Supporting Documents

1.  Operator Uniform and Landing Zone Identifiers

2.  UAS Pilot Log Book – Drone Prep January 2015 Edition

3. TBS Discovery Pro Manual
TBS DISCOVERY PRO Quadrotor 

Durable and crash resistant multirotor perfect for 

amateur and pro aerial videographers 

Revision 2014-09-21

The TBS DISCOVERY PRO gimbal frame is the perfect tool for amateur and 

pro aerial videographers. Sporting a fully stabilized, vibration isolated 

camera gimbal it is the most powerful, compact, robust and versatile "take 

anywhere" quadrocopter for filming available to date. All the wiring is 

integrated into the frame, the copter is easy to build and outperforms 

similar quads in terms of FPV range, flight time and video link quality. 

By implementing the wiring into the frame, the copter is easy to build and outperforms similar quads in terms of 

FPV range and video link quality. The DJI Flamewheel arms as predetermined breaking point protect your 

electronics and are easily replaceable in the field. 

Features 

● Integrated brushless gimbal & control board (plug & play!) 

● Built-in camera switch (GoPro live-out and pilot's camera) 

● Frame acts as power distribution board 

● Ready for long range FPV 

● TBS CORE (On Screen Display) with digital current sensor 

● Lightweight anodized CNC aluminum gimbal 

● Custom Gimbal IMU board 

● Tried and proven frame design - based on the world's most popular FPV quad! 

● Integrated brushless gimbal controller (BaseCam) 

1
Before we begin 

Thank you for buying a TBS product! The TBS DISCOVERY PRO is a new multirotor aircraft from Team 

BlackSheep (TBS) for hobbyist, semi-pro and pro aerial videographers. It features the best design practices 

available on the market to date, providing great flying stability and incredible FPV characteristics. 

Please read this manual carefully before assembling and flying your new TBS DISCOVERY PRO quadrotor. Keep 

this manual for future reference regarding tuning and maintenance. 

Disclaimer 

Our request to you; the aircraft may not be used to infringe on people's right to privacy. We have designed a toy 

with mind blowing capabilities. It is your responsibility to use it reasonably and according to your experience 

level. Use common sense. Fly safe. You are on your own. TBS has no liability for use of this aircraft. 

● Locate an appropriate flying location 

● Obtain the assistance of an experienced pilot 

● Practice safe and responsible operation 

● Always be aware of the rotating blades 

● Prevent moisture 

● Keep away from heat or excessive amounts of sunlight 

 

2
Specifications 

The following specifications are for the normal TBS DISCOVERY PRO. Long Range hardware will be different. 

Type: Asymmetric spider quadrotor 

Airframe: Reinforced black fiberglass (rear top RF transparent, bottom PDB) 

Battery: 4S (14.8V) 3300 to 4500mAh LiPo pack, max. 31 x 47 x 157mm 

Propellers: 9x5-inch or 10x5-inch (2xCW, 2xCCW) 

Motor: 2216 class, ~900kV, 180-220W, 16x19mm mount pattern 

Speed controllers: 18 to 30A 400Hz Multirotor ESCs 

Receiver: 6 channels or more, 8 channels recommended 

Flight controller: Standard quadcopter controller with optional GPS module 

Current sensor: 50A on-board 

Camera gimbal: GoPro HD Hero1/2/3 supported, 2-axis, roll and tilt stabilization 

Gimbal controller: BaseCam 12V, tied to CORE to auto-switch profiles, GB2208-80 motors

Center of Gravity: 15mm in front of Center of Thrust mark 

Duration: 8 to 13min (dependent on drive train and battery system) 

Distance: up to 4km range (and return) 

Altitude: up to 1.5km / 5000ft 

All-up-weight: 1500 to 2000g 

Required tools 

● Hex (Allen) screwdrivers (0.9mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm) 

● Soldering iron (50 to 100W recommended) 

● Solder (Sn60Pb40 or Sn62Pb36Ag2, multicore flux) 

● Propeller balancer (recommended) 

There will be some soldering required to connect the speed controllers, battery lead, R/C header and CORE 

voltage configuration for the video transmitter and camera. We offer most of the following items on our 

website individually or as part of an Almost-Ready-to-Fly (ARF) kit. 

The equipment and parts we offer has been truly tried-and-tested to meet our standards for an excellent flight 

experience. But you can of course replace these with equal components or of similar type. 

3
Parts list 

Before building your TBS DISCOVERY PRO, make sure the following items are included in your kit. 

1x Top frame plate 1x Bottom frame plate 1x Gimbal IMU board 

1x GoPro link card 1x Pilot camera mount plate 7x Red aluminum spacers 

1x Battery pigtail 14AWG with 

XT60 connector 

2x VTx and camera Molex 

Picoblade cables 

4x Black Molex 1.25 Picoblade 

cables 

3x Pin headers for R/C and RSSI 

connections

4x Hex screws bags (M2.5x5, 

M3x6.5, M2.5x6, 

M3x4+M2x6+M2x12) 

10x Black anodized aluminium 

gimbal parts 

1x Gimbal bearing 2x Gimbal motors 25x Orange/Red/Green gimbal 

dampeners 

4
Required parts 

To get in the air the following equipment and parts are needed for assembly. 

4x DJI Flame Wheel arms 4x 400Hz Multirotor Speed 

Controller 18-30A 

4x 900kV brushless motors (incl. 

prop adaptor and mounting 

screws) 

4x 9x5 or 10x5-inch propellers 

(2xCW, 2xCCW) 

1x 4S 3300 to 4500mAh LiPo 

battery 

1x Multicopter flight controller 

1x R/C receiver (6-channels or 

more, 8-channels preferred)

1x R/C transmitter (6-channels or 

more, 8-channels preferred)

1x LiPo battery charger

1x Pilot camera (32x32mm) 1x HD recording camera (GoPro 

HD Hero 1/2/3)

1x Video transmitter

1x Equipped ground station 3x Velcro straps - now included! 

Other essential parts: 

1x Threadlock (purple/blue) low 

strength 

20x Zip-ties 

2x Self-adhesive foam pads 

5
Build guide 

The TBS DISCOVERY PRO comes in the usual quality finish and plug & play style the TBS DISCOVERY line is 

famous for. The essentials are fully integrated on the plates, to make the final assembly as easy as humanly 

possible. No separate boards, wire spaghetti, purchasing stuff from multiple sources or components that don't 

match. It is all in the box, just take it out, mount the ESCs, motors and props, a flight control and you are ready to 

shoot videos. 

TBS CORE 

The CORE has won over the FPV enthusiasts worldwide and as the easiest to use OSD module. Clean data layout 

and only the most important information presented on screen. Clutter-free, permanently visible, zero wires for 

installation, and nicely tucked away under a tin shield. The most robust and secure solution for on screen 

telemetry. 

Features: 

● Accurate flight pack voltage and mAh consumption display 

● Reliable power supply for FPV camera and transmitter 

● Flight time shown once a minute 

● Display RSSI (R/C signal strength) from all major UHF systems and some regular R/C systems 

● Single battery FPV system - less chance of failure! 

At the heart of the TBS DISCOVERY PRO sits a new CORE integrated into the frame. It provides a rudimentary 

OSD and clean power distribution to the FPV camera (user installed), video transmitter (user installed), gimbal 

electronics, IMU board and gimbal motors, regardless of input voltage (2S-10S). It delivers up to 2A at 5V and 

0.65A at 12V, though the 12V rail is powered from the 5V part to support a wide input voltage range, so make 

sure to leave enough headroom when picking gear. If you need more power than that you have to power your 

equipment (e.g. VTx, camera, LEDs) separate from another power source (supply pads +/- on bottom frame 

and/or additional voltage regulators)! 

The frame includes a 50A current sensor which is connected directly to the CORE. If you are planning to fly with 

UHF, we made sure to cover the CORE with a tin shield to isolate the CORE nicely from the rest of the electronics 

on frame. Configuring the CORE is made easy via the readily available buttons on the top plate. This means that 

CORE is neatly tucked away and protected under the tin shield, while making changes can be done with a few 

button presses. 

Note: If you draw more current than provided, the DC-DC board will shut down due to overheat/ 

overcurrent protection! This might occur when powering a powerful video transmitter. When that happens, 

you will not damage your DCDC but be aware that the video link/gimbal will experience drop-outs during this

period. Test it on the ground for several minutes before you maiden your PRO with equipment other than 

TBS recommended gear. 

6
Frame layout 

The TBS DISCOVER PRO frame is designed to reduce wiring and clutter. With simplicity in mind, we put all the 

electronics for the CORE, brushless camera gimbal and camera switching nicely integrated onto the top and 

bottom plates. All connections for the brushless gimbal motors, gimbal IMU and GoPro feed is plug&play. 

Calibrating the gimbal and configuring the CORE is made easily accessible via 4 push-buttons. A plate-to-plate 

bottom link connector shares the required power and signals between the plates. There are also two blue LEDs 

to indicate the state of the CORE and gimbal controller. There is even a special EzUHF “OSD Link” connector for 

extended R/C uplink stats on the video display. 

With the advent of PPM compatible receivers and flight controllers, setting up a multirotor was made really easy; 

just plug in a single cable into the flight controller. PPM essentially stacks all the channels after another in a 

sequentially stream requiring only one hardware pin, while the traditional PWM channels all require its own 

dedicated hardware pin. 

The advantage of PPM really becomes apparent when paired up with additional controllers (e.g., gimbal.) By 

sharing the same PPM output, a controller can demux only the needed channels, for instance a flight controller 

can demux channel 1 to 4 for R/C control, while a gimbal controller can use channel 5 and 6 for tilt/roll. 

Compared to traditional PWM, this removes 5 servo-cables from the system and really simplifies the build 

process. 

7
Vibration free recordings 

The TBS DISCOVERY PRO is designed with a new vibration damping system where the gimbal rests on an array 

of 8+2 silicone mounts to form a push-pull compression system. This eliminates vibrations from propagating to 

the gimbal frame and HD camera. 

