Review: Eachine VR-007 Pro FPV Goggles
If you’re interested in getting into the world of FPV, there are plenty of places to start. For my own journey, I took the advice of a fellow hobbyist and picked up a pair of inexpensive FPV goggles from Eachine.
Eachine’s VR-007 Pro FPV goggles are a lightweight, feature-filled option for flying and driving your radio-controlled machines via first person view. Among the highlights of this 5.8GHz receiver are a 40-channel frequency selector, adjustable video options (brightness, contrast and display ratio) and a easy-to-use battery which charges over USB.
What’s Included:
- 1 pair of Eachine VR-007 Pro FPV Goggles
- 1 3.7v, 1600mah battery
- 1 stick antenna
- 1 USB charging cable
- 1 instruction manual and lens cleaning cloths
With this being my first foray into the world of FPV, I didn’t want to break the bank with my initial gear setup. Thankfully, this specific set of goggles can be found for anywhere between $35 and $59.99, depending on where you look.
The video quality is solid and the range has been decent, although I’ve been playing around with various antenna types and have seen slight improvements over the stock antenna. After taking a few trips around the yard with an FPV-equipped Axial RR10 Bomber and Axial Yeti Jr, I can say that I’ve never experienced anything like this before and have been amazed by the FPV experience as a whole.
Comfort & Fit
With this being my first time using any type of FPV headset, I wasn’t sure what to expect once everything was in place. Weighing in between 10.5oz and 11oz, these goggles are very lightweight and shouldn’t pull or strain your head when wearing them. They do a decent job of sealing off outside light through the use of foam padding.
This padding barrier also acts as a comfort aid, helping keep the plastic edge of the headset from pressing sharply into your face. Although it’s not the thickest foam material, it provides a decent amount of cushion, making FPV a comfortable experience.
The overall fit of the goggles can be adjusted by way of the three-point elastic head strap, which runs both around and over the top of your head. I have found that the headset tends to pull up from the front, so you may need to adjust the overall positioning to find your personal comfort level.
Video Quality
Next to level of comfort, the quality of your video stream may be the second most-important aspect to any FPV headset. For a budget-priced piece of hardware, the Eachine VR-007 Pro provides relatively clear footage, allowing you to easily determine where to drive (or fly) your FPV-equipped radio-controlled vehicle.
With 40 frequency channels to choose from, you shouldn’t have any trouble selecting a static-free, open channel on which to pair your FPV camera. Along with the channel selection, this headset includes adjustment options for screen brightness, contrast and video size (16:9 or 4:3).
The controls for these options, along with the channel selection, are found on the outer right side of the headset. Made up of three unmarked buttons, these controls are easy to feel and, once you remember what button controls which setting, you’ll have no trouble making adjustments while wearing the headset.
I’ve found the out-of-box color settings to be a bit “washed out” so I’ve adjusted the brightness and contrast accordingly. This may also vary by the camera you’re using, so your individual experiences may vary.
Along with the video feed, the headset display features a channel/frequency indicator as well as information on current battery capacity and menu categories.
Range
One of the biggest variables in your FPV headset performance may be its range. I’ve tested my FPV setup in multiple locations, from a suburban neighborhood to a rural homestead, with both offering decent results. The stock, “stick” antenna that’s included with the headset performs well, however there are a number of style options available, should you find the need to swap out this piece of equipment.
I have been experimenting with a set of clover-leaf antenna options from Anbee ($8.98 - Amazon) and have found the range to be slightly improved. There are still more options available, such as a pagoda-style antenna if you want to take your experimentation even further.
The range I’ve been able to achieve has allowed me to travel up and down a long stretch of sidewalk and driveway, before the reception breaks up. As you drive or fly, you’ll notice the video quality start to break down when your vehicle begins to get too far out of video range. This is a good indicator to swing back around and head for home base.
Is the Eachine VR-007 Pro the right FPV headset for you?
FPV, much like the R/C hobby, has multiple levels of expense. You could spend well over $300 on a video headset, but if you’re not sure if you’ll like the experience, it might not be worth the hefty financial investment.
For under $60, I’ve found these FPV goggles to be a great starting point for not only my own use, but they’ve also helped get my kids into FPV driving as well. The headset provides a solid amount of features and settings to customize the experience to my liking and the comfort level is high enough that I don’t mind losing myself in long FPV driving sessions.
If you’ve been on the fence about jumping into FPV, this is one headset option that won’t pinch your budget and will leave you room to grow.
