Flying Further and Increasing Your Range (9 Basic FPV Tips)

[@MattPochwat]

For anyone who got a sneak peek earlier, I'm re-uploading to correct a mistake I made about internal video receivers. I'm doing my best here!😅 Also, if any of you guys consider yourselves FPV veterans and would be interested in working together to make sure I always spread the right information, send me an email or Instagram message! I really love this hobby and I want to help make it more accessible to others but I'm still fairly new to this and there are always things I will miss. Even when focusing on the basics, there is so much to know. Thanks for watching and I hope this helps some of you out! 🙏👊

[@DavidHanniganJr]

Well, I would love to send you an email saying that I'll be an additional source of facts and so forth. My knowledge is only limited by some systems that I haven't yet tried. All photography drones I kind of am lacking in experience (As much as one can lack experience on a drone that flies itself.) But in regards to "FPV" systems that I am not fluent in, Crossfire, Digital FPV (DJI FPV & their associates utilizing DJI's system), specific individual parts/components that I haven't had hands on with. That being said, so long as it's analog, I'm proficiently fluent in it. Although I have tried a wide range of components/parts. As well as firmware programs configurators and companions (Apps too. Though they are more of a hassle to mess with as opposed to just using their equals on a PC. But in a pinch they can come through for you.) I'm probably more knowledgeable then the average pilot on what does what, in BlHeli & BlHeli_32 settings. But not nearly as fluent as I'm trying to be. And I do believe I have a pretty good eye on the, 'Horizon of Whats-to-Come'. I have knowledge that I'm more than willing to share, I just don't normally actively seek anybody to share it with. But I'm more than happy to when asked, I guess. Like to really. [e-mail]

[@DuckFPV]

Sent an insta dm. I have great knowledge of everything you’re into with cinematic / long range so I’ve got ya.

[@caturlifelive]

Thank you

[@fpvcruzer]

I really appreciate your willingness to help others and learn at the same time. Thanks!

[@jasontwynn7356]

Ok I just found your channel. This is the second video I've watched of your. First one was three mods that work. I'm a sub now.

[@nategoodwin3329]

FYI. How honest you are about where you're at in the hobby is what has me coming back to your content. Thanks for keeping it real.

[@PesterBotLoFi]

Its a journey for sure. I like him too because of this. Everyone has an experience a tad bit different regardless of the skill and time flying. In a hobby like this all input is extremely important in my opinion.

[@federicokamp3326]

You make so much better videos than everyone else! I love the music in the Background and the way you explain various things! Thanks for helping me matt!

[@MattPochwat]

I appreciate that man. I put a lot of work into each one

[@rafaelgil1542]

Dude, your channel is by far the best for novice FPV. I honestly watched most of your videos and they clarified HEAPS of questions I had. Thank you so much and keep making great content! All the best man

[@flyingfrogfpv]

nice explanation! as a long ranger i reccomend to use everything TBS for link but also for the VTX, my range has really only battery limitations since i use it. Also reccomended is a ground station (dockking) with some good patches for precise Antenna orientation. Also don't think about your setup to much, if you build or buy an Lion 6s you can get much range out of your standard 5" drone. It doesn't even matter what motors you use, even on 4s high kv motors you can get up to 8km total if you aren't to harsh on throttle. A seven inch is only needed if you want plus 8km total flight distance. For mountain diving (for me the swiss alps) you can really send it with your standard 5" Kwad and will be plenty happy about the results out of your GoPro. Happy flying guys and don't limit yourself on gear an thinkering. Just do it!

[@aymen3962]

Thanks mate 🙏🏼

[@terrylee5494]

Heat buildup can be avoided by setting pit mode or low power upon disarm. Nice feature when it takes a minute to locate the quad.

[@fpvcentral2807]

Yea or buying a video transmitter with a fan or adding one after the fact. I just ordered the rush tanks solo max bc it has a fan which lets it actually hold 2.5 watts whereas the foxeer version falls to only 1.8 watts.

