The Different Frequencies for FPV

by Oscar

In this post we will discuss the differences in frequency bands for FPV: 5.8GHz, 2.4GHz, 1.2-1.3GHz and 900MHz. Each of these frequencies have pro’s and con’s such as range, cost, antenna size and regulations.

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To fly FPV, we need two signal links, one is the radio control signal, the other is the video signal coming from the aircraft back to the pilot. These two signals are normally on different frequency so they don’t interference with each other.

The most common frequency combo is 2.4GHz for radio control and 5.8Ghz for video. But did you know that there are many other frequency bands that are used for FPV? In this article we will take a look at the pro’s and con’s of each of these frequencies.

This guide goes into more detail how an FPV setup works.

How Many FPV Frequencies?

The frequency is determined by the equipment you use. These are the common frequencies used in FPV:

  • 900 MHz
  • 1.2 GHz / 1.3 GHz
  • 2.4 GHz
  • 3.3 GHz
  • 5.8 GHz

We don’t have the exact figure, but if I have to guess, I’d say at least 80%-90% of the people flying FPV are using 5.8GHz. I will explain why in the following chapter.

Differences in FPV Frequency

Here is a summary of the differences:

  • Range: lower frequency allows for longer range and can penetrate obstacles more effectively
  • Image Quality: the higher frequency allows for higher data rate and therefore the image looks better
  • Antenna Size: the higher the frequency the smaller the antenna
  • Regulations: not all frequency bands are legal for hobbyists, and even if it’s legal there is usually restriction on the maximum transmission power

The laws can be different in every country, so find out about your local regulations before getting into FPV. In this article, I will use the United Kingdom as an example.

5.8 GHz

A 5.8GHz video transmitter (quite an old model)

I want to talk about 5.8GHz first because it’s confidently the most widely used frequency in FPV worldwide. It’s so popular for a number of reasons:

  • Lots of options when it comes to gear – available from many brands, in different sizes, power level, and features
  • Antennas can be made extremely compact and light weight
  • Decent (enough) range for multirotors and even fixed wings
  • Affordable
  • Legal to use in many countries (under certain power)
  • Compatible with majority of the radio control links such as 900MHz and 2.4GHz

5.8GHz has the widest product range – I am collecting specs of all new VTX in this spreadsheet, it’s an ever growing list. Some VTX have up to 72 channels in 5.8GHz as explained in this article, that allows you to fly with more people at the same time thanks to the wider frequency separations. This guide explains which channels are the best on 5.8GHz band.

It doesn’t affect 2.4GHz or 900MHz radio control links (much), making it a great companion frequency.

5.8GHz has a decent range to power ratio, but because of the high frequency, penetration property is very poor. Therefore, flying is mostly restricted to line of sight, and it’s only ideal for short range flying mostly.

Further Reading; Tips on Flying Long Range FPV

If you want to have really good range with 5.8GHz, using decent FPV Antennas is extremely important.

Perhaps not the most noticeable benefit, but 5.8Ghz does have slightly better video and audio quality than lower frequency bands due to the higher data rate.

900 MHz

The lower the frequency goes, range and signal penetration becomes greater, so in theory, 900MHz should be the best frequency on the list in that regard. However it’s probably the least used frequency band for FPV because of the huge antennas and the lack of equipment options.

1.2 GHz / 1.3GHz

1.2GHz and 1.3GHz provide great range and signal penetration ability. However the antenna is also pretty big, and you could run into trouble pairing this next to your 2.4Ghz radios, as they sometimes interfere with each other. Low pass filters are often used to solve this problem.

Beware that this frequency band might be illegal to use for FPV in many countries, including the UK. People in the US are allowed to use 1.3GHz for transmitting video/audio only if they have a HAM license.

You can learn about 1.3GHz FPV system in this guide.

2.4 GHz

You can get decent range out of 2.4GHz, and it has a very good range to power ratio. It was much more popular back in the days with 27MHz, 72MHz and 433MHz radios, because they wouldn’t interfere with each other. A lot less so now as we FPV hobbyists mostly use 2.4GHz for radio control.

The range and penetration ability is in between 1.2GHz and 5.8Ghz.

However, given the fact that it is the most used band in many different devices and equipment, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, RC transmitters/receivers, and even Microwaves, you could run into some serious interference issues. So usually if you decide to go with this band for FPV, you need to choose a different frequency for your RC transmitter other than 2.4GHz, such as the 900MHz TBS Crossfire.

I reviewed a few products on 2.4GHz before: TBS Groundstation 2.4GHz Video Receiver, and FuriousFPV 2.4GHz FPV Goggles module.

3.3 GHz

3.3GHz is a relatively new frequency for FPV. It’s potentially a good alternative to 1.2GHz and 5.8Ghz, as it’s a “happy middle ground”. It also doesn’t interfere with 2.4Ghz radio control links, nor the 900MHz. However, 3.3GHz is illegal to use in many countries for FPV.

Legal FPV Frequency and Power Level In The UK

Not only are there certain frequencies that are illegal for FPV flying, but also constraints on the transmission power level. For more detail check out this PDF.

2.4Ghz and 5.8Ghz frequency bands are okay to use for FPV in the UK, but there are power limits: for 2.4Ghz, the max power is 10mW. For 5.8Ghz the max power allowed is 25mW. (Source)

It’s worth knowing some channels on the 5.8Ghz band might be outside of the legal frequency range, so make sure you know which ones are allowed in your country before transmitting.

