LONG, detailed review of extended range options

Hello everyone. I have completed extensive tests on various extended range modifications and I am here to give you the background, results, and experiences that I believe have been missing for some time. Beware that this is lengthy, but I want to share everything. I have developed explanations for my results- which is helpful because mod results are dependent on environment. Needless to say I know how to point antennas and I know the settings to promote range in DJI GO.

Here is my story:

I live in an urban area- not suburban. I am around loads of interference, and I am in the middle of a fairly large United States East Coast City, with a harbor. I do my flying in an urban environment. I originally had a P3Advanced, then a Professional. I was fortunate enough to have the ITElite remote from the start. I never flew either one of them stock. I was very satisfied with the ranges and penetrations I got. I was easily able to go 2-2.5 miles with no issues in this environment. When flying outside of town in other environments, the range was only limited by battery life. I always read about FPVLR, other modifications, etc, but I was happy with what I had.

Enter the P4:
I enthusiastically sold my entire P3 setup and snapped up a P4 as soon as it came out. I flew it, and was happy with its craftsmanship, etc- but on range, I was crushed. I couldn't go more than a couple thousand feet without weak and ultimately lost signal. I was disappointed, upset, and frankly pissed. Yes, DJI claimed the range was the same, but any evidence of decent range I could find were people flying over the ocean, lakes, or desert! What about a city-dweller like me? Surely not every person is going to drive an hour to fly their drone! So I immersed myself in the world of range mods, wanting to know every option, every explanation, every detail about what I could do to resurrect my P4 and resume my happiness that I had before. I am a physicist by profession, and I figured I would apply my sense of experimentation to meet the needs of MY environment. I watched videos of 9 mile flights. I spent hours reading explanations, arguments, claims, and animations. I studied RF behavior, signal strength implications, antenna design. I wanted something clean, yet effective. I decided to do what it would take. My journey was beginning. I started with Freddy:
FDR Drone Mods:
I began speaking with Freddy Del Rosario who runs FDR Drone Mods. I was intrigued by his promotional video for a product (not yet released) called the "Titan". We spent time discussing on the phone what he wanted in a setup. Something clean, not inconvenient, bulky. Something effective. What I so desperately sought. This guy knew my taste! Freddy was a very nice guy, and he took the time to talk. As time dragged on, I began to realize that he wasn't as developed in his plans for the "Titan" as was desired. Although it wasn't a pipe dream, it was still a ways off. But, Freddy offered a modification that he promoted well. It was the standard SMA modification through the original holes- well crafted, and using what he claimed was an incredibly shielded cable. With his 7 and 9dbi antennas, he claimed he could surpass itELITE range. He showed me many, many tests that he did. I wondered how any omni setup would surpass a very directional antenna, but somehow he did! And I believed him. In the back of my mind, I was aware that all his tests were in an environment far more flat, suburban, and with less interference. But nonetheless, I hurriedly shipped him my P4 remote.
As promised, he did his mod. The SMA connectors looked good, OEM. And I purchased some 7 and 9 dbi antennas that he recommended for long range. A week later I was able to fly:
Disappointment. It flew better than stock, but only a little. I was able to go maybe 3500-4000 ft, sometimes 5000ft before the weak signal and return to home. A small improvement, but nowhere near what I was hoping. I was really bummed. I don't dispute Freddy's results, but they just didn't work in my environment. Now I had to go all out----the other way. Screw it- I would buy the mod that people claimed got them miles and miles and miles of flight. The bulky time bomb, the Frankenstein itself- the amped FPVLR!

FPVLR/Tony:
I figured, "hey- who cares if it is ugly. If it blasts through everything with these amps, I will be one happy camper!" So I began talking with Tony. He explained his ideas of circular polarization versus linear polarization, his design, etc. (I will get into this in a bit) He spoke quite a bit. Tony is a nice guy and he seemed reasonable. Hell, people swore by his product!! So this was going to be my savior of the P4! I purchased the big kahuna itself- and my FPVLR arrived!

I excitedly installed it. I really tried to look past how cumbersome it was, the Velcro patches to add, the extra weight and all the cabling. The battery pack to charge, etc. I realized that it is VERY difficult to remove the cable from the RC USB port once it is set up. If there is a firmware update, it was going to be not very ergonomical, but if this was the sacrifice, so be it. Off to the races I went!
Uggghhhh!!!!!!!

