Emax Buzz VTX change out

[HighTechPauper]

@4th_Dimension, it is a bit disappointing that the Emax stack only has, or only gives access to a few UART's (ports) but no biggie.
I assume thet port 6 is used for Smart Audio, port 3 is used for ESC telemetry, therefore leaving only port 1 for the RX.
The 2 commands to fix the PinIO (GPIO) on the board are super simple and you wouldn't have an issue with that.

If you have a voltmeter (and you need one if you don't have one) check the VCC and Ground pads on the FC to make sure you have Battery voltage when the battery is plugged in and hook you vTX there.

Hook crossfire (XF) to UART1 and issue the 2 commands at the CLI and don't forget to type "save" and a return or the settings will be lost on reboot.

You can run the cam off the 5v/Ground on the FC or you can run it off the vTX if it has the 5v/Ground output since they usually have extra filtering for cleaner video.

Any questions let me know.

 

[RPR]

Hello guys, Hi @4th_Dimension

I apologize in advance for hijacking. I finally got mine yesterday and did a maiden flight today. Question @4th_Dimension on AUX3 (per manual) "Beeper" I am not getting any beeping sound when assigned to a switch. Are you able to get an omitting beeping sound on yours?

 

[HighTechPauper]

@RPR, did you by chance update or reflash your BF without getting and entering a CLI DUMP??? It could easily be that BF isn't configured properly, or are you trying to use DShot ESC beacon as the beeper possibly? Either way it is likely a configuration issue in BF if Aux3 is defined in your TX's outputs.

 

[RPR]

@RPR, did you by chance update or reflash your BF without getting and entering a CLI DUMP??? It could easily be that BF isn't configured properly, or are you trying to use DShot ESC beacon as the beeper possibly? Either way it is likely a configuration issue in BF if Aux3 is defined in your TX's outputs.

I got it working now. Under the "DShot Beacon Configuration" Many thanks @HighTechPauper

Long story short, I lost video feed at around 10 meters while flying earlier today at a parking lot, I throttled down quickly then disarmed, the drone landed 40 meters from where it took off. It took me 4 hours to find the Buzz, this has not been a fun noob experience.

 

[4th_Dimension]

Good morning all,
@HighTechPauper Yes I am good at soldering I have to order new tips as mine are shot, so I will do that this week.And yes if you can help me out once all my parts get in fromordering them on putting this little project together it would be AWESOME. So I have been getting a few "PM's" from people and they siad since I am going with a Crossfire setup I really should have this VTX it is "Bar none"

Team BlackSheep Online Store - TBS Unify Pro32 HV (MMCX)

With the TBS UNIFY PRO32 HV we have boosted the output power, improved the robustness, decreased the power consumption, added capability for insane features and perfected the way it is installed in your multirotor. In a nutshell, it’s the most comprehensive, future proof, highest quality and...

www.team-blacksheep.com

So I will be ordering that as I am very interested in doing a "Crossfire" setup on my Emax Buzz.
I will be ordering this as well for my Tarannis SE 2019

Team BlackSheep Online Store - TBS Crossfire Micro TX V2

The Crossfire module boiled down to its pure essence for long range up to 40km, and FPV racers that need ultra low latency.

www.team-blacksheep.com

And my RX on my drone but I have not made a choice yet as to which one

Team BlackSheep Online Store - TBS Crossfire Nano Rx - FPV LONG RANGE DRONE RECEIVER

TBS Crossfire nano RX for people who want to save space and solder. Full range, designed specifically for mini- and micro-quads!

www.team-blacksheep.com

OR this one

Team BlackSheep Online Store - TBS CROSSFIRE NANO RX (SE) - FPV LONG RANGE DRONE RECEIVER

TBS Crossfire nano RX for people who want to save space and solder. Full range, designed specifically for mini- and micro-quads! The Special Edition (SE) includes the TBS Immortal-T V2 Antenna!

www.team-blacksheep.com

But I will have to figure out where to solder the wires on the FC

So I email Emax about VTX change out and they email back this...

Hello, Brian.

Hi friends,

Reserved on BUZZ FC RX6TX6 interface. It is found in the manual of BUZZ. You can check the location of serial ports to see if it can help your audio.

Kind regards

your

Emax team

Best Regards,
Wei Wei
Support team,
Emax Order System

So I really don't know what that means so maybe you can interpret but remember I am ordering this VTX that has a built in mic...

