GEPRC Cygnet 3 Crossfire Edition

By Werdna FPV on Aug 01, 2020

12  768  15

210 grams, TBS Crossfire, Runcam Split Mini 2 (1080p60), 6 min flight time @70km/h, >5km flying range

Took the time over this long weekend to upgrade my old GEPRC Cygnet 3 to a proper micro long range beast until I get enough time and money to build a larger LR quad. Here is a video of my first Crossfire test - a full list of the upgrades from stock that made it better for me are included below.

GEPRC Pagoda SMA Antenna --> Foxeer Lollipop 3 UFL
The stock antenna is a screw-on SMA, requires a bulky and heavy UFL to SMA connector, and doesn't even give that good a video signal. So I swapped it out for a Foxeer Lollipop 3 UFL that connects directly to the VTX, and is secured with a zip tie. This saves at least 5 grams, and moves the active element of the antenna above the battery line, which is great for a clear video signal! Video is crystal clear all the way to 500 metres out. There's a bit of breakup beyond that but that is due to the 200mw limitation of the GEPRC VTX.

Frsky XM+ --> TBS Crossfire Nano RX
I kept getting random failsafes on the XM+ at about 400 metres out, with no obstacles in between, and the antennas mounted sensibly. Finally junked it and put in CRSF for so much more peace of mind - went for my first test today flying 500 metres out and the RSSI remained at 97 :D Also I love the sweet compact Immortal T antenna mount provided by Taco RC!! Everything fits inside perfectly ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The best LiPo: Tattu 650mah 4S (INCREDIBLY LIGHT)
This insane light battery gives plenty of amps when I push the throttle to climb high during a long range mission. What's crazy is the energy density - it weighs the same as my Turnigy 700mah 3S cells but contains 24% more mah. On the quad, the total flying weight is a featherlight 210 grams - way below illegal in my country. I can fly for over 6 minutes at a constant cruising speed of 60km/h and then land at 3.7V per cell. It's really insane. It's not quite as good at Li-Ion but really allows for higher amp draw without damaging the cells. When you fly with any Li-Ion battery except perhaps genuine Sony VTC6, anything beyond a mere throttle blip is going to draw more amps than those poor cells can possibly sustain.

Photos

Discussion

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andrius   Jun 26, 2023  

How did you remove the sma connecter from the tpu?

jumpingcloud   Feb 26, 2021  

How is the CrossFire Nano wired to this? I'm trying to change from the R9 can't figure out how to connect the Crossfire RX with only a 3 wire breakout. The board is the same on all the versions right?

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FunkMyBean   Apr 27, 2021 

Cool, I'll have a look at the mamba stack

Werdna FPV   May 01, 2021 

@FunkMyBean the diagram is here: https://geprc.com/download/en/GEPRC-STABLE-V2-F4-MANUAL-V1_0.pdf
Under the section "Camera and MIC" there is a labelled diagram of the FC that includes an RX1 and TX1 pad on the bottom right of the FC. This is where I connected my Crossfire Nano RX to

FunkMyBean   May 01, 2021 

Thanks, it looks like I have the older version of that stack so I don't have those pads exposed :( - I think i need to upgrade my stack.
Thank you anyways :)

Sasquads   Aug 01, 2020  
2

Nice
I always fly mine https://rotorbuilds.com/build/23711 on 4s Tattu 850 mah
It can easily carry it and will give you more flight time.
I think for cruising only, you could even go up to 1000 mah

Werdna FPV   Aug 01, 2020 

Good point... I'll get some 1000mah Lipos to test! What flight time do you get on 850mah?

Sasquads   Aug 01, 2020 

cruising 6 minutes
freestyling 4 minutes
but I have power hungry motors

Werdna FPV   Aug 01, 2020 

I was thinking maybe 1404 is the best for cruising.

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