Phantom 3 Standard range mod , let's do it together...

@Mtn Boy
Welcome to the forum!

I read your first post,
New to this forum, new to drones
There was no clue that you had done anything with firmware or I would have been on it!

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Search Results for Query: firmware | DJI Phantom Drone Forum
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keyword "firmware"
member "rodpad"

This is the first thread I started on this forum.
Phantom 3-Std Weak Remote Signal

A few others, my bookmark collection has doubled since this post.
Terrible signal performance

Out of all of this posts and threads. I'm the only one that has posted what DJI fixed / replaced on this problem.
Terrible signal performance

@HappyStandardOwner,
Is the first and only one to have a good theory and a fix.

Rod
 
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Thanks for the reply Rodpad. At the time of my first post my head was spinning about what was going on. I had seen somewhere about the danger of using after market batteries and assumed they might be the culprit since the drone had been doing great. As I continued to investigate I ended up downloading the firmware (1.9.20) onto the SD card, then onto the AC. I relinked the RC to the AC. I relinked each battery with the SD card still installed. I was getting better distance after that (1800 ft) but the AC would intermittently lose signal and start RTH. The other thing I noticed was, during auto take off, I would get a warning that it failed even tho the AC would take off. I would land and hit auto take off again and no warning. I have not tried a waypoint mission since (scared) but I will this weekend. It just seems to me (I’m not very smart) that the intermittent loss of signal and return of signal is how it would act if the chip they were talking about wasn’t working and was still trying to switch between antennas. I live on a farm with very little interference and mostly flat terrain.
 
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IMG_1771.jpg

agteigarnet, I’m assuming the chip I’m looking for is under the silver shield? Does that shield pop off or something else?
 
Fixed my bird completely I done the imu calibration and it's perfect now I flew it 1,900 ft so far with no problems and full signal ! It's night time so don't want to press my luck too much but . Main esc board replacement fixed it ! Hopefully this will help someone !!

OK Supra, I screwed up the ‘jumper’ mod, so I just ordered a new board with motors already attached (no soldering needed). After I replace the board, what’s my process for getting it ready? Relink RC to AC? Recalibrate compass? Recalibrate IMU? Just don’t want to screw the pooch after replacing board. Thanks.
 
Friends! I believe this mod will help those who have suddenly dropped the range and stability of the control signal. Usually this happens after the firmware is updated. I think the chip burns out because during the process the remote is too close to the copter. I did not, because I always kept the remote far enough when updating the firmware. But I had a broken chip during a very close flight, when I was shooting my family, and the copter often came close to the rc.

I am replacing the board on mine (can’t do the jumper mod). I was able to determine the chip was bad. If I understand correctly, to keep this from happening again, I need to keep the remote away from the AC when doing a FW upgrade? What distance do you consider ‘safe’?
 
@Mtn Boy,

@HappyStandardOwner hasn't been logged on since December.
You can click on the persons name and see there history.

What distance, yes I would like to know. I would stay a couple of feet, if you doing the firmware maybe six, I really can't picture how the remote and phantom being to close would cause this. All I know, there is only one person "@Sprocky" that says his failed overnight, positively says there was not any firmware changes.

Losing signal at 300ft p3

You will probably have to relink,
IMU and Compass?
Here is a couple threads on when and why, skip the refrigerator part. :eek::rolleyes:

IMU CALIBRATION AND WARMING UP
IMU Calibration
Compass Calibration, A Complete Primer
Looking for Trouble ??

Rod
 
OK Supra, I screwed up the ‘jumper’ mod, so I just ordered a new board with motors already attached (no soldering needed). After I replace the board, what’s my process for getting it ready? Relink RC to AC? Recalibrate compass? Recalibrate IMU? Just don’t want to screw the pooch after replacing board. Thanks.
how did you screw up the mod??
 
You can delete your own posts. ;)
As long it isn't a thread starter.

Rod
 
Its going to be soldered, as stated earlier somebody needs to have the skills and equipment to work on cell phones.

There are some pictures of it on this thread.

Rod
 
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Installed new esc. Relinked RC and ac, recalibrated compass and imu. We’re at the beach this weekend so I took it out. Flew distances in increments. Got out to 2500 feet with no drop in signal or video. I think I’m good. Thanks for the help y’all.
 
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Great, I.m missing something, the remote got messed up, did you fix it or got a replacement?

Rod
 
Great, I.m missing something, the remote got messed up, did you fix it or got a replacement?

Rod
No sir. The remote was fine. The chip that switches between antennas was shorted. I replaced the main board and motors. Relinked and calibrated and everything was like new.
 
Not intricate enough tools. Father in Law, who used to do electronics repair, not steady enough. Dropped friggin solder everywhere.
Not intricate enough tools. Father in Law, who used to do electronics repair, not steady enough. Dropped friggin solder everywhere.
Lol, sry to hear that, I dripped solder on a cheap little drone while changing motor and fried it,
I realized a little trick,I know yours is fixed now but just for knowledge sake , cut your wire to length and add a drip of solder to each end, and then all you have to do is place the wire and just touch it with the iron.
I did the mod, my pic is in this thread somewhere, it’s ugly, but it did get me out to the same distance as you are now.
 
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Lo
I soldered the wire on the end of the SMD capacitor close to the chip and then to only one of the antenna capacitors.

Long story short, have the short range issue; sent P3S to service under warranty and they sent it back saying that "moisture" was detected in the board and gimbal (according to a vendor I know, this is something they say often, and get away with refusing to proceed with the repair. I know for sure the drone was not opened because I made sure I could tell this.

Anyhow, after much preparation and training with an old board, today I made the MOD by @HappyStandardOwner with the tweak described by @agteigarnet and valuable advice from @Staz z (thank you all!). Unfortunately it did not work; tried first the top antenna capacitor and after testing with disappointing results, changed the wire to the lower capacitor, and it did not work as well. Continue receiving poor RF signal messages. Apart from that, the drone seems to be functional (up to 20 meters distance).

I believe the soldering is OK; attaching two images for reference (top capacitor on the top pic and lower capacitor on the bottom pic). I did try to remove the S20 switch (chip) but could not (that is why it is all scratched). However, since it is supposedly not functional, and it is being bypassed, it should not affect the result, correct? I am out of ideas. Any advice will be welcomed.


best

Rui
 

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Is there away you can check your solder joints with an ohm meter, that's all I got at the moment.

Rod
 

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