FPV Beginners Dictionary

Welcome! the goal of this page is to provide a simple resource that helps explain common terminology used in the world of FPV drones. All terminology is organized alphabetically. These terms may not be the exact definition, they are designed to be easy to understand

2.4 GHz: A frequency band commonly used for radio control links between the transmitter and receiver, known for its longer range than 5.8 GHz.

5.8 GHz: The most common frequency band used for FPV video transmission, offering a good balance between range and interference resistance.

Acro Mode: Also known as manual mode, a flight mode where the drone's stability is not assisted by the flight controller, giving the pilot full control over the drone's movements for performing flips and other maneuvers.

Angle Mode: A flight mode that limits the angle of tilt and often includes self-leveling, making it easier for beginners to fly.

Antenna Gain: A measure of how well an antenna can direct or concentrate signal power in a specific direction, improving the effective range and quality of the communication link.

AUW: All-Up Weight - The total weight of the drone, including the battery, propellers, and all onboard equipment, ready to fly.

BEC: Battery Eliminator Circuit - A component that steps down voltage from the main battery to power other electronics like the flight controller and receiver, eliminating the need for a separate power source.

Betaflight: A widely-used open-source firmware for flight controllers, offering extensive customization and tuning options for FPV drones.

Betaflight Configurator: A GUI (Graphical User Interface) tool used to configure settings for drones running Betaflight firmware, accessible via a computer.

BLHeli: Firmware for ESCs that offers configurability and supports features like regenerative braking (active braking) and bidirectional communication.

BnF: Bind and Fly - Drones that come fully assembled but require the pilot to bind their own controller to the drone.

Carbon Fiber: A lightweight and strong material used in the construction of high-quality drone frames, offering durability and reduced weight for enhanced performance.

CCW/CW: Counter-Clockwise and Clockwise - Refers to the direction of motor and propeller rotation. Proper configuration is essential for stable flight.

CG: Center of Gravity - The point on the drone where it balances; crucial for stable flight.

Cinewhoop: A small, agile drone with ducted fans that is designed for cinematic purposes, capable of flying in tight spaces and capturing smooth footage.

Cleanflight: Another flight controller firmware, similar to Betaflight, known for its user-friendly interface and stability.

C-Rating: Discharge rate of a battery, indicating how quickly it can deliver power. A higher C-rating allows for more intense bursts of power, essential for high-performance flying.

Crossfire: A popular long-range control link system that operates at 900 MHz (or 868 MHz in Europe), offering extended range and reliability over traditional 2.4 GHz systems.

Diversity Receiver: An FPV video receiver system that uses two or more antennas to improve signal quality and reduce the chance of video dropouts by automatically switching to the best signal.

DShot: A digital protocol for communication between the flight controller and ESCs, offering precision and eliminating calibration issues common with analog protocols.

DVR: Digital Video Recorder - A device or feature in FPV goggles that records the video feed received during flight.

EDF: Electric Ducted Fan - A type of propulsion system consisting of a motor and fan enclosed in a cylindrical duct, used in some drone designs for efficient, high-speed thrust.

ESC: Electronic Speed Controller - A device that controls the speed of the motors, and thus the thrust and maneuverability of the drone.

Fail-safe: A predefined safety feature or action programmed into the drone or transmitter to take effect if the control signal is lost, such as hovering, returning to home, or landing.

FC: Flight Controller - The brain of the drone, a circuit board that controls the drone's flight by processing inputs from the pilot and sensor data.

FPV: First-Person View - Piloting drones by viewing through a camera mounted on the drone, transmitting live video to goggles, a monitor, or a smartphone.

FPV Drone Simulator: A computer-based program that replicates the experience of flying an FPV drone, used for practice and skill development without the risk of crashing a real drone.

FPV Cam: FPV Camera - The camera on the drone that provides the video feed to the pilot.

FPV Freighter: A larger FPV drone designed to carry additional equipment like cameras for aerial photography or videography, rather than racing or freestyle.

FPV Monitor: An alternative to FPV goggles, a screen that displays the video feed from the drone. Used often by those who prefer not to wear goggles or for spectators.

FPV Racing: A competitive sport where pilots fly their drones through courses at high speeds, usually wearing FPV goggles for navigation.

Freestyle: A style of FPV flying focused on performing tricks, flips, and maneuvers in various environments.

Goggles: FPV Goggles - Wearable devices that provide an immersive FPV experience by displaying the video feed from the drone.

GPS Hold: A feature that allows a drone to maintain its position in the air using GPS signals, useful for aerial photography and video to stabilize the drone.

HD FPV: High-Definition First-Person View - Systems that transmit and display video in high definition, offering clearer and more detailed images compared to analog systems.

IMU: Inertial Measurement Unit - A critical component of the flight controller that uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to measure and report on the drone's velocity, orientation, and gravitational forces.

Liftoff: A drone flight simulator that allows pilots to practice flying and racing in a virtual environment, helping to improve skills and try different drone configurations without the risk of crashing.