We provide 5 rounds of damping balls (soft, medium, hard, harder, extra hard)) which are interchangeable and 

mixable to support a wide range of setups and scenarios. A late addition to the damping system was a lever 

arm on the back of the roll motor to reduce slow oscillating jolts from showing on the HD footage. 

Think of the entire damping layout as accumulating hardness. The green damping balls are the softest, red the 

medium and orange the hardest. Vary between the colors and layouts, keeping the left and right half of the 

gimbal symmetrical to find the system that works for you. Top and bottom do not need to remain identical. 

TBS can only ensure proper operation with the TBS-approved setup: 900kV motors, 9x5 Graupner propellers, 

TBS BULLETPROOF ESCs. All other layouts are subject to optimization. Use the provided damping balls to 

experiment to find an optimal combination. With a bit it testing, you will be able to get the “jello”-effect out of 

any setup. 

The drivetrain should be balanced and tracking before trying to reconfigure the damping balls. The primary 

culprit for vibrations are unbalanced propellers, followed closely by unbalanced motors/shafts and bad 

bearings. Fortunately, balancing them is a relatively easy task. TBS is offering a Prop Balancer for this purpose 

and more details on how to perform the procedure, please see our support forum section at fpvlab.com. 

8
Long range photography 

Team BlackSheep are the undisputed kings of long range FPV. With the TBS DISCOVERY PRO you can make 

camera shots that rival those of real helicopters. You can chase BMX drivers down an entire slope. You can film 

boats and yachts from the shore. You can shoot breathtaking action scenes from the director's seat! Since 

you're piloting from the camera view, your skill is the limit. 

We offer 2 basic setups, each with their different flavors of ranges. The TBS 5.8GHz FPV system gives you 

ranges between 500m (25mW) to 3km (600mW). Please make sure your 2.4GHz R/C can match this distance! 

To fly further, we offer the EzUHF Tx & Rx long range control system and the Lawmate 2.4GHz long range video 

system. Compatible with all remote controls! With the 11dBi Yagi ranges of 10km or more are easily achieved. 

The battery life now is your limit. 

Frequency choice 

Frequency choice depends on the ranges you want to fly. Using 5.8GHz video is an ideal frequency if you do not 

plan on flying far away from yourself or behind objects. It is compatible with 2.4GHz remote controls. 

Using 2.4GHz video (TBS video frequency of choice) will give you nearly unlimited range and far superior link 

quality, but you can not use your 2.4GHz remote control on the same quad because of limited separation (it is no 

problem for our R/C buddies to fly with 2.4GHz remote controls next to you though!). You will need an EzUHF or 

any other UHF control system available on the market. 

1.2GHz works very well in urban environments where the 2.4GHz band is completely polluted. 

By using the same connector type across all transmission frequencies, the TBS eco-system allows quick and 

effortless switching between the frequencies. 

Typical ranges (based on customer feedback) with omnidirectional antennas: 

● Lawmate 2.4GHz 500mW - 4km 

● TBS 5.8GHz 25mW - 400m 

● TBS 5.8GHz 200mW - 1.4km 

● Boscam/Foxtech/HobbyKing 5.8GHz 500mW - do NOT buy, bad design! 

● Boscam/Foxtech/HobbyKing 5.8GHz 400mW - 2.5km 

● ImmersionRC 5.8GHz 600mW - 2.5km 

More range can be achieved by using higher gain (directional) antennas. With the 11dBi TBS Yagi on 500mW 

Lawmate 2.4GHz gear, 10km of range is no problem at all. The battery normally only lasts for 8km of flight (4km 

and return.) 

9
Video switching 

Another great feature of the TBS DISCOVERY PRO is the ability to switch the video feed between the live FPV 

pilot camera and the gimbal camera. Fly through the FPV camera to line yourself up for a shot and then switch to 

the GoPro footage to position the camera (2-axis). Depending on if it is a close flying area or wide open field, 

switch back to the FPV feed to maneuver the quadcopter. Pay attention when flying through the GoPro feed 

because the gimbal will make it hard to judge the quad’s attitude and flying direction. 

Switching the video feed is done through a dedicated R/C channel on the receiver. Similarly, one or two slider 

switches on your R/C transmitter allows control over the 2-axis gimbal. Connect a servo-cable from the R/C 

receiver to the designated connectors on the top plate of the frame. 

Electronics installation 

The electronics installation is split into two sections; one for the R/C equipment and the second for the FPV gear. 

We recommend finishing and dry-testing the R/C system before moving on to the FPV section to simplify 

troubleshooting. A detailed overview diagram of the electronics installation is available as an appendix to this 

document. 

Before adding the equipment to the frame it is a good idea to become familiar with the recommended 

positioning of the equipment, as shown in the image above. 

10
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - + S

PPM Gimbal

Bottom link

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

CAM

5V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

Pwr

Gnd

Audio

Video

GP Out Sel

VTX2 Switch

Gnd

Vbat

Video

VTX2

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

EzUHF RSSI Link

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

+ --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

Battery

Generic video transmitter

FPV camera

CH1

CH2

CH3

CH4

CH5

CH6

CH7

CH8

RC receiver

Speed controller

Speed controller

GoPro camera

Motor - CW

Motor - CW Speed controller Motor - CCW

Motor - CCW Speed controller

Flight controller

(Optional)

GPS

Top frame

Bottom frame

BEC regulator

rev. 10.2013 - by ivc.no/tbs

ESCs with 5V BEC, disconnect all RED wires except one

CoT CoG

Electronics installation

(For channel setup, refer to

 the manufacurer’s manual)

(For flight controller setup, refer

 to the manufacurer’s manual)

TBS IMU

500mA/1A

GoPro link

(EzUHF only)

Pitch motor

IMU Roll motor

LED unit

LED

PMU

NAZA

M4 M1

M3

M2

X2 or

A/E/T/R/U

LED

EXP

X3
Choosing the right setup 

If you are just getting into the hobby and you have absolutely nothing, consider the following components to 

buy. Use these suggested setups as a “shopping list” if you are just getting started. Any existing gear you 

already own (e.g. remote controls, chargers, batteries) can be used with the TBS DISCOVERY PRO. 

These setups, with the exception of the Camera Tripod and the Remote Control, are available from Team 

BlackSheep. Remote controls can be purchased at your local hobby shop, camera tripods are available from big 

electronics wholesalers or Ebay.

TBS DISCOVERY PRO setup for short range flights 

● Expected flight time: 10-12 min 

● Approximate cost: US$ 2’350 - US$ 2’750 

● Experience level: Beginner to Expert 

● Ideal for: Parks, R/C clubs, front lawns 

R/C transmitter/receiver: Graupner MX-12 2.4GHz radio with bundled receiver (GR-6) 

or Futaba 8FG / 7C 2.4GHz radio with included receiver (R6208SB / R617FS)

Quadrotor equipment: 4x DJI Flame Wheel F450 arms 

4x TBS BULLETPROOF 30A 5V SBEC speed controllers 

4x TBS 900kV2 brushless motors 

4x Graupner E-Prop 9x5-inch propellers 

1x DJI NAZA-M flight controller (optional GPS add-on) 

Battery: TBS 4S (14.8V) 3300mAh - 4500mAh 35C Lipo pack 

Battery charger: Graupner Ultramat 14S (premium) or TBS B6AC 80W (budget) 

FPV transmitter: TBS ROOKIE BOSCAM 5.8GHz 200mW video transmitter 

FPV receiver: TBS RC508 5.8GHz video receiver or Dominator 5.8GHz module 

FPV pilot camera: TBS 59 or TBS 69 FPV camera 

FPV goggles: FatShark Dominator video glasses 

HD camera: GoPro HD Hero 3 Black edition

Ground station 

accessories: 

TBS 3S 5000mAh Ground Station Lipo 

Camera Tripod to mount your gear (e.g. Cullmann Primax 150) 

11
TBS DISCOVERY PRO setup for long range flights 

● Expected flight time: 10-12 min 

● Cost range: US$ 2’500 - US$ 3’000 

● Experience level: Expert 

● Ideal for: Long, wide open fields, plains, coastlines and valleys or urban flying 

R/C transmitter/receiver: Futaba 8FG / 7C or Graupner MX-12 radio 

+ EzUHF 433MHz transmitter module and SRH-771 UHF antenna 

+ EzUHF Lite 8-channel 433MHz receiver 

Quadrotor electronics: 4x TBS BULLETPROOF 30A 5V SBEC speed controllers 

4x TBS 900kV2 brushless motors 

4x Graupner E-Prop 9x5-inch propellers 

1x DJI NAZA-M flight controller (optional GPS add-on) 

Battery: TBS 4S (14.8V) 3300mAh - 4500mAh 35C Lipo pack 

Battery charger: Graupner Ultramat 14S (premium) or TBS B6AC 80W (budget) 

FPV transmitter: Lawmate 2.4GHz 500mW Video Tx (stock or tuned) 

FPV receiver: Lawmate 2.4GHz Video Rx (stock or tuned) with 11dBi Yagi 

FPV pilot camera: TBS 59 or TBS 69 FPV camera 

FPV goggles: FatShark Dominator video glasses 

HD camera: GoPro HD Hero 3 Black edition

Ground station 

accessories: 

TBS 3S 5000mAh Ground Station Lipo 

Camera Tripod to mount your gear (e.g. Cullmann Primax 150) 

12
Camera gimbal assembly 

Start by assembling the brushless gimbal. There are a few steps which requires extra attention to detail in order 

to get the desired silky smooth operation of the gimbal. These are outlined in the following sections. 

Vibration damping system 

Start by inserting the damping balls on the mounting plate and frame brackets. This makes it easier to install the 

main mounting plate later on. 

● The kit includes 35 damping balls of varying elasticity. Play around with different combinations to find 

an optimal match which opposes/absorbs the vibrations from the frame. In general it is recommended 

to go as hard as possible up to the stage where vibrations/“jello” begin to propagate. 

● The harder you go on the front mounting brackets, the softer you can go on the back lever plate. 

● A list of suggested combinations are available below. 

