OMG, the amount of info you cram into such a concise gorgeously edited video is amazing. A real labour of love. I always watch your videos on my 65" TV since there is so much happening on screen at any moment. Beautiful scenery too :)
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Hey, really appreciate the comment. Definitely a labor of love! I spend an insane amount of time testing, analyzing, filming, troubleshooting, re-filming and editing… i don’t even know how much time I spent on this one. (Just the exporting alone was hours of frustration due to some FCPX errors ugh!) Anyway, just trying to create something that is both informative & entertaining for the few people that watch my channel, haha! So big thanks for the comment and support, cheers!
@mjodr9 ай бұрын
I gotta say the same thing. What an insane amount of time needed to shoot and edit like this, wow.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@mjodr yea, it’s basically a HUGE waste of time… but trying to make quality videos is “passion project” for me. I do however hope people find them entertaining & useful so it’s not a total complete waste of time! Ultimately though, I do these tests for my own curiosity, and then try to make them into interesting videos to share with other hobby folks. “Positive contributions to the internet.” Always appreciate the comments and support from everyone, so thanks for taking a second to drop a comment. Cheers!
@mjodr8 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy Oh I get it man! I spend hours setting up my XLR mic and audio interface and then hours more tweaking my EQ, compressor, noise suppression, side chain ducking on the music, etc. And I know the 3 people who watch my video don't give a crap about any of that! lol I'm even embarrassed when I pop a plosive into my mic and I'm slacking on putting on a pop filter and then you got guys with 2 million subscribers screaming into a $5 lav mic duct taped to a pencil! lol!
@GiantAntCowboy8 ай бұрын
@@mjodr 100%… I have like dozen videos I never released because they “weren’t perfect…” I need to get better at just publishing everything and stop obsessing with details… but I always have this vision of how I want my videos to be, and part of the fun is filling that vision. Sounds like you know exactly what I mean. I usually hate me audio, finally ordered a proper audio recorder. “Zoom F2” with 32-bit float. Hope that cleans up my audio and makes it more consistent. But I’d rather produce quality over quantity, there’s no money to be made in this FPV Niche anyway..
@RyanQuellet9 ай бұрын
I really like the analysis here and the voice of reason. People don't realize that strong local RF can impact FPV video reception, even if it isn't on the same frequency. I also run 250mW and below, usually only 100mW, because it is more than enough performance for me. I have noticed the ceramic ELRS receivers a way worse at reception than the full antenna ones, so I think people compensate for a crappy antenna by going up to 1W... just doesn't make sense to me. Thanks for the video!
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yea, 100mW, as shown here, outperforms 5.8ghz at 1000mW (1W), especially with this Gemini setup. Admittedly i used to run my Crossfire setup at max 1W power, and wonder if that actually wore the TX out, because it’s performance seemed to be getting worse with time. Regarding ceramic antennas, I didn’t show it here but, I actually failsafed in the Gantlet trail while testing one of those Ceramic antenna RXs. They should really only be used for tiny whoops. Anyway, thanks as always for watching and sharing your thoughts, cheers bud!
@syn868 ай бұрын
Your production quality is insane, especially with the amount of information you put into such a short video. I hope your audience grows bigger, you really deserve that.
@GiantAntCowboy8 ай бұрын
Big thanks, I really pushed my editing skills with this one. I always try to jam a ton of info in a short space because I know people don’t want to watch a 20 minute video… Really appreciate the comment & support! Cheers!
@Wild__FPV6 ай бұрын
Got a ton of new info hitting me, still wrapping my head around it! 😄 Not fully vibing with some of the techy terms yet, but I'm planning to deep dive into the whole scene over time. Right now, I'm getting that throwing 1W into the mix isn't a guaranteed win, gotta tinker and play around, compare power levels and their impact on range. All in all, just scored another piece of golden wisdom. P.S. Ever thought about kickin' off your own site, dropping knowledge bombs like Oscar Liang? Your expertise is legit.
