Anyone else Limited to 500 meters/1640ft NOT 800m

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I just wish I could get the 800m as claimed by retailers. Anyone else having issues with FPV and RC losing connection around 500m/1640ft?
Flight after flight in good weather I am unable to go much beyond 500m - My best days may slightly go a little over 550m.

Of to try yet again. I have enabled FCC and also moved the screw in back of controller clockwise all the way with good resistance but not too tight. ???
 
yup that's my limit, stock, but that fits my needs so im not complaining. I was wondering if the wire antenna thickness could be diff or how they cut the ends. Or bad wifi units that also cause gps interference is to blame?
 
Losing FPV and losing flight controls of the phantom of the phantom are 2 different things.

Vision and Vision Plus:
(Gold) Wifi module in the Phantom, RE700 range extender, and the FPV screen all relate to the 2.4Ghz FPV system.
The Controller/Transmitter, CE/FCC and the receiver in the phantom is the 5.8Ghz flight controller.

If you are losing FPV, you need install a WIFI application that boosts the output in the phantom (FPV booster, Vision Utility).
If you are losing flight control range (Control Signal Lost, RTH triggered) then you need look at the white antenna - point it up, coke can/coffee/pringle mod, or simply upgrade the antenna on both phantom and transmitter.

Also, make sure FCC is enabled in the phantom assist (this overrides the POT at the back) and listen to the double beeps when powering on the transmitter.
 
Thanks, very useful info. For sure I have enabled FCC in both software assist on my PC and adjusted screw on the back of RC as far is it will "safely" go.

It happened again today - when the FPV cuts out, it then comes home. Even if the phantom were to continue after I lose connection with my Phones FPV - I could only fly in one direction and I am not sure how confident I would be - (perhaps a distance test is in order to push it beyond - However again ... when the FPV cuts out, it seems that the RC cuts out at about the same time and it comes home.

I will try a booster app. I am using the Galaxy S5 on the latest Android OS.
________________________________________

For now I assess the damage that happened with a recent crash - some clown drove up onto the park grounds ... right up to me. I was the only one in the park. He challenged me assertively saying his son was a cop and that I was breaking the law. I was somewhat rattled by the incident and crashed due to the distractions. (low level crash so I think its alright.) I post on that later - I'm almost put off flying about now. Thanks again for the tip on wi'fi booster. Much appreciated.

Dave ;)
 
My vision+ is stock but i do use the v+ booster app and have got 690m but could have gone further as the fpv was still solid and no problem with tx control, i decided to turn back as my geofence limit was set at 762m. I use the galaxy s3.

6o1vlz.png
 
yes my dji just gets around 700ft then returns home and ive got the so called booster app,but its no better.
 
melpsx said:
yes my dji just gets around 700ft then returns home and ive got the so called booster app,but its no better.

Hm.. That's quite slow..are you saying 700ft altitude or distance? ..are you in CE mode with the transmitter?
 
Davekyn said:
I just wish I could get the 800m as claimed by retailers. Anyone else having issues with FPV and RC losing connection around 500m/1640ft?
Flight after flight in good weather I am unable to go much beyond 500m - My best days may slightly go a little over 550m.

Of to try yet again. I have enabled FCC and also moved the screw in back of controller clockwise all the way with good resistance but not too tight. ???

This is completely normal sounding to me. You'll notice on DJI's website that the wifi extender is limited to between 500-700 meters and the Transmitter 800 meters. Interference of any kind will limit your distance. I have the stage 2 upgrade kit from fpvlr.com and can now reach 1,500 meters out in the farmlands. However, in my neighborhood which has dense trees and lots of wifi i can only reach about 800 meters.

you really should do the stage 2 upgrade, its worth it and fairly simple. Just need patience.
 
Ya, I am only getting 100m with the app. I refuse to deal, talk or think about those VERY POOR business people in Calgary Alberta Canada.
Bad Very bad. I am working on upgrading the antennas
 
800m SUCCESS!!!

Thanks for the additional information and also the video. I always enjoy DJI videos - especially test videos. I really must try the phone video capture software and us it to embed the DJI app into my videos.

