Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Long flighttimes on any copter? (5" 6S copters with 5000mah LION pack)


Here I tried 2 of my fav copters from this year (Sector5 and Emax HawkPro) with a 5000mah 4cell LION pack (304gr). Was curious about the flighttime I could achieve with a standard copter setup - and how it would fly (considering both are designed for 6S LIPO power). Now I got 3 other Packs from ZOHD as well (7000mah 4cell, 3500mah 4cell and a 3500mah 3cell). I'm kinda curious how the 2 3500mah packs will do on the Chimera4. 3s lightweight vs 4s a bit heavy. Wouldnt be surprised to see similar flighttimes - even tho the 4cell pack has 25% more WH in the tank...
Please 👍 and 🔔 thanks ;-) it helps a lot! Find many links and infos further down! I DONT earn money with affiliate links - I'm not a sales guy, here you get HONEST reviews and opinions. If you wanna support me, watch, share or even become a patron: https://bit.ly/2ESMtIO ●▬▬▬LINKS▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● ►►ZOHD LION packs: used in this video: ZOHD 4S 5000mAh https://ban.ggood.vip/Wv3r ZOHD 4S 7000mAh https://ban.ggood.vip/Wv43 ZOHD 4S 3500mAh https://ban.ggood.vip/Wv42 ZOHD 3S 3500mAh https://ban.ggood.vip/Wv3O Disclaimer: I BOUGHT all these packs myself out of curiosity, the links are just helping my Banggood contact - I dont benefit if you buy those.

Sunday, December 20, 2020

See further with DIGIEYES? (O.R.T. DJI Fpv Antennas)


Eko (O.R.T. Antenna designer) was so nice to send his antennas in for a fair and honest review. With all the other antennas I have already I can give you a good comparison. If you don't know my test method yet, please also check out the other tests from my playlist https://bit.ly/3p2PFE7 To analyze your own DJI flights in excel follow this little tutorial: https://youtu.be/s0Y-P3RrMDI (or just ask me in the comments). You can also download the full Excel I used and even use it to convert all YOUR flights into Excel charts (automatically!): ►►Excel file with data and charts: http://bit.ly/3nBJHsU I DONT earn money with affiliate links - I'm not a sales guy, here you get HONEST reviews and opinions. If you wanna support me, watch, share or even become a patron: https://bit.ly/2ESMtIO ●▬▬▬LINKS▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● ►►Excel file with data and charts: http://bit.ly/3nBJHsU ►DJI FPV Antennatest-Playlist: https://bit.ly/3p2PFE7 ►O.R.T. Digieyes Patches + Pagoda2: http://bit.ly/37AGCnu https://www.facebook.com/oldradiotransmission ►iFlight ChrystalHD: https://bit.ly/2ILRKDT ►HENRIK's "Death Ray" Helicals To order or for questions, please email: henrikjaderstrom84@gmail.com 3 turn, Gain: 9.5 dBm Total beam width: 174 degrees -3 dBm beam width: 100 degrees Tower offset angle: 40 degrees Price incl shipping: 106 USD

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

iFlight Chimera4 - Sub 250gr Longrange!

Find out if this is the right one of the many sub250 longrange copters which are on the market now, all started by the Flywoo Explorer LR. They are super light, fly long - even with your standard 4cell 1000-1800mah packs! You can get a LION pack to get crazy long flighttimes...

IFlight-Chimera4: https://ban.ggood.vip/W1ZZ ►Black Friday Code: BGBGCH4LR, 15%off Normal code: BG11Racer, 11%off GPS Overlay (Gal Kremers Tool): https://kremerfpv.info/#subtitles


Thursday, November 19, 2020

DJI FPV Antenna-tests

New test setup: DJI Airunit on Tripod moving away (2.3km) with DJI Goggles and compare achived BITRATES.
I tested with 2 different powersettings (25 and 200mw) and was surprised that even with Stock antennas you could get a connection at 2.3km thru the fog! - good line of sight (low fresnell zone intersection) - big time fog!!! (reduces range about 50%?) - AirUnit got constant 12v power (thru powersupply which was switchable) - Maple Wireless L+RHCP TX Antennas (look pretty similar to DJI Stock) Tested antennas (use the jumpmarks to find what you're curious for): MapleWireless, Deathray 3Turn, 7Turn DJI Stock, TrueRC Singularity, Foxeer Lollipop ►NEW!: iFlight ChrystalHD https://bit.ly/2ILRKDT

MapleWireless: 4 patches for DJI with left+right polarization? Does it help? How much better do they work, when you use L+R on the copter? I also compare Stock vs. TrueRC Singularity vs Foxeer Lollipop. To do such tests yourself, just use my little script to convert SRT files into excel understandable format, then use my Excel-Sheet to import those and get nice charts automatically. It's what I used here, if you do compareable flights the data can be pretty accurate!

