Range less than 1000 feet..what am I doing wrong?

[jasonw]

I have a phantom 2 vision plus. I have about 15 flights on it and I cannot seem to get past 1000 feet before it looses signal and goes into return home mode. I have purchased the booster app for my android phone...and I haven't lost video signal before the phantom looses control signal. I have updated the firmware....and this happens in very rural areas without any known rf interference around.


Does anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong.

TIA
Jason

 

[Dirty Bird]

That is definitely short for control range in a rural environment. Check the following:

Transmitter is in FCC mode?

You are flying LOS...no obstructions between you and the Phantom?

You have the controller antenna oriented correctly...long edge is facing the Phantom?

You are not referring to 1000' directly overhead?

You have TWO receiver antenna on the inside grooves of the landing legs?

Your batteries are good? (Green controller light)

 

[mb_guy]

I have a phantom 2 vision plus. I have about 15 flights on it and I cannot seem to get past 1000 feet before it looses signal and goes into return home mode. I have purchased the booster app for my android phone...and I haven't lost video signal before the phantom looses control signal. I have updated the firmware....and this happens in very rural areas without any known rf interference around.


Does anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong.

TIA
Jason

What mode is your Transmitter in? Should be FCC for usa and canada

 

[jasonw]

I get two beeps on the controller when I power it on....I am flying line of sight (about 300' verticle) with no obstructions....and yes..green light on the transmitter.

 

[srandall25]

You're not pointing the tip of your antenna directly at the phantom are you?

 

[Woody]

Have you checked the box in the RC assistant to FCC? Read this quote from another thread.

The controllers firmware should be up to the latest revision already. BUT while you still have it open and the usb connected you might as well also actually put it in FCC mode threw the rc assistant. When its plugged in and the t turne don you will then see CE and FCC choices pop up in the rc assistant. Check the choice for fc then power cycle the controller Then it will really be in fcc mode and get the best range. When the trim pot is turned all the way clockwise.

Because other wise just turning the trim pot does nothing other then let you adjust the max CE mode power output up or down from 25mw and changes it from one to two beeps. But does not actually do any thing to change from one mode or the other. Like it incorrectly states in the manual that it does. But if you change it in the rc assistant to fcc mode then the trim pot will let you adjust the power up or down from the 125mw fcc power output level.

 

[jasonw]

I checked in the software today and it was in FCC mode. I flew it again today and one time it ran out of range at less than 600 feet....I flew it the opposite direction and it made it around 1000 feet again. I even made sure that the range was 4000 feet in the software. I had the antenna pointed vertical on the transmitter.

Any ideas?

 

[DBS]

Dirty Bird mentioned above...

You have TWO receiver antenna on the inside grooves of the landing legs?

Check those two antennas and make sure they are straight and vertical as well... When I got my P2V+, both of my receiver antennas in the legs were bent and sticking out... One was so bad it was almost horizontal... Also... remove the Phantom battery and look up inside of the battery compartment ... you can see the underside of the main board... on the right you can see the receiver board... make sure the antenna cables are plugged in... you can see one connector real clear as it is on the bottom of the board... The other is on top of the board sandwiched between the rx and main but you can see it with a flash light.

 

[JRapt]

I have a phantom 2 vision plus. I have about 15 flights on it and I cannot seem to get past 1000 feet before it looses signal and goes into return home mode. I have purchased the booster app for my android phone...and I haven't lost video signal before the phantom looses control signal. I have updated the firmware....and this happens in very rural areas without any known rf interference around.


Does anyone have any ideas on what I'm doing wrong.

TIA
Jason

Wish I could offer some advice, however I've followed all the instructions above and I've never exceeded 900ft. Rural, Trees, open areas, doesn't seem to make a difference. All of my work is mostly within that distance so I haven't worried much about it.

 

[JWarren]

I don't believe there is anything wrong with your unit. I typically get a loss of signal around an altitude of 1200 feet now. I haven't tried in a while. As with JRapt, I don't worry about it because I really don't have much need to get to that height. I do believe there are more people getting a LOS around 1000 ft then there are making it to 2500 ft with no problems.

Regards,
J.