○ Green - soft silicone (5) 

○ Red - medium silicone (10) 

○ Orange - hard silicone (10) 

○ Yellow - harder silicone (5) 

○ Black - extra hard silicone (5) 

13
● On the main mounting plate, the cable for the motor will exit on the top notch and the plate needs to be 

oriented accordingly. Four of the top damping balls will face forward (toward the gimbal) holding the 

mounting bracket to the top frame, while the bottom four damping balls will point the opposite 

direction (backward) and hold the bottom end of the mounting bracket. This creates the ideal push-pull 

compression state where the gimbal rests nicely on the damping balls and allows them to operate 

under ideal conditions. 

● Start out by using the recommended damping layouts shown below and experiment. 

GoPro HD Hero1 and GoPro HD Hero2 

Alternative #1 Alternative #2 

GoPro HD Hero3 and GoPro HD Hero3+

Alternative #1 Alternative #2 

14
● Use a short length of a servo-wire or a piece of string to more easily feed the damping balls through 

the 16 holes on the base mounting plate and frame mounting brackets. Wrap the wire or string inside 

the groove of the balls, one or two turns, feed both ends into the hole, and pull through using a plier. 

● The same applies for the lever arm, only this time it is best to start with lever then work on the plate. 

15
Gimbal assembly 

The gimbal screws use 1.5mm (M2), 2.0mm (M2.5) and 2.5mm (M3) hex screwdrivers. Keep the screws loose at 

the start and fully tighten them at the end of the assembly, this makes it easier to align all the parts. For a good 

secure fit, use a very small amount of light/medium strength threadlock on all metal-to-metal-screws. 

● Begin by putting on the gimbal motors on the gimbal arm and black plate. For the tilt/right motor, make 

sure to align the motor cable so it protrudes hidden behind the inner side of the mount. Mount it with 

4x M3x4mm hex screws. For the roll/rear motor, orient the motor so that shaft/cable is pointing away 

from the back mounting plate. Here, use 4x M2.5x6mm screws. Take note of the four adjustable 

mounting holes on the roll/rear motor, use these to balance the GoPro at the end of the build. 

● Connect the 5-pin Molex connector to the TBS IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) board and feed the 

cable through the hole on the top gimbal cage plate. Align it with the two holes and use 2x M2.5x6mm 

screws to secure it. 

● Attach the left side cage wall, bottom cage floor, and right side cage wall to the top cage plate using 8x 

M2.5x6mm screws. The axis shaft flange on both walls should face outwards and the notches for the 

cable zip-tie should be positioned up. This completes the central gimbal cage assembly. 

● Next, put the bearing into the housing the left gimbal arm and use the long M2x12mm screw to 

compress the gap until the bearing stays in place - do not overtighten, just clamp the bearing. 

16
rev. 01. 2014 - by ivc.no/tbs

Gimbal assembly diagram

(1) M3x4mm motor mount screws

(2) M2.5x6mm gimbal screws

(3) M2x12mm bearing clamp screw (4) M2x6mm grub screws

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2) (2)

(1)

(2)

(2)

(2)

Note: Parts with the same number

belong to the same group.

(5) M3x6mm lever-to-motor

 mount screws

(4) M2.5x5mm frame

 screws

(4)
● To minimize cable tension and friction, feed the 5-pin Molex connector through the bearing and slide 

the bearing over the flange on the left side of the gimbal cage (completed previously). 

● Align the shrink tube pieces in such a fashion that there is no shrink tube on the inside corner of the 

cage or in the bearing channel. Feed the remainder of the 5-pin cable length through the hole on the 

left gimbal arm. 

● Align and attach the roll/rear motor mounting plate to the left gimbal arm. Pass the 5-pin cable through 

the inner “U”-gap. Do the same for the right gimbal arm. 

● Use the small 2x M2x6mm grub screws to secure the tilt/right motor shaft to the gimbal cage. This 

requires a 0.9mm hex (Allen) key. Align the two notches on the motor shaft with the grub screw holes. 

Ensure that both screws are properly tightened, but do not overtighten as the screws could strip. 

● Strap down the cables using 4 zip-ties, use the designated holes around the inner bends of the gimbal 

arms and cage. The zip-tie on the cage for the IMU cable needs to be positioned with the zip-tie head 

facing backwards to avoid binding/hitting the left gimbal arm. 

17
● Continue by attaching the main damping mounting plate (completed previously) and back lever arm to 

the rear/roll motor. Align the cable with the notch in the mounting plate and secure it using 4x M3x6mm 

screws. Feed the remaining cables through the two oval holes on either side of the plate. Make sure the 

cables does not obstruct free movement or is under tension. Also check that the cage can move freely 

and there is no binding (rubbing) on either side. 

● Mount lever arm with the flat surface with the holes pointing down. The lever plate should have the 

protruding thread holes also pointing down. This completes the gimbal arm and cage assembly! 

18
Post frame assembly 

● Continue assembling the rest of the DISCOVERY PRO frame and at the end of the build, slide in the 

gimbal assembly, plug in the 3 cables for pitch, roll and IMU to the designated location and secure the 

gimbal using 6x M2.5x5mm frame (arm) screws. Double check that the right/tilt motor is connected to 

the “PITCH” connector and the back/roll motor to “ROLL”. The cables should move freely. 

● Adjust the gimbal so that it is parallel and true to the frame. The arms and motors should not be tilting 

at an angle, looking from the side. Use the sliding position holes on the bottom plate to make the final 

adjustment. 

● If the mounting brackets are slipping, add a washer to the screws to keep them in place. 

19
● If the lever arm touches the flight controller when installed, either move the controller slightly or 

remove the spacer and two screws (these are not absolutely necessary). 

● Finally, feed the GoPro gimbal velcro strap through the slots on the bottom cage mounting plate. 

Properly strapped down the GoPro before flying to reduce vibrations/jello on the footage. Adjust the 

balance on both the tilt and roll axis by moving the GoPro back/forth and adjusting the mounting 

screws on the motor behind the GoPro, respectively. With no power applied, the gimbal should stay 

perfectly still and not lean in either particular direction. 

Important: Avoid rotating the gimbal multiple full turns on the tilt-axis. This puts tension on the IMU cable 

which in turn introduces counter-forces and interferes with the normal operation of the gimbal. 

20
Frame assembly 

The following sections will show you the essential steps to assembling the base of the frame and connect the 

electronics to the frame. In addition to the following assembly instructions, we have produced a both a 

summarized “How To” video and a full length “How to” build video showing the assembly and electronics 

installation. A full resolution image of the frame assembly is available as an appendix to this manual.

Bottom plate 

Power distribution 

● Start by pre-tinning (add solder to) the battery pads, speed controller pads, auxiliary power pads (for 

flight controller power), speed controller power leads and the battery pigtail. If needed, desolder and 

change the XT60 connector to your preferred connector of choice (e.g. Deans, EC5.) 

● Cut the the battery pigtail to 14cm and pre-tin the ends. Solder the wires to the positive (red) and 

negative (black) pads located on the back-right side on the frame. 

● Pick one of the available auxiliary power pads (smaller squares) and solder the flight controller power 

unit and/or voltage regulator(s) to the frame. We recommend the pads on the middle-left side. 

21
1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

5

5

6

6

7

7

8

8

A A

B B

C C

D D

E E

F F

SHEET 1 OF 1 

DRAWN

CHECKED

QA

MFG

APPROVED

TBS Associates Inc 31.07.2013

DWG NO

tbs_disc_pro_frame_assy

TITLE

SIZE

A2

SCALE

REV

(2) M2.5x5mm frame arm and gimbal screws

(1) M3x6.5mm spacer screws

(7) Aluminium spacers

(3) Pin header

(6) Frame arm

(4) Top plate

(5) Bottom plate

(6)

(6)

(6)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(2)

(2) (1)

(2)

(3)

Parts with the same number

belong to the same type.
Spacers 

● Next, add the red spacers (posts) to the bottom frame plate using the supplied M3x6.5mm hex screws. 

Add a small drop of threadlock to help secure the frame. It is recommended to only apply on the 

bottom screws for easy repairs/maintenance. 

● There are three spacer positions in the battery compartment to make it easy to balance (CG) the frame. 

The rear spacer position is great for 4S 3300-3700mAh packs, while the most forward position is great 

for larger 4S 4000-4500mAh packs (shown in the image below.) 

Speed controllers 

● Position the ESC with the label facing up. Solder the positive and negative leads on the speed 

controllers to the corresponding square pads on the bottom frame. The pads are located next to the 

two frame arm screw holes. Heat the solder pad, hold the cable in a slight angle (so both cables will 

form a “V”), remove the solder iron and keep still until the solder has had time to cool down and settle 

nicely. 

● Calibrate the throttle range for each ESC individually (except for DJI and TBS BULLETPROOF ESCs) by 

connecting the ESC directly to the throttle channel on the receiver and setting the throttle stick high 

(Wide Open Throttle - WOT) on power-on and then low until a confirmation beep is heard (motors 

attached). The ESC has to be connected directly to the R/C receiver for this procedure to work. TBS is 

offering a handy calibration cable for this purpose. If you are using EzUHF, set WOT as failsafe to avoid 

start-up timing issues. After calibration, re-program your correct failsafe throttle position. 

22
● One important note for ESCs that do not carry the “OPTO” label or are not TBS BULLETPROOF designs, 

is that only one of the four ESCs should provide 5V BEC power to the flight controller. The middle red 

wire on the end connector should be disconnected on three of the ESCs. If the flight controller is 

providing power (e.g. NAZA-M PMU/V-SEN-unit), all ESC BECs should be disconnected. The reason for 

this is to avoid voltage oscillations caused by erroneous voltage-regulator feedback. 

23
Flight controller 

● Decide whether you want to use traditional PWM or PPM/S.BUS control signal mode. The frame is laid 

out to work with both types of setups. As of writing, TBS suggests the DJI NAZA-M flight controller in 

PPM/S.BUS mode (together with a compatible receiver) and an optional GPS add-on (for 

return-to-home capability) for a clean wiring layout and great out-of-the-box experience. 

● Plug in all the R/C and ESC servo-cables to the flight controller according to the flight controller 

instructions. Mount the unit on the bottom plate in the centre of the white rectangle. Use a self-adhesive 

foam pad (normally included) to mount the controller. Be sure to double check the orientation of the 

flight controller for proper operation. 

