1.3g TreuRC Gatling Vs VAS Pepperbox 📡 Penetration Test - Ritewing ZCon

[@EZflyer75]

At 3:14 you have balls of steel to fly that low and 9 km away from home. Respect.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Thanks 🙏 soon I hope to bring you a very high risk low flight ;-)

[@EZflyer75]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Mmmm can't wait :) I love when it's low and risky.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@EZflyer75 This will be super risky 😅so risky that I'm building a 'High risk flight' plane especially for this flight.. It will be my current Mini Talon rebuilt to be more aero, lighter and have a lot less value due to the likelihood it will end up in a tree of river

[@18414977]

Con la antena Gatling truerc hemos volado más de 76 kilómetros y no hemos tenido problemas es la mejor hasta el momento. La recomiendo.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Nice work! It's probably the worlds best antenna! Cheers

[@stonesrcchannel]

Thanks for the test pepperbox for me was looking at getting one just the other day.. great video

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

You won't regret buying a PB, brilliant antenna been using one for years

[@egtreadway4232]

Thats some pretty fancy flying, just wondering is it best to mount pepperbox vertical or horizontal for longrange and also how exactly you buried the vtx antenna in wing, I mean how deep in the foam roughly and what type glue? Thanks nice video

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Thanks :) best way to mount the Pepperbox is vertical like you see in the pictures. Take a look at IB crazy videos on it to understand why. But it's because you want a wider horizontal beamwidth. The Antenna is burries as deep in the wing as it needs to go without protruding from the wing. so the top of the antenna is level with the profile of the wing, then I just laminate over it. cheers

[@smackfpv]

Nice flight that can only be done like that using 1.3! Wish I had more opportunity to fly the same. As for comparison between the two antennas (I know that is not what this is) They are pretty much on par with each other.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

1.3 is my favourite for this reason 😎

[@diaryrecorded5524]

its odd that your goggles would get such better video quality than your dedicated dvr... kind of makes it look as if it was the pepperboxes fault even though you have already mentioned it not being so. Thank you for this video all the same! I want to build a ground station eventually and I think the pepperbox is what I am leaning towards but any further videos on this type of setup is very appreciated again thank you!

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Hi, Actually is was the other way round, the PB was recorded in higher quality. The extra detail in the PB feed is just down to the DVR being better. This flight was just to test the reception and level of static from both antennas. PB is a great antenna, I have a full groundstation build video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nX-7lqatgM-go7M

[@alanhobbs4879]

Best river run I've seen! I didn't know it was even possible to fly that far and low! I'm looking forward to that high risk video you mentioned. It'd be cool to have repeaters on another plane flying above you so you could get even lower. I hope Bruce Simpson shows us how to make repeaters soon!

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

I've considered the repeater option a few times but it just gets a bit too much effort and increased risk & complication. Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the river run 😎 My MT is being converted to a lower cost and lower weight purely for this river run. Cheers

[@alanhobbs4879]

@@AdamGdoesFPV River runs are my favorite kinda FPV. For years and years I've been wanting to fly along creeks and rivers which are deep down in forested canyons here on the west coast of British Columbia. Keep up the great work, cheers!

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@alanhobbs4879 Yeah it's awesome! Sounds like the 1.3g Gatling could be the antenna for you! I don't think there is any other antenna in existence that will give you better reception on low river runs. If you haven't already seen this video here you're in for a treat: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXOxZGxjf5yGkKc It's well worth watching from start to end!

[@alanhobbs4879]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Whoa!! Thanks for sharing Stuwe's video, that was incredible! I needed to see that. I don't know if I can bring my self to spend that much on an antenna but your guys' videos have got me thinkin about it ☺ 🍻

[@thefirm9679]

Great Video

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 😃

[@q1v1]

So which one do you prefer better Adam - The Gatling or the Pepperbox ?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

For general flying the PB. Has a nice wide beam, no need for a tracker and it has plenty of space on the back to mount all the gear you need. For super low flying and where penetration is required I'll use the Gatling. I hook it up to my diversity demon so I can actually use both the PB, Omni and the Gatling though diversity. If you were already invested in a tracker that could take the weight of the Gatling then that would be the ultimate setup. I don't want the hassle/complexity of a tracker though

[@q1v1]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Thank you for such a thorough response Adam I really appreciate it

[@parafarmaciatrer8119]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Sorry Adam, do you know where I can get the diversity demon. It seems to be nowhere on the net atm.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@parafarmaciatrer8119 Sorry no it's discontinued, you just can't get them anymore. Only alternative is the Clearview XL but it's expensive

[@parafarmaciatrer8119]

​@@AdamGdoesFPV Thanks for the info. i will have a look ;)