Friday, October 30, 2020

How every afterwork flightsession should be... (Ride & Fly #4)

Early September, weather was fine and sunlight available after office hours (pure luxury). This was the best ride & fly adventure so far - hope you like the balance. Riding the bike is actually quite similar to flying the drone (if you try hard enough, you can even get airborne for some extent :)



Monday, October 26, 2020

DJI Antennas: Maple Wireless L+R?, TrueRC or Foxeer Lollipop?

MapleWireless: 4 patches for DJI with left+right polarization? Does it help? How much better do they work, when you use L+R on the copter? I also compare Stock vs. TrueRC Singularity vs Foxeer Lollipop.
To do such tests yourself, just use my little script to convert SRT files into excel understandable format, then use my Excel-Sheet to import those and get nice charts automatically. It's what I used here, if you do compareable flights the data can be pretty accurate! Links to products and script / XLS down in the links section!

Please 👍 and 🔔 thanks ;-) it helps a lot! Find many links and infos further down! I DONT earn money with affiliate links - I'm not a sales guy, here you get HONEST reviews and opinions. If you wanna support me, watch, share or even become a patron: https://bit.ly/2ESMtIO ●▬▬▬LINKS▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● See the data of this test (XLS sheet) here: https://bit.ly/3kIE4b3 DJI SRT converter, Excel macro to make your own tests: SRT to CSV script: https://bit.ly/2GNvZTo Excel sheet: https://bit.ly/3iKdlch ►HENRIK's "Death Ray" Helicals To order or for questions, please email: henrikjaderstrom84@gmail.com ►Maple Wireless Patches (were not shown at their full potential in this vid) can be ordered at banggood: https://ban.ggood.vip/VD3Y (code: BGOOYFG, 15%off) their 13.3km flight: https://youtu.be/xILiTkVVkao ►TrueRC Stubbies were provided by germany based Shop FPV24.de: https://bit.ly/33MsV2I they are 85€ which seems quite pricey, but they work really well! Good discussion on RCGroups (not because I started it, but because of Deamon): https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3710715-DJI-FPV-Goggles-which-antennas ●▬▬▬VIDEO INDEX▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● 00:00 Intro 01:10 the Setup 01:50 TEST1: 3Turn Helical 02:34 MapleWireless mini Review 04:22 RPSMA 04:52 TEST2: MapleWireless Patches 06:07 TEST3: TrueRC Singularities 07:35 TEST4: allStock 08:18 TEST5: all Fox Lollies 09:49 TrueRC again 10:49 discuss my chart-data 17:35 final thoughts ●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● #DJIFPV #Antennas #test

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

What is the iFlight Bumblebee good for?


I was tempted by this rugged drone (cinewhoop), because it is well protected against some bad "mid-air-descisions", it invites you to explore the woods deeper, with DJI FPV you can! Paired with a decent antenna I got really far. I also liked the idea of using 6cell packs on such a whoop. I dont have similar 4S copters (cinestyle) but I imagine they're quite sluggish and barely keep themselfes in the air - so compared to them this is quite agile. Just don't compare it to a freestyle drone (like I did) - here they feel slow. Efficiency is not great, 5mins flighttimes with 6S 1300mah. Weight: Copter: 330gr GP-Mount: 11gr typical 6S 1300mah ~ 220gr Please 👍 and 🔔 thanks ;-) it helps a lot! Find many links and infos further down! Banggood sent me this product for free to review it. I don't earn money with affiliate links - I'm not a sales guy, here you get HONEST reviews and opinions. If you wanna support me, watch, share or even become a patron: https://bit.ly/2ESMtIO ●▬▬▬LINKS▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● ►►iFlight BumbleBee: https://ban.ggood.vip/VCcc (BGBEEV13, 25%off) TPU Adjustable GoPro: https://ban.ggood.vip/VCcd (b7be15, 12%off) ●▬▬▬EQUIPMENT▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● DJI FPV Antennas (here I used 3Turn Helical from Henrik) ●▬▬▬♫MUSIC▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● Midnight Safari - Lupus Nocte Mystic Garden - Trace Way Razzmatazz - Jules Gaia

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Best way to test DJI FPV Antennas!!!

