Phantom 3 Standard range mod , let's do it together...

PapaTita · Oct 17, 2016

José Luis M. said:
Hi, great Pata Tita, two questions,
1.) Magic V5.1 is improving the range compared to previous V5.0 ?
2-) for the ones that have already Magic v5.0 , do we need to Revert back to stock conditions before applying the new Magic v5.1 ?
Thanks !

1. No.
2. No need to Revert back to Stock.

Sent from my Redmi Note 2 using PhantomPilots mobile app

Arxangel · Oct 20, 2016

Hey guys, I've been reading this thread for 15-20 pages, and all that work is commendable!

However I am haivng major radio control issues with my 4K, I can barely make it out to 150 meters... sometimes not even 100!!
Video is perfect all the way... so basically is there a solution for the radio control range?

toegema · Oct 20, 2016

Arxangel said:
Hey guys, I've been reading this thread for 15-20 pages, and all that work is commendable!

However I am haivng major radio control issues with my 4K, I can barely make it out to 150 meters... sometimes not even 100!!
Video is perfect all the way... so basically is there a solution for the radio control range?

Maybe the antenna cable is loose on the inside.

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Arxangel · Oct 20, 2016

toegema said:
Maybe the antenna cable is loose on the inside.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

Should I check the copter or the radio?

toegema · Oct 20, 2016

Arxangel said:
Should I check the copter or the radio?

I have heard of instances where users have found the cable attaching the 5,8 antenna is loose on the inside of the remote.

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Arxangel · Oct 20, 2016

toegema said:
I have heard of instances where users have found the cable attaching the 5,8 antenna is loose on the inside of the remote.

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OK, will open it up tomorrow to check and then will re-bind the copter and remote to see if that fixes it!

So, aside from that... is there any software hack to allow for stronger radio signal, like the video mod?

toegema · Oct 20, 2016

Arxangel said:
OK, will open it up tomorrow to check and then will re-bind the copter and remote to see if that fixes it!

So, aside from that... is there any software hack to allow for stronger radio signal, like the video mod?

So far, some people on the forum have been experimenting with 5,8 control mod, but we haven't seen anything public yet.

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toegema · Oct 20, 2016

FYI: My P3Standard can reach 1,2 km (CE mode) without any mod or external enhancers (stock).
But only in a completely interference free area.

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garrock · Oct 20, 2016

Arxangel said:
Video is perfect all the way... so basically is there a solution for the radio control range?

The 5.8ghz RC Uplink range can be improved several ways:

Modify the controller - add a third party antenna - drill holes and replace internal RF cables.
Make no modifications - add a self contained stand alone 5.8ghz repeater module - flip on its power switch at any time during flight and it automatically repeats the uplink control data packets with a 1/4 Watt signal.

Arxangel · Oct 21, 2016

toegema said:
FYI: My P3Standard can reach 1,2 km (CE mode) without any mod or external enhancers (stock).
But only in a completely interference free area.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

At this point I am not certain this will be possible at all!

So I opened the radio this morning but the antenna connectors looked quite well secured in place. I pressed on them but they didn't move.

Next I did the binding procedure again, but as of yet no change in behaviour... it still shows "Poor" radio signal... see video below:

Kern_Fly · Oct 21, 2016

Hou have the problem in your house or also outside ? Cause at home i have the same issue with all my wireless networks (i have 3 just for me)

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Arxangel · Oct 21, 2016

It is almost the same outside...

razrdan · Oct 21, 2016

Arxangel said:
It is almost the same outside...

I notice in your video the flight check dropdown is notifying you about strong wireless interference.

I had similar issues at first, which is what made me search online and discover this forum and thread in particular. Are you flying in an area with many or few WiFi networks? What about cellular mobile towers?
(Yes, I know they mostly operate on different frequencies; though the new 4G networks work on 2.3 to 2.4 GHz)

In the beginning I was flying in an area which had 7 odd WiFi networks and 2 cellular radio stations in roughly a 90m radius. This had a drastic effect on the flying experience - sudden and frequent radio and video loss, occurring under 100m of the remote with clear line of sight. It was frustrating.

