Antenna orientation on P2V increase coverage avoid flyaway?

[yawnalot29]

Hi

Has anyone experimented with different antenna orientation placement on the P2V?

I was reading these tips on avoiding Flyaway here:
http://www.dronevideofx.com/?p=724

And the author suggested place the 2 antenna on the quadcopter (P2V) 90 degree to each other. So essentially one antenna vertically down like the way it is alone the landing skid, and one horizontally alone the body of the quadcopter/P2V.

As I understand it from another thread on antenna, the transmission is actually weakest alone the axis of the antenna as the signal is transmitted alone the length of the antenna in a magnetic field like pattern. The top and bottom of the antenna axis would essentially be a null area.

So in theory, placing the two antenna on the P2V 90 degree to each other would ensure maximum coverage from any angle. Especially when the tip of the RC controller antenna is directly line up with the tip of the antenna on P2V (weakest signal connection).

Any thoughts?

Some images for the omni directional antenna radiation pattern

http://dl.cbsimg.net/i/tr/cms/contentPi ... low01d.jpg

http://www.antenna-theory.com/basics/pattern.JPG

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/suppor ... irect3.gif

http://rcexplorer.se/wp-content/uploads ... 2458rd.gif

 

[Pull_Up]

Re: Antenna orientation on P2V increase coverage avoid flyaw

Yes, that ties in with the advice in the user manual about keeping the tx antenna perpendicular to the ground, not pointing at the aircraft to avoid the weakest point in the radiation pattern. Rather than bend up one of the aircraft antennas I know some tilt the tx antenna over 90 degrees if operating nearly overhead. Me, I've always kept it perpendicular to the ground, and if flying close to overhead and at some height, just moved the tx antenna forward or back a bit so as not to present the weakest part of the signal (the tip) to the aircraft. I modded my tx antenna to a directional but even before I did I only lost control signal in the overhead if the aircraft was directly overhead and higher than about 500ft. Move the antenna a bit, or send the aircraft away and all was well again.

Can't quite get what it might have to do with flyaways, though - if the control signal is lost the aircraft goes into failsafe, it doesn't suddenly head for the moon... Most of the alleged flyaways I've seen documented have occurred when the aircraft was ostensibly under full control, not in failsafe conditions or operating near the edge of the range where a flyaway might be an issue.