Quadcopter FPV frequency selection primer

I have a full book coming out on this soon, but here is some quick info.

Never run anything on the same freq and avoid the associated harmonic frequencies when possible. Your radio control should be 2.3-2.4Ghz. and your video on 5-5.8Ghz.You can get the 3D robotics telemetry in either 433 or 900mhz, either one is fine. This will give you a good spread and be the most inexpensive, your range with this setup is around 4-6 miles LOS at 200-400mW each and will be the cheapest and good enough for a quad. You will want your video to be at the higher frequency, so that it will always break apart first leaving you some room to enable return to home or climb…its really bad to have video but to have lost control, its much better the other way around.

For 30-40 miles range; you can purchase a LRS (Long Range System) 433Mhz at 600mW for RC, 1.25-1.3Ghz 800mW for video and 900Mhz 100mW for telem. These are HAM bands that can use higher power. The stock 3DR telemetry is underpowered for long range, but you could get to 2W with a Shireen booster or an RFD900. This is all a bit of a moot point for quads, but makes a lot of sense for a fixed wing ‘drone’.

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