● When using PPM/S.BUS, there is a handy easy-to-reach PPM header output located on the bottom 

frame. Also be sure the radio and receiver is properly mapping the channels in the PPM stream. 

● For setup and tuning parameters of the flight controller, refer to the manufacturer manual or guides on 

fpvlab.com. See the table below for initial TBS recommended NAZA-M gains. 

● (DJI NAZA only) Open NAZA Assistant and disable the “Voltage Monitor Protection”. This prevents the 

DISCOVERY PRO from prematurely descending on low battery. Use the CORE OSD to watch the battery 

condition instead. Never let the voltage go past 3.5V x cell count (i.e. 3S 10.5V, 4S 14.0V) or deplete the 

battery past 20% (e.g. max. 3600mA discharged on a 4500mAh battery pack.) 

24
● (DJI NAZA only) To save weight and space, the PMU (V2) can be disconnected and removed after the 

final configuration has been made. Although, 5V power still has to be provided from at least one of the 

ESCs. 

Start out using the following suggested gains for NAZA-M Autopilot and tune accordingly. 

Setup Gain Pitch Roll Yaw Vertical

TBS 900kV2 9x5 4S4500mAh 30A Basic/manual 135% 129% 133% 176% 

NAZA­M Lite  Attitude 130% 130%

TBS 900kV2 9x5 4S4500mAh 30A Basic/manual 130% 100% 120% 120% 

NAZA­M V2  Attitude 150% 150%

Other drivetrains (general starting point) Basic/manual 130% 120% 110% 130%

NAZA­M V1/V2/Lite  Attitude 130% 130%

Note: The pitch axis gain will in most cases be greater than the roll axis gain because of the inherent 

asymmetric design and weight distribution on the frame. 

Frame arms 

● Install the frame arms on the four designated locations using the long-neck M2.5x5mm screws. Feed 

the speed controller wires through the gap between the frame arm and bottom plate. 

● With the speed controllers soldered (completed previously) and frame arms mounted, use the zip-ties 

to mount the speed controllers to the underside of the arms. Avoid putting tension or stress on the 

motor- or speed controller-cables. Use a self-adhesive pad to mount any BEC or control unit (e.g. NAZA 

PMU/LED/V-SEN-unit.) to the underside of the back-left speed controller. 

25
● Feed the battery straps through the two slots in the battery compartment. Only one strap is really 

necessary to provide adequate friction to keep the battery fastened. 

Optional: Use different colored frame arms for the front and back pair to make it easier to identify the 

orientation of the quadcopter in the air.

Motors 

● Mount the brushless motors to the frame arms using the supplied M3x6.5mm hex screws. There is no 

need to add an X-mount to the motors. Apply a small drop of medium threadlock to a secure the base. 

Feed the motor wires through the frame arm comb-pattern to minimize clutter. 

26
● Plug in the bullet-connectors to the speed controllers. Swap any two wires to change the direction of 

rotation if they do not rotate as shown below. See the image above for the most commonly used motor 

setup (e.g. NAZA-M.) 

27
Top plate 

R/C control signal headers 

● To get a clean R/C receiver-to-flight controller wiring, it is recommended to use the header on the top 

plate. There are 8 traces to support up to equally many PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) channels. When 

using a PPM (Pulse Position Modulation) compatible receiver and flight controller, only one trace 

(Channel 1) is used. 

● Solder the supplied pin header to the 8x3-pads and the single 1x3-header to the separate RSSI pad. 

Install the first header on the R/C receiver side (back-end) with the pins pointing up and, if you are using 

PWM control signals, solder the second header with the pins pointing down (towards the bottom 

plate/flight controller.) Use tape to keep the header in place while applying a reasonable amount of 

solder to all of the pins while applying heat. The flux in the solder will make the solder flow around the 

pins. 

● The layout of the header is as follows: 

○ channel 1 for PPM stream or channel 1 to 4 for PWM aileron/elevator/throttle/yaw control 

○ channel 5 for PWM gimbal horizontal roll control (rarely needing adjustments) 

○ channel 6 for PWM gimbal tilt pitch control 

○ channel 7 for PWM flight mode selection (i.e. attitude, manual, GPS assisted) 

○ channel 8 for PWM camera switch (i.e. fpv camera or GoPro feed) 

○ a dedicated RSSI_ANALOG header for CORE OSD signal strength read-out 

28
● The channels with a text label, i.e. PPM, GIMBAL_ROLL, GIMBAL_PITCH, CAM_SWITCH and 

RSSI_ANALOG, has the signal pin (∏) hardwired directly to their respective electronics section on the 

top frame (i.e. flight controller PPM break-out, gimbal controller roll/tilt, camera switcher, and CORE 

RSSI signal). No further wiring is needed to enable those systems. 

● Either gimbal channels and/or camera switch channel can be omitted if desired to free up channels (e.g. 

to use a 6/7 channel PWM receiver.) But you will of course lose direct control over those systems. 

● See the “FPV gear and gimbal” in the electronics installation section for further details. 

R/C receiver 

● Plug in the short servo extensions on the header on the top plate and connect them to the R/C receiver. 

Use a self-adhesive foam pad to mount the unit to the back-end of the top plate. Mount the antenna(s) 

in a vertical and/or “V”-formation using nylon antenna tube(s). 

● Channel 5, 6 and 8 pin headers can be used for other purposes (e.g., NAZA X1, X2) by disabling the 

gimbal R/C mapping via SimpleBGC (BaseCam) and/or camera switcher via CORE Menu. 

R/C receiver Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 

Flight 

controller 

Aileron/P

PM 

Elevator Throttle Rudder Gimbal 

Roll 

Gimbal 

Pitch 

Flight 

mode 

Camera 

switch 

● When using the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) signal from a compatible R/C receiver, use 

the header labeled RSSI_ANALOG to supply the signal directly to the CORE. Or, leave the header unused 

and connect the output to your OSD system of choice. 

29
CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the menu

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the menu

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the “CAM” menu

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

source in SimpleBGC

- CORE prole switching

only supports PWM

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the “CAM” menu

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the “CAM” menu

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the “CAM” menu

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

PPM

EzUHF RSSI Link

- Enable “LINK” in the

 “RSSI” CORE menu

Flight controller

R/C pin header - Enable “PPM” in NAZA Assistant

R/C receiver

 - Congure “Muxed PPM” on CH1 and the camera

 switch (PPM 8) on CH8 in ImmersionRC Tools

PPM

CH8

CH7

CH6

CH5

CH4

CH3

CH2

CH1

EzUHF

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Flight mode

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron/PPM

EzUHF RSSI Link

- Enable “LINK” in the 

 “RSSI” CORE menu

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

source in SimpleBGC

Flight controller

R/C pin header - Enable “Traditional” in NAZA Assist.

R/C receiver

 - Reset the servo mapping to default

 in ImmersionRC Tools

CH8

CH7

CH6

CH5

CH4

CH3

CH2

CH1

EzUHF

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Flight mode

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron/PPM

RSSI not ocially supported by Futaba/Hitec/Graupner

- Enable “ANALOG” in the “RSSI”

 CORE menu

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

 in SimpleBGC

Flight controller

R/C pin header - Enable “Traditional” in NAZA Assist.

R/C receiver

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Futaba/

Hitec

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Flight mode

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron/PPM

RSSI not ocially supported by Spektrum/JR

- Enable “ANALOG” in the “RSSI”

 CORE menu

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

in SimpleBGC

Flight controller

R/C pin header - Enable “Traditional” in NAZA Assist.

R/C receiver (Tx set up as airplane)

AUX3

AUX2

AUX1

GEAR

RUD

ELE

AIL

THR

Spektrum

/JR

NAZA

X3

X2

X1

U

R

T

E

A

NAZA

X3

X2

X1

U

R

T

E

A

NAZA

X3

X2

X1

U

R

T

E

A

NAZA

X3

X2

X1

U

R

T

E

A

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

PPM

EzUHF RSSI Link

- Enable “LINK” in 

 the “RSSI” CORE menu

Flight controller

- PPM: Use a jumper over the 

 elevator and aileron channels

R/C pin header

R/C receiver

 - Congure “Muxed PPM” on CH1 and the camera

 switch channel to output CH8 in IMRC Tools

PPM

CH8

CH7

CH6

CH5

CH4

CH3

CH2

CH1

EzUHF APM2

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Aux4

Aux3

Aux2

Aux1 F. mode

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Flight mode

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron/PPM

EzUHF RSSI Link

- Enable “LINK” in 

 the “RSSI” CORE menu

R/C pin header

R/C receiver

 - Reset the servo mapping to default

 in ImmersionRC Tools

CH8

CH7

CH6

CH5

CH4

CH3

CH2

CH1

EzUHF

Flight controller

- Secret trinket n/t

APM2

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Aux4

Aux3

Aux2

Aux1 F. mode

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

PPM

R/C pin header

R/C receiver

 - Ealier models use CH9 for PPM

 Congure CORE to use analog RSSI

PPM CH1

CH2

CH3

CH4

CH5

CH6

CH7

CH8

DragonLink RSSI

CH12

CH11

CH10

CH9

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

 in SimpleBGC

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the menu

RSSI analog

Camera switcher

Flight mode

Gimbal pitch

Gimbal roll

Rudder

Throttle

Elevator

Aileron/PPM

CORE (Camera switcher)

- Enable “SWITCH” 

in the menu

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

in SimpleBGC

Flight controller

R/C pin header - Secret trinket n/t

CH8

CH7

CH6

CH5

CH4

CH3

CH2

CH1

DragonLink

CH9

CH10

CH11

CH12

RSSI

R/C receiver

 - Congure CORE to use analog RSSI

EzUHF - NAZA - PPM - RSSI Link

EzUHF - NAZA - PWM - RSSI Link

Futaba/Hitec - NAZA - PWM - Analog RSSI

Spektrum/JR - NAZA - PWM - Analog RSSI

EzUHF - APM2 - PPM - RSSI Link

EzUHF - APM2 - PWM - RSSI Link

DragonLink - OpenPilot - PPM - Analog RSSI

DragonLink - OpenPilot - PWM - Analog RSSI

TBS DISCOVERY PRO - Common receiver and ight controller setups

OpenPilot

ReceiverPort Flight controller

- Secret trinket n/t

OpenPilot

ReceiverPort

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

source in SimpleBGC

- CORE prole switching

only supports PWM

Gimbal controller

 - Enable “PWM”

source in SimpleBGC

- CORE prole switching

only supports PWM
● (EzUHF Rx 8ch only) The CORE can decode the digital RSSI signal from the receiver via the separate 

“OSD Link” port and display RSSI on each of the two antennas and overall signal quality (including 

packet loss) of the R/C uplink. A 5-pin Molex cable is included which plugs into the EZUHF_RSSI_LINK 

connector on the top plate. For this feature to work the CORE’s RSSI setting needs to be set to “LINK”. 

