Just curious what antenna mod YOU are using.. feedback

[NoBiffBetter]

Got my amps set up, and my LMR cables ready. I am hoping this weekends weather allows for a maiden test flight of my set up.

Nice man!! Maybe I should stop messing around and just buy a few rolls of LMR.. I'm sure it's the best... Lmk how it works out man, and with what antenna you use and how clear the range/video feed is.. And obviously what length cable you used.. So I can something to judge/compare by..

My RG6 wasn't horrible but I def had a worse video feed when I got even 500-800ft away I would notice the feed getting like blurry and distorted.. Is this what was happening to you? I mean it was still usable I had a blast flying from my couch! So I'm glad it works.. Just thinking for the future I may want something better when I'm running 50' in cable..

Now if I was just flying from my vehicle and has the antenna on my roof, I would only need maybe 6' of cable and I'm sure the picture and image quality would be pretty darn close to the same as using the antenna straight off my remote..

Length the of the cable and the type of the cable is everything..


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[NoBiffBetter]

Is it hard to make your own ends with LMR? Or are you just using adaptors? And would it be worth it to use LMR in place of the little 4-6" cables that come from your controller to your antenna when you have the antenna mounted on the controller? Or is that not even worth using LMR for... It seems the stuff you got is very thick and not to bendable.. So if all LMR is like that then I'm assuming it wouldn't be worth it to replace such short small wires of RG 58 with LMR ?


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[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Nice man!! Maybe I should stop messing around and just buy a few rolls of LMR.. I'm sure it's the best... Lmk how it works out man, and with what antenna you use and how clear the range/video feed is.. And obviously what length cable you used.. So I can something to judge/compare by..

My RG6 wasn't horrible but I def had a worse video feed when I got even 500-800ft away I would notice the feed getting like blurry and distorted.. Is this what was happening to you? I mean it was still usable I had a blast flying from my couch! So I'm glad it works.. Just thinking for the future I may want something better when I'm running 50' in cable..

Now if I was just flying from my vehicle and has the antenna on my roof, I would only need maybe 6' of cable and I'm sure the picture and image quality would be pretty darn close to the same as using the antenna straight off my remote..

Length the of the cable and the type of the cable is everything..


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I experienced alot of interferance flying from my house due to heavy city WIFI/EMF here. This type of flying is heavily dependent on line of sight. You may not notice the tree or the fence or a building between you and the drone. And either yours or a neighbors WIFI will interfere. Also Solar radiation/sunspots/solar wind can play a part. Using RG-6, I could go out (clean Line of sight) to 4,000-8,000 ft. A dirty line of sight mabey 1,500 ft. Your antennas are very important in the reception role! I cannot stress enough how important this is. Antenna placement also VERY important. The higher the better. I am still waiting for suitable flying conditions to test my new cables out. And I will screen record the test as well as give full description of type of antennas/amps/cables used.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Is it hard to make your own ends with LMR? Or are you just using adaptors? And would it be worth it to use LMR in place of the little 4-6" cables that come from your controller to your antenna when you have the antenna mounted on the controller? Or is that not even worth using LMR for... It seems the stuff you got is very thick and not to bendable.. So if all LMR is like that then I'm assuming it wouldn't be worth it to replace such short small wires of RG 58 with LMR ?


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I've never delt with making these LMR-400 cables before, but I have soldered similar ham cables. I bought mine pre-made here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008B49AT4/ref=s9_acsd_al_bw_c_x_4_w?th=1
(Select length desired to see price)
They are ready to fly at delivery at your door.
Here are some LMR-240 series pre-made cables:
https://www.amazon.com/AIR802-CA240...008&sr=8-1&keywords=lmr-240+cable+sma+50+feet
I hav'nt considered using the thicker cable controller to antenna as when I fly farther than LOS I fly using amps from inside car with spectacular antennas. The antenna is the most important thing followed by cable type (In my opinion). Amps certainly help much but if your flying area is filled with interference, you'll always have cutouts/freezes.

 

[NoBiffBetter]

Think I'm gonna buy some LMR like you guys for my longer stuff. I doubt LMR will be worth it to use for the controller to the panel if I have it mounted on the controller, cuz such short peices of RG58 prolly arnt gonna be loosing that much signal to begin with and it would prolly be more hassle than it's worth.. But like Johnny, anything over 5-10' I'll just use LMR.

