WIRELESS VIDEO TRANSFER

[Stainless Skills]

I have this 30% yak and 50% of my flying is done out in the country with lots of gravel roads and farmland. In August I am going to head up to Nebraska for 2 weeks I will fly every single day I am there.

I have spent years thinking of a wireless video system for my yak. As you all know, you have a transmitter in your hands and then a receiver in the airplane. I want to buy a transmitter that I can stick in the airplane and then have a receiver back on the ground. Ideally I would want to power the transmitter with one or more Li-Po batteries. I do not want to buy a camera, I already have a small digital one that has audio and video output as well as an RCA jack. I could probably even get a converter to give it a USB output. This output would plug into the transmitter on the airplane. I fly on Channel 47. I imagine that the range on my radio does not extend for more than 5 miles. I would like this transmitter to be on another frequency, one that would give the least interference. Back with me on the ground I want a receiver, one with RCA, USB, or audio and video jacks that could plug into a computer or TV. I would want the wireless video system to have a range of 5+ miles.

Now I know what you are thinking… DANGER! Terrorist this, terrorist that! This is bad for the hobby! What would the FBI think? You couldn’t possibly…

If you go to YOUTUBE and do a search for “wireless video airplane” you will get literally 50+ or maybe even hundreds of guys who have done this in one way or another. I plan to do what they do, have a blast sitting in front of a computer or TV flying my airplane from the cockpit, in a safe environment, how fun would that be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuwG0bxE-DY. This guy’s video is amazing. What is especially interesting is how he has speed, heading, and altitude displayed on his camera, now that is novel!

To put it selfishly, I want that! But I don’t want to end up spending more than I need to, which, after looking all around the internet, could be very easy to do. Of course, for me, some GPS gismo with heading and altitude and speed comes second, I just want the video for now.

I like the looks of are these.

http://www.wirelessvideocameras.net/c=TrcIHu4AHFfUsi4E7v7fODoKL/category/001_rc_airborne_video_downlinks.3

Its amazing how they can transmit 25 miles and not be illegal. I don’t want to, and cant, spend $700 however.

What I really want to know is how these things and any transmitter for that matter work, power, wavelength and frequency wise. Is 2.4 Ghz too high a frequency to bend around solid objects like your voice can? How on earth does the radio I hold in my hands work, how can it stay on one freq and transmit on separate channels? How does a receiver pick up and translate the signal? Does wavelength change when you move a stick? Frequency? How does the electromagnetic spectrum work and where are all the frequency’s in relation to one another found on it? What determines the range on a transmitter? Is it the wattage or a combination of things? Do some frequencies travel better over longer distances?

I have all these questions because, as you can tell, I am ignorant when it comes to radio waves. I would love to take some sort of electrical engineering in college but SR year in high school does not offer anything like this. My AP physics book is only very basic and the information on the internet is scattered and after about 30 minutes of searching it has become very hard to make sense of.

Does anyone know anyone who has attempted this sort of thing before? I want to by a transmitter and receiver but I also want to have some idea as to how the stuff works so I can make an EDUCATED PURCHASE.

There are all these websites dedicated to RC airplanes and video catering to people like me but I was thinking, because I have a large plane that could handle a couple of pounds, that I could just purchase a transmitter and receiver from some very large electronic supply company and if I knew what I was doing, I could even buy several parts that could fit together to make a perfect system for my needs! That is what I really want to do but don’t know where to start.

So does anyone have a great resource to read up on as to how these things work?

I will let you all know how it goes…

[Stinger1]

This is rule 10 of the AMA Safety Code for Radio Controlled Aircraft operation .

10. The operator of a radio-controlled model aircraft shall control it during the entire flight, maintaining visual contact without enhancement other
than by corrective lenses that are prescribed for the pilot. No model aircraft shall be equipped with devices which allow it to be flown to a selected

location which is beyond the visual range of the pilot.
By doing what you intend to do you will be violating not only that rule but others which state you can not overfly unprotected spectators . You will be putting our entire sport at risk of legislation by the Federal Government and I for one happen to enjoy my sport unhampered by the Government .

[Stainless Skills]

That only applies to the AMA, they dont insure you if you do it. There is absolutely nothing illegal about what I am doing, expecially when I am going to be doing it out over a bunch cornfields and vacant farm land. This is hardly putting the sport at risk, and I will not be overflying unintending spectators.

Poeple do this right and left and as long as I am under asl I will not be breaking any rules. People do this right and left, heck college aeronautical students build uavs and fly them in the manner I intend to and no one cares.

[Stainless Skills]

any one ever done this?

[krashmaster81]

I do this everyday.... with a UAV. This is actually a very touchy subject right now with the FAA, AOPA, and other organizations. Just be wise about where you do this sort of thing. And be sure to keep the aircraft within visual range. In fact, it would be wise to have a spotter keep the plane in site at all times.

-Matt

[Stainless Skills]

That sounds like great, safe advice.