Easycap With 5.8Ghz Integrated Receiver for FPV for Less Than 20$

I'm a fpv beginner, my quadcopter only has on board camera, and lately I have been looking around for a DVR to record the video feed, to find my lost quadcopter, to check my errors, etc.

I've seen a lot of people on YouTube using an easycap, a 5.8 Ghz receiver, and smartphone with OTG support, to record the flight.

For the android there is a great app called easycap viewer (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....) which allow you to display a video feed on the smartphone screen, but it doesn't record yet.

UPDATE 2016

New very cool app now on the market:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=labs...

They are developing that. For now you also need to capture the screen with AZ screen recorder. This method is not that great but at least you a record (even not so good) of the flight. One of my first experiences:

[Play Video]

The video has the image very small and a lot of black border, something is missing me....

UPDATE: Resolution problem solved. It's necessary to force the AZ Screen Recorder to use orientation Landscape, otherwise it will be like the previous video. The video with the resolution problem solved , but with a new one on the VTx, which is not important for this instructable:

[Play Video]

At first, I tried the setup successfully but, I end up with lots of wires: video cable, power, the OTG cable, etc. Not practical! Lots of wires and steps for a single flight.

So I've decided to integrate a video receiver into the easycap. Now I only need the OTG cable, even the receiver is powered by the smartphone, really handy a usefull in the field.

Checkout how I did it.

Step 1: Disclaimer

This easycap mod will require to solder some wires to power the module receiver from the USB plug, this might damage your smartphone if you do things wrong!

The easycap viewer only works on android devices with OTG support, which means a smartphone or table that allows you to connect USB devices. Search for more info on google.

Even if your device has OTG might not work properly with this application.

I'm not responsible for any injury or device damage. Do it at your own risk!

Step 2: Materials & Tools

First of all your smartphone must have OTG support google for that.

Materials
• Easycap UTV007
• A boscam receiver module 5808..
• A rp-sma female L PCB connector or a RP-SMA extenstion (see last cahpter)
• A OTG cable
• Some zip ties

Tools
• Soldering Iron
• knife
• x-acto
• Hot glue gun

Step 3: Disassembling Easycap

The plastic case is easily removed:

1. User your nail to separate the 2 pieces of plastic
2. Remove the RCA cable micro jst plug from the PCB

Step 4: Prepare the Video Cable

The goal is to eliminate the RCA plugs, and reuse the PCB connector with enough wire to solder the video in 1 and audio in 1 to the video in an audio in pins of the RX5808.

1. The cable is composed by several cables, one for each input. They are joined by a rubber cable brake which must be cutted-off
2. Remove the isolation of each of the single cables. Don't forget to take a picture or note down which is what, i.e., video in 1 audio in 1,etc
3. I've completly removed the inputs from the connector which I'm sure I'll not use it again. Only leave the 1st video in and the 1st audio in
4. Join the sinal grounds (white wires) and solder them together

You should end up with something like similar with this:

Step 5: Discover and Solder Power Wires to the USB Plug of Easycap

Connect the PCB to a USB port and check which pin is the 5V and ground.

Solder a red wire to the 5V pin and black wire to the ground.

Check the picture.

Step 6: Connect the RX5808 to Antenna, Power and Signal Sources

Solder the rp-sma to the RX5808. this sould be the most difficult step

1. Start by sand a little bit the shield (metal part) of the RX5508 to the solder stick easier.
2. Align the RP-SMA connector and solder the 2 upper pins of the connector to the shield
3. solder the 2 ground pins from the receiver to the connector
4. finally solder the antennae signal to the correct pin

Solder the wires (UPDATED with new pictures):

1. • Join the signal grounds (white wires) and solder to the ground pin near the video pin (more rightwards red wire).
2. • Solder the video wire to the video pin (more rightwards red wire)

3. • Solder audio in wire to the 6,5M pin (more leftwards pin)
4. • solder power ground (from the USB) to the gnd pin near 5v pin of the RX5808

5. • Solder the 5v wire (from the USB) to the 5v pin of the RX5808

Step 7: Cut the The Back of the Plastic Chassis

The cap you must customize/cut is the one which doesn't have the led hole.

Use a X-acto knife and try to cut between the holes.

Try to fit tyte the receiver in order to the cap.

Step 8: Assemble the Easycap Again

Between the receiver and easycap PCB use 2 pieces of double sided tape to avoid the electronics to touch one another. Just leave a space to glue the wires which pass from the front to the back.

Since the the pen will be a a litle bit fat you may have to use some zip ties to secure it well.

Test it! It should work with no problems

Step 9: Some Improvements I Would Made

Instead of using a RP-SMA PCB L connector I would use the female part of extension cable (not L shaped) which will fill the gap leaved by the cable break, with some hot glue.

May be I would install a dip switch to choose the channel. For now I'm using always the default for this chip which is 5705 Ghz.