FPV drone racing inspiring pilots all over the globe
FPV racing has become quite the rage ever since DRL started airing its FPV drone racing inspiring pilots all over the globe to design their own DIY FPV race gates. Once a pilot is able to navigate a drone with muscle memory than it is time for that pilot to start training for FPV racing and the main skill will be to navigate through a race gate or obstacle. Creating your own course with DIY FPV race gates will help you train yourself to be able to adapt to any FPV race track.
Start small
We can first start with a “tiny whoop” indoor DIY FPV race gate that can be as simple as a hula hoop or plastic tubing bent into a circle mounted to a piece of wood as a base. With all the PVC tubing and connectors you can get creative and design squares and other geometric shaped DIY FPV Race Gates. If your whooping outdoors than a simple pool noodle with two 1 inch dowels pushed into the ground will work well and is extremely visible.
Another idea is to check your garage for some old 1/2 foam camping pads to make DIY FPV racing gates. If you don't have any, head down to the local store they run about $5-$8 for a cheap pad. Cut yourself some strips between 4"-10" wide, down the full length of the camping pad. The foam seems to need at least 4" in width to hold itself up well. But any larger and they become heavy and droop.
Make yourself a circle, check the diameter, and tape it together with some masking tape and you can use many things to make your DIY FPV racing gates.
Go big
If you’re ready for some 5-inch FPV racing than head to a local field or open space, preferably free of tall trees, buildings, and people. Racing on a larger track will involve more materials and because of the longer distances, your drone will be traveling the setup time will take longer. Remember if others are utilizing your gates, they are usually more than willing to help clean up the DIY FPV race gates, so invite others and you may get some tips from some talented pilots.
Many current FPV racing events use flags as well as DIY FPV racing gates. Flags are easier to set up because there is a single mount and they are extremely visible. They are extremely durable in the wind, many don’t factor in that the wind can render many race gates useless in over 15mph winds. Flags simply fly in the direction of the wind and keep standing. PVC and fabric flags are really the ultimate DIY FPV race gate.
Go pro
LEDs can be added to your DIY FPV racing gates as well so you can race at night. There are some night races like the Lightrax races and the World Drone Prix in Dubai. But nobody has put FPV racing on the map like DRL. Their races are aired on ESPN 2 and can be seen around the globe. Their gates are basically DIY FPV racing gates but on steroids with professional FPV pilots while being televised. Other groups like Multi GP help spread the love of FPV racing by providing an organization that sanctions races between certain classes.
Less is more
DIY FPV racing gates don’t even need to be gated at all, they can be two or even one trees used as a slalom. Use existing poles and obstacles to imagine your own FPV track with your friends. The sky is the limit when it comes to creating your own DIY FPV racing gates. Some of the best times I’ve had was going to the local little league ballpark and race around the light poles with a fellow FPV pilot. The makeshift racetrack created by using the light poles as DIY FPV racing gates provided hours of fun and fond memories of a great time.
My suggestion is to invest in some materials and tools to build and create your DIY FPV racing gates. You will learn from building, racing, crashing into them, and then rebuilding until your a pro pilot. Worse that can happen is you break something, so go have fun with FPV.