There is no need to calibrate the RSSI in this scenario. 

Propellers 

● Before adding the propellers it is a good idea to be sure they are balanced, as mentioned later on. To 

avert any chance of injury, leave the propellers off until the flight controller configuration has been 

completed. 

● The only recommended propeller installation method is to use a precisely manufacturer prop adaptors 

(never prop-saver with o-ring.) The layering should be as follows; prop adaptor, optional reduction 

ring, propeller, washer and (lock) nut. You can skip any bell screw as it may add unnecessary vibrations. 

● The TBS 900kV motors have a 5mm prop shaft. This is compatible with Graupner 9x5-inch propellers. 

For Graupner 10x5-inch propellers you will need aluminium 8mm-to-5mm reduction spacers available 

separately. 

● Try to match the motor and propeller to suit your particular need. For extended flight time try to 

achieve optimal efficiency. For agile-flight look at a responsive combination. Our general 

recommendations are listed in the table below. 

● A thumb of rule would be that smaller props equals less flight time, and higher kV motors equals 

smaller props or lower battery cells count (than the reference below.) Note that 10-inch is the maximum 

propeller size that can fit on the DISCOVERY PRO. 

Motor type Propeller Flight characteristic

TBS 900kV brushless motor 9x5-inch Graupner type responsive, locked in

10x5-inch Graupner type long flight time

Bottom link 

30
● Attach the the 9-pin plate-to-plate bottom link cable to the designated connector on the bottom plate. 

It carries carries current sensor signal, Vbatt, ground, +V5, +V12 up and PPM down. When closing the 

frame, plug in the cable to the corresponding connector on the top plate. 

31
FPV and gimbal gear 

The FPV gear is designed to be installed on the front section of the frame to achieve as much separation 

between the R/C- and FPV-radio environment as possible. Keep in mind that the former is listening while the 

latter is broadcasting. The quieter the receiving conditions are, the better range and system reliability will be. 

CORE power supply 

● To eliminate noise from causing problems on the FPV-side of the system, a properly filtered TBS CORE 

is integrated right into the frame. It is made to provide selectable 12V (0.65A max.) or 5V (2A max.) to 

the video transmitter and FPV camera via on-board solder pads. The CORE and R/C power rails are 

completely separated and is by design not dependent on either system in order to function properly. 

Interference and noise from the driver train is isolated nicely from the rest of the electronics on the 

frame. 

● Configure the required voltage for your FPV gear by soldering a dab to the pads labeled VTX and CAM 

on the top plate (as shown in the pictures above.) The frame already comes pre-configured for 5V 

video transmitters and 12V FPV cameras. Adjust the output voltage by soldering the middle pad and 

either side pad for 12V or 5V. Do not solder all three pads (short-circuit.) 

● When you first power up the CORE, it will ask you to cycle through the buttons “DWN”, “ENTR” and “UP” 

accordingly to verify that they work properly. This is also a good time to get familiar with the CORE 

menu layout. 

32




















 

 





 











 











































































 











CORE menu layout

Button Enter

use up
● The solder pads next to the sockets can be used to connect your gear, but try to connect your FPV 

camera and video transmitter via the Molex connectors on the board. With that, you will not risk ripping 

off the pads from the frame when pulling too heavy on a cable. Modify our cable harness when using 

other than TBS suggested gear. 

● A pre-installed tin shield makes the DC-to-DC switching voltage conversion part of the CORE isolated 

from the rest of the electronics on frame. 

● A full menu layout of the CORE menu system is available as an appendix to this manual. 

Pilot camera 

● Use the supplied camera plate to mount the pilot camera. The mounting pattern is designed to be 

compatible with most standard 32x32 mm board cameras. You might need to break-away excessive 

board support. Either use two small zip-ties, rubber bands or four M2x15mm screws and nuts (not 

supplied) to mount the camera (use threadlock.) 

● Plug in the cable connector for the camera and insert the tabs on the top and bottom of the camera 

frame in the corresponding routed gaps on the frame. For a secure mount, you can add solder to the 

three exposed solder spots, or leave it for easy hot swapping in the field. 

33
● Decide whether you can use the supplied wires and connector socket on the top frame or connect the 

camera and video transmitter via the round solder pads. The supplied picoblade Molex cable “5V VTx” 

are designed to work with the TBS GREENHORN, TBS ROOKIE, Lawmate video transmitters, and the 

supplied “12V CAM” cable with the TBS59/TBS69 cameras respectively. You can of course modify and 

solder the wires to suit your specific need. The connector wire color and signal arrangement is shown 

in the picture previously, where yellow is video, white is audio, red is power and black is ground. 

34
Video transmitter 

● Put the video transmitter close to the front on the top plate. Use zip-ties and/or self-adhesive foam 

pads to fit the transmitter. TBS offers a custom made mounting bracket for easy vertical install over the 

front-right frame arm. To avoid possible video interference, be sure to use a foam or gel pad between 

the frame and VTx unit to reduce exposure to vibration. 

● The kit includes a small JST cable which is compatible with Lawmate 500mW VTx as well as our TBS 

GREENHORN and TBS ROOKIE. For FatShark VTx you need to cut the cable and solder your FatShark 

cable onto it. The connector wire color and signal arrangement is shown in the picture above. 

● Powerful video transmitters, such as the ImmersionRC 5.8GHz 600mW or more powerful VTx, must be 

powered directly from the bottom frame (small +/- pads) to avoid overdriving the CORE. Test this a few 

minutes on the ground and verify that the CORE does not reboot which indicates a thermal protection 

shutdown/overcurrent. 

35
Note: Connecting a video transmitter directly to a shared battery source

may induce interference on the video image. Consider adding a lter 

between the solder pad and video transmitter.

TBS DISCOVERY / DISCOVERY PRO - Video transmitter (VTx) setups

+ --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

Boscam VTx

FatShark/ImmersionRC VTx

TBS/Lawmate VTx

Racewood VTx

 · 2.4G 500mW

 · 5.8G 200mW, 400mW, 500mW

 · 5.8G 25mW, 250mW · 5.8G 600mW

GND - BlackBATT - RedAUDR - GreenAUDL - Grey VID - YellowGND - Black5V Out - Red

 · 1.2G 500mW

 · 2.4G 100mW, 200mW, 500mW

 · 5.8G 25mW (TBS Greenhorn), 200mW (TBS Rookie), 500mW (TBS Boss)

 · 1.2G 1000mW

 · 2.4G 1000mW

 · 1.3G 500mW

5.8GHz

600mW

A/V Tx

2 1 - + S

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

k

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

GND - BlackBATT - RedAUDR - GreenAUDL - Grey VID - YellowGND - Black5V Out - Red

FatShark

5.8GHz

250mW

BATT - RedGND - BlackAUDR - GreenAUDL - WhiteVID - YellowBATTOUT - RedGND - Black

FatShark

5.8GHz

250mW + --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - + S

PPM Gimbal

Bottom link

IMU/G

Roll

Pitch

VTX

CAM

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

GP Out Sel

VTX2 Switch

Gnd

Vbat

Video

VTX2

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

EzUHF RSSI Link

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

5V - Red

GND - Black

AUD - White

VID - Yellow

GND - Black

AUD - White

12V - Red

VID - Yellow

VID - Yellow

AUD - White

GND - Black

5V - Red

GND - Black

AUD - White

12V - Red

VID - Yellow

Supply voltage: 12-14V (3S)

Supply voltage: 7-17V (2S-4S) Supply voltage: 6-25V (2S-6S)

Supply voltage: 5.0-5.5V (all)

Supply voltage: 12V Supply voltage: 9.5-12.5V (3S)

+ --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

 1 - + S

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

+ --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - + S

PPM Gimbal

Bottom link

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

CAM

5V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

Pwr

Gnd

Audio

Video

GP Out Sel

VTX2 Switch

Gnd

Vbat

Video

VTX2

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

+ --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - + S

PPM Gimbal

Bottom link

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

CAM

5V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

Pwr

Gnd

Audio

Video

GP Out Sel

VTX2 Switch

Gnd

Vbat

Video

VTX2

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

+ --

-- 

+ --

+ --

PPM

+ --

+ --

S + -

DISCOVERY PRO

Top Link

+

+Battery

50A

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - + S

PPM Gimbal

Bottom link

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

CAM

5V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

GP Out Sel

VTX2 Switch

Gnd

Vbat

Video

VTX2

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

EzUHF RSSI Link

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

GND - BlackBATT - RedAUDR - GreenAUDL - Grey VID - YellowGND - Black5V Out - Red

Supply voltage: 6-16V (2S-4S) 5.8GHz

25mW

A/V Tx

VID - Yellow

AUD - White

GND - Black

5V - Red

TBS 5G

VTX

BATT - RedGND - BlackAUDR - GreenAUDL - WhiteVID - YellowBATTOUT - RedGND - Black

Supply voltage: 12-14V (3S)

!

!

Battery voltage

Battery voltage

Battery voltage

Battery voltage

Battery voltage

Battery voltage

12V

5V

Connect directly 

only on 3S battery* !

* On 4S+ setups where 12V is not available, consider using a dedicated 

TBS CORE PNP to supply power to the video transmitter.

Connect directly 

only on 3S battery* !

