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Which FPV cameras are you using for OSD?

Discussion in 'ALTA' started by Klaus Friedrich, Aug 26, 2015.

  1. Klaus Friedrich

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    I have a FPV camera issue with my ALTA and so far we don't know if the problem is the camera or the Synapse. For what I have seen in the forum there is at least another user who has similar problems when using PAL format.
    The only model I got confirmed so far is the RMRC-700XV 700TVL ATR CCD (NTSC) but that does not help me much as in Europe we are using PAL and not NTSC.

    To the ALTA users out there what FPV cameras are you using and in which format do you operate?

    Any Fatshark TVL900 (PAL) user out there?
     
  2. Jack Wrangham

    Jack Wrangham Member

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    Hi we're using a Vonista FPV700 from first person view, it's PAL and works fine. Nearly used a fat shark but I think they only take 5-7v max and the alta supplies 12v to the camera - that maybe where you are running into issues...
     
  3. Klaus Friedrich

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    Many thanks Jack
     
  4. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Jack: You could wire up a DC/DC converter, something like this: http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?v=945&keywords=R-78E5.0-0.5&WT.z_slp_buy=recom_r78-series
    It will take the voltage provided by the ALTA and drop it down to 5v for you. There are only three wires: Ground (in and out), Input voltage, output voltage -- you could wire it up, heat shrink the connections and just tuck it behind the close-out panel.

    Hope this helps.
    Andy
     
  5. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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  6. Klaus Friedrich

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    Andy, sure that's a solution but will the Fatshark TVL900 work with the ALTA? I don't like to use my drone as a test bench or investing in other FPV SD cameras which won't work.;)
     
  7. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    I'm afraid I don't know the answer, Klaus. I don't use Fatshark's.

    The ALTA provides +12v and a video input signal that goes through the Synapse controller where on-screen data is superimposed, and then flows out to a user-provided FPV video transmitter. The Synapse can handle NTSC and PAL. So your question really is, will the camera work emit PAL and will the video transmitter you use work with the FatShark's?

    Sorry I cannot be of more help.
    Andy.
     
  8. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    The camera that I used is a Luminier from GetFPV (NTSC, not PAL). None of the included cables in my ALTA kit fit the connector the camera has, so I just made a servo connector (signal, ground, 12V) and it works great. Same thing for the 1.3 gHz video transmitter I use. Took all of about 10 minutes to do both of them. Also had to figure out which video signal was "in" (to the Synapse) and which was "out" (from the Synapse with OSD image), but that was easy with a meter.
     
  9. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    The convention is that a video signal is the yellow wire, with red +v, black ground.

    The input from FPV camera is behind the close-out cover between booms 6 and 1 (facing forward). You can use the 2x3 connectors with short lengths of yellow/red/black wires (provided with the ALTA) to deduce the connections to the camera.

    The FPV Transmitter is behind the close-out cover between booms 5 and 6 and it, too, has a 2x3 connector using the so again you can infer the video, +12v, and ground. (See ALTA Manual Rev. B page 18) using the 2x3 connector with the short lengths of wire.

    Steve: I'm going from the manual, plus what you've posted. Please let me know if the above is wrong.


    Thanks
    Andy
     
  10. Steve Maller

    Steve Maller UAV Grief Counselor

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    The problem I had was that the camera and transmitter cables had exactly the same shape at the ALTA end, but the video wires were on different pins. Took a little sleuthing to figure out which was the "in" cable and which was the "out". Wasn't hard. But if you get it wrong, your video wouldn't work.
     
  11. Andy Johnson-Laird

    Andy Johnson-Laird Administrator
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    Oh...I see the problem. Sorry. That wasn't clear from my reading of your previous post.

    Andy.
     
  12. Joshua Gladu

    Joshua Gladu New Member

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    Just had this problem and thought it was my video gear for an hour of troubleshooting. One 2 min. pin swap later everything's working fine. Thanks Steve!
     
    Steve Maller likes this.

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