2km (7000ft) setup. Improvment suggestions?

[Nick93]

Hi all of you reading this. My thoughts was to build a high range setup with cheap components and without making any irreversible changes to my phantom/controller/range extender. In that way i can get my phantom back to stock if i need to sell it.

Also i want the high range components to be as cheap as possible and also to be used in other purposes also (i will not buy a 80$ dollar circular antenna for only using it with the phantom). So what i build is:

2X circular hobbyking antennas $17 ((1X 3lobe and 1X 4lobe)) (phantom video transmitter side)
1X TP-link ant2414a 40$ (Video receiver side)
1x 2.4ghz 3w sunhans booster $50 (video receiver side)
1x tp link router wdr3500 dual band $40 (with custom firmware, used as range extender)
1x tp-link 9dbi antenna $5 (on the controller)

With that setup i managed to get 2km-2.5km Max
The limmiting factor is some drops on video connection at over 1.8km and some controller drops when returning the phantom (the phantom camera looks the controller) at 2.2km - 1.8km.

My thoughts are:
Maybe use both 3lobe antennas or 4lobe antennas ?
Maybe use the circular antennas in different positions on the phantom?
Also is there any other mod to do without beeing too risky and not reversable?

Thanks a lot. Any questions feel free to ask

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to the forum
Where's your tracker ?

 

[Nick93]

Welcome to the forum
Where's your tracker ?

Hi. Thanks for your response. By "tracker" you mean something like flytrex 3g ? I will buy one in the near future but its a litle bit expensive for my whole setup

 

[dirkclod]

Hi. Thanks for your response. By "tracker" you mean something like flytrex 3g ? I will buy one in the near future but its a litle bit expensive for my whole setup

No a GPS tracker to locate your bird should go down . search trackers and ya see what I am talking about . I will post a search engine in this in a few .

 

[Nick93]

Which gps tracker you suggest to buy? Cheap and lightweight
Thanks

 

[dirkclod]

I use a TK102B and it's not high but does cost me $10.00 a month for my service but there's way's to get it lower than that .
I like to fly long and have had to use it several times and it took me right to it .There are many and all have their favorite's . Look in this search engine for trackers and you will see more than you want to read about them !! https://cse.google.com/cse/publicurl?cx=014775389315664725445:ejku2ysgyhi Not gonna just recommend to you what I use as what works where I am might not be good for you .

 

[Nick93]

I just bought also a TK102B for $17. it seems to have a fair price for its capabilities.

I am thinking to upgrade my controller antenna. now I have a dualband 5dbi tp-link antenna. I am thinking to buy one of these Chinese 11dbi directional for $7

is this Chinese antenna good or is there any branded 7-9dbi omni antenna instead ?

thanks

 

[dirkclod]

Not up on those myself bro . You have went another way than I did but there's only one way to find out for sure
I did try at first with some of the cheaper stuff but never had any luck with it . Not saying you won't but I never did .

 

[Nick93]

i need an extra 0.5-1km (1500ft-3500ft) of controller distance. my thoughts are for a >7dbi 5.8ghz antenna. but which one? i cant seem to find any branded...


with the stock i get about 1500m(5000ft)-2000m(6500ft)
with the tp-ling 5dbi dual band i get 2000m(6500ft)-2500m(8000ft)

 

[Nick93]

bump


any thoughts how to get little better 5.8 control signal without making irreversible changes ?