Ages old discussion PATCHES Top or Bottom? - jump to 13:55 to find out now ;) See the difference between STOCK DJI and TrueRC Stubbies, find out if these SPECIAL antennas from SWEDEN are something for you and many more infos in this very comprehensive test!
DJI Antennas TrueRC Stubby, Death Ray Helicals, Maple Wireless patches

Please 👍 and 🔔 thanks ;-) it helps a lot! Find many links and infos further down! Here you get HONEST reviews and opinions. If you wanna support me, watch, share or even become a patron: https://bit.ly/2ESMtIO
●▬▬▬LINKS▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● ►HENRIK's "Death Ray" Helicals To order or for questions, please email: henrikjaderstrom84@gmail.com Designed with low dBm loss, high gain and wide beam width in focus. Keeping the dBm loss at a minimum by eliminating unnecessary connectors and sharp bends in the coaxial cable and increasing the beam width with the angled design. The antennas are 3D printed and handmade in Sweden. The antenna former and backing support are made from solid black PETG. The reflectors are made from double sided copper/fiberglass PCB board. The coils are made from 1.4mm solid copper wire. The coaxial cable is semi rigid RG402 and the connectors are high quality gold plated RPSMA 90degree connectors. The antennas are LHCP but he will also make RHCP antennas for custom orders, same price for RHCP but payment in advance. Build time is around 3 days... 3 turn Gain: 9.5 dBm Total beam width: 174 degrees -3 dBm beam width: 100 degrees Tower offset angle: 40 degrees Price incl shipping: 106 USD 5 turn Gain: 11.7 dBm Total beam width: 128 degrees -3 dBm beam width: 72 degrees Tower offset angle: 25 degrees Price incl shipping: 112 USD 7 turn Gain: 13.2 dBm Total beam width: 107 degrees -3 dBm beam width: 59 degrees Tower offset angle: 20 degrees Price incl shipping: 118 USD

DJI Stock Antennas come with your goggles (they are about 15$ for a 2pack if you loose them).

TrueRC Stubbies were provided by germany based Shop FPV24.de they are 85€ which seems quite pricey, but they work really well!
Maple Wireless Patches (were not shown at their full potential in this vid) can be ordered at banggood
DJI SRT converter, Excel macro to make your own tests:
SRT to CSV script: https://bit.ly/2GNvZTo Excel sheet: https://bit.ly/3iKdlch ●▬▬▬VIDEO INDEX▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● 00:00 Intro 01:37 Waypoint flights: DJI Stock 03:23 TrueRC 04:55 3T helical 06:53 7turn helical 09:20 check my Sector 5 viodeo here https://youtu.be/k9bQCkDa1VA 09:36 Maple Patcjes bottom, TrueRC Top 11:20 50m alt was to low! 12:40 TrueRC bottom, Maple Top 13:55 PATCHES Top or Bottom? 14:21 Maple Wireless - will test them again! 14:58 EMAX - manual flights to compare 16:17 Emax TrueRC 17:46 Emax 3Turn Helix 19:13 I like 3turn 19:27 7turn 19:47 my thoughts ●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● #DJIFPV #antennatest #RCSchim

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Sunflowers and a Brando at sunset


Sunflowers! Once I see the first fields I plan to properly capture their beauty with some low passes at speed ;) And the 2nd part, thr "brando" - the construction site near the road we drive many times in summer - it was an open invitation for a drone freestyle nerd, wasn't it?

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

why I'm always late for work...

When I take the adventure bike for my short way to work, I almost never go the direct route. Sometimes it can take me a bit longer - but it's worth it... The 6S Emax HawkPro (with DJI) grew to my heart over this summer and is flown a lot - now with the adventure bike it's a killer combination of 2 hobbies that make you feel FREEDOM - only a "matter of time" until they're used to your showing up late @work ;)


●▬▬▬LINKS▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● Helmet mount: https://amzn.to/34eAlei Tank-Bag SWMotech @ValleOnTour: https://www.valleontour.com/sw-motech I show the SW-MOTECH PRO Daypack 5 to 8 Liter (you also need to order the suiting tank ring for your bike). @Valle on Tour https://bit.ly/2EG6Adk Fortnine KTM390 review: https://youtu.be/PUcnNjUECEw

Friday, September 25, 2020

Ride and Fly - The Quarry

It was really nice flying there - and even nicer of them to grant me permission to do so!

