FPV CamBuddy V1.0.3 RC1 — Community Test

What's new in v1.0.3 RC1?

This release candidate builds on the GPS reconnect recovery firmware. It adds naked GoPro GPS-derived clock setting, reconnect recovery, updated USB and Wi-Fi AP configuration, improved USB settings readback verification and OSD/configuration refinements.

Software status: RC1 firmware and site checks passed GitHub Actions. Hardware status: GPS clock recovery, reconnect edge cases and settings persistence on RC1 still need real-world confirmation. Previously verified v1.0.2 camera behaviour is historical evidence, not a blanket RC1 pass.

Full RC1 changes and test status ↗ · Previous releases ↗

Priority RC1 tests — naked GoPro GPS time

• Enable GPS time sync in Easy Config and select your timezone; save, read back, then power-cycle and confirm the settings persist.
• With a naked GoPro that has lost its clock, wait for Betaflight to receive valid GPS-derived date/time. Confirm CamBuddy sets the GoPro date/time correctly over BLE.
• Check the GoPro clock after camera restart, C3 restart, and GPS time becoming valid later than camera connection.
• Disconnect or power-cycle the GoPro and verify automatic reconnection and ARM-triggered recording recovery.
• Compare USB Easy Config with the CamBuddy Wi-Fi AP configuration; confirm the same settings survive reboot.
• Verify Betaflight OSD, AUX camera switching, and recording start/stop with props removed.

Please report GoPro model, whether it is naked, Betaflight version, GPS fix/time state, timezone, FC UART wiring, CamBuddy firmware version, and any serial/configuration logs. A GPS position fix and valid RTC time are not necessarily the same thing: report both if available.

Who should test?

GoPro testers are absolutely wanted, along with DJI Action / Osmo, Insta360, Sony, Blackmagic and Caddx users. Results from cameras that fail are useful too.

DJI Action 4 is already hardware-confirmed for connection, live telemetry, recording control and AUX-triggered recording. Camera Switch and selection-name OSD still need confirmation. For GoPro, please test native saved-preset discovery plus LOW / MIDDLE / HIGH switching. DJI Action 4 / 5 Pro / 6 can test the currently exposed Video, Slow Motion, Timelapse, Hyperlapse and Photo modes. Osmo Nano can test Video, Slow Motion, Timelapse, Hyperlapse, Photo, Panorama and SuperNight using the new hardware-captured DUML mode path. Nano Camera Switch is implemented but not yet hardware-confirmed. DJI native Custom Modes 1–5 are not currently claimed as supported.

Quick test

• Camera discovers and connects.
  More info

  Where: Open Easy Config → Recording Control and select the correct Camera type. Connect the camera as you normally would, then let CamBuddy scan.
  What should happen: CamBuddy should find the camera, connect and stay connected without you repeatedly restarting either device. If Camera matching is set to a specific/last camera, it should reconnect to that camera rather than another nearby one.
  Report: how long connection took and whether it disconnected, found the wrong camera or needed manual intervention.
• Settings read, save and survive a reboot.
  More info

  Where: Use the main Easy Config page. Connect CamBuddy, let the page read the board, then change an easy-to-recognise setting such as Stop recording on disarm or the disarm delay.
  What should happen: Save/apply the settings, power CamBuddy off and back on, reconnect to Easy Config and read the board again. Your changed value should still be selected.
  Report: anything that resets, changes by itself or does not match what you saved.
• ARM starts recording; DISARM stops it. Repeat 5 times.
  More info

  Default: Recording Trigger is ARM. You can also test Easy Config → AUX Switches → Recording Trigger with an AUX channel: high should start recording and low should stop it using the configured stop delay.
• Optional: set Recording Trigger to an AUX channel and confirm high=start / low=stop.
  More info

  Before testing: REMOVE THE PROPS.
  Where: In Easy Config → Recording Control, make sure automatic recording is configured and Stop recording on disarm is enabled if you want the stop test. The disarm delay controls how long CamBuddy waits before stopping.
  What should happen: ARM the quad → the camera should begin recording. DISARM → the normal OSD should return immediately and the camera should stop after the configured delay. Repeat 5 times.
  Report: any missed start/stop, double trigger or noticeably wrong delay.
• Camera reconnects after camera and CamBuddy power cycles.
  More info

