Review: HGLRC Zeus Nano VTX – Flexible Mounting Solution

by Oscar

HGLRC Zeus Nano VTX is a compact video transmitter that can fit in almost all micro quads with its special, flexible mounting solution. It has a microphone, has plenty of output power, and weighs under 3 grams!

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Learn more about video transmitters in this buyer’s guide.

Where to Buy Zeus Nano VTX ?

You can pick up the HGLRC Zeus Nano VTX from these vendors, these are affiliate links.

An IPEX (U.FL) to SMA adapter, as well as a simple antenna with IPEX connector are provided in the bag.

Zeus Nano VTX Specs and Features

The Zeus Nano VTX is probably one of the most convenient nano video transmitters when it comes to mounting.

It has holes for mounting on top of 3 different types of flight controller stack: 25.5×25.5mm tiny whoop FC (e.g. Crazybee Pro), 20x20mm and 16x16mm. And if you don’t want to mount it on top of an FC, you can just remove the mounting tabs with a pair of pliers to save some weight and space!

Zeus Nano VTX

Here’s the specifications of the HGLRC Zeus Nano VTX:

  • Built-in Microphone for audio
  • Input voltage: DC 5V
  • 4 Output Power Selection (And Current Consumption)
    • 25mW@180mA/16dBm
    • 100mW@280mA/21.5dBm
    • 200mW@330mA/24.5dBm
    • 350mW@400mA/27.5dBm
  • Antenna Connector: IPEX
  • Supports 5 bands 40 channels. A/B/E/F/R
  • Supports VTX Control via Tramp Protocol
  • Mounting Holes:
    • M2: 16X16mm, 25.5X25.5mm
    • M3: 20X20mm
  • Size:18.6mm x 13.6mm x 6mm
  • Weight: 2.4g 2.6g

Zeus Nano VTX close up pcb antenna connector

The Zeus Nano only takes 5V, and can draw up to 400mA of current, make sure your flight controller can handle that before hooking up.

There is a button on the VTX for changing VTX settings such as channel and power, but you can also do that through Betaflight OSD if you setup Tramp protocol in Betaflight. I highly recommend doing that, because it’s super complicated to rely on the button and status LED’s. Just take a look at the manual and you’ll see :)

Even though the Zeus Nano has a heatsink, it still only weighs 2.6g, compared to the 2.0g of another popular option, the Eachine Nano 2 (including wires). This does not sound much, but a considerable difference when it comes to micro quads. However the Zeus Nano is cheaper, and power testing performed better as well.

And if you remove the mounting holes, you can save about 0.5g of weight.

Output Power Testing

I tested the HGLRC Zeus Nano VTX with the Powermeter from ImmersionRC, and here are the measurements.

I am very happy with the result, output powers measured a bit higher than specs on all channels, with the exception of 350mW, probably because of the amount of heat it generates, anyway it was very close so not an issue at all.

Note that output power on 25mW are quite a bit higher than specified. This is generally not an issue unless you go to a proper race event, where rules might be strict about having 25mW or lower.

R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8
25mW 37 35 36 36 33 33 32 28
100mW 128 / 126 / 118 / 107 /
200mW 223 / / / 206 / / /
350mw 347 / / / 339 / / /

Betaflight VTX Table

In order to change VTX settings through Betaflight OSD, you’ll also need to setup VTXTable in Betaflight first.

It’s simple, just enter these lines of code in Betaflight CLI. Please remove channels that are not legal to use in your region by setting it to zero.

# vtxtable vtxtable bands 5 vtxtable channels 8 vtxtable band 1 BOSCAM_A A CUSTOM 5865 5845 5825 5805 5785 5765 5745 5725 vtxtable band 2 BOSCAM_B B CUSTOM 5733 5752 5771 5790 5809 5828 5847 5866 vtxtable band 3 BOSCAM_E E CUSTOM 5705 5685 5665 5645 5885 5905 5925 5945 vtxtable band 4 FATSHARK F CUSTOM 5740 5760 5780 5800 5820 5840 5860 5880 vtxtable band 5 RACEBAND R CUSTOM 5658 5695 5732 5769 5806 5843 5880 5917 vtxtable powerlevels 4 vtxtable powervalues 25 100 200 350 vtxtable powerlabels 25 100 200 350

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17 comments

Nick Weiss 15th August 2022 - 2:36 pm

how about connecting this up with vista setup just for the live audio?

