4 km at 1080p

[wkf94025]

HighCloud,

Just found this thread. Impressed, and thanks for all you've shared. How much $$ to get setup for 4km at 1080p, assuming one already has all the components listed in my signature block? So, need to buy Lightbridge, amps, cables, antennae, mast, etc.

Do you have picture-in-picture so you can watch sports while you fly???

Kelly

 

[Highcloud]

HighCloud,

Just found this thread. Impressed, and thanks for all you've shared. How much $$ to get setup for 4km at 1080p, assuming one already has all the components listed in my signature block? So, need to buy Lightbridge, amps, cables, antennae, mast, etc.

Do you have picture-in-picture so you can watch sports while you fly???

Kelly

You will need light bridge ground and air around £1000
Helicals around £150
Skew planers around £50
Cables allow £20

Pip would be a bit reckless

 

[sebaszz]

Highcloud,

Thank you for sharing your experience... it's really appreciated.

Where did you bought these antennas?

Is there special reason you want to get rid of the amps? or may they also work with the CP antennas. I have built 30+min fpv quad and copied your first setup . Now i am curious if i even can extend the range more with the combination of CP's + amps

 

[sebaszz]

I guess these are the Circular Wireless - Circular Wireless 2.4 GHz Helical Antennas

 

[Highcloud]

I guess these are the Circular Wireless - Circular Wireless 2.4 GHz Helical Antennas

Yes Circular Wireless produce some of the best if not the best antennas that I have seen or used.

The Amps will add noise plus you are relying on batteries, so if you can do it without Amps then it is a better cleaner and lighter solution.

 

[sebaszz]

Ok thanx

your talking about antenna tracker... i don't see a servo unit or what so ever, how do you keep track?
Is it difficult/ possible to keep track manual for example on the compass of the lightbridge? need to gain some knowledge....

 

[Highcloud]

Ok thanx

your talking about antenna tracker... i don't see a servo unit or what so ever, how do you keep track?
Is it difficult/ possible to keep track manual for example on the compass of the lightbridge? need to gain some knowledge....

The Tracker is a GPS tracker using a sim card, in case of lost phantom. For tracking the phantom with ground antennas, you can use the Azimuth reading on the HDMI screen or just have a rough knowledge of where you are flying. The beam cone angle is around 60 degrees, so you have a lot to play with, and of course the further you fly the wider area you are covering . So, for every 1Km you fly out you have just over 1 Km of beam width available. At 4.5 KM out you have just over 5Km width available. That gives you a huge margin of error to play with.

 

[lklepner]

Neat build thanks for the pics. I've been having a good time with the Sunhans amps but can see the value of a passive system. I did a quick search on the circular antennas and it looks like cost around 75euro/ea. Tempting..

Which GPS tracker are you using?

 

[Highcloud]

Neat build thanks for the pics. I've been having a good time with the Sunhans amps but can see the value of a passive system. I did a quick search on the circular antennas and it looks like cost around 75euro/ea. Tempting..

Which GPS tracker are you using?

TK102 tracker - strip everything out, fix the battery in place and put the antenna outside. The main tracker board is hot glued to the main Phantom PCB, there is a nice blank gap on top of the board, just fits nicely.

 

[sebaszz]

Neat build thanks for the pics. I've been having a good time with the Sunhans amps but can see the value of a passive system. I did a quick search on the circular antennas and it looks like cost around 75euro/ea. Tempting..

Which GPS tracker are you using?

TK102 tracker - strip everything out, fix the battery in place and put the antenna outside. The main tracker board is hot glued to the main Phantom PCB, there is a nice blank gap on top of the board, just fits nicely.

maybe interesting...

The tk106 also accepts 3g simcards.....

 

[Loaderbull]

Highcloud, nice setup.

I am in the process of doing something very similar, using various pieces of aluminium brackets, tripod and 2 amps. I will post pictures too once it is ready, just need one more amp to arrive and i can attach it. Interestingly do you not find it easier with the omni antenna's and amps - not having to direct the setup towards the quad? Rather than using no amps and directionals i mean...

I have some RHCP helicals i made, one 12 turn one 7, got me great range on my P2V+, 3 miles with no dropout.

I'll post back end of the week/beginning of next with the setup complete.

Regards,

 

[Highcloud]

Highcloud, nice setup.

I am in the process of doing something very similar, using various pieces of aluminium brackets, tripod and 2 amps. I will post pictures too once it is ready, just need one more amp to arrive and i can attach it. Interestingly do you not find it easier with the omni antenna's and amps - not having to direct the setup towards the quad? Rather than using no amps and directionals i mean...

I have some RHCP helicals i made, one 12 turn one 7, got me great range on my P2V+, 3 miles with no dropout.

I'll post back end of the week/beginning of next with the setup complete.

Regards,

I found that flying in a noisy area that the helicals work best compared to omnis and amps. This is probably because with directional antennas the noise field is greatly reduced. Look forward to seeing your set up

 

[Loaderbull]

Highcloud, nice setup.

I am in the process of doing something very similar, using various pieces of aluminium brackets, tripod and 2 amps. I will post pictures too once it is ready, just need one more amp to arrive and i can attach it. Interestingly do you not find it easier with the omni antenna's and amps - not having to direct the setup towards the quad? Rather than using no amps and directionals i mean...

