Have DBS antenna need amp recomendations

[TK P3A]

Took it for a quick test flight tonight antenna only. I was losing RC signal very quickly compared to stock. Only able to get 3500ft in same place I normally get 10k+. I am gonna take it apart and check my connections.

When I did have signal it seems like the dbs antenna is very directional. You are either pointed at drone and have perfect signal or are pointed slightly away and have no signal. Only takes about 15-20 deg off on your compass on bottom left and you lose complete signal.

I think I may have a loose connection internally or I need to seperated my wires as right now I have both wires on right side of remote together internally.

Gonna make my amp/battery tray tonight. I will snap some pics. I have the cables to test with and without amps so I'll try to correct the problem and report back tomorrow.

 

[NoOne]

Did the internal wires snap into the internal board? It's a pretty obvious feeling once they snap into place. If they did, you are connected. I wouldn't think the dbs antenna is worse than stock. My opinion is that it's only slightly better than stock + windsurfer.

 

[TK P3A]

The internal wires definitely plugged in and snapped correctly. I think it may just be an issue with wires overlapping.

 

[maxwell smart]

The internal wires definitely plugged in and snapped correctly. I think it may just be an issue with wires overlapping.

I'm having same results. I may remove the DBS, it is heavy and not doing well. P3P.

 

[Meist21]

Hopefully it is the wiring overlapping. With so many people having good results with this mod I am shocked at the little distance you were at. I plan on separating the wires and running them as they were from the factory but I would guess you should see some results there. Keep us posted. Hope it gets better.

 

[dirtybum]

Took it for a quick test flight tonight antenna only. I was losing RC signal very quickly compared to stock. Only able to get 3500ft in same place I normally get 10k+. I am gonna take it apart and check my connections.

When I did have signal it seems like the dbs antenna is very directional. You are either pointed at drone and have perfect signal or are pointed slightly away and have no signal. Only takes about 15-20 deg off on your compass on bottom left and you lose complete signal.

I think I may have a loose connection internally or I need to seperated my wires as right now I have both wires on right side of remote together internally.

Gonna make my amp/battery tray tonight. I will snap some pics. I have the cables to test with and without amps so I'll try to correct the problem and report back tomorrow.

It's definitely an issue you're having, in my homebase flying area I can be out to miles and take my remote controller almost 90° to my left or right and still have great signal. Past 2 miles I can't take it quite that far to the left or right but the panel is very forgiving at 2 miles

 

[phantom1972]

Yeah I read that too - in one of the P2 forums.

As I remember, and this will be in laymans terms, the amp is sensitive to input and can be damaged if the input is to high. But when you initally power up your transmitter, there is a SPIKE on the initial start up which is higher than what the amp can accept happily. So in that thread, the writer suggested turning on the transmitter first, and then the amp second. That way the amp never "feels" the spike.

The problem with that scenario, at least in my mind, is the risk of burning out the transmitter - because if the amp is off, it seems to me the signal is not moving to the antenna, which we all know is unhealthy to transmitters.

What FPVLR recommended in that thread (quoted second-hand from the OP) was the use of an antennuator between the transmitter and amp which will soften the initial spike of the transmitter. So with the antennuator in place, you'd start the amp first, the transmitter second.

Hope this helps.

The transmitter needs a load on it. An antenna, under good conditions simply looks look a resistive load, like a 50 ohm resistor. If powering a resistor, the RF energy would just heat the resistor, where with an antenna that energy is radiated into space. The transmitter couldn't tell the difference.

So the transmitter doesn't see "through" the amplifier to the antenna. It sees the input impedance (resistive) of the amplifier input ONLY, which SHOULD be the impedance of the antenna, which is what the transmitter wants to see. Everything from the amplifier to the antenna is the amplifiers duty.

If the input impedance of the amplifier doesn't change with the amplifier off than you're fine powering up the transmitter than the amplifer. I'll even Google to see what amplifier input impedances due if powered off.

 

[maxwell smart]

Took it for a quick test flight tonight antenna only. I was losing RC signal very quickly compared to stock. Only able to get 3500ft in same place I normally get 10k+. I am gonna take it apart and check my connections.

When I did have signal it seems like the dbs antenna is very directional. You are either pointed at drone and have perfect signal or are pointed slightly away and have no signal. Only takes about 15-20 deg off on your compass on bottom left and you lose complete signal.

I think I may have a loose connection internally or I need to seperated my wires as right now I have both wires on right side of remote together internally.

Gonna make my amp/battery tray tonight. I will snap some pics. I have the cables to test with and without amps so I'll try to correct the problem and report back tomorrow.

Hi there. I am having range trouble. I just changed the antenna wires on the DBS. It is to windy to try it out ,but I left the bird in the house,and went outside and behind my truck and had a good signal. I think this might work. I have to wait for better weather to see. The cables going from the DBS panel to the controller, I did not have to open the controller. Hop this helps.

 

[TK P3A]

I think I found my problem tonight. And I think it was an expensive problem.

I took the radio apart again to separate the cables and mount some posts for my amp tray and noticed the cable rf cable input on the left side of the ports on the main board was loose. When I tried to pop it out it popped off and left the "male" section that sticks into the board inside the port on the board.