Reply
ASK 15th July 2022 - 5:13 pm

VTX table downloaded form HGLRC page is diffrent?

vtxtable bands 5
vtxtable channels 8
vtxtable band 1 BOSCAM_A A CUSTOM 5865 5845 5825 5805 5785 5765 5745 5725
vtxtable band 2 BOSCAM_B B CUSTOM 5733 5752 5771 5790 5809 5828 5847 5866
vtxtable band 3 FATSHARK F CUSTOM 5740 5760 5780 5800 5820 5840 5860 5880
vtxtable band 4 RACEBAND R CUSTOM 5658 5695 5732 5769 5806 5843 5880 5917
vtxtable band 5 IMD6 I CUSTOM 5362 5399 5436 5473 5510 5547 5584 5621
vtxtable powerlevels 4
vtxtable powervalues 25 100 200 400
vtxtable powerlabels 25 100 200 350

Reply
Edu 25th June 2022 - 9:22 am

Hi, I am very happy with this vtx. But after upgrading to bf4.3 I am getting a weird behavior. Although the band an channels are correct in the configurator and osd the vtx is transmitting in a different one. I can only get video in the goggles making a scan and the frequency of the chanel showed after the scan in the goggles is different of the one I selected even if I select it manually in the bf configurator.
I have no clue of what is happening.

Reply
Oskar 11th May 2023 - 12:11 am

Hey there. I have the same problem. Did you resolve it?

Reply
Robert Seif 19th April 2022 - 6:52 am

I have a Rekon 35 with this VTX and the video quality is great but I can’t get any OSD not even the beta flight startup screen – Any ideas?? Betaflight 4.3.0 –

Reply
Oscar 19th April 2022 - 10:22 am

Can you confirm the camera and VTx are connected to the FC’s, and not directly to each other (bypassing the FC)?
If connection is correct, try updating flashing Betaflight firmware (backup first).
If that doesn’t’ work either, maybe there’s something wrong with the OSD chip on the FC. There’s no easy fix for this, only replacing the FC.

Reply
Dave P 27th October 2021 - 8:19 pm

Darn. I’m having trouble with my Zues Nano. I can’t find the manual anywhere to make sense out of the blinking lights to see they are telling me anything, do you have a link? Thanks!

Reply
K. Hall 11th October 2021 - 5:40 pm

Can the VTX be wired directly to a camera without going into the FC as shown in the pin out diagram?

Reply
jarafpv 5th June 2021 - 8:55 am

Why the audio is noisy DVR or Earphone? My flightcontroller is Mamba F411 and I am using this for my toothpick build. I bought this because of the mic and saw from JB when he was testing the Rekon, it has a very clear audio which I truly like, reason I bought it. But why I am hearing this BBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Reply
grabejud 18th May 2021 - 7:38 am

I love this vtx. im already uysing 2 of these and will slowly replace the rest of the micro fleet. What i really love is the mic, its super sensitive and clear. i can even tell that its a little windy after flying a little higher up. nice review btw.

Reply
DaniM 26th March 2021 - 6:16 am

Hi Oscar,

Sadly the antenna didn’t break by the connector. The antenna broke internally. Like this:
youtu.be/SNC82WnsFZ0

I also talked to them, to ask them to improve the vtx. They told that they will take mi request in consideration, and they compensated me with a new vtx.

Reply
Oscar 26th March 2021 - 9:55 am

I see, so no physical damage to the VTX? maybe the antenna broke and the VTX overheats? Glad you got a replacement anyway.

Reply
DaniM 25th March 2021 - 8:23 pm

I installed another one. And another one dies. In this case the lollipop antenna was broken in a crash and the zeus nano vtx died with the antenna. I hope they fix this problem in a future version, because the image quality it offers is good, besides having audio.

Reply
Oscar 25th March 2021 - 11:00 pm

If you can kill the Zeus Nano you’ll probably kill any others will the same UFL connectors, you need to somehow strap the antenna to the frame to stress relive the tension from the connector.

Reply
DaniM 6th March 2021 - 7:51 am

I have installed one in my kwad, and I have mixed feelings about this product. On one hand I really love it because it allows me to know when I go low throttle when I fly (thanks to the microphone). The video is very stable, and good quality, compared to the Pandarc Minix (it is awful). On the other hand what bugs me off is that forgetting to connect the antenna or losing the antenna in a crash will destroy the zeus mini.
This is an outstanding vtx. The work hglrc did is awesome, but please, please tell hglrc to put some mechanism to prevent this little jewel to killing itself when antenna is not plugged!

Reply
Oscar 6th March 2021 - 12:16 pm

that’s a good point, i will pass along the suggestion!
It’s a common issue with UFL connectors, it’s easy to disconnect by accident. Even if you add some kind of locking mechanism you can pull the whole connector off, which can permanently damage the VTX. The best way around this is to secure your antenna on the frame to stress-relive the pressure from the connector.

Reply
ASK 15th July 2022 - 5:03 pm

Just use a piecie of heat shrink tube around UFL connector just like rubber band and antenna will stay in place.

Reply