@GiantAntCowboy6 ай бұрын
Yea, I always try to pack these videos with info… some of it sounds complicated but you’ll pick it all up quickly. Oscar Liang is a true hero for the hobby, he has everything very well covered, not much I can add, plus I have very limited free-time… these KZfaq episodes are fun because I get to do equal parts technical chat & entertainment, plus I have an excellent test environment in my backyard. Making this content though is hard work, it takes a ton of time, and even though I get periodically get free parts it actually costs me money to run this channel… but it’s a hobby and I enjoy supporting the hobby & practicing video editing. If you find any video particularly helpful or interesting please share them, that’s a great way to help me grow the channel! Appreciate you bing watching my content and leaving awesome comments! ✨
@WinstonSmith19849 ай бұрын
That's amazing. One thing that I hope will improve in the future is for goggles to receive the telemetry used to create the OSD from the handset via bluetooth (or wifi) because the RC link is much more reliable than the video link, and in case the video link (briefly) drops, then we can continue flying IFR using the OSD only. Another advantage is that it'll unburden the VTX and video link: there's no need to send telemetry via 2 mediums as most of us are currently doing with digital FPV.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Hey that’s a great idea! In the penetration tests here I had to rely on the Telemetry Log Files because the OSD info froze half through The Gantlet and was impossible to really know how the Control Links were performing… Had this discussion been started any where that you know of? Thanks for watching and sharing the idea, cheers!
@WinstonSmith19849 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy No it's just something I thought of recently.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@WinstonSmith1984 well I think it’s worth a discussion for sure!
@asyncnomi9 ай бұрын
I think this is doable using hdzero goggle with elrs backpack. Hdzero is using the audio bandwidth to send osd, but this result in a lot of freezes. Having a horizon line in case of total blackout would be awesome fot sure !
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yes, good point, time to start digging! That would be a very exciting feature.
@jaysonrees7389 ай бұрын
I can definitely see myself having a use for this. Even with just antenna diversity, it'll help a great deal. Thanks for all that effort to do penetration testing!
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yea, with ELRS there are Antenna Diversity RXs, True Diversity RXs, and now this Gemini Setup which is True Diversity RX & TX. This clearly has the advantage both on paper and in test. I’ve been testing the new HDZero V2 VTX & all camera modes as well which is why I had so many Gantlet Runs for comparison. I’ll be working on that video next. Always appreciate the comments and support, cheers man!
@nikotttin9 ай бұрын
Waiting for the same but integrated in a small radio… Very nice test and great editing!! Thanks
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks, yea BetaFPV is the first to market but assume more options will come soon, thanks for watching, cheers!
@ryanjette89119 ай бұрын
Incredible video as always, I love that you summed it up in under 10 minutes as well.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks, always appreciate the comment and support. I tried to keep the video and information moving; Didn’t spend much time showing what comes in the box, reading the specs, or explaining in detail how the system works… there’s already a ton of reviews like that.
@ghettorecording29259 ай бұрын
Got one, luv it!
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
It’s a solid setup, thanks for watching. Cheers!
@talonfpv2 ай бұрын
Dude great content thank you so much! 🤘
@GiantAntCowboy2 ай бұрын
Thank you, appreciate the support!
@wrightwells22 күн бұрын
Just watched Mads FPV and those 1w transmitters are actually giving out 1.5w at the 1w setting.
@GiantAntCowboy22 күн бұрын
@@wrightwells yea, it’s just unnecessary noise. A proper ELRS setup at 100mW (or max 250mw) should outperform any normal 5.8ghz FPV feed.
@serval_fpv9 ай бұрын
This chap needs an affiliate link for sure im sold.. great in depth testing and as always great edit 🙏
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Ehh, I could certainly get an affiliate link, but I just make these videos to share my own curiosity and of course for fun. Always trying to push my video editing skills, too many hobbies too little time! I do have a “Buy me a coffee” link if anyone ever wants to contribute, would love to buy more stuff to test, but it’s hard to justify as this is already a huge money pit! Haha! Cheers bud!
