Inspire OSD from  dpcav.com

GPS with a On-Screen Display can be a handy tool for FPV piloting. The GPS unit is connected to a OSD and sends the GPS data to the pilot. There is a lot to know when setting up a GPS-OSD system. The first thing is to make sure the GPS is capable of sending out it's data. Most GPS units can do this through a common port called a RS232 connection. Some programming of the GPS unit may be required to match what the OSD can read. Most use the standard NMEA 4800 baud rate and some newer ones use a faster 5hz rate which gives faster updates on your aircraft location, altitude, etc.  There's also some newer OSD coming out that will have artificial horizons that will help the FPV pilot with more info on climb, descent rates, level flight and amount of banking in a turn. There is also OEMs which is a GPS antenna that will do as a GPS hand held unit would do without a display. OEMs are common with GPS mapping software and are commonly used with a laptop.  

 In order for you to see the GPS info on your screen all you need to do is connect the FPV camera to the "video in" and connect the wireless transmitter to the "video out", this will allow the GPS info to be overlaid on your screen. Then supply the recommended power and that's it.

 

Note: As mentioned on a previous page a problem with GPS on a RC plane is the lag time from the 4800 baud rate most OSDs work with. This causes the information on the OSD to be behind on location, speed and heading. It's usually only about 4-6 seconds and if you keep your maneuvers slow it shouldn't be an issue. Another thing to keep in mine is the GPS gives you ground speed and not airspeed. So if your climbing, let say vertical your ground speed may only be a couple of mph where airspeed could be 25 mph.

 Update 10/02/2007: Intelligent Flight now offers a faster 5hz GPS/OSD.

I like to replace the RCA connectors with smaller servo connectors

 Garmin Geko connected to ICircuits OSD board.

 older (now cheap) laptops are a handy GPS tool

      Video in/Video out connections

       OEM GPS antenna and Geko 201 Hand Held unit

FPV pilots ideal OSD showing what is possible

   ICircuits OSD with Garmin 201 GPS

 Simulated OSD with artificial horizon 

    Profile elevation of RC planes tracks

 With Garmin Mapsource software the GPS tracks can be downloaded and viewed on a map. Some software will overlay onto GoogleEarth.

The Dragon OSD is becoming the best seller and has 5hz GPS updates

Photo: Intelligent Flight

 One of the newer faster OSD that allows 5hz GPS updates. photo Intelligentflight.com

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