Yes, there was improvement. Yes I noticed a larger improvement than prior. But I was still only getting 5500-6000 feet in this extremely congested environment. I cursed!!! Alas, my dreams were back to just that. Back to the drawing board. This time, simple and cheap:

Windsurfer:
Threw on this, got about 4000 ft. Similar to Freddy's setup. Blah. Needed more. Wanted more.

Argtek:
Then I purchased the "Blue Proton/Argtek" flat panel patch antennas. I was intrigued. I came across them on Amazon. They looked interesting. Could this be my salvation? If so, they would be easy, simple, what I wanted!! Around 4500ft. Great bang for the buck, but not that much of a bang.

Full Circle:
Sigh. At this point, I figured what the hell!!! Let's go back to what worked months ago! I came across Jake's site posted on PhantomPilots and ordered the ITelite (unboosted) from him. Prior to ordering, we spoke on the phone. I told him what I was doing, where I was, my experiences, etc. I was taken aback by him. He didn't promise ranges- he said they are environmentally dependent. His straightforward nature impressed me. He was honest, fair, very responsive. I went through his site many times. He clearly was talented and could create a good setup, good design. He stood out from the rest because he was matter of fact and just came across as honest. I can't quite describe it in words, but I am usually a pretty good judge of character, and here was a guy who simply wants to add to the enjoyment of the hobby and help others out. A mensch. I ordered the tried and true (in my case) itElite.

Boy did I put it through its paces. And boy did it deliver. In my environment, I was back exactly where I was with my P3. I was so excited that I got my bird back that I called Jake and told him how happy I was!!!! I was back to getting 12000ft and over the most dense and interference-congested areas, 7000-8000ft no problem. NONE of the other setups gave that to me. I couldn't believe it. And I had the added benefit of finding someone who is a great asset to this hobby. Jake will always be my go to person in the future, and subsequent to my tests I have noticed many, many others openly praising their dealings with him, which further validates my impression of him. I'll always give someone like that my business.

I actually sent the FPVLR to Jake and said- take this! I don't want it! It's yours. Experiment on it if you want.

Explanation/some more technical speak:
Here's the thing: the ItElite antenna basically has a 180 degree field. It is flat and directional. The high gain puts its signal straight forward, like a wall bulging out.
FPVLR is more"conical". A bit more directional.
This tells me that if I were in a totally empty environment, like where people post 9 mile FPVLR flights, sure, high range is possible. But in an urban environment where even boosted signal can bounce, be attenuated by structures, be redirected, etc, it's increased directionality and ability to be distorted supersedes the benefits of the reduced interference between the circularly polarized antennas. In THIS environment, a linearly polarized 180 degree flat panel works best.
Anything omnidirectional like Freddy's won't go as far because signal is being broadcast behind you- now a higher gain means signal might go farther, but the "donut" shape of the signal is narrowed- envision a washer. Outside of the washer, you're out of luck. And I actually WANT directionality. How many people actually fly while facing the opposite direction of their drone? I would rather have all my signal pumped forward as I am always facing in the general direction of where I am flying.

Now as I said, I am extremely happy with my setup. I went full circle. I will probably get Jake's amped setup in a few weeks, out of curiosity. I suspect it will boost the range even further, although I'm at a point where I don't really need it. But the evidence shows in an urban environment, this would probably give the most effective result. Remember that with boosted signal comes boosted noise, so it isn't a simple benefit of a proportional rise in strength=proportionate increase in distance, etc, but I suspect added benefit.

I had/have no "dog in the fight" other than that I wanted to get the ranges and capabilities that I had prior. I wanted to share all of this with you so you know my experiences, my environment, and what I did.

Last note of caution:
There is a company out there, "Drone World" that claims a "extended range modification" which they sell at $499. I have confirmed through multiple sources and independent verification that they are simply selling the ItElite modification at a more than 300% markup. It is not "their" modification. They just are taking advantage of newbies, which is unconscionable. It isn't any different a modification to the ItElite.

There you have it! I probably could have gone on in even more detail and even longer, but I want this out there so people can refer to this when they are deciding what to do, especially if you are in a real-world environment, as opposed to looking to score points by showing a long flight in the middle of nowhere.
All the Best,
David

I couldn't in good conscience let this thread sit "as is" without throwing a caution out here to anyone that happens to read this chain of messages.

