$22 FPV is for Suckers!
erco
Posts: 20,256
Well call me a sucker. While researching wireless cameras, I found this drone FPV camera add-on kit (I got mine at auction for $17):
$21.68 free ship: http://www.gearbest.com/fpv-system/pp_212594/review.html
$25 most other places: http://www.amazon.com/MJX-Drone-Spare-Parts-Quadcopter/dp/B00ZWP6AWA
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MJX-C4005-Original-30w-FPV-Camera-RC-Quadcopter-for-X400-X500-X600 -X800-X101-US-/252091233813?hash=item3ab1cef615:g:9yoAAOSwHjNV9pMK
http://www.hobbywow.com/en-mjx-fpv-wifi-camera-components-set-c4005-for-x400-t64-p238784.htm
The tiny (2.25" long, 10.5g) MJX C4005 camera streams video to your phone. Sorry, no audio, I guess the drone's motors drown out ambient sound. It sends out its own WiFi signal; it does not connect to your home or any other network. The tiny module IS a wireless network and camera all in one. Your phone searches for and connects to this "network", then you run MJX's C4005 app (free from Google Play) to view the image.
Works fine from my testing, decent image (0.3MP CMOS camera), lag time is not quite a second. Indoor range good up to ~25 feet, then it gets choppy. Probably better outdoors.
I don't even have the drone, I just wanted to try out this camera. It will certainly end up on a robot somewhere, and I'm sure the brain trust here can think up lots of other uses. Live spy cam, nanny cam, live cam on a stick. I'll likely get a second one. BTW, the camera kit includes a cell phone holder and even a small screwdriver! I really should figure out how to import just a bulk pack of hundred camera modules...
The camera is designed to plug into the drone and use its 3.7V Lipo. The kit comes with 2 connection cables (long for helicopter, short for drone). I just cut off the drone-end plug and soldered a 18650 Li-Ion battery holder on, works great. There's an extra green wire, no connection there. No surprises, red to V+, black to ground/minus. Module pulls ~150 mA current and runs warm. Takes 15-20 seconds after powerup to emit the WiFi signal.
The app lets you take still photos and record videos from the streaming signal. Non-WiFi FPV cameras can record to an on-board micro SD card for a clearer image, but that's not an option for a WiFi cam.
Will post some videos when I get some good ones.
I'm checking out some other cameras, too. For $90-100, you can buy this "Sky Viper" RTF WiFi streaming cam & drone at Toys R US right now, works just like this MJX kit.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=60203436
$21.68 free ship: http://www.gearbest.com/fpv-system/pp_212594/review.html
$25 most other places: http://www.amazon.com/MJX-Drone-Spare-Parts-Quadcopter/dp/B00ZWP6AWA
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MJX-C4005-Original-30w-FPV-Camera-RC-Quadcopter-for-X400-X500-X600 -X800-X101-US-/252091233813?hash=item3ab1cef615:g:9yoAAOSwHjNV9pMK
http://www.hobbywow.com/en-mjx-fpv-wifi-camera-components-set-c4005-for-x400-t64-p238784.htm
The tiny (2.25" long, 10.5g) MJX C4005 camera streams video to your phone. Sorry, no audio, I guess the drone's motors drown out ambient sound. It sends out its own WiFi signal; it does not connect to your home or any other network. The tiny module IS a wireless network and camera all in one. Your phone searches for and connects to this "network", then you run MJX's C4005 app (free from Google Play) to view the image.
Works fine from my testing, decent image (0.3MP CMOS camera), lag time is not quite a second. Indoor range good up to ~25 feet, then it gets choppy. Probably better outdoors.
I don't even have the drone, I just wanted to try out this camera. It will certainly end up on a robot somewhere, and I'm sure the brain trust here can think up lots of other uses. Live spy cam, nanny cam, live cam on a stick. I'll likely get a second one. BTW, the camera kit includes a cell phone holder and even a small screwdriver! I really should figure out how to import just a bulk pack of hundred camera modules...
The camera is designed to plug into the drone and use its 3.7V Lipo. The kit comes with 2 connection cables (long for helicopter, short for drone). I just cut off the drone-end plug and soldered a 18650 Li-Ion battery holder on, works great. There's an extra green wire, no connection there. No surprises, red to V+, black to ground/minus. Module pulls ~150 mA current and runs warm. Takes 15-20 seconds after powerup to emit the WiFi signal.
The app lets you take still photos and record videos from the streaming signal. Non-WiFi FPV cameras can record to an on-board micro SD card for a clearer image, but that's not an option for a WiFi cam.
Will post some videos when I get some good ones.
I'm checking out some other cameras, too. For $90-100, you can buy this "Sky Viper" RTF WiFi streaming cam & drone at Toys R US right now, works just like this MJX kit.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=60203436
1120 x 672 - 226K
Comments
I just purchased one of each.
That's my Dawg!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/281806862422
I'm not sure what this feature is: "does UV spray finishing for the whole body" ???
I downloaded the app for my phone and it started receiving video. Very cool.
Here's erco on walkabout...
Isn't a Li-Ion battery just a LiPo in a can? I don't understand why you'd need to worry about a voltage difference between the Li-Ion and a LiPo.
My MJX C4005 camera hasn't arrived yet. I'll need to find something to strap the camera to once it arrives.
TTYTT it may not be needed. I'm sitting here now running the camera without a diode. It pulls close to 300 mA (so nearly a full watt power dissipation) and gets a tad warm.
Pretty cool tech.
I wonder if there will be a problem running the camera for long periods of time (hours)? The little quadcopters the camera is made to work with generally don't have flight times more than 10 minutes. I wonder if youwe will need to worry about cooling the camera.
I imagine taking the circuit board out to the enclosure would likely help keep it cool. The camera which came with the TRU quad was really easy to open up (and put back together). If I use either of the cameras as a surveillance camera, I may remove the camera from the enclosure.
The TRU camera has a very small camera module on a relatively long ribbon cable. It would be really easy to incorporate the camera in a small robot's eye or similar small space.
A couple of things the TRU camera lacks which I think would be nice features is a onboard SD card to record the video without being compressed for streaming. I'd also like to see some sort of security on the WiFi signal so I'm not broadcasting the inside of my house to the neighborhood. Of course this is asking for a lot for something so inexpensively priced. I'm very pleased with the TRU camera as it is.
Agreed, cool tech.
@Duane: You read my mind about heat and durability. The drone's airflow also keeps things cool.
The $94 WLtoys V686G has an FPV camera with integrated micro SD card slot. and got an excellent review at
http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Wltoys-V686G-2-4G-4CH-FPV-Quadcopter-with-2MP-HD-Camera-US-Shipping-1N83-/351481922070?hash=item51d5f48216:g:nkoAAOSwyQtVzv-c
http://www.gearbest.com/rc-quadcopters/pp_141289.html?wid=2
$76.34 shipped.
It's even more tempting.