Skipholiday said:
Many are using TP-link panel antennas and they as most others are sold for wifi and use rp-sma.
Simple and affordable.
Members getting oVer 1 mile range with rp-sma connectors with panel antennas and keeping video.
Some of these antenna's are priced out the the roof.
Many good how to's on construction.
No-way would I spend $100 bucks on an antenna that will get no better range than one I can get for $10 bucks.
The proof is in the pudding.
All looks good on paper but until you test it in your environment you don't know how it will function.
I'm happy so far with 2000 foot range with one 9bi and one 7 dbi omni (rubber duckys)
could probably go further.
Good for you,
so how do you know that the CP antenna is not better than what you are using, if you don't try a properly built one?
I mean, FPVLR alone gets 500$ per day of CP antenna orders, do you think those people are all silly? They write back and tell us how much more range they have since switching out the rubber duckies..
We are talking about people who fly 40 miles out, not 2000ft.
Mind you I have several clients who have flown 10 miles (16km) with 200-400mw 5.8GHz video tx and a 12 turn helix on their fpv goggles.
With 2.4 I have customers who have reached 30km with good video still.
with 1.2 I have people who have done weather baloon launches into the stratosphere, and people who have flown fpv for 55-60km (about 35-40 miles).
There is a real difference in CP antennas compared to LP, less breakouts in video, multipath rejection (makes for lower noise floor).
Any way you see it CP antennas are a winner.
You can probably build some yourself, but with no instrumentation you will be always guessing if they work.
60$ of antenna on a 1000 or 2000$ rig is nothing.
You have RTH which gives you peace of mind, but people are flying 20 or 30 miles with no RTH... so hey need clear video with no breakouts....
I would not fly any fpv with rubber ducky antennas, the first thing I do when they come bundled in my tx/rx, I throw them away. I measured many of them and 90% are way off tune and are just throw-aways.