Return to home at 500 ft distance/ 400ft height

[LarryLeisure]

I downgraded to 1.08 on my new V2+....couldn't stand the way it handled in 3.04.

However, its returning to home at only 500 ft distance. I did notice that the antenna ends on the phantom where completely inside the landing gear.

Does it make a big difference to pull the antenna ends out a bit?

Antenna on the controller is pointed straight up, and I am flying from a hill with no obstructions whatsoever....


Thanks!

 

[Mori55]

Flat part of controller antenna should be facing the phantom.Don't point the tip at the phantom weakest signal. Antennas on phantom are fine. Did it do this before you downgraded ?

 

[LarryLeisure]

This is how the Phantom antenna is now, and how the antenna on the controller is positioned...I don't see a "flat end"?

Before, the phantom antennas where totally hidden inside the landing gear....I think that may cause some sort of interference?

 

[noiseboy72]

5.8GHz can be massively affected by humid air, but 500' is way short of what it is capable of.

Have you ensure it is in FAA, not CE mode? This can limit TX distance significantly.

Also, if you have a newer smart phone with 5Ghz "N" band capability, ensure the wifi is switched off. I know if should not make a difference, but I found it does!

 

[flyNfrank]

I remove the top cover and re-guide the antenna wires so they aren't twisted or robbed from performance. This allows them to be slightly longer. This process is good for a minimal gain at best. If you are just starting out flying a new quad, the distance you travel will steadily increase with each flight. I'll get connection lost, and lost signal at 400ft new out of the box. And with no mod's, just additional flights throughout the week, it will advance to 1500ft to 1700ft.

 

[BlackTracer]

Your controller antenna is oriented wrong. You need to point it 90 degrees up from the way you have it. This will likely help.

 

[Loaderbull]

This is how the Phantom antenna is now, and how the antenna on the controller is positioned...I don't see a "flat end"?

Before, the phantom antennas where totally hidden inside the landing gear....I think that may cause some sort of interference?

It looks like your controller (tx) antenna is pointing at the quad and not straight into the air. As has been mentioned, the tx antenna needs to point straight UP, at 90 degrees to the ground.

 

[phantomguy]

The long part of the transmitter antenna is where the signal is strongest. Tip is weakest. So long part of antenna should always be aimed at phantom

 

[slothead]

What environment was it flying in (urban, suburban, industrial, totally devoid of civilization, hilly, flat)? Personally, I don't think your antennas were the issue. What problems did you encounter with 3.04 (you mentioned you weren't happy with it)? How long had you been flying it before you loaded 1.08?

 

[LarryLeisure]

Thanks for all the replies! I've been flying since March 2014.

Yes the antenna is pointed straight up...I am off to the same spot now, and ill try it with the Antenna pointed at a 90 degree angle...

I'll post back with what I find.

It always did return safely back to home at least, and then catch landed it with 0 problems.

Oh, I am flying it in high humidity, on a hilltop, no interference, close to ocean in SoCal. Weird weather here lately!

 

[JWarren]

You don't have to let it complete the RTH when LOS occurs. Once you have it back close enough just flip S1 to middle position and then back up to top position to get control back.

 

[DBS]

And don't worry about the antennas tucked inside the plastic legs... they are less susceptible to wind knocking them around that way... excessive "flapping" in the wind can affect performance as well... they should be pointing straight at the ground while the drone is hovering... they should be tucked inside the leg... and the pigtail at the end should be straight.... make sure it isn't bent or curved

Plastic doesn't have a negative impact on radio waves... you have the same type of antenna on your controller completely enclosed in that white pen barrel... that's how they work on wifi routers and all types of other radios ... The protection is more important than the worry of any signal loss.

 

[happydays]

Also, if you have a newer smart phone with 5Ghz "N" band capability, ensure the wifi is switched off. I know if should not make a difference, but I found it does!

Wouldn't you lose all connection to the app then?

 

[noiseboy72]

Not sure if you can isolate the band. Worth turning off the wifi on the phone and see if the range increases.

If so, you might want a phone with just 2.4GHz, not the 5.8GHz as well.