I made 800m with the V+Boost app I installed on my Galaxy S5 - At first I did not run it properly ... once I worked out how to use it, I got 800m this morning. I understand it wont always be that way. This morning was overcast after a few days of rain. The wind was fairly still - time was 6:30am. I brightened the video some in adobe after effects.

Here is my capture of that 800m run. Notes - I picked up speed halfway through and kind of rushed towards the end. I pulled up just short of 800 and then slowly push forward after adjusting my position to hit 820 according to the app. I ended up with a still screen however could still see the drones position via the icon and kept it coming home. Eventually I ended up with a blank screen, so landed and restarted the whole take off procedure.

TY for recommended the app and also for you feedback.

Please do continue to share your efforts and hand out hints and tips. I will soon look into moding out for extra range. BUT - before that, I would like to see how I go with sending the drone to the far end of the radius and then record crossing the entire radius for 1.6km. Somehow, I think I may have issued with the antenna facing backward on the first leg?

Her's the video of my Test:
http://youtu.be/u0mfjaqF6Q0
Best viewed at 1920X1080 as I windowed the video to fit in Google maps: (As the video progresses, so do the X's which I use for a cross reference on the static background map)

 
Just to make sure...... Are those of you that are experiencing the trouble saying that your quad doesn't want to fly further then 1640ft? Or are you saying the quad is reaching a 1640ft distance limit?
 
Davekyn said:
800m SUCCESS!!!

Thanks for the additional information and also the video. I always enjoy DJI videos - especially test videos. I really must try the phone video capture software and us it to embed the DJI app into my videos.

I made 800m with the V+Boost app I installed on my Galaxy S5 - At first I did not run it properly ... once I worked out how to use it, I got 800m this morning. I understand it wont always be that way. This morning was overcast after a few days of rain. The wind was fairly still - time was 6:30am. I brightened the video some in adobe after effects.

Here is my capture of that 800m run. Notes - I picked up speed halfway through and kind of rushed towards the end. I pulled up just short of 800 and then slowly push forward after adjusting my position to hit 820 according to the app. I ended up with a still screen however could still see the drones position via the icon and kept it coming home. Eventually I ended up with a blank screen, so landed and restarted the whole take off procedure.

TY for recommended the app and also for you feedback.

Please do continue to share your efforts and hand out hints and tips. I will soon look into moding out for extra range. BUT - before that, I would like to see how I go with sending the drone to the far end of the radius and then record crossing the entire radius for 1.6km. Somehow, I think I may have issued with the antenna facing backward on the first leg?

Her's the video of my Test:
http://youtu.be/u0mfjaqF6Q0
Best viewed at 1920X1080 as I windowed the video to fit in Google maps: (As the video progresses, so do the X's which I use for a cross reference on the static background map)


Congrats Dave!..and just think, with the antenna mod you should be able to achieve double that and some :)
 
I have trouble with anything over 700ft. Sometimes I can reach 800ft but I start getting signal lost messages around 700ft. I will maintain pretty good FPV signal at 700-800ft, but I lose tx signal. What should I look at as possible problems? Thanks!
 
jonathanivy said:
I have trouble with anything over 700ft. Sometimes I can reach 800ft but I start getting signal lost messages around 700ft. I will maintain pretty good FPV signal at 700-800ft, but I lose tx signal. What should I look at as possible problems? Thanks!

I can provide you with many tips and help. But I'm not going to hijack this thread to do it. Send a PM if you are interested.
 
Start recording you flights.

Pick a time when the air is still. (I find early mornings or early evenings best for mild winds and in many cases still conditions)

Record the conditions. Humidity , temperature and so on. Atmospheric conditions can effect radio signal.

Record your flight Modes - sats - and other stats.

Line of sight - Altitude. Altitude seems a key factor. Whilst height may be required, going too high may present limiting conditions.

Terrain, buildings, power lines, water and a host of other things all play their part.

Position of Aerial -

The way in which the drone is flown -

When your connection begins to falter, think about where you and where your drone is - what's the altitude and whats in between. What speed your traveling and what way your facing.
___________________________________

I really don't know - just giving you my thoughts is all.