Conclusion – What Frequency to Use for FPV?

At the end of the day, it depends on what kind of flying you plan to do. But if you want to do it legally, then unfortunately you don’t really have much choice. Most decent FPV equipment is basically illegal to run due to restrictions on transmission power and frequency.

That’s why most people use 2.4GHz for radio control and 5.8GHz for FPV, for reasons of being legal and the most easily accessible.

It’s not uncommon to use an illegal frequency or transmit over the power limit without getting caught. Let’s face it, regulations regarding RF transmission is hard to police. Anyway, you should always follow the law, and don’t do anything unsafe or stupid.

Edit History

  • Jan 2014 – article created
  • May 2017 – article revised
  • Jan 2019 – Updated info about 5.8Ghz
  • Oct 2019 – Added some links to useful related articles

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20 comments

Greg 30th December 2023 - 5:06 am

Best frequency to use by yourself is R8 or 5917, same thing

Reply
Carlos 12th June 2023 - 7:22 pm

Hello. I have a weird problem, my Jumper t-pro causes interferences un my eachine PRO58 module mounted on a eachine ev800 googles (hack).

I tried with a shieled wire, change channels, … Anda no idea what else to check.

With radio off video is good

Reply
Fapper 30th September 2019 - 7:26 pm

Yo peeps.

Big ups to Oscar you have tought me so much over the years!
Thanks!

Reply
Ojay 18th June 2019 - 12:29 am

Oscar,

Here’s the Australian Frequency Spectrum Plan and associated Legislation for your readers here in Australia. Cheers!

acma.gov.au/theacma/australian-radiofrequency-spectrum-plan-spectrum-planning-acma

Ojay

Reply
michael 11th April 2019 - 2:39 am

Any guidance on which channel to be on when flying alone for best signal? Have a 5.8ghz eachine TX03 with 9 bands (72 channels). I’ve heard to go with the lowest number, 5325 in this case, as lower means better penetration. Any truth to that, or is there tradeoff between penetration and distance?

Reply
Oscar 23rd April 2019 - 5:02 pm Reply
parajared 4th April 2019 - 6:29 pm

I flew 8 miles on 600mw 5.8 ghz using head mounted Pagoda Array last week

rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?3019675-My-%C2%93long-range%C2%94-FPV-equipment-and-my-candid-opinion-about-it
youtu.be/UUfm75bPos0

Reply
Michael Smith 27th January 2019 - 4:19 pm

Can we please stop calling it a HAM license? It’s ham, lower case. It’s not an acronym. Not even a proper name. Amateur radio license works too.

Thanks!

Source: I’m an Amateur Extra, licensed since ’91.

Reply
Shawn kieff 18th May 2023 - 8:28 pm

You are wrong. I’m a lot older and have been doing ham radio since 1970s the original meaning is ham=hyman-almy-murray, now you go find the rest

Reply
Giles 16th December 2018 - 6:46 pm

Hi, I am in the UK.and would like to get into fpv quad flying. If I by a taranis qx7 what sort of receiver can I buy to stay on the right side of the law? I have read that D8, which seems most common, is not allowed. I am confused…..!

Reply
Oscar 20th December 2018 - 2:47 pm

D8, D16 and so on, these are air protocols, or TX protocols. See this article for more detail. It doesn’t matter which air protocols you use.

The thing that is important is which firmware you flash your radio and receivers. There are two firmware, International and EU-LBT.
You should be using EU-LBT in the UK. See this article for more detail about these firmware.

Reply
Fry FPV 28th August 2018 - 12:51 pm

Do you have an article about why you need to be on different frequencies on 5.8 for fpv video transmission and need to pick carefully, while it doesn’t seem to be the case for radio control on 2.4. And if it does, then how do you do it on your Taranis and check you’re not interfering with your friends flying?

Reply
XeroVolume 5th December 2018 - 7:54 pm

Frequency hopping

Reply
Mart 11th August 2017 - 9:55 pm

Pretty sure that the Ofcom maximum (UK) for 2.4Ghz *FHSS* (which is basically how all 2.4Ghz transmitters operate) is 100mW, not 10mW. Check the Ofcom documentation.

Reply
Oscar 13th August 2017 - 4:13 pm

yes you might be right. I think it used to be 10mw, and it was only recently raised to 100mw the last few months.

Reply
Tanyatheghost 17th July 2015 - 2:22 am

Hi Oscar!
Wanted to let you know that your blog is amazing. Definitely helped me to start my research into this hobby. I’m planning on building my own quadcopter with a FPV setup.. Thanks very much for sharing all these useful informations. Really well done! Keep it up

Cheers.

Reply
Oscar 19th July 2015 - 7:09 pm

thanks ! :)

Reply
Greg 30th December 2023 - 5:17 am

Thats a good question, ive never thought about that before. So when I put my binding phrase into my radio and receiver, the phrase in letters has corresponding numbers to what you put in. There’s a elrs binding phrase generator that converts your phrase into numbers and both those numbers match on the receiver and transmitter thats how it binds.

Reply
Lars 15th June 2015 - 4:05 am

Hi, you have a very nice blog with good informations

Reply
Gisele 21st January 2014 - 10:09 am

Hi therе, I log on to your blogs on a regular basiѕ. Your story-telling style is wittу,
keеp it up!

Reply