Connect directly 

only on 3S battery* !

rev. Feb 2014 - by ivc.no/tbs
Brushless gimbal controller 

● Plug in the 3 Molex cables for the pitch- and roll-motors, as well as the IMU board, into the connectors 

labeled “PITCH”, “ROLL”, and “IMU” located near the front on the top plate. 

● The controller comes pre-configured with PID gains which are fine-tuned for use with a GoPro HD 

Hero3 and no additional accessories (lens protection or housing.) Tuning may be necessary (PID, 

power) when using an older GoPro model or different add-ons. Also make sure to balance both axis by 

moving the GoPro back or forth until it stays still independent of how you rotate/leave it. 

● Additional configuration can be done using the SimpleBGC software package via the micro USB 

connector on the right-side of the top frame. The CORE uses dual profile switching (described later in 

the manual) which means that all essential flight tuning should be done in both profiles. 

● The gimbal controller has two dedicated channels (RC_PITCH, RC_ROLL) brought out on the top plate 

R/C header (channel 5 and 6) which can be used to position the GoPro image. This means that you can 

assign a knob or slider on the radio to control pitch and roll of the gimbal. 

36
● If the camera gimbal is not level at start-up, move the gimbal and quad to a perfectly level position 

(use a bubble leveler) and press the “GIMBAL CAL.” button on the top plate for 3-5 seconds until the 

gimbal motors release. Wait for the blue LED to stop blinking and motors to lock again. Ensure that the 

gimbal is perfectly still and straight during this calibration process. 

● If the gimbal still drifts, recalibrate the sensors by turning any UHF or video transmitters, plugging in 

power, connecting the frame to SimpleBGC, then propping up the gimbal so it stays level and still. Then 

click “CALIB. ACC”, wait for it to finish, click “WRITE”, and then click “CALIB. GYRO” and “WRITE”. 

● To further fine-tune the accelerometer, perform the 4 position calibration by setting both POWER to 0 

and clicking “CALIB. ACC” after each time you position the gimbal face forward, face down, face up and 

face backwards. And only at the very end re-enable the POWER settings and commit the calibration data 

by clicking “WRITE”. See the SimpleBGC manual for further details. 

● Gyro calibration is very sensitive. If you are in a skyscraper, considering going to the ground floor for 

this calibration. Do not use unstable surfaces, such as lightweight tables or wooden floors for 

calibration. You only need to do this once in a while or when moving to an entirely new geographical 

location. The calibration directly influences how well the gimbal performs. 

● The gimbal controller is PPM compatible (no S.BUS support) and the channel 1 trace on the top plate is 

integrated directly to the controller chip. To enable PPM gimbal, you need to close the solder pads 

labeled “PPM GIMBAL” on the top plate, enable “PPM-Sum” and assign the right channels via the 

SimpleBCG software. Remember to remove any servo-cables between the receiver and the header 

channel 5 and 6, as any PWM signal would cause conflict. 

● Note that in PPM mode, the CORE can not switch profiles because it relies on the gimbal controller to be 

PWM configured. We suggest that you use a channel on your radio to switch profiles. 

Camera switcher 

● Switching video downlink feed is now possible via a dedicated R/C channel on the radio, e.g., a 

2-position toggle switch. Connect a servo-cable from the receiver to the R/C header (channel 8). The 

video switcher will change input when the PWM-period passes the 1520μs center point (50%). No 

further sub-trim should be necessary. The failsafe setting depends on your receiver configuration. 

● To enable the camera switcher functionality (off by default), press the “ENTR” button on the top plate 

for 4-5 seconds and toggle to the “CAMERA TYPE" menu and select "SWITCH". 

● When using PPM for R/C and/or gimbal control, the camera switching still has to be hooked up to PWM. 

Fortunately, most receivers still output PWM on the remaining receiver pins when in PPM mode. It only 

requires one additional servo-cable to CAM_SWITCH (ch8) to enable switching. 

● Set the GoPro recording mode to match your FPV camera; 25p/50p equals PAL, 30p/60p equals NTSC. 

This allows for faster transitions and no garbled screen because the viewing device (display, goggles) 

does not need to switch video format. 

● The GoPro jumper selector called “GP OUT SEL” is by default set to camera switcher and no further 

soldering is necessary. For more information, refer to dual-pilot support later (advanced.) 

37
GoPro link 

● With video switching now possible on the DISCOVERY PRO, the kit includes a small adaptor which plugs 

into the GoPro 30-pin bus connector to provide video output and the possibility to charge the GoPro 

while in flight. The charging is disabled by default and it is only recommended to enable the 

“500mA/1A” solder bridge if you are certain the CORE will not be overloaded. 

● After assembling the camera gimbal frame, plug in the 3-pin molex connector from the GoPro adaptor 

to the gimbal IMU board. The IMU board just passes the video signal straight through to the 

CORE/video switcher input, in an uncluttered fashion. 

● (Advanced users only) There is even a component you can add on the board to be able to change the 

charging rate from 1A to 0.5A continuous. To reduce the charging rate, order the IC part 

NCP380HSN05AAT1G from Mouser or Digi-Key and solder the IC to the unoccupied pads on the 

adaptor board (adequate soldering skills needed.) 

OSD (On Screen Display) 

● You can use the integrated OSD to get live readout on screen about the battery voltage (V), current 

draw (A), total current consumption (mAh), receiver signal strength (%) and flight time 

(minutes:seconds). This gives an essential overview of the system vitals while in flight. 

38
● The OSD is enabled by default, to disable it completely hook up video and press the “ENTR” button on 

the top plate for 4-5 seconds, toggle to the “OSD" menu and select "OSD OFF". 

● In the picture above the video feed is switched to the GoPro camera. Notice how the OSD adapts to the 

GoPro margins. The EzUHF RSSI Link was used here, allowing additional details to be displayed 

(diversity signal strength, link quality, packet loss.) 

● As a side note, as soon as the RSSI figures get towards -90 or the link quality drops below 80%, it is a 

good time to turn around (whichever comes first.) 

● To read the R/C receiver signal strength (RSSI), connect a servo-cable between the receiver and the 

designated RSSI_ANALOG header on the top plate. All major FPV R/C system vendors support either 

analog or digital (PWM) RSSI output. For EzUHF owners, the CORE also supports “OSD Link”. Enter the 

CORE menu to select the right RSSI type for your receiver and calibrate the max. (radio on) and min. 

(radio off) value. 

● The bottom plate includes an on-board current sensor in-line with the battery supply. Configure the 

CORE to use the 50A current sensor. The sensor can also be tuned (in % increments) to more accurately 

display current consumption (mAh), i.e. at the end of a flight if it was 1% too high, adjust it down 1%. 

The same kind of adjustments can be made for the battery voltage (in 0.1V increments.) The current 

sensor output is compatible with similar OSD systems. (Advanced users only) Limited instructions on 

how to install the TBS CORE PRO on the PRO can be found later in this manual. 

● Coupling current sensor and RSSI input directly on-board makes for a clutter-free OSD setup and clean 

build. A full menu layout of the CORE is available as an appendix to the manual. 

● Lastly, when all the R/C and FPV gear is installed connect the 9-pin top-bottom link cable and close the 

frame. Use the remaining spacer and frame arm screws to secure the frame. 

Note: Digital RSSI and Camera switch share the source pin with each other. If you use the Camera switch you

can only use analog RSSI or the link input from EzUHF receiver. 

39
Brushless gimbal stabilization 

Integrated gimbal controller 

Setting up a gimbal the right way can be a daunting task, fortunately we licensed the SimpleBGC firmware 

(AlexMos) and the SimpleBGC hardware layout from Viacopter. The controller has all the parameters pre-set 

and gains tuned by TBS for a great out-of-the-box experience. 

The gimbal controller is fully embedded into the frame (a

world's first), no soldering or software configuration 

required. Just plug in the motors and IMU, and you are 

good to go. The on-board USB port connects to your PC 

for future firmware upgrades and custom configuration. 

If you want to apply updates and make adjustments to 

the gimbal, download the SimpleBGC and SiLabs CP210x 

driver package (www.simplebgc.com), plug in battery 

power, and connect the DISCOVERY PRO to a Windows 

computer via a micro USB cable (e.g., from the NAZA-M 

or a mobile phone.) Extensive details of the brushless 

controller is available in the SimpleBGC manual. 

DISCOVERY PRO utilizes two profiles, one silent profile (Profile 1), to keep the gimbal quiet while on ground and 

one noisy profile (Profile 2). The CORE MCU will detect when main motor starts (current consumption >3A) and 

switch from the silent to noisy profile automatically. If you change something in SimpleBGC you have to do the 

change on both profiles. If you want to change your in-flight values you have to do this on Profile 2. 

The following table shows the suggested PID and power controller gains for a GoPro HD Hero3&3+ mounted 

on the gimbal. Download the factory settings from bit.ly/tbsprosettings. 

Axis P I D Power Poles Inverted FC Gain 

Roll 12 0.1 9 175 14 Yes 0 

Pitch 14 0.1 9 173 14 No 0 

Other essential settings: Axis TOP to -Z, RIGHT to Y, skip gyro calibration at startup CHECK, gyro trust 100, 

and PWM frequency to HIGH (silent) for Profile 1 and LOW for Profile 2, ROLL to RC_ROLL, PITCH to RC_PITCH, 

CMD to EXT_ROLL, RC control ROLL to -30/30/CHECK/3/UNCHECK/10/0% and PITCH to 

-90/90/CHECK/3/UNCHECK/10/0%. 

40
HD camera 

The GoPro HD Hero camera is the most commonly used HD recording camera (as of writing) for sport 

purposes, thanks to its wonderful high-quality picture and compact size. The TBS DISCOVERY PRO was 

designed around the GoPro to take advantage of its great features. 

Consider using the GoPro settings in the tables below for “no-prop-in-view” footage. Adding a ND filter to the 

front of the GoPro will also help slowing down the shutter speed and reduce “jello”. 

