Boscam Galaxy D2 7" LCD monitor with dual channel 5.8ghz receiver

[Baldy]

These look cheap at around £65/£70 on ebay. Anybody have any experience of one?

Would I be correct in thinking that I could use a model with two Boscam 5.8ghz tx's and simply select channel to be viewed via a switch on the monitor?

Thanks!
Rob

[SnoozeDoggyDog]

You could achieve the same without diversity, but yes is the answer to your question. Or install a video switch. You could have multiple cameras and switch to any feed without having to change the channel.

P

[BlueFlyer]

The best way of doing what I think you want to do, would be to have a single boscam TX on your craft (whether that be boat, plane or quad) but have 2 cameras. The cameras plug into a switcher, which in turn plugs into your receiver and a switch on your handset can choose which camera to view.

However, if you have no spare channels on your receiver to run the switcher, then yes you could have 2 TX on the craft and change which one you view by changing the channel on the RX

Though diversity receivers would have no benefit over a single receiver in either of the above two scenarios.

You'd be better off with a single scanning type VRX on any monitor, of course having the VRX built into the monitor is nice and tidy though.

[BlueFlyer]

Here you go, only £40 http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-Racer-250-FPV-Drone-7-Inch-5_8G-32CH-Diversity-Wireless-Monitor-p-998312.html?rmmds=home-mid-recommendations

[Baldy]

Guys, just to explain what I'm trying to do, may help, as I have no idea what 'diversity' is lol so I may be enlightened if I give intended application.

So, the FPV I'm interested in is for fishing bait boats. Now at the moment I'm only using a single surface mounted camera and 200mw boscam tx. On the bank I have a 12v 7 inch monitor and boscam Rx. With upgraded aerials it's working fine for the range I need, 120 yards max I'd say. Problems I have is that I need to use a 12v battery to power the monitor which is heavy/cumbersome to lug around.

In the future I'm wanting to try two cameras, one forward facing and one down into the water. Now the boat is a sealed unit, and even if opened up (which I'd rather not) you don't have access to the radio gear. It's all bespoke/sealed in. I have bought a switcher and 12v to 5v step down with idea of switching cameras that way. But I still need to work a way to link that to the radio gear which means trying a separate 40mhz Rx (hence the 12 to 5v step down), chanel matched to the boats existing frequency and even if that worked I'll still have to share a channel with another function.

So you can probably see, having a little box on the boat, powered by the boats 12v, with two Boscam tx's going to two cameras and then having a bankside monitor that can receive the channel I choose at that time, with an internal battery seems to me to be a whole lot easier!!

So the question is, would this monitor be suitable for that purpose lol :)

[FPVSteve]

You might find having two VTXs in close proximity affects your range - maybe not.

But BlueFlyers video switch is a good idea and much simpler by the sounds of it. One VTX, two camera and a switch - the switch is controlled from your transmitter so you can simply flick from one camera to another so the image coming back from your VTX changes instead of changing the channel on your monitor.


Your way:
Two VTXes (more power draw)
Two Cameras
Have to change TV channel


Other way:
One VTX
Two cameras
One switch
Controlled via transmitter, no need to reach for the monitor

[BlueFlyer]

I think I understand the issue now...

The boat comes with it's own radio gear and controller handset. The radio receiver is built into the boat and you don't have access to it, in order to put a video switcher on one of the channels... nor do you have the ability (with the included controller handset) to even assign switches to channels in order for my suggestion to work.

Does that sound about right?

If so, then your idea of having 2 x cameras with their own VTX on different frequencies should work just fine. You will need to separate the frequencies as much as possible... so have one on ch1 and the other on ch8 for example

Then you can just change the channel/frequency on your VRX to the one you want to look at.

You say your current monitor needs a 12v battery... that's not uncommon... what's uncommon is that you're saying the 12v battery is heavy and cumbersome. Am I right in thinking you're using a car battery or something? You should be able to power the monitor from a 3S LiPo... they're certainly not heavy or cumbersome, I use 3S LiPos to power all my ground gear.

