AVATAR REPEATER Quick Start Guide V1.1

Introduction

This product is suitable for the Walksnail Avatar HD system and is designed to be used with Avatar series VRX (receiver) and VTX (transmitter) products. It enables a relay function for VRX and VTX wireless signals, making it ideal for scenarios with severe signal obstruction. Both VRX devices and repeaters utilize the 5.2GHz communication frequency, requiring VRX devices to be equipped with 5.15GHz-5.30GHz LHCP antennas. In this document, "VTX" refers to Avatar V2, Avatar GT, Avatar 1S, and other image transmission camera products, while "VRX" refers to Avatar Goggles X, Avatar VRX, and other display products.

Diagram

The diagram illustrates the physical layout and ports of the Avatar Repeater:

• 1. VRX communication antenna port (5.2GHz)
• 2. VTX communication antenna port (5.8GHz)
• 3. Power input (9V-26V)
• 4. 1/4 thread mount
• 5. USB port (for firmware upgrades)
• 6. VTX LED indicator
• 7. VTX Binding Key (Press and hold for 8 seconds for upgrade)
• 8. VRX Binding Key
• 9. VRX LED indicator

Connection

Details for connecting power to the repeater:

• Power Input: 9V~26V
• Power GND
• Power Consumption: 12V @ 1.2A
• ⚠️ Note: Do not use 2S batteries.

How to Enable Relay Mode in VRX

Before use, please update your Avatar VRX and Avatar VTX devices to V38.43.9 or above. Because VRX devices and repeaters use the 5.15GHz-5.30GHz communication frequency, the original antennas cannot be used. VRX devices require replacement with third-party 5.15GHz-5.30GHz LHCP antennas.

1. Create a text file named "Avatar_std.txt" in the root directory of the VRX TF card.
2. In the file, add the content "relay=on".
3. Insert the TF card into the VRX device and power it on. The device will automatically switch to Relay mode after powering up.

The content of the "Avatar_std.txt" file determines the mode:

• "relay=on": Enables Relay mode and adds the Relay option to the VRX menu.
• "relay=off": Disables Relay mode and removes the Relay option.

Note: If the VRX device performs a "Reset all" operation, you will need to re-enable Relay mode.

How to Bind

This section describes how to pair the repeater with Avatar VRX and Avatar VTX. The prerequisite is to ensure that all devices have the same firmware version and that the VRX has Relay mode enabled.

1. Power on the VRX, repeater, and VTX.
2. Press the VRX binding button; the buzzer will emit a [buzzer sound] prompt tone (beep...beep...beep...). Then, press the repeater's BIND VRX button (as shown in Diagram 3). The repeater's BIND VRX [LED indicator] will turn red (as shown in Diagram 4).
3. After successful binding, the VRX buzzer will stop, and the repeater's BIND VRX [LED indicator] will turn green.
4. Press the VTX binding button; its indicator light will turn red. Then, press the repeater's BIND VTX button (as shown in Diagram 1). The repeater's BIND VTX [LED indicator] will turn red (as shown in Diagram 2).
5. After successful binding, the VTX indicator light will turn green, and the repeater's BIND VTX [LED indicator] will also turn green.
6. Binding is completed, and the VRX will display the image.

How to Upgrade

1. Please visit www.caddxfpv.com to download the latest firmware. The repeater firmware file is named "Avatar_Relay_X.X.X.img" and has a ".img" file suffix.
2. Power on the repeater. Ensure sufficient power and do not disconnect power during the upgrade process. Connect the USB port (Diagram 5) to your PC.
3. Press and hold the BIND VTX frequency binding key (Diagram 7) for 8 seconds until the indicator light turns off. Your PC should recognize the repeater as a USB flash drive. (The upgrade process must be completed within two minutes. If timed out, the indicator light will flash red quickly, requiring a repeater restart.)
4. Copy the "Avatar_Relay_X.X.X.img" upgrade firmware to the repeater's USB flash drive. (Some PC software may recognize this as a compressed package; no decompression is needed.)
5. After copying is complete, unplug the USB cable directly (do not disconnect power). The upgrade will start automatically, indicated by a flashing red light. After an automatic restart, the indicator light will turn green, signifying that the upgrade is complete.

