My thoughts on the Walksnail HD system after flying it for 5 months..

[@sparkycorkers1196]

This was my first dabble in hd with the VRX deal. I'm amazed at the progress in bringing out new stuff, and the updates etc. I had a vtx pop on 1st plug, sent it back and as soon as I sent postage details they posted me a replacement. Top company and a great system.

[@Painless360]

Thanks for sharing. This kind of backup could be the decider for some.. Happy flying!

[@blooskyy7]

Completely agree, WS is brilliant in so many ways, not to mention amazing picture quality. Recently my 1S VTX stopped working and WS support suggested I send it in to investigate, they promptly identified and fixed an ICU and return shipped it. Incredible customer support!

[@Painless360]

Thanks for sharing, it is stuff like this that for many pilots will be the deciding factor.. Happy flying!

[@Retset]

Very informative. When I had a go on somebody else's walksnail unit, I was blown away. I have constantly told myself I don't do a huge amount of FPV (I also fly a lot of line of sight fixed wing) so don't really mind ... now I can't ever see any of my normal FPV stuff the same light any more ... I will have to 'invest' as you put it, albeit my wife would definitely tell you that this was a bad use of the word!

[@echobeefpv8530]

Bravo !! Great timing, looking at finally moving from analog. I won't buy into DJI, so leaves Walksnail and HDZero. I don't race, and I fly a wide range of RC's just like you. Looking at this as a serious contender for my RC dollars. I already bought into HDO's when they came out, but I think a full goggles up refresh is in order.

[@ShawnG_FPV]

Oh snap Lee you just about have me converted, although I have Dji HD in my wings and quads there is always room for improvement and Walksnail is starting to check some of the boxes that have somewhat annoyed me with DJI. Thanks for all the great info you share!

[@jankucera8505]

Hi. I flew the Cinebot30 for the first time recently and it is amazing! The maneuverability as compared to 5 inch 3s is incomparable.

[@nikotttin]

Excellent summary. One point not covered is the lack of video in, which is an issue for whoops.....

[@Painless360]

Video in?

[@nikotttin]

@@Painless360 video input to add an analog receiver instead of buying another set of goggles...

[@winder6]

Thanks so much for your time and thoughts. Was wondering about the longevity of the vtx. Thanks for all your videos. Cheers 👍

[@Painless360]

In terms of how long they work for or how long they will be available to buy or work with the system?

[@winder6]

@Painless360 I had a HDZERO vtx die after 20 flights once, and my brother had a vista now for almost two years that is still going. Cheers

[@Painless360]

I see. All my AVATAR units are going strong.... So far!

[@winder6]

@@Painless360 nice thanks for the help

[@dakzer55]

Walksnail is really good value for analog users moving to HD. I also noticed there seems to be more availability and spare parts for walksnail components on the market compared to HD Zero. Love that all their versions of VTXs and cameras are interchangable, and with the new almost nightvision HD Pro camera makes for many options to fit both large and mini fpv drones.

[@835FPV]

I just bought the bolt-on Vrx and 1s system to put into a 250g wing after seeing your Drift HD video. What put me over was the weight and the inboard HD dvr. I can keep light and get decent video vs. analog dvr from goggles. Also it can fly without a flight controller and I can see the battery status when running it from the battery lead. Waiting for agreeable weather to maiden it!

[@Painless360]

Best of luck with it! I did the same with another 1s board into my Dart... Happy flying!

[@blackwater7183]

Your points are exactly what I think about Walksnail vs DJI. Even though DJI has the best looking image of any system, I would be willing to take a hit on image quality for better community engagement and a much open system. DJI is in the drone business in general not for the FPV community, it sometimes feels like an after thought. Walksnail is still growing and it seems like haven't reached their full potential just yet. I know their image quality will at least get on par with DJI someday it's only a matter of time. Lastly, Walksnail's 1S VTX, I really like the idea of building much quieter and more efficient quads.

[@The2xWhiskey]

A 5 month follow-up. You're brilliant! How many slackers have gotten their review units and just them aside? And when the updated version is sent to them, they can't even identify the differences that haven't been highlighted by the manufacturer.

[@gregorydobson4307]

Great honest info lee. As always you deliver everything we need to know about the product. Think I will be becoming a hd pilot very soon.🙂

[@MCsCreations]

Excellent review, Lee! Thanks! 😃 I still can't spend in the hobby, unfortunately, but I hope it's going to change soon... And I honestly don't know if I'm going to get this goggles or the HDZero goggles and the Walksnail VRX... Because everything I have is still analog and I don't know if I would change them... If it's not broken, you know... Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@Etyop]

Very informative video, thank you once again for all the content you make for us. I've been looking into HD systems for quite a while now, but they are still very expensive in my opinion, and I can't afford to switch to this kind of system

[@Painless360]

Switching to HD is a big investment and many pilots simply don't have the disposable cash to treat themselves to it at the moment. I am a fan of WS and HDZero for trying to give options to get into it without running into the thousands. Cheaper prices would open the systems up to a far bigger market.. Happy flying!

