9.23mi 40min Flight - Midnight Skunk Works!

[dirtybum]

First rule about skunk works, you never say the word skunk works

 

[Tenly]

No build thread just knowing your equipment and being able to read environmental factors.

1.1.9

I'd be curious to know what you could get distance-wise with the same bird, in the same location with the same knowledge, environmental factors and experience with a stock - unboosted setup - to be able to quantify how much of your range improvement is directly attributable to the fpvlr setup. You didn't happen to do such a test before the antenna mod, did you?

 

[Ed209]

Could you write the setup of your fpv long range Phantom?
Did you also install an auto antenna tracking? This is actually what I'm looking for, but the more I search how to plug the AAT-transmitter to the main board the less I find..


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

P3A new motors
FW 1.1.9
R/C GL300A
R/C FW 1.5.70
FPVLRv2 (2W Sunhans amps)
DJI Go 2.4.3

I don't have antenna tracking since I'm just flying straight out. That sounds cool though.

 

[Ed209]

Ed,

Super cool! Innovation, "balls of steel", collaboration and 1.1.9 to boot! Many of the things that have become extinct in the new world order. You guys have "earned" the title of "Midnight Skunk Works"! How do I sign up? Congratulations!

Jerry

Hahaha thanks. Midnight Sunk Works is the name I came up with because due to work and a passion for pushing things, I was reduced to doing soldering jobs, test flights, and much of my research late at night There are a few others who are just as crazy messing with things, buying equipment, burning money and crashing drones for the sake of pushing it.

 

[Ed209]

I'd be curious to know what you could get distance-wise with the same bird, in the same location with the same knowledge, environmental factors and experience with a stock - unboosted setup - to be able to quantify how much of your range improvement is directly attributable to the fpvlr setup. You didn't happen to do such a test before the antenna mod, did you?

That's a good question. Before FPVLRv2 I had just windsurfers. But my record was 3.3mi with no windsurfer over water (turned around only because I had no battery mod). I added FPVLR and the battery mod at the same time so I didn't really test without amps. On this 9.23mi flight I was getting solid signal the whole time maybe fluctuating and losing a bar but getting it back quickly. I flew out over 2mi at under 100ft to start off. I don't know if the boosters really helped that much in this location because it was completely over water and ideal. But it definitely helps in all other flying situations, urban, hills, trees... I've even flown from inside my house sitting on the couch over a mile away.

 

[NormanNormal]

Wow 40m flight time. I've never see anything that high. I think this might be a record. Amazing work. I expect great things from you, sir!

 

[dirtybum]

I'd be curious to know what you could get distance-wise with the same bird, in the same location with the same knowledge, environmental factors and experience with a stock - unboosted setup - to be able to quantify how much of your range improvement is directly attributable to the fpvlr setup. You didn't happen to do such a test before the antenna mod, did you?

There's been 1 million posts done with those same comparisons and they all result about the same, they are easy to find.
That's not what this post is about.
This post is about congratulating the f***ing man on an amazing flight , using some amazing equipment , with a particular set of skills that not everybody has!
Keep on topic, sir!

 

[Tenly]

There's been 1 million posts done with those same comparisons and they all result about the same, they are easy to find.
That's not what this post is about.
This post is about congratulating the f***ing man on an amazing flight , using some amazing equipment , with a particular set of skills that not everybody has!
Keep on topic, sir!

I don't think my question is all that far off topic if at all. Of course congratulations are in order and I thought that was implied. If not then let me offer them here - congrats!

The OP answered a question from another poster by implying part of his success was due to his knowledge and experience as opposed to attributing all of his success to his equipment. Given that - I am curious as to what someone with his knowledge and experience could do with a stock phantom. I've read many of the other posts you reference that contain the FPVLR comparisons made by others and I've seen results that not at all consistent.

If you don't like my post or the question I asked - or if it doesn't meet with your idea of what this thread is about - please go ahead and ignore it. The OP will either answer my question or ignore it and that will be the end of it. I'm certainly not going to withdraw it or apologize for it because you don't like it.

