Cheap 5.8GHz video link

[Winston]

An example of the latest cheap Chinese quadcopter tech that might be useful somehow in rocketry. I'll leave the usage ideas, if any, up to you. Up to ~100m range while quadcopter is airborne, almost certainly less if used as a ground unit. A directional antenna at the LCD monitor RX unit would increase that. The camera would need DC power, the RX monitor unit has an internal battery and is stand-alone. NTSC resolution.

FPV 5.8GHz Camera ($31)

https://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-JJRC-V686G-RC-Quadcopter-Spare-Parts-FPV-5_8G-Camera-p-973278.html

Associated 5.8GHz RX Monitor ($40)

https://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-JJRC-V686G-RC-Quadcopter-Spare-Parts-FPV-Monitor-p-973281.html

[video=youtube;7SmYYwCa7WE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SmYYwCa7WE[/video]

 

[ksaves2]

An example of the latest cheap Chinese quadcopter tech that might be useful somehow in rocketry. I'll leave the usage ideas, if any, up to you. Up to ~100m range while quadcopter is airborne, almost certainly less if used as a ground unit. A directional antenna at the LCD monitor RX unit would increase that. The camera would need DC power, the RX monitor unit has an internal battery and is stand-alone. NTSC resolution.

FPV 5.8GHz Camera ($31)

https://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-JJRC-V686G-RC-Quadcopter-Spare-Parts-FPV-5_8G-Camera-p-973278.html

Associated 5.8GHz RX Monitor ($40)

https://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-JJRC-V686G-RC-Quadcopter-Spare-Parts-FPV-Monitor-p-973281.html

[video=youtube;7SmYYwCa7WE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SmYYwCa7WE[/video]

The deal with a live downlink is the purpose. If it's for a "gee whiz" demonstration and one can deal with using circularly polarized antennas and carry the heavy battery load, so be it. I figure stick a tracker on the rocket so you can get the camera back for
after flight playback. If one doesn't expect to see the rocket again, a downlink will give 'em a chance to record the video live for posterity. 100m range is nothing for a rocket flight. Kurt

 

[Winston]

The deal with a live downlink is the purpose. If it's for a "gee whiz" demonstration and one can deal with using circularly polarized antennas and carry the heavy battery load, so be it. I figure stick a tracker on the rocket so you can get the camera back for
after flight playback. If one doesn't expect to see the rocket again, a downlink will give 'em a chance to record the video live for posterity. 100m range is nothing for a rocket flight. Kurt

Actually, I didn't see this as serious flight hardware as the camera's TX output is only 20mW. I was thinking of it more as a "far pad" (really far) monitor to possibly tell you more than the continuity indicator on your launch controller would about what's going on at the hot end of your rocket during ignition attempts.

 

[jderimig]

I might use this on my cluster hybrid fligth as pad camera to see the vents.

 

[ksaves2]

Actually, I didn't see this as serious flight hardware as the camera's TX output is only 20mW. I was thinking of it more as a "far pad" (really far) monitor to possibly tell you more than the continuity indicator on your launch controller would about what's going on at the hot end of your rocket during ignition attempts.

Ahhhhhhh, Stupidhead here failed to realize it. Heck yeah Winston that would be perfect for monitoring the pad. My only suggestion would be to make sure the
video monitor is shaded so one can see it in the sunlight or have something to record the pad events for playback. Kurt

 

[Winston]

Ahhhhhhh, Stupidhead here failed to realize it. Heck yeah Winston that would be perfect for monitoring the pad. My only suggestion would be to make sure the
video monitor is shaded so one can see it in the sunlight or have something to record the pad events for playback. Kurt

The LCD monitor when bought with the quadcopter system comes with a sunshade, but I don't see it included with the replacement monitor. However, the slots are there for one and one would be easy to rig up anyway.

The camera has a slot for a micro-SD card so all video is recorded at the camera, but that's at the pad. I think I recall seeing some new toy grade quadcopter systems with a micro-SD slot in the LCD monitor to allow replay, but I think they are all 2.4GHz systems with inferior range and more susceptibility to interference from other wifi devices.