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DeutschFPV Racing / Drone Racing Beginner's Guide – Buying Advice for FPV Drones
Are terms like Digital, Analog, ELRS, PNP, etc., still unfamiliar to you? Don't worry! This beginner's guide will help you find the right FPV setup – from your own FPV drone to the accessories you need for a smooth start in this breathtaking hobby.
What is FPV Racing / Drone Racing or FPV Freestyle / Drone Freestyle?
In drone racing, high-performance quadcopters are flown using FPV goggles, giving you the feeling of being right in the cockpit. Top-tier FPV drones can reach speeds of over 100 km/h. The goal in FPV racing is to navigate a marked course with flags and gates as fast as possible, while FPV freestyle is all about creativity. Pilots perform impressive tricks and daring stunts—always keeping safety in mind!
You will find the necessary legal requirements here: LINK BAZL Certificates
What Do You Need for a Complete FPV Setup?
For a full FPV experience, you’ll need a range of equipment, including:
In this guide, we’ll show you what to consider to ensure your equipment is compatible with each other.
DJI Avata pilots who already own a DJI FPV goggles and the DJI FPV Controller 2 don’t need any additional equipment besides compatible batteries. DJI products can also be used with other compatible drones, which are introduced in this guide: agile, fast freestyle drones as an alternative to the DJI Avata.
If you prefer ready-to-fly bundles that are already assembled to meet your needs, you'll find a selection of popular FPV drone bundles in our shop.
If your desired bundle is out of stock, feel free to contact us, and we can reserve the necessary parts for you.
FPV Drones / Racing Drones for Spectacular Flight Maneuvers
FPV quadcopters come in all shapes and sizes, from small indoor drones to larger outdoor machines. We offer drones specifically designed for racing, freestyle, or cinematic flights. These include models from well-known manufacturers such as GepRC, iFlight, Emax, and BetaFPV—brands with extensive experience in FPV freestyle and racing drones.
If you want, you can also build your own drone. However, this guide is for those who just want to get flying right away.
FPV Drone Designations – What to Consider
The following features / markings are important for compatibility, which indicate which video goggles, which remote control and which batteries a drone is compatible with.
- Video transmission technology: analog / digital (HD, DJI, O3)
- Radio protocol of the remote control: ELRS / TBS Crossfire / FrSky / PNP
- LiPo-voltage: 1S, 2S, 4S, 6S
GEPRC Mark5 DJI O3 6S (ELRS 2.4GHz)
This is a drone with digital video transmission from DJI, which can be flown with an ELRS compatible remote control and 6S LiPos.
TIP: our filter function in the category view helps you to quickly find the right products! In addition, the compatible accessories for drones are listed on the bottom of the product page.
Video Goggles - Analog or Digital (DJI, Walksnail, Caddx, HDZero)
In the beginning, there was only analog video transmission. This offers fast latency (i.e. a very short delay until the image reaches the pilot), but the transmitted image has a low resolution and is susceptible to interference.
Digital video systems have now become established on the market - these offer a higher resolution and a better picture, and the latency is now very good depending on the application.
Below are a few product examples as well as further advantages and disadvantages.
Analog Video Transmission:
Advantages
- Very low latency
- More compact video transmitter
- Inexpensive
Disadvantages
- Low range (with 25mW transmission power permitted in Switzerland)
- Susceptible to interference
Digitale Video Transmission:
Advantages
- Very high-quality and immersive picture
- More details
- With the DJI O3 system, HD recordings can be made for most hobby applications without an additional action cam / GoPro
- Future proof
Disadvantages
- High entry-level price, more expensive video transmitters
- Larger and heavier video transmitter
Note: products such as the HD Zero ECO Kit and the DJI O4 lite are relatively small and inexpensive in comparison to other digital VTX.
Digital Video Protocols for FPV Flying – DJI, CADDX, WALKSNAIL, HDZERO
There are different manufacturers for digital video transmission, and not all of them are compatible with each other.
