I put a FPV system in my RC Crawler! Walksnail Avatar HD

Have you been wanting to get a FPV ("first person view") camera setup for your rc cars and trucks? Putting yourself behind the wheel of your RC and driving remotely with high definition video is now a reality. In this video, I install a Walksnail Avatar digital HD FPV system in my Traxxas TRX-4 High Trail F150 RC truck and test it out in different environments (beach, home, open park, forested area). The kit comes with Walksnail 1080p OLED Dual Micro Display FPV goggles and a Avatar Vtx (video transmitter) and camera that can transmit HD video (and also has onboard recording on the VTX and goggles). I share details on my full setup, including a custom 3-D printed cooling fan system and suggested truck mounting for surface applications. The range is rated to 4 km without losing video sign! It's quite impressive.
IN THIS VIDEO
Walksnail Avatar HD FPV system (*2024 updated product): caddxfpv.com/products/walksna...
Castle Creations 10 Amp Adjustable BEC (set to 8.4v to power both the fan and VTX): alnk.to/1N1NZq4
Cooling Fan setup -
40mm fan (Amazon): amzn.to/42L2jew
Free Thingiverse Vtx cooling mount files -
www.thingiverse.com/thing:565...
www.thingiverse.com/thing:274839
JST Y splitter/harness (for splitting power from battery to fan and VTX): amzn.to/3WchATd
#fpv #rccar #remotecontrol
********************************
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[@graylienz]

I imagine a fictional world, when I’m a kid, and I have a setup like this and I can race my new brother in his car, Stuart Little. 😂 🐭

[@TheMileHighRC]

while not in standby mode, the system will heat up much quicker and the fan is definitely needed or you'll see the overheat warning after 30 seconds. Transmit power also will help with range and since most pistol grips won't go as far as the video, no need to run high power transmitting. awesome video! love seeing more fpv system in the rc cars

[@power21100]

"most pistol grips" not the Radiomaster MT12

[@JIPPERR_1]

Thanks for showcasing your system, I love my fpv cars for sure. The radiolink radios have some incredible range and are cost effective. You hit a lot of great points in this vid 👍👍

[@Saetun.]

Really love your channel. New to the hobby & I think you've convinced me that I need a crawler in my life. Pls keep it up

[@jasso6157]

We all need a Crawler in our lives

[@V8chump]

10th scales are so damn fun, especially ones with 2 speed. My trx4 21 bronco is so good to bring on hikes, second gear for when you’re just walking and first gear for when you find a good obstacle. One battery can run for hours 😁

[@77chevy4x4]

Man years I’ve traveled with the RC truck . Back from the sla battery days . Today this is so cool and knowing that vehicles batteries last way longer today !

[@baggszilla]

This is awesome! FPV is unbelievable! Thanks for this. Cheers!

[@manski209]

So happy i found this video, i currently have the Walksnail system that i use with my fpv quads and i'm getting ready to start building a 4x4 fpv off road truck. You have the setup i was thinking of using, i also build my battery packs in 3S out of 18650 cells instead of lipos. Thanks for sharing.

[@johnnymaynard299]

Awesome RC Girl ! Thanks for taking us on you FPV ride !

[@robertdroner]

I fly with Avatar - just added it to my Xmaxx. So cool! Love HD over my best analogue equipment by far!

[@zundy5455]

Hi Haley. Good to see you. Love the FPV. I'll put in on my list for my planes 😀

[@stevepataki1333]

improvised engineering , love it !

[@emersonleal4898]

Great video, thanks for shared this content with us. All the best for u and hugs from Portugal

[@Allnonym0u5]

WOW.😃 I like RCs myself, but I was not into so much extra gadgets for these things like those high tech modern google and action cam. That's nice. 😀👍

[@malelonewolf80]

Finally someone doing a surface fpv video / test of an hd system. Looked for something like that a while back, but did not find anything, and rom my understanding the range would be bad compared to using the fpv system in air-systems (rc planes or multicopters). Would love to try out such a hd fpv system either on my traxxas Summit, or some of my robotic platforms (my 6 wheel, or my tracked, robotic platform that I have set up as rc, which I can easily mount other things to, like an fpv system). Would be fun, but very scary, to try out such a system on a scale rc boat as well.