What exact N-adaptors did you need.. And will the adaptors change when going from LMR 400 to Lmk 240?


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[NoBiffBetter]

I experienced alot of interferance flying from my house due to heavy city WIFI/EMF here. This type of flying is heavily dependent on line of sight. You may not notice the tree or the fence or a building between you and the drone. And either yours or a neighbors WIFI will interfere. Also Solar radiation/sunspots/solar wind can play a part. Using RG-6, I could go out (clean Line of sight) to 4,000-8,000 ft. A dirty line of sight mabey 1,500 ft. Your antennas are very important in the reception role! I cannot stress enough how important this is. Antenna placement also VERY important. The higher the better. I am still waiting for suitable flying conditions to test my new cables out. And I will screen record the test as well as give full description of type of antennas/amps/cables used.

Awesome man.. I was almost thinking of using those fish bone antennas , could something like those that are used for 2.4 Internet and wifi be used for a phantom light bridge. I would tbink as long as it's 2.4g.. Cuz I found some really powerful outdoor antennas that I could mount to the roof of my house, so that they had a high placement and that I could just leave up all year round .. Unlike my panel where I wouldn't wanna leave it outside obv.

This way I can hardware it into my house using LMR .. I usually only fly one direction and I always make sure that it's pointed where I am flying .

J/q if you ever tried to use a fishbone style antenna for this or not. I would obv need 2 of them


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[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Got my amps set up, and my LMR cables ready. I am hoping this weekends weather allows for a maiden test flight of my set up.

Well... Powered up the two RF-Linx amps... one LED glowed green, the other one did not.. Have to open the one that did not to check wiring, but I think it's bad. (my wiring is well made).

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Think I'm gonna buy some LMR like you guys for my longer stuff. I doubt LMR will be worth it to use for the controller to the panel if I have it mounted on the controller, cuz such short peices of RG58 prolly arnt gonna be loosing that much signal to begin with and it would prolly be more hassle than it's worth.. But like Johnny, anything over 5-10' I'll just use LMR.

What exact N-adaptors did you need.. And will the adaptors change when going from LMR 400 to Lmk 240?


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Look at what connectors you have (controller). Then look at cables you want. Adapt from controller to cable to antenna. Buy cables/antennas with connectors as close together as you can (Minimize adapters) SMA to N to RP-SMA (example).

 

[JohnnyB]

Is it hard to make your own ends with LMR? Or are you just using adaptors? And would it be worth it to use LMR in place of the little 4-6" cables that come from your controller to your antenna when you have the antenna mounted on the controller? Or is that not even worth using LMR for... It seems the stuff you got is very thick and not to bendable.. So if all LMR is like that then I'm assuming it wouldn't be worth it to replace such short small wires of RG 58 with LMR ?


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To further answer your question concerning the cable's that come with the evo kit, they are just fine for as short as they are. I have crystal clear video with the maxxrange or itelite mounted to RC. Them being so short, the loss difference is very minimal. Plus, they have to make pretty sharp bends when the antenna is mounted directly to the RC. Don't worry.. you'll be satisfied. When/if you mount just the antenna to a tripod/mast, that's where you want to invest in LMR cable. Like Gram and everyone else has been saying, try your best to build your set-ups with the least amount of adaptors as possible. If your going from maxxrange antenna to an amp, (not with antenna mounted to RC) try to find a cable with male SMA to male RP-SMA, instead of getting a cable with N type fittings, and using adaptors. Get the correct ends to begin with. That = less loss. I'm trying to find those cables right now so I can mount my maxxrange only to the tripod or mast. Hope this helps.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Awesome man.. I was almost thinking of using those fish bone antennas , could something like those that are used for 2.4 Internet and wifi be used for a phantom light bridge. I would tbink as long as it's 2.4g.. Cuz I found some really powerful outdoor antennas that I could mount to the roof of my house, so that they had a high placement and that I could just leave up all year round .. Unlike my panel where I wouldn't wanna leave it outside obv.

This way I can hardware it into my house using LMR .. I usually only fly one direction and I always make sure that it's pointed where I am flying .