[@elishahodgson1635]

Loving the fatshark sticker on the skyzone goggles but I can't judge: I use eachine E100s...

[@DavidHanniganJr]

Oh shit! Is that what they are? I thought it was one of the couple of budget goggles that Fatshark begrudgingly offers.

[@DavidHanniganJr]

Hell I've been riding Aomways for a Deep minute now. But they're showing their age. Won't be maybe another year (if I'm lucky) before I'll have to bite the bullet and upgrade.

[@jonathanp639]

Crossfire is very expensive. You can get the FrSky R9M module and Receiver for less than 100$. Although it takes more work than crossfire because you may need to do updates and other steps, I think it’s the best choice for people with a tight budget. Crossfire is the best and easier to use but not the only option. You still can flight kilometers with the R9M module.

[@brandohim]

Jonathan Perez don’t do the R9. The latency is crazy and way too many problems.

[@ZenoErwt]

@@brandohim how crazy? Hearing lots of different stories about that Also, ExpressLRS firmware on r9 might be a good option in that case

[@HackeroneItaliano]

That prop-sun at 7:28 😍

[@davidspivey3582]

People do know more than you, but since you are still pretty new, you have a better way of explaining things to the new guys. Thank you bro

[@Azim196]

This was a great video and a good checklist even for us who have learned and forgotten some of these tips. I'm currently on the "I need more flight time" train, and efficiency is very important (Lighter, less prop pitch, 2 blades instead of 3, a prop motor combo that works well together), but also just going bigger gives you a huge boost in efficiency. I'm stepping up from 5 inch to 7 inch and adding more mAh to see how long I can go.

[@EnzoM]

A few other tips... Place your vtx antenna at a 45 deg angle and as far as possible from the drone RSSI in osd Stand up to raise your receiving antennas above the ground, or use a ground station if you need to sit down.

[@007rockford]

Bro we started our fpv journey pretty much at the same time.... and we are learning the same lessons with time and upgrading to better experience... cheers...

[@andrewdecavia7553]

Watching you videos and just bought our first FPV’s today with your recommendations in our budget. $300 each for an RTF went to EV800’s, Zorro, Comando8 and two ELRS Mobula6’s. Everything I see says to plan to upgrade the antenna on those 800’s so hoping you’ll do an updated version of this and maybe something covering antenna options. Either way thanks for the easy to follow content and recommendations.

[@tonyjohnson3]

This channel is awesome man, I just bought an Arris x220 not too long ago and I am learning all of these same lessons. I wish there was better documentation out there for all of this stuff but these videos help. My VTX output was set to 25mw stock and I found out that I could increase to 600mw and that helped me fly much farther.

[@Cozzma14]

This is the best video about this topic I’ve found, great stuff. Super clear and tons of useful information, thanks for sharing this

[@samjones6965]

great to see your channel growing, great content and so easy to understand. keep it up!

[@jumpstartfpv]

Crossfire is the most expensive mod. But also the most significant for increasing range.

[@k1ortia]

"Dragonlink".... your joking right?

[@jumpstartfpv]

@@k1ortia well I was talking about the mods that he mentioned in the video. And even though I have heard of it, I haven't used dragonlink. Don't know how popular it is.

[@ChirpFPV]

@@k1ortia ive never seen dragonlink used for quads, only planes and wings

[@ChirpFPV]

elrs is cheaper but the same or debatably better range

[@gabrielpetkac8658]

Thank you very much for this straightforward informative video! The ordering suggested is very important!

[@BIG_PETE_787]

Finally! Great video, maybe for a future video you could go more in detail about crossfire and maybe the difference between receivers, radio controls and the tbs tango 2

[@hazonku]

Heads up for anyone watching now in 2021, Express LRS is the new hotness that delivers both the responsiveness that Tracer had but also the range that Crossfire has. As for me, I'm just a freestyle guy so responsiveness is the most important thing to me & Tracer is great for that but ELRS is no slouch either. It's also way cheaper.