  How: With a previously working connection, first restart only the camera and wait for CamBuddy to reconnect. Then power-cycle CamBuddy/the quad and check again.
  What should happen: It should reconnect automatically using the saved camera settings; you should not have to set the camera up again.
  Report: which reboot caused trouble, whether it eventually recovered, and roughly how long it took.
• Check available telemetry: recording state, battery, mode, recording time and storage.
  More info

  Where: Look at the camera information shown in Easy Config and, if configured, the camera information in the Betaflight OSD.
  What to check: recording state, battery %, camera mode, recording time and storage/remaining time where your camera provides them.
  What should happen: values should update to match the real camera. Not every camera supports every field, so a blank unsupported field is not automatically a failure.
  Report: each field as correct, wrong, blank or unavailable.

Camera Switch + OSD

The LOW / MIDDLE / HIGH Camera Switch isn't GoPro-only; CamBuddy uses the supported mechanism available for each camera.

• GoPro: discover native saved presets, assign LOW / MIDDLE / HIGH and test all three.
  More info

  Where: Connect the GoPro, then open Easy Config → AUX Switches → Camera Switch. Use Discover Camera Options to read the native presets already saved on your GoPro.
  Set up: choose a Camera Switch AUX channel, then assign a different GoPro preset to LOW, MIDDLE and HIGH. Save the configuration.
  What should happen: LOW (<1300 µs), MIDDLE (1300–1700 µs) and HIGH (>1700 µs) should each load the preset you assigned. Check the GoPro itself to confirm.
  Tip: use three obviously different presets so changes are easy to spot.
• Other supported cameras: test any profiles/modes CamBuddy exposes.
  More info

  Where: Look under Easy Config → AUX Switches. use the single Camera Switch. GoPro exposes native saved presets; supported DJI cameras expose verified shooting modes through the same LOW/MIDDLE/HIGH control.
  What should happen: only options supported/exposed for your camera should be used. DJI Action 4 / 5 Pro / 6 currently exposes Video, Slow Motion, Timelapse, Hyperlapse and Photo rather than verified native saved Custom Modes. Osmo Nano additionally exposes Panorama and SuperNight through its native DUML shooting-mode path; this new Nano path still needs real-camera confirmation.
  Important: do not copy numeric profile IDs between different camera models.
• Confirm the camera itself changes to the expected profile/mode.
  More info

  How: Move the configured AUX switch, then look directly at the camera screen/menu or resulting recording mode/preset.
  What should happen: the real camera should change to exactly the mode/preset assigned to that switch position. The CamBuddy OSD message alone does not prove the camera accepted the command.
  Report: if the OSD changes but the camera does not.
• Enable Show profile name in OSD; check the correct name appears for about 2.5 seconds and normal OSD returns.
  More info

  Where: Easy Config → AUX Switches → Camera Switch → Show profile name in OSD.
  What should happen: when you change profile, only the profile/preset name should appear for about 2.5 seconds, then your normal camera OSD should return. A manually entered ID with no saved name may show LOW / MID / HIGH instead.
  Also check: an important camera warning should take priority over this temporary profile message.
• Test the Display in destination.
  More info

  Where: directly below Show profile name in OSD, use the Display in dropdown.
  What it does: it chooses which Betaflight OSD message slot CamBuddy uses for the temporary profile name. On BF 2026.6+ these are Custom Messages; older supported Betaflight versions use the compatible Pilot/Craft Name path where applicable.
  What should happen: the profile name appears in the destination you selected, not a different one.
• Turn Camera Switch OSD OFF; switching should still work without the message.
  More info

  Where: Easy Config → AUX Switches → Camera Switch → Show profile name in OSD.
  What it does: this switch controls only the 2.5-second OSD message.
  What should happen: turn it OFF and move LOW/MIDDLE/HIGH again. The camera should still change profile/mode normally, but no temporary profile name should appear.
• Reboot and confirm assignments are retained.
  More info

  How: after saving your Camera Switch setup, completely power CamBuddy off and back on, reconnect with Easy Config and read the board.
  What should happen: the Camera Switch AUX channel, LOW/MIDDLE/HIGH assignments, saved names, Camera Switch OSD toggle and Display in choice should all still be there and switching should still work.

