Iftron Tech- Video Downlink Specialist
Posted on March 7, 2009 by aaronredbaron
In 1998 I set out with an idea to help fill data gaps in the State of Oregon’s files. After Oregon’s widespread flooding in 1996, property owners had replaced numerous docks along Oregon’s waterways without any permits. Conventional aerial photography from a full sized airplane was considered, but abandoned when the vertical views did little to answer questions. After reading a story in the Newspaper about hiring a helicopter for $600 an hour, I contacted the State and told them I had a better idea. Although my concept never went past a presentation, I did get my first lesson on down-linking a video signal from a flying model.
My concept was to use a reliable float equipped airplane, fly it off the water near my intended subject from a boat, and fly around recording video. My setup operated on AM frequencies, and had to be dialed manually to tune for the signal. I quickly learned it was next to impossible to achieve good enough video quality with my equipment on the ground to be worth recording, and my presentation photographs were actually taken blind from a camera with a servo strapped to it. The technology available at the time was enough to whet my palette for aerial photography, but it clearly showed how primitive the technology was for my intended use.
Enter Iftron Tech; In today’s world of aerial photography, one can actually achieve the quality necessary to accomplish the kind of project I had in mind over a decade ago. Although there are numerous suppliers of video equipment, one US based manufacturer set out to build purpose built video downlink components with features that are designed to cater to the odd requirements hobbyists look for. Ira Faberman, President of Iftron Tech, was kind enough to take some time to help us understand this maturing industry.
Aaron: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today about video down-link systems. I understand you manufacture your own video transmitters and receivers, what lead you to start offering specialized video components?
Ira: You’re welcome Aaron. We started designing our own equipment because it was obvious to us that what was available was simply inadequate in performance and quality. Too much of it was ripped from other industries and just didn’t have the features and performance people were looking for. One of the biggest voids was in the area of “diversity” receivers. Diversity receivers do so much to make the wireless video link better, yet there was nothing exciting out there. Another was the abundance of gear that had poor video sharpness so the picture was never as good as it should be.
Aaron: Are there other users for your products, or do most of your customers use these in models?
Ira: We have customers from very diverse fields. To name just a few: modelers, UAV aircraft, blimps, security interests, covert operations and many other applications including bomb detecting and defusing robots!
Aaron: What differentiates your products from others on the market?
Ira: To begin with, our equipment is truly engineered with the customer in mind. We never re-label and sell other manufacturer’s stuff. We start with a thorough understanding of what customers need and then do our best to overachieve by adding features the customers didn’t even know they needed. Take our transmitters for example. They all employ highly efficient on-board switching power supplies that can easily handle 2 and 3 cell lipo packs. Our Stinger Pro 5.8 even has a battery protection circuit that prevents over-discharge. Our YellowJacket Pro Diversity Receivers also have a long list of impressive user-friendly features not found anywhere else—stuff like low battery alarms and signal strength. One feature our customers are especially pumped about is our innovative receiver side microphone amplifier. This cool feature allows users near the receiver to plug in a mic and record their comments in real time, while the action is happening, right along with the video. If you watch our 5.8GHz demo video, you can get an idea of just how valuable and also entertaining this feature is.
But I think the real back story is our quality and innovative technology. We use automated surface mount assembly techniques to insure a quality build. Then we back this with complete testing for each product before we ship. We then wrap our patent pending diversity receivers along with all our best thinking in a very tight, handsome and rugged enclosure. People are constantly remarking about how small, good looking and functional the equipment is and how it always turns heads at the field. You really have to see it for yourself to fully appreciate it. We’re very flattered by our customer’s accolades.
Aaron: Do you have more professional aerial photographers using your products, or people just using them for their hobby?
Ira: We really don’t know for sure. I’d guess that 25 to 30 percent of the airborne market goes to AP. But remember, they are not mutually exclusive. It is easy to do both RPV and photography in a single flight!
Aaron: The new Nano line looks very promising. I have eyed your YellowJacket receivers for some time, but the Nano products are much more affordable for my purposes. How is the performance of the Nano line?
Ira: The Nano series is designed to provide a high quality, entry level setup while at the same time, a good upgrade path without having to loose your initial investment. The Nanos perform very well for a conventional receiver and we’ve designed them to be upgradeable to full Iftron diversity performance by purchasing the additional, modular components. You will not have all the great features that our YellowJacket Pro series offers, but the initial commitment is less. A fair trade for the highly budget minded.
Aaron: Could you please explain to my readers what a diversity receiver is, and why they may want to consider one?
Ira: Today’s higher frequencies tend to bounce and reflect more. This often causes the same signal to arrive at the antenna from several different directions at the same time (what experts call “multipathing”) and can really mess up reception. Remarkably, when this happens to one antenna, a second antenna only a few inches away may not be affected at all. Most of us have already experienced this issue with our cellphones. When you are getting a crappy cell signal, moving over just a few inches can often clear up the problem. So a diversity receiver is really two receivers with two antennas spaced apart, in the same box along with special circuitry that determines which signal is the best. Then it switches the best signal out to your monitor or recording device. Of course there is a lot more to it then this and a more detailed description would probably put most of us to sleep. Yet many readers without a technical background can gain an additional understanding by reading an easy to understand brief that I wrote on the subject. Here is a link:
http://www.iftrontech.com/i6//information.html
Suffice it to say that our diversity circuitry is patent pending for a reason– it works, and many people are quite pleased with the performance.
Aaron: How did the proliferation of 2.4 GHz radio systems affect your business?
Ira: When 2.4GHz remote control first appeared, we were quick to realize that a solution was going to be needed since it directly affected wireless video using the same radio band. So we chose to market a high quality 5.8GHz system that would be compatible with 2.4GHz remote transmitters. That was a fortunate decision on our part since 2.4GHz remotes have quickly become very popular. However, our 2.4GHz diversity receivers remain a popular seller and a good choice for many that do not use 2.4GHz remotes. We also market 900MHz equipment for similar reasons, but as far as I know, 900MHz is only legal in North America, so it’s not a good choice for most of the planet.
Aaron: Any other hot news on new products you have coming?
Ira: Yes! We try not to announce before we actually have product ready, but watch for some exciting new “Stuff That Works” in the next few months! But one tidbit I can disclose is that we will soon market a range extender module that will work with existing equipment and improve your range by up to as much as 40%. Remarkably, this will not have anything to do with your antenna!
Aaron: Thanks for your time Ira, Happy landings!
Ira: Thank you Aaron. It’s a pleasure.
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