ITELITE + RE500 vs RE700

bernek · Apr 19, 2016

phxbird57 said:
Went out this morning it was a little winded. Did my best so far 6019ft. I keep losing my signal at 5900ft and it would turn around to come home and I would get a good signal so I over rode the RTH and flow it backwards to get the 6019ft make. I have the clover leaf on the back and the regular antenna on front.
Willis West

Is it hard to install clover leaf antenna on P2V ? I only wanted to mod the RE500 and the RC. Thanks

I'm really not sure anymore what to do next ... I should get an ITELITE DBS kit for P2V ? I was also looking ar HORIZONS (they look like FPVLR but are in Europe - UK; so I can aquire one).

I'm also interested in making a home made solution on the cheap but not sure where should I start and I can't make my own cables so either way I have to pay for them and have them made ...

I've got a really decent price for ITELITE from Poland directly

phxbird57 · Apr 19, 2016

Oh I just looked to see where your from. I knew a few families from Romania. The Horizons are OK range wise you don't get anything like the phantom. I had a hand held one fun flying the house.
How I did my clover leaf there is NO drilling. You have to open up the case, find the receiver ( right side middle)follow the antennas to it. your will need to pop off one of the connectors ( may have white glue on it) be very VERY easy with removing the connector from the receiver. I choose the back antenna. You will need a patch cable to run from the receiver to underside to attack the antenna too. I ran my cable through the hole in the landing gear where the antenna goes through. here is a picture of the cable. I don't know the correct name for the ends. somebody gave me that business card. Seeing your already in Europe I would check to see how much one of ITELITE DBS kit for P2V are. Here their about $100 us.
Good luck keep me posted.
Phxbird

bernek · Apr 19, 2016

Thanks ! My mother was in Phoenix AZ a few years ago

small world afterall ... The ITELITE DBS (kit for P2V) is 98 USD here (from Poland) + shipping (around 15-20 USD) I think.

I might get that ITELITE DBS KIT and mount it myself ! My only concern is the RE500 but I will upgrade it in the future to RE700

Don't have a lot of cash to spend now so its either the RE700 or the DBS ITELITE KIT. I think the latest is the funniest of them

The RE700 is quite expensive here ! its almost 120 USD ... on ebay from US they are 50 ...
but I have to pay custom charges and shipping and I end up at 100+ USD.

Brand new they are 130-140 USD.

phxbird57 · Apr 19, 2016

If I was you just try the Itelite kit before going with the RE700. I'm not sure if they chanced the receiver or just the antenna. I know they chanced the antenna's. Somebody else may know.

bernek · Apr 19, 2016

phxbird57 said:
If I was you just try the Itelite kit before going with the RE700. I'm not sure if they chanced the receiver or just the antenna. I know they chanced the antenna's. Somebody else may know.

The power for RE500 is stated <17 dB and for RE700 20 dB. The 3 to 5 dB gain is quite a big one since the dB is a logarithmic unit

hence the range 300 meters on RE500 vs 600+ meters on RE700.

But I'm pretty sure the ITELITE DBS kit will help me a bit maybe less or more

I don't know how to mod the birdside antennas but will look into it !

So far I only get 300 meters (in good days) and I'm aiming for 1000 - (3280 ft)meters with the RE500 (dB increased with Litchi) and ofcourse the ITELITE KIT.

phxbird57 · Apr 19, 2016

I most of missed that spec on them.

phxbird57 · Apr 19, 2016

are you in a mountain area or flat field. I'm flying over dry desert and flat. I have flown over green fields and the alfalfa eats up the signal, the taller it is the worse it gets. I have also flown over rolling hills, I'm not sure how far I could of went. I landed with 6% battery I was at a higher area flying to a lower area. I got 14000 ( I had been flying on the battery for about 5 minutes before I started for he long trip) Oh and this is my P3a . Just saying the environment helps.

bernek · Apr 19, 2016

I'm in a hills area with some mountains

I fly over green grass sometimes. I mostly want to fly over a forest/lake where is hard to get on foot ! The spot I pick for flying is the highest ground available so I allways have line of sight to the P2V. The 1000ft range is good but I would love to have 3000ft thats why I'm looking for mods.

