<p>I don't think there's an easy answer for that. If there was, everyone would be using it.</p>
<p>High definition video requires a lot of bandwidth. Assuming you want to send it by radio and not a cable, that means a relatively high frequency. High frequency radio doesn't go through walls.</p>
<p>FPV drones usually use 4.8GHz for video (and 2.4GHz for control). That's enough for analog video at about the resolution of an old TV, or there are now (expensive) HD video systems that are fast enough to compress and decompress HD video in real time without noticeable latency. However these signal are degraded if you fly behind a tree or bush. That's why long-range systems are popular with people who rarely fly more than a few hundred meters away; they can handle a few trees. A system that might reach several miles when unobstructed will struggle to fly around your house if you have brick walls.</p>
<p>In an environment with lots of walls, you're limited to low bandwidth radio devices (which is why hospitals still use pagers) or relaying the signal over wires.</p>
<p>A few people have built flying radio relays, which can allow flying in otherwise difficult situations, but both pilot and drone need a good line of sight to the relay, and it adds latency. That's generally limited to professional drone video companies.</p>
<p>We're used to streaming video to phones and assume it's easy, but forget the network of radio towers and fibre-optic cables (and even satellites) that make it possible, or the latency that is added by multiple relays and high compression.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-13T08:58:22.293Z
but what happens with fpv drones? They run at high frequency like 800MHz and the quality of them are very high.
gitblanc_
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-14T11:21:19.107Z
@gitblanc_ FPV is typically line of sight, and is seriously effected by obstructions. What you see on YouTube is usually recorded on a GoPro, not streamed to the pilot.
Robin Bennett
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-15T08:37:51.613Z
So is there any way to send video (even if its not in good quality) using a low frequency for avoiding as much as possible obstructions?
gitblanc_
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-16T07:54:23.947Z
In theory you could but I think the bit rate would be so low it would be like watching a web cam that updates ever few seconds. There no easy, off-the-shelf solution, I think you'd need to build your own from radio modems and a Raspberry Pi.
Robin Bennett
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-16T10:11:57.237Z
Do you have any sort of useful documentation you can provide or any advice for me to try?
gitblanc_
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-16T13:49:43.880Z
Sorry, I don't. You're into quite experimental territory here. You might start by borrowing an old FM radio set (or CB radio) and seeing if that has the penetration you're looking for.
Robin Bennett
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-16T13:51:52.973Z
Related question:
https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/204588/radio-frequency-penetration
Robin Bennett
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-16T17:36:57.687Z
Thanks, I'll investigate it!
gitblanc_
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-23T20:21:47.720Z
Maybe using 4G network could add not too much latency and extend reach way beyond line of sight. You just keep in mind that it's a high latency connection
FarO
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-10-13T07:37:23.033Z
2023-10-14T11:19:27.550Z
2023-10-14T11:19:27.550Z
Robin Bennett
<p>I'm trying to create a drone that will mount this infrared camera Kuman Pi 5MP and will have as controller a raspberry pi zero 2w.</p>
<p>So the main thing is that I want to send the video captured with the camera to a diy controller with an oled screen (like a dji remote controller), but I want to focus on the operational range of the vide streaming.</p>
<p>I've been searching a lot about some different protocols and ways to send the video (like LORA, Radio Frequencys, WIFI...), but no one has given me a nice solution yet.</p>
<p>This drone will need to be operated through many meters having walls between (I want a range of 100 meters or more with walls between).</p>
<p>I loved the idea of using LORA, but unfortunately I found that it is not thought for sending more than 50Kb/s.</p>
<p>Is this even possible? Does it exist a protocol or way to implement this? I don't want to make this through the Internet</p>

<long-range-drone>
What is the best way to transmit real-time-video with the minimum latency and the maximum range?
gitblanc_
# What is the best way to transmit real-time-video with the minimum latency and the maximum range?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-10-12)

I'm trying to create a drone that will mount this infrared camera Kuman Pi 5MP and will have as controller a raspberry pi zero 2w.

So the main thing is that I want to send the video captured with the camera to a diy controller with an oled screen (like a dji remote controller), but I want to focus on the operational range of the vide streaming.

I've been searching a lot about some different protocols and ways to send the video (like LORA, Radio Frequencys, WIFI...), but no one has given me a nice solution yet.

This drone will need to be operated through many meters having walls between (I want a range of 100 meters or more with walls between).

I loved the idea of using LORA, but unfortunately I found that it is not thought for sending more than 50Kb/s.

Is this even possible? Does it exist a protocol or way to implement this? I don't want to make this through the Internet

**Tags:** long-range-drone


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-10-13. Score: 1

I don't think there's an easy answer for that. If there was, everyone would be using it.

High definition video requires a lot of bandwidth. Assuming you want to send it by radio and not a cable, that means a relatively high frequency. High frequency radio doesn't go through walls.

FPV drones usually use 4.8GHz for video (and 2.4GHz for control). That's enough for analog video at about the resolution of an old TV, or there are now (expensive) HD video systems that are fast enough to compress and decompress HD video in real time without noticeable latency. However these signal are degraded if you fly behind a tree or bush. That's why long-range systems are popular with people who rarely fly more than a few hundred meters away; they can handle a few trees. A system that might reach several miles when unobstructed will struggle to fly around your house if you have brick walls.

In an environment with lots of walls, you're limited to low bandwidth radio devices (which is why hospitals still use pagers) or relaying the signal over wires.

A few people have built flying radio relays, which can allow flying in otherwise difficult situations, but both pilot and drone need a good line of sight to the relay, and it adds latency. That's generally limited to professional drone video companies.

We're used to streaming video to phones and assume it's easy, but forget the network of radio towers and fibre-optic cables (and even satellites) that make it possible, or the latency that is added by multiple relays and high compression.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: but what happens with fpv drones? They run at high frequency like 800MHz and the quality of them are very high.  
> **username_1**: @username_0 FPV is typically line of sight, and is seriously effected by obstructions. What you see on YouTube is usually recorded on a GoPro, not streamed to the pilot.  
> **username_0**: So is there any way to send video (even if its not in good quality) using a low frequency for avoiding as much as possible obstructions?  
> **username_1**: In theory you could but I think the bit rate would be so low it would be like watching a web cam that updates ever few seconds. There no easy, off-the-shelf solution, I think you'd need to build your own from radio modems and a Raspberry Pi.  
> **username_0**: Do you have any sort of useful documentation you can provide or any advice for me to try?  
> **username_1**: Sorry, I don't. You're into quite experimental territory here. You might start by borrowing an old FM radio set (or CB radio) and seeing if that has the penetration you're looking for.  
> **username_1**: Related question: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/204588/radio-frequency-penetration  
> **username_0**: Thanks, I'll investigate it!  
> **username_2**: Maybe using 4G network could add not too much latency and extend reach way beyond line of sight. You just keep in mind that it's a high latency connection  

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