Stage 4 Kit fpvlr mod

jefferykell · Oct 14, 2014

Hi Everyone

I just got in my new stage 4 Mod

and had a questions about the Drone side small black Antennas for the 2.4 ghz. I can find a link to a video that shows how and where that goes. Anyone Know ? Should I not have two Antennas for the 2.4ghz ?? In the box I have 2 bigger Antennas for the 5.8ghz .

thanks
Jeff

Tony McDrone · Oct 14, 2014

Did you order antenna mounts with the kit, I think Tony has them available...makes mounting the antenna's plug and play. Ask him about the mounts made by Sidebox. There are videos on how to mount them, both the 2.4 and 5.8ghz.

jefferykell · Oct 14, 2014

tmc6663 said:
Did you order antenna mounts with the kit, I think Tony has them available...makes mounting the antenna's plug and play. Ask him about the mounts made by Sidebox. There are videos on how to mount them, both the 2.4 and 5.8ghz.

I got the mounts on the way.. From Tony. But I just dont know why only one 2.4 antenna and not 2. .Also I did the upgrade but the battery goes so fast i can only get about 6000 ft out and almost did not make it back. Any tips on batteries ?

allemtura · Oct 15, 2014

Hi Jeff,

As you've bought a stage 4 kit you should have 2 x 5.8Ghz antennas (the small pinwheels), and 3 x 2.4Ghz pinwheels (the large ones)? If you're missing an antenna, double check all the packaging because I found one of my smaller pinwheels wrapped in newspaper that I thought was just packaging.

Above you said "Drone side small black Antennas for the 2.4 ghz" - it seems perhaps you've mixed up which antennas are which as the small black antennas are the 5.8Ghz control ones and should be plugged into the antenna board in the phantom.

You asked where the antennas go - do you mean where they are positioned on the drone itself? If so hopefully my post here with the pictures help? viewtopic.php?f=54&t=27060

As for battery, sounds like you need to buy a new one if you can only make 6000ft...

jefferykell · Oct 15, 2014

allemtura said:
Hi Jeff,

As you've bought a stage 4 kit you should have 2 x 5.8Ghz antennas (the small pinwheels), and 3 x 2.4Ghz pinwheels (the large ones)? If you're missing an antenna, double check all the packaging because I found one of my smaller pinwheels wrapped in newspaper that I thought was just packaging.

Above you said "Drone side small black Antennas for the 2.4 ghz" - it seems perhaps you've mixed up which antennas are which as the small black antennas are the 5.8Ghz control ones and should be plugged into the antenna board in the phantom.

You asked where the antennas go - do you mean where they are positioned on the drone itself? If so hopefully my post here with the pictures help? viewtopic.php?f=54&t=27060

As for battery, sounds like you need to buy a new one if you can only make 6000ft...

Hey thanks you were 100% correct.. thats where it was.. lol you saved me. I had to get it out of the garbage can.. I looked at the link but it does not show where inside they plugin . thats when I need to know

allemtura · Oct 15, 2014

Phew, glad I helped you with that before the trash was taken away!

Have you seen this video I made for the 5.8Ghz connections inside the phantom? viewtopic.php?f=54&t=26255

Or do you need to know where the 2.4Ghz pinwheels go?

jefferykell · Oct 15, 2014

allemtura said:
Phew, glad I helped you with that before the trash was taken away!

Have you seen this video I made for the 5.8Ghz connections inside the phantom? viewtopic.php?f=54&t=26255

Or do you need to know where the 2.4Ghz pinwheels go?

I seen that one.. Great video!
its the 2.4Ghz pinwheels I need help with . And about the battery life ? I did the hand held RC upgrade and get much better range I was about 6000ft out and seen the battery was getting low so I started coming back and just made it. So how can someone get 16,000 ft on the stock battery ? I have 3 of them and I tried all 3 same thing. One time I went up 4600 ft and all most did not make it back down .. What am I doing wrong

Hey Thank you for all your time helping me..

Jeff

allemtura · Oct 16, 2014

Ah, are you trying to go up as in altitude? Height is a whole different ball game due to the slower descent rate, and I've never gone higher than 1500ft personally.

