thedonut

Just saw this combat system - https://www.fpv-combat.com. You can set gun power, armor, and amount of ammo. Systems communicate with each other which allows different type of game modes.

Panzerpaul

This looks encouraging as long as there is room to install in our tanks,
and trees and bldgs don’t interrupt the video signal. FRAG will look at this further. PP

Crius

I've installed fpv in several of my tanks and trucks and had a lot of fun with it, but it's been my experience that, while most people think it's very cool, not very many RC tankers are getting into fpv. I don't understand why that is, but I have found it to be true. I would very much like to see more guys using fpv, as I think it's a great addition to our Hobby and provides some features that will make for excellent videos. I know h l is adding an fpv feature to their tanks using a smartphone, but I haven't seen one in person yet. If anyone has one of those systems I would really like to see some video of it. The one disadvantage, as I understand it, is that the cell phone FPV systems tend to suffer from a lot greater lag time then an fpv system with a dedicated transmitter. As for being able to put the stuff in the tanks, I think the biggest problem is having to add another battery. Most fpv systems run on 12 volts and the tanks run on seven. I put fpv in my hetzer, but since that's a 1/6 scale tank there was plenty of room. But, the basic components for fpv don't take up very much room. In one of my trucks I have the entire system except for the camera installed in a wooden crate in the bed of the truck. Stand By and I'll get you a photo of that.

Crius

This is a standard HL M35 and the crate in the back holds all the gear for FPV, as well as the gear for the light bar, with plenty of room left over. I'm using a 3S lipo with a step down to provide 5 volts to the light bar. The fpv just runs on straight battery voltage.



And here's what's in the crate



I'm thinking about making a smaller crate. This one was originally planned to hold two different batteries, one for lights and one for fpv, but a tiny little stepdown board meant I could eliminate one of the batteries (thanx again, Erik).

Pah co chu puk

I tried a FPV system on my stug a few years ago. It was a primitive system by todays standards, as in, I watched the camera feed on an old TV, and it only worked for about 10 minutes, but it was cool to use. I drove the stug all around my basement, even into other rooms, before the system quit working. I never tried it again but may someday. It was cool driving the tank that way.
After that I wanted a system with two cameras, one on the hull pointed forward for the driver, and one on the turret aligned with the main gun so I can pan around to look for targets. But then I need a friend to help operate the tank...

Rad_Schuhart

Hi Crius, I guess if you don't see FPV in tanks is because most of the tankers are happy with the stock electronics and refuse to solder not even one led. Everything that goes a bit beyond tamiya seems to be too much. At the other hand, among the RC flyers I have seen unbelievable things... For example warbirds with FPV cameras in the cabin, with a real and working cockpit! Yeah, a small screen with all the watches there, with real live info! Id love to see something like that in our toys.

About the cell phone FPV, those which work either with wifi or with bluetooth are way, way too laggy for enjoying it. And absolutely unusable in planes or cars.

About the 12volts issue you mentioned, well, there are also step up voltage regultors for like 50 cents free shipping. I am using some and work well, at least for the not too high current toys I have.

And lastly, the link that Mr Donut bought us, it looks interesting. maybe if there are enough people interested on it he could make it tamiya compatible. I don't think too many of you would be willing to use the current battle system.

EDIT: Jump to minute: 2:50

thedonut

Here's my Tamiya Sherman I configured with an analog FPV system with head tracking 10 years ago. Didn't realize it's been that long! I upgraded it with a digital DJI FPV system last January and the improvement in video quality is fantastic. I could have put the receiver inside but decided to keep it outside the turret for better cooling.

BcuriousR

I've put cameras on or in just about every ground vehicle possible. I always run them on a dedicated battery to isolate the circuit and remove most interference and stabilize the power. All tank cameras are mounted on magnetic bases. The battery compartment is mounted on magnets, suspended in the turret ring.




FPV and 3D printing introduce these dusty old hobbies to new generations of modelers.

MAUS45

That is amazing!!!! Thanks for sharing.

Imex-Erik

That's funny, I didn't think I would see this here. I actually have met the owner (Alex) and he is quite the smart guy. He is one of the big innovators of FPV and antenna design. He is super nice too, quite genuine if I may say so. If you got a question just send it over, they are a proud US company and have a great staff. For FPV guys I really, REALLY must suggest you move away from those AIO cameras. It really ruins the experience versus a proper cam and vtx. Team Black Sheep makes the best VTXs around, have warranties, smaller, have more features, etc. Cameras should go with a CMOS sensor (CCD used to be #1 but CMOS these days is great) like a Caddx cam or even a Foxeer. Runcam makes good cameras but the colors tend to be very flat to me, just do your research here, most can make changes like color/saturation/brightness/etc. Combine that with a proper antenna, actually from the same guy as above, Video Aerial Systems, and your range and breakup will be much better. While the cheap AIOs do work, they don't work well and are pretty limited on power/quality just due to the price point. Also a set of goggles while expensive will make your experience a hundred times different. It isn't the same as a screen, you are actually immersed. YOU are now the commander AND driver at once. With a screen you will never get the same feeling. The hard part is drinking the koolaid for a set of goggles. They aren't cheap (mine were $450) and you don't want to go cheap and buy twice. These days there is digital HD FPV if you want to spend about $600-700ish which honestly I would recommend over the analog stuff if you are thinking about it. Analog is cheap but HD is HD. Once you see it you won't want to go back. Analog deals better with interference, but if you are doing tank battles and such I would go with the DJI HD FPV system.

