Hi everyone!

Hope all is well and staying safe in this challenging time.

I am very new to FPVs. Flown DJI drones before but never an FPV. Stumbled upon some videos on youtube on FPVs. Amazed with what it can do and the shots it can take. I know flying FPVs are probably worlds apart but would like to explore that possibility.

Would really like to know more on how i could increase the drones range. My aim is to take nice aerial shots and would like the drone to travel at a decent range ( slightly further than a Mavic Pro 2 could operate ) and maintain a strong signal. Ive seen some shots where the drone could go quite far into mountainous areas.  What are the considerations? Batteries and transmitter perhaps? Am I looking at FPVs wrongly?

Would really appreciate your help for any kind of advice. Would an RTF allow me to do these things? 

Thanks a lot in advance 

Fel

The Mavic has quite good range and flight time. It will be difficult to get an FPV style drone to match. I think a lot of these mountainous shoot, the pilot0 isn't that far away. They are probably at the base of the mountain, quickly fly up. Take a few shoot and come back. The one advantage of FPV style drone is speed. So you can get to places faster. But typically long range flight is probably about 10ish minutes. Nothing like 25+ mins like a Mavic.

From the sounds of what you want to do, you are looking at probably a 6-10 inch quad setup for long range (gps, mag and baro) . The shots you see are recorded with a GoPro. The FPV feed will be Low Def. If you want HD FPV feed and recording, the only game into town is the DJI FPV Air system. But I read range is limited.

You also want to run 900mhz. I recommend Crossfire.

You can also find out what drone those pilots are flying. That will give you a better idea.

Hi Felexis, and welcome aboard.

VooDoo gives you good info and advice.  I disagree with him on flight time though. Yes it may be difficult to get longer flight times than 25 minutes with a FPV quad, but getting close to the 25 minute mark is very doable.  My 10 inch when equipped with large capacity batteries can get into the 21-22 minute range, and that isn't unique flight time, as other have done that or a little more.  Like everything else there is a penalty to pay.  With  heavy batteries, the quad is more sluggish in its performance, and to get those times a light thumb on the throttle is needed.

As to range on an FPV quad, being able to double the Mavic Pro 2 is certainly possible with repeatable ranges at or near 10 miles can be had.  

Like VooDoo mentions though, most of the videos you see the pilots are likely no more than 1-3 miles out when they are flying.

Thanks very much for your input voodoo164 and Krohsis 

I have gone through some of the specs provided by the drone pilots on those scenic videos. To be honest all the equipment mentioned is very alien to me lol. Did try to search for them one by one but i still dont know what are the main components required to spec a long range capable drone. Attached in the link is a screenshot of a list equipment from one of the videos tagged long range for your kind reference. 



From what you say Krohsis, it might be possible to get one that could fly close to 25 mins. Could we say that it that would be about as long as an FPV drone could fly?

Thank you very much for taking time to share your thoughts folks. Very much appreciated

(19-Apr-2020, 02:11 PM)felexis Wrote: Thanks very much for your input voodoo164 and Krohsis 

I have gone through some of the specs provided by the drone pilots on those scenic videos. To be honest all the equipment mentioned is very alien to me lol. Did try to search for them one by one but i still dont know what are the main components required to spec a long range capable drone. Attached in the link is a screenshot of a list equipment from one of the videos tagged long range for your kind reference. 



From what you say Krohsis, it might be possible to get one that could fly close to 25 mins. Could we say that it that would be about as long as an FPV drone could fly?

Thank you very much for taking time to share your thoughts folks. Very much appreciated

I haven't seen flight times much longer than 25 minutes with a quadcopter, but never say never.  People in this hobby are very resourceful.  That is one of many reasons to do FPV vs DJI.  With that said if flight times is what you want there are hybrid quad and multicopters that will fly for hours.  But they really aren't FPV multicopters, they tend to be more like DJI.  

When you say FPV drone that includes wings.  With wings you can fly literally for hours and at huge distances.  You can search on YT and watch videos of individuals with fixed wing drones going in excess of 100 miles.   Those that fly FPV wings for LR, most consider 20 miles out routine, and flight times can be very long due to large batteries and only one motor.

The quad copter info you linked from the video is very typical of a LR quadcopter, and I know many people that fly that setup.  In that particular spec, you wouldn't see 25 minute flight times though.  With a light touch on the throttle, maybe 12 minutes.  With different motors you might get 15+ minutes.  And going to a lower pitch bi-blade maybe get another minute or two.

If the goal is efficient long flights...is there any reason you couldn’t Use an airplane for this project? I understand this is mostly a quad discussion but for relaxed high speed flying, a wing is hard to beat if you have the landing room.

First and foremost - GET ON A SIMULATOR. Find an FPV drone simulator and try it out there before you decide anything. If you fly DJI you might not like FPV..... You might love it and give up DJI lol.

