NamelessRC Nano400 VTX Review
• Chris
After releasing their first set of AIO flight-controllers, NamelessRC now released a nano sized video transmitter, the Nano400. The form factor of this VTX is very similar to the HGLRC nano, the Eachine nano or the TBS Unify Pro Nano - smaller than the nail on your thumb.
The NamelessRC Nano400 video transmitter weighs in at 1.8g with wires, antenna and heatshrink. The PCB itself weighs in at just 0.75g and the antenna at 0.55g. The VTX dimensions are 12.4mm by 12.4mm and 3.5mm at the highest spot - the antenna connector. The VTX has a u.FL connector as they all do in this form factor and comes with a linear antenna - you can change this to a circular polarized if you prefer.
The video transmitter has to be controlled via IRC Tramp protocol from the flight-controller - there is no button to change the settings.
The output power is variable and can be switched to 25, 100, 200 and 400mW - pretty impressive for a transmitter of this size. The VTX also has pit mode, meaning that you can turn the output power of the VTX so low, that you will not knock anyone out of the air should you need to power up your quad during for example a race.
By default the VTX is locked to 25mW, to unlock higher output power check out the section about unlocking channels and output power.
The transmitter can only be powered from 5V.
One important thing to note is, that the video transmitter will decrease output power when it starts to overheat, which is a great way of protecting the transmitter from burning out. This can be helpful in a couple of situations: first of all, when you are working on the bench or after a crash. In both cases there will not be enough air flow to keep the VTX at a sane temperature on 400mW.
I would still recommend not having the video transmitter plugged in for too long without proper ventilation, preferably enable pit mode if you are planning on having it plugged in for longer time without good ventilation since it can really get quite hot..
The output signal seems to be pretty clean and thus the channel separation seems to be good too, in my tests it did not bleed over too much into neighboring channels and I had absolutely no issues when the channels of my test transmitters had at least one channel between them.
The box includes the VTX, a linear antenna, a set of wires and two pieces of heat shrink for isolation.
Pros & Cons
With a price tag of $13.99 and its small size this video transmitter is an excellent choice for all sizes of whoops and a great pairing with a nano sized FPV camera like for example the Runcam Racer Nano or the Foxeer Predator Nano.
Currently you can buy the VTX only from fullspeedrc but I am sure Banggood will soon have it in stock too.
I like that you get all the NamelessRC boards with no connectors and no wires soldered to them, so you can decide on your own how much weight you want to add.
What I did not like so much is the production quality of the PCB. Their flight-controllers were manufactured really cleanly, all components were nicely aligned. On this VTX not so much, still better than on some other boards, like for example the Crazybee, but definitely some room for improvement.
LED blink codes
The VTX has three LEDs to indicate current channel, frequency and power settings: Orange: will blink 1-8 times and indicates the channel you are on. Green: will blink 1-6 times, depending on the band you are on. Blue: will blink 1-4 times depending on output power - 1x for 25mW, 2x for 100mW, 3x for 200mW and 4x for 400mW.
If all three LEDs blink at the same time, the VTX is in pit mode.
Unlocking channels and output power
Per default the above channels marked in red are locked and the VTX is locked to 25mW. In order to unlock channels and output power you have to switch to pit mode three times within the first 30 seconds of powering up the video transmitter.
In order to do so, set pit mode to a switch in the BetaFlight configurator. Power up the quad and flip the switch three times. If everything went according to plan, the LED’s will flash one after another and you have unlocked your VTX. Power cycle your quad and you are good to go.
Make sure you abide to the RF laws of your region before unlocking your VTX. You can not go back once you have unlocked it (although you can still set everything to legal limits).
Pinout
Unfortunately the pins are not labeled on the PCB directly, but NamelessRC provides a pinout in their manual:
How does it compare?
As mentioned in the beginning, this VTX is not the first one in this small form factor. There is also the Eachine nano, the HGLRC nano and of course the TBS Unify Pro Nano.
The HGLRC and TBS Unify are both very similar regarding output power, both can output 25mw and 50mW.
The NamelessRC Nano400 and Eachine Nano both go up to 400mW and they both have pit mode. The Nano400 is slightly smaller, a bit lighter and less expensive. But the Eachine Nano on the other hand has a button for changing settings.
I really like the Nameless Nano400 VTX and would recommend this video transmitter to everyone who wants a super light weight, high output video transmitter for his brushless whoop or micro copter.
Sources
Chris is a Vienna based software developer. In his spare time he enjoys reviewing tech gear, ripping quads of all sizes and making stuff.
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