@serval_fpv9 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy I'll get you a coffee dude I appreciate the effort you put in and helps my make my decisions 🙏
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@serval_fpv 🔥 Nah, you don’t have to do that, just happy to have your support! 👏🏼
@serval_fpv9 ай бұрын
Deserved bro 🙏
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@serval_fpvmuch respect & huge thanks! 🤝✨
@kardady9 ай бұрын
Nice info, Thanks man 👍😍🙏
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching, appreciate the comment! 👍🏼
@LakayFPV9 ай бұрын
Awesome review mate.. Now I want to try 100mw 150hz
@GiantAntCowboy8 ай бұрын
Thanks, appreciate the comment. Yea, these settings definitely perform great! Give it a try, higher refresh rates aren’t really beneficial unless racing through tight gates. Let me know, cheers
@JDDupuy9 ай бұрын
I have 2 units. Need to try them out! Thanks for the test and video.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yea, I’m pretty satisfied with this setup. Honestly my standard ELRS setup with Antenna Diversity perform more than good enough. However this is even better with near perfect performance all the time! Price wise it’s pretty reasonable, still way cheaper than Crossfire for example. Thanks for watching, appreciate the comment, cheers!
@jojomajo9 ай бұрын
Really like ur edits, its godlike!
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Big thanks, always trying to improve my video/editing skills. Really appreciate the comment, stay tuned. Cheers!
@Lowbattery_fpv9 ай бұрын
Great content ! Nice editing too!
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching, really appreciate the comment!
@offaxisfpv9 ай бұрын
very well put together content an channel. glad to subscribe and follow along. Thanks for this great video.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks, appreciate the support! I do my best to make fun & interesting videos. A bit of a “passion project”. Stay tuned, Cheers!
@chrisalexthomas9 ай бұрын
@GiantAntCowboy I wonder if you could 3d print an adapter which would fit to the back of your zorro onto that connector, and extend all the wires maybe 1m and then you can attach the gemini transmitter to a tripod as a base station with it's own battery and that would kind of solve the issue of having so many high powered antennas right in front of your face like you mentioned.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yes, I bet you could, BUT as i mentioned in the video I don’t find that higher output power is really necessary, especially if you’re using a 5.8ghz FPV feed. ELRS at 100mW outperforms 5.8ghz VTX at 1W with high gain directional antennas. However if you’re doing some super long-range Wing flights it could be a neat project.
@deadbyteDrones9 ай бұрын
Great test overall! Wish I got a gauntlet of my own over here.. :D
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yea, it’s the perfect test spot because it seems to the limit for 5.8ghz RF and is easily repeatable. I actually had a failsafe/crash during this testing that maybe I’ll share later, was just trying to keep this video short and to the point. Thanks for watching, cheers!
@TorontoFPV9 ай бұрын
thanks bud!
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching man!
@TorontoFPV9 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy always quality content man!
@lemonsquareFPV9 ай бұрын
I’m generally below 100mW @ 500Hz. Basically no issues, except around some sea vessels’ interference. Gemini would be great for situations like that… and in radio jamming situations. 😑 Thank you for giving good information. Too many people run too high of an output power to their own detriment.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Absolutely correct, I used to run my CRSF at 1W, and definitely had Video interference. Additionally I think maybe after years at 1W it damaged the TX because I was troubleshooting LQ issues for months before switching to ELRS last year. When I first got ELRS I was running at 500hz with good results, in fact the long-range comparison shown here was at 500hz. However, LQ is way more stable at lower hertz, for example 150hz. So if you’re having some issues definitely trying dropping down to 150hz and see if that helps. You’re unlikely to notice the slower link refresh; but can’t go wrong with this Gemini system either… Thanks for watching and sharing some thoughts, cheers!
