The Official "My P4 Range Is Too Short" Thread - Don't Start New Range Threads!

The elephant in the room is Lightbridge is an inferior technology ascomparedto occusync. Unless the bird side of transmission is changed, there is no point amping up the radio. I’m in the process of installing a first generation occusync on my phantom 4 from battered mavic. The phantom has been sitting idle since the mavics came but hey! It’s experimental ventures now!
Occusync 2.0 range of 5 miles is comparable to amped up Lightbridge with a DBS 02 antenna. Amping LB with a better directional antenna offsets the difference in stock configurations.
 
Interesting that many people are big on Itelite DBS 02 range extender setups. I bought a lightly used Phantom 4 recently outfitted with a DBS 02. The guy appeared to do a great installation job and I was pumped! But, what a let down. I can get max of 1 mile in the city. 1.25 miles in the middle of nowhere. I know that's plenty if you wanna obey the law (heck, > 1 mile is more than violating VLOS). I really thought I'd see more with lightbridge paired with this range extender, but I did not.

Despite this, I love this drone. The optics on the camera really do produce, and the P4 really handles like a dream.
 
Interesting that many people are big on Itelite DBS 02 range extender setups. I bought a lightly used Phantom 4 recently outfitted with a DBS 02. The guy appeared to do a great installation job and I was pumped! But, what a let down. I can get max of 1 mile in the city. 1.25 miles in the middle of nowhere. I know that's plenty if you wanna obey the law (heck, > 1 mile is more than violating VLOS). I really thought I'd see more with lightbridge paired with this range extender, but I did not.

Despite this, I love this drone. The optics on the camera really do produce, and the P4 really handles like a dream.
My P4 was disappointing when I bought it too. It didn't even come close too my P3P range performance. I ended up buying an Inspire controller and that fixed the problem and gave me an HDMI port for goggles. I suggest you pay $45 to nolimitdrones.com and boost the RC and craft RF power beyond FCC limit. I think the P4 was designed anemic, not sure why. My P4 is for sale, it's practically new because DJI replaced my original P4 under warranty due to shell cracks. Right after that I bought my P4P and never flew the P4 much since.
 
Interesting that many people are big on Itelite DBS 02 range extender setups. I bought a lightly used Phantom 4 recently outfitted with a DBS 02. The guy appeared to do a great installation job and I was pumped! But, what a let down. I can get max of 1 mile in the city. 1.25 miles in the middle of nowhere. I know that's plenty if you wanna obey the law (heck, > 1 mile is more than violating VLOS). I really thought I'd see more with lightbridge paired with this range extender, but I did not.

Despite this, I love this drone. The optics on the camera really do produce, and the P4 really handles like a dream.
If the DBS02 install didn't come with amps and an amp battery, you won't see a significant improvement over the stock P4 setup. It really needs the amps. The NLD FCC Boost alternative will be cheaper and easier than adding amps and another battery, but I don't know if it will also boost the video signal from the drone, which the amps do on the receiving side at the RC, and without the FPV, the extended control range isn't of much use.
 
Below is the link to my RF measurement research for the P4 anemic performance. I concluded the problem was the GL300C controller, which is why the Inspire 1 controller fixed the P4 range problem. Notice the P4 craft RF output is higher than P3P craft, proving that's not the root problem.

 
  • Like
Reactions: phxbird57
John Locke and GadgetGuy,

Thank you the responses! I have been flying a Mavic Air and a Spark for over a year now... However, the camera produces stills and video WAY better than those drones ever did for me...and I studied how to make them produce nice visuals. However this P4 blows them away when it comes to that.

I am saying all that because if I can get past this breakup in transmission, I'd be head over heals for this thing. I wouldn't need anything else. I am committed, so I need to look in to the boosting of signal via amps, etc, that you all are mentioning. Cost isn't really the hangup in doing that, It's just that it sounds like an absolute beat down having to hook up DBS 02 every time, and now there's an amp and an external battery. Also it sounds very heavy...LOL! But, what the heck. I'm definitely looking into this.

PS: it looks like nolimitdrones.com might be a thing of the past. It no longer exists.
 
John Locke and GadgetGuy,

Thank you the responses! I have been flying a Mavic Air and a Spark for over a year now... However, the camera produces stills and video WAY better than those drones ever did for me...and I studied how to make them produce nice visuals. However this P4 blows them away when it comes to that.