[@RCGirl]

Seems to be two HD systems out there at the moment - DJI and Walksnail. DJI will be pricier

[@malelonewolf80]

@@RCGirl Both way out of my price range unfortunately. But one can at least dream.

[@jeffv2074]

I love your crawler. I been doing this since it was possible. I see a movement in Rc car fpv'ing. it's getting better. headtracking and vehicle feedback on a motion gaming simulator is what's missing. awesome video.👍

[@thomasjeffersonscott]

I really wish this tech was around when I was a kid. Great video!

[@rcvg69420]

This is surprisingly fun. Ive had dji fpv stuff fkr the quads for a few years now and only just made a pod to put on the trx4. Its fun! I definitely recommend printing an entire pod that holds the camera, vtx, antenna mount, and cooling fan in one contained unit for su4face use. That way its easily removable. I just use velcro to hold the pod to the top of the trx 4 and made a little adepter i can put between the battery and truck to splice in the fpv when i want to use that. Works great!

[@davehughes2687]

Yeah !!.love the woods and some RC... awesome!!

[@davehughes2687]

Wrong video... hahaha...sorry...

[@libmananchannel]

Hello "The RC Girl"! Thank you for showing us such a wonderful video! I feel so happy! I'm looking forward to your next work! Have a nice day!

[@robertoramos2728]

That is dope and a super informative video 💪🏼

[@davids3257]

First thing first I've been talking about using FPV in RC cars when I got into the hobby a few years ago saw them on the drones and thought wow that would be awesome on A crawler or short course truck, second I am a Traxxas fan but one thing me and many other fans wish they would do is have clear windows at least, if they would do that then you wouldn't worry about rain of low branches.

[@joepiper6064]

I hate painted windows

[@yadirc19]

Very good sights and RC

[@pstarxxx78]

I’m glad I saw the part about stand by mode. I just bought the walksnail goggles x and I would have been very unhappy about the short range i would have got.

[@stacygardner7959]

that's some pretty cool stuff you got there, I recently bought the k 10 Chevy high trail, man I love this truck

[@uan588]

Great choice. I have 7 Trx4s. All modded love them

[@onlyscavs1846]

Look into moiting the cam on a servo inside the cabin.. thats what i did for my trx4 build being able to look around from inside is a game changer.. also i stopped mouting the cams on my roof a couple years ago.. thick bush sucks and always rips the cams off the roof.. great stuff so good to see other people doing this now.

[@stacygardner7959]

my neighbor kids love all my trx4 crawlers we have a great time with them

[@andrewrichey7374]

Oh man that is awesome RC girl Yep we’re watching appreciate you sharing

[@RCFPVSTL]

Great Video!

[@mustardnotmuscles]

This is awesome!

[@QuebecoisSti]

Finally someone having FPV on surface RC vehicules on YT. I am looking into FPV now and mostly only getting drone people talking about it. I wish to add FPV to a boat and maybe later my ARRMA car but I am unsure about how it will handle water and dust. It seems there's a way to waterproof the circuit using coating on PCB board. Hopefully I would be able to do all the coating. Another nice thing could be having 2axis I am looking to get a display/monitor instead of google because I have prescription glasses and I don't like having all RF all around my head when riding. Nice plus is showing people when you are riding instead of keeping only for yourself. Keep up the good work. Greetings from Eastern Canada.

[@TheEviling]

Just the video i was looking for, thanks :)

[@RC_Ira]

Very cool FPV project! 🤓🥰 Excellent work my friend!)🤩💥💯👍✨💫🌟

[@SebastienMongecadet-rq8vq]

Super vidéo merci beaucoup 👍

[@andrewrichey7374]

That’s pretty awesome RC girl I’ll be watching for more

[@MadHatterND]

I’m going to order that body and lighted roll cage for my TRX-4. Great channel by the way.

[@RCGirl]

I picked up the lighted roll cage, still need to install it!

