RSSI-based lap timing for solo practice and multi-pilot racing with 5.8GHz FPV drones
No transponders, no complex setup - just plug in, calibrate, and fly. Practice with your SPI receiver, or add FPVGateC5MK for up to 8 pilots with one C5.
FPVGate's S3 timer brings your receiver, race controls and results together in a browser. Feature availability depends on firmware and receiver mode.
Up to 8 pilots with one ESP32-C5 receiver, with individual channels and calibration. See the C5 multi-pilot setup and firmware requirements.
Organise pilots into groups, seed by Elo or lap times, and plan race formats and heat schedules. Run an event on compatible S3 firmware with a C5MK receiver.
RGB LED indicators with 10 customizable presets and real-time RSSI visualization
Natural voice announcements with 4 included voices and phonetic name support
Lap calls in English, German, Spanish or French, with alternate voices you can swap on the SD card
Real-time laps, comparison charts, consistency analysis and race history, with notes saved alongside your runs.
Create and manage track profiles with distance tracking and custom metadata
Connect C5MK directly over USB, or link an FPVGate S3 timer through the network plugin. Choose your connection.
Choose an ESP32-S3 timer board, then the receiver that suits your build: a traditional SPI receiver or a C5 radio. The AIO board is available prebuilt.
All in one Prebuilt board
Purchase8MB Flash - Full features
Supported8MB Flash - Ultra-compact
RecommendedSingle pilot: SPI-modded RX5808 receivers remain supported. C5 multi-pilot: use an ESP32-C5 running FPVGateC5MK, wired to the S3 over UART with compatible firmware. Both S3 setups use an SD card and 5V power. Compare receiver options or read the C5 guide.
Detection uses signal strength, not decoded video. Channel coverage depends on your receiver and firmware: C5MK tunes 5180–5917 MHz, including Raceband R1–R8. Boscam E7/E8 are outside that range.
From an unflashed board to your first recorded lap in four steps.
Flash your S3 timer here, and use the C5 Radio page to flash a C5 receiver separately.
Go to FlasherFor an S3 timer, format an SD card as FAT32 and load the audio files. Direct USB C5MK needs no SD card.
Follow the C5 wiring guide, then set channels and thresholds in FPVGate or RotorHazard.
Fly through the gate and watch your lap times appear in real-time