LiFePO4: Lithium Iron Phosphate - A type of battery with a lower energy density but higher safety and longer lifespan compared to LiPo batteries, used in some UAV applications.

LiHV: Lithium High-Voltage - A type of LiPo battery capable of being charged to a higher voltage per cell (up to 4.35V), offering more power and longer flight times.

LiPo: Lithium Polymer - A type of rechargeable battery that powers the drone, known for its high power-to-weight ratio.

LoRa: Long Range - A low-power wide-area network protocol used in some control links and telemetry systems for extended range capabilities.

LOS: Line of Sight - Flying a drone while maintaining visual contact without the aid of FPV equipment.

Low Pass Filter (LPF): A filter used in electronic circuits to allow low-frequency signals to pass while attenuating (reducing) the high-frequency signals, used in FPV systems to reduce noise in the video feed or control signals.

mAh: Milliampere-hour - A unit of measure for battery capacity, indicating how much current a battery can deliver over time.

Micro Drone: A very small drone, often weighing less than 250 grams, which can be flown indoors or in tight spaces, sometimes exempt from certain regulations due to their size.

Multirotor: A general term for drones with multiple rotors, including quadcopters, hexacopters, and octocopters, each offering different levels of stability, payload capacity, and redundancy.

OSD: On-Screen Display - Information such as battery voltage, signal strength, and flight time displayed on the FPV feed.

PDB: Power Distribution Board - A board that distributes power from the battery to various components of the drone, such as the ESCs and flight controller.

PID: Proportional, Integral, Derivative - A control loop feedback mechanism that helps stabilize the drone's flight.

PNP: Plug and Play - Drones that come without a receiver, requiring the pilot to install their own receiver and bind it to their transmitter.

Polarization: Refers to the orientation of the radio waves transmitted by antennas. Matching the polarization of the VTX and VRX antennas (linear or circular) can significantly affect signal quality.

Propwash: Turbulence caused by the drone's propellers that can lead to instability or wobbling when flying close to surfaces, especially during rapid maneuvers or descents.

Quadcopter: A drone with four rotors, the most common type used in FPV flying.

Racer: A type of FPV drone designed specifically for speed and agility in racing competitions, often built with lightweight materials and powerful motors.

RSSI: Received Signal Strength Indicator - A measure of the signal strength between the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx).

RTF: Ready to Fly - Drones that come fully assembled and include a controller, requiring minimal setup to start flying.

RTH: Return to Home - A feature that automatically flies the drone back to its takeoff point.

Runcam: A manufacturer of FPV cameras, known for their high-quality video and durability.

Rx: Receiver - The component on the drone that receives signals from the transmitter.

SBEC: Switching Battery Eliminator Circuit - A type of BEC that uses switching technology to be more efficient than linear BECs, minimizing heat and providing stable power supply to the electronics.

S.Bus: Serial Bus - A digital communication protocol used by some manufacturers for transmitting control signals from the receiver to the flight controller, allowing for a single cable connection for multiple channels.

SMA/RP-SMA: SubMiniature version A / Reverse Polarity SMA - Types of RF connectors used for antennas on VTXs and VRXs. The difference lies in the gender of the connector's inner pin and socket.

Smart Audio: A technology that allows pilots to remotely control VTX settings such as frequency and power output through the flight controller, often using the OSD menu.

TBS: Team BlackSheep - A popular manufacturer of FPV equipment, known for their Crossfire long-range control system and high-quality VTXs.

Telemetry: The transmission of data from the drone back to the pilot's transmitter or another display device, providing information such as battery voltage, signal strength, and GPS data.

Thermal Imaging Camera: A specialized camera that captures images based on infrared radiation (heat) rather than visible light, used in some FPV drones for search and rescue, inspection, and other applications.

Throttle Range: The range of input values from the transmitter's throttle stick, which can be calibrated to ensure the full range of motor speeds is accessible.

Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: A measure of the drone's power, indicating how much thrust its motors produce relative to its weight. A higher ratio means more agility and speed.

Tx: Transmitter - The remote control used by the pilot to control the drone.

UAV: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - A broad term that encompasses all types of drones, from simple recreational models to advanced military drones.

VLOS: Visual Line Of Sight - The requirement to keep the drone within visual range without the aid of FPV equipment, usually in relation to safety and regulatory compliance. Can usually be accomplished with a spotter

VRX: Video Receiver - The device that receives the video signal transmitted by the VTX, used in FPV goggles or monitors.

VTOL: Vertical Take-Off and Landing - Refers to aircraft or drones that can take off, hover, and land vertically.

VTX: Video Transmitter - The component on the drone that transmits the video signal from the camera to the FPV goggles or monitor.

Waypoints: Predefined GPS coordinates that a drone can be programmed to fly to automatically, used in waypoint navigation for autonomous flights.

Yaw, Pitch, Roll: The three axes of rotation for a drone. Yaw rotates the drone left or right, pitch tilts it forward or backward, and roll tilts it side to side.