Overview
An FPV setup contains three main components. Of course the quad copter, the radio transmitter and then a screen or goggles.
The radio transmitter, sometimes called the controller, sends commands input by the pilot to the quad, the quad then determines which of the motors to spin and at what speed to perform the desired result. On the quad is a very small video camera and a video transmitter (VTX) that sends this video to a small screen or a set of FPV goggles.
Controlling the Quad
The radio transmitter has two sticks and a number of function switches. The sticks control the attitude and orientation of the quad.
Throttle – The throttle controls how fast all props spin. Increasing the throttle causes the quad to gain altitude.
Yaw – The yaw controls which direction the nose of the quad is facing. When you take off normally the nose or front of the quad is facing away from you. Yawing to the right would cause the nose to point off to your right and vice versa for left yaw.
Pitch – The pitch controls if the nose of the quad is pointing to the sky or to the ground. If you pitch down by pushing the right stick forward the nose of the quad will point down.
Roll – The roll control is very similar to pitch but on the perpendicular axis. Rolling to the right would cause the right side of the quad to point toward the ground where rolling to the left would cause the left side of the craft to point to the ground.
Thrust Vector
Now that you have a good understanding of what happens when you pitch, yaw or roll your quad you may be wondering why would you ever want to do that. It may just fall out of the sky! The reason is the trust vector. A quad likes to go in the direction of it’s thrust vector and that points directly up from the center top of the quad. Depending on the attitude of the quad when you input more throttle the quad will head in the direction of the thrust vector.
For instance, at level flight if you input more throttle the quad will gain altitude. But if you roll right causing the quad to tilt to the right and then input throttle the quad will move to the right. It takes a little practice to know how to mix all of the inputs to achieve the desired result but once you get the hang of it you will not even have to think about it.
Shopping list
Ok this is what you really wanted, right? Just tell me what to buy man! So here are some suggestions for people just getting into the hobby. If you do not really want to pick and choose this is a great starter combo. I personally fly BetaFPV micro quads and they are very fun and their customer service is great. This bundle includes an FrSky compatible radio which is one of the two main standards so you cant go wrong there. The headset is a little bulky but keep in mind the better headsets start around $300 so this is a good start.