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

iNav Waypoint mission - a few easy steps (SG325)

Here I was just excited to share my findings about iNav and waypoints (from the perspective of someone who is pretty new to iNav!).

●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● LINKS: Blackbox log converter: https://github.com/betaflight/blackbox-log-viewer/releases to convert the log to CSV and also GPX Track (which you can open in Google Earth Pro (free!)). Just "throw" the Logfiles on the "Decode".exe and it will generate the files for you! SpeedyBee2 Adapter: https://www.speedybee.com/speedy-bee-adapter-2/ ●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● VIDEO INDEX: 00:00 Intro 02:52 Waypoints - what to consider 03:32 1st waypoint not too far! 05:24 LOAD WPs with Stick commands 06:02 SAVE to FC, SAVE to EEPROM! 09:49 Blackbox converter 10:27 Patreons 12:37 Rare Bear ●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● ►EQUIPMENT: http://goo.gl/QNzck Filmed with: Panasonic GH5 + R0de VideoMicro, SG325: https://youtu.be/Nfv_XwA13rU or https://youtu.be/ZS1tnvrAMnE

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

DJI FPV Antenna Test improved! (GPS + SRT = good comparison of Lollipop vs Patches)

Here's my take on practical antenna-testing for DJI FPV goggles. A lot of DJI users ask me, "which antenna should I use for decent range?".
Stock DJI Antennas (in the air and on your goggles) are ok, but with the cheapest of options you can gain way better results. I swap the air units antennas for RHCP so I can use all my normal 5.8 antennas that I collected over the years. (DJI antennas are not really different from what we used in the analog world). On the AirUnit you need: mmcx RHCP antennas (if RHCP is what you use on goggles). I use either Speedybee or Foxeer Lollipop mmcx antennas. Caddx Vista: attention - here you need "UFL" connector instead of mmcx! Foxeer Lollipop stubbies would be very convenient, but my previous measurements indicate that they are especially weak "overhead" (in the antenna null). Normal Lollipop (the ones with coax cable) are relativly small and have good performance. 2 of them cost around 20$ currently on banggood - so for 40$ you can have the goggles fitted with new antennas, if you dont already have these from analog times... Watch out - you also need RP SMA to SMA adaptors! Longrange combo: 2 omnis (the said Lollipop) on top (yes, on top - they look like horns there as well) 2 patches on the bottom ports (if possible use an 45° adaptor to point them straight or even up a bit!) In this video you see how much of a difference you can expect between already tuned Lollis and the Patch combo. Since I now have GPS RTH safety, I can almost go to the edge of my reception. With the SG325 iNav copter here I have the luxury of an SD card for blackbox logging - and therefore I get good GPS data (check Pawels tutorial on how to convert blackbox logs to GPX files for google earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEGywqPD2Uk). And with my little script (https://youtu.be/s0Y-P3RrMDI ) I can convert the subtitles (SRT) from the goggles to Excel files and make nice charts which show you the bitrate over time rather then just the number overlay. That makes it much easier to judge the performance over the whole flight. SRT to CSV converter script: https://bit.ly/2Zr9Gs6 Test setup: 25mw, current firmware (as of 16.9.2020) 50mbit mode, high quality SpeedyBee Antenna on Caddx Vista Crossfire for control link Standing next to a road free LOS to the fiel, nothing blocks my view to the copter. "fly as long as you feel comfortable" - I returned when bitrate dropped below 5mbit too often. Summer, low humidity, 28° all flights around 5min from each other.

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

How this simple Adapter2 saved the day (SG325 + iNav RTH settings)

While waiting for the Flywoo Explorer LR I converted my Skystars SG325 to have Crossfire and Caddx Vista. So now I can test DJI goggles' antennas without freaking out all the time and I can go to the limits now for you guys ;)
!DISCLAIMER! - Runcam sent me this product for review, you can buy it here: https://www.speedybee.com/speedy-bee-adapter-2/

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Ride and Fly (KTM Adventure 390 and EMax HawkPro)

