If you are a pilot who is exploring new FPV system or a person who wants to enter this world,this article is for you! You will be able to find the different technologies with which you can get to arm your drone and a very simple benchmarking based on my experience, since I have had the opportunity to try them all for more than 4 years. In this way you can have first-hand information based on the personal experience of a pilot and understanding what you could use each system and get the best out of it.
About the FPV Systems
Let’s start with something simple, now we can find two great FPV systems in the market: Analog fpv system and digital fpv system. Analog fpv system is the classic video that has been used since the beginning in FPV drones. This technology has different characteristics and different uses and we can highlight within them the versatility that has to be implemented in all types of drones, also in order to reach large distances and better penetrations in environments.
Approximately three years ago digital video technology for FPV drones initially had the technology developed by DJI which evolved over time and today there are three manufacturers that have three different systems. Digital fpv system offers us a great advantage over analog fpv system and is that it allows us to get better video quality in our drones. However according to each system we will find that we can make a different use of it already that best suits different flight conditions or types of pilot.
Analog FPV System
At the moment the most economical technology to build an FPV drone has many advantages over its own disadvantages and here I will mention some of them:
Characteristics of Analog FPV System
Budget: In terms of cost both cameras and VTX are quite economical. We can come up with options from $12 to about $40, both in cameras and VTX.
Versatility: It is the most versatile technology that currently exists to assemble any type of drone or aircraft, widely used in TinyWhoops that already have in their flight controllers video chips analogue transmission to long range. Its size is also a great advantage as it allows us to accommodate it in frames also of different sizes without any problem.
Compatibility: One of the great advantages I have seen with the analog system is that we can use VTX and cameras from different manufacturers. So we can test components and make different budget mixes and technology in the same drone.
Penetration: The analog system allows us to have a very good video signal penetration in indoor environments or different environments such as forests. For example so we can use it in different applications either for example cinematic drones or obviously what are Freestyle in open ground or Long Range.
Latency: The analog system is the second fastest system on the market in terms of latency, the exposure time and the movement of the image in relation to the movement of your fingers in the radio control is really very short, which allows us to have a better flight sensitivity, very useful for speed applications or recoveries.
Disadvantages of Analog FPV System
The main disadvantage of the analog system that we will find is the video quality. Obviously we are talking about a video that has a maximum quality of 576p (PAL) or 480p (NTSC).
If you’re considering using the analog fpv system for drone assembly, you need to know that it’s highly versatile and has many applications. It’s perfect for drone racing. This system is perfect for freestyle or mounting on all types of aircraft without any inconvenience. It’s a highly proven system that has the reliability you’re looking for. However, if you want a good image while flying, this system isn’t for you.
Recommended Manufacturers and Components
There are a multitude of manufacturers and components to mix drones with analog video, however based on my experience here I leave the recommended ones according to the brands I have used according to the parts and the type of flight I have made.
Cameras: As far as camera manufacturers would recommend for experience two brands, Foxeer and Caddx. Each with cameras that I have used for different applications. For Freestyle and Drone Racing, Foxeer with the Falkor and Predator lines go very well. And for long range or freestyle flights the Ratel line of Caddx also stand out for its image quality since they are cameras that go to 1200 VTL.
In the case of VTX the most important thing is the form factor and power we look for according to the type of flight, which I recommend the following:
VTX Analog for Drone Racing: If you’re going to do drone racing the most important thing is the size. For drone racing you don’t need more than 200mw of power, but you do need a small size because the racing drones are getting smaller at its center. So here stand out the TBS Nano 32 Pro that can go up to 400mw and also the Foxeer Reaper.
VTX Analog for Freestyle: Here the size is no longer an inconvenience and you are looking for something bigger and more powerful VTX that can go up to 800mw on average. I have used Matek HV and RushTank II, they are very good and give you the power required for indoor or outdoor flights.
VTX Analog for LongRange: If you are looking for power to go very far. I recommend from TBS the UNIFY pro 32, which can go up to 1W or the recent. Foxeer series Reaper Extreme can go up to 5W which can guarantee you several tens of kilometers of flight.
Digital FPV Systems
In Digital FPV System we find three brands mainly DJI, WalkSnail and HDzero. Each of these brands has developed its own unique technology over time. According to my experience, it has a different performance and application or stand out in some kind of FPV category.
It is important to note that digital FPV system has several advantages and disadvantages that it is important to mention. According to it you can make a good selection for your FPV drones.
Advantages
Video quality
The main feature of the digital system is the video quality that you get glass to glass, that is what the video that captures the camera of your drone up to what you see in your glasses, Being a digital video system for FPV you can get video resolutions up to 1080p to 100fps depending on the system you use.
Support
Because analog systems are inexpensive and parts are inexpensive, support for parts such as VTX and cameras could be said to be almost non-existent, while in FPV digital due to cost warranty requests can be made,reviews and maintenance in a very simple way regardless of the brand.
Latest technology
The reality is that video technology for FPV is moving towards digital systems with which to be in this technology. According to the manufacturer, it will be receiving constant updates of new products and software, always looking to improve in many aspects. something that no longer happens with analog.