I'll have a look for a photo showing the 2.4Ghz connections this evening as it's somewhere on here - it'll be easier than taking my bird apart again.

allemtura · Oct 16, 2014

The video link below shows one of the two wifi antenna connectors at 1:41, highlighted in a red circle (the other is to the left on the same metal module). You can remove both existing antenna cables and replace them with those from Tony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFltb2f ... e=youtu.be

jefferykell · Oct 20, 2014

Ok so I spent the 500.00 of the stage 4 kit and installed it. but now I cant keep GPS lock and if I get over 6 as soon as I rec I lose gps. I am not very happy. lol

jefferykell · Oct 20, 2014

Ok so I spent the 500.00 of the stage 4 kit and installed it. but now I cant keep GPS lock and if I get over 6 as soon as I rec I lose gps. I am not very happy. lol

allemtura · Oct 20, 2014

Were you loosing GPS at different times of the day or just during one flight? I ask because I had a flight recently where I just couldn't get a GPS lock despite satpredictor saying I had 8+, so I put it down to being a really overcast day.

May be worth opening it back up to double check all cables are securely fastened in as the antennas shouldn't affect GPS. Have you completed the foil mod as well?

jefferykell · Oct 20, 2014

allemtura said:
Were you loosing GPS at different times of the day or just during one flight? I ask because I had a flight recently where I just couldn't get a GPS lock despite satpredictor saying I had 8+, so I put it down to being a really overcast day.

May be worth opening it back up to double check all cables are securely fastened in as the antennas shouldn't affect GPS. Have you completed the foil mod as well?

kondorfpv · Oct 20, 2014

Hello Jeffrey,
what firmware number are you running?

Also

Allemtura, what firmware version are you running?

I don't want to exclude that a firmware could be causing this.

Although since so far there are only 2 reported cases, I still don't think it's down to the antennas.

What happens if you just unplug the antennas, do you get full gps?

kondorfpv · Oct 20, 2014

if you get full gps with the antennas removed, first we can try to downgrade the firmware to see if that removes the problem, then I have a second hardware solution.

TOny.

jefferykell · Oct 20, 2014

kondorfpv said:
Hello Jeffrey,
what firmware number are you running?

Also

Allemtura, what firmware version are you running?

I don't want to exclude that a firmware could be causing this.

Although since so far there are only 2 reported cases, I still don't think it's down to the antennas.

What happens if you just unplug the antennas, do you get full gps?

main 3.06
gps 6.0.1.4
zen 1.0.0.4

jefferykell · Oct 20, 2014

jefferykell said:
kondorfpv said:

Hello Jeffrey,
what firmware number are you running?

Also

Allemtura, what firmware version are you running?

I don't want to exclude that a firmware could be causing this.

Although since so far there are only 2 reported cases, I still don't think it's down to the antennas.

What happens if you just unplug the antennas, do you get full gps?

Click to expand...

main 3.06
gps 6.0.1.4
zen 1.0.0.4

Ok So I removed the 2.4ghz antennas form the drone and had no problem locking in gps 7. Then I replaced them and in the same spot could not connect 3 to 4.

kondorfpv · Oct 20, 2014

Interesting results there,
would you be so kind to share a picture showing the bird with the antennas fitted? it's quite possible that with a repositioning of the 2.4 pinwheels you can get rid of the problem.
Also I'd like to see what firmware allemtura is using on his.

Worse comes to worse you can revert the bird to stock, and return the bird's side antennas, either just the 2.4s or all 4 of them for a partial refund. Thanks goodness this problem is isolated to 2 cases so far since May when I started shipping these out.
TONY.

allemtura · Oct 21, 2014

Mine is on 3.06 and not had any issues with GPS.

If it helps, my antenna positions can be seen here: viewtopic.php?f=54&t=27060#p249383

jefferykell · Oct 22, 2014

kondorfpv said:
Interesting results there,
would you be so kind to share a picture showing the bird with the antennas fitted? it's quite possible that with a repositioning of the 2.4 pinwheels you can get rid of the problem.
Also I'd like to see what firmware allemtura is using on his.

Worse comes to worse you can revert the bird to stock, and return the bird's side antennas, either just the 2.4s or all 4 of them for a partial refund. Thanks goodness this problem is isolated to 2 cases so far since May when I started shipping these out.
TONY.

Please see below