Team BlackSheep Online Store - TBS Unify Pro32 HV (MMCX)

With the TBS UNIFY PRO32 HV we have boosted the output power, improved the robustness, decreased the power consumption, added capability for insane features and perfected the way it is installed in your multirotor. In a nutshell, it’s the most comprehensive, future proof, highest quality and...

www.team-blacksheep.com

So maybe this "Reserved on BUZZ FC RX6TX6 interface" could be used for the RX I will buy but I have not made a choice yet.

Next question 1
So this "Smart Audio" I see this "Green" wire coming off the camera and solder to the FC board.
IF my "Fatsharks HDO" goggles with a "rapidFIRE Module" that supports "Smart Audio" then I really don't need a camera to have "Smart Audio" as my rapidFIE" module has it on my goggles,right?

Next question...Audio
Now on my Fatsharks HDO" AUX port where I connect my earbud so I can hear the audio from drone. I was told I need another module to get the "audio" being transmitted, any idea what this module is??

Again HighTechPauper, thank you for the help and anyone else that will. As it would take me some time to have figured this all out.

Brian

 

[4th_Dimension]

@HighTechPauper reguarding this video...

I am not new or lost when it come to code or editing it BUT I am new to Freestyle and this type of drone. If you remember in the beginning of my post I am coming from DJI mavics and I was a beta tested for the backend mods, if you follow what I am saying. So I don't know what he means do a CLI dump or where to edit these lines.

 

[HighTechPauper]

I got it working now. Under the "DShot Beacon Configuration" Many thanks @HighTechPauper

Long story short, I lost video feed at around 10 meters while flying earlier today at a parking lot, I throttled down quickly then disarmed, the drone landed 40 meters from where it took off. It took me 4 hours to find the Buzz, this has not been a fun noob experience.

@RPR, yo should definitely not be losing video at 30 feet or even 120 feet, there are 2 big possibilities for what is wrong...

Number 1 biggest problem with people just starting out, they scan to the video channel instead of knowingly set the correct channel (frequency) and they get a picture so they think they are good. But all these frequencies are close enough to each other that if you scan you will lock onto the WRONG channel because you are so close to the quad, everything seems fine until you get a few meters away and then it gets bad fast. Please double check that the actual FREQUENCY is exactly correct between the quads vTX and the goggles receiver, they must be exactly the same.

I will assume for now that you know the difference between SMA and RP-SMA, you must have the same connector on both sides or there is a chance that 2 female connections would not actually be connected. I assume you are using the antenna that came with the Buzz so you should be good, but it never hurts to double check that one side has a pin center conductor and the other side has a female socket for the pin to go into.

Number 2 problem is along the lines of vTX failure, I think the Buzz vTX has an MMCX connector on the vTX side so there is little chance it has come loose, but if it is a U.fl connector I would double check that it is attached correctly and fully. Or it could be that the quad was powered on without the vTX antenna in place on the back of the quad and that can cause damage to the vTX. Last but not least, these vTX's are extremely powerful RF transmitters, that is why they get so hot so fast once powered on. It is possible through no fault of your own that the vTX is simply failing and needs to be replaced.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to troubleshoot this type of issue, if you are sure your goggles and vTX are on the exact same frequency, then the only way to know what was wrong is by replacing things (try another vTX antenna, another MMCX to SMA/RP-SMA pigtail) and if all else fails replace the vTX. But not before you have verified your exact Band/Channel/Frequency is correct because that is the most likely issue.

 

[HighTechPauper]

@4th_Dimension, there is so much here to go over that I just cant do it in text messages, we need to talk, I will PM you.
Randy

 

[RPR]

@RPR, yo should definitely not be losing video at 30 feet or even 120 feet, there are 2 big possibilities for what is wrong...

Number 1 biggest problem with people just starting out, they scan to the video channel instead of knowingly set the correct channel (frequency) and they get a picture so they think they are good. But all these frequencies are close enough to each other that if you scan you will lock onto the WRONG channel because you are so close to the quad, everything seems fine until you get a few meters away and then it gets bad fast. Please double check that the actual FREQUENCY is exactly correct between the quads vTX and the goggles receiver, they must be exactly the same.

I will assume for now that you know the difference between SMA and RP-SMA, you must have the same connector on both sides or there is a chance that 2 female connections would not actually be connected. I assume you are using the antenna that came with the Buzz so you should be good, but it never hurts to double check that one side has a pin center conductor and the other side has a female socket for the pin to go into.