I belong to a FaceBook group in which there are a large number of users who have pre-ordered the Titan from FDR mods and have been getting the run around for months from Freddy. At last report, he is completely missing in action and not replying to anyone who has already sent in their money for the "Titan" which has still not shipped. Not one person in the group has received their Titan yet and by perusing the preorder list, it is clear that Freddy has collected more than $40,000 from people wanting to buy the Titan.

This is hearsay. I personally have not dealt with him and all my information is second hand - although it comes from multiple sources whom I believe and respect. This is simply a caution to anyone who may be thinking of ordering. I personally would strongly advise against pre-ordering this product. Wait for it to be officially released and for verifiable reports that all existing pre-orders have been filled before sending a dime to this company.

I have also seen a YouTube video that explains the many flaws in the way FDR has "tested" their prototype antenna - so as well as waiting for a verifiable product to actually be released - prospective purchasers should probably also wait for independent reviews of the Titan before parting with their hard earned money.

In the meantime, the ITElite and FPVLR antenna mods are actual, *real* products that work well.
 
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If anyone interested in posted this on the classified section.
 
Davfhys, which Full Circle antenna are you refering to? I have a P4 and loose video link in just a hundred feet in any environment. Could you recommend me a site or a particular model? Thanks!!
 
Davfhys, which Full Circle antenna are you refering to? I have a P4 and loose video link in just a hundred feet in any environment. Could you recommend me a site or a particular model? Thanks!!
There's something wrong with your craft or RC. You might want to try a friend's Phantom RC with your craft to find out where the problem is, or simply return the craft and RC back to DJI for repair. Just link it with another RC, takes 10 seconds. Then fly it to see how well it works. Has it been that way since you bought it? How long have you had it? Have you modified the RC yet?
 
Last edited:
As John says, if you are only getting a couple of hundred feet, I would check your system configuration and if all looks ok send it for repair. The stock, even with broad tree interference will get you significantly further.

With that said, I use MaxxUAV EvoLite Plus which significantly increased my range. This past weekend, I was out a little past 4 miles which was about a half a mile after I got the RTH warning (ignored). I realized I had a tail wind going out since, it hit 58mph but, I kept going . The fail safe kicked in a little over a mile out and I landed in what looked to be an empty field. Jumped in the car with transmitter and started following the GPS on the Go screen. After going around in circles hitting dead end streets, I finally found the field which turned out to be a corn field with the stalks 7 feet high. Continuing to follow the blue dot representing my transmitter until it was directly over the last position, I found it with no damage . Moral of the story is be smarter than I was. I got lucky!
 
As John says, if you are only getting a couple of hundred feet, I would check your system configuration and if all looks ok send it for repair. The stock, even with broad tree interference will get you significantly further.

With that said, I use MaxxUAV EvoLite Plus which significantly increased my range. This past weekend, I was out a little past 4 miles which was about a half a mile after I got the RTH warning (ignored). I realized I had a tail wind going out since, it hit 58mph but, I kept going . The fail safe kicked in a little over a mile out and I landed in what looked to be an empty field. Jumped in the car with transmitter and started following the GPS on the Go screen. After going around in circles hitting dead end streets, I finally found the field which turned out to be a corn field with the stalks 7 feet high. Continuing to follow the blue dot representing my transmitter until it was directly over the last position, I found it with no damage . Moral of the story is be smarter than I was. I got lucky!
Been there! Done that! Fly into the wind on the way out, and catch the tailwind on the return, unless you enjoy hunting or fishing for your P4! :eek:
 
LOL!!!! It's stuck in our quotes though. So childish
DJI Phantom 4 With ITELETE Range Extender - Fly Over 10 KM Far. Is this possible???




Hello everyone. I have completed extensive tests on various extended range modifications and I am here to give you the background, results, and experiences that I believe have been missing for some time. Beware that this is lengthy, but I want to share everything. I have developed explanations for my results- which is helpful because mod results are dependent on environment. Needless to say I know how to point antennas and I know the settings to promote range in DJI GO.