Continuing to edit the many joyful flights of my compact DJI FPV setup together. Here I started combining 2 great hobbies: motorcycles (newbie!) and Drone flying. This adds up to a degree of freedom I hope to somehow transfer into this video. You drive around in nice landscape, can go almost anywhere (with a decent adventure-bike) and fly if you arrive at a new spot. Sometimes hard to decided tho: do I rather keep going with the bike, or change to the drone ;)

Filmed with:
EmaxHawkPro DJI FPV 50mbit Superview & ND Filter https://www.ktm.com/de-de/models/travel/ktm-390-adventure2020.html ●▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬● ►♫MUSIC: Phase, Recess - AGST Razzmatazz - Jules Gaia

Monday, August 24, 2020

Found this on banggood and requested it for review. Really nice package with the Caddx Vista already installed, I only had to switch the RX (the Crossfire version was out of stock). Already had a lot of flights with it - so expect LOADS of fun in this review! Please 👍 and 🔔 thanks ;-) it helps a lot! Find many links and infos further down! ►GepRC Rocket Lite (code:drones6, 6%OFF) + FUN little drone + loads of range + durable + easy to fly - flighttimes on 2" not so long (3-5mins) - a bit expensive (partly because Caddx Vista included) - noisy definitly should be flown with good 4cell packs: Tattu R-Line battery

Thursday, August 20, 2020

EMax in the Woods (DJI DVR commented)

These were the first flights with DalProp folding props. Pretty windy, re-discovered spot (were there years ago with the little IRC Vortex150). Still catching up with using footage - I think the next of these videos will finally come with 50mbit DVR and clearer video. Still totally happy with the emax which has become my fav quad this summer! 

Friday, August 14, 2020

INSIDE DJI Caddx Vista and other micro antennas (Lollipop, Speedybee)

Today I wondered how the Caddx Vista antennas look inside. Couldn't find the info online, so I opend one up myself. Before I knew what happend, a lot of poor little antennas were mangled brutally and I needed to find an excuse for the slaughtery. "That's for a video" I tried to convince myself...

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

3 new spots: asked for permission, here's what happend!

This is the 3rd video in my "DVR Chronicles" series. I really fly a lot with DJI FPV (fun again) and the little EmaxPro (fast, light, small, long flighttimes).
Here I still have 25mbit footage (flew this a while ago). Now with 50mbit it looks even better and let's me keep the gopro safe (at home) - and makes the whole flying process so quick and easy! Thanks for being here - means a lot! Greets, Mario

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

RCSchims MEGA FPV Antennatest 2020 (most accurate yet, interactive results webpage!)

Hope this helps you decide which antenna to use and what to expect!


►Derove's INTERACTIVE visualization in Tableau
Antenna OVERVIEW (with pics & links)

My test-setup:
I use 1mW on the transmitter, 10m distance to a VERY SENSITIVE receiver (Aaronia Spectran HF6065 -150dB! and take enough samples to get an average. 
I measure antennas in their best orientation (vertical for omnis) and the worst (antenna null point "above" the omni antenna).
Fun fact:
As my test suggests that Lollipop 1 is better than 2 and 3, here I read that Lolli1 was PCB style (like Lumenier AXII) and 2 was spw style. That explains why the Lolli1 was their best antenna - because they cloned a good one :)

Greets, Mario

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

CADDX Loris "4k60", Ratel, Nebula analog Latency, Image quality and a BUZZARD!

If you're here for the Buzzard, check 11:46 ;) - in my Caddx Cam-Review I didnt compare the digital image vs. stock DJI, because we already know it doesnt look good. I measured the analog latency and give you an idea of the 4k60 quality you can expect from the 10gr Loris board cam.


Find the cams here

Sunday, July 26, 2020

DJIFPV Summer Riverruns (scary as s.... to fly that close and fast over water)

Found the confidence to fly more over our river "Schwarza" (Black river) on 5 different spots around here. Of course you need to powerloop that bridges - but throttle response should be trained to catch the copter before it's his last DIVE ;)
Hope this helps you cool down if it's hot, and hope it brings light, sunshine and warmth to you if you are down there in the winter!
Greets, Mario


Filmed with: Emax HawkPro + Caddx Vista (DJI FPV)
used ND Filter (lens thickend with tape)
Superview script

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

DVR Chronicles Part2 (Emax HawkPro Caddx Vista)

Since the beginning, this little Emax HawkPro power quad really delivers!
Please support with 👍 and 🔔 thanks ;-) it helps a lot!
Because it's small but powerfull and a gopro wouldnt fit easy (and make it heavier) my "DVR chronicles" series was born. Still got loads of great flights which I will keep combining to such FPV vids. I dont wanna fall behind too much with using these flights (older footage tends to be forgotten in my collection). Next will have more commentary - curious how you like this approach.
thanks for watching and commenting,
Greets, Mario


Part 1:

Emax HawkPro Review:



Wednesday, July 15, 2020

DJI FPV: 50mbit Mode (how it looks on the RF spectrum!)

