Yes, this might be the cause of your signal loss!!

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Hi everybody my name is Mike and I'm new to drones, but I have a history of radar and electronics in U.S. Navy P3 Orion aircraft.

I have read recently about many problems with signal loss between controllers and the aircraft they are controlling, but I have not heard of anyone complaining due to temperature inversion layers in the atmosphere. When the sun beats on the ground during the day it warms up the air at the surface and above the surface of the ground. Later in the day when things start to cool you can have a heated layer of air above the ground, this is called a temperature inversion layer. Radio signals from both radar and controllers along with other various types of RF energy will not always penetrate that layer of warm air. I believe this to be a major cause of the signal loss people speak of. If the aircraft is within that layer and the pilot is below that layer the signals may not get through and instead will just bounce off that inversion layer and not make contact. It's important to know the temperatures at different altitudes so this anomaly can be avoided. You can search for basic radar theory and temperature inversion online and you'll find many documents explaining the effects on radio signals.

Hope this helps Mike.
 
Mike,

What's the altitude of that layer?


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The same problems can happen at low altitudes.


Yes but checking temps won't help much. The temp at 32 feet is likely to be the same at 400 feet.

Those that fly higher than 400 AGL are either approved to do so and have some level of training or they are breaking the law.
 
From my pilot's ground school on weather, the adiabatic lapse rate is about 3.5 degrees F for every 1,000 feet elevation ASL. I doubt if 1.5 degrees will amount to much around 400 feet with regards to the drone's electronics.
 
Hi everybody my name is Mike and I'm new to drones, but I have a history of radar and electronics in U.S. Navy P3 Orion aircraft.

Hi Mike - thank you for posting that - interesting stuff and worth following up on via your suggestions for same.
 
Think you're talking nonsense....


Explain? Are you saying that there is a large gap in temps from ground level to 400 feet? Aside from a weather front moving in and wind conditions would likely be a bigger concern if a storm is moving in there is normally not much difference.
 
I wouldn't have thought that 2.4ghz would be affected by inversion layering at the sort of heights & distances we fly?
 
PART 101 - MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, UNMANNED ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS?
No, that title is outdated. The new title as of Aug 29 is PART 101—MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS, UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS, AND CERTAIN MODEL AIRCRAFT.

I guess you haven't seen it. You might want to take a look at it - the current version. Your comment in post #6 above contradicts this document.
 
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No, that title is outdated. The new title as of Aug 29 is PART 101—MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS, UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS, AND CERTAIN MODEL AIRCRAFT.

I guess you haven't seen it. You might want to take a look at it - the current version. Your comment in post #6 above contradicts this document.
§ 101.41 Applicability.

This subpart prescribes the rules** governing the operation of a model aircraft* that meets all of the following conditions*** as set forth in section 336 of Public Law 112-95:

(a) The aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use;
(b) The aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization;
(c) The aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program administered by a community-based organization;
(d) The aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft; and
(e) When flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation.
 

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