What will save you if amps fail.

Joined
Jun 11, 2016
Messages
3,513
Reaction score
1,997
Location
Northwest USA
Recently I had a amp/booster fail during a flight. The only way I could bring the drone back down was I had brought extra WIFI antennas with me. While the Phantom was chugging back to home point, I quickly changed to the WIFI screw on antenna. When It got home and was hovering at last way point ,I calmly landed it having signal present due to the emergency antenna. It would have landed anyway at critical battery level wherever it needed to, but I was able to guide it to a safe spot and still have my precious Phantom (New amp on order) to fly another day.
 
Wow what a bold and timely step. Many get panicky at this point of time and make mistakes. Salute!!!

What could be the reason for amp failure? Overloading due to wrong antenna? Figure that out first else your next will also fail.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
  • Like
Reactions: GrammatonxXXxCleric
I am unsure. I've had these amps (set) for almost a year. Never turned them on without a antenna (Very important)) Don't recall bumping them, although they may have at some point. I just take it as a typical failure, one out of two that I use VERY regularly. I issued a replacement request, and am waiting on a reply. I ordered a replacement anyway, as I don't want to fly without the amps. You get addicted to the connection power of these things. The data tranfer light was operational, but I tested them with a RF meter and found the "failure amp" was showing a 6 db signal while the good one had a 19db signal.
 
As long as a good antenna is connected, amps will not just fail.
 
Don't you think that for safety of the amp, all connections should be soldered and not just plugged. Why does DJI plugs at one end and solders on the other end?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
I use no solder on 90% of my work. I use crimp coax (High quality connections) at RG-6 coax ends. No way to solder those. And I use factory adapters at any other ends. If it needs solder to be better, I solder it. Otherwise, I use factory mfd, components. The crimp end adapters are made closely adhering to industry standards by my hand having done it so many times and checking my own work both by eye and with instruments (resistance).
 
I use no solder on 90% of my work. I use crimp coax (High quality connections) at RG-6 coax ends. No way to solder those. And I use factory adapters at any other ends. If it needs solder to be better, I solder it. Otherwise, I use factory mfd, components. The crimp end adapters are made closely adhering to industry standards by my hand having done it so many times and checking my own work both by eye and with instruments (resistance).

You are so practical and experienced. I'm reading your words again and again and forcing you to write more and more. I'm learning.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
I have worked in high power steel rolling mills where inverters are used to control the speeds of roll motors. These inverters use high power GTOs and control signals are passed thru crimped connections. I used to worry if one connection loosens, there would be a fire work in the mill but that never happened. These crimped connectors are made to do their jobs precisely and reliably for ages even in corrosive environments.

Only concern is if we buy such connectors from a non reputed company who thinks these are just pieces of bent materials.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GrammatonxXXxCleric
Yes, ANY component can fail, whether machine produced or human fabricated. But, factory produced parts are highly reliable (grain of salt), and heavy industrial lines are dependent on the constant working of their parts on the production lines. Humans, being (sometimes) very intelligent/creative, bring forth things not imagined previously. Hence, Phantom aftermarket modifications.. I praise God for all the things He's given me and look forward to tomorrow's experiments. What do we have to lose?... a Phantom? or our ingenuity?
 
Recently I had a amp/booster fail during a flight. The only way I could bring the drone back down was I had brought extra WIFI antennas with me. While the Phantom was chugging back to home point, I quickly changed to the WIFI screw on antenna. When It got home and was hovering at last way point ,I calmly landed it having signal present due to the emergency antenna. It would have landed anyway at critical battery level wherever it needed to, but I was able to guide it to a safe spot and still have my precious Phantom (New amp on order) to fly another day.

Maybe you can help me understand. If you have boosted antenna's and they are connected to the Antenna card in the RC, I presume you would have unscrewed the cables (externally) from the existing antenna's and screwed in a non boosted set of antennas. If that is correct, that makes sense. But, if you are out of range of the non-boosted antenna's, that wouldn't help. Is that correct or did you do something different?
 
Maybe you can help me understand. If you have boosted antenna's and they are connected to the Antenna card in the RC, I presume you would have unscrewed the cables (externally) from the existing antenna's and screwed in a non boosted set of antennas. If that is correct, that makes sense. But, if you are out of range of the non-boosted antenna's, that wouldn't help. Is that correct or did you do something different?
Correct. I replaced boosted externals with simple WIFI externals. The last waypoint was within range of controller. If I had been flying manually, and amps failed hopefully the RTH would initiate.
 
Correct. I replaced boosted externals with simple WIFI externals. The last waypoint was within range of controller. If I had been flying manually, and amps failed hopefully the RTH would initiate.

Excellent thinking on your part and good save. Hope I never have to do that, but not a bad idea to have extras. Thanks.
 
They are electrical equipment and do fail.
It has even happened mid-flight to a couple flyers on this forum. You did the right move to (a) recognize it was an amp failure and solve the problem. When and if it happens to me, I would as calmly as I can push Rth button and quickly remove wire from antenna to amp, on the amp side, and place it in controller. Do this one at a time and quickly.

The only thing that will save you if you're 2-3+ miles out is too stay calm and solve the problem. Just like u did[emoji41]
BTW, soldering these connections is not necessary, unreasonable and a bad
suggestion.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 

Recent Posts

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
143,066
Messages
1,467,357
Members
104,935
Latest member
Pauos31