Some days later I took it to my friend's farm, about 25 Kms outside the city, with nothing much around. I could fly it to a distance of 550m and 150m high without a glitch. I very quickly realised it was radio interference and signal strength which causing the issues at home.

I discovered I could Telnet into my RC and AC and check the wireless regulation it is working under and what signal strength it was set to. Shockingly it was set to GB and 15 dbm / 16 dbm - wrong country, wrong continent, grossly under powered signal strength.

I discovered PapaTita's Magic software mod, which changes the regulation country, to allow a higher signal strength, and then actually sets the RC and AC to run their wireless radios at a higher signal strength - 20 dbm to 27 dbm, upto you.

This drastically improved my flying experience even at home with the WiFi networks and cellular towers around. I've flown 500m away in the same environment without much video loss, whereas earlier 100m was a struggle.

TL;DR : Get and apply PapaTita's Magic v4 or v5 mod. Follow his instructions and read up about issues beforehand so you don't do something wrong.

Arxangel · Oct 21, 2016

razrdan said:
I notice in your video the flight check dropdown is notifying you about strong wireless interference.

I had similar issues at first, which is what made me search online and discover this forum and thread in particular. Are you flying in an area with many or few WiFi networks? What about cellular mobile towers?
(Yes, I know they mostly operate on different frequencies; though the new 4G networks work on 2.3 to 2.4 GHz)

In the beginning I was flying in an area which had 7 odd WiFi networks and 2 cellular radio stations in roughly a 90m radius. This had a drastic effect on the flying experience - sudden and frequent radio and video loss, occurring under 100m of the remote with clear line of sight. It was frustrating.

Some days later I took it to my friend's farm, about 25 Kms outside the city, with nothing much around. I could fly it to a distance of 550m and 150m high without a glitch. I very quickly realised it was radio interference and signal strength which causing the issues at home.

I discovered I could Telnet into my RC and AC and check the wireless regulation it is working under and what signal strength it was set to. Shockingly it was set to GB and 15 dbm / 16 dbm - wrong country, wrong continent, grossly under powered signal strength.

I discovered PapaTita's Magic software mod, which changes the regulation country, to allow a higher signal strength, and then actually sets the RC and AC to run their wireless radios at a higher signal strength - 20 dbm to 27 dbm, upto you.

This drastically improved my flying experience even at home with the WiFi networks and cellular towers around. I've flown 500m away in the same environment without much video loss, whereas earlier 100m was a struggle.

TL;DR : Get and apply PapaTita's Magic v4 or v5 mod. Follow his instructions and read up about issues beforehand so you don't do something wrong.

Thanks for your input, this actually helps and I would like to try it... but I am running into a weird problem!

The Magic requires ideally version 1.5.7 of the Phantom, as I understand it, and since I am on version 1.0.10+... I will need to update the firmware in order to get to version 1.5.7.

The problem is that when my tablet or phone are connected to the radio via WiFi, they are not using the 3G connection, and hence the firmware cannot be downloaded!
So how the hell am I supposed to update anything in this situation!? I haven't been able to find firmware files for download for the P3 4K anywhere! And searching google doesn't help much either! This is so frustrating!

razrdan · Oct 21, 2016

Arxangel said:
Thanks for your input, this actually helps and I would like to try it... but I am running into a weird problem!

The Magic requires ideally version 1.5.7 of the Phantom, as I understand it, and since I am on version 1.0.10+... I will need to update the firmware in order to get to version 1.5.7.

The problem is that when my tablet or phone are connected to the radio via WiFi, they are not using the 3G connection, and hence the firmware cannot be downloaded!
So how the hell am I supposed to update anything in this situation!? I haven't been able to find firmware files for download for the P3 4K anywhere! And searching google doesn't help much either! This is so frustrating!

From the DJI website:

READ : https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/phantom_3_4k/en/Firmware_Update_Guide_en.pdf

ALSO, refer to,

Phantom 3 4K - Specs, FAQ, Tutorials, Downloads and DJI GO - DJI

Scroll down to No. 15. The app prompted me about an update and it took care of it.
15. How do I update the aircraft and remote controller?