GoPro HD Hero1: 

Video format: NTSC (or PAL to match pilot camera) to get 30fps 

Video resolution: 1080p 30fps (medium angle) for 10x5-inch props 

720p 30fps (wide angle) for 9x5-inch props 

GoPro HD Hero2: 

Video format: NTSC (or PAL to match pilot camera) to get 30fps

Video resolution: 1080p 30fps high quality video

Video angle: Medium (127 degrees) for 10x5-inch props

Wide (170 degrees) for 9x5-inch props

GoPro HD Hero3/3+: 

Video format: NTSC (or PAL to match pilot camera) to get 30/60fps

Video resolution: 1080p 60fps (or 30fps) less chance of “jello”

Video angle: Medium (127 degrees) for 10x5-inch props

Wide (170 degrees) for 9x5-inch props

41
Center of Gravity optimization 

● A properly balanced multirotor will distributing the weight (mass) equally over the four motors. The 

mark on the bottom plate is the Center of Thrust (CT, CoT) mark and the Center of Gravity (CG, CoG) 

spot is 15mm forward of this mark. When holding the frame in the air at the CG spot it should ideally be 

level and not dip to either side. 

● After completing the build and loading up the frame, adjust the CG over the lateral (pitch) axis by 

primarily moving the battery pack forward or backward. You might need to move the middle two frame 

spacers to accommodate the battery. The CG over the longitudinal (roll) axis should be in the center of 

the frame front-to-back and should only need slight adjustments. 

● When the frame is out of balance some motors are going to have to work harder than others and you 

will have less authority in a given axis due to the fact that one or more motors are already working 

more than normally required. Small balance variations are countered very well by the flight controller 

and should not cause any problems. 

● If the quadcopter is too nose heavy it will bob up and down in forward flight and if it is too tail heavy it 

will get very twitchy and hard to fly. 

● As a side note, the flight controller does not need to be over the CG spot. It should be mounted in the 

center of the white rectangular lines on bottom plate. 

42
Median

Median

Center of Gravity

Center of Thrust

rev. 08. 2013 - by ivc.no/tbs

Center of Gravity diagram
Dual-pilot support (ADVANCED USERS ONLY!) 

Split dual-pilot support is possible in situations where a separate operator for piloting the quad and camera is 

preferred. Extra equipment is needed for the extra video link and R/C control uplink (2-axis gimbal and yaw 

adjustments.) Installation of the video transmitter and R/C receiver follows the same basic setup principles 

described previously. 

Connect the second video transmitter to location labeled VTX2 (GND, VBatt!!, Video.) The GoPro output selector 

jumper works like this; the middle and right pads are connected by default from the factory, transferring the 

Gopro image to the camera switcher. To use a second transmitter, cut the trace in between the two pads. This 

can be done with a sharp knife. Use a multimeter to verify that the two pads are entirely separated. Now 

connect the left and middle pad with a dab of solder, this diverts the GoPro image to the Video pad. 

● Single operator - For reference, the following diagram shows the normal “all-in-one” setup where 

one operator maneuvers quad and controls video positioning.

43
● Dual operator - Introducing a separate video operator for the gimbal roll and tilt control requires 

one additional video transmitter and R/C receiver. Disable the video switcher, cut the trace between the 

two “GP OUT SEL” jumper pads and solder the left pad to the middle. 

● Dual operator with yaw authority - To give the video operator the ultimate freedom over framing 

and picture positioning, swap the responsibility for yaw control over to the the video operator. This 

requires good piloting skills and continuous communications back and forth to practice safe 

maneuvering and flight. 

44
TBS CORE PNP PRO installation 

The TBS CORE PNP PRO upgrade will make the DISCO PRO a full-featured quadcopter. You will be able to see 

current power index, home direction, speed, altitude, distance to home, exact GPS coordinates and notifications 

to assist you while flying. See the official CORE PRO manual for further details and setup, available at 

team-blacksheep.com/tbs-core-pro-manual.pdf. 

A full resolution diagram of the following procedure is available on the next page. 

● By following these instructions you will end up with a dual CORE & CORE PRO setup where the video out 

from the on-board CORE (with video switching) will feed into the CORE PRO, where the OSD overlay will 

be applied. The on-board CORE can now be used to charge the GoPro HD camera at 1A, if desired. 

● The on-board CORE automatic gimbal profile switching (at >3A) will function as normal and no change 

is necessary. 

● First, enter the CORE menu via the buttons on the top plate and set CAM TYPE to SWITCH and OSD to 

OSD OFF - to enable pilot<->GoPro camera switching and avoiding overlapping OSDs. 

● Connect the GoPro and pilot camera as normal to the top plate (IMU/GoPro and CAM). Disconnect the 

video transmitter (VTX) from the VTX port on the top plate. 

● Then, you need to connect the video out from the VTX port on the DISCO PRO to the CAM port on the 

CORE PRO. Connect the video transmitter (VTx) to the VTX port on the CORE PRO. 

● Note: If the VTx is high power and has an on-board regulator, connect the power leads (normally red 

and black) to the unregulated power pads on the bottom plate (+/- pads) on the DISCO PRO. The video 

signal (normally yellow wire) should be connected separately to the VTX port on the CORE PRO. 

● For the CORE PRO current sensor, you need to connect the PWR OUT to the battery lead on the DISCO 

PRO. Connect the current sensor to the CORE PRO unit with one of the short BST-cables. The battery 

now connects to the PWR IN on the current sensor. 

● (Optional) To establish a connection between the EzUHF (available separately) and CORE PRO, use one 

of the longer BST-cables and connect it between the OSD Link port on the EzUHF and LINK port on the 

CORE PRO. This replaces the short black EzUHF OSD Link cable which normally connects to the rear 

connector on the top plate. 

● Lastly, connect the GPS module (available separately) to one of the BST ports on the CORE PRO. Mount 

the GPS module on the rear section on the DISCO PRO. 

● Now, with the rewiring done, power up the DISCO PRO and your goggles. Enter the CORE PRO menu 

and make sure the current sensor is set to 100A, RSSI set to LINK (EzUHF) or ANALOG/DIGITAL and 

calibrate the compass (if used). 

● The setup is now complete. See CORE PRO manual for further configuration options. 

45
XT60

TBS CORE PNP PRO installation diagram for TBS DISCOVERY PRO

VTX

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 - + S

PPM Gimbal

Bottom link

IMU/GoPro

Roll

Pitch

VTX

CAM

5V 12V

5V 12V

Audio

Video

Gnd

Pwr

Pwr

Gnd

Audio

Video

GP Out Sel

VTX2 Switch

Gnd

Vbat

Video

VTX2

Gnd

Vcc

Rx

Tx

UART

Gimbal

EzUHF RSSI Link

Gimal Roll

Gimbal Pitch

Gimbal PPM

Camera switch

Analog RSSI

Flight controller PPM

Pilot camera

TBS CORE

PNP PRO

CAM

BST

RSSI

BST

VTX

LINK

B-PWR

USB

UP ENTER DN

Current sensor

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

S + -

RSSI_ANALOG

CAM_SWITCH

GIMBAL_PITCH

GIMBAL_ROLL

PPM

DISCOVERY PRO

ENTR

DWN

UP

Gimbalcal.

XT60

XT60

PWR

IN

BST

PWR

OUT

Bottom plate

Top plate

From battery

TBS CORE PNP PRO unit

Note: no power or audio lead

(available separately)

Caution: do not use the normal CAM-cable to 

connect the CORE PRO to the DISCOVERY PRO

(two voltage sources conict)

XT60

Note: mount unit in center of the bottom

plate, on top of the ight controller (NAZA),

or on the left side on the bottom plate

Sept. 2014 - by ivc.no/tbs

Note 1: disable the on-board DISCOVERY PRO

OSD in the CORE menu using the buttons on

the top plate - else the OSDs will overlap.

CH1

CH2

CH3

CH4

CH5

CH6

CH7

CH8

EzUHF receiver (if used)

GPS module (optional)

Note 2: the pilot camera and GoPro HD camera

switching is still performed by the on-board

TBS DISCOVERY PRO CORE.

Note 3: since there are now essentially two 

COREs, you can solder the jumper on the GoPro

adapter board to enable charging at 1A rate.

Note 4: to save weight and bulk, consider

removing the plastic case for the current 

sensor and connectors on one or both sides.

Left side

Existing battery lead
Flight 

First flight 

Check that the flight battery and transmitter battery is fully charged. Make sure all the screws on the frame and 

the propellers are spinning the correct direction and secured, and that the battery strapped down. Balance the 

quadcopter around the Center of Gravity (CG) spot by repositioning the battery. Make sure the gimbal is 

positioned perfectly level and flat against the frame. It has to be calibrated at least once to get good level 

reference. 

Find an wide open location free from obstacles, dust and distractions (e.g., garden or park.) The flight 

conditions should be calm with only a light breeze. Flip the flight mode switch to “Attitude” mode and execute 

the stick combination to arm the flight controller (e.g., for NAZA left stick to bottom-left and right stick to 

bottom-right.) Slowly raise the throttle stick and when the propellers start to spin, make sure they rotate in the 

right direction and the propeller type is correct (right-hand or left-hand turn.) 

Takeoff 

With all the essentials checked, stand behind the quadcopter with the gimbal facing away from you. Raise the 

throttle to about 50% where the quadcopter should start to lift-off and hover. Control the hover by primarily 

using the aileron and elevator sticks. Remember, only small stick movements. If the stick works in the opposite 

direction than expected, invert the channel and watch the flight controller monitor to confirm. 

Let go of the sticks and observe if it drifts in either direction. Compensate by adding 2 or 3 clicks of trim on the 

radio in the opposite direction (only in Attitude mode). If the quadcopter still drifts, land, put the frame on a 

level surface, balance the frame and cycle the power to the flight controller to re-initialize the gyro calibration. 

Perform at least 5 flights in low altitude and easy pace to allow any hardware defects to manifest itself. 

FPV 

After the quadcopter has been tweaked to stay still in a hover and fly true, turn on the FPV equipment and do a 

range test to verify that the video link is reliable. Visual inspect the area to pick out noteworthy landmarks and 

use these to orient yourself once your are in the air. Get a friend or assistant to be your spotter during the entire 

session. 

While still flying line of sight (LOS), takeoff and hover the quadcopter as normal, attain reasonable altitude, and 

with the video goggles ready on your head, put them on (or turn to the display) to engage in FPV flight. If the 

picture gradually weakens (noise blends in) or video suddenly drops, increase altitude and return to home, as 

this normally indicates that you fly at the edge of the video range or behind obstacles, respectively. 