[@Etyop]

@@Painless360 Thank you!

[@Quad_Father]

I have DJI and when looking into a DJI alternative for 1s builds. I tried HDZERO but after a few flights I felt like ripping the system out of my quad and smashing it with a hammer….. can’t stand the bright sparkles so I switched to walksnail and am very very happy and glad that they now have a V2 if the vtx.

[@McLogo76]

A nice review of the system and I'm looking forward to hear what Fatshark can bring to the table in the future. I'm happy to see how things are progressing after starting with my first HD system (Walksnail) in August 22. At the same time I think it's good to have the choice of 3 good HD systems and being able to chose different goggles and systems based on purpose. 👍

[@Painless360]

Stay tuned. Some exciting stuff coming that I can't talk about.. :D

[@piotrpaszpor5466]

​@@Painless360and when you have permission to say something more?

[@Painless360]

When I'm allowed ;)

[@douglasyoung3992]

Good stuff Lee, I'm liking the 1s offerings currently also. 👍

[@_Brando_69]

Cant wait, getting mine next week. havent flown in six months. Gonna take the working parts from one of my old race quads and build a freestyle quad. my goggles were stolen out of my car so i sold most of my quads. still got one thats all good but needs a fc. it has a millivolt osd from fl1 and hasnt flown right since i put it together.

[@Painless360]

Best of luck with it. See my recent video on all of the tips and tricks for the system for a new pilot.. Happy flying!

[@Yith]

I've just bought into WS for use with tiny-cine-whoops and "long range" fixed wing and larger quads. I'm primarily a HDZero flyer with the goggles, so I bought the WS VRX. I don't think WS will by my primary video system as I do like to fly fast and close to objects as well, but it does scratch-an-itch and the price of a 2nd hand VRX was not excessive so it was worth a try. As with yourself, the release of the V2 stuff did give me confidence that this system was not a flash-in-the-pan and I became more willing to take a look than I was before. The backward compatibility between all parts of the system was quite a decider.

[@dutchbiker7874]

Great conclusions!😊👍

[@johncarold]

Hi Lee, Great video and review of the Fatshark Walksnail system.

[@J2onton]

Thanks for this update and info.

[@manski209]

Great review, thank you for sharing. I own a set of Eachine 300O goggles which are the same as Skyzone O4X and i am leaning towards the Walksnail VRX but i also like the HDZero VRX system cause the low latency on them. Can't make up my mind yet. 😱

[@baggszilla]

Awesomeness! Thanks Lee!

[@masterpdj2623]

I've dropped a couple thousands over 4 months switching my analog fleet over to WS and DJI/Caddx). Over 40 FPV drones 14 being Caddx (I'm loving too for what I do) and the rest are going WS. That's not even counting my DJI M3, AVATA,Mini3 DJI FPV (DJI FPV collecting dust) plus many others LOL. I still will keep my tiny ting analog stuff and a few 4" and 5" analog as long as I can cuz I'm reaching for my digital drones more & more every day and I fly everyday. Hey for some odd reason I can't get the 25mb to go to 50mb on my WS. All updates and downloads on the SD card are done as it's an easy system. I think something is wrong with just that one function. But after flying WS I probably won't be adding anymore Caddx/DJI stuff to my collection, WS IMO is just easy and just as good. Thanks for the vid

[@maxun1]

Love the honesty, you are correct 100%

[@maro0016]

Thank you very much for your objective view on hd FPV systems. What do you actually recommend for an ardupilot multi rotor drone like the holybro x500 regarding control and video link? Did you try something like Skydroid H12 or the Siyi MK15?

[@Painless360]

Both are options if you are not interested in the FPV side but want to 'see' what the model is looking at. Things like the Herelink are used a lot by professionals..

[@BrainDeadEngineering]

Benchmark ! Take away ! Some like their eggs sunny side up and some over easy ! Alot of channels here did venders and users bad with their microscopic dissection of the 3 systems . I got nauseated and stepped back from a purchase . It's a huge cross over ..USF plus 45% and tax 13% . We are talking over a K ! I always had a gut feeling I would convert to 🐌. You probably pushed me over the cliff here 😊

[@itsusatst20]

Just the vid i have been waiting for. many thanks

[@Painless360]

Check out the playlist as there is a video coming soon with all the latest tips, tricks and settings for new owners.. May be useful..

