5.8ghz amp

I can’t say for sure, but since one end is close to the power cord, I’d say that was input, and since the other end has what looks like cooling fins, I’d say that’s the output. I’ve seen many components, but I’m not an electronics expert.
 
Wired the battery for it this afternoon but I'm still missing an SMA connector for it. Amazon had it and it was a prime order so it should be here in 3 days or so. Slap some velcro on the bottom of the RC to hold everything and I should be testing it by the 10th.
 
Is their anyone using this amp that knows which side the RF input is?

Practical FPV Transmitter Signal Amplifier Amp For Airplane Helicopter Model US | eBay

Yes .. I have exactly that ....

Main point to be aware of : The antenna connectors are weak where they fit to board ... I had mine just wound onto the Argtek and it soon broke away.
If I was to fit again ... I would use flexi tails to fit with the booster on the argtek rail and not direct to the antenna stub ....

What I can say is that powered by a 6.6V LiFe battery - it worked superb ... I had over 5000m range in fact I was reaching limits of battery ...



Here's the 2.4 and 5.8 boosters with antenna .... note - the 2.4 cannot take 6.6V straight and I used a typical 5V 5A BEC to drop the LiFe 6.6V down for it. But the 5.8 takes the direct feed of 6.6V ...



You can see the orientation of the 5.8 booster here for IN / OUT ...

I did not need any switch in the power line as I just had plug and socket inline to disconnect all from battery.

Nigel
 
Wired the battery for it this afternoon but I'm still missing an SMA connector for it. Amazon had it and it was a prime order so it should be here in 3 days or so. Slap some velcro on the bottom of the RC to hold everything and I should be testing it by the 10th.

Yes the SMA connection is daft .. because it does not have male and female ... so I had to hunt on ebay for the correct ones .. I ended up with a boxful before the correct one arrived.

If you fit to Argtek rail .... note that the plastic used by Argtek is quite thick ... so when you thread on the adaptor - it bottoms out on the PLASTIC ... and the actual connection is not full and tight. I removed about 0.5mm by filing back the threaded 'pot' on the adaptor so that it did not hit bottom before internal antenna pin etc. was fully home.
I also believe this may be one of the reasons some people have problems with Argtek - that and internal plugs to RF board in the RC.

OK - bad news ... well sort of .... !! I had as good a distance using a doubled Windsurfer on the central Argtek antenna as with booster ... honest.



Here you are a flight with the twin WS's to the centre Argtek antenna ....


Just one of many ... this one hit 4535m

Now here's with the boosters ...


Again 4535m ....

I finally ended up exceeding my battery and paid the ultimate price when she didn't make it home ... 1km short of HP and into the river ... that had totalled a round trip of near 14kms ....

Nigel
 
Yes .. I have exactly that ....

Main point to be aware of : The antenna connectors are weak where they fit to board ... I had mine just wound onto the Argtek and it soon broke away.
If I was to fit again ... I would use flexi tails to fit with the booster on the argtek rail and not direct to the antenna stub ....

What I can say is that powered by a 6.6V LiFe battery - it worked superb ... I had over 5000m range in fact I was reaching limits of battery ...



Here's the 2.4 and 5.8 boosters with antenna .... note - the 2.4 cannot take 6.6V straight and I used a typical 5V 5A BEC to drop the LiFe 6.6V down for it. But the 5.8 takes the direct feed of 6.6V ...



You can see the orientation of the 5.8 booster here for IN / OUT ...

I did not need any switch in the power line as I just had plug and socket inline to disconnect all from battery.

Nigel

Good to know about the weak RF fittings, I'll make a jumper for the input and figure out the output.The little RF amp shows a DC input from 6v-23v and I'm using an 11v zippy LiPo . As I like to trouble shoot one thing at a time i won't add the 2.4 ghz amp till somewhere around the end of Jan. I have a place that I test my upgrades every time that I make a change so I'll let you guys know how it turns out. Right now I'm only out to 2800 ft or so, that's flying between the back of 2 subdivisions down a fairly straight drainage area . Im using a updated omni 5.8ghz and a combo 12dm omni and 7db flat panet for the 2.4ghz.
Thnx guys. I never did get a reply from the seller
 
I know on the P4A the left side of the controller is the signal side and the right side is visual BUT the visual is onboard so it'll have to be boosted from there...
 
I know on the P4A the left side of the controller is the signal side and the right side is visual BUT the visual is onboard so it'll have to be boosted from there...

Completely different machine to the P3S ....

Nigel
 
I know on the P4A the left side of the controller is the signal side and the right side is visual BUT the visual is onboard so it'll have to be boosted from there...
Off topic, but the signal can be amplified on the receiver end too....
 
Receiver ... I see various posts for it ... I looked at doing it but when I reached 5km anyway without modifying AC end - I put aside the thought.

I think the AC itself has better chance of signal back - as its up in the air typically away and clear of things - unlike the RC on the ground. There are many things ground based that can affect signals, but up in the air ?

Nigel
 
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Yea I have external bird side antennas this thread, Standard 3 project is a post that I did on my drone upgrades. After I add the 5.8ghz amp I'll update the project thread. Its been down in the 20's and low 30's here in Texas, which we're not really used to, so I haven't been flying for about a week. The temps are going back up in the next few days, it was 50 yesterday afternoon and it's supposed to be 70 by Tue. or Wed. woohoo!! Happy Thusday all!
 
Off topic, but the signal can be amplified on the receiver end too....
I have (on my controller) the left side amped with a sunhans but on the right nothing as that is the video side and it's receiving video only? Nothing is modified onboard (besides the internal sdcard being upgrade from a 4gb class 4 to a 16gb class 10...

I also have a MaxxUAV directional...

Is there a way to amp it bird side as well?
 
You need to tell us what you're flying - it's apparently not a P3S. But it sure sounds to me like you'd want to amp the other side.

Amping the bird is a bad idea - people have tried it and it simply isn't nearly as good as amping the control side. And no, amping both ends doesn't work well either. Modifying the bird side with a better antenna might be good depending on what you're flying.
 
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I have to admit I was curious about the sides ...

Boosting both 2.4 on the RC made no difference at all when I did it ... I still had same range and drop-out.

As I understood it - the two antenna on 2.4 are redundancy setup .. similar to what we have on standard RC gear 2.4 where two Rx antenna to provide pick-up regardless of orientation ... etc.

As to boosting 'bird' why ? Again - no gains ... with boosted RC - you are going to be pushing not range limits but Battery limits ..

Nigel
 
I have to admit I was curious about the sides ...

Boosting both 2.4 on the RC made no difference at all when I did it ... I still had same range and drop-out.

As I understood it - the two antenna on 2.4 are redundancy setup .. similar to what we have on standard RC gear 2.4 where two Rx antenna to provide pick-up regardless of orientation ... etc.

As to boosting 'bird' why ? Again - no gains ... with boosted RC - you are going to be pushing not range limits but Battery limits ..

Nigel

I've gone 8.5 miles on LNR400 and sans' but it's not portable lol

Battery died about 100 yards from the house...

You need to tell us what you're flying - it's apparently not a P3S. But it sure sounds to me like you'd want to amp the other side.

Amping the bird is a bad idea - people have tried it and it simply isn't nearly as good as amping the control side. And no, amping both ends doesn't work well either. Modifying the bird side with a better antenna might be good depending on what you're flying.

Flying a P4A.
I've amped the controller but never really amped the right side.
 

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