FC40 Camera Range & Kindle Fire HD

[PsychopathRC]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking up this part of the forum for a while as I've longed for an FC40 and have just today ordered one before they disappear. I've seen a number of people say that using a Kindle Fire HD specifically with the FC40 camera gives them much more FPV range (up to 300 meters as opposed to 100 meters). I think they mentioned something to do with the WiFi unit in the Kindle Fire HD being of a better quality then in other tablets and phones. So I wonder! For anyone on here the uses a Kindle Fire HD with their FC40, is this true? I'd definitely invest in one if this is true, as they are selling for as little as £80. It would be easier then buying a repeater.

Cheers!

 

[wattage]

I don't have a Kindle so unfortunately I can't offer any advice on that but on my Galaxy Tab which got me out to similar distance, the further away I got, the poorer the FPV experience became. The Fire HD should get you to 600-900ft away but at those kind of distances be prepared for the FC-40's connection to get disorientatingly laggy.

 

[PsychopathRC]

Thank you for this information. That sounds okay to me. The 100 meter maximum just doesn't sound too appealing to me, as it is very highly unlikely to ever be at optimal conditions here in London. So I may get more like 50 meters max. A better device like the Galaxy Tab, which I have, would do me some good it seems. If I want to upgrade further, I believe a WiFi repeater can be used and is rather simple. More answers will be much appreciated. We could get an idea of how both different and similar devices compare.

 

[Beario]

I've gone out to 300 meters with an unmodified Kindle fire HD. I modified mine with an antenna and I get out to 450 meters before I get cutouts. It is well worth it since they are so cheap.

 

[PsychopathRC]

Yes I agree! Thank you! I will try my Galaxy S3, S4 and Tab 3 and see how it goes. Will need a holder for the Tab 3. Suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thanks again!

 

[J.James]

I just have a regular kindle fire (non HD) and was getting about 300m+ FPV range and after I did an external antenna mod was getting over 480m

 

[PsychopathRC]

It sounds like tablets in general give better range then phones. Does anyone know where in Europe or China, I could buy a mount for a tablet then?

 

[J.James]

I just recently got two different 7 inch tablets that work with my phantom vision. and was able to actually force the phone holder that comes with it to just fit. Them tho the kindle is just about a 1/2 inch to wide to fit.

But what I did to get the others to fit in the stock phone clamp was to heat up the very tips with a lighter and flatten both of the fingers out. Then I let them cool and then reheated the very end and then bent about the last 3/8th inch or so so the curved again and it now it will open up just enough to get the 7 inch tablets to just fit with the fingers opened as far as they will go and it holds them really snug. So far out of all the different things i have tried this way is the one i find I like the most. Now I'm thinking of making up two metal extender tabs that will be bent in to a lose S like shaped hooks and see if I can fit one edge of each hook on the kindles top and bottom edge then clamp the other end of the two hooks in the phone clamp and I'm thinking it should hold it.

 

[PsychopathRC]

Sounds like a lot of DIY there. I want to avoid that, lol. I'm happy to pay up to £25 for something as simple as a plastic clamp for my tablet :lol:

 

[Beario]

DIY? It does not take much at all to extend the holder, here is my setup.

 

[Chrisxr2]

Hmm my wife rarely uses her kindle fire, I might give this a try.

 

[wattage]

Sounds like a lot of DIY there. I want to avoid that, lol. I'm happy to pay up to £25 for something as simple as a plastic clamp for my tablet :lol:

Maybe this? I mounted my Galaxy Tab on this with no problems.

http://www.tecnic.co.uk/Transmitter-Tab ... acket.html

 

[J.James]

Sounds like a lot of DIY there. I want to avoid that, lol. I'm happy to pay up to £25 for something as simple as a plastic clamp for my tablet :lol:

Hummmmm id be happy as heck to make you one for that much. My entender hooks that would go on the existing clamps would work sort of how this type mount works but also be able to fit other size tablets. But would be made out of metal instead of plastic. here is some thing that does the same thing but only fits on size http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tablet-Moun...Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20eeac72b5

Hech I have a full metal working shop and could even fabricate some thing that would grip the tablet with a wider grip. Or so that it grips at 4 points in stead of just in the center. I could even paint them and rubber dip the ends that grip the tablet.


