Written by Rachelle Haughn A complete FPV bundle Product review As seen in the Summer 2018 issue of Park Pilot.
>> The thought of entering the world of FPV quadcopter flying can be intimidating. There are so many products from which to choose—goggles, receivers, transmitters, ESCs, propellers, software, etc.—that trying to figure out which components to buy and how they work together could easily scare a would-be pilot away. But there is no longer an excuse. Fat Shark, known primarily as an FPV racing goggle manufacturer, has dipped its fins (err, toes) into the pool of quadcopter producers with the introduction of its Fat Shark 101 FPV Drone Training System. This set has everything needed for beginner pilots to get flying in no time. It includes a sharp and menacing-looking shark drone with eyes that light up and fins that help it zip through the air, Fat Shark Recon box-style goggles with an LCD screen, and an easy-to-use transmitter. The quad comes completely assembled and already bound to the transmitter. Its PCB antennas are inside of the frame and its electronics are completely protected by the shark frame. The preinstalled propeller guards work well to protect the propellers and the 130° FOV camera is fully protected by the frame. One of the first things you should see when opening the sturdy box that doubles as a carrying case is a set of two gates and stands. (The review model did not come with them, but they look as though they would be fun to zoom through.) There is also a three-page instruction manual with illustrations, two 2S 260 mAh LiPo batteries with a USB charger, the goggles and a USB battery charger for them, an antenna for the goggles, four AA batteries for the transmitter, two spare 8.5 mm brushed motors, a lens cleaner cloth, a tether for the quadcopter, and some stickers.
The Fat Shark 101 FPV Drone Training System comes with everything you see here, plus two race gates and stands and a tether. Fat Shark recommends that beginner pilots make their first flights with one end of the tether attached to the quad and the other to a heavy object, because the powerful aircraft can quickly zip away. Photo by Matt Ruddick.
As you reach the bottom of the box, you will find a code that allows you to register your new system with Fat Shark. By entering this code on the company’s website, you receive a free three-month AMA membership (which includes insurance). You can then go through steps to download the DRL (Drone Racing League) simulator for free (a $20 value). Fat Shark recommends that you practice on the flight simulator before ever connecting the battery on your new quadcopter. To try out the DRL simulator, you must first download the Steam app (https://store.steampowered.com) to your computer. I was successful in downloading the app to my laptop, but my system did not meet the requirements needed to run the simulator. You can find the computer system requirements on Steam’s website by searching for DRL. If you can successfully run the flight simulator on your computer, you need to simply connect the included transmitter to your computer. The USB cord that came with the Fat Shark 101 system to charge your goggles is the same one that can connect your transmitter to the computer. A Flight Simulator Roundup that includes the DRL simulator can be found on the Model Aviation website (modelaviation.com/fpv-simulator-roundup). When you feel comfortable enough flying your quadcopter with the simulator, it’s time to fly it in real life! After charging your batteries, turn on the transmitter by depressing the power button for five seconds. A green light will illuminate. Make sure that the throttle stick is all the way down. There are two switches at the top of the transmitter. The one on the left controls the flight modes—Beginner, Intermediate, and Pro—and the one on the right turns the motors on and off. Beginner pilots should start with the left switch all of the way up (away from the flier), and all pilots need to start with the right switch all of the way up to ensure that the motors are turned off. The next step is to connect the LiPo battery. It comes in a protective plastic case that easily clicks into place on the quad’s belly. Several LEDs will light up on the shark’s body to indicate that the battery is connected. When the battery becomes low, the front lights begin to flash, indicating that it is time to land.
All of the quadcopter’s electronics, including the 130° FOV camera, are well protected by its frame. This multirotor can withstand several hard crashes and fly away with no battle scars. Ruddick photo.
One of the batteries comes with a tether attached. Fat Shark suggests that you tie the other end of the tether to a heavy anchor or water bottle for your first few flights. After setting the quadcopter down, it is time to start the motors! Simply flip the top right switch down and you will hear the propellers start spinning. I found the transmitter comfortable in my hands, and the quadcopter was very responsive to stick inputs. For your first few flights, I suggest flying via line of sight and indoors. That is how I started, and it made me feel like I had more control over the quad. I agree with Fat Shark that you should start in Beginner mode because this little quadcopter has a lot more power than you might expect! After you have completed a few practice flights and feel like you have mastered taking off, hovering, and landing, feel free to try out the goggles. Connect the goggles to the provided USB charging cord to charge their 1S 2,500 mAh Li-Ion battery. A light will glow green when charging and change to red when the goggles are fully charged. When your goggles are full of juice, attach the antenna to the goggles, slip them over your head, and adjust the straps as needed. A switch on the bottom left powers on the goggles, and three buttons on the top right help you find the right channel and adjust the brightness and contrast. One of the nice features of the goggles is that they can be used to fly any quadcopter that uses FlySky protocol. The same goes for the transmitter. The goggles also have a built-in 5.8 GHz single video receiver that supports up to 32 channels.
The box-style goggles have adjustable straps that accommodate different head sizes and glasses. When flown outside, the aircraft can fly up to 100 feet away from the pilot. Photo by Dillon Carpenter.
After you have powered up the goggles, you will see a line of text at the top of your screen. This shows what channel you’re on, the signal strength of your video (RSSI), and the goggles’ battery percentage level. When the quadcopter’s battery starts getting low, the screen will switch from color to black and white, indicating that it’s time to land. I found that feature helpful. If you are having trouble figuring out how to operate, control, or fly basic maneuvers with your multirotor, several free videos are available on the Fat Shark website for these and other topics. I watched most of them and found them beneficial. When you feel comfortable enough in Beginner mode, switch to Intermediate mode, and later, Pro mode. The beauty of the Fat Shark 101 FPV Drone Training System is that it allows your flying skills to progress at your own pace. The more you fly, the more you will realize that this zippy quadcopter provides a lot of fun in a complete package, but won’t take a huge bite out of your wallet. -Rachelle Haughn [email protected]
