Extending the wifi range of the FC40 camera

[dragonash]

Btw I'll be attaching the gimbal(for gopro) and use the FC40 camera (prolly mounted to the battery door) for FPV and gopro for high quality video.

Any battery you would recommend for increasing my flight time with increased payload!? I already have phantom2 props(and those things are so noisy, lol)

I use the maddog 2700 mah batteries. Wit the vision props and gimbal loadout, you get about 10 min.
There is another battery thread about 2800 mah batteries, but I dont know if it would make much of a difference.

And this is how I did my fc40 with gimbal

Thats an old picture. I padded the upper part behind the FC40 camera a bit so it tilts down. It lets you line up the gopro at the horizon pretty well.

Also, this might decrease the range of the FC40 camera as the back part is now covered up.
My 1100ft range was with the fc40 in its own gimbal only. Not with the gopro

 

[canvey1981]

Ok guys I got my 3040 and soldered as pictured and in the video.... I have just taken the quad out and I am getting worse range than before. That's with it connected through the repeater to and ipad, iPhone and android tablet. All three show worse results what have I ballsed up. There was a little black block soldered to one of the solder points... This got wiped out during the soldering process. Was that a no no. I'm using a 5dbi tplink too.

Help please.

 

[Oliver84]

Ok guys I got my 3040 and soldered as pictured and in the video.... I have just taken the quad out and I am getting worse range than before. That's with it connected through the repeater to and ipad, iPhone and android tablet. All three show worse results what have I ballsed up. There was a little black block soldered to one of the solder points... This got wiped out during the soldering process. Was that a no no. I'm using a 5dbi tplink too.

Help please.

I literally just got done doing the same exact thing right now. Same thing happened too. I tested my signal strength though with a Wifi Analyzer app and after the mod, my repeater was putting out a weaker signal than my camera. I also, noticed though that the signal strength was the exact with and without the antenna. This hinted at a problem inside so I cracked it back open and found out the my solder had come loose.

If by the little black block you're refering to the one on J1, then I believe that's just a jumper and it's ok for it to come off. As long as you're on the correct side of the J1 (away from the internal antenna). Check your solder points, that may be the issue.

I have a pretty crappy antenna though and my signal strength is just a little bit better than the camera. I'm hoping with a better antenna, I'll be able to get better range.

 

[dragonash]

Ok guys I got my 3040 and soldered as pictured and in the video.... I have just taken the quad out and I am getting worse range than before. That's with it connected through the repeater to and ipad, iPhone and android tablet. All three show worse results what have I ballsed up. There was a little black block soldered to one of the solder points... This got wiped out during the soldering process. Was that a no no. I'm using a 5dbi tplink too.

Help please.

I literally just got done doing the same exact thing right now. Same thing happened too. I tested my signal strength though with a Wifi Analyzer app and after the mod, my repeater was putting out a weaker signal than my camera. I also, noticed though that the signal strength was the exact with and without the antenna. This hinted at a problem inside so I cracked it back open and found out the my solder had come loose.

If by the little black block you're refering to the one on J1, then I believe that's just a jumper and it's ok for it to come off. As long as you're on the correct side of the J1 (away from the internal antenna). Check your solder points, that may be the issue.

I have a pretty crappy antenna though and my signal strength is just a little bit better than the camera. I'm hoping with a better antenna, I'll be able to get better range.

can you take pictures of your solder point? As close as possible.

 

[Oliver84]

can you take pictures of your solder point? As close as possible.

Don't judge. I know it's a horrible soldering job but I didn't have the right tools and couldn't wait to try this out. I also accidentally broke off the J1 jumper so I had to scratch off the green coating off the strip leading to it so I can solder to that instead. Do you think it's the horrible solder job or the cheap antenna that's the problem?

 

[dragonash]

I *think* I see the problem.

It looks like you might have missed the solder point




And dont worry about the jumper that was in between. That was supposed to be removed.

 

[Oliver84]

I *think* I see the problem.

It looks like you might have missed the solder point

That solder point came off when the jumper came off. The solder point was still attached to the jumper so what you see there is just the bare board. That's why I scraped off the part leading to it and soldered it there. I'm pretty sure the connection is made because I can definitely see a difference with and without the antenna. It just isn't as big of a difference than I was hoping for.

I'm planning on ordering an Alfa 7dbi directional antenna. That should help.

Just out of curiosity, how much dBm do you get with the a Wifi analyzer app with this compared to the stock camera?

 

[dragonash]

I *think* I see the problem.

It looks like you might have missed the solder point

That solder point came off when the jumper came off. The solder point was still attached to the jumper so what you see there is just the bare board. That's why I scraped off the part leading to it and soldered it there. I'm pretty sure the connection is made because I can definitely see a difference with and without the antenna. It just isn't as big of a difference than I was hoping for.

I'm planning on ordering an Alfa 7dbi directional antenna. That should help.

Just out of curiosity, how much dBm do you get with the a Wifi analyzer app with this compared to the stock camera?

oic, i misunderstood. I thought you meant the physical jumper was damaged, ni which case I was thinking "well who cares, we didnt need it anyway" lol

yeah, it could be you just have a cheapo antenna. (etwork is the router name. I had changed it to router mode for the test)

This is without and with a 7dbi directional antenna





and just for shits and giggles, here is my setup

 

[mb_guy]

I *think* I see the problem.