FPV drones don't fly by themselves like DJI drones that's the biggest difference. You HAVE to get onto a simulator to understand what I mean when I say that. You can have it explained to you in detail and still never really understand what it's like until you actually try it.

Just to be clear though... Acro Drones > DJI drones ;D

I hope you love it!!! Go play a simulator and then come back and let us know about how your experience went.

I always LOVE seeing the shock of a DJI drone person try an FPV drone for the first time ;>

Here is a decent free drone simulator. https://www.realdronesimulator.com/

You might even be able to some how use your DJI controller.... but I'm not 100% sure about that. If not then just use an xbox controller if you have one.

(20-Apr-2020, 02:22 AM)bLoWsMokE Wrote: First and foremost - GET ON A SIMULATOR. Find an FPV drone simulator and try it out there before you decide anything. If you fly DJI you might not like FPV..... You might love it and give up DJI lol.

FPV drones don't fly by themselves like DJI drones that's the biggest difference. You HAVE to get onto a simulator to understand what I mean when I say that. You can have it explained to you in detail and still never really understand what it's like until you actually try it.

Just to be clear though... Acro Drones > DJI drones ;D

I hope you love it!!! Go play a simulator and then come back and let us know about how your experience went.

I always LOVE seeing the shock of a DJI drone person try an FPV drone for the first time ;>

Here is a decent free drone simulator. https://www.realdronesimulator.com/

You might even be able to some how use your DJI controller.... but I'm not 100% sure about that. If not then just use an xbox controller if you have one.

A little off topic i guess but i was curious how to use my xbox controller with that simulator? I DEFINATELY need to get on a sim and if i can use my xbox controller, i can start practising right away!

(20-Apr-2020, 01:38 AM)Wickedsprint Wrote: If the goal is efficient long flights...is there any reason you couldn’t Use an airplane for this project? I understand this is mostly a quad discussion but for relaxed high speed flying, a wing is hard to beat if you have the landing room.

Nothing like a wing for very long range.  My only issue is with how video turns out.  Unless you are using a GP8, maybe a GP7, the video is jerky and unappealing with a wing.  Going with an airplane platform that improves over a true wing, but still not as smooth as a quad.  

But yes, with stabilized video a wing is hard to beat.

(20-Apr-2020, 02:16 PM)BKSRT8 Wrote: A little off topic i guess but i was curious how to use my xbox controller with that simulator? I DEFINATELY need to get on a sim and if i can use my xbox controller, i can start practising right away!

Just download the simulator and plug in your xbox controller. Remember though, the throttle stick is gonna spring to the middle position on an xbox controller unlike a drone radio. So ur gonna have to hold the throttle down.... But really it's not much different at all. I leanred with an xbox controller as well.

Go do it!!! Lemme know if it was what you expected, or how/if it demolished your expectations ;D

Oh i can just plug in through the charging cable? Thats mint, im trying that out when i get home!

(20-Apr-2020, 02:37 PM)BKSRT8 Wrote: Oh i can just plug in through the charging cable? Thats mint, im trying that out when i get home!

the cable obviously has to be data transfer cable, but most are so you shouldn't have an issue. If it doesn't work, then most likely you'll need a data transfer cable... You might have to get the controller to be read on windows depending on which windows ur using... I think windows 10 is automatic.... windows 7 requires a small amount of finagling I think... they might've given an update on that within the last few years though TBH. Anyway, just try it, it should install the drivers automatically and just work.

I have laptops with both Windows 10 and windows 7....so if i cant get 7 to work ill try 10 as a last resort, i despise 10 as i have a few older machines that 10 doesnt allow me to load drivers for no matter what hacks and trickery i try (thanks Microsoft and DJI for that!).
I will giver a try when i get hone and see how infuriated i get before something gets thrown across the room and several "For Sale" ads get posted lol

(20-Apr-2020, 04:04 PM)BKSRT8 Wrote: I have laptops with both Windows 10 and windows 7....so if i cant get 7 to work ill try 10 as a last resort, i despise 10 as i have a few older machines that 10 doesnt allow me to load drivers for no matter what hacks and trickery i try (thanks Microsoft and DJI for that!).
I will giver a try when i get hone and see how infuriated i get before something gets thrown across the room and several "For Sale" ads get posted lol

nah man if it was a PS4 controller it might be difficult like that, but xbox is easy... it's microsoft so it's just plug and play with microsoft windows.

Tried it out...had to use my Windows 10 laptop.....im sure on a half decent computer it works great, but MY computer......if i donated my laptop to Africa, itd become famous for being the slowest laptop in Africa....and yes, thats a reference from The Office! Lol
Im having a hard time keeping the machine close to the ground, I havent played with the settings other than the graphics to try and reduce lag but alas i think its a loosing battle lol This FPV stuff sure gets expensive, gotta go buy a $1000 laptop just to run a simulator lol