way, the Phantom and Freestyle are so stealthy that you can barely hear or see them. My wife is my spotter, and most of the time she can't even tell where it is. I keep away from people, fly a few packs, then leave. Most people don't even know were are there. 

Harry - iFly4rotors

Update: I am not a gamer, so don't have an xBox (or any other)...so...no simulator when I started, but might get one now just for fun.

Thanks for all the detailed replies!

I've taken the advice from here and elsewhere and got a sim. I've put 5 hours into it so far but only have an xbox controller.

So I think the next step is transmitter....lots of videos seem to recommend the FRSKY x7, which is about AUD $200. The x9 lite is about the same price, so I'll have to work out if I should get one of them.

Then I suppose a mini and batteries to practice line of sight by the sounds of it?

(26-Mar-2020, 01:21 PM)Eazy123 Wrote: I started a few months back and if I would start over I'd do the Sim and transmitter first, then get a Tinyhawk and fly LOS, THEN get the goggles.

I got one of those Tinyhawk/goggle/transmitter sets and wound up getting new goggles and a transmitter soon after.

This is how I started only because I could NOT AFFORD goggles and i wanted a racing drone no matter what. I'm SUPER happy I did because now I have the skills for LOS and FPV....  I'm very thankful for that.

I had played around 15 hours in a sim before even TRYING FPV in it.

(27-Mar-2020, 03:45 AM)Jamesdrone Wrote: Thanks for all the detailed replies!

I've taken the advice from here and elsewhere and got a sim. I've put 5 hours into it so far but only have an xbox controller.

So I think the next step is transmitter....lots of videos seem to recommend the FRSKY x7, which is about AUD $200. The x9 lite is about the same price, so I'll have to work out if I should get one of them.

Then I suppose a mini and batteries to practice line of sight by the sounds of it?

I used an xbox ocontroller as well..... Luckily the skills DO translate..... and better. If you get good with an xbox controller in the sim... using a transmitter will make it that much easier, not the other way around. At least that's my experience, everyone is different though. 

I think it's because on an xbox controller you always have to hold the throttle stick down and you have far less resolution, so if you gain control with that it's much easier when you get a radio with bigger stick throws.

(27-Mar-2020, 04:47 AM)bLoWsMokE Wrote: I used an xbox ocontroller as well..... Luckily the skills DO translate..... and better. If you get good with an xbox controller in the sim... using a transmitter will make it that much easier, not the other way around. At least that's my experience, everyone is different though. 

I think it's because on an xbox controller you always have to hold the throttle stick down and you have far less resolution, so if you gain control with that it's much easier when you get a radio with bigger stick throws.

Mine is set so middle is zero throttle. I can image it being a lot easier on a real transmitter. The tiny xbox shafts mean the smallest movement is a large input.

Any advice on a transmitter that will be good enough as I get better so I don't have to replace it? The frsky X7?

The Jumper T16 Pro is probably a better radio than the QX7 unless you want to use the new ACCESS protocol. If you are fine with the older ASSCT (like most of us), go Jumper. If you want ACCESS then make sure you get the 2019 version of the QX7.

(27-Mar-2020, 05:28 AM)voodoo614 Wrote: The Jumper T16 Pro is probably a better radio than the QX7 unless you want to use the new ACCESS protocol. If you are fine with the older ASSCT (like most of us), go Jumper. If you want ACCESS then make sure you get the 2019 version of the QX7.

I agree with voodoo, and suggest the Jumper T16 Pro which is a quality radio transmitter and compares more to the FrSky Horus than it does to the QX7 or even the Taranis x9D. For the money, it compares with radios twice the price (or more).

One consideration is what you are able to fly. If you choose a Jumper T16 Pro which comes with an internal multi-protocol module you will be able to fly all of the "older" FrSky, Spectrum, FlySky, and even the Bayang tiny whoop (toy) protocol. For me this was a BIG draw since I fly quads with different protocols and did not want to be limited to FrSky. As voodoo mentioned FrSky is now switched to the ACCESS protocol and left the older FrSky protocols behind (they want to force customers into their ACCESS only world). 

Before making a decision, you might want to take a look through this thread: 
https://intofpv.com/t-the-complicated-me...d-frsky-r9

Sweet, so I'll try find a decent price on a T16 V2/Pro.

Now for a kit/BNF/RTF drone I can get in Australia, or from China (shipping and exchange rates would kill me for US sites at them moment).
More than capable at laying solder, and I can see the benefits of building a drone (so I know how to fix it)...

Lot's of Aussie sites seem limited/sold out...are people panic buying drones?? Haha

Thanks again for your time everyone - James

(27-Mar-2020, 05:07 AM)Jamesdrone Wrote: Mine is set so middle is zero throttle. 

Don't do that..... Seriously.

And Jumper T16 Pro. I have a brand new one if you wanna buy it ;D (JK the one i have is version 1, you want the newest V2 version)


Grayson Hobby just got in their stock and they're selling them for a good price... I just bought mine like an idiot for 200+ dollars... I got 2 day shipping and a money back no questions asked guarantee but still it's like 60$ overpriced just for that but what ever I like this radio so much I'm not even gonna worry abotu it.. i could return it like I said and the just order from grayson but... idk... I ordered a T8 sent it back because it was WAY too small for me, bought an old jumper t16 pro which I still have but am sending back soon.... and now this one... so if I sent this back too it would just be ridiculous lol. It's my fault and my impatience but hey.... more often I benefit from it and this time iI'm being screwed over for it, so you take the good and the bad ;D

(27-Mar-2020, 02:02 PM)Jamesdrone Wrote: Sweet, so I'll try find a decent price on a T16 V2/Pro.

Now for a kit/BNF/RTF drone I can get in Australia, or from China (shipping and exchange rates would kill me for US sites at them moment).
More than capable at laying solder, and I can see the benefits of building a drone (so I know how to fix it)...

Lot's of Aussie sites seem limited/sold out...are people panic buying drones?? Haha

Thanks again for your time everyone - James

HGLRC is a great company which EXCELLENT customer support. Their drones aren't top teir but they aren't crap either.... but their customer support keeps me supporting them and suggesting them. They constantly improve on their products all the time and are always innovating. They are never stagnant. The first drone I got from them was awesome I got it stuck in a tree and I got another one, nd that one had a new version of their camera which was better.... and this was only a few months.... they're always tryign to make thigns better.... They actually just came out with an F7 flight controller as well... They actually just came out with their own tooth pick as well.

Anyway HGLRC is popular in Australia from what I've seen anyway. If you watch UAVFeatures, long range tony uses exclusively HGLRC (well it's the only drone type I've seen him actually flying that he owns obviously i don't know every drone he owns and haven't seen every UAVFeatures episode so take it with  grain of salt but he's always flying his little arrow around in a lot of the vids).

If ur gonna go with HGLRC Get the HGLRC arrow 3 seems like a good deal right now. It's a 3 inch.  I started with the XJB145 which is basically the same, but the arrow has a better FPV antenna and a better ESC and the motors are 1408 slightly bigger than 1407 or taller I guess, and is only liek 10$ more. When I first got the XJB the arrow was like 40$ or 50$ more so. it's a good deal if you ask me. And if you were to buy each part individually it'd come out to the same price which is a good way to spot a good deal.

I just built a drone with an HGLRC flight controller and ESC.... Haven't had any issue at all and I crash A LOT, and badly.

Well overall the biggest most absolute reason I can say that I love this company is their customer support... it's top tier, as good as it gets.