[@Wildest_Wahoo]

I’m only here because the quad in the thumbnail was “flying” above the clouds with no battery. 🤷‍♂️

[@linecraftman3907]

He just dropped it from a plane for a glide test, as you do

[@lucasceleste4743]

Lmaooo

[@dobz5958]

Same lmfao

[@harshitsingh4375]

Someone yeeted his drone to heaven and he is shocked

[@blessfpv]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Vidgester1999]

Great video Matt! One thing I would add, that you touched on briefly is antenna placement. In addition to carefully placing yourself so that you have line of sight of the drone with minimal obstacles in the way, you should also consider the way you have your antennas mounted on the drone itself. I've seen too many god awful receiver antenna and video antenna mounting methods from newbies on reddit. Basically you should attempt to keep your antennas away from the carbon fiber which attenuates the signal and also make sure that in whatever orientation the drone is in that the antennas aren't blocked by the drone itself.

[@DuckFPV]

I cover this on my latest video about long range haha

[@opossumfpv]

@@DuckFPV this is a weak point for me. Trying to learn it now

[@fpvcruzer]

Thanks for this video. I really appreciate your specific tips for improving range. I am grateful that you pointed out that you don’t have to have the most expensive goggle, but rather a goggle, plus a module like rapidfire and antennas that are good quality and matching. I am going to have to make a checklist from all of your tips! Thanks again!

[@KyleLi]

That first tip is so essential to new flyers. When I first started with the DJI system, I was wondering why I didn't have any range at all... it'd just cut out after about 20 feet or so. Turns out I had an unplugged antenna on my air unit... I decided I probably also damaged the air unit, so I upgraded to a new air unit and added a GPS + Crossfire Nano with an immortal T for extra safety. I now use a tango 2 with RTH and I'm a lot more confident in flying haha

[@RGMGFitness]

You've covered a ton of information in this video. Nicely done. The one thing you briefly touched on that will make a big difference on distance for a significant number of people is "Regions' or 'Countries' which people reside and the corresponding government regulations for each. FCC (Federal Communications Commission in USA) vs CE (European Commission), etc. Gear will often be regulated by the regions which is sold, which directly impacts distances or voltage outputs. Often overlooked but can greatly impact a users experience.

[@michaelc5027]

Very informative, and really great production quality. Thank you and I hope you get many more subscribers in the months to come.

[@goma8167]

I watched the whole serie of your Getting Started in FPV playlist and I loved it. I'll get into that hobby that's for sure but one step at a time. Let's go sim first! I'll definitely come back to your videos to refresh my memory when buying the drone and the batteries. Thanks a lot for sharing.

[@oldskoolrolla]

Thank you so much you spoke in English so to speak so I could understand so thank you again. I’m quite excited to see if anything is going to happen with this DJI race drone if it ever happens. No doubt it will be expensive but it will all just work perfectly. That’s what DJI is good at!!

[@cineflight1171]

Really good work, thx Matt

[@michael3573]

Great video. Could've sworn I was already subscribed, but now I am again!

[@alienmoondudes8071]

I just discovered your videos and am loving the content! They are filled with information and beautifully edited!!

[@Dadamtp]

Nice video mate. Just for omni antenna, they receive as a "donuts". Depending on quality of antenna, you can have a dead zone just over you. Peace

[@legosnazzy]

Just like a VOR which aircraft use to navigate. They call it the cone of confusion when they fly right over.

[@coreyh.3557]

You have great content for FPV and have a natural ability to convey this hobby in layman's terms and one of the best that I have come across at doing it. BRAVO my man! I really enjoy your vids and you have taught me a ton much appreciated. Whenever I buy something I will be sure to use your affiliate links and I hope everyone does the same.