[@marcdornan1454]

The Gatling is definitely producing a cleaner and less noisy image and when it gets really bad for both antennas reception-wise the Gatling definitely seems to have the edge. But I would think the Pepperbox is more versatile and really has a wider beam. The Gatling is nice but at $500 it really is a bit of a luxury that is nardly needed. Very nice comparison.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Yeah I'd agree with that. The Gatling doesn't warrant the price difference but it must be the best cp antenna that exists for range and penetration. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@marcdornan1454]

@@AdamGdoesFPV I see it is now $359 instead of $499. Still, about 3X price of Pepperbox.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@marcdornan1454 I assumed you might have been talking Canadian as I believe it’s around $500 but yeah in usd it’s $359

[@marcdornan1454]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Like all TrueRc products they have had to reduce their prices in recents years. It used to be $500!

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@marcdornan1454 360 is a bit steep. 500 is mad.

[@EnglishTurbines]

Be interesting to swap over the DVRs because the signal on the Gatling's is way cleaner....FS goggle DVRs are not noted for their quality either, just saying...

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Yeah the goggle DVR doesn’t capture as much detail (Skyzone O30) but I was only really interested in reception quality in this comparison. I didn’t originally intend on publishing this, it was just me testing antennas for my river run 😋

[@EnglishTurbines]

@@AdamGdoesFPV For me, the Pepperbox just has a noisier signal not as well matched with the Skew on the plane...in a nutshell...forget which DVR for a moment...I assume it's a skew on the bird?

[@Just-A-Guy-Learning]

Looks like the receiver on the vas is out of tune. When the video was perfect in both images, the receiver with the pepperbox had colors that were a bit more saturated. Looks like it needs the pot on its board adjusted. It will clean the image up further and give better performance. Thats one of the biggest issues with the non rmrc branded versions of the receiver. They come poorly tuned. I have adjusted mine to get very similar performance from both types of receivers. Makes a world of difference. Helps gain a few extra miles on the range as well. Love that flight area. Nice job. The way I tuned mine was checking the image close and turning the pot until it was the cleanest image. Then moving the model out a good distance and adjusting again. Sometimes just doing it up close has the same spot adjustment as far away. Same goes for those cheap no name 1.3ghz vtx. Some of them were just horrible out of the box. No range at all. Turn the pot until a stable image came across. Then took it way out stuck it up in a tree. Then video called my fiances phone pointed at the monitor to adjust the pot a bit while I was far out. Video is impeccable. Opposite of not being able to go 2 blocks without terrible video. Great video as always. Enjoy your content. Thanks for doing this comparison.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Hey, thanks for watching and commenting :) regarding the tune on the rx, I'm fairly convinced the difference in image here is down to 2 very different DVRs being used. They are both RMRC receivers and I don't see any difference when they are switching in diversity mode. Thanks for the interesting info though! Cheers

[@alexgrigoreas4825]

The Gatling is great, but fairly expensive in comparison to the PB. Only issue I am seeing is that no one has the PB available at the moment. Any idea what going on with VAS?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Hi Alex, for sure the price difference is much bigger than the performance difference from what I can see. If I were you I'd just backorder it with these guys, they normally get stock in really quickly and have best prices: tiny.cc/6adv0y I'm not aware of any issues with VAS though. Cheers

[@alexgrigoreas4825]

@@AdamGdoesFPV thank you, I will. I assume your ground station has not changed since the last setup video?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@alexgrigoreas4825 No it's still the same since the video I made. The only thing I've added (as covered in my pinned comment on that video) is the Eachine 5.8g monitor, mounted to the tripod using a 3D printed part which I shared.

[@alexgrigoreas4825]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Thank you Adam, I'll have questions I am sure. Glad to see more content.

[@papaecho]

I see a difference in colours and sharpness. Why?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

I’ve just updated the video description because of this. The Gatling feed was recorded on my goggles DVR and the Pepperbox was recorded on my dedicated DVR. That’s the only reason one appears to show more detail than the other. The comparison is about the reception 😁👍🏻

[@chipsetrc2815]

You say in the description that the pepperbox picture looks better because its recorded on a dedicated dvr but I would have said that the gatling picture looks a bit better. Does this have anything to do with the antenna or is it entirely because of the recording? Thanks

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

I mean the recording on the PB looks better quality due to the DVR, but the picture from the Gatling is better for sure. There isn’t a better image quality from the PB, it’s just a better DVR.

[@chipsetrc2815]

@@AdamGdoesFPV I get what youre saying but the frame rate and detail on the gatling video looks far superior in this video dont you think?