Here is my story:

I live in an urban area- not suburban. I am around loads of interference, and I am in the middle of a fairly large United States East Coast City, with a harbor. I do my flying in an urban environment. I originally had a P3Advanced, then a Professional. I was fortunate enough to have the ITElite remote from the start. I never flew either one of them stock. I was very satisfied with the ranges and penetrations I got. I was easily able to go 2-2.5 miles with no issues in this environment. When flying outside of town in other environments, the range was only limited by battery life. I always read about FPVLR, other modifications, etc, but I was happy with what I had.

Enter the P4:
I enthusiastically sold my entire P3 setup and snapped up a P4 as soon as it came out. I flew it, and was happy with its craftsmanship, etc- but on range, I was crushed. I couldn't go more than a couple thousand feet without weak and ultimately lost signal. I was disappointed, upset, and frankly pissed. Yes, DJI claimed the range was the same, but any evidence of decent range I could find were people flying over the ocean, lakes, or desert! What about a city-dweller like me? Surely not every person is going to drive an hour to fly their drone! So I immersed myself in the world of range mods, wanting to know every option, every explanation, every detail about what I could do to resurrect my P4 and resume my happiness that I had before. I am a physicist by profession, and I figured I would apply my sense of experimentation to meet the needs of MY environment. I watched videos of 9 mile flights. I spent hours reading explanations, arguments, claims, and animations. I studied RF behavior, signal strength implications, antenna design. I wanted something clean, yet effective. I decided to do what it would take. My journey was beginning. I started with Freddy:
FDR Drone Mods:
I began speaking with Freddy Del Rosario who runs FDR Drone Mods. I was intrigued by his promotional video for a product (not yet released) called the "Titan". We spent time discussing on the phone what he wanted in a setup. Something clean, not inconvenient, bulky. Something effective. What I so desperately sought. This guy knew my taste! Freddy was a very nice guy, and he took the time to talk. As time dragged on, I began to realize that he wasn't as developed in his plans for the "Titan" as was desired. Although it wasn't a pipe dream, it was still a ways off. But, Freddy offered a modification that he promoted well. It was the standard SMA modification through the original holes- well crafted, and using what he claimed was an incredibly shielded cable. With his 7 and 9dbi antennas, he claimed he could surpass itELITE range. He showed me many, many tests that he did. I wondered how any omni setup would surpass a very directional antenna, but somehow he did! And I believed him. In the back of my mind, I was aware that all his tests were in an environment far more flat, suburban, and with less interference. But nonetheless, I hurriedly shipped him my P4 remote.
As promised, he did his mod. The SMA connectors looked good, OEM. And I purchased some 7 and 9 dbi antennas that he recommended for long range. A week later I was able to fly:
Disappointment. It flew better than stock, but only a little. I was able to go maybe 3500-4000 ft, sometimes 5000ft before the weak signal and return to home. A small improvement, but nowhere near what I was hoping. I was really bummed. I don't dispute Freddy's results, but they just didn't work in my environment. Now I had to go all out----the other way. Screw it- I would buy the mod that people claimed got them miles and miles and miles of flight. The bulky time bomb, the Frankenstein itself- the amped FPVLR!

FPVLR/Tony:
I figured, "hey- who cares if it is ugly. If it blasts through everything with these amps, I will be one happy camper!" So I began talking with Tony. He explained his ideas of circular polarization versus linear polarization, his design, etc. (I will get into this in a bit) He spoke quite a bit. Tony is a nice guy and he seemed reasonable. Hell, people swore by his product!! So this was going to be my savior of the P4! I purchased the big kahuna itself- and my FPVLR arrived!

I excitedly installed it. I really tried to look past how cumbersome it was, the Velcro patches to add, the extra weight and all the cabling. The battery pack to charge, etc. I realized that it is VERY difficult to remove the cable from the RC USB port once it is set up. If there is a firmware update, it was going to be not very ergonomical, but if this was the sacrifice, so be it. Off to the races I went!
Uggghhhh!!!!!!!

Yes, there was improvement. Yes I noticed a larger improvement than prior. But I was still only getting 5500-6000 feet in this extremely congested environment. I cursed!!! Alas, my dreams were back to just that. Back to the drawing board. This time, simple and cheap:

Windsurfer:
Threw on this, got about 4000 ft. Similar to Freddy's setup. Blah. Needed more. Wanted more.

