DBS Itelite P3A - Maiden Flight = So Far No Difference

[Phantom751874]

Finished the install this afternoon. Pretty easy if you take your time. The hardest part is removing the stock antennas and getting the two plastic halves back together. I would like to note laying the cables on top looped over everything is a little concerning. When looped the left cable pushes down when joining the two halves back together. This in turn causes the connector on the end of that cable to rotate down and as it turns out it applies pressure to a ribbon cable there. The best thing to do is to try and push the ribbon cable down as far as possible while joining the two halves of the controller. The cleanest bet would be to start removing things so the cables can be installed the way they were from the factory.

I ran 1 flight from my neighborhood. I was not able to get any further than stock through my neighborhood and out over a large empty field. I believe this was able 3,300 feet or so. RC was solid the whole time while the video feed started breaking up around 3,000 feet.

I will head out again later today when the heat dies down a bit to test from the open and flat field where I did 3 miles out and 3 miles back with the stock controller. This was about a month ago and for whatever reason I haven't been able to get near that far form the same place with the stock controller. But I will be able to test how far I have been getting lately from that same place but with the Itelite Antenna.

 

[Alex_]

Finished the install this afternoon. Pretty easy if you take your time. The hardest part is removing the stock antennas and getting the two plastic halves back together. I would like to note laying the cables on top looped over everything is a little concerning. When looped the left cable pushes down when joining the two halves back together. This in turn causes the connector on the end of that cable to rotate down and as it turns out it applies pressure to a ribbon cable there. The best thing to do is to try and push the ribbon cable down as far as possible while joining the two halves of the controller. The cleanest bet would be to start removing things so the cables can be installed the way they were from the factory.

I ran 1 flight from my neighborhood. I was not able to get any further than stock through my neighborhood and out over a large empty field. I believe this was able 3,300 feet or so. RC was solid the whole time while the video feed started breaking up around 3,000 feet.

I will head out again later today when the heat dies down a bit to test from the open and flat field where I did 3 miles out and 3 miles back with the stock controller. This was about a month ago and for whatever reason I haven't been able to get near that far form the same place with the stock controller. But I will be able to test how far I have been getting lately from that same place but with the Itelite Antenna.

You should be able to get far more than 3,300 feet stock, or with a windsurfer. Have you done the channel hack? If not, I'd do that and then make sure you are picking a channel that has zero interference. I don't rely on automatic channel selection anymore. I just pick a channel in my hood that is totally clean and I can get 12K ft with a windsurfer - and that's from my house so lots of wifi and other interference around.

Also, what was your altitude? Fly at 395 feet and see how it goes.

 

[Phantom751874]

You should be able to get far more than 3,300 feet stock, or with a windsurfer. Have you done the channel hack? If not, I'd do that and then make sure you are picking a channel that has zero interference. I don't rely on automatic channel selection anymore. I just pick a channel in my hood that is totally clean and I can get 12K ft with a windsurfer - and that's from my house so lots of wifi and other interference around.

Also, what was your altitude? Fly at 395 feet and see how it goes.

I got 3 miles stock about a month ago. I will go to the same place later today to test the Itelite and see if I am getting beyond what I got to stock a couple days ago (much less than 3 miles). I haven't done the channel hack yet but will try that if I need to. Right now I am mostly trying to figure out if the Itelite is doing anything for me. Right now I am a bit skeptical based on my first flight.

 

[rrmccabe]

The DBS panel should easily double your distance. But as @Alex_ said your range stock should be well over 3,300 stock.

So maybe you have an issue not related to DBS panel.. I have been 10,000 stock and know the DBS panel will do 20,000 LOS.

 

[justin00]

Not familiar with P3's... but just curious whats the windsurfer you mention ?

 

[Phantom751874]

The DBS panel should easily double your distance. But as @Alex_ said your range stock should be well over 3,300 stock.

So maybe you have an issue not related to DBS panel.. I have been 10,000 stock and know the DBS panel will do 20,000 LOS.