[@itsusatst20]

@@Painless360 thank you will do :)

[@derrogers]

I have a completed ws quad sitting on my bench for about 2 month... just waiting for some good weather to try it out...

[@Painless360]

Best of luck for the maiden!

[@artifixprime]

Thanks for this - I've kinda picked Walksnail as my HD system too, although only getting started. If you get a VRX, would you be able to try it with the Cobra X goggles please? I didn't think the latency increase would make much of a difference but it's kinda surprised me as while I really like the goggles, they seem to have quite high latency with the VRX. Curious to know if you'd find a noticible difference between that setup and the actual WS goggles.

[@Painless360]

I don't have those goggles here but others in the comments are using them so could be great people to ask... Best of luck

[@carlwhitaker5151]

I think a reliable gyro in the camera is the key. I've heard of mixed results with the new cameras. But if they could sort that and even get one in the tiny camera with the 1s vtx then you could have usable stabilized footage on even the small stuff. Oh and also a goggle as immersive as the DJI v1,v2 goggle although I haven't actually had a look through the recon or walksnail goggles so can't compare.

[@SparkyFlight]

One feature I'd like, but are unlikely to see is HDMI in. USB-C can carry a HDMI signal so the hardwqare is there. I see two reasons for this. Firstly, so I can use the goggles for siming. Secondly, to provide backwards compatibility with analog systems. You can already buy an analog VRX with an HDMI output. It wouldn't take much to make this work over USB-C. By the time this ever happens though, I will have probably swapped entirely to Digital. The sim use would still apply though.

[@ZephyrCalhoon]

I went all in for HDzero because the have an HD input. Having expensive googles be more future proof is what sealed the deal for me.

[@jaysonrees738]

The price and durability has really made me hesitant to install it in anything that I plan on doing any tricks with. So far, I only cruise with it on a quad I hope never sees a crash of any kind. Hopefully it progresses a long way in the near future.

[@ShermanKenB]

I have three v1 full size vtxs and have had hard crashes and all have held up quite well. I think I have had good luck in that I have used frames that provide plenty of protection and I also allow for strain relief on any of the connected wires and cables. This might not be possible on some of the smaller whoop builds.

[@jaysonrees738]

@@ShermanKenB Sometimes I wonder if ones with blown regulators were just running directly off of battery voltage.

[@Painless360]

I suspect that is the case. 25.2v is the maximum voltage and it is easy to get voltage spikes well above that on a 6s setup..

[@alainassaf]

Thanks for the video, it's great to have reviews that are not close to launch day. Maybe I missed it in your video but I didn't hear you complain about the fact the 25x25 mounting reduces significantly the choice of frame. Am I the only one struggling to find 5" frames that can take 25 x 25 walksnail unit ? Is there a 3d printed converter that everyone uses and I am not aware of ?

[@Painless360]

Happy to design one. What dimensions and features do you need?

[@alainassaf]

@@Painless360 Hey thank you so much for taking the time to answer. I am looking for budget freestyle 5" frames in the 100 to 115gr range. The electronics I own are 20x20 and 30x30 and would prefer not to have to also get a new FC and ESC.

[@Painless360]

I mean, what mounting on the frame? 30.5mm spacing I assume? I'll have a go at designing one. Design idea added to Thingiverse.

[@alainassaf]

​@@Painless360 Thanks !

[@mattsmith4843]

ditto painless, same situation here, HDzero for quads, avatar for wings, sold dji do not want that ecosystem anymore.

[@robertnastasi4738]

I still fly analog bit I am looking to go digital. I do not like the way DGI does not support a product for more than 2 generations, three years, and then you must pay all over again. I have heard that there are still open issues from the release that are still not addressed. I do not remember the exact problems. I have also heard that the equipment is a bit fragile, especially the VTX. Could you address these thing in another video video??? Thanks

[@Painless360]

Lots of incorrect and out of date information out there, lots of it from people justifying whey they bought another system. Non of the HD FPV systems are perfect, but at least Walksnail and HDZero are trying. Walksnail is also committed to maintaining compatibility with older generations of product, so that is why I use it (and love it) here.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZ7Uinutg5edgqc is worth a watch.. Happy flying!

[@hojiqabait]

Thumb HD is a better companion for analog guys which prioritize least latencies.

[@Aced-It-FPV]

Have you had any issues with the Walksnail VTX interfering with GPS signals on your Fixed Wings? Thanks for all your helpful videos.

