The p3a shows it can travel 2km but when i take it uo for a range test i get weak signal at .5 miles or even 300m distance which isnt very far. I really want to fly it out but i an afraid of the weak signal and may not see the fpv view. Help!!
Weak signal
- Thread starter sh4mar
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What way are your antennae pointing? What height are you flying at? Urban or countryside? Any trees in the way? Need so much more to determine if there is an issue. I was at 1650m distance today in open country at 70m. That's over a mile.
It's common to have a weak signal right above your head if your antennas are vertical. Picture yourself in the center of a donut 1mi in diameter but the donut hole is 1ft diameter. The shape of the donut is kinda how the radio waves go out and come back, from the controller and from the P3. The center of the donut has little signal directly above and below the sources.
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Thank you for that insight. The warning was brief and it seemed to reestablish as I hovered. Just another thing to keep my eye on.
I had very similar issues when I first started flying my P3, so much so that I was convinced there was something wrong with mine. I would get weak signal even as close as 500 feet. I learned that how you orient the antenna makes a huge difference. I started flying with my antenna sticking straight out almost horizontal as I held the controller. For best results the antenna should be perpendicular to the P3 as much as possible.
Clean line of sight is critical for long range as well. Trees and buildings between you and the P3 will cut your useable distance dramatically.
Also, urban wifi interference will dramatically reduce range. Everyone going out 2km or further are doing so away from dense population. Even learning how to best orient my antenna and keeping clean line of sight I am limited to about 1 mile in town. Get me out in the open desert and I have gone 3 miles. Of course that was with the help of my DIY antenna booster.
Clean line of sight is critical for long range as well. Trees and buildings between you and the P3 will cut your useable distance dramatically.
Also, urban wifi interference will dramatically reduce range. Everyone going out 2km or further are doing so away from dense population. Even learning how to best orient my antenna and keeping clean line of sight I am limited to about 1 mile in town. Get me out in the open desert and I have gone 3 miles. Of course that was with the help of my DIY antenna booster.
GadgetGuy
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Makes it tough to do spherical panoramas directly overhead, especially when in the middle of a 20 shot sequence, the bird starts a RTH by descending in place, and you have to cancel it, and then return to the original altitude and start all over. Rinse and repeat!
Turning the transmitter upside down keeps the iPad from blocking the signal overhead with the antennas straight out.
The spherically polarized antenna mod really helps directly overhead, as it's easy to point the front of the RC straight up while keeping the iPad vertical, and with the antenna boosters, you are golden!
