Welcome to FPVDronePilots!
Join our free FPV drone community today!
Sign up

EV800 Goggles - at their limit?

Herp Derpula

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
9
Reaction score
12
Age
34
I'm hoping to get some insight here after chasing FPV range issues with a pair of used EV800 goggles I purchased a few weeks ago.

With larger quads I can get maybe 500' of range, and with smaller quads like a 4 inch babyhawk I get maybe 250'. A whoop only nets me around 100' of range.

I tried Emax's circular polarized rhcp antenna and it helped a little bit, and then I added an aomway clover to the goggles. It seemingly made no difference.

When I remove the antenna, there's maybe a 10% decrease in signal, it's miniscule, so it threw me off. I checked the pcb to see if anything looked off and it looks fine.

Is this just the limitation of budget goggles?

(Mine are branded arris, but they look like below)

1586647641339.png
 
Setting aside any inherent issues with your goggles, you should be getting better range than that. WRT to your antennas, they need to be of the same polarization on both quad and goggles. I run RHCP on my quad and goggles and have a babyhawk r pro 3” which is good for a couple of hundred mtrs (running on 200mW) my bigger gear is way past that.
You also need to make sure that you scan manually for the right channel on the goggles and not rely on the auto scan button.
 
I think a minion pro antenna for the goggles would be a good investment, that's what I've got on my Ev800. Other than that the antenna and its placement on the quad make a huge difference to range.

Do you know what power your VTX is running at?
 
Setting aside any inherent issues with your goggles, you should be getting better range than that. WRT to your antennas, they need to be of the same polarization on both quad and goggles. I run RHCP on my quad and goggles and have a babyhawk r pro 3” which is good for a couple of hundred mtrs (running on 200mW) my bigger gear is way past that.
You also need to make sure that you scan manually for the right channel on the goggles and not rely on the auto scan button.
I'm going to assume standard "wifi" 5.8ghz antennas are linear, that was the original antenna and i got the rhcp clover below and noticed almost no difference, even after switching the babyhawk 4 r pro to the emax nano rhcp antenna (EMAX Nano 5.8GHz Antenna (RHCP - 90° MMCX).

So I really don't know what's wrong. The only thing that hasn't changed is my goggles. I've tried multiple different locations and while they were nearby places with wifi like schools, there's no way they're interfering that much. I have tried bands A and R so far, if that matters. I set it in the OSD via smart audio. For whatever reason I can't get the power output to stick (fcc crap?) so I have to change it before every flight.

I think a minion pro antenna for the goggles would be a good investment, that's what I've got on my Ev800. Other than that the antenna and its placement on the quad make a huge difference to range.

Do you know what power your VTX is running at?
Vtx is at 200mw, it's max. On the mobula 7 it's probably only 25mw. I have a patch antenna coming for a long range FPV wing and that's sort of why I want to get this figured out now and not later. Obviously I can only use the patch for forward flight so I'm thinking about getting diversity goggles anyway but man $400 is a lot to drop.


I sincerely wonder why removing the antenna on the goggles makes <20% difference. I figured they would absolutely suck without an antenna. FWIW If I'm on band A-1 and use search, somehow R-1 comes in "clear" even though they're 200mhz apart. Does that indicate anything?
 
I sincerely wonder why removing the antenna on the goggles makes <20% difference. I figured they would absolutely suck without an antenna. FWIW If I'm on band A-1 and use search, somehow R-1 comes in "clear" even though they're 200mhz apart. Does that indicate anything?
This is really interesting... I just wanted to say I've read it and I don't have an answer. Hoping our friend @HighTechPauper may have some insight.
 
Well that’s just weird. Mobula is only good for 25mW but capable of much better range with the right set up. If your antennas are matched (rp-sma, sma etc) then your goggles may be suspect. I have read of PAL/NTSC being incorrectly selected in Betaflight that fixed up static and range issue but apart from that, I’ve got nothing. No idea where you are but fcc/ce compliant issues may be a factor, I would not have thought to that extent.
 
I'm considering just dropping the money on better goggles seeing that I'll be doing long range fpv in a week or two. I'd like to know what the issue is, but I'm thinking it's the goggles. All the solder pads are a-okay and everything that should measure zero resistance is measuring zero. Hard to know with these small IC's though.

Considering trying the 800d (I think it has true diversity as in two receivers) but I'm also considering just jumping up to something that's 720p with modules to sort of be future proof.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
The Ev800d were my first goggles, and I still use them every now and then for ride-alongs. The problem with the diversity on those is the switch time, it's about 1 second. Sounds fast, but at the wrong time it can be too much, even more so if it tries to switch back and forth.

I think my next set will be digital. I'm just waiting to see who comes out with a digital goggle module to compete with the DJIs
 
The Ev800d were my first goggles, and I still use them every now and then for ride-alongs. The problem with the diversity on those is the switch time, it's about 1 second. Sounds fast, but at the wrong time it can be too much, even more so if it tries to switch back and forth.

I think my next set will be digital. I'm just waiting to see who comes out with a digital goggle module to compete with the DJIs
That's pretty shitty. It's really that long? I'm also waiting for digital FPV to advance beyond dji (quite frankly, **** DJI), but in the mean time I want goggles with diversity that work well long range. What would that be?
 
Right now Rapidfire is still the favorite. Look for reviews though, everything will be compared against Rapidfire. Wildfire isn't bad I hear.
 