@lemonsquareFPV9 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy 500 to 150 is very noticeable, especially when racing… you see it in lap times and consistency. 500:250 is almost unnoticeable though, and according to my data, may be within the margin of error, but I suck. For some people there may be better correlation. LQ is weird, as it’s a percentage… even though it looks worse at 500Hz, more overall data is still getting through, unless REALLY pushed (beyond FPV applications). It’s just the consistency that goes down, but until it dips below 50, a normal human likely won’t feel any inconsistency, at all. But in the end it’s always speed Vs integrity for data. Choose what’s required. You will never fly proximity freestyle 50km away, so there really isn’t much overlap in applications.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@lemonsquareFPV great info, you said flying around “Sea Vessels” so I assume you were like doing more cinematic cruising in which case the refresh rate is barely noticeable. But yea, all about the application. There’s so many different styles of FPV it’s always nice to have options!
@lemonsquareFPV9 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy It’s usually freestyle at 500Hz, but the LQ will drop into the 10s around certain ships and oil platforms, and the drop is definitely noticeable then. I know that they have pretty complex RF environments, but it may also possibly be drone detection and jamming. 🤷♂️ but honestly keep 100m distance and it’s a non issue.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@lemonsquareFPV yea, maybe this Gemini system would be a real benefit for you in those situations.
@kiszkay8 ай бұрын
Hello. Great report as always. I have a question: Do you think the EXPRESSLRS Betafpv Gemini 2.4GH kit will be better for the Longrange drone than the Radiomaster BANDIT kit? The BANDIT RX has two Diversity antennas. Both sets have a maximum power of 1000mW. I am currently at the stage of replacing the TX because my current one has only 250mW of transmitting power I fly mainly in areas close to the city, but sometimes also further outside the city. Regards
@GiantAntCowboy8 ай бұрын
I think the 900mhz Bandit is probably more capable than the 2.4 Gemini BUT both systems easily outperform our 5.8ghz video feeds so this additional performance really doesn’t matter… Benefits of the 2.4ghz Gemini system: - Dual transmitters & receivers gives the best possible LQ, this is really important especially in noisy environments like near cities. - Much smaller antennas are nice for various reasons, especially transporting/storing your transmitter, and smaller quads. - 2.4ghz is more commonly available, and less regulated than 900mhz. You can run ELRS at high output power, but I don’t see the point. - As shown here 2.4ghz Gemini at 100mW easily outperforms both WalkSnail & HDZero systems running at 1W using quad 7-turn helical antennas. -2.4ghz at 100mW has been tested to 100km (60miles) range. In conclusion I’d chose 2.4ghz over 900mhz for sure. Hope that’s helpful!
@kiszkay8 ай бұрын
Hi. Thank you very much for your quick reply. You helped me a lot 👍
@Paulwhittingham7 ай бұрын
I'm badly torn. I'm looking at the Jumper Gemini radio as a smaller form factor solution (currently on a Ts16x), but I'm really not sure when it comes Jumper readily making targets available for the internal module. There no doubt will be a raft of Gemini modules coming out this year, and I'd expect elrs themselves to continue updating the firmware due to this.
@GiantAntCowboy7 ай бұрын
Yea, I honest don’t have experience with the Jumper series, but people seem to like it. I just recently switched to this Zorro transmitter, had been using an X9D for many years. I like the smaller controller especially when packing a backpack! I definitely think Gemini will be further developed by several companies. Companies are dying to sell products and new tech is new opportunity. Funny how many 900mhz transmitters have just hit the market recently; 2.4ghz if set up properly should always outperform 5.8ghz, it’s just physics.
@nufanfpv9 ай бұрын
Hey dude, quality video here! Well done! Gemini seems a good stuff! Have you ever notice some issues with external module without supplementary supply? I heard something like "radio reboot" with only radio supply and external module higher than 500mW.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thank you sir, pushed my editing skills and computer performance a bit here… Gemini definitely seems super solid! I have not had issues with the Radio Rebooting at higher output power, however I almost never run anything higher than 100mW. There just no reason really… Additionally running TXs at higher output power produces more heat, and likely reduces there lifespan. They do supply a cable for an external battery but I’ve never used one.