I will report back after I buy and install the ITELITE DBS kit and I hope to get atleast 2000-2500 ft. from it

phxbird57 · Apr 20, 2016

bernek said:
I'm in a hills area with some mountains I fly over green grass sometimes. I mostly want to fly over a forest/lake where is hard to get on foot ! The spot I pick for flying is the highest ground available so I allways have line of sight to the P2V. The 1000ft range is good but I would love to have 3000ft thats why I'm looking for mods.

I will report back after I buy and install the ITELITE DBS kit and I hope to get atleast 2000-2500 ft. from it

I moved the mushroom antenna on the drone from facing down to a 45degree angle ( looks like a tail )coming out beside the battery. I was holding the controller over my head ( I'm only 5' 6"), make sure the antennas were angled right to the drone and got 7000 ft

. I was amazed how much different it made just by raising the controller.

Willis West 7k

bernek · Apr 20, 2016

You are surely going wild on that one

can't wait to get my ITELITE DBS kit to see what I can do with RE500

phxbird57 · Apr 20, 2016

I'm going to start standing on a box ( I'll feel like 6 ft tail)

phxbird57 · Apr 20, 2016

bernek said:
You are surely going wild on that one can't wait to get my ITELITE DBS kit to see what I can do with RE500

here is a little flight we did yesterday evening at an old airport. Was used back in the 40's for the army. I did not know there was planes there till yesterday morning. I was using my P3a but the P2v+ could of make it.

bernek · Apr 20, 2016

I wish I could fly these days

the weather is not allowing me ... we have rains and strong gusts of wind.

phxbird57 · Apr 20, 2016

That is one thing nice about Arizona. We get maybe 3 to 4 inches a year in the valley. But we are coming in to the summer HOT. The temperature will change 40 degrees from morning to after noon. We do early morning flying.

phxbird57 · Apr 20, 2016

bernek said:
I wish I could fly these days the weather is not allowing me ... we have rains and strong gusts of wind.

here is our strong gusting winds. ( not all the time)

bernek · Apr 21, 2016

Tomorrow I will be in the sky

Those winds look crazy and they raise up all the dust !

bernek · Apr 21, 2016

Did a flight today with P2V and range was ~300 meters (didn't mod anything yet).

Here is a pano: Floresti Panorama - Photosynth

And some pics:

I can't wait for the antenna upgrade to go a bit further

Mark The Droner · Apr 21, 2016

"About 300 meters" is about right for FPV, so that's good news. Now you can proceed forward with the mods knowing there is nothing fundamentally wrong with your connections.

bernek · Apr 21, 2016

Marknmd said:
"About 300 meters" is about right for FPV, so that's good news. Now you can proceed forward with the mods knowing there is nothing fundamentally wrong with your connections.

What would you recommend a RE700 first and then an ITELITE DBS KIT ? I'm really not sure what to do next. I'm thinking about ITELITE kit maybe I will get enough FPV range so I don't have to invest in both

In Europe especially in Romania I would pay more than 125-130 USD for a RE700 ... For the ITELITE kit maybe 120 USD.

Mark The Droner · Apr 21, 2016

The thing about either range extender, if you mess up the mod, you could burn the transmitter. But the ITELITE lasts forever. You can't burn out the ITELITE.

I think what would happen is you'd end up getting the 700 anyway eventually, regardless of what range you think you might be happier with. But considering you'd have to pay so much, I would probably get the ITELITE first with the knowledge that you'll probably end up with the 700 some day. That way, when you do the mod on the 500, it'll be good practice for you. Later when you do the mod on the expensive 700, you'll be an expert.