@Herp Derpula
My first goggles were the Eachine EV100's. I used them for almost a year while waiting for the Orqa's to come out. I was just about to purchase them when Fat Shark came out with the HDO 2's. I was really wanting the OLED screen quality as well as a wide FOV. I got the Fat Sharks with the Rapidfire module and with antennas and a lipo came to about $700.00. Thats more than I paid for my radio and all my quads put together so far. I have been extremely happy with them except for the DVR. The screens are 1280 x 960 but the DVR records at 640 X 480??? WTF!! I really like that the lens has focus control and needs no diopters. Did have to get the thicker face foam plate as well.

I hear you on DJI. My first drone was the Mavic 2 Pro and after 2 replacements, I finally got one that works properly. I will never buy another DJI product and am also waiting for a digital module solution to plug into my Fat Sharks...
 
@Herp Derpula
My first goggles were the Eachine EV100's. I used them for almost a year while waiting for the Orqa's to come out. I was just about to purchase them when Fat Shark came out with the HDO 2's. I was really wanting the OLED screen quality as well as a wide FOV. I got the Fat Sharks with the Rapidfire module and with antennas and a lipo came to about $700.00. Thats more than I paid for my radio and all my quads put together so far. I have been extremely happy with them except for the DVR. The screens are 1280 x 960 but the DVR records at 640 X 480??? WTF!! I really like that the lens has focus control and needs no diopters. Did have to get the thicker face foam plate as well.

I hear you on DJI. My first drone was the Mavic 2 Pro and after 2 replacements, I finally got one that works properly. I will never buy another DJI product and am also waiting for a digital module solution to plug into my Fat Sharks...
Wow that's a lot. So with the EV100, non-diversity, right? What sort of range were you getting?
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
Wow that's a lot. So with the EV100, non-diversity, right? What sort of range were you getting?
They have two antennas but I'm pretty sure they are non-diversity.
I never tried flying more than about 300 to 400 feet away but they did ok with that. I fly mostly little whoops.

The EV800D's are a diversity version of what you have for around $100 and also have built in DVR.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
They have two antennas but I'm pretty sure they are non-diversity.
I never tried flying more than about 300 to 400 feet away but they did ok with that. I fly mostly little whoops.

The EV800D's are a diversity version of what you have for around $100 and also have built in DVR.
The ev800 is what I have, the 800D is diversity. If yours had two antennas it should of been the diversity version unless there was another one. Not sure I want to drop $700 lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
The ev800 is what I have, the 800D is diversity. If yours had two antennas it should of been the diversity version unless there was another one. Not sure I want to drop $700 lol
I checked Eachines website and the EX100's have two antennas but are not diversity. They are also made very cheap and I would not recommend them as well as a 28 degree view angle.

$700 is alot of cash.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
I checked Eachines website and the EX100's have two antennas but are not diversity. They are also made very cheap and I would not recommend them as well as a 28 degree view angle.

$700 is alot of cash.
I'm not talking about the EX100's...I have the EV100 and I was pondering the EV100D
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
I'm not talking about the EX100's...I have the EV100 and I was pondering the EV100D
Sorry, my typo, I had the EV100 goggles and they are not diversity, just dual antennas. Nowhere will they mention diversity.
Eachine EV100 720*540 5.8G 72CH FPV Goggles With Dual Antennas Fan 7.4V 1000mAh Battery For RC Drone RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on banggood.com

I am not aware of a EV100D model. There is a EV200D but personally I would not spend that much for Eachine goggles.
Eachine EV200D 1280*720 5.8G 72CH True Diversity FPV Goggles HD Port in 2D/3D Built-in DVR RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on banggood.com

I thought you had the EV800 goggles. The diversity version of those would be the EV800D.
Eachine EV800D 5.8G 40CH Diversity FPV Goggles 5 Inch 800*480 Video Headset HD DVR Build in Battery RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on banggood.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
Sorry, my typo, I had the EV100 goggles and they are not diversity, just dual antennas. Nowhere will they mention diversity.
Eachine EV100 720*540 5.8G 72CH FPV Goggles With Dual Antennas Fan 7.4V 1000mAh Battery For RC Drone RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on banggood.com

I am not aware of a EV100D model. There is a EV200D but personally I would not spend that much for Eachine goggles.
Eachine EV200D 1280*720 5.8G 72CH True Diversity FPV Goggles HD Port in 2D/3D Built-in DVR RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on banggood.com

I thought you had the EV800 goggles. The diversity version of those would be the EV800D.
Eachine EV800D 5.8G 40CH Diversity FPV Goggles 5 Inch 800*480 Video Headset HD DVR Build in Battery RC Parts from Toys Hobbies and Robot on banggood.com
Looks like I made a typo as well.

I meant the *800's in my previous comment.

People are getting 4mi+ out of them so theres something wrong with my goggles it seems.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HighTechPauper
This is really interesting... I just wanted to say I've read it and I don't have an answer. Hoping our friend @HighTechPauper may have some insight.
There are actually a number of ways/reasons that this could be the case, even without an antenna attached the receiver will still see the signal, the antenna comes into play as the signal gets very weak, that is when a tuned antenna can collect more of the signal energy and get it to the receiver. Also a vTX doesn't put out one large signal at one frequency and nothing at other frequencies, there are side lobes and harmonics that are also produced, so it is easy to see a signal even when the RX is set to a frequency very far away from the vTX set frequency, but it will go to poop as you get some distance between the vTX and the RX. From what has been said here I would guess that the vRX on these goggles is damaged somehow.
 

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
6,012
Messages
44,355
Members
5,307
Latest member
Kodax