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Good practices 

We have compiled a list of all of the things that have been tried and tested in countless environments and 

situations by TBS crew and other experienced FPV pilots. 

Follow these simple rules, even if rumors on the internet suggest otherwise, and you will have success in FPV. 

● Start with the bare essentials and add equipment one step at a time, after each new equipment was 

added to proper range- and stress tests. 

● Do not fly with a video system that is capable of outperforming your R/C system in terms of range. 

● Do not fly with a R/C frequency higher than the video frequency (e.g. 2.4GHz R/C, 900MHz video). 

● Monitor the vitals of your plane (R/C link and battery). Flying with a digital R/C link without RSSI is 

dangerous. 

● Do not use 2.4GHz R/C unless you fly well within its range limits, in noise-free environments and always 

within LOS. Since this is most likely never the case, it is recommended to not use 2.4GHz R/C systems for 

longer range FPV. 

● Do not fly at the limits of video, if you see noise in your picture, turn around and buy a higher-gain 

receiver antenna before going out further. 

● Shielded wires or twisted cables only, anything else picks up RF noise and can cause problems. 

● When using powerful R/C transmitters, make sure your ground station equipment is properly shielded. 

● Adding Return-To-Home (RTH) to an unreliable system does not increase the chances of getting your 

plane back. Work on making your system reliable without RTH first, then add RTH as an additional safety 

measure if you must. 

● Avoid powering the VTx directly from battery, step-up or step-down the voltage and provide a 

constant level of power to your VTx. Make sure your VTx runs until your battery dies. 

● Do not power your camera directly unless it works along the complete voltage range of your battery. 

Step-up or step-down the voltage and provide a constant level of power to your camera. Make sure 

your camera runs until your battery dies. 

● A single battery system is safer than using two dedicated batteries for R/C and FPV. Two batteries in 

parallel even further mitigate sources of failure. 

● For maximum video range and “law compatibility”, use 2.4GHz video with high-gain antennas. 

● When flying with R/C buddies that fly on 2.4GHz, or when flying in cities, it is perfectly possible to use 

2.4GHz video provided you stick to the channels that do not lie in their band (CH5 to CH8 for Lawmate 

systems, available from TBS). 

● Do not use diversity video receivers as a replacement for pointing your antennas, diversity should be 

used to mitigate polarization issues. 

● Improving the antenna gain on the receiver end is better than increasing the output power (except in 

RF-noisy areas). More tx power causes more issues with RF on your plane. 500mW is plenty of power! 

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● Try to achieve as much separation of the VTx and R/C receiver as possible to lower the RF noise floor 

and EMI interference. 

● Do not buy the cheapest equipment unless it is proven to work reliably (e.g. parts falling off, multitudes 

of bug fix firmware updates, community hacks and mods are a good indicator of poor quality and 

something you do NOT want to buy for a safe system). Do due diligence and some research before 

sending your aircraft skyward.

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Troubleshooting 

● Issue: Horizontal lines in pilot video downlink 

Solution: If there are lines in the video during flight that disappear as soon as you land, your video 

transmitter is exposed to too much vibrations. Memory foam in conjunction with the Flame Wheel VTx 

mount will take out the vibrations in an instant and give you crystal-clear video. 

● Issue: Motor(s) doesn’t start 

Solution: It is probably a lazy start syndrome, some information on that is available here: 

bit.ly/15wNLk4. You should calibrate your ESC throttle endpoints, details on how to perform this: 

bit.ly/110deyX. We have a calibration cable available which speeds up the process. Please remember to 

remove the props before doing that. 

● Issue: Can the TBS EzOSD be installed on the DISCOVERY PRO?

Solution: It requires taking the VTx output and feeding it to the EzOSD and removing the shunt resistor. 

For instructions, look at this post: bit.ly/1a2r6xg. 

● Issue: Can the GoPro camera be charged from the frame? 

Solution: If you don't use the internal power supply from the TBS CORE for your VTx (e.g. a VTx with an 

included power supply) there is enough 5V power available to charge the GoPro. In this case TBS has 

conveniently located a soldering pad to activate the charging feature. 

● Issue: After switching video from GoPro to pilot camera, video is rolling and desynced

Solution: Set the GoPro recording mode to match your FPV camera. 25p if you are using PAL, 30p if you 

are using NTSC. This allows faster transitions between the two cameras because the viewing device 

does not need to switch between PAL and NTSC. 

● Issue: I can't connect to the Gimbal using the SimpleBGC software 

Solution: Ensure that the SiLabs CP210x drivers are installed, download them from bit.ly/bi3or4. 

● Issue: The gimbal motor does not feel securely tightened or spins freely without any 

movement on the gimbal (tilt axis) 

Solution: Pull off the bell and roughen the motor shaft with a low grit sand paper or a file to cause a 

rough surface. Add a drop of Loctite or CA glue to the shaft and slide the motor bell back on. Let the 

glue dry. 

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● Issue: Gimbal controller displays a blue light and motors not engaging 

Solution: Try to connect your PRO to the SimpleBGC UI software and check what message you get 

there. There is possibly a bad connection between the top plate and the gimbal IMU. Check the 

connection by verifying the voltage at the IMU when everything is plugged in: 

● Issue: The gimbal drifts or doesn't center properly

Solution: Install the SimpleBGC Software (www.simplebgc.com), level the gimbal on a heavy and sturdy 

table and fix it using a thin book or similar. Turn off any UHF transmitters and disconnect any video 

transmission devices. Ensure there are no vibrations on the table. Remove the camera and strap from 

the Gimbal, as it simplifies levelling the gimbal. Connect the battery. The gimbal will try to "fight" - do 

not worry about this it will not overheat the motors unless being kept running for extended periods of 

time. Connect the micro USB to the top plate, and select "Connect" in the software. Now select "Acc. 

Calibration" and wait for the motors to regain power. Then select "Gyro calibration". If these steps 

have been done correctly, the gimbal will now lock dead center. You can remove whatever you used to 

support the Gimbal and it will hold its position. 

● Issue: The gimbal stutters or moves in jerky motion

Solution 1: Has the USB port been plugged in while the battery was disconnected? Unplug the USB, then 

plug in the battery, and subsequently connect the USB plug again. 

Solution 2: The IMU may be under tension, which prevents the gimbal from rotating freely. Loosen the 

zip-ties of the IMU cable and give them some “play”, especially around the ball-bearing area. 

● Issue: Video signal resets every few seconds

Solution: Too much current is being drawn from the CORE causing it to go into shutdown mode. The 

video transmitter should be powered from a separate power source. Use a 5V or 12V BEC and connect 

it to the + and - pads on the bottom plate. 

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Recommended parts 

Below is a list of compatible R/C and FPV gear for the TBS DISCOVERY PRO quadrotor. This will hopefully make 

it easier to pick up spare parts and upgrades. 

Power sets 

TBS 900kV2 Motor / ESC Combo 

For the more sophisticated, agile-flight loving pilot or for 

those requiring super-vibration-resistant and high quality 

motors. 

● 4x TBS BULLETPROOF 30A ESC (flashed with 

SimonK Firmware) 

● 4x TBS 900kV2 Motor with M5 prop mount hubs 

Individual parts 

Motors 

● TBS 900KV2 or Tiger Motors MT2216-10/11 900KV brushless motor (5mm shaft) 

● DJI 2212 920KV brushless motor (8mm shaft) 

● Sunnysky 2216-12 800KV brushless motor 

Speed controllers 

● TBS 30A Multicopter SimonK firmware speed controller 

● DJI OPTO 30A no-BEC speed controller 

● Tiger Motors 18A BEC speed controller 

● HobbyKing F-20A or F-30A BEC programmable ESC with SimonK firmware 

Flight controller 

● DJI NAZA-M V1/V2/Lite with optional GPS 

● OpenPilot CopterControl 3D 

● APM2 Arduino-based autopilot controller 

R/C Transmitter/Receiver 

● Futaba 8FG / 7C with included receiver R6208SB / R617FS 

● Graupner MX-12 radio with included GR-6 receiver 

● ImmersionRC EzUHF 8ch Diversity receiver 

● ImmersionRC EzUHF 8ch Lite receiver 

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Propellers 

● Graupner E-Prop 9x5-inch propellers 

● Graupner E-Prop 10x5-inch propellers 

● GemFan E-Propeller 10x5 Carbon Fiber propellers 

● RCTimer Carbon Fiber 9x5-inch propellers 

● RCTimer Carbon Fiber 10x5-inch propellers 

Battery 

● TBS 4S 3300mAh 30C or KyPOM KT4500/35-4S Lipo pack

● TBS 4S 4500mAh 30C or KyPOM KT3300/35-4S Lipo pack

● Gens Ace 4S 3300mAh 25C Lipo pack

● Zippy Compact 4S 4000mAh 25C Lipo pack 

● Zippy Compact 4S 5000mAh 25C Lipo Pack 

● Turnigy nano-tech 4S 3300mAh 35C Lipo pack 

FPV transmitter 

● Lawmate TM-240500-LM 2.4GHz 500mW transmitter 

● TBS ROOKIE 5.8GHz 200mW transmitter 

● TBS GREENHORN 5.8GHz 25mW transmitter 

● BosCam TS-353 5.8GHz 400mW transmitter 

FPV camera 

● TBS69 or TBS59 FPV camera 

● TBS ChipChip FPV camera 

● Security Camera 2000 PZ0420 or CMQ1993X (IR blocked) 600TVL camera 

 

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Spare parts 

You can either get spare parts directly from us (team-blacksheep.com) or from one of our distributors and 

retailers near you. 

Our ever-growing list of retailers is published on the left at team-blacksheep.com/shop. 

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Appendix 

● Frame assembly diagram 

● Gimbal assembly diagram 

● Electronics installation diagram 

● Common R/C receiver setups 

● Video transmitter installation diagram 

● CORE menu layout 

● Center of Gravity diagram 

Manual written and designed by ivc.no in cooperation with TBS.

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