[@tonyyimbo]

More fpv please this is awesome 🎉

[@bigheadrc]

Awesome Review 💯

[@bjarnehelsaa1626]

🇩🇰🇩🇰what a Nice test and showing you have make 🎥🙏🤩🇩🇰🇩🇰

[@GardoRotor]

I did a Hd FPV Set up too.... thats some cool cooling ya got there (pun intended LOL) My set up involved a Fight controller for the BEC and Voltage read out in the goggles

[@josephocarez2925]

Hi you should visit Siargao Island, good place to surf to play RC and to Relax 😊

[@Fre2dy]

Yo sista, Nice adventure!! FPV forever🤘🏻

[@tlalocxhuracan7880]

I like it looks like the truck from twister

[@KimFusedFPV]

You did really good explaining the Walksnail system and pointing out how the VTX can get super hot and how drones keep it cool. I was really curious to see how you decided to mount the system onto your car, which was BRILLIANT! I am an avid FPV pilot who builds and flies drones manually, however, I have recently found a very huge liking into your world of RC. I have the Walksnail system and the DJI 03 system's on my quads now so I can tell you first hand how much better flying is compared to when I first started in analog. I just bought my husband that same truck but in black so he is really excited to try out the system on this particular RC. He runs another crawler that he has installed the HD0 system on which is okay but honestly we like Walksnail much better. FPV folks have been telling me to put a system on my XRT but I'm thinking I would totally hurl. Anyway, if you are ever really interested in FPV, check out Rotor Riot, they just held a huge event in SC this past May, it's 841 acres of a government training facility that they allow us to fly. They brought in drifters this year and one guy had a Tekno kit car worth $2K out filming the drifters with a GoPro mounted, super cool! Sorry for the ramble, thanks for the great content and for increasing my love of the RC hobby! Much luv to you! 🥰

[@RCGirl]

Awesome thanks for the message. Sorry about the spam comment. Im really enjoying the Walksnail system. Now I have to get a long range transmitter setup so I can use the full range of the FPV system!

[@donharsh1503]

I enjoying your channel watching too AWESOME VIDEO RC Girl ❤

[@RCGirl]

Thanks!

[@andrewrichey7374]

See you later again appreciate as always you sharing RC girl, well until the next time peace and chicken grease 😁👍👍😎

[@simonbar7665]

Big like❤

[@muggystreetz]

Dope asf ❤

[@wheresmynamego1152]

FPV everything!

[@petestarfpv1028]

Signal loss will happen and will not reconnect, you gotta reset the truck. Only other reason is your motor over heated. I run a FPV DJI drone I crashed , i use that in my truck. Super fun.

[@JKR783]

Salam kenal saya dari INDONESIA saya suka sekali sama RC

[@JKR783]

I'am INDONESIA thank's sis

[@MrBumbles2]

so cool to see people doing fpv on surface, have been doing it for years with all rc. and you must try head tracking but im not sure if walksnail goggles have head tracking function. analog is cheaper and not fuzzy if set up right

[@Axr24have]

Cool 😊. I’ve seen a few ‘fpv’ vids for rc aircraft. Definitely fun to watch. I wonder if you could loose the car, by that I mean you drive the car into an unfamiliar location and loose signal. May need a tracker.

[@raulg705]

Kool

[@joshellis8063]

nice setup!! I did my defender and used the 25mm fan those work great and are smaller so its not so bulky. I would post a pic of the setup but no place to do that sorry. love the videos!!!

[@lasersbee]

Te best orientation for Dual antennas is to have them at ~90 degrees to each other. Yours are fine. BTW... You can do a range test by taking the Truck in another car at 1 mile increments and placing it on the ground just for testing. Remember you will get better range in the air without obstructions.

[@RCGirl]

Ahh good idea about range testing in a car!

[@itzjoeylo4501]

Check out the new RadioMaster MT12 ELRS surface radio that will take you farther out then a mile. Great 👍 open source radio, quality stuff.