[@13FPV]

What about the autotrim?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

As per my other response. It is active for 2 seconds only... but the text remains on the OSD for the rest of the flight (unless you disengage autotrim and then you lose your new servo trim). When you land and disarm it saves the new servo position

[@13FPV]

@@AdamGdoesFPV I know what it is (and it’s actually 5 seconds 😉👍🏼) but do you trim your plane every single flight?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@@13FPV Yes if I'm flying low high risk I trim it to be perfect each flight. I'm not sure why it's needing small adjustments each time though, i've inspected the mechanical parts and its all very strong. Oh and it's actually 2 seconds 😂 github.com/iNavFlight/inav/wiki/Modes#servo-autotrim

[@13FPV]

😂 2 seconds it is! My bad... It used to be 5 sec maybe. Don’t know. Good to know! Thanks! 😉 I only use (have to) autotrim when the CG might be off due to the use of a different battery. Maybe one of your servo’s does not center every time (bad servo) or stick center jitter on the tx which easily can be solved by adding some deadband. Don't know. I guess you checked all of that... I can imagine it’s annoying to trim before every flight. Hope you solve it one day! 👍🏼

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

TrueRC Gatling ► tiny.cc/TrueRCGatling VAS Pepperbox antenna ► tiny.cc/6adv0y Thanks for watching full kit list in the video description :)

Link to the Gatling is not working. :) Nice flight. The resolution is impressive.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@ Thank you for that, should be fixed now :)

[@pablosiga6082]

Hello Adam. Nice fly and steel balls! Looking at the telemetry you go far about 10km and comeback. Amazing at this low altitude!!! Did you put yuour ground station (GS) above in a hill or not? how high was de GS ? How did you point the antennas?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Yeah my flying field is higher elevation that the river, approx 100m which you can see if you look on the right hand side of the OSD where my altitude is displayed. Thanks for watching and for the comment 👍🏻😊

[@unixoid33]

I do not understand English very well, explain please, there is a between the pilot and the plane direct visibility? The pilot stands on a hill and there is direct visibility between him and the plane? It's my dream to fly so low. But these antennas are very expensive. I have an l-com 8db patch and a satellite dish. Together must be a higher gain. Do you think it will be possible to fly low over the forest with such an antenna? at a distance of 3-5km?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

I am on top of a hill but there is not always direct line of sight between pilot and plane, which is why high gain antennas are required. The Gatling is 16db so your 8db patch will not compare. The Pepperbox is much higher db than your patch too and only costs around $115. However, 3-5km over a forest using a 1.3g patch will be fine depending on environment and setup.

[@austntexan]

Imagine the view on a ClearView XLR + 2X Gatling.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

My flying buddy ordered the CV XL 1.3g and had so many issues with it he had to send it back 😣

[@slavikarg]

Why not a high gain helicoidal antenna on a tracker? If you got the $ that's what will get you even lower.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Helical is lower gain and way more awkward form factor. Everything about the Gatling is better. In fact I don’t think many stores even bother stocking helicals in the 1.3g band any more 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@datumotion1448]

Hi Adam. I’m using tbs crossfire and 1.3ghz. But I have video interruption. I already installed notch filter. Can you give me some information to eliminate video interruption from crossfire

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Stand further away from your ground station

[@NinjaFlashX]

Nice video. Was the video on the left recorded with a higher resolution? It looks cleaner then the one on the right.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Actually no, the Gatling was recorded on a lower quality DVR. The Gatling does get better reception so it looks a lot cleaner during certain parts of the flight. Cheers

[@FunBitesTV]

Hi Adam, thanks for another great video. Which antenna is your favourite?Casually watching , out of the two id not say there was much in it tbh. Is the VAS antenna better build quality? But less transportable? Cheers

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

The PB is the Best Buy for 95% of people out there. 1/3 the price, well built with space for Gs parts, no need for tracker, high enough gain for cool low flights and long range. The Gatling is the ultimate CP antenna for long range and penetration but only needed for serious range or penetration. Not a huge difference in this flight but the difference is enough to allow me to maybe fly those extra few meters closer to the river 😎 it’s also light enough to mount to a tracker which would be the ultimate setup, but I don’t want to run a tracker

[@RakishRc]

Awesome flight and test. i have purchased a crosshair xtreme even though i wanted a pepperbox but settled with crosshair for now. do you have any videos testing the crosshair?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Thanks :) The crosshair is still a great antenna, the furthest I ever went on it was 17km. I don't have 'test' videos but if you watch any of my FPV videos that were uploaded before May 2018 they were all using the Crosshair. EG 12.5km here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKOtmH6prqZsq8k

[@RakishRc]

@@AdamGdoesFPV thanks Adam!

