Choosing your first FPV kit – radio, goggles and drone

Build your first FPV kit starting with an ExpressLRS radio and a simulator, and only then choose the goggles and the drone – ideally a light one, under 250 g, in a BNF version compatible with your radio and video system. The radio and goggles will stay with you for years, while the drone is the part you will crash, repair and replace. That is why you should give most attention to the two devices you hold in your hands and wear on your head.

An ExpressLRS radio as the foundation

The radio is the only component you use both in the simulator and with every drone that follows. Today a sensible standard to start with is a built-in ExpressLRS module – an open-source, community-developed link system working in the 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz bands, with a very high packet rate¹. The 2.4 GHz version is enough to begin with: the receivers are small, cheap to replace and fitted in most BNF drones.

What to look for when choosing:

• firmware – EdgeTX gives you a lot of configuration freedom and has plenty of tutorials;
• form factor – compact gamepad-style radios (e.g. RadioMaster Pocket, Jumper T-Pro) are light and good for a rucksack, while full-size ones (e.g. RadioMaster Boxer or TX16S) are more comfortable for longer sessions and larger hands;
• sticks – Hall-sensor gimbals do not wear mechanically and stay precise for longer;
• mode 2, i.e. throttle on the left stick – this is the FPV standard;
• switches – you need at least several two- and three-position switches for arming, flight modes, the buzzer and turtle mode.

Other link systems, e.g. TBS Crossfire, also work well, but then the receiver in the drone must be from the same family. Before you buy a drone, check that its receiver matches your radio. With ExpressLRS, also pay attention to the firmware versions of the transmitter and the receiver – if the versions differ a lot, binding may not work until you update them.

Buy the simulator together with the radio

The simulator is not an add-on but the first drone in your kit. Liftoff, Velocidrone, Uncrashed, DRL Simulator and Tryp FPV work with the radio connected over USB as a joystick. A dozen or so hours in a simulator will save you dozens of broken propellers and let you check that the radio sits well in your hands before you buy the rest of the equipment. In the simulator you will also set up the rates you later transfer to the drone.

Analogue or digital goggles

When you choose goggles, you are choosing the whole video system, because the camera and transmitter on the drone must work with them.

• Analogue – low and constant latency, light and inexpensive cameras, full compatibility between manufacturers. The downside is poor image quality and susceptibility to interference².
• DJI (O4 units, N3 goggles or Goggles 3) – the best image quality and link robustness, but a closed ecosystem: DJI goggles will not receive another system².
• Walksnail Avatar – the closest alternative to DJI, with a wide choice of cameras, including for small drones².
• HDZero – constant, very low latency, valued in racing, at the cost of image quality².

For most beginners a digital system means less frustration, because obstacles and distances are easier to see. Analogue makes sense if you want to fly small drones in a group, build your own equipment or keep weight down.

Whatever the system, check that the interpupillary distance adjustment covers yours, whether you can adjust focus or fit corrective inserts, how much the goggles weigh and whether they record the image. The recording will be useful for analysing flights and searching for a lost drone. Also look for a fan, which reduces lens fogging, and consider power: goggles usually run on a separate battery, so add a second, spare one to your kit.

The first drone – light or 5 inch

For your first drone, choose something light:

• a 65–75 mm tinywhoop with propeller guards – flies indoors, in the garden and in a sports hall, survives crashes and teaches precision;
• a light 2.5–3.5″ drone under 250 g, e.g. a cinewhoop or a toothpick – for the field and your first flights in open space.

A typical 5″ freestyle drone on a 4S or 6S pack is fast, powerful and weighs considerably more than 250 g. It makes a great second drone but a poor first one: crashes are more expensive, and a mistake at high speed can be dangerous.

What to look for in a BNF drone specification

• Receiver – the protocol and band must match your radio, e.g. ExpressLRS 2.4 GHz.
• Video system – the camera and transmitter must work with your goggles; in small digital drones look for lightweight units, e.g. DJI O4 Lite.
• Power – the number of cells and the connector type determine which packs and which charger you buy.
• Frame – arm thickness and availability of spare parts. A popular model is easier to repair than an exotic one.
• Weight with pack – the manufacturer's weight without a battery is not enough to tell whether you will stay below 250 g. Weigh the drone with the pack.

