Poor FPV video range or bad VTX (video transmitter) signal - What to check.

Poor FPV video range or bad VTX (video transmitter) signal - What to check.

A fairly common issue in FPV is that you are getting worse video signal that what you would expect.  Fortunately, most of the time this is not a hardware fault, so this guide will walk you through some of the common issues that can cause bad video range.
This article assumes you have a video signal that works perfectly at close range, but does not work at further ranges that you would expect it to.

Things to check if you have weak FPV video signal.

  1. Make sure your VTX is not set to Pit Mode and is set to the correct power output.  If it is set in pit mode, or to a very low power output, you will not get very far without the signal breaking up.
  2. Make sure your video transmitter unit has sufficient cooling.  Many VTX have thermal management, and as the unit gets hot it will reduce the power output to prevent the unit burning out.  This is particualrly true when the unit is on your workbench and not flying, in such a situation, blow a fan over the unit to keep it cool.
  3. Make sure the antennas are connected correctly.  Some units that use MMCX or U.FL connectors can come undone without you realising, so make sure everything is connected correctly.  Also if using SMA/RP-SMA adaptors make sure that you are using the correct ones (so the pin is making contact with the hole on each connector).
  4. Make sure you are using the correct antennas, see - https://www.dronetrest.com/t/the-complete-guide-to-fpv-antennas-for-your-drone/1473
  5. Try to change channels (assuming you are flying alone), or try testing in a different location, as there is always a chance that the area you are flying in is conflicting with someones 5.8Ghz wifi network or similar.
  6. Make sure your VTX unit has sufficient power (Voltage and Current), sometimes if your drone is not providing the VTX/camera with sufficient power, it could be limiting it.

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