Disadvantages
Budget
No matter what digital video system for FPV you choose, in terms of budget is more expensive the initial setup value of a drone in digital and the subsequent costs associated with changes and maintenance than the analog system, Keep in mind that a VTX for a digital system can start at 50 USD or more, while in analog the cost is half.
Penetration
Usually, the penetration of the digital video system for FPV is lower than that of the analog system, this especially for indoor environments, Although the rule is not always fulfilled since there are manufacturers who have been concerned about this feature in general we could say that the analog system is more reliable in this regard.
Video noise
One disadvantage of the FPV digital video system is the noise handling in relation to the analog system. The behavior varies between the three different digital video manufacturers, so it’s a factor to take into account. Not knowing the limits of video quality can cause problems with the drone. Analog video noise looks like lines or dots on the image. Depending on the noise intensity, we might see some video of the drone, but it’s not always clear. With DJI and WalkSnail, the image freezes or goes black. In the case of HDzero, the noise is similar to analog but with rainbow-like pictures, which allows you to move the drone and recover signal.
In this regard, analog systems handle noise best, while digital systems handle HDzero noise best. In general, however, noise manifests itself in very different ways, so it is important to know the limits of each system.
Analog noise
Hdzero Noise:
Remember that the noise for DJI and Walksnail systems are pixelation of the image and total loss with black image.
Recommended Digital FPV Systems
DJI
DJI is the brand that has been in the market for several years and have developed technology that has significantly improved the video quality in our drones. They currently have O3 units which allow you to have Full HD videos or even up to 4k in your flight. If you want to see as much detail as possible and have the best possible flight quality, this is the technology you should consider.
Currently used for long range, cinematic or indoor flights, it probably has one of the best penetration capabilities in FPV digital technology, and adapts well to the ability of the sport type of flight to be recorded or similar.
A factor to consider of this technology is its high cost. Currently DJI only has for sale its most expensive unit but that is the best quality video offers. The O3 where you can easily have a total cost between glasses and camera unit of more than $800 USD. That’s why we’re seeing this system being used more for these types of applications rather than freestyle flying or drone racing, and also more related to 3 inch drone mounts due to their larger size and the desire to protect investment costs.
WalkSnail
This system is being developed by Caddx, a company that worked together with DJI in the development of their digital FPV system and for more than a year. They became independent and created their own system. WalkSnail has a behavior and quality similar to DJI in its first versions, where it offers a very good video quality but today it has an advantage over DJI in terms of versatility since its size is lower. We can be mounting a WalkSnail unit depending on the configuration we select from camera, VTX, power, internal recording. VTX and glasses for approximate values between $350USD and $600 USD.
As soon as we see how WalkSnail is used in both Tinywhoop drones up to Long Range, with which its versatility in the field of flight is really quite interesting. And nowadays, it’s really a strong competitor to DJI, considering the video quality factor.
If you’re a pilot looking for a drone or switching to a digital FPV system, then you should consider WalkSnail, which you can comfortably use in almost every flying category except drone racing. WalkSnail has released a version that reduces the delay time of drone video transmission to our glasses. In the other categories of FPV, it is a very good choice if you do freestyle, sport or long distance flights, and its cost allows you to take more risks than DJI.
HDZero
DJI and Caddx may share the same core digital video streaming development technology, but HDZero is a completely different technology. It is a system that is thought to provide the lowest possible video transmission latency between the drone and the glasses and the best possible video quality. In fact, HDZero is the best there is. HDZero is now the industry standard in drone racing. It is also available in various versions of the VTX and camera, which can be mounted on freestyle drones and Tinywhoops, with long ranges of more than 20 kilometres.
The HDZero system’s video quality while flying is its weakness compared to DJI and WalkSnail systems. We could say that HDZero is between half of what is the analog system and in the other two previous systems. However its versatility allows you to have a system that you can use quietly in any type of drone application, and it has some additional disadvantages such as penetration. HDZero does not have as good penetration as you get with DJI or WalkSnail in digital video systems for FPV, which penalizes its use a little indoor. However, its biggest advantage is that it is the fastest digital video system when it comes to latency, even better than analog.
Which FPV Systems is the Best?
In this article you already know what FPV systems are on the market. According to them you can understand which is the most suitful for your type of flight. However here I will give you a small summary:
If you are a pilot who is starting the FPV and does not have much budget, it is best to use analog. It will give you all possible options to fly and also in cost is the best.
If you are a pilot looking for the best quality video when you are flying and do not make aggressive flights that suddenly puts your drone at risk, the best option is DJI as long as you have the budget.
If what you are looking for a very good video relationship and be able to fly any type of category of drones, you can choose digital FPV system such as HDZero or WalkSnail. The budget between these two systems are very similar depending on the configuration you choose. But in addition to that you must keep in mind the technical characteristics according to their use, if you contemplate racing drones, compete, freestyle or any other type of flight, probably the best is HDZero. But if you contemplate doing everything else yourself but without doing drone races, probably the best option can become WalkSnail.