@gmivisualsjason37299 ай бұрын
Excellent
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks, pretty satisfied with this setup.
@marcback17 ай бұрын
Hi, for your typical long range usage, do you use 2.4 or 915 elrs? I'm planing to get a 7" lr quad and I m tempted by the 915 elrs way Thanks for all the great content you make
@GiantAntCowboy7 ай бұрын
Hey, I only fly 2.4ghz now. I flew 900mhz Crossfire for years, but switched to ELRS a year or so ago and love it. 900mhz does “have better range/penetration” but as shown here a proper 2.4ghz ELRS system vastly outperforms our 5.8ghz FPV feeds… so I don’t see any reason to fly 900mhz. Also 2.4ghz ELRS at only 100mW has been tested over 100km. The only time I’ll FailSafe 2.4ghz is behind a mountain peak, and the same would happen to 900mhz. RF just doesn’t penetrate rock. One huge disadvantage of 900mhz is the antenna size, it’s especially annoying on the Transmitter when trying to store and transport it. Hope that’s helpful, and thanks for watching the channel!
@xORLOCKx9 ай бұрын
Curious as to what the DBM was. I use that and dont even have LQ on my screen anymore. Able to know exactly how close i am to the wall. What was your DBMs lowest? Also. Loved the video. Thank you for testing this. Been curious about it
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Thanks, appreciate the comment! I always try to keep make these videos helpful & entertaining. To your question: So I was originally going to include RSSI data but it became way too much information to show. I chose LQ because the true purpose of Gemini is to send the same data packets twice with the goal of improving LQ, which we saw it actually does seem to do! Gemini doesn’t improve the sensitivity, so RSSI won’t really be improved, nor will range be increased... It’s all about stability & LQ. With that said I just reviewed the data and saw at 100mW, my old setup had a low RSSI of -100 where as the Gemini setup had a low of -93. However there are a lot of variables, so this is just anecdotal evidence... Good question, thanks for watching, cheers!
@xORLOCKx9 ай бұрын
@GiantAntCowboy awesome! Thanks for that info. I mostly fly in bandos so I really just focus on DBM. That's good to know about the Gemini and deff helps. I have one long range rig but mostly I just need the penetration. I've yet to get close to failsafe with the ranger nano on my zorro. But new tech always interests me. (I also use an external battery but have the long cable so I can keep it in my pocket) Seriously can't say enough how helpful and good this video is. Always enjoy your content.
@jsnlmb429 ай бұрын
During some bench testing I was noticing issues with my laptop screen going black and freezing and couldn’t figure out the problem. Later I realized it was because I was running my Crossfire setup too high and was placing the transmitter right next to the laptop. 🤦🏻♂️ doh
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yea, I’ve heard that Crossfire setups at high output levels can even reboot FPV goggles if places too closely! As I said in the video it’s best to run the lowest output power you can to limit interference. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience, cheers!
@ugpfpv3617 ай бұрын
Just did my first real flight with I today, went out only a mile... Didn't see anything less than 98 LQ for less than a second while turning around.
@GiantAntCowboy7 ай бұрын
Nice, solid performance. Signal while turning is always the tricky bit, if your really obsessed with maintaining 100% LQ you could try adjusting your antenna positions, or even mounting one of them vertically. However anything above 95% is basically perfect LQ. Thanks for sharing your results, certainly keep us posted with additional flights, cheers!
@ugpfpv3617 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy yes, I was limited on where I wanted to put them by the leads being not the longest... I'll be getting one longer antenna soon! I was at 50mw and 150hz Can't wait to see some more long range from you with it!
@GiantAntCowboy7 ай бұрын
@@ugpfpv361 working on new videos, the holidays were super busy, so haven’t had time for anything. Looking forward to getting more hobby time!
