Extending the wifi range of the FC40 camera

I found them on Amazon.. .Look for a 16 dbi 2.4 ghz antenna... FYI on the SR10000 the primary antenna is the #2 antenna if you are just getting one antenna which is what I am trying out first.. It was around $7 I think.
 
With the FC40 stock set-up only, I still had camera connection today at a distance of somewhere between 450 and 500 feet. This surprised me. DJI claims the camera range is up to 328 feet.

My intent was to then turn on a Phantom 2 Vision range extender (which I have from my lost Phantom 2 Vision), and see if I could go further away. I thought the test was successful until I watched the video and saw that I had flown only a little further away than I had flown without the range extender turned on.

At any rate, here's the video where I flew over 450 feet away and still had a camera connection, using the stock set-up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSv5Me7 ... e=youtu.be

Returning from the far point of this flight the camera DID lose connection at the point that the video ends. However, the connection was re-established almost immediately and the camera recorded a 2nd video for the rest of the return flight.
 
Hmm.. So you managed to connect a vision extender to the FC40? I heard that wasn't possible but maybe it is? How did you lose your vision if you don't mind me asking?
 
jetdust said:
Hmm.. So you managed to connect a vision extender to the FC40? I heard that wasn't possible but maybe it is? How did you lose your vision if you don't mind me asking?
Did I connect a Vision range extender? I don't know. I turned it on is all I did. Whether it actually joined in the transmission and reception string, I don't know and lack the expertise to understand or know. Empirical testing is all I can do, to see if I've got camera connection for a further distance with the range extender turned on. I'll probably fly later this evening with the intent of getting the FC40 as far from me as I THOUGHT I had it in this afternoon's second experiment.

Lost Vision: had GPS lock according to all indicators. Windy conditions, maybe 10 mph but gusting to over 15. Little control from the get-go, should have cut the motors and dealt with a crash that at least would have been within sight. I kept trying to gain control, the quad was going nuts. Last viewed location: 650 feet away, 250 feet altitude, heading away in a hurry. I've spent many hours looking for it and haven't completely given up yet. "Find My Phantom" showed it as being in the location from which I took off, but it did not return. There are still more roofs for me to check but with all the snow in the last 3 weeks it's getting harder to imagine that it would be salvageable even if I do find it.

I had an FC40 within 4 days of losing the Vision. I am WAY too enthralled with flying these things for a lost major investment to stop me. B and H is building me a Phantom 2 (non-Vision) with DJI Gimbal, 4-inch FPV screen and GoPro 3+ black. I ordered it 2 weeks ago today... takes a while for it to be put together.
 
Might I ask you what will be your camera FPV?
The gopro or another dedicated 5.8GHZ lens?
 
ericdes said:
Might I ask you what will be your camera FPV?
The gopro or another dedicated 5.8GHZ lens?
The kit will be completely built by B and H or whoever they contract with for such builds. To the best of my knowledge, the GoPro itself is the FPV camera. I don't know if I'll ever get deeply into building my own. It's a quite large investment for me but it would cost me more to buy the items separately than to buy them as an assembled kit, and I'm really happy to let someone else put it together.
 
I think what is getting overlooked here is that the FC40 Camera is the DHCP server.

It is a static gateway at 192.168.1.1 and the DHCP server starts assigning IP addresses at 192.168.1.100.

This is why you have to choose it as the wifi source on your phone.

If anyone here is familiar with *uix, busy box, root builder and Cherokee, they may find out how to change the networking parameters to allow a commercial router to connect. As it is, I believe the signal has internal security with the app to limit access.

The camera is a variation of an Aiptek Air2U Mobile Eyes HD, which is fully enabled with far more selectable options than the FC40.

The FC40 is not recognized by the Mobile Eyes application. The app is looking for an ID that is apparently hardware dependent.

An extender may have to be a pass thru device in order to not interrupt the "login" established between app and camera. That route could introduce more risks.

The FC40 will accept Telnet at port 23. It responds with a Rootbuilder Login prompt. The Login has been mentioned in other posts. Someone with unix experience may be able to do some probing to see what variables are available to make range extending easier using available wireless extender technology. But, without a captured firmware file to fall back on, the FC40 could easily become a brick.

Most of ths is merely musings. I would love to be able to nail it down to absolutes. Additions/ corrections appreciated. SouceForge may be fertile hunting ground.
 
The SR10000 should have no problems repeating the signal between the camera and the app. I have controlled the Ar Drone like this as well as many otheres for the longest time. Donn't forget with the Ar Drone we control it that way, if it isn't stable than bye bye drone. People flew 800-1200 feet like this with stock antennas.

Can't wait to see the outcome with the upgraded antennas.
 
FYI: When using the SR10000 it will show up as Amped or something like that so you have to rename to something similar to the cameras wifi name or the app won't connect to the booster. EG: my camera is FC40_S7J061 So I named the booster FC40_S7J062 so it basically tricks the app into thinking that it is connecting to the camera when in actuality its connecting to the booster.
 
I bought and received an Amped 10000 before realizing that it's not battery powered... duh! I guess Amped is getting even with me for snickering at the fact that they measure distance in square feet.

On the other hand, I'm getting over 400 feet (sometimes close to 500 feet) line-of-sight connection distance with the stock FC40 camera hardware and my iPhone 4s. It's always nice when something over-delivers. DJI claims "up to 328 feet". At about 400 feet, though, I lose the ability to accurately eyeball the orientation of the quad and am grateful for Home Lock!
 
Well.. I went cheap on the first order and only ordered one antenna, with that it does seem to be smoother further out and it did also go a bit further. I have another on order which should be in this next week so it will have dual 16 dbi antennas for continuity. My brother has a vision and managed to go 1800 feet with a directional antenna last night. We are going to try it on mine as soon as it stops snowing here hopefully today.
 
I Wonder if the transmitter antenna can be easily upgraded, with an antenna similar to this one.
 
Unfortunately I haven't seen anybody open one of these cameras up yet to see if it is even possible to wire up a new antenna somehow... It would be great to have the ability to wire up a 2.4g 1w or 500mw transmitter to it like what other fpv systems use..
 
OK.. I managed to go 1582 feet today using a Hawking high gain directional antenna and the SR10000 by Amped!! I wonder what I could do if I got a 2w booster to boost it from the 600mw..
 
My brother has the vision and has managed over 1800' without loss of connection on the 5.8.. I have only lost connection once so far going far out but I stepped into my house for a second which made it drop..
 
I have a bear extender 1200mW wifi extender on my macbook, I added a 5db antenna to it. I am not sure though if the camera application will run on the mac but it should. My fc40 is getting delivered today. Once it arrives ill see if camera it runs through the mac. Might be a good way to use the FPV. Having mac charged and extender going. I am no techno expert but from what you guys have posted and a you tube video I saw where a guys extended it with a home router and battery pack, this option of mine may also work. Ill update and results here. ;)

This is what I'm using... http://store.bearextender.com/products/ ... 00-for-mac
 
Here is how far I went tonight without losing the wifi signal with my set up. According to google maps its right around 1700'
 

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