Weight also has legal consequences. A privately built drone under 250 g with a maximum operating speed below 19 m/s, or a class C0 drone, flies in subcategory A1. A heavier or faster one flies in A3, i.e. at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas, and you need A1/A3 competency³. A drone with a camera requires operator registration regardless of its weight⁴, and in Poland third-party liability insurance is mandatory from 250 g⁵.

BNF, PNP, RTF or building your own

• RTF (ready to fly) – a complete set with a drone, radio and goggles. Convenient to start with, but the included devices are usually the simplest models, which you will quickly outgrow.
• BNF (bind and fly) – a drone with a receiver that you bind to your own radio. The best choice to start with, provided the receiver supports your protocol and the camera matches your goggles.
• PNP (plug and play) – a drone without a receiver. You choose, fit and solder the receiver yourself.
• Building from scratch – the best school of electronics and repair, but it requires soldering and configuration in Betaflight.

How you buy matters legally. A drone you assemble yourself from separately purchased parts counts as privately built; a kit sold as a complete set to be assembled does not⁶. A ready-made drone without a class label, placed on the market after 1 January 2024, does not fall directly under the transitional provisions for older models⁷. When buying a ready-made drone, check that it has a class label, e.g. C0.

Batteries, charger and safety

For a tinywhoop you buy 1S packs with connectors matching the drone, e.g. BT2.0 or A30; for larger drones, 4S or 6S packs with an XT30 or XT60 connector. For one session, 4–6 packs are useful.

The charger should have a balancer and support LiHV voltage if you use such packs. Standard LiPos are charged to 4.20 V per cell and LiHVs to 4.35 V⁸ – always check which mode you have set on the charger, because a mistake means overcharging the pack. Proven brands include ISDT, ToolkitRC and SkyRC; for chargers without a built-in power supply you need a power supply of adequate wattage. A few rules:

• charge at 1C or less and always with the balancer connected⁸;
• store packs you will not use soon at 3.80–3.85 V per cell⁸;
• when parallel charging, connect only packs with similar voltages;
• a fireproof bag slows a fire down but will not stop it – a metal box is better for storage⁸;
• do not charge unattended or on a flammable surface.

Do the first power-up of a newly built or repaired drone through a smoke stopper.

Spare parts, tools and the order of purchases

Put these in your toolbox:

• spare propellers – you will use more than you think;
• a spare arm or frame, a motor, and video transmitter and receiver antennas;
• screws, propeller nuts, cable ties, hook-and-loop straps and battery straps;
• hex keys and a nut driver for propeller nuts;
• a soldering iron with a fine tip, solder and flux, a multimeter;
• a laptop with Betaflight Configurator and a USB cable that fits the flight controller;
• a small box or mat for small parts – screws lost in the grass are a classic.

Buy in this order:

1. ExpressLRS radio.
2. Simulator and the first hours of practice.
3. Goggles, i.e. the decision on the video system.
4. A BNF drone compatible with the radio and goggles.
5. Packs, charger and spare propellers.
6. Tools and spare parts.

The most common traps are a drone with a receiver using a different protocol from the radio, analogue goggles bought for a drone with a digital camera, a powerful 5″ on 6S as the first drone, goggles bought without checking interpupillary distance, and going out into the field without spare propellers.

Key points

• Start with an ExpressLRS radio and a simulator – they will stay with you the longest.
• The goggles determine the video system: analogue is simple and compatible, digital gives a better image but ties you to one ecosystem.
• For your first drone, choose a light model under 250 g in a BNF version compatible with your radio and goggles; leave the 5″ for later.
• Check the drone's legal status: privately built, class label or transitional provisions, plus registration and – in Poland – liability insurance from 250 g.
• A charger with a balancer, several packs, spare propellers and basic tools are part of the kit, not extras.