@elxero21899 ай бұрын
Dynamic works well for. Me. On crsf
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Yea, CRSF is the OG of long range. This Gemini is a bit overkill, but works great! Cheers bud!
@marinehm2 ай бұрын
Do you happen to know if they make helical coil antennas for DJJI (Goggles 2)? I have 2 pair of goggles. FS/Walksnail, Goggles 2. So far, i'm pretty impressed with both. I get some video jitters on the goggles 2. One of my local pilots suggested it could be the way I have the recording set up. Would that cause video jitter/stutter? It's like it's missing frames. 1/2 to Almost 1 full second gap between frames. It's weird.
@GiantAntCowboy2 ай бұрын
Helical antennas work great on DJI, I did a bunch of tests recently, here’s a Draft version of my new video - DJI FPV Long Range Penetration Antenna Tests for Improved Signal kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9Cle92lnLCXhnk.html (haven’t finished it yet, so any feedback is welcome). Regarding the delay it could be an antenna or signal issue… towards the end of this video I talked show examples of stuttering I was getting with some of my antenna setups, even with decent MBPS. Let me know what you think. Cheers!
@jas-FPV9 ай бұрын
Why is no one recommending dynamic power? Its dumb to set it to max all the time
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
When I first got ELRS I ran Dynamic and it failsafed twice. My video signal was solid at the time and i watched it happen... I’ve heard others with similar experience. Maybe it was a certain FW, not sure,, but since then I run 100mW fixed and haven’t had any issues. As I said in the video, I do not recommend running 1W.
@alperenozgur7 ай бұрын
years ago i guess?@@GiantAntCowboy
@GiantAntCowboy7 ай бұрын
@@alperenozgur yup when I first switched to ELRS. Most likely a FW bug, but I always like to minimize variables when flying in the mountains. Lost a quad a few months ago, total bummer…
@Paulwhittingham7 ай бұрын
I also failsafed on dynamic, using a 1w Ranger module last year. If I remember correctly it can introduce enough delay when switching power to cause a failsafe
@GiantAntCowboy7 ай бұрын
@@Paulwhittingham yea, just yesterday I was thinking, “maybe i should try dynamic again” but I’ll probably stick with either 100mW or 250mW fixed. It’s just one less variable to worry about… Thanks for sharing.
@nikotttin9 ай бұрын
Did you run an external battery during the 5km flight at 1w (uh I meant 2w)? Is the zorro holding a 15min flight at this power?
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
So I only ran 1W through the Gantlet trail, the range test flights were at 100mW. I have not really tried using an external battery yet, and not sure how long the Zorro controller could sustain power at 1W (2W).
@divingfalconfpv46026 ай бұрын
Is there a Gemini in 915mhz?
@GiantAntCowboy6 ай бұрын
Not yet, but I believe it’s being developed. 2.4ghz works flawlessly well beyond the functional limits of our 5.8ghz FPV fees though. Last year 2.4ghz ELRS at only 100mW was tested over 100km for example.
@madladdan9 ай бұрын
Is there a mode where one antenna is purely for telemetry and the other purely for control?
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
Not specifically. I’m sure it could be added, but what would be the benefit? Currently I believe telemetry alternates RX/TX antennas several times a second which ensures all or most packets are received.
@madladdan9 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboyHigher telemetry rates make the link unstable because more bandwidth is being used. ELRS favours control link over telemetry. Eventually there will come a point where the telemetry is cut to save the link. I imagine having two streams of data would mean that you could have full telemetry update rate and full range.
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
@@madladdan ok, good point. Would you loose control link diversity in this situation? With only one antenna handling control inputs.
@madladdan9 ай бұрын
@@GiantAntCowboy To be honest I have no clue. I imagine so
@GiantAntCowboy9 ай бұрын
With this Gemini Setup it’s constantly sending & receiving two separate packets, so I think both the telemetry and control links are covered.