Through the DJI GO app. A prompt will appear whenever an update is required.

JeyTea · Oct 21, 2016

Papatita has the FW Version in his googledrive..you can download it there

Sent from my HUAWEI P7-L10 using PhantomPilots mobile app

Arxangel · Oct 21, 2016

razrdan said:
From the DJI website:

READ : https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/phantom_3_4k/en/Firmware_Update_Guide_en.pdf

ALSO, refer to,

Phantom 3 4K - Specs, FAQ, Tutorials, Downloads and DJI GO - DJI

Scroll down to No. 15. The app prompted me about an update and it took care of it.
15. How do I update the aircraft and remote controller?

Through the DJI GO app. A prompt will appear whenever an update is required.

Thanks, that clears up things a lot!

JeyTea said:
Papatita has the FW Version in his googledrive..you can download it there

Sent from my HUAWEI P7-L10 using PhantomPilots mobile app

OK, so I downloaded the firmware file through the app to my tablet, but haven't update yet! I noticed the size is 63MB, whereas the size of the same firmware file on Papatita's site is 55MB.
Which version should I use? Is the 1.5.40 through the app stable enough? Or should I use Papa's? And if I use Papa's, where do I put it in the app to make the DJI Go app see it?

bigenius · Oct 21, 2016

I've updated to 1.5.40 through the app and the mod runs fine.

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José Luis M. · Oct 31, 2016

PapaTita said:
1. No.
2. No need to Revert back to Stock.

Sent from my Redmi Note 2 using PhantomPilots mobile app

Hi again Papa Tita, congratulations , great job , (but in our CE sample , we think it is limitted a lot about the poor 5.8Ghz , then we can not get your nice results.)

I have now our P3S with Magic Power 5.0, + 1.57 ,in a CE area, (before mod, just 200m aprox , but flying stable ) but after the mod , around 350-400m before RTH , (but always with perfect video link) . But we feel that with the 1.57 fw , we can see now that from > 150 m onward, the AC starts to jump with abnormal movements, intermitently flying sometimes flat with slow horizontal spped, and suddently fast with tilt , and then flat ,... , ( maybe due to weak unstable signal recepction from the RC).
To be sure if that unstability movements comes from the downgrade to 1.57, we would like to test again with the 1.68. for some periode , to be able to compare more precisely .

Questions ,
1-) Before upgrading from current (1.57+ Magic Power mod) to the 1.68 , should we remove before the Magic Power 5.0 or does not matter because it will rewrite all the sw ?

2-) other question, in the previous downgrade process from 1.68->1.57 we did directly with the SD into the AC only (remote commander was not powered , it was off) . (That process , only changed the FW of the AC ? (I mean RC fw was not changed ?)

thanks,

PapaTita · Oct 31, 2016

José Luis M. said:
Hi again Papa Tita, congratulations , great job , (but in our CE sample , we think it is limitted a lot about the poor 5.8Ghz , then we can not get your nice results.)

I have now our P3S with Magic Power 5.0, + 1.57 ,in a CE area, (before mod, just 200m aprox , but flying stable ) but after the mod , around 350-400m before RTH , (but always with perfect video link) . But we feel that with the 1.57 fw , we can see now that from > 150 m onward, the AC starts to jump with abnormal movements, intermitently flying sometimes flat with slow horizontal spped, and suddently fast with tilt , and then flat ,... , ( maybe due to weak unstable signal recepction from the RC).
To be sure if that unstability movements comes from the downgrade to 1.57, we would like to test again with the 1.68. for some periode , to be able to compare more precisely .

Questions ,
1-) Before upgrading from current (1.57+ Magic Power mod) to the 1.68 , should we remove before the Magic Power 5.0 or does not matter because it will rewrite all the sw ?

2-) other question, in the previous downgrade process from 1.68->1.57 we did directly with the SD into the AC only (remote commander was not powered , it was off) . (That process , only changed the FW of the AC ? (I mean RC fw was not changed ?)

thanks,