I found that my parabolic reflectors allow my Phantom 4 to outrange it’s battery even my increased capacity battery. Only cost about $14.00 from Amazon.
Jim
WA5TEF
Jim
WA5TEF
Longest range??
- Thread starter seanhagerty
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Notwithstanding your time and effort boosting the standard you were flying helped a few people I pointed at your various how to threads. I will follow up but last I heard one was using the components to create a really reliable link between the homestead and his shearing and maintainabce sheds after he retired the standards.
My P3S isn't totally stock, I have one of the parabolic reflectors. I was able to get 10k feet out the other day. Still had good signal, just turned around because I was worried about the battery. Straight line of sight over water.
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View attachment 97178 16692 feet with Phantom 3 Standard over water - alfa antennae with sunhans boosters ....and made it home too
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5087 metres...5KM??
I'm looking forward to my booster arriving, as just under 800m is my furthest!!
What battery pack did you use by the way (for the booster)?
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Wow what a set up! looks like the battery I have an order as well.
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The black box is a junction for the wires leading to the boosters. The proper connectors hadn't arrived and I was in a hurry to test it out, so I just cut the wiring and joined the three using a standard electrical terminal. I had used the itelite dbs antenna but found that the radiation pattern was far too focused for general use
Ok... I'm not focusing or investing too much more money on my Phantom 3, so I'm getting the 5.8g booster to the aircraft...I don't care as much about connection to the camera; I usually set it where I want & fly off. Actual range of the aircraft is my issue and always has been.
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The 5.8 booster along with the Magic Power tweak should probably be sufficient for the majority of situations
Hope so. Am looking at a P4 (or Mavic even) as not spending ANY more $$ on the P3; as GOOD as it IS.
Out of curiosity, how did those antennas VS stock go for you?
I have the ARGtek, and found AT BEST - very tiny gain.
Since people are talking about their amplified set-up I thought I would share mine for the Phantom 3 4K (although a basically identical set-up would also work just as well for the Standard). My objective was to get the longest range possible (rural and urban) in a minimal envelope - specifically, the RC needed to fit in my hard drone case which was designed to fit the stock RC only. Also, I wanted to make the RC modifications completely reversible, i.e. no drilling. And, the RC needed to be comfortable to hold while flying.
Starting point was the ARGtek three-SMA breakout mount, to which I added a 4Hawks Raptor SR antenna, which offers improved performance (9 dBi gain for 2.4 GHz, 14 dBi gain for 5.8 GHz vs. 7 dBi/10 dBi for the ARGtek antennas). Amplifiers are 2x 2.4GHz 3W Sunhans (measured output 32 dBm) plus 1x 5.8GHz 4W REXUAV (measured output 35.5 dBm). Battery is a 3S 3000mAh lithium ion pack from REXUAV which powers the whole set-up for around 2+ hours or 5 flights. I also included a battery monitor to give me voltage/current and % charge remaining read-outs continuously while powered up. Mounts are my own acrylic laser-cut design, made at a local shop.
Set-up runs both 2.4GHz downlink and 5.8GHz uplink in FCC mode, on channel 13.
Achieved range is to the limits of the battery in an open environment (20,000ft out, 20,000ft back) with no measurable signal degradation, and around 12,000ft each way in an urban environment. I have excellent eyesight.
Airdata UAV - Flight Data Analysis for Drones
-Adrian
Starting point was the ARGtek three-SMA breakout mount, to which I added a 4Hawks Raptor SR antenna, which offers improved performance (9 dBi gain for 2.4 GHz, 14 dBi gain for 5.8 GHz vs. 7 dBi/10 dBi for the ARGtek antennas). Amplifiers are 2x 2.4GHz 3W Sunhans (measured output 32 dBm) plus 1x 5.8GHz 4W REXUAV (measured output 35.5 dBm). Battery is a 3S 3000mAh lithium ion pack from REXUAV which powers the whole set-up for around 2+ hours or 5 flights. I also included a battery monitor to give me voltage/current and % charge remaining read-outs continuously while powered up. Mounts are my own acrylic laser-cut design, made at a local shop.
Set-up runs both 2.4GHz downlink and 5.8GHz uplink in FCC mode, on channel 13.
Achieved range is to the limits of the battery in an open environment (20,000ft out, 20,000ft back) with no measurable signal degradation, and around 12,000ft each way in an urban environment. I have excellent eyesight.
Airdata UAV - Flight Data Analysis for Drones
-Adrian
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Real noticeable difference with the Alfas - over water and minus boosters, I managed to get 2.8 km. I had the Argtek and they did very little for me above stock
Reading the forums, it seems the less exoensive Alfas arecbetter built ...
DJI phantom 3 standard alfa mod antennas quick look inside.
Alfa 2.4HGz 7dBi RP-SMA Panel = AWESOME!
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Cheers...I wouldn't have THOUGHT there'd be MUCH difference between external antennae, given they are all just metal housed inside of plastic (and in the case of the 2 for the camera, merely moving them from inside a plastic housing to outside but still encased in plastic)
...The Argtek SEEMED the favourite on the forum when I bought them. I also read good things about the simple reflector that slips behind the stock RC antenna (yes, I've since bought one but haven't yet pulled the Argtek off to retrofit it to try...hindered mainly by the fact to use the booster, I'll only have to refit the Argtek's again anyway)
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holy crap, my max distance is only like 2270ft before RC signal lost, hence the top line in my flight in this pic below, what program is that your running litchi ? or is that a new fancy DJI go app, RohanM that antenna in your profile pic, what is that thing, and are you a P3S ? if so can you provide a link where i can get that thing?! now my video signal was rock solid all the way, it actually outlasted the RC signal, i swapped back to the tall stick ArgTek one and got better range, but only by a few feet, and being omni, better signal when i lost sight of it over the hill there. my altitude was about 250-300 ft,but it dropped to 150 as that hill at the top of this pic is about 150ft tall from my launch position. as i stated above in my pre posts, i fly in cemetery so i feel safer, and can see more, and less interference signals. i take it my max distance on this pic is the cumulative result of the entire flight, but it was only like 16 mins. low battery warning kicked in at 30% and landed with 18%
also doesn't the P34k use light bridge? not the wifi poo of the P3s ?
~!
also doesn't the P34k use light bridge? not the wifi poo of the P3s ?
~!
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