See the new 50mbit mode on a spectrum analyzer:

DJI FPV Channels overview:
25mbit mode:
CH1 5650-5670 CH5 5795-5815
CH2 5685-5705 CH6 5868-5888
CH3 5725-5745 CH7 5904-5924
CH4 5760-5780 CH8 5829-5849

50mbit mode:
CH1 5680-5715 35mhz
CH2 5755-5790 35mhz
CH3 5860-5895 35mhz

...and here you see me updating my DJI Airunits (Hangar VLog)

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Tutorial: SUPERVIEW with NIEK Script - the SUPER EASY way

Wanna get the cool, fisheyed look that most freestylers achieve with gopros Superview? Check this free little converter which can even convert a bunch of files at once. Super easy! No settings no fiddeling around with options, just run a script.
1.) download this NIEK SUPERVIEW Script
and extract all 3 *.EXE files into your SYSTEM32 folder (i.E. c:\windows\system32)
If this scares you - it also works to have this *.exe files in the same folder as your videos - they just have to be available for the BAT script...

 2.) copy the "Superview all.bat" File to the folder where you have your 4:3 source Videos 

3.) run this file and either enter a single videos filename when asked - or easier, just hit ENTER to have all MP4 files from this folder converted automatically into a "superview" subfolder. 
 Tip: Depending on your OS' paranoia mode (aka security settings) you might need to start the script as admin, or even have to lower "user account control" bar to lowest settings. 

 I've also compared a few other methods to convert 4:3 video to 16:9 with old GoproStudio, MeshWarp filter on Vegas and then I compared results:
   

Alternatives: InDrone Productions showed me this -> MeeKaah Superviou:
  • nice proggy with drag and drop rather then command line
  • available for MAC as well
  • can upscale to 4k if needed
  • speed, filesize same as NIEK
  • I miss batch conversion option (more than one video)

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Analog vs Digital FPV Video

So the other day I was wondering if I could test analog vs. digital on the same platform (RC car). DJI goggles influence the analog reception a bit - but it worked.
Quick and easy solution was to strap on a little DJI FPV copter on my RCCar and drive around carefully with both video signals recording.
Both set to 25mw with same antennas.

Here I try to compare analog vs. Digital, on a car (low to the ground is always a challenge for RF). With a car you can drive beyound video range without crashing!
That being said, even with lowest power (25mw) the DJI FPV feed didnt break up completley when I drove down in the garage, behind LOS with lots of metal objects.
See the DJI OSD data (Bitrate and Signal) and how ImmersionRC 25mw VTX combined with Immersions Rapidfire compares to this…

TIPP: If you like the DJI OSD overlay in my video: download this script which will "re-format" the subtitle file. For nicer playback and only displaying of important infos. I have a few different versions of this re-formatter...
To simply playback the DJI files with OSD on your computer use "VideoLan Client" Player (free software) - it will display the SRT (subtitles) in realtime.
If you want to use this in a video editor - it's a bit more work. If there is enough demand I will make a little tutorial... (Hint: you need the free X-Media Recode)

Furadi show's how he can fly a spot with DJI which was almost impossible with analog (due to heavy multipathing there):


MrSteele's Analog vs Digital Video:


Frequncies table - nice overview:

Monday, June 22, 2020

EmaxPro Vista, feelgood FPV Sessions

This copter/setup is really a great, fun device! I only had it for a few weeks now and already have more than 50 flights. Most flights are quite long as well (6-8mins). Power is plenty, copter could be tuned a bit better.
DVR quality is ok for me. Of course a gopro would make supersharp and steady footage - but this gives you a dirty, action / fun look for your FPV videos. There are more then enough high quality footage aerial videos out there now - let's come back to the basics and concentrate on the fun part of this hobby!