Argtek:
Then I purchased the "Blue Proton/Argtek" flat panel patch antennas. I was intrigued. I came across them on Amazon. They looked interesting. Could this be my salvation? If so, they would be easy, simple, what I wanted!! Around 4500ft. Great bang for the buck, but not that much of a bang.

Full Circle:
Sigh. At this point, I figured what the hell!!! Let's go back to what worked months ago! I came across Jake's site posted on PhantomPilots and ordered the ITelite (unboosted) from him. Prior to ordering, we spoke on the phone. I told him what I was doing, where I was, my experiences, etc. I was taken aback by him. He didn't promise ranges- he said they are environmentally dependent. His straightforward nature impressed me. He was honest, fair, very responsive. I went through his site many times. He clearly was talented and could create a good setup, good design. He stood out from the rest because he was matter of fact and just came across as honest. I can't quite describe it in words, but I am usually a pretty good judge of character, and here was a guy who simply wants to add to the enjoyment of the hobby and help others out. A mensch. I ordered the tried and true (in my case) itElite.

Boy did I put it through its paces. And boy did it deliver. In my environment, I was back exactly where I was with my P3. I was so excited that I got my bird back that I called Jake and told him how happy I was!!!! I was back to getting 12000ft and over the most dense and interference-congested areas, 7000-8000ft no problem. NONE of the other setups gave that to me. I couldn't believe it. And I had the added benefit of finding someone who is a great asset to this hobby. Jake will always be my go to person in the future, and subsequent to my tests I have noticed many, many others openly praising their dealings with him, which further validates my impression of him. I'll always give someone like that my business.

I actually sent the FPVLR to Jake and said- take this! I don't want it! It's yours. Experiment on it if you want.

Explanation/some more technical speak:
Here's the thing: the ItElite antenna basically has a 180 degree field. It is flat and directional. The high gain puts its signal straight forward, like a wall bulging out.
FPVLR is more"conical". A bit more directional.
This tells me that if I were in a totally empty environment, like where people post 9 mile FPVLR flights, sure, high range is possible. But in an urban environment where even boosted signal can bounce, be attenuated by structures, be redirected, etc, it's increased directionality and ability to be distorted supersedes the benefits of the reduced interference between the circularly polarized antennas. In THIS environment, a linearly polarized 180 degree flat panel works best.
Anything omnidirectional like Freddy's won't go as far because signal is being broadcast behind you- now a higher gain means signal might go farther, but the "donut" shape of the signal is narrowed- envision a washer. Outside of the washer, you're out of luck. And I actually WANT directionality. How many people actually fly while facing the opposite direction of their drone? I would rather have all my signal pumped forward as I am always facing in the general direction of where I am flying.

Now as I said, I am extremely happy with my setup. I went full circle. I will probably get Jake's amped setup in a few weeks, out of curiosity. I suspect it will boost the range even further, although I'm at a point where I don't really need it. But the evidence shows in an urban environment, this would probably give the most effective result. Remember that with boosted signal comes boosted noise, so it isn't a simple benefit of a proportional rise in strength=proportionate increase in distance, etc, but I suspect added benefit.

I had/have no "dog in the fight" other than that I wanted to get the ranges and capabilities that I had prior. I wanted to share all of this with you so you know my experiences, my environment, and what I did.

Last note of caution:
There is a company out there, "Drone World" that claims a "extended range modification" which they sell at $499. I have confirmed through multiple sources and independent verification that they are simply selling the ItElite modification at a more than 300% markup. It is not "their" modification. They just are taking advantage of newbies, which is unconscionable. It isn't any different a modification to the ItElite.

There you have it! I probably could have gone on in even more detail and even longer, but I want this out there so people can refer to this when they are deciding what to do, especially if you are in a real-world environment, as opposed to looking to score points by showing a long flight in the middle of nowhere.
All the Best,
David
 
Hello everyone. I have completed extensive tests on various extended range modifications and I am here to give you the background, results, and experiences that I believe have been missing for some time. Beware that this is lengthy, but I want to share everything. I have developed explanations for my results- which is helpful because mod results are dependent on environment. Needless to say I know how to point antennas and I know the settings to promote range in DJI GO.

