fpv.cat
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Build, set up and fly your FPV drone

Build it. Set it up. Fly it.

A free FPV guide made in Catalonia to get you into the world of hand-built FPV drones: 22 chapters, from choosing every part to your first power loop at the practice field.

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fpv.cat badge: the Pedraforca with the senyera in front of the sun and a drone flying towards it FPV.CAT

The route

Six steps to your first flight

  1. Radio and simulator10 hours or more before flying
  2. ComponentsChoose compatible parts
  3. BuildingSoldering iron and patience
  4. BetaflightFirmware and configuration
  5. Pre-flight checklistInteractive checklist
  6. First flightAt the field, with a spotter

Learn

Everything you need to know, in one place

Start with the course if you want to go from zero to flying in order. The guide and tutorials are for when you need something specific.

Build course 155 animated lessons: parts, soldering, building, digital video, ExpressLRS, Betaflight, tuning, flying skills and repairs. Exam and certificate. Free and open to everyone. Guide by chapter 22 short chapters: choosing parts, building, Betaflight, tuning, flying and the rules. Build a drone step by step A 5" freestyle quad with DJI O4 Pro, from the box of parts to the first flight, with illustrations for every step. Betaflight tutorial From the first time you plug it into the computer to the first flight, step by step and with checks. Searchable glossary Every FPV acronym and term, instantly.

Contents

22 chapters, in 6 blocks

Meant to be read in order, but every chapter stands on its own: come back whenever you need it, soldering iron in hand or out at the field.

1 chapter

Start

Before you buy anything: types of drone, flying styles and budget.

  1. Which drone and what to buy01

8 chapters

Components

What goes into a drone, how to choose each part and how to make everything compatible.

  1. Frames02
  2. Motors03
  3. Props04
  4. ESC05
  5. Flight controller06
  6. Radio and receiver07
  7. Video system08
  8. Batteries and chargers09

3 chapters

Building

From the workbench to a ready-to-fly drone.

  1. Tools and soldering10
  2. Step-by-step build11
  3. Pre-flight checklist12

3 chapters

Software

Set up the brain and fine-tune it.

  1. Betaflight13
  2. Tuning and Blackbox14
  3. Open-source FPV15

5 chapters

Flying

From the simulator to freestyle, safely and legally.

  1. Simulators16
  2. Learning to fly17
  3. Practice field18
  4. Video post-production19
  5. Safety and regulations20

2 chapters

Extras

Tools to look things up any time.

  1. Calculators21
  2. Glossary22

Interactive tools

To use, not just to read

FPV Assistant New Troubleshooting, arming flags, diff and Blackbox log analysis, Betaflight version changes and USB connection to the drone. Always at hand, across the whole site. In-browser simulator Do your first exercises with your radio over USB, the keyboard or your phone. Nothing to install. 3D flight replay Load a Blackbox log and watch the flight again in 3D, with the sticks, the motors and your goggles video. Guided tuning New Prepare Blackbox, fly the tests with a voice copilot and apply the recommended changes, round by round. PID lab Move P, D, feedforward and the filters and see straight away how the drone responds. OSD editor Drag the elements onto the goggles screen and copy the CLI commands. My hangar Your drones, configurations with history, batteries and flight log. 3D Workshop New Build a 5" in 3D part by part: rotate it, pull it apart in an exploded view and tap each component to see what it does. Compatibility checker Pick the parts and it tells you whether they fit together, how much it will weigh, how it will fly and how to wire it. Pre-flight checklist 18 checks before the first flight and a list of regular maintenance. Your progress is saved in this browser. Calculators Video channel planner, ExpressLRS range, rpm, battery, P/D balance and filter delay. Field cards Checklist, voltages, channels and basic commands on cards to print or save as PDF. Community Races, meet-ups, clubs and flying fields. Suggest one and we’ll publish it.

Your first crash is a rite of passage. The second, a lesson.

Start by choosing your first drone and work through chapter by chapter, at your own pace. When you head to the field, take the checklist and the calculators on your phone.

Start with chapter 1