Number 2 problem is along the lines of vTX failure, I think the Buzz vTX has an MMCX connector on the vTX side so there is little chance it has come loose, but if it is a U.fl connector I would double check that it is attached correctly and fully. Or it could be that the quad was powered on without the vTX antenna in place on the back of the quad and that can cause damage to the vTX. Last but not least, these vTX's are extremely powerful RF transmitters, that is why they get so hot so fast once powered on. It is possible through no fault of your own that the vTX is simply failing and needs to be replaced.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to troubleshoot this type of issue, if you are sure your goggles and vTX are on the exact same frequency, then the only way to know what was wrong is by replacing things (try another vTX antenna, another MMCX to SMA/RP-SMA pigtail) and if all else fails replace the vTX. But not before you have verified your exact Band/Channel/Frequency is correct because that is the most likely issue.

Stop right there!!!!! Guilty, I’m channel scanning. Thanks a million (again) bro. I will be setting a proper channel today and also look into getting the proper matching antennas.

 

[HighTechPauper]

I will be setting a proper channel today and also look into getting the proper matching antennas.

While a good set of antennas is the best upgrade you can get for the goggles or quad, most antennas are at least ok and should work fairly well for you. On the quad side, it is very important to look for something very durable, I have tested a number of antennas and find that the TBS Triumph Version 1 is the best I have found for both signal and durability. I have tried AXii, Foxeer Lollipops, and a half dozen other "top rated" antennas, some work pretty good, but they just can't compare to the original Triumph. They are getting harder to find now that the Version 2 antennas are out, and those have very good signal but just aren't as durable, so the cost of replacement can get high over time.

The antennas on your goggles wont be flying into trees at high speed so they will last a long time, it pays to get good ones for your goggles. On the less expensive end there is the ImmersionRC Spironet V2 series or an Aomway cloverleaf, they both work very well and won't break the bank. For a diversity receiver on the goggles I like to use 2 Omni directional antennas at 90 degree angles to each other for all around flying, if I want to go straight out really far or try to get deeper into the woods or around large buildings I will swap one of the Omni for a directional patch.

If you want to get something really good I would suggest the VAS Bluebeam Ultra/Mad Mushroom set and maybe a Crosshair XTREME for the patch.

Some links from GetFPV below but you can find them elsewhere too so look for sales and discount codes/coupons, but for the most part they cost the same anywhere you look.

Make sure you stick with either RHCP or LHCP, they need to match and 95% of the pilots all use RHCP. Also make sure you know if you need SMA or RP-SMA, if the pin is in the antenna it is SMA, if the pin is on the quad it is RP-SMA, order accordingly. Also keep in mind how your connectors come off your goggles, if horizontal you will want a 90 degree FOR ONE OF THEM if you get 2 Omni's so that one of them points straight up, if it comes straight out the top you will want a straight antenna connector. Or you can always bend the coax portion in a gentle bend to align them. I am only putting the SMA/RHCP links below as an example but some will have a 90 degree and some will be straight, sometimes you can get the antenna with the 90 built in, sometimes you need to get a seperate 90 or 45 degree adapter, usually one straight and one 90 will always work for Omnis since you want them at 90 degrees to each other.

For the quad side, but yo can always use one of these on both quad and goggles.

TBS Triumph 5.8GHz RHCP FPV Antenna Set (SMA Male)

A set of TBS Triumph 5.8GHz CP FPV antennas. Designed by Video Aerial Systems LLC (IBcrazy) and Team-BlackSheep

www.getfpv.com

For the goggles side...

ImmersionRC SpiroNET v2 5.8GHz RHCP Diversity Bundle

Simply one of the best combos for headset diversity modules.

www.getfpv.com

ImmersionRC SpiroNet v2 5.8GHz RHCP Stubby Antenna

The ImmersionRC 5.8GHz SpiroNet Antenna V2 (RHCP SMA) also include an improved wire stems (red) for greater rigidity, and there is now no differentiation between TX and RX.

www.getfpv.com

VAS MadMushroom V2 5.8GHz Antenna (RHCP)

Designed for the professional operator, the MadMushroom V2 antenna is designed to deliver solid video in the harshest of environments. The wide bandwidth makes it useful for not just FPV, but HD video links and high performance WiFi applications.

www.getfpv.com

VAS Bluebeam Ultra V2 5.8GHz Antenna Set (RHCP)

Designed for the professional operator, the pair of MadMushroom V2 antennas included in the Bluebeam Ultra V2 Set are designed to deliver solid video in the harshest of environments.

www.getfpv.com

VAS Crosshair XTREME 5.8GHz Antenna (RHCP)

FPV’s favorite “patch killer” antenna has a new upgraded element. The patent-pending vector-phasing technology of the Crosshair XTreme gives both a longer range and better signal clarity.

www.getfpv.com

This is what I am running for the last 2 years, the original Mad Mushroom and a Spironet Omni or patch depending on what I need at a fly spot.