There really was no need for you to reply to my post at all and doing so has done nothing but further clutter this thread. So don't bother replying to this one - we'll assume that you apologize for the diversion - and we'll leave my original question as-is for the OP to either answer or ignore as he sees fit...okay? Cool.

 

[Ed209]

Yeah guys don't sweat it. Let's keep it peaceful in here . What I mean is that you can give someone a P3 capable of 10mi, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will be able to fly 10mi. Knowing how to plan a flight route, read your air speed, monitor your battery, in conjunction with determining your turnaround point are just a few factors that will determine success or failure. Then factor in knowing your hardware and it's abilities. I pushed the stock antenna 3.3mi and then went to FPVLR so I really lost interest in messing with the stock setup. My goal was to go as far as possible not see how far I could go on stock equipment.

 

[dirtybum]

I don't think my question is all that far off topic if at all. Of course congratulations are in order and I thought that was implied. If not then let me offer them here - congrats!

The OP answered a question from another poster by implying part of his success was due to his knowledge and experience as opposed to attributing all of his success to his equipment. Given that - I am curious as to what someone with his knowledge and experience could do with a stock phantom. I've read many of the other posts you reference that contain the FPVLR comparisons made by others and I've seen results that not at all consistent.

If you don't like my post or the question I asked - or if it doesn't meet with your idea of what this thread is about - please go ahead and ignore it. The OP will either answer my question or ignore it and that will be the end of it. I'm certainly not going to withdraw it or apologize for it because you don't like it.

There really was no need for you to reply to my post at all and doing so has done nothing but further clutter this thread. So don't bother replying to this one - we'll assume that you apologize for the diversion - and we'll leave my original question as-is for the OP to either answer or ignore as he sees fit...okay? Cool.

Don't be so sensitive Tenley, I was just busting your balls! And allow me to officially say I'm sorry for offending you

 

[Tenly]

Don't be so sensitive Tenley, I was just busting your balls! And allow me to officially say I'm sorry for offending you

Fair enough. I definitely didn't realize you weren't completely serious and I appreciate your clarification and both responses from the OP!

I've ordered the DBS02 mod from ITElite which should arrive Tuesday and I'm looking forward to seeing how far I can get with that!

Regardless of the range - 40 minutes flight time is an incredible feat. Definitely jealous!

 

[Ed209]

I think both antennas have the power to get out there. And the new ones coming to market may be even better. I also think that we will see 10mi flights VERY soon.

 

[Tenly]

At the risk of taking this thread in a direction some may not like. , I do have a theoretical question that I'm hoping someone here will have the knowledge to answer - and hopefully without feeling the need to remind me that
- we should always maintain VLOS, or
- there might be laws in some errors that limit maximum transmission power, or
- that distances beyond a certain point are irrelevant because of battery capacity

So - assuming I already know all that - and speaking strictly hypothetically...

Would it be possible to install and configure an RF repeater to increase the range? Assuming a stock Phantom with a 2 mile capability in a known location - could one install an off-the-shelf repeater at the 2 mile point that would receive, amplify and rebroadcast the transmissions between the RC and the aircraft (in both directions)?

One application for such capabilities that I might have personally is the fact that I often fly from a cottage overlooking a large lake. I thought that if a repeater type setup was possible, I might mount a high-gain antenna and small amplifier to the top of an existing TV antenna tower at the cottage and use the stock RC to communicate with it from anywhere on the property and have it actually pointed out over the lake and communicating with the drone. I'm guessing that it's not possible or at least not easy because I haven't read about anyone with such a setup - but I thought if anyone knew for sure - it would be the members of this forum.

 

[Ed209]

There are a few people here who have antennas mounted on their roof and fly just fine. I don't have the threads handy but in their situation they didnt need a repeater.

 

[Tenly]

There are a few people here who have antennas mounted on their roof and fly just fine. I don't have the threads handy but in their situation they didnt need a repeater.

