TL;DR
Use Mode 2, so throttle is on your left hand.
Should I Use Mode 1 or Mode 2 for my FPV drone?
If you want to buy a new Racing Quadcopter, you often get to choose between Mode 1 and Mode 2. If you are i a hurry to buy: Take Mode 2 and you won’t regret it. Now you can close this window =) For those who would like to know a little more, here we go:
What does Mode 1 or Mode 2 mean for FPV Racing drones?
Mode 1 or Mode 2 has only indirectly to do with your Race Quad, it is more about the radio (the remote control): It tells you about the position of the throttle stick. The difference: In mode 1 the throttle is on the right side, in mode 2 the throttle is controlled with the left hand (both the up/down axis).
The differences between Mode 1 and Mode 2 are rather local
One can say that in the Multirotor Community, Mode 2 has almost prevailed. At least if you look at Europe or the USA. In Australia and other regions, it can also be that you find more Mode 1 pilots.
Mode 3 and 4?
Yes, there are Mode 3 and Mode 4 in addition to Mode 1 and 2. Unlike Mode 1 and 2, however, there are no physical differences (the throttle stick is “loose”) compared top Mode 1 and Mode 2, but a setting difference. Here, the horizontal axes or channels are swapped, so that Mode 3 can be set on a Mode 1 remote control and Mode 4 on a Mode 3 remote control.
Mode 3 or Mode 4 are very rarely found in the wild. Whereby I’d claim that these modes could provide a steeper learning curve for beginners. To support this wild theory, first of all, a diagram of the different modes:
Chart Mode 1 vs. Mode 2 for FPV Racer
[mode1vsmode2_svg_sm.gif]
Mode 4 the best mode for FPV beginners?
While Mode 1 and Mode 2 behave as if you had put a stick directly into the drone (in Mode 2 the right hand), in Mode 4 the roll axis and the yaw axis are exchanged. Now it is the case that beginners hardly use rolling, due to their lower flight speed. The rotation of the multicopter in the flat state is achieved by yawing. Thus, with mode 4 (or Mode 3 with swapped hands) one hand can concentrate completely on throttle – keeping the drone floating in constant height – while the other hand is the “direction pointing” hand.
So if you are an experimental one, you should really try it out. If you don’t like it, you can still switch back to the classic modes 1 and 2. But just from 4 to 2 or from 3 to 1. In general, I would recommend a mode 2 remote.