New V1.0.3 RC1 controls to test

• Recording Trigger: leave it on ARM first, then assign an AUX channel and confirm AUX high starts recording and AUX low stops recording.
  More info

  Where: Easy Config → AUX Switches → Recording Trigger.
  Already confirmed: ARM and separate-AUX recording control are working on the FPSteVe GoPro test setup. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is already hardware-confirmed for connection, recording and AUX-triggered recording; results from other Insta360 models are still useful.
  Also check: with Recording Trigger on AUX, arming the quad should not itself start/stop recording.
• Independent Camera Switch: use a different 3-position AUX and confirm LOW / MIDDLE / HIGH select the expected GoPro presets or supported DJI modes.
  More info

  For GoPro, native saved-preset discovery, names, persistence and LOW/MIDDLE/HIGH switching are already hardware-confirmed. GoPro MAX2 is confirmed across the current V1.0.3 RC1 GoPro feature set. The selected preset name should briefly appear in Betaflight OSD when that option is enabled.
• Osmo Nano: use Discover Camera Options, assign any three of Video / Slow Motion / Timelapse / Hyperlapse / Photo / Panorama / SuperNight, and confirm the camera really changes mode.
  More info

  This is a new V1.0.3 RC1 test path. CamBuddy sends Nano's hardware-captured native DUML 0x02/0xE1 shooting-mode command. Please test LOW / MIDDLE / HIGH repeatedly, check the camera screen/status, and report any mode that does not switch or takes unusually long.
• REC-only behaviour: enable it and test both REC display modes.
  More info

  Recording only: REC should follow the camera's actual recording state, including AUX-triggered recording while the quad is disarmed.
  Armed + Recording: REC should appear only when the quad is armed and the camera confirms recording.
  Flash REC at 1 Hz remains a separate setting.
• Re-read/reconnect and confirm Recording Trigger, Camera Switch assignments, REC-only toggle/mode and OSD options persist.

AP / Field Configurator

• Enable/open the CamBuddy AP and connect your phone to FPVCamBuddy.
  More info

  Where: AP behaviour is configured under Easy Config → Recording Control → WiFi Config AP. Enable it if you want automatic field-config access. Holding the CamBuddy board's BOOT button can also force the AP for recovery/configuration.
  How: when the AP is active, open your phone's Wi-Fi settings and join FPVCamBuddy.
  Note: camera BLE is deliberately stopped while the field AP is active, so live camera discovery is not expected from the AP page.
• Open http://cambuddy.local and confirm the configurator loads.
  More info

  Where: after joining the FPVCamBuddy Wi-Fi network, open your normal browser and type http://cambuddy.local into the address bar.
  What should happen: the onboard FPV CamBuddy configurator should load without needing to remember an IP address.
  If it fails: that may be a hostname-resolution issue rather than an AP failure. Please report your phone model/browser, then try the 192.168.4.1 fallback below.
• Also test http://192.168.4.1 as the fixed fallback.
  More info

  Where: while still connected to FPVCamBuddy, browse to http://192.168.4.1.
  What should happen: the same onboard configurator should load. This is the fixed fallback and should work even if cambuddy.local does not resolve.
  Report: whether each address works independently.
• Check saved settings, change one setting and save it.
  More info

  Where: in the onboard AP configurator after opening cambuddy.local or 192.168.4.1.
  How: first check that the page shows your existing saved settings. Change one obvious setting, such as Stop recording on disarm or a delay value, then press the page's save/apply button.
  What should happen: the save should complete without the page losing your configuration.
• Reboot CamBuddy and confirm the change is retained.
  More info

  How: after the AP page says the setting is saved, power CamBuddy completely off and back on. Re-enter AP mode, reconnect to FPVCamBuddy and open the configurator again.
  What should happen: your changed setting should still be there. If convenient, connect to the main USB Easy Config afterward too — both configurators should report the same saved value.

cambuddy.local is new in this candidate and needs real-device testing; 192.168.4.1 remains the fallback.

Thank you 🤘

Thanks for taking the time to test FPV CamBuddy and help create this project. Every result — whether something works perfectly or breaks completely — helps make CamBuddy better for everyone.

Send me your results

If something fails, please include configurator/CLI output or logs if you can.