I got 3 miles (15,840 ft) stock, it's not the controller as I put the DBS Antenna on the same controller. We'll see when I test again later tonight.

 

[Alex_]

Not familiar with P3's... but just curious whats the windsurfer you mention ?

Here's a really long thread about it:


DIY Antenna Booster for Phantom 3 | DJI Phantom Forum


You can see how to make your own for free, but I highly recommend buying the one that David sells on his site. It's like 15 bucks and is really nicely made. You'd have to dig through that post to find where he lists his site, but it's in there multiple times.

 

[justin00]

Ah cool thanks for that.. Had a quick look, I see why its called a 'wind surfer' :]
Don't have a P3 so don't need to worry just yet.

 

[Hjones62]

@Alex_ First time hearing about a channel hack? Can you explain or what you do to get a clean channel with no interference? Thanks

 

[rrmccabe]

I got 3 miles (15,840 ft) stock, it's not the controller as I put the DBS Antenna on the same controller. We'll see when I test again later tonight.

OK misunderstood you. Thought you were 3,300 stock.

Let is know how you come out.

 

[Phantom751874]

Tested tonight through four batteries.

3.43 miles out and 3.43 miles back (18,125ft). Now this is the longest I have ever gone but when I went 3 miles out with the stock controller I turned around even though I had a solid connection on RC and Video. I was concerned about battery. I probably could have went further so I am not sure what that test indicates. In any matter I had 30% battery left when I landed tonight. So I probably could have pushed to the absolute battery limit of 4 miles out and 4 miles back. Maybe I'll try that someday. I was at 397ft high or something like that.

The only valid test so far has been from my neighborhood (congested as most neighborhoods are) out to a field. In this test there was no difference and the Itelite Antenna actually failed to go as far by probably 100 yards or so (guesstimating). This was only 1 flight I know but I was expecting the antenna to push through the congestion much better as this is what is stated by DBS. I will test some more. Just trying to figure out if the antenna was worth the money. Especially since it required hacking the controller up.

I would like to check out the Batt-Wings though when/if they come out

 

[Cadz11a]

I fly 5 miles with windsurfer battery becomes the limit if you want to return.

 

[witold]

We already have videos of bone stock P3s maxing out distance and being limited by battery - not reception.

2.4 is 2.4. You can make it more directional (which comes at a cost) but at the end of the day, you can't defy the laws of physics. If you want distance, and especially if you want better penetration, UHF is where it's at. UHF is still far from ideal, but it's much better than 5.8 and 2.4.

2.4 is terrible around foliage and other obstacles and it doesn't matter how good your antenna is. And you are not sending enough power to make much of a difference. Doubling your power on 2.4 only gains you a little bit more range. It's far from a linear relationship.

 

[Phantom751874]

I fly 5 miles with windsurfer battery becomes the limit if you want to return.

5 miles out and 5 miles back? What percentage of battery do you land with?

 

[Cadz11a]

Let me check my logs I will post

 

[Cadz11a]

14% but I only had 88% battery when I took off

 

[Alex_]

@Alex_ First time hearing about a channel hack? Can you explain or what you do to get a clean channel with no interference? Thanks

Here you go:

More channels hack | DJI Phantom Forum

 

[Bill_E]

I'm wondering if there is a difference with the latest batch of DBS antennas as most people posting aren't seeing the range previous posters are seeing. I saw a very minor increase in range with mine. In open area with line of sight, barely got past 2 miles before losing signal.

 

[Ingsoc75]

When I installed my DBS, I just disconnected the stock antennas and connected the DBS cables in their place. The stock antenna is still attached to the controller but the cables are wound up inside and out of the way. That way I can always go back to stock if I want to.

I was able to get 3 miles using stock antennas but that was only in one certain direction at my house (suburban Huntsville). I was hoping that the DBS antennas would of changed that but it didn't.

I tried the channel hack and put it onto 30 or 31 but I saw no benefit compared to auto. It's probably a matter of trial and error with different channels and the environment.