[@Weekend-Driver]

I'm happy to see this growing in popularity. I myself have been driving RC cars FPV for a few years. I'm still on a cheap analog system (used analog is like a tenth of the price of new digital) so it restricts the choice of track a bit. Foliage can cause some noise also on shorter distances as it prevents the signal from going thru. I run the FPV gear on my hpi WR8 rally car and it's just great to push on a real narrow pathway around a blind corner or trying to find a straight line thru some S-bends. I mostly run tarmac but also have driven sideways in the snow and it's just so much fun. It's almost like driving a real car! :D Feel free to check my channel for a few examples. There's so many new possibilities with this! ;)

[@BlueBagel1]

i have 2 wr8 because of you! 😆 1 with analog fpv + headtracking, i also built my personnal rally track in the woods for the last 3years. Big fan of your channel :)

[@Weekend-Driver]

@@BlueBagel1 Many thanks! 😄 I'm so glad to hear that I've inspired other ppl to have fun. Isn't it an amazing feeling driving with the FPV? I just visited a new place yesterday where I had to take a wider, more interesting lap because one junction of the smaller lap was shadowed by a rock.. Who would have thought.. 😆

[@rcautoball]

Yo! I run the Walksnail Avatar kits on my RC Autoball rigs. It's a huge step up from analog. I never looked back since upgrading to digital about two years ago. I have lots of example footage from the cams on my channel. Also, the new Walksnail goggles that just dropped are also significantly cheaper than the V1 goggles in this video.

[@rcautoball]

I just looked at your last upload and saw you got the DJI V1. That's a great setup as well! I wanted easy and affordable video out with digital FPV, so I made the switch to Walksnail last year. Both are great experiences either way!

[@Weekend-Driver]

@@rcautoball So the reason I got the DJI v1 was that I went to the UK and met up with an other FPV driver @mrcrally263 and I got to test his rig, and it was just so much better. We went to one track of his that was like a really elongated shape. No matter where I stood, I always ended up with video loss or control loss or both in at least one end of the track. When I tested the DJI, it was just like driving with the video quality (I usually use a runcam 2 HD to capture my onboards and the DJI was just as good) I also didn't feel that I was slowed by any latency variations so I just wanted to get a well known and tested solution. That's why I went for used v1's

[@randall4411]

It's pricey ... but really nice . Thanks for a great video .

[@jono3645]

Loving the surface fpv i do planes but wanting to do the same with my trx4 i came across a new hd system that runs through the 4g network its called cloudrc Its a bit bulky though but a great concept that i hope to try soon. Loved the hobby shop tours, keep up the great work

[@RCGirl]

Thanks! More hobby shop tours coming soon!

[@JnBPerformance]

Don't get the cloudrc, the input lag makes it nearly unusable + they require a $5 monthly subscription to their app, among other things it just isn't worth it unfortunately..

[@lenamandwee2002]

hi! amazing job! I am looking to do something similar. If my ESCs have fans built in, would you recommend a separate cooling system (like you've done) for the video transmitter?

[@gamepad3173]

for my 1998 New Bright Ford Ranger at 1: 16 scale, I'm just going for a set of Rexing V1P Max dash cam's. I'm gonna use a two USB battery banks one for charging the powering the dash cams and charging the battery off a second battery while powering the Headlights and tail lights. I might consider upgrading from a 6 volt NiCD rechargeable battery to that of a 9 volt Lithium Ion battery or that of a 12 volt rechargeable battery.

[@FarmerFpv]

What? You were right near my ranch and farm. You should have come to ride my mules with your buddies and run my huge barn crawler course. My Mules are not scared of the crawlers you can ride them while driving your crawler on the trails. We call it Mule & Trail. My mules move on cruise control through the mountain trails and the beaches. It should be an official crawler competition, IMO. lol.

[@Ring112NU]

This seems really interesting. Can i hook up more then 1 camera to the unit?

[@alexandreanonimous7056]

This could be fun on my rc power boat

[@royisdiant4029]

is there a cheaper esc? with the appropriate specifications

[@lutsifer5847]

What frequency do you use and what power does your transmitter have?

[@DanielHamel-iz5db]

If you dont mind me asking. What remote are you using ?

