satellites drop slightly when recording video - SOLVED

[smokiespliff]

Hi, I've looked around the forums but couldn't see this answered.

I noticed yesterday that when I take off with 7/8 satellites and fly about for awhile everything is good, but as soon as I hit record video the number of satellites drops by about 2, so I get 5/6 instead of 7/8. Ofc when it only has 5 it starts to drift in the wind, in my case out towards the sea! Is this a known thing that I just haven't noticed until yesterday?

Thanks!

 

[JWarren]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I'd guess if you give it enough time it will bounce back up there. Another forum member (sorry, forgot who) was nice enough to pass along this link showing about how many GPS satellites you should be able to expect.

http://satpredictor.navcomtech.com/

I've generally take off with 8 but have been routinely flying with 11 or 12. 12 is my top number I believe.

Regards<
J.

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Hi, I've looked around the forums but couldn't see this answered.

I noticed yesterday that when I take off with 7/8 satellites and fly about for awhile everything is good, but as soon as I hit record video the number of satellites drops by about 2, so I get 5/6 instead of 7/8. Ofc when it only has 5 it starts to drift in the wind, in my case out towards the sea! Is this a known thing that I just haven't noticed until yesterday?

Thanks!

I have similar suspicions after experiencing a similar drop.

When I turn it on and sit it on the ground I get a pretty good number of satellites. As soon as I start recording and power it up they drop right off. I haven't tested properly whether its setting record or power up the motors that's causing it because I usually just want to get on an fly but I will test it properly one day.

 

[smokiespliff]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Thanks for the replies!

I had better success today in a different location, but I also had more satellites so any drop did not cause the craft to drift. However, I am not imagining that there was a noticeable drop in satellites when I started recording yesterday. I repeated the experiment 4 or 5 times and had a friend I was with to verify I was not going mad.
It is always possible it was a coincidence, but I will keep an eye on it.

 

[Mori55]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Camera interference with gps ? Was a thread on this awhile ago.

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I tried it tonight and the results really surprised me. I was surprised at how bad it was. See the before and after pics below. The time between screen shots is 8 seconds and I repeated this over and over to prove it was the camera. A four or five satellite drop when the video is turned on which means anything less than 10 satellites leaves me at the whim of the winds.

I'm going to try to hunt the thread mentioned above but this completely explains why every-time I record video I end up faffing about having to think more about the flying than I can about the shot. I HAVE to get this sorted otherwise I completing some of the projects I have lined up will be nigh on impossible.

BEFORE



AFTER

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Camera interference with gps ? Was a thread on this awhile ago.

I've been through 40 pages of search and I can't find it. If anyone has it in their subscriptions, could you post a link please.

Thanks

Mark

 

[Wedeliver]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I understand that you have through your testing proven that when you hit record the number of sats that your quad can see changes. I am trying to think of what is related between those 2 systems that could make this happen. The only think that the two systems have in common is they both use radio waves to communicate. I have seen some kind of mod where people are putting an item like tin foil in the upper shell. Somehow this is supposed to help with gps signal I think. So, perhaps that is the fix you need. It was alu-foil I think and he had sheets he could cut to fit. This might help

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19402&p=177164&hilit=foil#p177164

 

[cougar]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Camera interference with gps ? Was a thread on this awhile ago.

I've been through 40 pages of search and I can't find it. If anyone has it in their subscriptions, could you post a link please.

Thanks

Mark

Last one on this page
Subject: Weak GPS?

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I understand that you have through your testing proven that when you hit record the number of sats that your quad can see changes. I am trying to think of what is related between those 2 systems that could make this happen. The only think that the two systems have in common is they both use radio waves to communicate. I have seen some kind of mod where people are putting an item like tin foil in the upper shell. Somehow this is supposed to help with gps signal I think. So, perhaps that is the fix you need. It was alu-foil I think and he had sheets he could cut to fit. This might help

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=19402&p=177164&hilit=foil#p177164

Excellent. Thanks.

This is definitely worth a try. I'm having no luck finding a coated sheet but I'll keep looking.

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Can anyone suggest which of these might be fit for purpose? The EM absorbers sound great but I have no idea about this kind of thing.

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal/3M ... ingSheets/

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/portal/3M ... Absorbers/

AB-5000 Series

EMI Absorber

3M

AB5000 series EMI absorbers consists of flexible soft metal flakes filler in polymer resin with acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive. 3M EMI absorbers are near field absorbers that are specifically designed to eliminate noise from a few hundred megahertz to multiple gigahertz frequencies. They work by absorbing the EMI field generated by today's high speed electronics, eliminating emissions, crosstalk, and oscillations. They are flexible polymer sheets that are loaded with specific magnetic flake particles and are nonconductive, so they can be directly applied to circuitry and noisy traces without fear of shorting out traces and IC pins.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

You would want the ones for the EMI shielding, NOT the magnetic shielding. Probably the AB-5000 series.

 

[Gatordent]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I am going to use the aluminum vent tape that is used for A/C duct work and place a Mylar tape over it. I'll let you know how that goes. I also notice a significant drop in satellites. I had mentioned it in another thread.

 

[Mori55]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

When I had my mobius action cam on my dji 450 I had a hard time getting sat lock when I turned it on.
I even had the puck in a copper foiled cup on a mast.
I had the camera and gps as far apart as possible. I wonder if you turn the booster app on if sat lock get worse or stays the say ? Or is it jus rf noise from the camera ?

 

[Wedeliver]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I am going to use the aluminum vent tape that is used for A/C duct work and place a Mylar tape over it. I'll let you know how that goes. I also notice a significant drop in satellites. I had mentioned it in another thread.

I am interested in what effect if any is achieved by do this mod. What do you think about documenting how things are working now, issues that you have with gps and if there is anything you do that changes how gps is working for you. Then after doing the mod see if those documented things still do what they were doing before. for instance the stoner from Ireland said when he hit record the number of sats dropped. I guess when he would turn off recording the number of sats would go up. Anyway, I think you know what you are doing, I was just hoping that you could blog about your efforts and if they are worth it or not.
thanks

 

[Gatordent]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I am going to use the aluminum vent tape that is used for A/C duct work and place a Mylar tape over it. I'll let you know how that goes. I also notice a significant drop in satellites. I had mentioned it in another thread.

I am interested in what effect if any is achieved by do this mod. What do you think about documenting how things are working now, issues that you have with gps and if there is anything you do that changes how gps is working for you. Then after doing the mod see if those documented things still do what they were doing before. for instance the stoner from Ireland said when he hit record the number of sats dropped. I guess when he would turn off recording the number of sats would go up. Anyway, I think you know what you are doing, I was just hoping that you could blog about your efforts and if they are worth it or not.
thanks

You mean do it scientifically :lol: got it... I'll do my best :geek:

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

You would want the ones for the EMI shielding, NOT the magnetic shielding. Probably the AB-5000 series.

Thanks. Yup, I'm aware of that.

The choice I'm trying to make is Absorber vs Shielder. Then again they do a product which is a sandwich of both.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

Then again they do a product which is a sandwich of both.

That may be the best choice. Perhaps order a few sheets of each to test?

 

[M.Tigelaar]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I'm testing it also :geek:
http://youtu.be/qCaq6xMlSVY
I started flying with seven satellites and while recording I had only five
I take the bird to me with ATT and then land it for som tests :roll:
Just looking for the right thing to put in the bird for the interference

 

[RPA]

Re: satellites drop slightly when recording video

I wasn't able to source the fancy 3M stuff so I'm going with copper tape for now. I'll report back when it's in place.