[@Painless360]

No. But then I always mount the GPS away from stuff. Walksnail has brought out a shielded GPS if you have to have it close... Happy flying

[@rodrigonh]

Many thanks for all the concise information. I'm new to drone world. Have my drone flying, almost there for the next step FPV. I can't find this info from teh web sites surprisingly: Can Walksnail record the videos directly onboard? (e.g. not from googles but the direct signal from the camera).

[@Painless360]

Video is recorded on the memory on the AVATAR unit in the model and also in the goggles... Happy flying

[@jas-FPV]

You can get a longer cable if this is an issue for your build (20cm)

[@Painless360]

Thanks for the comment. I was referring to it being an option that comes in the box. Installation in planes and quads where the AVATAR is behind the FC stack needs it... Happy flying

[@IceMan2035]

How do those work with people who have glasses? That's always been my thing I know the new DJI has some corrections in theirs. Just some ideas on a good pair for that. Like you I want to put them into my warbirds and gliders.

[@Painless360]

Very well. Not great if you have issues with binocular vision with something like astigmatism though.. Recon HD works better for that... Happy flying

[@IceMan2035]

@@Painless360 Thanks

[@Les_Grossman]

I have Vista/ O3, Goggles V2 and Goggles 2 and will stick with it 🤷🏻‍♂️Too much work and money to swap and latency is no problem for me..

[@Painless360]

I don't think there is a compelling event big enough to warrent walking away from a significant investment in another HD FPV system. Most pilots will be coming into Walksnail and HDZero from analogue systems this year... Happy flying

[@trumblez]

If they had cheaper options i would use walksnail for everything, but right now i only have it in my main quad

[@doitchannel67]

Hello uncle, thanks

[@rcarindom]

I have been with dji now more than 2.5 years... Am really frustrated by the size of their vtx ... Why can't DJI come out with something small and lean.

[@Painless360]

Lots of opinions on that. Mine is that they are too arrogant to listen to what pilots want and that'll be why pilots choose other systems this year. Happy flying!

[@WKfpv]

I'm still unconvinced on the digital options. DJI V2 wasn't good enough to make me switch. Never tried walksnail, DJI 2 or hdzero.

[@Painless360]

It's tricky to understand the difference until you fly HD. Once you do, you're spoilt.. Happy flying

[@alberto2974]

Thank you for the review. It is dificult to get walksnail recon HD. Will you make a review?

[@Painless360]

If I get one, certainly. Happy flying

[@MrRittzy]

I seen in earlier reviews when the signal was low the goggles gave off a wierd wavy jelly effect, is this still the case?

[@Painless360]

I've never had it here so can't comment. I'd ask those who posted the video to see if they still have it.

[@tubamanandy2]

However much I Iike Walksnail & reallly want it to do well, I still prefer the DJi image quality

[@Painless360]

I should hope they are, they been doing it a few more years than HDZero and Walksnail! My issues with DJI are nothing to do with the view.. Happy flying!

[@rcinfinity9842]

im still loving the DJI v2 goggles but only because of the recent WTFOS setup with HD osd etc. but that being said.. I sometimes get no camera feed when i plug in. osd shows up but no camera. until i plug it in a couple more times. really need to figure that out.

[@nikotttin]

That's odd... I use WTFOS on all my vistas and no issue like that. What I face however is really slow booting of osd fonts....

[@serang]

in BF i need to plug the batt twice to get the OSD working properly. in INAV, I just need to switch to blank OSD and back, this method doesn't work with BF 4.4.

[@rcinfinity9842]

My osd comes up every time so it's broadcasting to the goggles, but the camera doesn't come on consistently. I'm thinking camera ribbon wire or camera itself. I have another Nebula unit I'll try changing the camera over

[@rasmus80g]

Any new if walksnail will be able to do 4:3 without blackborders? Fatshark hdo can only do 4:3 but current firmware still outputs in 16:9 when 4:3 is selected. Basically only hides some of the images by adding black botders.

[@sivisjoe9877]

Upgrade to 32fw, there is an option of 4:3 full

[@Painless360]

Firmware:32.37.10 came out on 21st March to support the new AVATAR PRO hardware and has full 4:3. Happy flying

[@rasmus80g]

Finally now its getting usable with latest fw. Installed and verified today. Not flown my avatar system yet. and now I'm awaiting my hdzero goggle and spring temperatures 😉

[@rasmus80g]

Spectator mode will be the last long awaited feature. Anyone that have a tip an a smal monitor that can do 120fps? (Tried with an old 7inch monitor with built in 5.8ghz and it did not work. And a big 23inch gaming monitor is a no go to bring to the field)

[@jrmiajr]

would the hd rx work with a tv monitor? does anyone know?

[@Painless360]

See my Instagram for images of the Walksnail VRX running all kinds of HD screens... Happy flying

[@erikflies]

I love Fat Shark 🦈