5.8Ghz range tests.

Bigbadbob76 · Jan 18, 2019

Hi guys, I'm a newbie here so first off- thanks for the forum. there's loads of great info on here and I love what you guys doing long distance flights are achieving.
I'm new to Flying but I'm an electronics engineer with a background in AUV/ROV work so it's not my first rodeo. haha.
I'm well up for modifying and I'm a serious techy head. you have been warned. hahaha.

I was doing some static (not flying) range tests last night across the bay in front of my house (I'm in the UK) and could just achieve 1mile both 5.8Ghz and 2.4Ghz with just the magic power mod to 24dBm and stock antennas as a reference measurement.
I now want to try my diy 5.8Ghz biquad antenna on my RC but it occurred to me that if I lost 2.4Ghz I wouldn't know if I still had 5.8Ghz as I'd have lost the telemetry downlink.
Can anyone confirm that the green "link" led on the RC goes out if you still have 5.8Ghz uplink but lose the 2.4 downlink to the RC?
How do you do your 5.8Ghz range tests?
Any suggestions welcome.
Cheers.
BBB.

Forgotten_Fox · Jan 18, 2019

Tbch other than a rangeboost fold out antenna mod I got for 20$, I’ve never needed more range as you still need to maintain LOS with the AC, and at a mile it’s hard to see well anyway.

Bigbadbob76 · Jan 18, 2019

Thanks for your reply FF.

I like to experiment though, it's half the fun for me. I'd get bored pretty quickly just flying around and not trying different things.
I'm thinking about adding a strobe to increase LOS distance and out to a couple of miles I'll be able to see if there's a helicopter or Hercules in the area.
I always keep an eye out and religiously stay under the 400ft legal limit and come home at low altitude or land if there's anything else in the air.
But that's for another topic. ;-)

Nick Mendocino · Jan 19, 2019

Your range while flying will be much greater than from one surface point to another. Over water or flat land without forest I can get about 5 mi. range with my P4A+, which doesn't have 5.8 MHz. That's provided my aircraft is at 300-400 ft.

Bigbadbob76 · Jan 20, 2019

5 miles is pretty impressive Nick. Is that with stock antennas?
Where I live I only have that kind of clear area over the sea so I have to be certain my battery is up to it as there's no-where to do an emergency landing.