Here is my story:

I live in an urban area- not suburban. I am around loads of interference, and I am in the middle of a fairly large United States East Coast City, with a harbor. I do my flying in an urban environment. I originally had a P3Advanced, then a Professional. I was fortunate enough to have the ITElite remote from the start. I never flew either one of them stock. I was very satisfied with the ranges and penetrations I got. I was easily able to go 2-2.5 miles with no issues in this environment. When flying outside of town in other environments, the range was only limited by battery life. I always read about FPVLR, other modifications, etc, but I was happy with what I had.

Enter the P4:
I enthusiastically sold my entire P3 setup and snapped up a P4 as soon as it came out. I flew it, and was happy with its craftsmanship, etc- but on range, I was crushed. I couldn't go more than a couple thousand feet without weak and ultimately lost signal. I was disappointed, upset, and frankly pissed. Yes, DJI claimed the range was the same, but any evidence of decent range I could find were people flying over the ocean, lakes, or desert! What about a city-dweller like me? Surely not every person is going to drive an hour to fly their drone! So I immersed myself in the world of range mods, wanting to know every option, every explanation, every detail about what I could do to resurrect my P4 and resume my happiness that I had before. I am a physicist by profession, and I figured I would apply my sense of experimentation to meet the needs of MY environment. I watched videos of 9 mile flights. I spent hours reading explanations, arguments, claims, and animations. I studied RF behavior, signal strength implications, antenna design. I wanted something clean, yet effective. I decided to do what it would take. My journey was beginning. I started with Freddy:
FDR Drone Mods:
I began speaking with Freddy Del Rosario who runs FDR Drone Mods. I was intrigued by his promotional video for a product (not yet released) called the "Titan". We spent time discussing on the phone what he wanted in a setup. Something clean, not inconvenient, bulky. Something effective. What I so desperately sought. This guy knew my taste! Freddy was a very nice guy, and he took the time to talk. As time dragged on, I began to realize that he wasn't as developed in his plans for the "Titan" as was desired. Although it wasn't a pipe dream, it was still a ways off. But, Freddy offered a modification that he promoted well. It was the standard SMA modification through the original holes- well crafted, and using what he claimed was an incredibly shielded cable. With his 7 and 9dbi antennas, he claimed he could surpass itELITE range. He showed me many, many tests that he did. I wondered how any omni setup would surpass a very directional antenna, but somehow he did! And I believed him. In the back of my mind, I was aware that all his tests were in an environment far more flat, suburban, and with less interference. But nonetheless, I hurriedly shipped him my P4 remote.
As promised, he did his mod. The SMA connectors looked good, OEM. And I purchased some 7 and 9 dbi antennas that he recommended for long range. A week later I was able to fly:
Disappointment. It flew better than stock, but only a little. I was able to go maybe 3500-4000 ft, sometimes 5000ft before the weak signal and return to home. A small improvement, but nowhere near what I was hoping. I was really bummed. I don't dispute Freddy's results, but they just didn't work in my environment. Now I had to go all out----the other way. Screw it- I would buy the mod that people claimed got them miles and miles and miles of flight. The bulky time bomb, the Frankenstein itself- the amped FPVLR!

FPVLR/Tony:
I figured, "hey- who cares if it is ugly. If it blasts through everything with these amps, I will be one happy camper!" So I began talking with Tony. He explained his ideas of circular polarization versus linear polarization, his design, etc. (I will get into this in a bit) He spoke quite a bit. Tony is a nice guy and he seemed reasonable. Hell, people swore by his product!! So this was going to be my savior of the P4! I purchased the big kahuna itself- and my FPVLR arrived!

I excitedly installed it. I really tried to look past how cumbersome it was, the Velcro patches to add, the extra weight and all the cabling. The battery pack to charge, etc. I realized that it is VERY difficult to remove the cable from the RC USB port once it is set up. If there is a firmware update, it was going to be not very ergonomical, but if this was the sacrifice, so be it. Off to the races I went!
Uggghhhh!!!!!!!

Yes, there was improvement. Yes I noticed a larger improvement than prior. But I was still only getting 5500-6000 feet in this extremely congested environment. I cursed!!! Alas, my dreams were back to just that. Back to the drawing board. This time, simple and cheap:

Windsurfer:
Threw on this, got about 4000 ft. Similar to Freddy's setup. Blah. Needed more. Wanted more.