I attempted to remove it for over an hour with a plethora of tools. No luck. Just before I gave up I tried to cut the ring in half so I could collapse it and remove it. No luck. Ended up damaging inner female tip "tube" inside the board. I ended up ordering a new replacement remote off eBay for about $230. I don't know if it was due to the quality of the cables or if I had the cable in a bind. I am going to try again on new radio when it comes next week.

I am pretty sure after seeing how loose it was connected at an angle that should explain my limited and very directional rc range. I will try again in a week and report back.

 

[TheLightSpeedz]

I think I found my problem tonight. And I think it was an expensive problem.

I took the radio apart again to separate the cables and mount some posts for my amp tray and noticed the cable rf cable input on the left side of the ports on the main board was loose. When I tried to pop it out it popped off and left the "male" section that sticks into the board inside the port on the board.

I attempted to remove it for over an hour with a plethora of tools. No luck. Just before I gave up I tried to cut the ring in half so I could collapse it and remove it. No luck. Ended up damaging inner female tip "tube" inside the board. I ended up ordering a new replacement remote off eBay for about $230. I don't know if it was due to the quality of the cables or if I had the cable in a bind. I am going to try again on new radio when it comes next week.

I am pretty sure after seeing how loose it was connected at an angle that should explain my limited and very directional rc range. I will try again in a week and report back.

Well I was going to tell you that I have my wires together in the controller, and didn't route them apart and I get great reception.

But it sounds like you found the issue.

Be careful with the case on the controller. The screw holes are brittle and break easy taking it apart again and again.



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[Mark The Droner]

The transmitter needs a load on it. An antenna, under good conditions simply looks look a resistive load, like a 50 ohm resistor. If powering a resistor, the RF energy would just heat the resistor, where with an antenna that energy is radiated into space. The transmitter couldn't tell the difference.

So the transmitter doesn't see "through" the amplifier to the antenna. It sees the input impedance (resistive) of the amplifier input ONLY, which SHOULD be the impedance of the antenna, which is what the transmitter wants to see. Everything from the amplifier to the antenna is the amplifiers duty.

If the input impedance of the amplifier doesn't change with the amplifier off than you're fine powering up the transmitter than the amplifer. I'll even Google to see what amplifier input impedances due if powered off.

Excellent explanation. Thank-you

 

[Meist21]

That sucks..............How did that happen? Were you pulling straight off and not at an angle? At least you found a cheaper than new replacement to save $$$. Just got my Itelite today. Waiting on some cables to attach it through the antenna holes like you did. Hopefully wont run into those issues.

 

[TK P3A]

I had them run straight in and was careful removing them with small flat head screwdriver but gently prying away from the board. I think maybe it was a defect or it was damaged when closing the case half together. I dunno. I can honestly say I didn't have any issues with it til I opened it up and carefully checked it and it was loose

 

[dsd317]

Someone just told me that amps won't work well with DBS antenna because it's linear as opposed to circular. Amplifying it would cause too much interference between the video and rc signals.

Is this true? If using amps, should we be looking into circular polarized antennas? Right hand circular polarized for video and Left hand circular polarized for rc, or vice-versa?

 

[phantom13flyer]

Someone just told me that amps won't work well with DBS antenna because it's linear as opposed to circular. Amplifying it would cause too much interference between the video and rc signals.

Is this true? If using amps, should we be looking into circular polarized antennas? Right hand circular polarized for video and Left hand circular polarized for rc, or vice-versa?

That's definitely not true!! I'm running the dbs with 2 3w sunhans amps. Works amazing! ! That sounds like something another antenna maker would say to you.

 

[dsd317]

That's definitely not true!! I'm running the dbs with 2 3w sunhans amps. Works amazing! ! That sounds like something another antenna maker would say to you.

LOL...that's what I told my co-worker (he flys fixed-wing and said he saw a post in a thread he follows or FB).

I'm also running amps with my DBS antenna and I think it's great, but if there's any truth to the circular polarization thingy, the question would be, How much better would the signal be?

 

[phantom13flyer]

LOL...that's what I told my co-worker (he flys fixed-wing and said he saw a post in a thread he follows or FB).

I'm also running amps with my DBS antenna and I think it's great, but if there's any truth to the circular polarization thingy, the question would be, How much better would the signal be?

I have used both and for me the linear dbs panel works much better. Environmental factors play a big role too. But the antennas on the phantom are linear as well so I think it's best to have a complete linear system.

 

[fvader]

question about the boosters. I thought on the remote, one side was 2.4ghz and the other was 5ghz, but yet people are using 2.4ghz boosters on both sides? is that correct?

 

[KyleMaxxUAV]

question about the boosters. I thought on the remote, one side was 2.4ghz and the other was 5ghz, but yet people are using 2.4ghz boosters on both sides? is that correct?

P3pro and advanced use 2.4 for both control and video.

Inspire one uses 2.4 for both control and video as well but also uses 5.8 for slave remote (pilot & camera operator)

P3 standard and advanced use 2.4 for video and 5.8 for control (I could have those reversed)


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[fvader]

P3pro and advanced use 2.4 for both control and video.

Inspire one uses 2.4 for both control and video as well but also uses 5.8 for slave remote (pilot & camera operator)

P3 standard and advanced use 2.4 for video and 5.8 for control (I could have those reversed)


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thx.. i must have been looking at an inspire tear down video.