Tanque

I've used FPV off and on for a number of years. I like it a lot but always seems to get pushed to the back burner. I just purchased some micro cams and receiver and plan to use them

I'm very interested in the announced FrSky X20HD which is supposed to integrate real time telemetry AND video right to the transmitter's LCD screen. No release date has been given.

My use of FPV has not been without ups and downs. I recall once at a model show I was using a (can't recall the maker) a system called a Microplate or something like that in one of my 1/10 Tigers. There were a number of vendors and other with monitors showing various video and when I fired up this thing the iamge from my Tiger superimposed on several monitors near me. Scared the crap out of me as I'm well aware of FCC freq regs and power limits so immediately shut the thing down never to use it again. I have no idea how much power that thing generated but discovered later that it required a amateur license to use legally! My dad was a lifelong HAM and all he did was shake his head at me...

Here's a snippet of a longer old video of a Panther with FPV, not very good or clear. This one was streamed to a PC and captured that way: I made it in 2007...

Jerry

Crius

You're absolutely right about the fcc, those people have no sense of humor whatsoever.
I've been very fortunate with fpv because when I first got into this Hobby almost 10 years ago, one of the first people that I met was Erik from Imex and he has been such a help to me I can't even find words to explain it. If I want to do something like FPV Erik has always been there to help me out and he knows all the ins and outs so I basically just tell him what I'm trying to do and then buy whatever he tells me to. Hey, it's worked out great so far, so thanks again, Erik.

Imex-Erik

Yes technically anything over 25mW does require a HAM license to legally operate. Analog channels also do need to be spread out, you can usually get about 40 frequencies out of a legal 5.8ghz transmitter, however these days you can custom tune channels and define your own frequency tables through things like BetaFlight. Raceband is 8 channels spread between the legal 5.8ghz spectrum (though I think 5645 is technically not legal) and you can usually get 6-8 people up that way with decent video transmitters (many more with proper vtxs). Low quality video transmitters (vtx) bleed into other close freqencies and also make operating with others more difficult. This is also compounded by the whip antennas being used on most systems as well. A CP or omni antenna is what you want to use to help reject bouncing signals which we get a lot of on the ground. Using a higher grade vtx will not only last longer but will also work better at lower frequencies since it is tuned and designed by the top FPV company IMO. Yes I know it requires a few more wires and sometimes a solder or two but it is a WORLD of difference when you have a nice video system. It is only about $20-30 more for a proper setup versus one of those AIO cams.
Honestly what makes FPV awesome is goggles. If you can, find a friend with a pair and ask them to use it on your tank. You suddenly go from an observer to an driver and gunner at the same time. Yes you have less vision, just like the real thing! Just remember all that WIFI FPV is not the same thing as 5.8ghz FPV. They are completely different and work on a different system. If you see WIFI FPV stay away from it unless you like lag.

Clarification: 25mW is max power for 5.8ghz before Ham license needed, max 1W even with HAM license. 2.4ghz max is 100mW without license. Other stuff like 433/900/1200/1300/3300ghz all should be looked into individually.
A ham license is easy to come by just a heads up and gives you some nice max power limits. Definitely worth it IMO.

RichJohnson

Well, the FCC does not have a sense of humor but they also have to be made to care. I have my direct link to them and showed them massive HF interference on 7296 kHz and their super spook black suburban could not pick it up while my inverted V above my house picked it up so loud it was S9 + and wiped out 400w + stations on the freq. oh well was their answer. 2 years of not being able to participate in a net with my friends during DST until one day the interference was gone.
Though when my friend talked to the space shuttle years ago they were at his house in an hour…. Glad I was not there… he fortified his license and antenna…

Any way, I bought a spectrum FPV system and was disgusted. The field of view is so wide angle I could not see a tank 15 feet away until a blob moved then I could tell something was there. Plus, at more than half speed the screen hashed with static and it became useless.
it was the worse 400 ish bucks I ever spent and decided I’m done with that,

Crius

I wasn't really happy with the wide-angle lenses myself, mainly because I wanted to use at least one of the cameras to Aid in sighting the paintball Cannon. I found that they make small cameras that are not wide angle lenses so I bought one for a little under $20 and it worked out pretty good. You can really tell the difference between the regular lens and the wide-angle lens when you're looking through those goggles. But I'm not sure if we'll ever see fpv battles at the more popular tank clubs. There just aren't enough guys who are into it. Maybe if you had two or three fpv tanks on each team, that might work out, but until a lot more guys get into it I wouldn't look for it on the battlefield.