Parabolic Signal Booster?

You will find various opinions on these. Do some thread searching.........
Such as:

Antenna Booster
 
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Hi Guys,
Was thinking of getting a parabolic signal booster for my P3S, has anyone had any experience of these?
I put one on mine and it seemed to help although I can't actually put a number on it. The brand was Sunnylife, and I found it on ebay for $5 delivered.
 
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I paid 10 bucks for one off of Amazon for my P3S. I didn't really see any increase in signal range. I always fly line of sight and anything past 1800 feet is really difficult to see much less tell what direction it's going without looking at the screen.
 
I have the Polar Pro led lights on front and rear legs with the Strobon strobes on each side. The led lights are pretty bright at night and I have them set on flashing. I really like setting on my front porch at dark, helps me see airplanes that fly under 400 ft. I'm in a residential neighbor hood and if not mistaken airplanes are supposed to be 1000ft or higher but private pilots don't seem to follow rules either. I also have seen commercial airliners on approach to Greater Pittsburgh International Airports flying pretty low also. Also have to worry about helicopters too but I can hear them coming from afar especially medivac choppers as they have been very low passing over my house.
 
Was thinking of getting a parabolic signal booster for my P3S, has anyone had any experience of these?

I know others here have reported an increase in distance, so for the small investment, its worth a shot. I tried one on my P3S but I didn't honestly didn't see any improvement although, by all rights, I would have expected some. But, then, I'm routinely getting 6xxx - 7xxx feet without one, so it was kind of a moot point.
 
The science is sound. However manufacturing and the ability to properly locate the antenna at the focal point/plane may vary among producers. Like focusing a flashlight or torch you’ll have to be more keen on keeping the signal pointed at the aircraft.
 
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Yes. You need to stand poised with a laser like attention!

With the Skyreat parabolic addition my signal strength seems to increase my P3. I sometimes do a Litchi run over a lake and have a video connection to about 6000 ft and controller connection (with choppy video) to 8000 feet. You have to maintain your stance in the direction of the bird for remaining connected.
 
I purchased a set of these from Amazon about a year ago and won't fly any distance missions without them. I fly mostly Litchi Waypoint missions and without the reflectors, I lose the signal links at about 5,500 feet LOS. With the reflectors mounted (and accurately pointed towards the drone) I maintain full 100% signal out to 7,600 feet at 400 feet altitude. I also have done tests with the drone hovering at a distance and rotating the controller with reflectors attached around the compass headings, can easily tell the signal drop when the antenna array is pointed in any other direction other than dead on. At 180 degrees in fact, I lose the signal completely. The side lobes are also noticeable and indicate that most of the signal is being directed forward with the reflectors in place.

One might note though that these reflectors need to be accurately mounted with the surface area equal distance from the antenna and that the reflective surfaces are not dented or deformed. I do think they are the best way to improve a signal if used properly.

Thanks,
Jim
WA5TEF
 
I can't speak for the parabolic booster but I put the BlueProton ARGtek antenna kit on my P3 SE and the signal is the same, sometimes worse than stock. Save the money.
 

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