The monitor you're asking about in the original post also needs to be powered from 12v, it doesn't have a battery built in... The only advantage I can see over your current monitor is that the new one has the video receiver built in so will be a much neater package.

But so does the one I linked you to, which only costs £40

[Baldy]

Blueflyer you totally understand the issues I have so (Steve) that's why I can't tap into the existing 40mhz radio gear without going down the path of trying an extra 40mhz receiver but it's getting messy then as even if that worked I'd have to share a radio function to use the switching, not impossible but faffy to decide. I could use boat lights off to switch underwater camera on, as I wouldn't use an underwater camera in the dark, and then boat lights on for forward facing camera, if that would even work... dunno, two tx's seems much less aggro lol

You're also right I do use a 12v car battery. To be honest I've carried one about for a while as it powers various other things but I probably don't need it now. However I did think the boscam monitor I mentioned did have built in lipo, this ebay link suggests 4000mah built in?

Look at this on eBay  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321695461155

[BlueFlyer]

Oh yes, I see... the Banggood page for the same product also mentions it has a built in 3.7v battery.

Having dual receivers has no advantage for your application though... in a diversity setup both receivers are tuned into the same frequency and the controller passes through the video from the one with the strongest signal.

From your OP, it appears you were under the impression that each receiver was tuned into a different frequency and you have the ability to just switch from one to the other when you want to see through a different camera.

Honestly, it's easy to just change the channel/freq on a single receiver.... but yes that monitor will work fine for what you want to do... I can't comment on the quality of it though as I've never seen one or heard of it before.

[Baldy]

So you'll have to excuse me as I'm still confused (sorry!). What exactly do the diversity monitors do? I just saw two sets of dip switches and thought you could set up two channels to receive two tx's on separate channels but I'm guessing not. I just want to be able to select either of two channels at the push of a button (as opposed to having to move dip switches to view the relevant channel...).

Crumbs, this is taxing... :)

[BlueFlyer]

So you'll have to excuse me as I'm still confused (sorry!). What exactly do the diversity monitors do?

As I said earlier, both receivers are tuned into the SAME frequency/channel.... the diversity controller then only passes through the picture from the receiver that has the strongest signal.

I just saw two sets of dip switches and thought you could set up two channels to receive two tx's on separate channels but I'm guessing not.

Nope, 1 set will be for the BAND, the other set will be for the CHANNEL

I just want to be able to select either of two channels at the push of a button

Your best bet would be to get a VRX that doesn't use dip switches. I have this 5.8 VRX and it only takes a few short presses of the CH button to change channel... no faffing around with dip switches.

http://www.banggood.com/Eachine-RC840-5_8G-600mW-40CH-Raceband-Wireless-FPV-Receiver-Module-p-1045476.html?

or there's this which scans through the 5.8 band

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/quanum-auto-scan-5-8ghz-fpv-receiver.html

[Baldy]

As I said earlier, both receivers are tuned into the SAME frequency/channel.... the diversity controller then only passes through the picture from the receiver that has the strongest signal.

Out of interest, what use is this for normal fpv'ers?

As for running 12v gear from lipos, what kind of mah is required to provide plenty of juice? For example if I was using my monitor/Rx for an hour what capacity am I looking at before needing charging, approximately...

Ps thank you for your help!

[BlueFlyer]

Out of interest, what use is this for normal fpv'ers?

haha, I deliberately didn't go into too much detail as I was aware you were not a "normal" fpver lol... I have followed your bait boat antics before and found it actually quite intriguing.

Diversity is good for fpv flying machines because we tend to fly quite a bit further away than just a few hundred feet.

At these distances on 5.8, the video can be a bit sketchy when using just a simple omnidirectional antenna. Therefore people like to use directional antennas such as patch or helical antennas.

