Do I need the electronic gimbal if all I want is FPV?

Joined
Sep 5, 2017
Messages
153
Reaction score
21
Age
54
I have a Gopro Hero 4 -- if all I want is FPV to control the drone do I need the $180-$500 gimbal or can I get by with the fixed mount that comes with the Solo?
 
The fixed mount will work fine. You will need to start recording before you fly though.

You have to start recording so that the video is feeding? I'm assuming I will need to use the gopro app on my phone and connect to it via wifi?

Come to think about it I actually dont know how the FPV wold work w/out the powered gimbal. Is there a wire connection from the gopro or is that only if you have the powered gimbal?
 
Last edited:
You can NOT use the GoPro WiFi connection in flight. It will interfere with the Solo's connection to the controller.
Yes, there is a wired HDMI connection to Solo, and the video signal gets transmitted to the controller and on to the Solo app on your phone/tablet.
 
You can NOT use the GoPro WiFi connection in flight. It will interfere with the Solo's connection to the controller.
Yes, there is a wired HDMI connection to Solo, and the video signal gets transmitted to the controller and on to the Solo app on your phone/tablet.
Thanks & that makes sense. So I would lock the camera angle at something that would give me the best fpv and start recording.
 
Thanks & that makes sense. So I would lock the camera angle at something that would give me the best fpv and start recording.

You need only turn on the camera, it will be transmitted with the controller and phone/tablet connections. If you want to record to your camera SD card you can start recording on your camera.
 
You need only turn on the camera, it will be transmitted with the controller and phone/tablet connections. If you want to record to your camera SD card you can start recording on your camera.

If you don't record, be sure to change the camera's AUTO OFF setting to NEVER (Hero 4) or to MANUAL (Hero 3), otherwise it'll turn itself off during flight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maddog
I have a Gopro Hero 4 -- if all I want is FPV to control the drone do I need the $180-$500 gimbal or can I get by with the fixed mount that comes with the Solo?
Most people find the lag in the video transmission from solo to controller is too long for FPV. Your view will be too far behind where solo actually is.
 
Most people find the lag in the video transmission from solo to controller is too long for FPV. Your view will be too far behind where solo actually is.
Would would be the solution for this ? Powered gimbal?
 
Would would be the solution for this ? Powered gimbal?
Analog video Tx with a proper/dedicated FPV camera or a camera like the RunCam Split, RunCam3, or RunCam2 that can do recording and put analog video out at under 70ms typically.
 
Analog video Tx with a proper/dedicated FPV camera or a camera like the RunCam Split, RunCam3, or RunCam2 that can do recording and put analog video out at under 70ms typically.
Perhaps by using fpv I squewed the conversation. I'm merely looking to operate the solo the same as I do with my p 4 pro and Mavic. That is using the video display to determine where the Drone is and direct it back. It sounds like the built in gopro mount will allow me to achieve this. Now I just have to decide to go with the bundle or stand alone.
 
I have a Gopro Hero 4 -- if all I want is FPV to control the drone do I need the $180-$500 gimbal or can I get by with the fixed mount that comes with the Solo?

You can use the regular mount without the (powered gimbal). The catch on the GoPro is, you have to mount it upside down for the hdmi cable.
I didn't have a GoPro when I got my Solo, (GitUp Git 1) so I found I could use part of the factory mounting equipment from the camera
and mount the Git1 right-side-up for flying with the standard mount. The gimbal and all of the connections for connecting a camera besides
the GoPro can also be mounted right-side-up in the (powered gimbal). One good thing about the GitUp cameras is that the SD card can be
removed with the camera in the gimbal to view the videos without removing the camera. The downside is, you don't have the camera
functions from the Solo's software so the camera has to be started in video capture mode before flying the Solo.
 
You can use the regular mount without the (powered gimbal). The catch on the GoPro is, you have to mount it upside down for the hdmi cable.

True, but that doesn't matter for either the video feed or recording, since every Hero 3 and Hero 4 has a setting that flips the image. The Hero 4 even has a setting that automatically flips the image to the correct position when you flip the camera (like smart phones do).
 
True, but that doesn't matter for either the video feed or recording, since every Hero 3 and Hero 4 has a setting that flips the image. The Hero 4 even has a setting that automatically flips the image to the correct position when you flip the camera (like smart phones do).
Do all Hero's 4's have that - ie does Silver?
 
True, but that doesn't matter for either the video feed or recording, since every Hero 3 and Hero 4 has a setting that flips the image. The Hero 4 even has a setting that automatically flips the image to the correct position when you flip the camera (like smart phones do).
Joe, I spent $40.00 on a cheap camera and it would automatically flip the image BUT it did not have hdmi output so it was worthless on the Solo
for FPV flying. The Git1 is different it has video output when the camera comes on so flying FPV works ok through the hdmi port.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
13,093
Messages
147,741
Members
16,048
Latest member
ihatethatihavetomakeanacc