Troubleshooting:

• Indicator light not entering the upgrade state: If the indicator light turns yellow and flashes quickly after unplugging the USB cable, please power on again to attempt the upgrade. Verify that the firmware version is correct and try copying the firmware file again.
• Upgrade completion indicator turns off: If the indicator light remains off for 5 minutes after the upgrade is complete, you can perform a manual restart.

VRX Menu Interface

The VRX device features a menu system accessible via its interface. The following describes the main menu screens and their options:

Main Interface - 1

This screen displays real-time connection status and allows basic channel selection.

• 1. VRX and Repeater Channel Selection: Choose the operating channel for the VRX and repeater.
• 2. VTX and Repeater Channel Selection: Choose the operating channel for the VTX and repeater.
• 3. Automatic Frequency Hopping Switch: When enabled, this automatically selects channels with less interference.
• 4. Auto Switch: Automatically refreshes the signal interference status across all channels.
• 5. Refresh: Manually refreshes the channel interference situation.
• 6. Selection Indicator: A white box indicates the current selection. Press the confirm button to highlight and select a channel. The highlighted box shows the active channel.
• 7. VRX and Repeater Signal Strength: Indicated by signal grids (4, 3, 2, 1 grid, or blank space if not connected).
• 8. VTX and Repeater Signal Strength: Indicated by signal grids (4, 3, 2, 1 grid, or blank space if not connected).

Main Interface - 2

This screen provides access to detailed settings for camera, display, recording, device, and system parameters.

• 1. Camera Settings: Adjust scene presets, EV value, saturation, sharpness, white balance, rotation, aspect ratio, 3D DNR, shutter speed, and Max ISO.
• 2. Display Settings: Adjust Debug mode, screen brightness, focus mode, custom OSD, OSD position, font upgrade, custom font, viewfinder, and viewfinder edit settings.
• 3. Record Set: Configure VTX REC resolution, recording device, auto-start/stop, loop recording, SD card formatting, VTX formatting, built-in EIS, recording duration, recording format, color, saturation, and sharpness.
• 4. Device Settings: Adjust buzzer volume, weak signal warning, factory reset, device information, instructions, and mode switching.
• 5. Transmit Power: Select the communication power level for the repeater and VRX.
• 6. Resolution: Choose between 720P and 1080P resolution.
• 7. Bitrate: Repeater mode does not support bitrate settings.
• 8. Frame Rate: Select standard or high frame rates for different time-lapse experiences.
• 9. Standby Mode: When in standby, VTX and VRX transmit power is 10dBm. Full power is output upon exiting standby. This feature requires the air unit serial port to be connected to the flight controller. It exits standby automatically upon receiving an unlock signal from the drone. It is recommended to disable this function when using a repeater.
• 10. Language: Switch between English and Chinese (中文).
• 11. Low Battery Warning: Detects [low battery warning] alarms for LiPo batteries (2S, 3S, 4S, 6S). Alarms at less than 3.5V per cell with red font and buzzer. Can be enabled or disabled.
• 12. Goggle Icon: Option to display or hide icons on the main menu interface.
• 13. Relay Power: Select the communication power level for the repeater and VTX.

Dimensions

Physical dimensions of the Avatar Repeater:

• Height: 72 mm
• Width: 119.5 mm
• Depth: 18.6 mm
• Base Width: 105.5 mm
• Component Widths: 17.8 mm

Unit: mm

Specifications

Precautions

• Due to the directional nature of antenna coverage, point the repeater's 5.2G antenna towards the VRX device and the 5.8G antenna towards the VTX device.
• This product is complex to use. Users should possess basic knowledge of wireless image transmission and safety common sense, and use it with caution.
• Install all antennas before powering on to prevent damage to transmitting components.
• Repeater mode does not support Race mode, Ranging mode, High Bitrate mode, Share mode, and head tracking functions.

For technical support, contact CADDXFPV Support at email: support@caddxfpv.com.