I finally had time to install DJI Lightbridge on my Phantom 2 tonight. Lightbridge is a wireless HD video transmission system that also includes radio control and telemetry support using a single ground end and air end.

I followed this video tutorial by DJI (hilarious, because I’m actually the one who is narrating it; the recording was done long before the product was out). The video is pretty straightforward, but you need to make sure the ground end and air end of Lightbridge are both running the latest firmware. Lightbridge Assistant is available on DJI’s download page, and only runs in Windows.

After all the hardware is connected, the process for getting Lightbridge to work is as follows:

1. update ground end firmware
2. update air end firmware
3. power both on and hold the link button on the air end down for 5 seconds
4. plug ground end into computer to assign channels and calibrate using Lightbridge Assistant
5. plug Phantom into computer to verify controls and calibrate using Phantom Assistant

I had to reboot Windows in the middle of this process to get Phantom Assistant to recognize the Phantom after plugging various things in over and over.

You also need to make sure your radio is talking to Lightbridge ground end using the trainer port. I use a Futaba 14SG, and luckily, DJI’s Ed Windham sent me this exported model file. Exporting and importing model files using Futaba radios is a nightmare. I can’t imagine how the process ended up that way—it is pretty much the worst-designed process I can imagine. Once I cursed my way through importing the model file, I still had to reverse three of the channels to get things working properly. I won’t go into using a radio and trainer device here; if you don’t know how to do that and still really want to use Lightbridge, you can also use a DJI 5.8Ghz transmitter and receiver, which operates at 5.8 Ghz and won’t interfere with Lightbridge (you replace your Phantom’s existing Tx and Rx with this).  I would not suggest using any other 2.4 Ghz equipment on your aircraft if you are using Lightbridge.

Mounting the ground end and a monitor to your radio can be done in many ways, and the way you do it will reflect personal tastes. Many people elect to put the ground end on a tripod to elevate it and reduce the weight of the radio. I like to be mobile, and mounted the ground end behind the radio using the included mounting hardware.

DJI also includes a phone mount (the same one that Vision+ uses); if you attach that to your radio, you can clip your Android device on and use it as a Lightbridge monitor through the USB interface (iOS support is coming soon).

For my display, I am using a Lilliput 7" 664/o/p monitor via HDMI from the ground end. I mounted it to the radio using my favorite mount, a Rave Creative mount, which is made specifically for the Futaba 14SG (they also make them for other radios like the stock Phantom radio). Eventually, I may end up switching to an iPad Mini Retina or Nexus 7, but I need to find a good monitor shade, first. This tablet stand mount actually uses the same size mounting ball that the DJI phone clip uses, so you can use the original DJI phone-mounting hardware to support a tablet by swapping out the clip for the tablet mount.

I am excited to test Lightbridge out in the field!