I am saying all that because if I can get past this breakup in transmission, I'd be head over heals for this thing. I wouldn't need anything else. I am committed, so I need to look in to the boosting of signal via amps, etc, that you all are mentioning. Cost isn't really the hangup in doing that, It's just that it sounds like an absolute beat down having to hook up DBS 02 every time, and now there's an amp and an external battery. Also it sounds very heavy...LOL! But, what the heck. I'm definitely looking into this.

PS: it looks like nolimitdrones.com might be a thing of the past. It no longer exists.
It's nolimitdronez.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: GadgetGuy
John Locke and GadgetGuy,

Thank you the responses! I have been flying a Mavic Air and a Spark for over a year now... However, the camera produces stills and video WAY better than those drones ever did for me...and I studied how to make them produce nice visuals. However this P4 blows them away when it comes to that.

I am saying all that because if I can get past this breakup in transmission, I'd be head over heals for this thing. I wouldn't need anything else. I am committed, so I need to look in to the boosting of signal via amps, etc, that you all are mentioning. Cost isn't really the hangup in doing that, It's just that it sounds like an absolute beat down having to hook up DBS 02 every time, and now there's an amp and an external battery. Also it sounds very heavy...LOL! But, what the heck. I'm definitely looking into this.

PS: it looks like nolimitdrones.com might be a thing of the past. It no longer exists.
The amped DBS02 setup with external battery is very heavy and requires a harness tray underneath it to support it, along with a second lanyard attached to the RC to keep it from falling off the tray. You'll also need to mount and hook up external drone batteries to support the extended range. That's why the P4P was such a huge improvement over the P4. Even better video in 4K 60fps and 20MP stills from the 1” sensor, and no external antenna or boosters needed, and no external batteries necessary, as flight times are up to 25 minutes at 30mph. Super light weight compared to the P4 star wars setup. However, the P4P is still very big, and hard to conceal, and doesn't fold up. That's where the M2P comes in! Even longer range, very concealable, and quiet, and a tiny RC. Only thing missing is 60fps 4K. There's a reason the P4's are being sold cheaply! Were I you, I would quickly sell the P4 and get either an M2Z or an M2P. You'll thank me later! :cool:
 
John Locke- thanks. You had originally put it as nolimitdrones.com. But, the site looks cool. Thanks.

Gadgetguy- I know! I will likely sell this and just bite the bullet on a MP2.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GadgetGuy
John Locke- thanks. You had originally put it as nolimitdrones.com. But, the site looks cool. Thanks.

Gadgetguy- I know! I will likely sell this and just bite the bullet on a MP2.
Given the current anti-drone hysteria, the more discreetly and stealthily you can fly, the better. M2P fits the bill, and will run circles around the P4 in every way, and the 1” sensor is a huge camera upgrade! NoLimitDronez.com has also recently added the M2P to their list of supported hardware for full user control over the drone parameter settings. ;)
 
when I got my first P4 std. It came with the standard GL300c controller. I did one flight with it and got 18k. To me that was not except able. I tried a GL300b that I was using for my P3P and the P4Std went out to 25k. It seems that every time DJI changed the model they cut something. I will not use a GL300C for any of my drones.
As for the Controller for a Inspire 1. I have tried it and took a little longer to link up I thought. But it did work great.
My 2 cents of the controllers GL300a, The best one that DJI put out. great video feed and range. The GL300b , is next in line after the GL300a . Little less in the video feed but great range. The GL300c , to me is a budget controller for a DJI Phantom drone. My opinion is DJI started cutting back relying on you smart devise to power the video. That is why you can't use and older phone or tablet.

Phxbird
 
when I got my first P4 std. It came with the standard GL300c controller. I did one flight with it and got 18k. To me that was not except able. I tried a GL300b that I was using for my P3P and the P4Std went out to 25k. It seems that every time DJI changed the model they cut something. I will not use a GL300C for any of my drones.
As for the Controller for a Inspire 1. I have tried it and took a little longer to link up I thought. But it did work great.
My 2 cents of the controllers GL300a, The best one that DJI put out. great video feed and range. The GL300b , is next in line after the GL300a . Little less in the video feed but great range. The GL300c , to me is a budget controller for a DJI Phantom drone. My opinion is DJI started cutting back relying on you smart devise to power the video. That is why you can't use and older phone or tablet.

Phxbird
Yes, the GL300c is the very worst of all the GL300 RC's! Any of the prior ones will outperform it. Fortunately, they are all compatible, and just require linking.
 
  • Like
Reactions: phxbird57

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,358
Members
104,935
Latest member
Pauos31