But the heated ends on just the normal clamp is about as easy of a DIY project any one could do even if they are all thumbs and dont own any tools. Even with out a cigaret lighter a gas stove flame would work even better and not discolor the plastic as much as a lighter does.

 

[PsychopathRC]

Sounds like a lot of DIY there. I want to avoid that, lol. I'm happy to pay up to £25 for something as simple as a plastic clamp for my tablet :lol:

Maybe this? I mounted my Galaxy Tab on this with no problems.

http://www.tecnic.co.uk/Transmitter-Tab ... acket.html

That looks great! It mounts onto the DJI Transmitter?

Sounds like a lot of DIY there. I want to avoid that, lol. I'm happy to pay up to £25 for something as simple as a plastic clamp for my tablet :lol:

Hummmmm id be happy as heck to make you one for that much. My entender hooks that would go on the existing clamps would work sort of how this type mount works but also be able to fit other size tablets. But would be made out of metal instead of plastic. here is some thing that does the same thing but only fits on size http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tablet-Mount-i- ... 20eeac72b5

Hech I have a full metal working shop and could even fabricate some thing that would grip the tablet with a wider grip. Or so that it grips at 4 points in stead of just in the center. I could even paint them and rubber dip the ends that grip the tablet.


But the heated ends on just the normal clamp is about as easy of a DIY project any one could do even if they are all thumbs and dont own any tools. Even with out a cigaret lighter a gas stove flame would work even better and not discolor the plastic as much as a lighter does.

DIY? It does not take much at all to extend the holder, here is my setup.

That Ebay item would be great with me. My issue is that like many of these things, they are sold in the US or Canada. So the price of getting one here amounts to about £50. It's not that I couldn't make one. I just don't want a DIY job. I'm being picky and a bit of a perfectionist with this stuff, lol. It's the same with the sunshade. I know I COULD make one, but I want a proper one. Until I find one (Haven't needed to look because it's not sunny at all) I will go without.

I think I have a mild form of OCD x)

 

[J.James]

Try a search for tablet holder on ebay uk or try searching terms such as FPV mount, FPV monitor holder,

Here is one that I got when it was a different style that has a clamp meant to go on to a cars head rest but could be clamped to the bar on the back of the TX but the clamp part was kind of flimsy. But they changed it to now be a sucktion cup thingy meant to go on to a windshield. But it can still work. and the seller is in the UK. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-Univ ... 4acb5209c4 Notice the ball mount on it that goes in to the suction cup thingy.. I have heard from others that that ball is the same size as the ball on the stock dji phone holder clamp. So it would fit in place of the white plastic clamp. It also can just be clamped on to by the stock clamp if you take the suction clamp thing off and just use the mount clamped in the stock phone holder.

 

[PsychopathRC]

That could just be the thing I need! Thank you!

Until now, I searched stuff like 'DJI Tablet Mount', 'Tablet Mount', 'Transmitter Tablet Mount' ect x)

 

[J.James]

I just did some experimentation to see if one of the tablet mounts could be secured better then just clamping it in the plastic clamp. and I came up with a pretty easy way to do it and also got to use another cheap carbon fibor type monitor mount I had that didnt have a good way to actually mount any of my tablets or my kindle to the mount its self with out having to resort to some thing like velcro or any thing else permanently attached to the tablets. To be able to use them for flying. and both the mounts together still cost me under $20 The carbon fiber fpv mount I had is one like this and it cost me $8US shipped and you should be able to find on of them in the uk very easy. http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/lU0AAOSw7NNT~p7Z/$_57.JPG

and here it is combined with the table mount meant for a car with all the useless parts discarded