Jason Smalling is an FPV pilot and beta tester who loves his GoPro Hero5 Session, but he believes the Insta360 Go (reviewed here) is even better for FPV. In this post, he discusses the Insta360 Go’s advantages for FPV. First, here’s one of his videos with the Insta360 Go on a 2.5-inch micro drone:
360R: Tell us about yourself. How long have you been flying FPV?
JS: I first got interested in flying FPV drones six years ago, but the cost of entry was so expensive back then. So I put it on the back burner until I progressed farther along in my career. I was able to get my first kit put together nearly 2 years ago, but the first six months were brutal! I thought the best way to learn was trial by fire and just buy a drone and start flying (I mean crashing). I overpaid for a BNF [a preassembled bind-and-fly quad that just needs to be paired with your googles and transmitters] that was a nightmare to keep in the air. Spent more time waiting on parts and learning to solder than I did flying. It wasn’t until Jan 2019 that I bought a AcroBee BeeBrain Lite that I could stay in the air long enough to get some stick time in. So coming from micro’s, I’ve only been flying 5″ for the last 3 months.
360R: What got you interested in the Insta360 Go?
JS: Man you can’t find that camera quality on anything close to 20 grams. And having built in FlowState Stabilization was just the icing on the cake! The only downside was the 60-second recording limit that I was positive wouldn’t be an issue for long. And sure enough they’ve come out with FPV Mode 5 minute recording. I’m hoping to see more 3D prints available and get a GO mount for my 5″ quads. I love my GoPro Hero5 Session, but when the GO weights almost 1/4 of the session your going to feel that savings in the air. [Note: GoPro Hero5 Session weighs 74 grams, while Insta360 Go weighs 20 grams.]
360R: What are the advantages and disadvantages of an Insta360 Go on a micro drone compared to using a GoPro on a larger quad?
JS: With the FAA’s NPRM announced this year, it has really put a shock on the hobbyist. I’ve built a 2.5″ micro that can carry a Hero5 Session and weighs 248 grams. It flies like a cinewhoop and will do some mild freestyle. But when I run the Insta360 GO and the included base plate pivot mount that shaves off around 35 grams compared to the GoPro. This turns my micro into a freestyle beast! Big dives without any issue. I feel like it has more power/weight than my 710 gram 5″ freestyle quad with the GoPro. I cannot wait to get this GO mounted on my bigger drones.
360R: What would you like to say to other FPV pilots who are curious about using the Insta360 Go on a quad?
JS: I know the first reaction is going to be the 1080p limitation… But I’ll edit and render in 4k so I say that’s just saving disk space anyway. It cost less, weighs a fraction (which is priceless in this hobby) and has nearly the same stabilization as the Hero7 Black… you can’t go wrong with the GO!
HOW TO TRY FPV; DISCOUNT CODE
If you’d like to try an entry-level drone kit that can carry the Insta360 Go, here’s what to buy and how to get a discount:
1 – Drone: Newbeedrone’s Beebrain Brushless quad ($149). is a preassembled tiny quadcopter that is powerful enough to carry the Insta360 Go. As of April 2020, it is also the only 1S-powered quadcopter that has a mounting solution for the Insta360 Go. You’ll need to choose your receiver. I recommend choosing the Beebrain Brushless with the Frsky receiver, which is probably the most popular receiver protocol for FPV. If you’d like to get a 10% off discount code, you can use this affiliate link from Jason.
2 – Insta360 Go mount: Newbeedrone sells a strap for attaching the Insta360 Go to the Beebrain Brushless. It can be used for their other drones but their other drones have brushed motors and don’t have enough power to carry the Insta360 Go.
2 – Insta360 Go mount: Newbeedrone sells a strap for attaching the Insta360 Go to the Beebrain Brushless. It can be used for their other drones but their other drones have brushed motors and don’t have enough power to carry the Insta360 Go.
3 – Transmitter: You will also need a radio transmitter that matches the receiver you chose. If you chose Frsky, and then using the Frsky Taranis QX7 radio (around $120). If you chose Flysky, I suggest Flysky FS-i6 ($50).
4 – FPV goggles (optional but recommended). It is possible to fly an FPV quad without goggles, although you won’t be able to pilot it beyond your line of sight. Assuming you want goggles, I suggest Eachine EV800D (around $110) for entry-level goggles.
4 – FPV goggles (optional but recommended). It is possible to fly an FPV quad without goggles, although you won’t be able to pilot it beyond your line of sight. Assuming you want goggles, I suggest Eachine EV800D (around $110) for entry-level goggles.
Meanwhile, for other inspiring FPV videos, subscribe to Jason’s YouTube page here. For more information on the Insta360 Go (on sale until April 17), check out my review page. And please be aware that FPV is quite challenging to learn. For more information on FPV for beginners, including how to bind your radio to your drone, and how to practice flying on a simulator, check out this page.
Affiliate Disclosure: I don’t have any affiliate relationship with Newbeedrone (as of the time of this writing), but the Amazon links on this and other pages on this site are affiliate links where I get commissions at no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting 360 Rumors so I can do more tests and reviews.
Meanwhile, here’s another sample video from the Insta360 Go, by Knight Flyer FPV, on a NewBeeDrone BeeBrain Brushless:
is there a difference mounting it horizontally or vertically???
Hey there Matt! You can mount the Insta360 Go horizontally. When you import to Insta360 Studio it will look sideways but when you export it at 16:9 or 1:1, it will have the correct orientation.
It’s going to get obliterated on the first crash
I’ve flown my Insta360 Go on my Tinyhawk and crashed a few times (at slow speed) without damage to my Go. But Insta360 Go is not as sturdy as GoPro Hero5 Session. FWIW, Insta360 sells a product replacement plan.