DJI, Caddx, Walksnail, Vista – The products from these manufacturers are mostly compatible with each other. For example, popular DJI goggles can also work with video transmitters from Caddx or Walksnail. However, a DJI O3 Air Unit can only be used with DJI goggles. Depending on the product, it may also be necessary to update the firmware of the video transmitter. These systems are primarily used for freestyle or cinematic flights.
HERE is an overview of which FPV goggles are compatible with which video transmitters.
HDZero – HDZero is known for its extremely low latency, making it a popular choice for drone racing. It uses its own proprietary technology, meaning HDZero goggles are only compatible with HDZero transmitters.
Since HDZero is partially open-source, other manufacturers can integrate its transmission technology into their products—for example, flight controllers with a built-in HDZero VTX.
Remote Control Radio Protocols – ELRS, TBS Crossfire, FrSky D8/D16, PNP
When choosing a remote control, it's important to ensure that the radio protocol is compatible with the receiver installed on the drone. Here’s an overview of the most important protocols:
ELRS / ExpressELRS
ExpressLRS is an inexpensive and powerful open source radio protocol that is known for its low latency and high packet rate. It benefits from continuous development by a dedicated community. This makes ELRS an excellent choice for any FPV pilot.
TBS Crossfire
TBS Crossfire is a reliable, long-range protocol. Although popular with long range and professional pilots, it can be more expensive for the average pilot and does not offer the open source flexibility of ELRS.
DJI O3 / O4 PNP
The DJI O3 / O4 Air Unit has DJI's own radio protocol and can be used with certain DJI remote controls (for example the FPV Remote Controller). This is particularly useful for pilots who own the DJI Avata or other compatible DJI drones.
With DJI, it is important to ensure that the controller is compatible with the corresponding air unit.
FrSky D8 / D16
FrSky protocols offer a good balance between range, latency and reliability, but have recently lost much of their popularity. The choice between the different FrSky protocols can also be confusing for new users.
We recommend using a different protocol.
RECOMMENDATION: If you're purchasing a new remote control, we highly recommend using the ELRS protocol. ELRS offers the best value for most FPV pilots thanks to its high performance, affordability, and open-source nature. It also provides the widest selection of compatible transmitters.
LiPo Charger
Basically, any LiPo charger that supports the appropriate number of cells (2S, 4S, 6S, etc.) can be used. Here are a few popular variants:
The 608AC from ISDT is an inexpensive and flexible charger. It already has an internal power supply unit and can be used either indoors via the socket or, in combination with a large LiPo as a power source, outdoors. With the 608AC, one LiPo can be charged at the same time.
A dual charger with a high efficiency of up to 94%. The D6 Pro also offers a 5V USB port and wireless charging for compatible mobile devices.
This charger offers the option of charging 2 LiPos at the same time. It also has more functions compared to the 608AC, e.g. Bluetooth for app control and a higher charging capacity.
With its compact dimensions, the Air 8 is particularly suitable as a “field charger”. It has all the necessary functions for charging and discharging LiPos and even offers Bluetooth for operation via a mobile app. However, an additional power source (suitable power supply unit or a large LiPo) is required.
Note on 1S LiPos: For 1S LiPo/LiHV batteries, such as those used in Tiny Whoops, the WhoopStor Charger is recommended.
Batteries / LiPo Batteries
The following characteristics are relevant:
- Cell count (1S, 2S, 4S, 6S)
- Size in mAh (between 300-1800mAh)
- Connector type (XT30 for small LiPos, XT60 for larger LiPos)
Good to know: The higher the C-rate, the more power the LiPo can deliver. However, these ratings are not always accurate—especially with budget manufacturers, the C-rate may have been manipulated for marketing purposes.
Drone Racing – An Amazing Hobby with Endless Possibilities
FPV drone flying is an exciting hobby that allows pilots to experience breathtaking flight maneuvers from a first-person perspective. Whether you're interested in racing, freestyle, or cinematic flying, we offer a variety of options to meet different needs.
For beginners, it can be overwhelming to face so many options, as choosing the right FPV drone involves several considerations. This guide is designed to help make the entry process easier.
If you still need support or a second opinion, feel free to contact us.
We wish you a "good flight"!