Filmed with: Samsung Galaxy S10
Emax Pro + Caddx Vista (with ND8 filter)
DVR footage is 1280x720 (originally 960x720, streched with NIEK)
Video project was 2560x1440x60 - massive upscale - but this makes youtube spend more bitrate. Plus: the now unsharp DVR footage doesnt need as much bitrate as Youtube would supply for 1440p - result: no more is Youtube codec the bottlenec ;)

SUPERVIEW with NIEK Script - the SUPER EASY way:
(works for Windows):
1.) download this NIEK SUPERVIEW Script
and extract all 3 *.EXE files into your SYSTEM32 folder
(i.E. c:\windows\system32)
(if this scares you - it also works to have this *.exe files in the same folder as your videos - they just have to be available for the BAT script...)
2.) copy the "Superview all.bat" File to the folder where you have your 4:3 source Videos
3.) run this file and either enter a single videos filename when asked - or easier, just hit ENTER to have all MP4 files from this folder converted automatically into a "superview" subfolder.
On a current CPU it takes around twice the runtime of your source-video (10mins for a 5min flight video).

Sunday, June 14, 2020

EMAX Pro Review



If you just wanna see some flight scenes (nice ones in there!) check the index below, around 12:56 is where the nicer flying starts.
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00:03 Unboxing 01:21 closeups 02:46 Crossfire connection! 03:08 first flights (analog) 04:33 Caddx Vista install 04:46 first flight with DIGI 04:59 Analog vs Digital indoors 05:37 VoltSag test results 09:22 Taranis Telemetry 11:47 ND Filter and DJI transmission 12:56 flight footage AWESOME fields
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Emax Pro Specs:
6S copter
Weight: 290gr with original analog setup / 306gr with caddx vista
Flighttime: 6-8mins with 1300mah 6S
very good handling and speed, great for freestyle, apperantly designed for racing
see Furadi's EMAX Pro review (more racer point of view)

ND Filters:
Install such a "grey filter" which basically reduces the ammount of light. This helps in multiple ways:
- jello (vibration wobble) reduced or eliminated!
- motion blur effect (for example in gras when flying low and fast) - looks better
- and this reduces the BITRATE needed - so other parts of the video can be sharper
- some protection to your lens

https://www.freewellgear.com/dji-mavic-accessories/109-dji-mavic-filter-6-pack.html
(you need to "widen" the caddx lens with some tape, for those ND filters to fit there)

►EQUIPMENT
Filmed with: Panasonic GH5 + R0de VideoMicro, Samsung Galaxy S10, Caddx Vista

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Battery VOLT-Sag-TEST (retesting CNHLs Black Series)


In my big Battery Test-Video in early April I've compared a lot of different China brand 6S Lipos.
Since a few comments suggested that the CNHL (at least the white ones) usually perform very good, I thought that the long shipping times (and maybe bad, cold storage during shipping) might have damaged them. I asked banggood to send another one - so I could retest:
Today I just flew 3 packs with a new copter (soon to be reviewed!) and found that the CNHL black series still sucks :)


(click to enlarge)

Above you see my excel log analysis. Both CNHLs performed similar (bad) where they sag to 19.7 and 19.6v, where the DemonRC only did sag to 20.5v  (and the DemonRC was NOT the best performer in my test - it is a good medium class pack). Notably more "punch" as well on the DemonRC pack - seen as the higher orange peak (59Amps vs. 53 and 55 on the CNHLs).

(click to enlarge)
Above you now see a zoomed in comparison of the voltages of those 3 packs. Red is DemonRC, Blue and orange are CNHLs. Again: Demons were not even the best - so this comparison could look even worse for CNHL!


A note to my testing this time:  SD Logging on Taranis!
After a good tip from "InDrone Productions" I realized that I can log the values thru telemetry downlink on my Taranis. As always, Oscar Liang has a great guide how to activate this (rather simple!). The only thing you need: Crossfire RX needs to be connected in CRSF protocal (with 2 signal wires) instead of sbus mode (which I had). If this is the case, you see all important values on your Radio (and can even set alarms there).
Let me know if you need a video on this topic...