Thanks for the reply Ed. Without a repeater, I assume they'd need to physically connect the rooftop antenna to the remote with a long cable, right? I was looking for a bit more flexibility than that. I'm also wondering from a strictly technical perspective if a repeater system is even possible in the way I described in the first hypothetical example. So if for example, the lake was 4 miles long and I was at the far end of it - if I had a friend on the lake with a cottage at the midpoint, could I have him turn on a repeater and then gain access to the entire lake?

I realize that the numbers I'm using in my example don't really make this economical or feasible when a $300 booster attached to my RC would give me more than enough range - it's merely a technical curiosity at this point that might one day evolve into an idea.

 

[NRJ]

Well, maybe, but I think we need more proof. Healthy Drones was only the map. Open up the sensors, power and others for all to see. You have hidden so much. And we are to believe that you are just a special scientist who knows all there is to know about a phantom 3? And, maybe you are right, but prove it to the rest of us. Don't just make a blanket statement and show us a map. How about a video? Did you remember to record it? 40 minutes? What's to prove it? I am skeptical for sure.

 

[Ed209]

Ed,

I still want to join (I ain't got much but I've got money and balls, I know that doesn't account for much in this new world). PM me when it's right. I'll leave good enough alone.

Jerry

"I've got money and balls" That right there is the quote of the century! It's not some secret society, just a bunch of people who are good with testing and learning. Feel free to contribute it the "grand daddy of em all" thread: Dual Battery Mod. You pretty much see the whole evolution of it all.

 

[Ed209]

Well, maybe, but I think we need more proof. Healthy Drones was only the map. Open up the sensors, power and others for all to see. You have hidden so much. And we are to believe that you are just a special scientist who knows all there is to know about a phantom 3? And, maybe you are right, but prove it to the rest of us. Don't just make a blanket statement and show us a map. How about a video? Did you remember to record it? 40 minutes? What's to prove it? I am skeptical for sure.

I'm working on the video. I overlaid Dashware to the original footage for telemetry data and I just encoded the replay of the flight in DJI Go. My plan is to make a video with picture-in-picture, the main window the HD footage, and the PiP the DJI Go screen replay. Not the live in flight screen but the replay from the flight record. I'm not a video editing expert so it might take me a couple days to figure out how to sync 2 videos transition from one window to another to show the takeoff and landing in full screen. Because, as you see the flight was at night so looking at a black screen would be more boring than ANY distance video out there.

I never claimed to be some special scientist who knows all there is to know about the P3...Maybe that's your assumption?
What good would faking a flight be if it isn't even the record? UnknownCaller has it. 9.35mi and I'm sure he will beat that very soon! Besides, falsifying data to claim some internet record would be one of the gayest things ever. What are you going to gain from it? As for opening up the sensors, power and others...They already are!

 

[Jtrjr]

[

"I've got money and balls" That right there is the quote of the century! It's not some secret society, just a bunch of people who are good with testing and learning. Feel free to contribute it the "grand daddy of em all" thread: Dual Battery Mod. You pretty much see the whole evolution of it all.

I've got ADD. I've been by that thread a few times, too slow. Fast, quick, crash, get another one, put it in the air. I'm game for that game. Innovation and balls is what you said. I'll do one better, it's here for everyone to see, $5k for 15 miles. Offer stands for 60 days, starting today. Full video and telemetry a must. No 3rd party verification. I'll verify by witnessing the flight video with telemetry and then I'll write the check. You provide me the exact same set-up at my cost, you set mine up, I pay for it. Go boys. Let the race begin. You must accept the challenge within 24 hours from now to qualify. How's that for balls?

Jerry

 

[dirtybum]

Well, maybe, but I think we need more proof. Healthy Drones was only the map. Open up the sensors, power and others for all to see. You have hidden so much. And we are to believe that you are just a special scientist who knows all there is to know about a phantom 3? And, maybe you are right, but prove it to the rest of us. Don't just make a blanket statement and show us a map. How about a video? Did you remember to record it? 40 minutes? What's to prove it? I am skeptical for sure.

Are you being serious NRJ?