Help with camera on FPV setup.

[DucktileMedia]

View attachment 2783

The components:

Iftron stinger pro 250mw. 5-17v input range

Sony600 ccd camera. 5-15v input range



For starters, if I plug the camera into the monitor directly using the rca plug soldered to it, it works fine. If I plug it into the video tx nothing happens. BUT, if I plug my gopro into the video Tx, everything works fine. So clearly the components by themselves work. I was concerned that using 4s on the camera might be the issue so I used the same 12v transformer I used to test it directly on the monitor(which worked) and it did not make any difference. Is there a high voltage shut-off on the camera? I am completely confused since the system works with the gopro. I am sharing the black wire with the power and video connectors ground. But this shouldn't be a problem. Iftron wont help me since I cant verify i bought from them. Tim at Readymaderc can't come up with an answer and refuses to make phone calls. I'm stumped!

 

[Bowley]

You're supplying 16V to the Tx, whats the output voltage of the Tx to the camera?

 

[DucktileMedia]

The tx says on it that it can take 5-17volts. And it works fine when the gopro is plugged into it. The output is roughly line voltage -1 volt. And i realize this is too much for the rated 5-15v. But why then does it still not work when i plug a separate 12v power supply to it? It works this way if I plug the camera directly into the monitor. ????

 

[Bowley]

Do you have this wiring guide, It might be some help. I notice there is no current requirement stated for the 250mW with 4S, I wonder if you need to use a 3S or 2S.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4722284/Iftron Transmitter Information.pdf

 

[DucktileMedia]

Yeah i have all the wiring diagrams. Still makes no sense that a 3s battery would do what a 12v transformer will do when hooked up to a monitor directly. Something is up with the camera and tx. Is it possible that the go pro has positive video on the outside of the housing? then I could understand as that would mean my wires are reversed....but I know they are not.....just throwing ideas out there.


HELP!!!!!

 

[DucktileMedia]

From Ira at Iftron....

"Hi Yuri,

The Stinger series was originally designed for 2-3 cell operation. This design has done very well with the battery voltage sent more or less directly to the camera. Although the transmitter will function properly on 4 cells, there may be too much noise associated with the main flight pack and the transmitter may not be able to filter it all out. So we always encourage users to use a second, smaller 2 or 3 cell pack for the transmitter and camera.


Since the RF section of the transmitter requires 5V to operate and due to the limitations of the product size, there is no practical way to make a low noise 5V supply and also separately regulate a 12V output just for a camera. Thus the voltage out to the camera is ~ the input voltage less one Schottky diode drop ~.5V. This was and is not a problem if the transmitter is operated at 3 cells.


I am also surprised and somewhat skeptical that a camera rated to from 5-15V would fail with scarcely over 1 volt in excess voltage. Are you sure the camera is not rated from 5-12V?"




I tried a 3s battery and the whole setup now works. So instead of trying to figure it all out, I'm just gonna go buy a small pack. I was trying to avoid this since I already have 2 4s packs! Only thing missing is the kitchen sink.

 

[Bowley]

you could always try it with a BEC or S-BEC inline if you have a spare one kicking about, probably cheaper just getting a small 3S though if you dont have a spare BEC.
I use a 500mAh 3S for my el cheapo Tx. It outlasts 4 2600mAh flight packs on my F450 and weighs next to nothing.

 

[Macsgrafs]

Iris on the gopro 2.5mm 4 pole plug, the 3rd ring back from the tip is the video & the back one is the earth.

Ross

 

[DucktileMedia]

Its all working fine now. my wires were all correct, it was just a weird thing that happens when you use the wrong voltage. I bought 1000mah batteries for the fpv. maybe too much but they were pretty small. I wanted to use my CC 10 amp bec but I cant jack the voltage up too much as I am running the AV130 servos off of it.

 

[Macsgrafs]

I use 3s 1000ma lipos for my camera gimble & live video downlink. The FPV on my octo is via a home made 12v regulator & a 5v BEC for my retracts. I cant see why a 12v (3s) lipos was causign problems....very confusing!!!

Ross

 

[kloner]

weird