Argtek:
Then I purchased the "Blue Proton/Argtek" flat panel patch antennas. I was intrigued. I came across them on Amazon. They looked interesting. Could this be my salvation? If so, they would be easy, simple, what I wanted!! Around 4500ft. Great bang for the buck, but not that much of a bang.

Full Circle:
Sigh. At this point, I figured what the hell!!! Let's go back to what worked months ago! I came across Jake's site posted on PhantomPilots and ordered the ITelite (unboosted) from him. Prior to ordering, we spoke on the phone. I told him what I was doing, where I was, my experiences, etc. I was taken aback by him. He didn't promise ranges- he said they are environmentally dependent. His straightforward nature impressed me. He was honest, fair, very responsive. I went through his site many times. He clearly was talented and could create a good setup, good design. He stood out from the rest because he was matter of fact and just came across as honest. I can't quite describe it in words, but I am usually a pretty good judge of character, and here was a guy who simply wants to add to the enjoyment of the hobby and help others out. A mensch. I ordered the tried and true (in my case) itElite.

Boy did I put it through its paces. And boy did it deliver. In my environment, I was back exactly where I was with my P3. I was so excited that I got my bird back that I called Jake and told him how happy I was!!!! I was back to getting 12000ft and over the most dense and interference-congested areas, 7000-8000ft no problem. NONE of the other setups gave that to me. I couldn't believe it. And I had the added benefit of finding someone who is a great asset to this hobby. Jake will always be my go to person in the future, and subsequent to my tests I have noticed many, many others openly praising their dealings with him, which further validates my impression of him. I'll always give someone like that my business.

I actually sent the FPVLR to Jake and said- take this! I don't want it! It's yours. Experiment on it if you want.

Explanation/some more technical speak:
Here's the thing: the ItElite antenna basically has a 180 degree field. It is flat and directional. The high gain puts its signal straight forward, like a wall bulging out.
FPVLR is more"conical". A bit more directional.
This tells me that if I were in a totally empty environment, like where people post 9 mile FPVLR flights, sure, high range is possible. But in an urban environment where even boosted signal can bounce, be attenuated by structures, be redirected, etc, it's increased directionality and ability to be distorted supersedes the benefits of the reduced interference between the circularly polarized antennas. In THIS environment, a linearly polarized 180 degree flat panel works best.
Anything omnidirectional like Freddy's won't go as far because signal is being broadcast behind you- now a higher gain means signal might go farther, but the "donut" shape of the signal is narrowed- envision a washer. Outside of the washer, you're out of luck. And I actually WANT directionality. How many people actually fly while facing the opposite direction of their drone? I would rather have all my signal pumped forward as I am always facing in the general direction of where I am flying.

Now as I said, I am extremely happy with my setup. I went full circle. I will probably get Jake's amped setup in a few weeks, out of curiosity. I suspect it will boost the range even further, although I'm at a point where I don't really need it. But the evidence shows in an urban environment, this would probably give the most effective result. Remember that with boosted signal comes boosted noise, so it isn't a simple benefit of a proportional rise in strength=proportionate increase in distance, etc, but I suspect added benefit.

I had/have no "dog in the fight" other than that I wanted to get the ranges and capabilities that I had prior. I wanted to share all of this with you so you know my experiences, my environment, and what I did.

Last note of caution:
There is a company out there, "Drone World" that claims a "extended range modification" which they sell at $499. I have confirmed through multiple sources and independent verification that they are simply selling the ItElite modification at a more than 300% markup. It is not "their" modification. They just are taking advantage of newbies, which is unconscionable. It isn't any different a modification to the ItElite.

There you have it! I probably could have gone on in even more detail and even longer, but I want this out there so people can refer to this when they are deciding what to do, especially if you are in a real-world environment, as opposed to looking to score points by showing a long flight in the middle of nowhere.
All the Best,
David
Thanks for sharing
 
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what is "Jake"'s website??? I want a Itelite DBS for my P3S and I fly in an area with a lot of houses and interference... I would love to get a boosted setup
 
what is "Jake"'s website??? I want a Itelite DBS for my P3S and I fly in an area with a lot of houses and interference... I would love to get a boosted setup
If you go back a page in this thread, you'll see posts from Jake Jones, under the user name JakeMaxxUAV. He's the owner of Maxx UAV.
 
Great write up! I may have to jump on the ITELITE! Sounds like the best solution!
 