It looks like you might have missed the solder point

That solder point came off when the jumper came off. The solder point was still attached to the jumper so what you see there is just the bare board. That's why I scraped off the part leading to it and soldered it there. I'm pretty sure the connection is made because I can definitely see a difference with and without the antenna. It just isn't as big of a difference than I was hoping for.

I'm planning on ordering an Alfa 7dbi directional antenna. That should help.

Just out of curiosity, how much dBm do you get with the a Wifi analyzer app with this compared to the stock camera?

oic, i misunderstood. I thought you meant the physical jumper was damaged, ni which case I was thinking "well who cares, we didnt need it anyway" lol

yeah, it could be you just have a cheapo antenna. (etwork is the router name. I had changed it to router mode for the test)

This is without and with a 7dbi directional antenna





and just for shits and giggles, here is my setup

You may want to test in another location as there are a couple of other networks on the same channel as yours.

 

[dragonash]

You may want to test in another location as there are a couple of other networks on the same channel as yours.

I live in brooklyn,NY.

There are no other locations without wifi here lol

oh yeah, and that uraharas shop is mine btw. ;p

 

[canvey1981]

At least I'm not the only one....

I have desoldered the joints now and I'm going to re do it and add a 7dbi directional antenna.

 

[Kwas]

Anyone have a step by step setup guide for the TP-link and FC40 camera?

Thanks, DJK

 

[sohail99]

and just for shits and giggles, here is my setup

Do you find the device screen bright enough in direct sunlight?

I sometimes feel that my galaxy S4's screen isn't bright enough while in the sun! (Cant see FPV properly)
btw nice setup!! Looks more awesome than the vision Tx with the repeater thing!

 

[dragonash]

and just for shits and giggles, here is my setup

Do you find the device screen bright enough in direct sunlight?

I sometimes feel that my galaxy S4's screen isn't bright enough while in the sun! (Cant see FPV properly)
btw nice setup!! Looks more awesome than the vision Tx with the repeater thing!

any smartphone sucks in direct sunlight. So yeah, I do have issues.
Depending on where I am, I sometimes try to hide under a tree or some shade.

The other catch is, when its high up on a sunny day, you need sunglasses. Sunglasses also make it harder to see your phone! lol
Full brightness and all.

 

[wattage]

Anyone have a step by step setup guide for the TP-link and FC40 camera?

Thanks, DJK

I hear that. Just got one today and I'm finding it a total pain to set up. Just can't figure out how to have the name of the 3040 different to the FC40 camera. In repeater mode, which I assume you need to use, it takes the SSID of the AP it's repeating. Tried naming it the same as the FC40 with the last letter changed but this modified SSID just won't show up when the FC40 is switched on. Would be nice to know I'm not connecting directly to the camera. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[dragonash]

Anyone have a step by step setup guide for the TP-link and FC40 camera?

Thanks, DJK

I hear that. Just got one today and I'm finding it a total pain to set up. Just can't figure out how to have the name of the 3040 different to the FC40 camera. In repeater mode, which I assume you need to use, it takes the SSID of the AP it's repeating. Tried naming it the same as the FC40 with the last letter changed but this modified SSID just won't show up when the FC40 is switched on. Would be nice to know I'm not connecting directly to the camera. Anyone got any ideas?

quick setup from the top of my head.
turn on your fc40 camera
turn on your router
switch it to ap mode
connect your laptop to it via ehternet cable and give your laptop an ip address of 192.168.0.100

log into the admin console
192.168.0.1

username and password are "admin"
go into wireless setup or something similar.
Select repeater mode
survey the area
choose the fc40 camera
join

almost done.
save changes, reboot router.

go back into the settings and rename your router from the FC40_phantomname to FC40_enteranythinghere
save and reboot again.

To connect to the fc40 camera, make sure the camera is totally on first.
Once the green light stops blinking, turn on the router.

Once it makes a connection, check your wifi and you should see the FC40_myname on your list.
Should be good to go

 

[wattage]

Thanks for that super detailed reply Dragonash. I'd actually done all that and your step by step from memory was spot on! The problem lay in the type of access point mode I was using. "Repeater" simply takes over the SSID of the network you're extending, doesn't seem like there's any way to change that. The mode which worked correctly was "bridge with access point.'

I noticed this 3040 is a v2, with mode switches on the opposite side from the power switch. Sounds like mine is a different version from most of the others talked about on this thread, hence my confusion when trying to get the bugger working correctly.

Thanks for your time again

 

[canvey1981]

I just did a 1000ft fpv flight with the 3040 setup with 7dpi directional antenna in a built up housing area. Very very happy with that.

Thanks guys. Hopefully a lot more to come.

This was the first flight with the antenna and I will be back out tomorrow for more.

 

[zerodb]

Anyone else pick up a Kindle Fire HD refurbed on Amazon's lightning deal today? I've been using my Nexus 7 but have read so much about the Kindle's badass wifi I couldn't resist trying it out for under $90.

 

[Oliver84]

I just did a 1000ft fpv flight with the 3040 setup with 7dpi directional antenna in a built up housing area. Very very happy with that.

Thanks guys. Hopefully a lot more to come.

This was the first flight with the antenna and I will be back out tomorrow for more.

Impressive! Thanks for sharing. I should be getting my directional antenna tomorrow so hopefully I'll be able to report back with similar results!