Antennas

[Ed Hahn]

I got some wifi signal range extender booster. It came with 2 -omini ,and 2-direction antennas which I am
not getting any more distance. My question is there any type of windsurf out there I could try with the 8" antenna ? Or should I disconnect these and go back to the original antenna with the windsurf and chalk
this up as another mistake ??

 

[Deleted member 62848]

I got some wifi signal range extender booster. It came with 2 -omini ,and 2-direction antennas which I am
not getting any more distance. My question is there any type of windsurf out there I could try with the 8" antenna ? Or should I disconnect these and go back to the original antenna with the windsurf and chalk
this up as another mistake ??

HI Yeh I got wiND surfer ages ago for ps3 , could get 4,they cheap and glue 2 together ,2 for each antenna,might help? Yeh I got some cheap argtec 8"ones,got a 5 inside a hand logo on top,just file out hole to slide over antenna cover

 

[WV. Rootman]

Did you make sure everything is connected correctly? Were they name brand or a cheap gimmick to defraud you of your money?

 

[Ed Hahn]

ianzone you are right. They are cheap. I think I will buy two and see how they work.

WV. they are connected correct. I did have my friend check my work. Brand name XmiPbs

 

[WV. Rootman]

I checked it out, pretty easy setup. One review said it made his p4 go 2.5 mi. That is what my stock does. I live in the country on a mountain top.

 

[N017RW]

RF is finicky and as such is influenced by cables, connections, reflections, impedance, SWR and numerous other factors. Poor attention to one detail can offset others. What I'm trying to say is there is more than meets the eye and unless every aspect is applied nominally results can vary widely.

 

[John Locke]

My phantom 4 controller is weak, had to switch to an Inspire controller, GL658A to get a good 3mi range, and the Windsurfer does help. Although the GL300C could occasionally get over 10,000' with Windsurfer at my normal test site in the hills with clear LOS, it WASN'T consistent. I used 4mbps transmission quality to maximize range, but the connection was always unreliable. When I moved to the GL658A I got a stronger more reliable and consistent signal with a good 15,000' range, just like my P3P, which is all I want or need.

 

[wa5tef]

I keep reading about folks needing more range. I bought a pair of reflectors from Amazon for about $14.00, don't know if they have a name brand on them, but I can outfly my battery with them. At 7,500 feet I still get a 100% signal on both video and control by going up to 400 feet altitude. If I am flying a Litchi waypoint mission which I most always do, and the Phantom 4 descends to a lower preset altitude, I may get a disconnect but it just keeps on the route and at some point, it will get to an altitude or distance where it reconnects and finishes the mission. The reflectors I have have two holes in each for the antenna, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the reflector. This keeps the device at precisely the right distance from the antenna. This is critical in making the reflector work best. Any deviation from putting the stock antenna at the focal point of the reflectors is killing the signal. This can be easily verified by pointing the antenna array at the sun. If it is properly aligned with the stock antenna, the reflection of the sun's light should fall all along the antenna. If it is not there, then the reflectors are not positioned properly.
Good luck,
Jim
WA5TEF

 

[Ed Hahn]

John I am thinking of looking into the GL658A I did not know if I wanted to spend the money
on that or save my money and see what the p5 might have to offer

 

[John Locke]

If you intend to keep your P4 after the P5 is released, the investment of ~$200 for the Inspire controller is worth it IMO. It would be a good backup craft. Using that with a windsurfer can get you out 3 miles when your using 4mbps transmission quality. I like the stock GL658 for convenience and performance, less bulk than using a Itelite antenna, which is also a good alternative. And if I decided to use an Itelite, the added signal strength from the GL658 would augment the added antenna efficiency.

Keep in mind, if a P5 were to be released tomorrow, I wouldn't recommend buying one for another 6mos, waiting for all the bugs to be fixed in normal fashion by DJI while early adopters report the problems. That's the beauty of this forum, you can get a good feel for the product stability and fixes to problems as time goes by.

If you buy a GL658, you may need to "match the firmware" in the craft and the RC, by loading the most recent firmware for each device for compatibility. Before you do that, try linking it to the craft and see if it works. Many times it will work, but the RC firmware needs to be reasonably close to the craft in age to be compatible.

 

[Ed Hahn]

John Thank you

 

[Ed Hahn]

Little modification,well see if it works.Only $7.

 

[Ed Hahn]

OK Now I am finished,buffed and polished. Now I need some good
weather to test it. We will see if i can get any farther with this.

 

[Stew-2]

I'll be keeping an eye out for the results, looks like it could work!

 

[Ed Hahn]

Stew-2 I hope so

 

[N017RW]

Max benefit of this technique needs the reflector to be parabolic and the antenna radiator to be located at the focal point (plane).

 

[Ed Hahn]

I am still waiting for some good weather here in N.J. I have not try this thing out yet.

 

[Archangel3356]

Curious as to what would you guys would consider to be a better option, the Inspire RC or this setup on the stock remote? Seem to be close in price and I’m trying educate myself before deciding one way or the other. Thanks.

DJI - EvoLite Kit Plus

 

[WWK888]

Curious as to what would you guys would consider to be a better option, the Inspire RC or this setup on the stock remote? Seem to be close in price and I’m trying educate myself before deciding one way or the other. Thanks.

DJI - EvoLite Kit Plus

I have used stuff from MaxxUAV and they did work great. Jake is also very good with customer service. I have since tried products from Titan Drones and also love the results and ease of use of their products. James at Titan Drones is also top notch when it comes to customer service. Obviously these products cost more than windsurfers but INHO are worth it not only for distance but for dense signal areas.

 

[Archangel3356]

Appreciate the info WWK888 as I am not familiar with Titan Drones so I’ll head over there now and see what they have to offer as well. Like you I’m not interested in any more distance really but the strength and reliability of the signal is what I’m most concerned with. Risk management for my investment. Thanks again.