[@williammosher5696]

I think if the camera was on a servo hooked to a gyro that would be awesome for drifting

[@danieltrilopez]

Nice Video! You need a different radio System to get good range on the ground, the best option is Radiolink RC6GS (2.4ghz Radio) or you should try Tbs Crossfire System ( it works in a different frequency like 915mhz or 868mhz ). Be on the ground it's hard to get long distances because of the interference. With drones using walksnail and Crossfire you get more than 10km, in an RC Car maybe 10% of this

[@tomminella6036]

wouldnt u run out of signal of the drone first.

[@Magneticitist]

After trying out DJI I'm thinking about trying out Walksnail's standalone receiver to see about setting up a little FPV station in the car. The goggles are nice but I'd rather just be looking at a nice screen on the dash or something. I would imagine in a situation like that where you have a relatively open view out in the distance then you can get some really good range. The FPV stuff is really fun and addicting and after trying digital it's really hard to use anything else. They just need that audio for us ground level users.

[@RCGirl]

Yeah I was thinking audio would be nice 👍

[@Magneticitist]

@@RCGirl They'll never do it unless we get enough influencers/content creators to convince the people to demand it hint hint.

[@edygome]

I mainly fly FPV Quads, just got into Fixed Wings. Want to try FPV RC Crawlers. Any beginner RC Crawler you recommend?

[@Dave-od7kl]

Hey how much run time did you get from your fpv system on the car?

[@gpgp1750]

What’s the furthest it will go eye on sight?

[@venomrogue1]

Wow even RC fords break down…hahah

[@rcscientific6004]

Great clip! Btw, the range depends also on the power of the transmitter. In Europe it is limited to only 25 mW, although the systems allow powers up to more than 1000 mW. With my DJI FPV system mounted on my RC car, I also reach only about 200 m range, when running on 25 mW. What is the power of your system?

[@RCGirl]

For testing, I had it set to max which is 700 mw. On standby mode I think it's only 25mW

[@vcmdpropulsion126]

i made and spliced in 2 more batteries to my everest gen7.

[@RDsRCReviews]

these HD FPV systems are really cool on cars though they are obviously most ideal on drones. I really want an HD setup but it's just too pricey for my needs and I don't fly FPV drones much anymore either. I'm more focused on ground RC lately due to all the incoming FAA restrictions on drones.

[@Magneticitist]

I got into FPV not too long ago starting off with analog 5.8g. Then tried 1.3g. Then tried different transmitters and receivers. Antennas. FPV screens. Ground station layouts. Controllers. Filters.. It was a thing of going too far in one direction and needing to keep spending the money on trying to make it work like I wanted. 5.8g analog to me is still pretty awesome because it's easy, small, and works quite well in short ranges with obstructions or mid ranges minus obstruction. 1.3g is more awesome to me but it requires such a large ground station I don't want to take it around with me. Both analog systems I love because of things like having live audio and being able to switch to a rear camera easily or something. They handle low lighting so well it's easy to drive around in the dark. I can't say I wasted the money because my analog stuff is still real useful to me. But then the $550 or so I spent on refurbed goggles and the most expensive transmitter has been entirely worth it to me because it has accomplished what I was trying to do from the start. I'm not getting near "long range" without antenna and control improvements but the range is impressive through obstructions. You can get a Walksnail system for like half that price if you just use your TV or something on the HDMI out.

[@power21100]

Time to upgrade to radiomaster MT12!

[@tonystambaugh4422]

What is the best name brand of RC to buy

[@BrothrBob]

WOW~! what a headache to getting it mounted/wired up correctly, not for me lol But I enjoyed your video very much.

[@RCGirl]

Yeah it's not exactly ready off the shelf for surface stuff yet. Would be nice to see a system that integrates with surface ESCs and with a built-in cooling system. I bet those will be in development soon though.

[@BlenderRookie]

FYI, the link to the walksnail is broken.

[@Rckid28]

As long as the antennas are as high as possible for best range

[@mattyofpv]

I have a analog setup on my gen 7 I'd figure a better spot for the transmitter so it is protected somewhat

[@RCGirl]

Yeah actually on the way to my second range test, the truck was in the back seat of my car and when I turned sharply, it flew off the seat and onto the ground. The fan system came off, pulled the cables out of the VTX and out from the back of the cam. When I got to the park the camera wouldn't work. So i had to drive back home and disassemble it all. Luckily i just had to reconnect the line to the vtx and the cables didn't sever from the cam. But they are somewhat fragile and aren't something you want to put on a basher that's for sure!