[@angelisfpv]

Why were you flying autotrim the whole time

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Autotrim pre iNav 3.0 was a 2 second process. Then the message stayed on the screen for the rest of the flight.

[@stuweFPV]

cool video!!! I'd rate the Pepperbox as the best price/value and the Gatling for the best penetration

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

For sure 👌🏻 big price difference and the PB performs very well! Gatling just has that extra bit of gain for punching through those trees but it costs a lot 😅 cheers Stuwe

[@alanhobbs4879]

Hey Adam, do you know how 1.3ghz video compares to the DJI digital 5.8ghz FPV system in terms of forest penetration? I've never seem them compared before.

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

It simply cannot compare unfortunately. Otherwise I'd be using one by now. The DJI is only 5.8g after all. If it's close range flying behind trees then it might do ok, but not the kind of flying you see in this video. Cheers

[@gaddivo]

Great video as always Adam. Gatling seems have more pleasant image. But it way more expensive. xD Off topic question: in your videos I notice that you're using autotrim and/or autotune very long time when flying. What best way to make plane tuned correctly on inav according to your experience?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Yeah it's very high cost compared to the PB and its not in proportion with the performance difference. I very rarely use Autotune, I only do this in the early days of a models life if it is struggling to fly in automated flight modes. Autotrim on the other hand I user more regularly, like in this flight. With flying very low it's important to ensure the model flies straight so I do it at the start of a flight if the trim isn't perfect. Autotrim is only active for 2 seconds once activated! So I am not trimming for the entire flight, annoyingly it's just that the Autotrim message stays on the screen until you disarm. Hope this helps.

[@gaddivo]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Oh I thought that you're activating autotrim the whole flight. xD Thanks Adam for you answer

[@lucasvanhamburg4937]

what channel was this? 1280?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

yeah

[@josiahdaniels2499]

Thanks for the video! I was trying to decide if I should wait for PB to become available or grab the Gatling. I’m still concerned about the Gatling having a smaller beam width so in the end I think I’ll get the Gatling but place a back order for PB. I plan to get a tracker eventually which it sounds like I might need with the Gatling from reading the comments. Has the Gatling suffered at longer distances due to smaller beam in your experience?

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Both excellent antennas, you'll love them. Never suffered with long range beam on the Gatling, remember that when you go far out you have to really fly a long way off to the side of the beam, although narrow it covers a really wide section of air further away. Cheers

[@xavierlecozic2658]

Hey Adam I would just like to know what is the best between the ground station with the bigger pepperbox or rather the smaler one but with the antenna tracking ? thx

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Unfortunately there is no simple answer to this one. It depends on how you want to fly and what gear you use and budget etc. A basic comparison: Using a tracker is good for flying around in all directions and with the right antenna it's pretty much the ultimate setup. Disadvantages: complexity with needing to receive telemetry through some means. This will then apply to every aircraft you own, so may be expensive if you need extra hardware onboard the plane. More moving parts, more to go wrong, and in my experience much more of a pain to transport than a fixed antenna GS. Antenna trackers cannot handle the larger antennas like the PB, but some might be able to handle the Gatling ok. Hope this helps

[@MrZeek101]

nice but no sticking with the Pepperbox great S X S really enjoyed it

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

PB is excellent! Thanks for watching 😁

[@carlharrison3637]

Great video ! Hard to say which was best, both went really well though I think the PB is cheaper than the gatling - btw my PB is smaller than the one you have, at least the back board is, going to attempt assembling this week of it

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Thanks Carl! The PB is a great antenna and will be the best buy for most out there with it costing just $115 compared to the $360 Gatling. The Gatling does get better reception but is only really needed for ridiculous range or for the best penetration of objects. Cheers

[@redsharkss]

What is the antenna on Vtx? I have the same setup of pepperbox and partom vtx with TrueRc antenna but not getting the far I don't know why

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

Hi, full kit list is in the video description :) it's a Singularity antenna buried in wing ► tiny.cc/SideFeedAntenna with a Pepperbox you should make 11km with complete ease. If you are not then you may have an issue with your setup or noise in the area. Cheers

[@redsharkss]

@@AdamGdoesFPV Yes I use the same antenna.. I bought my gears from your video's discribtion... Maybe the area I am flying have noise... Thanks

[@AdamGdoesFPV]

@salim al:amri you can always test that theory. Just find another flying location 👍🏻😊

[@FunBitesTV]

@@redsharkss or are you getting noise from your aircraft?

[@redsharkss]

@@FunBitesTV Not sure... I am using Dragonlink Transmitter .. And I have noise filter on plane for the video.. I am only getting 2.3km when plane at 450 meters