How the heck did I get so far?!?!

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I've just upgraded from an AVL58 to an Immersionrc 600mw.
On my first test flight with it, I put my FPVLR combo on - A 5 Coil Helical on the receiver, and a (4 leaf?) on the quad.
It was good to about 300m, and started to struggle beyond about 600m. I managed to drag a pretty sketchy 1.2kms from it. My previous best on the AVL58 was a good clean image at 1.16kms

Tonight I started investigating how to change channels on the Immersion in case it was a bad combination of channels, and while I was doing that I started playing with my quite significant collection of antennae I've amassed trying to fix the range problems I've had. I've got Blue-Beam Ultras, FPVLR's, Fat Shark Spironets, the original white dome ones, and even the original black "stick" style.
That was when I found that NONE of the antennae I'd tried on the quad yesterday, have the correct fitting for the Immersionrc. They are all RP-SMA (with the hole in the middle), and so is the socket on the Immersionrc.
So somehow I got 1.2kms from an antenna that was probably only making good connection on the outside of the plug, and next to nothing on the centre of the plug. That's bloody incredible!!! And I'm such a bloody idiot LOL.

How did I get video feed, even quite sketchy feed, at that distance with the wrong antenna connection?
And more to the point, will I have done any damage?

I hope the Blue-Beam Ultra is as good as it's reported to be, because that's my only antenna set that has the correct connection for the immersionrc plug. Until I get adaptors for the others, the BB Air Screw is the only one that fits on the quad. All the others still fit on the receiver, so I'll try the BB AirScrew with the Matching Mad Mushroom and the 5 Coil Helical from FPVLR working in Tandem on the receiver, and give it a go tomorrow. If I can get that kind of range with the wrong fitting, it should be brilliant with an antenna with the right fitting.
Now to see if there are adaptors for the rest of the antennae that no longer fit.
 
And before you ask, the AVL58 did have the other type of fitting and nearly all the antenna fitted it correctly, I just never thought to check whether that fitting changed when I went to the Immersion, and just absent-mindedly screwed the antenna onto the immersion without checking the internal parts of the plugs were actually correct.
One of those D'Oh!!! moments.
 
Same problem here when I switched AVL58 for the Immersion 600mw. Adapters are available from male SMA to RP-SMA male in 90° elbow to straight.
 
I see in your signature that you have the 32Ch Black Pearl Monitor which has a compatibility issue with ImmersionRC. If you want to use the IRC 600mw, you either get the BlackPearl with 7Ch or get a separate receiver like the ImmersionRC Uno 5.8Ghz receiver and plug it to your 32ch BP monitor.
 
No incompatibility issues here but then I fly LOS. I'm videographer and the P2 is just another tool in my kit. The monitor is used to align video shots and not used for boring 1.2km flights or 13 minutes flying circles above the house. IT'S A TOOL NOT A TOY!!
 
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No problem with compatibility- just that I now need adaptors for my collection of antennae.
The video and everything is fine - even beyond fine considering I was still getting video feed without the antenna being connected on the centre pin.
 
No problem with compatibility- just that I now need adaptors for my collection of antennae.
The video and everything is fine - even beyond fine considering I was still getting video feed without the antenna being connected on the centre pin.

From what you have for equipment all you need is one adapter for the TX as all your other antennas will work on the BP.
 
Jason, I use mine for photography. So yes it's a tool. However, it's a tool I love using. So occasionally I use it for fun.
Secondly, I do aerial landscape photography, so 1.2kms is sometimes necessary over the lake to get the camera to where I need it to frame the shot, as the only alternative to that is walk around the lake carrying all my gear, to get to where I can take the shot without getting a long distance from the quad.
 
So you like the no BS approach.;) Do you?? :D

Well that and I couldn't agree more. I've tried to impress that the Phantom is just a tool, but to many here it's "THE" tool and the only tool.

I am sooooo burned out on watching Phantom videos, the same ole stuff over and over.
 
Well that and I couldn't agree more. I've tried to impress that the Phantom is just a tool, but to many here it's "THE" tool and the only tool.

I am sooooo burned out on watching Phantom videos, the same ole stuff over and over.

There are some nice videos that are posted but they amount to 1/2% of those posted if that much.
 
I won't bother posting the one I'm exporting now then ;)

I tried with my only antenna that fits the immersion - a blue-beam Air Screw.
For balance I put the other Blue-Beam on the Receiver along with the 5 coil helical from FPVLR which I was going to need for distance.

I got to a whisker over 1.5kms with crystal clear superb video feed, and I know I could have gone further. I was tempted to push for the 1.63kms to break the MILE, but I get so damned nervous at those distances, I chickened out and came back after the 1.5kms.

It wasn't helped by the endless supply of pissed off birds swooping across in front of the quad.
It's Autumn here, and the birds seem to be preparing for an early Spring, and starting to object to anything in their airspace.
At one stage when I wasn't over the water, and was only about 10 feet off the ground, so was feeling a bit braver, I decided to let them have their say about it. I had about 6 of them circling around it in non-stop loops while I basically just hovered there. Sometimes they were getting quite close to it actually. Unfortunately they were so close that any that got caught on camera were nothing but a blur, and any that got caught in shot in reasonable focus, were much further away so didn't look scary enough to bother grabbing a still shot of. I've managed to get only a few decent stills extracted from the whole video, of the birds buzzing me. But when you're 1.5kms away over a lake, you sure don't hang around long to let them buzz you there. I dread the result of a connection between bird and prop, and as much as I love birds, it's not what the prop will do to the bird that worries me.
 

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