IMG_0867.jpg

• HighTechPauper
• Sep 7, 2019

 

[HighTechPauper]

Forgot to add a link for the Aomway

Aomway 5.8GHz 4-Leaf Clover Antenna Set for TX/RX (SMA) (RHCP)

Aomway 5.8GHz 4 leaf polarized antenna set is a great way to increase the performance of your FPV system.

www.getfpv.com

 

[irish-apple]

only seeing this post now I run the emax buzz also .. its a great quad but you should do a few little slight changes for great clean video / massive range / smooth flight s

> 1 .. open the top take out the XT60 and run it out the back so mcc better and no noise in feed from all the wires ..
> 2 .. set the stock camera that's fitted to factory mode as it comes pre set with different settings and the. I used it seemed crap I reset and all good
> 3 .. run. the cli code through Betaflight > VERY IMPORTANT TO GET THE VTX DOING WHAT IT SHOULD DO
here's the link. > Buzz CLI dump v2.0.txt < copy and paste into cli in Betaflight
> 4.. get some pads for the bottom as its heavy enough and I always have air mode enabled so it comes in quick .
> 5.. attach a lost buzzer .. don't think just do
> 6.. take of the pagoda fitted and attach your own if you can I use the tbs triumph > awesome
> 7.. take the xm+ antenna off where they are and set out the back of the buzz much much better signal
Heres a few pics
>

 

[irish-apple]

AND DONT FORGET TO UNOCK THE VTX MOST IMPORTANT

 

[RPR]

Hi @irish-apple
I just ordered a Hellgate buzzer, care to guide me on where to solder the wires to the FC.

 

[irish-apple]

Hi @irish-apple
I just ordered a Hellgate buzzer, care to guide me on where to solder the wires to the FC.

I had issues with this and couldn't get my head around it and got help here so easy man


> the Buzz has its own buzzer built into the flight controller .. awesome

> the green wire on the lost finder .. forget it don't use it

> so just use the black / ground / red 5v to any ground and /5v // I pour the buzzer under the camera in the front of the quad ran the wire under the entire board and connected with a tiny solder to the main xt60 cable ..

> thus when you connect your battery the buzzer gets power etc and charges up battery disconnects the buzzer sounds after 30 seconds . when you reconnect a battery it stops or you press there button on the lost finder .. leave the actual buzzer alone on the buzz dont change switch etc just do what I did you have it all good both ways .. original beeper will still sound with aux switch and when you / if you crash and battery ejects . lost finder goes off .

 

[RPR]

connected with a tiny solder to the main xt60 cable ..

I don't clearly understand this.

@irish-apple Here's what I was planning to do, and was wondering if this a good alternative route. Solder the 5v and negative to the LED STRIP and the ground elsewhere.

 

[irish-apple]

I don't clearly understand this.

@irish-apple Here's what I was planning to do, and was wondering if this a good alternative route. Solder the 5v and negative to the LED STRIP and the ground elsewhere.
View attachment 3528

your making work on your self ... where ever you want our the buzzer .. I then ran the black and red wires from the buzzer direct to where the xt60 connector meets the flight controller .. soldered it there hang on I get a photo

 

[irish-apple]

buzzer squished in under camera

ran wire from the buzzer under the plates and soldered to the xt60 cable

 

[RPR]

buzzer squished in under camera
View attachment 3530
ran wire from the buzzer under the plates and soldered to the xt60 cable

View attachment 3529

Gotcha! So, basically as you said, no need to use the “green” for ground.

Thank you for the pics and clarification.
I messaged a YouTuber he noted to jump to the existing buzzer +/- and ground wire to an open ground. But I like your idea.

 

[irish-apple]

Gotcha! So, basically as you said, no need to use the “green” for ground.

Thank you for the pics and clarification.
I messaged a YouTuber he noted to jump to the existing buzzer +/- and ground wire to an open ground. But I like your idea.

yep no need for green or any looking for pads etc red to red black to black forget the green use normal buzzer when needed .. if battery ejects the lost finder kicks in