I'm only just learning myself. Bit like when I got my first DSLR camera a few years ago. Using the Auto settings might of helped me early on, but in many situations it simply did not perform as I wished. I could say the same about this drone. It was not until I started asking questions, reading responses and doing test after test that I am now just only beginning to understand what variables I need to make a successful flight. Distance is not always a part of that, however maintaining a strong signal is very important for me.

First establish your limits and then work from there.

Even with the Booster app I do not expect to get 800m/2,625 ft every time. There is simply too many variables that can change. Work with the conditions and tools your using.

I should of put a lot more stats on my last flight test myself. I note towards the end of my last flight, where my connection started to glitch - that line of sight was very thin - my attempt to swing out a little gained me an addition 20 or 30m/98ft and most likely prevented the Go home feature from cutting in.

Sorry if none of this makes sense, or you already know these things but it's just not happening for you. I read a lot of this stuff and whilst knowing it was one thing, actually doing it hands is another thing.
I fly mine nearly everyday without about 4 runs my concentration limit.
___________________________________

I'm no expert with drones - I'm just a newbie that sees potential in this kind of tech. Not just for making a bit of pocket money or even trying to make a job out of it - but generally for personal use. In the threads that relate to laws and registrations of these drones - it's fairly evident that there are a lot of clowns out there that just want to wizz these things about for the sake of throwing a paper plane. It's these type of people that brake the laws already in place.

Flying this drone over the top of a sporting event or in the park to capture a dreamy sequence of your child playing is begging for tight restrictions. I myself would take to it with a baseball bat and smash the thing if I saw it hovering over my grand kids head. There are people out there flying so haphazardly it only serves to make it more difficult for enthusiasts that understand the need for laws and actually respect them.

Sticking a camera in someones face is controversial enough, but sticking a drone in someones face - PFFT ... I already see the "cringing" from by passers as they see me flying my drone. Some will even sneer. People are like Sheep! - Now i refer to those calling others names for supporting drone registration. You can't just call one line of people sheep - People are sheep point blank. It's just another reason why registration is needed. Quite an ironic statement really. People are too selfish to even follow the laws as they stand, yet they are needed. Space is at a premium to even breath, let alone to think you can do as you will. That world is long gone.

ALAS! - The DJI Phantom can help open up some breathing room - don't *&^% it up by flying senselessly without purpose in public places. Be ready for those who will challenge you and respect their own fears. Whilst there are many people who are "intrigued" by the notion of this wonder toy - it only takes a few objections for by-laws to restrict the flight of drones period.

I really can't see drones being pulled out of hand bags anytime soon. You might get away with your dog off the leash, but I doubt you'll get away with flying your drone as you so wish - in fact, it's just that attitude that will *&^% it up for the rest.

Happy flying -

SO WHERE TO FLY THEN???????????????????????????

PFFFFTT - there are plenty of places! - Just pick your times. Lucky for me, I am not a people person. I enjoy going to places where there are few people. I have seen some awesome city scapes and skyscrapers runs, however I note there are very few people around when the operator flew. Be prepared to go out and hunt for spots - but don't trespass! So many idiots trespassing to get that one shot. Don't get me wrong - I have camped out in the woods where I have not supposed to of been, but my doing so is less likely to impede on the happiness of others as such freedoms will never exist without paying $$$$ - and even then you have a designated spot in which you must abide. LOL at even thinking your going to own a drone without having laws to abide. You could go stealth perhaps - arrrrr yes, bring out the Decals ... now you can start murmuring like a sheep ... hehe.

My strategy with the done - is to be seen! Just like a street photographer although it's more a case if standing tall in a wide open space with very few people to be seeing. I Google map before going out and try to move from one spot to the next with enough places that I am not seen that often at any one. (however at each one, stand tall to be seen - and don't fly from private property unless prearranged.) That way, I can fly several times a day, everyday without making the eyelids blink of so many paranoid people hiding their nickers whilst out in public, but only to later reveal them whilst on social media. Sigh ..........

Time to go for a fly -

bahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa ..............

In jest

Dave.
 

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