FPV (live video) and HPR

I'm interested in FPV (first person vision-e.g.-pilot's perspective) and HPR. A thread search showed the last posts were several years ago, so this may be topical and of interest. With available lower cost video transmitters (www.readymaderc.com), cheaper GPS receivers (www.adafruit.com/products/1272), and video on-screen display technology (www.icircuits.com) in conjunction with micro-cameras, it should be more functional for HPR use now than in the past. In order to avoid interference with the 900 MHZ spectrum where tracking transmitters often transmit, there are commercial low and high power (up to 2 watts) video transmitters that transmit at 580 MHZ (and at the 70 cm ham band). Has anyone used these products for live transmission and the on-screen display of altimeter and GPS parameters? If so, please discuss the set up in use. Thanks!

Fred

TRA 15606 Level 2 GLR escape velocity for both Level 1 & Level 2); Ham Call: KG4YGP

FMarvinS said:

I'm interested in FPV (first person vision-e.g.-pilot's perspective) and HPR. A thread search showed the last posts were several years ago, so this may be topical and of interest. With available lower cost video transmitters (www.readymaderc.com), cheaper GPS receivers (www.adafruit.com/products/1272), and video on-screen display technology (www.icircuits.com) in conjunction with micro-cameras, it should be more functional for HPR use now than in the past. In order to avoid interference with the 900 MHZ spectrum where tracking transmitters often transmit, there are commercial low and high power (up to 2 watts) video transmitters that transmit at 580 MHZ (and at the 70 cm ham band). Has anyone used these products for live transmission and the on-screen display of altimeter and GPS parameters? If so, please discuss the set up in use. Thanks!

Fred

TRA 15606 Level 2 GLR escape velocity for both Level 1 & Level 2); Ham Call: KG4YGP

Click to expand...

My take on live rocketry video is that it might be interesting but not necessary. There really isn't the need to be watching the video live and as long as one has a tracker. In that case one can find the rocket and download the recording at their leisure. One needs to be cognizant of the fact that 2 watts of any transmitted Rf might mess up the deployment electronics and in that case, as long as they have a recorder on the ground, they can at least evaluate the video they saved from the realtime recording to discern what went wrong from the now crashed rocket.:shock:

The transmit and receive antenna works better if circularly polarized to compensate for rocket spin otherwise the received video may be distorted.

I believe it's "doable" on a larger project but it really isn't worth the trouble. The more power output of the transmitter the heavier the batteries that need to be hauled aloft. With the plethora of the "mini" cams available,
there's a device that can work with the smallest of rockets.

There's one situation where live video is helpful. If one doesn't expect to get their project back, they can at least have a recording of the flight from the POV of the rocket. Is it worth the trouble? Only the flier can be the judge.
Kurt

Hi Kurt,

The purpose of the post was to share info/experience if others have attempted FPV or have an interest. As you know, it is popular with many RC airplane enthusiasts, particularly when their planes have flown out of sight. The 2 watt 430 MHZ transmitter was mentioned to show the variance on available video transmitters (actually 50 milliwatts to 5 watts). I agree, 2 watts would be overkill unless you are utilizing high altitudes (e.g. high altitude balloons). Its mention was not to endorse maximum power output, but to just illustrate the recent abundance of currently available video transmitters. Also, with distant antenna placement (e.g. nose cone) and shielding such as aluminum tape lining the AV bay and ground testing-others have minimized affects on altimeter function such as ejection charge triggering. Essentially some do prefer a simpler mobius or 808 key chain camera video recording while others would like "live" transmission with overlayed GPS/ altitude info. Kurt, I guess you are in the former camp, while I favor the latter. By the way, apparently some use the mobius camera to simultaneously record video and also as a camera for "live" transmission. Thanks for your take on this topic.

Regards,
Fred

FMarvinS said:

Hi Kurt,

The purpose of the post was to share info/experience if others have attempted FPV or have an interest. As you know, it is popular with many RC airplane enthusiasts, particularly when their planes have flown out of sight. The 2 watt 430 MHZ transmitter was mentioned to show the variance on available video transmitters (actually 50 milliwatts to 5 watts). I agree, 2 watts would be overkill unless you are utilizing high altitudes (e.g. high altitude balloons). Its mention was not to endorse maximum power output, but to just illustrate the recent abundance of currently available video transmitters. Also, with distant antenna placement (e.g. nose cone) and shielding such as aluminum tape lining the AV bay and ground testing-others have minimized affects on altimeter function such as ejection charge triggering. Essentially some do prefer a simpler mobius or 808 key chain camera video recording while others would like "live" transmission with overlayed GPS/ altitude info. Kurt, I guess you are in the former camp, while I favor the latter. By the way, apparently some use the mobius camera to simultaneously record video and also as a camera for "live" transmission. Thanks for your take on this topic.

Regards,
Fred

Click to expand...

No doubt Fred live video serves a useful purpose for FPV and allows some extraordinary flghts. Most rocket flights are too short to really make it worthwhile to go through the trouble plus you don't "fly" the rocket like a remotely piloted vehicle unless one is doing a boost glider.
Things happen so fast that to even analyze an anomaly, one has to do a frame by frame analysis as realtime happens too fast to make any quick conclusions. Overlaying GPS parameters on a video display is a nifty "gee whiz" for a rocket flight unless one is going to have a very high flying and long duration flight. Then it might be interesting if the video isn't whirling "around and around" so much as to make a person nauseated. Who cares what the GPS location is if the video isn't worth enjoying?
Only thing the GPS is useful for is to find the danged thing. One can get the received APRS packets on a handheld map in realtime or for that matter, the GPS packets from an Altus Metrum Product or EggFinder can be displayed in realtime where the rocket is going, where to look for the main deployment and ultimately find the thing.

There are live videos recorded from rockets one can peruse and the quality is mixed due to some of the older technologies used. I will agree with you that with the plethora of platforms out there now, it would be a lot cheaper than it was a few years ago to do live video from a rocket if one desires to do it. I'd be interested to see what folks have tried and what results they get. Kurt

Let me start by saying - sorry, this is not the answer you are looking for.

I have used both 808 and Mobius cameras to RECORD the view from the rocket to an SD card for later retrieval and editing into a short YouTube video. There are some important differences between RC airplane FPV and rocketry video.

First and foremost - the rocket flight is very short compared to RC plane flight time. The vast majority are about 10 seconds or less of very fast UP, followed by about a minute or maybe 90 seconds of very shaky, spinning, dizzy barf-inducing decent on parachute. This is the part that is "Cut-Out" of most rocketry videos.

Unless you are thinking about RC rocket glider, there is no control input. In other words, you can't "look-around".

Second, wearing FPV googles means you are not watching where the rocket went. Most people like to see WHERE the rocket landed, or at least have an idea of the direction or distance. I usually have a "Team" of people helping me watch my rocket. Unless the rocket just happens to land with a landmark in the frame, FPV won't tell you anything once the flight is done.

I do admit an HD video down-link would be nice to have for those occasions where the rocket crashes. I crashed a rocket last Saturday that was carrying a Mobius... I recovered the rocket - but not the Mobius.

Scott-I believe there is a setting for both live videos and recorded. Along the lines that you & Kurt suggested, RC rocket gliders would yield more film time. For those interested 2 examples follow:[video=youtube;wxgvJaUXxeg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd-BMFeC_IQ[/URL] and https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB... at this hour I'll just say good night. Fred