DJI Phantom 4 With ITELETE Range Extender - Fly Over 10 KM Far. Is this possible???


I'd say it *might* be possible if you add a pair of 3W Sunhans amps, have a good tailwind, are flying in an area with very little interference and are okay with a one-way trip (because your battery is not going to have enough left to get you home from 10km away!) But even then - it's unlikely. The furthest I've personally seen done with such a setup is about 6km before signal loss triggered an RTH.

That being said - 6km is still pretty cool and a lot further than most people need or want to go. I have the ITELITE ITE-DBS-MR01.2W antenna and notice a huge difference when using it in areas with a lot of local interference.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
 
Just wondering I'm in the same boat...did you buy the small dbs one or the larger 14dbi maxxrange uav one
I got 5.9 miles boosted, with the smaller DBS-02 panel, and only turned around because the battery was at 51%!
 
Thank you for spending the time to do such a detailed report. I bought my P4 extended range package from Amazon - via Drone World. I live on the western plains and have little interference or restrictions. I do have wind. As I get more comfortable with my flight tests I am also getting braver but remaining cautious on my distances. The sales pitch was a 5 mile range. The biggest problem for me is battery time. Yesterday I took it out straight line east to 9800 feet (almost 2 miles) at 350 ft altitude and about 5 mph wind from the north. I then did a point of interest flight at that point of 100 feet. After 1 circle I returned home. At home point I had 11% battery. These were probably ideal conditions and there is no way I could extend my range to beyond 10000 feet without a risk in not making it home. BTW I used a helper/spotter with binoculars to keep a visual while I focused on the FPV. At one point at 6000 ft outbound I got a weak signal message but after moving the direction of the antennae the signal returned strong and I lost it no more, At my final distance had the wind shifted I may have had a battery issue. I also am lucky that there are dirt trails visible to me and I stay close to those so if I do have to land in an emergency I would be near access.
 
Thank you for spending the time to do such a detailed report. I bought my P4 extended range package from Amazon - via Drone World. I live on the western plains and have little interference or restrictions. I do have wind. As I get more comfortable with my flight tests I am also getting braver but remaining cautious on my distances. The sales pitch was a 5 mile range. The biggest problem for me is battery time. Yesterday I took it out straight line east to 9800 feet (almost 2 miles) at 350 ft altitude and about 5 mph wind from the north. I then did a point of interest flight at that point of 100 feet. After 1 circle I returned home. At home point I had 11% battery. These were probably ideal conditions and there is no way I could extend my range to beyond 10000 feet without a risk in not making it home. BTW I used a helper/spotter with binoculars to keep a visual while I focused on the FPV. At one point at 6000 ft outbound I got a weak signal message but after moving the direction of the antennae the signal returned strong and I lost it no more, At my final distance had the wind shifted I may have had a battery issue. I also am lucky that there are dirt trails visible to me and I stay close to those so if I do have to land in an emergency I would be near access.
Get a $250 battery mod from FPVcustoms.com and add some externals to take full advantage of the DBS-02 transmitter mod.:cool:
 
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You made the right choice with the DBS. That other one is an expensive, over-hyped franken-mess and the ARG-Tek is $30 worth of antennas & cables that preform no better than the originals.
In my case the ArgTek has improved my P3S range from ~1200' (stock) to an occasion last week where I received choppy video and telemetry out to 6300' and solid video out as far as 5000' in a suburban flying environment. I was monitoring a mission flown using Litchi instead of manual control.
 
In my case the ArgTek has improved my P3S range from ~1200' (stock) to an occasion last week where I received choppy video and telemetry out to 6300' and solid video out as far as 5000' in a suburban flying environment. I was monitoring a mission flown using Litchi instead of manual control.
My P3S did a little over 4000' stock, other's have gone even further stock. Keep in mind autonomous flights are pre-programmed before launch so there is no need to be connected in flight. Don't gauge your distance on autonomous flights.
 
My P3S did a little over 4000' stock, other's have gone even further stock. Keep in mind autonomous flights are pre-programmed before launch so there is no need to be connected in flight. Don't gauge your distance on autonomous flights.
That's the beauty of Litchi. It doesn't require RC connection to complete its mission, and it doesn't need to prefly the waypoints, so it can fly behind tall buildings and behind hilltops, limited only by battery power! :cool:
 

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