Buying Guides Posts

Ready to buy your first radio, goggles, or whoop? These guides cover what to get, what it costs, and the sim-first context behind the cart.

FPV Gear Buying Guide: What to Buy, and in What Order

FPV Gear Buying Guide: What to Buy, and in What Order

A full digital FPV setup can run past $1,400, but a working start costs $85. Here's the order pilots actually buy in, and why it isn't drone first.

11 min read

4-Inch vs. 5-Inch Freestyle Frames: Which Size Should You Buy First? (2026)

4-Inch vs. 5-Inch Freestyle Frames: Which Size Should You Buy First? (2026)

A 4-inch build can weigh under 220 grams, close enough to the common 250g regulatory line to matter, while 5-inch remains the more forgiving choice to actually learn on. Here's the real trade-off.

5 min read

Analog FPV Explained: Why Pilots Still Use It in 2026

Analog FPV Explained: Why Pilots Still Use It in 2026

Digital FPV has existed for years, but analog still runs 8-18ms latency for $15-40 a component. Here's why that combination keeps it relevant in 2026.

4 min read

Analog vs. Digital FPV: Which Should You Buy First?

Analog vs. Digital FPV: Which Should You Buy First?

Analog FPV runs 8-18ms latency and costs a fraction of digital. Digital systems like DJI O4 give sharper video at 24-40ms. Here's which to buy first.

4 min read

Best Analog FPV Cameras for Beginners (2026)

Best Analog FPV Cameras for Beginners (2026)

Analog video is physically limited to around 600-700TVL of effective resolution no matter what the camera box claims. Here's what actually matters when buying one.

5 min read

Best Budget FPV Freestyle Build Under $300 (2026)

Best Budget FPV Freestyle Build Under $300 (2026)

A full 5-inch freestyle quad can be built for about $300, but that number is the drone only. Here's the real parts list, and what the complete setup actually costs.

4 min read

Best Cinewhoops for Beginners (2026)

Best Cinewhoops for Beginners (2026)

A cinewhoop's duct does two jobs at once, protecting people from the props and the props from impacts, and camera payload is what actually decides which size duct you need. Here's what to check before buying one.

5 min read

Best FPV Batteries and Chargers for Beginners

Best FPV Batteries and Chargers for Beginners

Kit prices routinely skip batteries and chargers, and a wrong-charger mistake is a leading cause of LiPo fires. Here's what to buy and how to charge safely.

3 min read

Best FPV Drone Cases and Field Bags (2026)

Best FPV Drone Cases and Field Bags (2026)

A regular camera backpack fits a camera body, not a flat quad, a bulky radio, and fire-safe LiPos. Here's what actually makes an FPV bag worth buying over a generic one.

5 min read

Best FPV Flight Controller and ESC Stacks for Beginners (2026)

Best FPV Flight Controller and ESC Stacks for Beginners (2026)

An F7 flight controller runs at nearly double the loop rate of an F4, but most beginners never need that headroom. Here's what to actually buy for a first stack.

5 min read

Best FPV Frames for Freestyle vs. Racing (2026)

Best FPV Frames for Freestyle vs. Racing (2026)

A race frame can weigh 30 grams less than a freestyle frame in the same size class, and that gap changes how a drone survives a wall. Here's how to pick the right one.

6 min read

Best FPV Gear Under $200: A Full Starter Loadout (2026)

Best FPV Gear Under $200: A Full Starter Loadout (2026)

A complete FPV drone can be built for about $103 in parts, but a functional starter loadout, radio and goggles included, still needs a plan to stay under $200. Here's one that works.

5 min read

Best FPV Goggles for Beginners (2026)

Best FPV Goggles for Beginners (2026)

Budget analog goggles start around $99, DJI's digital goggles start near $549. Here's what that price gap actually buys and which tier fits a first-time buyer.

4 min read

Best FPV Motors for 5-Inch Builds (2026)

Best FPV Motors for 5-Inch Builds (2026)

A 2207 and a 2306 motor can weigh almost the same yet fly completely differently. Here's how stator size and KV actually decide what a 5-inch build feels like.

6 min read

Best FPV Props: Durability vs. Efficiency Compared (2026)

Best FPV Props: Durability vs. Efficiency Compared (2026)

Bi-blade props deliver 15-20% longer flight times than tri-blades on the same power system. Here's how blade count, pitch, and material actually trade off against each other.

5 min read

Best FPV Radios and Transmitters for New Pilots (2026)

Best FPV Radios and Transmitters for New Pilots (2026)

Your radio outlives every drone you'll ever own. Here's what actually matters when buying one, and why ExpressLRS support isn't optional in 2026.

4 min read

Best FPV Starter Kits for Beginners (2026)

Best FPV Starter Kits for Beginners (2026)

The right FPV starter kit gets you flying the day it arrives without locking you into gear you'll replace in a month. Here's what to look for and what to buy.

4 min read

Best FPV Upgrades Under $50 (2026)

Best FPV Upgrades Under $50 (2026)

A $10 crash finder beeper can save you more flying time than any motor upgrade. Here's where a small budget actually makes the biggest difference in FPV.

5 min read

Best Tiny Whoops for Beginners (2026)

Best Tiny Whoops for Beginners (2026)

A durable 65mm whoop like the NewBeeDrone Hummingbird V4 survives beginner crash rates that would wreck a bigger drone. Here's what to look for in a first whoop.

4 min read

DJI Digital FPV System Review: Is the O4 Worth It for Beginners?

DJI Digital FPV System Review: Is the O4 Worth It for Beginners?

DJI's O4 system delivers the sharpest FPV video available, at 24-40ms latency and a closed ecosystem. Here's whether that's worth it before you've flown at all.

4 min read

DJI O4 vs. Walksnail Avatar HD Pro vs. HDZero: Which Should You Buy? (2026)

HDZero runs a fixed 8.5ms latency while DJI O4 and Walksnail sit around 22-28ms, and that single number decides which system actually fits your flying style.

4 min read

ExpressLRS vs. Crossfire: Which Radio Protocol Should You Buy Into? (2026)

ExpressLRS vs. Crossfire: Which Radio Protocol Should You Buy Into? (2026)

ExpressLRS runs 3-5ms typical latency against Crossfire's 6-8ms, and an ELRS receiver can cost a third of a comparable Crossfire one. Here's what Crossfire still does better.

4 min read

How Much Does It Cost to Get Into FPV Drones? (2026)

How Much Does It Cost to Get Into FPV Drones? (2026)

A full digital FPV setup can run $1,400 or more, but you can start for about $85. Here's exactly where the money goes at every budget tier in 2026.

5 min read

How to Build Your First FPV Drone: Full Parts List

How to Build Your First FPV Drone: Full Parts List

Motor/prop mismatches and reversed TX/RX wiring wreck more first builds than bad soldering. Here's the real parts list and mistakes to check before you solder.

4 min read

RTF vs. BNF vs. PNP: Which FPV Kit Should Beginners Buy?

RTF vs. BNF vs. PNP: Which FPV Kit Should Beginners Buy?

RTF, BNF, and PNP describe how much of an FPV kit you build yourself. Here's what each includes, and which one avoids the regret beginners report most.

5 min read

Walksnail Avatar HD vs. DJI O4: Which Should You Buy?

Walksnail's Avatar HD Pro system costs about $180 less than DJI's O4 and works with third-party goggles. Here's what you give up for that flexibility.

4 min read

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