[@kenjohnson3412]

/good job! As a newbie, this is the kind of help I need!

[@Souchoroukof]

amazing Matt. Thanks for sharing with us🙌

[@bigalglobes383]

Love the video! Your a bad ass bro! Thank you for being real!!

[@xanderludeman4425]

Dude ur vids are created so well deserves a sub👌

[@craigdavo]

Well you got a new sub from me. Your videos are very well put together. Keep em coming 🔥

[@haroldseaman4243]

I'm a noob and you have been a great help!!!

[@cheetahkba9811]

Got a notification for this vid Went to finish up some work and came back realised it's not there lol😱😱 Kinda a re-upload🤪

[@Jimmymlb23]

This was extremely educational. thank you sir

[@lucasceleste4743]

My man here has the highest quality videos on yt!

[@RubyS.1]

You hit all the marks well done. Before a person buys anything for fpv make sure there is a good manual for it available BEFORE alot of products have zero info and it sucks

[@Free_3.0]

I'm conflicted. I was about to type #teamskyzone but then I saw the fat shark sticker on the front. hahaha. all in good fun. Nice work on the video.

[@blip30]

learned so much in the vid, thanks heaps!!

[@jezMki]

@Matt Pochwat thanks for the awesome video, I wanna know, between the cidora and the nazgul which would you pick and why?

[@RubberTag]

Awesome video! Helped me a lot!

[@elderpubg3421]

Bro keep it up 💯 love it 💯

[@reworkfpv7359]

Very nice tips!

[@RyanPiwarski]

Hey Matt around 8:00 you were holding up a cinewhoop would love to see some sort of a video from you on that!

[@flyingfrogfpv]

oh and one last thing: i reccomed to use rapid fire in legacy mode or prefer an cheapo google with a good inbuilt module in the beginning of your long range activity. To see static is a huge benefit for seeing were to go and were not. With Rapidfire or Fusion you have better distance in an open field. But when you fly close to the ground or you are diving a mountain ridge it is way better to have static than the black outs from those modules.

[@DavidHanniganJr]

Such as Rapidfire is recommended (by a majority of the experienced accounts. Well the ones that are likely not just pushing the product and saying what they can to promote it anyways.) that you use two of the same type of antennas. I.e.; Two circular polarized, two patches, etc. I would have to test how well they work with two of the same type before I would come off of my one circular and one patch set up though too.

[@wiredblitzen]

Awesome!! Great informative video, thank you so much. I have a Swellpro plus Waterproof drone. I am only able to modify my antennas. Will have to look at racing drones like yours in the future.

[@nuk3m3vil]

Great video, very creative, love it.

[@fpvpilot7713]

Thanks for the information. Ocusync air system is supposed to have over 4 miles of video range. I bet it would be good with the crossfire radio link. You would need dji goggles though.

[@Geeksmithing]

So I am just starting out. I picked up the cheap EV800D Googles. You mentioned in the video that the stock antennas are not very good. What should I be looking at to replace them with. I didnt see any antennas specifically in the description above. Affiliate links if ya got em! :D Subbed btw!

[@jcmecatronica]

Great vídeo. Its a must for begginers like me. !!!

[@wethepeople420]

I recently got (VAS CROSSHAIR EXTREME (RHCP) 5.8GHZ) from Team Blacksheep) and now my video stays so clear all the way up to where my remote goes into failsafe. It’s amazing how good this antenna is

[@ColinZenger]

Thanks a lot, learned quite some new things :-) I like the TBS Controller concept a lot, unfortunately this does not allow steering micros as far as I know as they usually don't come with crossfire

[@MattPochwat]

I'm waiting on a Mobula 6 HD which comes with a crossfire receiver! I'm sure you could solder in crossfire receivers into others as well.