As the name suggests, these directional antennas work best when they're pointing directly at the VTX antenna on the plane/quad. They create a sort of "cone" called the beam width, and as long as you stay within this beam your picture will be fine.

However, when you fly home, or fly around the back of yourself, you'll be outside this beam and the picture would be crappy if not gone altogether. In these instances, a regular omnidirectional antenna would be preferable.

This is where Diversity controllers come into their own. They allow you to have 2 x receivers, one with a directional antenna for when you're flying at distance, and one with an omni antenna for when you're closer to home and are more likely to fly either behind or either side of the directional antennas beam.

The Diversity controller listens to both receivers and passes the one with the strongest signal through to the monitor or your goggles.

As for running 12v gear from lipos, what kind of mah is required to provide plenty of juice? For example if I was using my monitor/Rx for an hour what capacity am I looking at before needing charging, approximately...

Without looking at the power consumption of the components you'll be running, it's hard to tell... but I can give you an idea of my setup and how long it lasts.

I had a 8" monitor with a 1.2 VRX and a 5.8 VTX to relay the video to my goggles wirelessly. This would run off a 3300mah 3S LiPo for over an hour without giving me cause of concern. I have a LED voltmeter display so I can keep an eye on the voltage, but my flights with my big skywalker or Talon are generally close to an hour so I just swap batteries after each flight to be on the safe side.

needless to say, 4 or 5 LiPos are a damn sight easier to carry around than a 12v car battery lol

[Baldy]

haha, I deliberately didn't go into too much detail as I was aware you were not a "normal" fpver lol... I have followed your bait boat antics before and found it actually quite intriguing.

Diversity is good for fpv flying machines because we tend to fly quite a bit further away than just a few hundred feet.

At these distances on 5.8, the video can be a bit sketchy when using just a simple omnidirectional antenna. Therefore people like to use directional antennas such as patch or helical antennas.

As the name suggests, these directional antennas work best when they're pointing directly at the VTX antenna on the plane/quad. They create a sort of "cone" called the beam width, and as long as you stay within this beam your picture will be fine.

However, when you fly home, or fly around the back of yourself, you'll be outside this beam and the picture would be crappy if not gone altogether. In these instances, a regular omnidirectional antenna would be preferable.

This is where Diversity controllers come into their own. They allow you to have 2 x receivers, one with a directional antenna for when you're flying at distance, and one with an omni antenna for when you're closer to home and are more likely to fly either behind or either side of the directional antennas beam.

The Diversity controller listens to both receivers and passes the one with the strongest signal through to the monitor or your goggles.

Without looking at the power consumption of the components you'll be running, it's hard to tell... but I can give you an idea of my setup and how long it lasts.

I had a 8" monitor with a 1.2 VRX and a 5.8 VTX to relay the video to my goggles wirelessly. This would run off a 3300mah 3S LiPo for over an hour without giving me cause of concern. I have a LED voltmeter display so I can keep an eye on the voltage, but my flights with my big skywalker or Talon are generally close to an hour so I just swap batteries after each flight to be on the safe side.

needless to say, 4 or 5 LiPos are a damn sight easier to carry around than a 12v car battery lol

I understand, yay!!  ;D I do actually use a helical myself to eek out a bit of extra range. Although I do have a 1.2ghz tx & rx to try for my water based exploits at some point... ;)

I have a couple of 3S 3000mah laying about from my flying days, so if I were to simply make up a lead that was say Deans (the connector on my lipo packs) to a 12v jack (monitor DC input) this is perfectly acceptable as a power source (ie safe!)?

[BlueFlyer]

Yes, but I would have a way of keeping an eye on the voltage. I've got a LED voltmeter display on my ground station box, but one of those LiPo balance plug voltage checkers would be perfectly acceptable.

https://hobbyking.com/en_us/cell-checker-with-low-voltage-alarm-2s-8s.html