I have some RHCP helicals i made, one 12 turn one 7, got me great range on my P2V+, 3 miles with no dropout.

I'll post back end of the week/beginning of next with the setup complete.

Regards,

I found that flying in a noisy area that the helicals work best compared to omnis and amps. This is probably because with directional antennas the noise field is greatly reduced. Look forward to seeing your set up

Indeed i forgot helicals were great for multipath rejection, i'm sure the range of a decent helical and amps would greatly exceed that of our P2 batteries capacity! I've got the long HDMI and 3.5mm cables so i too can fly from inside while the rig is outside. My tripod isn't the tallest though so will be investing in another.

 

[andersonpaac]

Highcloud, nice setup.

I am in the process of doing something very similar, using various pieces of aluminium brackets, tripod and 2 amps. I will post pictures too once it is ready, just need one more amp to arrive and i can attach it. Interestingly do you not find it easier with the omni antenna's and amps - not having to direct the setup towards the quad? Rather than using no amps and directionals i mean...

I have some RHCP helicals i made, one 12 turn one 7, got me great range on my P2V+, 3 miles with no dropout.

I'll post back end of the week/beginning of next with the setup complete.

Regards,

I found that flying in a noisy area that the helicals work best compared to omnis and amps. This is probably because with directional antennas the noise field is greatly reduced. Look forward to seeing your set up

What sort of connectors for the antennas do you use air end? I am not sure of the name as they don't seem to be SMA or RP-SMA

 

[Highcloud]

Highcloud, nice setup.

I am in the process of doing something very similar, using various pieces of aluminium brackets, tripod and 2 amps. I will post pictures too once it is ready, just need one more amp to arrive and i can attach it. Interestingly do you not find it easier with the omni antenna's and amps - not having to direct the setup towards the quad? Rather than using no amps and directionals i mean...

I have some RHCP helicals i made, one 12 turn one 7, got me great range on my P2V+, 3 miles with no dropout.

I'll post back end of the week/beginning of next with the setup complete.

Regards,

I found that flying in a noisy area that the helicals work best compared to omnis and amps. This is probably because with directional antennas the noise field is greatly reduced. Look forward to seeing your set up

What sort of connectors for the antennas do you use air end? I am not sure of the name as they don't seem to be SMA or RP-SMA

It's mmcx connectors

 

[Loaderbull]

Here is my rig, will tidy up a tad when i get chance but all set ready to go;

There's a UBEC supplying the 5V @ 5A for the two amps, with a toggle switch to turn it all on/off. The antenna's are 7dBi TPLinks. Custom RF cables made to as close as i can get it for 2 wavelengths and cable velocity factor (69.5%).

I have a 15m HDMI lead and 15m 3.5mm jack lead so i am able to view and control from inside while the ground station is outside. I haven't range tested yet but i am confident it will allow very good range within my usual flying site.

 

[Highcloud]

Here is my rig, will tidy up a tad when i get chance but all set ready to go;

There's a UBEC supplying the 5V @ 5A for the two amps, with a toggle switch to turn it all on/off. The antenna's are 7dBi TPLinks. Custom RF cables made to as close as i can get it for 2 wavelengths and cable velocity factor (69.5%).

I have a 15m HDMI lead and 15m 3.5mm jack lead so i am able to view and control from inside while the ground station is outside. I haven't range tested yet but i am confident it will allow very good range within my usual flying site.

Looks nice let us know what range you get

Stay below 400' as there is a lot of people ready to ban what we do .

 

[Loaderbull]

Thanks, yes height isn't my thing but certainly a kilometer radius is. I don't really need any further, but the view using lightbridge is fantastic coming from analogue SD FPV

 

[Loaderbull]

Highcloud, out of interest which antenna set did you use on the Phantom for the Lightbridge? Also which legs did you install them on, a picture would be good perhaps? I have mine on the left legs, a panel antenna on the rear and the dipole on the front. I think i shall stick to either or as my results aren't fantastic right now...

Not sure what it is, although i need more testing and tweaking which i'll do when i have more time and weather allows!

Have you a link to the ALFA antenna's you used? I bought one but it looks fake as the writing is coming off easily. It gives a good signal indoors so i may try it, if it's ok i'll get another even if it is fake.

 

[Loaderbull]

Highcloud, out of interest which antenna set did you use on the Phantom for the Lightbridge? Also which legs did you install them on, a picture would be good perhaps? I have mine on the left legs, a panel antenna on the rear and the dipole on the front. I think i shall stick to either or as my results aren't fantastic right now...

Not sure what it is, although i need more testing and tweaking which i'll do when i have more time and weather allows!

Have you a link to the ALFA antenna's you used? I bought one but it looks fake as the writing is coming off easily. It gives a good signal indoors so i may try it, if it's ok i'll get another even if it is fake.

Just saw you are using the dipole's from your first post.

I have also sorted the signal issue, i swapped the two amps around so basically swapping which channel went to which amp - solved. One is a Sunhans, the other is a Sunhans 'clone' with no label....either way it is fine now so i shan't try to figure out why