[@ColinZenger]

@@MattPochwat oh, nice pice of information! I am still training on the Mobula 7 and looking into the next step with the Nazgul

[@fpvrc9829]

Theirs a few now that Come with xfire, the other option is getthose that come with no Rx and fit your own

[@ChrisFloyd]

Congrats on 5k

[@kuliahtransportasi]

Thanks man 👍👍

[@jfuks1042]

Thanks!

[@sterkfpv2192]

For the newcomers, it's important to note that DJI, in general, is not just LHCP. The antennas that come with it are LHCP. You can switch to RHCP antennas.

[@dronefeverpty9594]

Amazing tips! can you upload the complete footage at 16;18?

[@alba2946]

Good video explaining some basics :) I would advice all of you who are flying some questionable quality Lipo battery to swap them out for good ones (Tattu,CNHL,GNB,Nitro Nectar,...) Ultimately you want to trust your equipment and know exactly where its limitations are.

[@mythrillium2]

My first true long range flight is coming up, and tbh I'm super nervous about it. The gear I'm using is quite solid in terms of getting me that long range, but you're still playing with fire around expensive equipment. Going into the mountains tomorrow, and got gps rescue setup and fully functional literally last night

[@Yoinki]

How did it go?

[@mythrillium2]

@@Yoinki it went swimmingly. I took the quad out almost 3 miles before I had to turn back. The limitation wall I hit was with my battery; my video feed was still clear as day and radio link was still near 100%. Bear in mind that I only took a relatively straight path, but still took it out far. Had to make a crash landing about 2 or 3 football fields away from me just to be able to save it.

[@DroneAcharya9]

Dude, great content, of great quality in fact. I mean the use of props are amazing. I always wanted to do something similar on my channel, my journey as a beginner to getting better. I think I was just too lazy to do it. I am glad you did it. Love it. How much time did it take for you to do this? I guess at least a week?

[@RuwenGastrock]

9:16 the pin depends on sma male or rp-sma female connector, not only on the type of sma or rp-sma.

[@lorenzoantoniazzi1718]

Thank you, really cool!

[@arborsamurai]

Thank you 🙏

[@JuanCTubes]

Great video. Thanks! here learning too. I think that the battery tip is important too. What would be the best option, 6S or 4S and which capacity vs weight.

[@jackpulley541]

algorithm needs to hit this channel

[@MattPochwat]

Haha thanks man! I already appreciate the love I've been getting so far ;)

[@jackpulley541]

@@MattPochwat when you hit 100k remember me XD

[@datguyspence25]

This screams tutorial for dummies... Subscribed 😁

[@TheAfricanpoofly]

You mention you use a crossfire transmitter, what power setting do you use on it as I know it can go to 1W with the new update?

[@justinsurla6043]

nice matt

[@joevo2]

What about crossfire antenna position? Vertical will give you much further right plus having longer VTX antenna as the battery or GoPro won’t be blocking too much

[@freddyfredrickson]

Does the rapid fire module need a special VTX on the drone? Or does it work with pretty much any 5.8 ghz analogue vtx?

[@yohalmocoto4604]

I was wondering how you did some long range. 🤔 Last time I tried it I lost a quad. Lol but these tips definitly help. 👌🏽

[@DavidHanniganJr]

Ha! You got like the only one or two Fatshark goggles that DO come with a receiver installed. Fatshark is known by their detractors as the goggles that you pay between $300-$700 for, and still don't have any kind of receiver(s) included. It's actually a relatively new development that they actually have goggles that do include receivers. But only in their budget line. Personally, when I go to replace my venerable set, I believe I'll go ahead and take the whole plunge and go with the Orqas. Figure if I'm going to pay all that money and still not have a receiver, I'm going to get all the other extras I can. I promise you that Fatshark doesn't like the idea of having to add extra features and capabilities to there Flagship line for little, to no, additional cost to the customers. Orqa stays in the game past the first year or two, you're going to start to see high-quality goggle prices drop. Hopefully, they will.