[@ScorpioVI]

Always wondered why more surface folks don’t put FPV systems on their RCs. I’m not going to promote his channel but there’s a nutter out there who runs an FPV system in his RC cars and baits cops into chasing his cars down highways. He seems to get crazy range out of his builds. RC Girl if you want to fly an FPV quad sometime, hit me up. I have a DJI FPV drone that is very newbie friendly and I’m in San Jose. I used to be into crawlers until I got into FPV Quadcopters. All of those got sold to fund FPV quads. 😂

[@RCGirl]

What seems to be limiting is the surface transmitters/receiver setups. He's probably using a tbs crossfire system to be able to drive that far. I'll have to look into it.

[@adamrodgers2377]

That is cool !!! I wonder how it would work in the canopy of a Turbo Timber EVO or a Carbon Cub ??? Hummmmm....

[@RCGirl]

It would probably work really great! I have a mount for one of my planes. I'll have to try it

[@adamrodgers2377]

@@RCGirl Awesome! I would like to try that also. I like flying Drones like that but I would love to fly a RC Airplane like that alot better. I could really tell myself I'm a Pilot 🤣

[@omarcastillo5223]

Can you show us more in depth on the wiring and how you wire up the bec ??

[@RCGirl]

Yeah I was contemplating how much detail to go in for that. I got a y splitter so it goes 3s battery-->BEC (8.4V)--> Y splitter --> fan / Vtx. I had to swap out some of the connectors to make sure everything plugged in to each other as well (all jst)

[@GeeShocker]

#1 😅 I like the perspective for filming, but not a fan of driving FPV.

[@dustinwilson492]

Vertical orientation and mounting as high as possible on the antennas should be best. Basically what you have going. Planes and drones mount them 45 degrees because of banking but none of that here.

[@Adam-fj8mk]

I'm currently building a head tracking one :)

[@RCGirl]

Ohh awesome. I need to do some more research on a head tracking setup.Any good tutorials you've found?

[@prashanthRCdrone7984]

Total cost madam

[@TowRecToWeR]

😄

[@VS666]

pretty cool, but i do agree after it's fully running you're looking at close to $800

[@Magneticitist]

Including the car yea but you can be fully up and running without anything extra even using DJI for less than $500

[@mikenowland2739]

Moving again. You just moved recently. Are you in witness protection ?

[@RCGirl]

ugh yeah it's just a tough renter's life in the limited housing available in santa cruz (and honestly, CA)..

[@MrKdr500]

DJI goggles V2 with a DJI 03 air unit is far better image quality and range, i drive 1/4 scale sprint cars with this setup.

[@TrailFeatures]

See, now I have no excuse to not get an RC car and trying this. I have the files loaded up in my 3D printer and everything. 😅

[@RCGirl]

thanks so much for printing those!!! life saver, seriously!

[@SK-me9by]

Nice FPV system just far to pricey on my income.

[@ronaldrey8474]

Hey Blondie when you video or still shot try setting camera on ground or floor (no tiny tripod) My best car shots (professionally) are done this way. May not work with little cars (1/10) scale etc... I enjoy your influencer videos & wanted to share what helped me /⁠ᐠ⁠｡⁠ꞈ⁠｡⁠ᐟ⁠\

[@user-xe7mc3ug2y]

Lol its double in canada

[@ArmandoIzquierdo-AIRvision]

Very well done vid with relevant details and information. Thanks! I just tried out a PAN/TILT setup using Mitionsic BAG gimbal on my TRX4. I am not using Goggles but a monitor for FPV (still with analog technology). I had a lot of fun but there is a lot of room for improvements. Here a summary of my first experience: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaGtiJSLbMp6orc

[@DaddyVet3D]

Those goggles alone are $700.

[@DaddyVet3D]

The camera and transmitter is over $275