J/q if you ever tried to use a fishbone style antenna for this or not. I would obv need 2 of them


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2.4ghz required. Then look at db value. If you understand db value /coverage/range that decides db value you settle on.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

To further answer your question concerning the cable's that come with the evo kit, they are just fine for as short as they are. I have crystal clear video with the maxxrange or itelite mounted to RC. Them being so short, the loss difference is very minimal. Plus, they have to make pretty sharp bends when the antenna is mounted directly to the RC. Don't worry.. you'll be satisfied. When/if you mount just the antenna to a tripod/mast, that's where you want to invest in LMR cable. Like Gram and everyone else has been saying, try your best to build your set-ups with the least amount of adaptors as possible. If your going from maxxrange antenna to an amp, (not with antenna mounted to RC) try to find a cable with male SMA to male RP-SMA, instead of getting a cable with N type fittings, and using adaptors. Get the correct ends to begin with. That = less loss. I'm trying to find those cables right now so I can mount my maxxrange only to the tripod or mast. Hope this helps.

Kentucky has the clearest flight range in the United States(salutes repeatedly). Johnny has a unfair advantage....

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Biff... I would concentrate on getting the best antennas I could (priority 1), then worry 'bout cables. You already have cables that will work, But the magic really appears when the correct antenna is used. Did you use your panel for your test? Did you (really stay in front of it) if so? Did you try to fly REALLY low (Hardest to keep signal lock)? Did you place antennas up high? Was your house WFI or a neighbors interfering? A lot of factors involved and a lot of experimenting.

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

(Puts out corn on ground in a trail to attract Johnny's LTX's to wander closer over here)....

 

[JohnnyB]

Kentucky has the clearest flight range in the United States(salutes repeatedly). Johnny has a unfair advantage....

Lol.. I was speaking of this setup...

Maybe that's the unfair advantage... Just a few inches of cable. 14" total to be exact. He ask about these cables that came with the kit.. they work well for me, no matter where I fly. But if I were to remove the antenna from the RC, even just 4' out, I would definitely switch to better cables.

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[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Lol.. I was speaking of this setup...

Maybe that's the unfair advantage... Just a few inches of cable. 14" total to be exact. He ask about these cables that came with the kit.. they work well for me, no matter where I fly. But if I were to remove the antenna from the RC, even just 4' out, I would definitely switch to better cables.

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I was pulling your leg... now , about those LTX's.........

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

I have to open up one of my SAXU's to check my wiring (power)... (rolls eyes). I imagine the amp is shot and will have to buy another if Johnny wont give me his LTX's (holds breath).......

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Just hit "BUY" on ebay, another SAXU.... Just in case... I feel this one is bad and want a pair of them functional. These are limited qty. so .....I hit buy... (Puts ointment on "buy" finger).

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

Awesome man.. I was almost thinking of using those fish bone antennas , could something like those that are used for 2.4 Internet and wifi be used for a phantom light bridge. I would tbink as long as it's 2.4g.. Cuz I found some really powerful outdoor antennas that I could mount to the roof of my house, so that they had a high placement and that I could just leave up all year round .. Unlike my panel where I wouldn't wanna leave it outside obv.

This way I can hardware it into my house using LMR .. I usually only fly one direction and I always make sure that it's pointed where I am flying .

J/q if you ever tried to use a fishbone style antenna for this or not. I would obv need 2 of them


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Biff, I don't know what antennas you are using, but I feel (from what I've read) you might not be using the correct types. Just "finding" a "antenna" won't have desired results, you need to have a antenna with the correct pattern/db value to suit your needs for this kind of flight.
Try looking at this type for starters:
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Omni-directional-Antenna-connector-TL-ANT2408CL/dp/B004UBUE2O/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485011490&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=8db+wifi+antenna&th=1
I cant see the connector, but I belve the adapter to F would be this:
RP-SMA female:
https://www.amazon.com/Bingfu-Adapt...-3&keywords=RP-SMA+female+to+F+female+adapter

 

[GrammatonxXXxCleric]

"Whats that?"... "Do what?"... My Russian blue just suggested that I bribe Johnny B to sell me his LTX's. She knows best... (She's russian).

 

[NoBiffBetter]

Look at what connectors you have (controller). Then look at cables you want. Adapt from controller to cable to antenna. Buy cables/antennas with connectors as close together as you can (Minimize adapters) SMA to N to RP-SMA (example).

Well yah I know that.. I was just wondering what type you bought like brand and I'm assuming you got them from Amazon? I just wanna make sure I get high quality adaptors with it. And will def use as least amount of adaptors as possible


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