Front view of DJI Goggles 3 with headband and antennas on a white background

Will your DJI kit work with a custom FPV quad?

Find out which parts of your DJI setup you can reuse, and what your custom quad still needs.

If you already own an Avata or another DJI drone, buying a custom FPV quad need not mean replacing all your kit. Your goggles may work with its video system, and you may be able to use your controller too.

The controller is the part worth checking carefully. DJI FPV Remote Controller 3 and RC Motion 3 are different products, even if they came bundled with the same aircraft.

Start with the kit you own

Find the full model names on the labels, packaging or settings screens. DJI Goggles 2 and DJI FPV Goggles V2 are not the same headset, so keep the whole name when comparing them with a listing.

Then look for the quad's video system in its specifications. A DJI air unit includes the onboard video-transmission hardware and camera. You want the exact name, such as DJI O4 Air Unit, DJI O4 Air Unit Pro or DJI O3 Air Unit.

The receiver entry is a separate part of the listing. It tells you about the radio-control equipment, not which goggles will receive the picture. An O4 quad with an ELRS receiver, for example, uses DJI for video and ExpressLRS for control.

DJI Goggles 3 headset with raised antennas and two front-facing cameras, shown without a controller
DJI Goggles 3. The goggles receive the camera view; the quad's control setup is a separate choice. Image: Unmanned Tech product catalogue.

Which DJI kit works with O4?

DJI lists these O4 goggles and controller combinations:

  • DJI Goggles 3 or DJI Goggles N3: DJI FPV Remote Controller 3.
  • DJI Goggles 2 or DJI Goggles Integra: DJI FPV Remote Controller 2.

The list covers the O4 Air Unit Series. DJI's linking instructions also include DJI O4 Wide Air Unit.

If you own Goggles 3 and FPV Remote Controller 3, for example, you can choose an O4-equipped quad with DJI control wiring and settings already in place. If the quad is supplied for a different receiver, there may be setup work to do before you can use that controller.

If you already have an ELRS radio, you can keep using it with a matching receiver on the quad while the DJI goggles handle video. DJI goggles do not require a DJI controller.

Using your DJI FPV controller

For DJI control, the air unit needs an SBUS control connection to the flight controller, and the flight controller must be set to receive SBUS. SBUS is the format used to pass your stick commands to the board that manages the aircraft.

Check the quad maker's setup instructions for this connection. Some aircraft arrive with DJI control set up; others are supplied for a separate receiver. Getting video in your goggles does not tell you whether that control connection is working.

Linking also varies between DJI combinations. With Goggles 3 and FPV Remote Controller 3, DJI's procedure links the goggles to the air unit, then the controller to the goggles. Follow the linking steps for your equipment, including the required firmware updates.

Using a separate radio

The other option is a radio and matching receiver, with DJI providing the video. The receiver is the small onboard device that passes your radio's commands to the flight controller. O4 supports this arrangement, so you can choose control equipment independently of your goggles.

Read the selected quad variant's receiver details before ordering extra parts. An ELRS version may already have the receiver fitted; a version supplied without one will need it installed.

For ExpressLRS, compare the radio's transmitter or module with the receiver. Their hardware must be compatible, and the first number in their firmware versions must match. Firmware is the software running on the equipment.

Have an Avata bundle with RC Motion 3?

RC Motion 3 will not replace FPV Remote Controller 3 on this O4 custom-quad setup. DJI lists it for specific DJI aircraft, rather than as an O4 Air Unit controller.

You may still be able to reuse the goggles from your bundle. For control, choose the FPV Remote Controller listed for those goggles above, or a separate radio and receiver.

DJI FPV Remote Controller 3 from the Unmanned Tech listing, showing two control gimbals with removable stick shafts not fitted
DJI FPV Remote Controller 3, with its removable stick shafts not fitted. This is the two-stick controller, not RC Motion 3. Image: Unmanned Tech product catalogue.

What about O3 and older DJI systems?

DJI's O3 support page lists Goggles 3, Goggles Integra, Goggles 2 and DJI FPV Goggles V2 for video. FPV Goggles V2 do not appear in the O4 compatibility list, so owners of that headset should check O3-equipped aircraft rather than assume they need the newest air unit.

For an O3 quad, check the controller pairing in the O3 and goggles instructions. Older DJI FPV Air Units and Caddx Vista systems have their own pairing requirements too; the O4 combinations above are not a guide to those systems.

Before ordering the quad

Check these details on the exact version you intend to buy:

  • Video: the air unit is included and supports your goggles.
  • Control: it has the receiver you need, or the wiring and settings for your supported DJI controller.
  • Setup: you know which linking, firmware or installation steps remain.
  • Power: you have the battery and charger specified for that quad.

Pay particular attention to “O4-ready” versus “O4 installed”. A frame may accept an O4 system without including its camera and video transmitter. The box-contents list should make that clear.

Once it arrives, use the manufacturer's setup instructions and DJI's current manuals and firmware notes. For bench setup, remove the propellers and provide cooling airflow over the powered air unit. Complete the channel, arming and failsafe checks before flying.

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