Friday, May 15, 2020

Epic Drone DIVES #4 (Alps|Rax Grosses Hoellental)


If you liked this video, check out this special Playlist
or here are links to DIVES from the same location (I'm there almost every year with a different drone since 2012!):
2012 with TBS Disco
2013 with KK2 copter
2015 with the Black Bullet
and a bit later a CRASH and drone missing in action
2017 with IRC Vortex 250

Filmed with: Samsung Galaxy S10
Drone: HGLRC Sector5 - Review here
+ DJI FPV system
Gopro7 + ND16 in 4k30 superview, ISO 100 + Hypersmooth

Sunday, April 19, 2020

DJI FPV best RANGE which Antennas on Goggles and Air Unit

While doing "wingsuit style" DIVES with my quad in the alps, the last thing I want are RED RSSI indicators making me nervous. I was quite sure that my AIR Unit antennas are not placed optimal, and I knew there was more potential on the goggles antennas as well. Since DJI logs Bitrate for you in a file, you can test antennas and compare the LOG data in excel.
After this test-sessions on the field I swapped the menace patch with an ORT 3turn helical - it has a flexy SMA cable and better performance as well.
Overall I'm pretty confident with this VIDEO TRANSMISSION now!


►EQUIPMENT
Filmed with: Panasonic GH5 + R0de VideoMicro, Samsung Galaxy S10

AndyRC on DJI FPV best Antenna-Setup

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VIDEO INDEX:
00:52 1st flight: baseline (bad Airunit Antenna placement)
01:54 2nd flight, better AirUnit Antenna placement
02:33 Goggles Antennas Optimization
04:32 RP-SMA, RPSMA to SMA converter

Friday, April 17, 2020

DIVES like in the old days - but with modern gear

Hi dear RCSchim blog reader,
been busy flying with the Sector 5 (HGLRC, Review here) with DJI FPV system installed, Crossfire for control link and this all topped with Gopro7 in 4k30 with hypersmooth. I can't believe how much the technology has evolved in the last years (see my first DIVES and these new ones in comparison to see what I mean).









Friday, April 3, 2020

6S Battery Comparison (Racing Drone Packs)

That's a long video, USE the Jumpmarks in my VIDEO INDEX below for easier access to what matters to you. Grab some popcorn and whatch the whole thing if you've got time :)

If you're curious about how to CONVERT DJI SRT files to be useable in Excel, find the script here on a google drive: https://bit.ly/2waB7vD
There's also the FULL XLS Sheet I used in this review, check out the data in detail there.
I've included a 2nd SRT converter script there to re-format those SRTs for the essential infos (VOLT + Latency + Bitrate). If you want to get a tutorial how to overlay the data in a video (as I have here) let me know. If there's enough interest in it I'll do a tut...

!DISCLAIMER! - Banggood sent me most of the Packs for review, you can buy them here:
1 Beat Lipo 1300mah  also use: Code for this one, BGFS12P, 12%off
2 iFlight Fullsend
3 Tiger Power Atomic Platinum 
4 XF Power 1300mah 
5 Tattu R-Line3 1300mAh 
6 Gaoneng GN3
7 DemonRC 1250mAh 
8 DemonRC 1100mAh 
9 AHTech Infinity 
10 CNHL Black Series 1300mah 
2020 Banggood Spring Sale

While some of those links are affiliation links I dont earn money here (it's the banggood contact who tracks sales) - I'm not a sales guy, here you get HONEST reviews and opinions.
I'm kinda biased tho if you send me a Baseball cap or a shirt ;)

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VIDEO INDEX:
01:33 ● XF Power
02:44 ● Beat Lipo (1st Test)
04:00 ● Tiger Power Atomic Platinum
05:19 ● DemonRC 1250mAh
07:27 ● Gaoneng GN3
09:09 ● iFlight Fullsend
11:10 ● AHTech Infinity
12:21 ● Tattu V3 (cold)
13:25 ►reTest!
13:54 warm Batteries
14:13 ● Tattu R-Line3 (pre warmed)
15:35 ● Beat Lipo (pre warmed)
17:23 ● CNHL Black Series (pre-warmed)
18:27 ● DemonRC 1100mAh
19:56 SRT conversions
20:22 DJI Logging issues
21:20 Sandisk sd card
21:54 ►►ANALYZE! See the Data!
24:06 DJI Ant issue
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Friday, March 20, 2020

A quiet place

It's unreal how normal everything looks, beautiful spring weather and yet we have totally different situation than a few weeks ago. Look at it from the positive side: nature can take a deep breath and the animals already conquer back some normally crowded city streets...
All the best for you and your family, dont freek out, go fly (alone) and help flattening "the curve" by social distancing!
Good examples how to socialize online whilst staying at home:
RecRoom
https://rec.net/user/Schim
See you there (but be warned, I have "some" experience in Lasertag :)