Eachine TX01S camera review: Good range, Flexibility in mounting

The Eachine TX01S camera is specially designed for mini FPV drones like the TinyWhoop where space and weight is critical. Due to its modular design, the TX01S VTX camera can also be successfully used on low-profile aircraft.

At first look, except for the nice price tag, the most significant advantage of this combo camera over purchasing separately a camera and 5.8G VTX is that they are already interconnected. No special cables or soldering are required.

Eachine TX01S specifications

• Pre-soldered modular design (Lens and VTX modules);
• Suitable for 1s Li-Po batteries (3.3 ~ 5V input voltage);
• 600TVL camera module with 1/3 CMOS image sensor;
• 25mW broadcast power;
• 40th transmission channels;
• IPEX antenna;
• One button configuration;
• Status LED rows;
• Total weight of ~4g.

Eachine TX01S camera review

Disclosure: I received this Eachine TX01S combo VTX camera as part of a product review collaboration with Banggood. Thanks again for their continuous support with free samples.

The camera was dispatched on June 22nd and arrived on July 6th, not bad for regular shipping.

A piece of foam protects the lens module and the VTX very well from damage during shipping. The manufacturer doesn’t include too many accessories, actually nothing more than a lens cap.

Eachine TX01S review: Design and controls

The lens module measures about 14 x 14 mm, and the VTX module about 14 x 18 mm. The 31 mm IPEX antenna is directly soldered to the 5.8G VTX board.

The two modules are interlinked with 3 pieces of 10 cm long wires—red – power, Yellow – video signal, and black – GND. If your flight controller provides OSD, you will need to cut the yellow wire and inject the OSD signal.

On the front of the VTX module is located the only control button. While short pressing can change the channel number (CH1-CH8), long pressing allows you to toggle between 5 bands (A, b ,E , F, r). Changes are stored in non-volatile memory.

14 SMD status LEDs are present on the back of the 5.8G video transmitter. They permanently show the selected transmission channel (red LEDs) and band (blue LEDs).

Eachine TX01S camera: Image quality and range

Firstly, I tested the TX01S off-drone using a 3.7V Li-Po battery. The “final destination” of the camera will be on the DIY TinyWhoop I’m planning to build.

The image quality is not bad, but I would have expected higher quality since it uses a 1/3″ image sensor. Sensitivity to light is mediocre. It does not excel in poor light conditions. The field of view is nice for FPV flights.

The range of the TX01S is quite good even if it has only 25mW broadcast power. In my opinion, you don’t need to have higher output power for indoor or park flying.

Note: the power source for the the camera must be between 3.3 ~ 5V, this TX01S FPV is not suitable to be powered directly from 2s or higher voltage batteries.

BTW, you should expect less flight time due to the camera weight and the extra power usage. In the case of small drones (60~80 mm powered by 200~400 mAh Li-Po), the final playtime can be reduced to half.

Pricing and availability

For those who are interested in building their own micro drone, this combo VTX-Camera can be ordered from here for $ 16.99, including free shipping. If you need a longer range you should look for the TX02S, which has 200mW.