[@MattPochwat]

Haha mine are actually Skyzones. They just have a Fatshark sticker on them 😂

[@TR1S10WERTZ]

another tip about vtx is dont leave antenna off vtx while working on quad etc i burned mine up lol

[@mmeregildo]

Excelent !!!

[@morgen_nicht3949]

i have the ev800D and the Nazgul5 what do you think would be the best video antena upgrade?

[@afterwork5542]

Your carpet is so trippy

[@FlyNasty]

Good video 👍🏼 TBS fusion for the VRX if you are using Crossfire IMO

[@fpvrc9829]

Yes, it seems most people that test it day it's the only other module that compares to rapidfire

[@billyrebcollins9615]

You need a HAM Technician License to legally operate FPV Video transmissions.1 Watt is legal limit of RF.

[@SimonCrowther1]

Thank you

[@sylaswojciechowski6895]

TBS fusion is cheaper than rapidfire and the new update they added to it makes it just as good. I ended up going with rapidfire also though because fusion was out of stock everywhere I looked at the time. Also, I dont see how upgrading google will get better range. Maybe a better goggle will have a larger screen or more pixels, but thats not range

[@lukehazzard6649]

Hey Matt, thanks for another great video. That piggy tail cable from vtx to antenna for your nazgul. Do you have a link for that so I can purchase a few. Thanks in advance

[@doyankuliner9806]

you should upload how to modified that skyzone goggles!

[@vmiget01]

dang. crossfire and rapidfire. the power couple lol

[@__dummy__7523]

Outdated with expresslrs for Tx

[@DancingMoment]

do u have cinebot 30 ? or cinelog 35 Performance? i have cinebot 30 O3 custom built with cinelog 35 performance motors and props on them, Anyways both have same AIO from geprc . Using with dji O3. SO if you do can u please make a video on how to properly tune the AIO on betaflight for optimal flying experience.. I have some serious trouble in flying this custom built thing. Landing this drone smoothly on the ground has been a nightmare.

[@JPerridew]

Nerd alert (Sorry) - Omni directional antennae are strictly theoretical. The ones that I saw during the video are: Dipoles and a Yagi. Dipoles are shaped like a doughnut, with a gap at the top, similar to the doughnut. The Yagi is the directional antenna you were showing (7:28) - and the greater the gain (amount of power in one direction) will further narrow the 'beam' that it emits and the control you have. For instructional purposes, your descriptions are fine, but it helps to know the how and why.

[@KLNYC]

TBS CF is must. forgot the motor and battery

[@franzferdinand1]

Could you do a video about changing the vtx? Can i just unplug the old one and plug the new one in or do i have to pay attention to something? Thanks alot

[@MattPochwat]

I think it would vary on the VTX and the drone that you have. With the one I got it was pretty much plug and play

[@franzferdinand1]

@@MattPochwat so the shown one with works with the nazgul5 just by pluggin in?

[@TR1S10WERTZ]

i love your vids

[@Mi78]

How much does it cost building in TBS crossfire in the Qx7? And how much effort is the soldering part? Great video!

[@MattPochwat]

The modification is very cheap (aside from the regular cost of the Crossfire module). Check out the tutorial I linked in the description to see how it's done!

[@Mi78]

For all german speaking people out there: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGTWhqeFZs2EnNk I think it's the best tutorial

[@adityabhattacharya4044]

First of all great video... explained simply.... But my question is.... Can you help me with the guide for various motor sizes for a particular frame size... I mean for example if I have a 5 inch body.... So how big I can go with motors.... Dimension wise like for ex.... From 1222 to 1407.....

[@maximuschapman3852]

dude ... the... three... dots... makes... it... so ... hard ... to ...read

[@trevornoah1498]

great vid...

[@tom-nl7fg]

u may coud add that video and crosfire antenas shoud be seperated front / back for example diversetiantenas shoud be 90 degre angle to eachother and antenas shoud stay away from carbon