Range mods

ninosnicolaou · Jan 12, 2016

I don't want to spend a fortune on that but can you recommend the best mods for long range flights? (No battery mods). Also how much increase i will get with just a windsurfer?

Phantom 3 Standard.
Max range achieved: 500m at 120m altitude (i could have gone more but i forgot to remove software limit)
Max altitude achieved: 330m.
I am in CE mode.

Mako79 · Jan 12, 2016

The windsurfer will only extend the 2.4ghz controller distance and not your FPV.
The problem with the Standard's remote is that the wifi is built in. You will need to do some sort of external antenna mod and then attach a windsurfer or booster to get extended 5.8ghz FPV range.

You could always build a 6ft reflective parabola wall and stand in it.

ninosnicolaou · Jan 13, 2016

explain that with the reflective parabola please

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P.Lindblom · Jan 13, 2016

ninosnicolaou said:
I don't want to spend a fortune on that but can you recommend the best mods for long range flights?

It depends on what you consider to be long range and what you would like to be able to do at that distance. My unmodified P3S (CE) does just over 1700m, but of course it isn't very useful at that distance, as it's on the edge of losing the rc signal. At 1000m it's totally fine, though. I can use it the same way I would if it was close to me, provided there isn't a lot of interference around.

ninosnicolaou · Jan 13, 2016

Yes but i only get 500 in ce mode and only with LOS in clear area

ninosnicolaou · Jan 13, 2016

Mako79 said:
The windsurfer will only extend the 2.4ghz controller distance and not your FPV.
The problem with the Standard's remote is that the wifi is built in. You will need to do some sort of external antenna mod and then attach a windsurfer or booster to get extended 5.8ghz FPV range.

You could always build a 6ft reflective parabola wall and stand in it.

control signal is 5.8GHz and Wifi video is 2.4 GHz

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Kenneth Marsola · Jan 13, 2016

P.Lindblom said:
It depends on what you consider to be long range and what you would like to be able to do at that distance. My unmodified P3S (CE) does just over 1700m, but of course it isn't very useful at that distance, as it's on the edge of losing the rc signal. At 1000m it's totally fine, though. I can use it the same way I would if it was close to me, provided there isn't a lot of interference around.

Wow how lucky are you to get over THREE TIMES the distance advertised by DJI (CE)
Most others cannot even get near the max distance.
We would like to know how you are able to do this.
Also it is impossible to keep line of sight at anything near that 1700m distance.
At 1000m the phantom is nothing but a tiny speck, with no clue to orientation.

dirkclod · Jan 13, 2016

Kenneth Marsola said:
Wow how lucky are you to get over THREE TIMES the distance advertised by DJI (CE)
Most others cannot even get near the max distance.
We would like to know how you are able to do this.
Also it is impossible to keep line of sight at anything near that 1700m distance.
At 1000m the phantom is nothing but a tiny speck, with no clue to orientation.

I have had mine over 3 miles and it had to be in LOS .
You mean VLOS .
Is a difference Ken and I also knew orientation from looking at app

P.Lindblom · Jan 13, 2016

Kenneth Marsola said:
Wow how lucky are you to get over THREE TIMES the distance advertised by DJI (CE)
Most others cannot even get near the max distance.
We would like to know how you are able to do this.
Also it is impossible to keep line of sight at anything near that 1700m distance.
At 1000m the phantom is nothing but a tiny speck, with no clue to orientation.

There are videos of people taking there P3S' over 2km, but I haven't managed more than 1720m so far. Apart from keeping the antenna perpendicular to the drone I'm not doing anything special to get that sort of distance.

As Dirk pointed out the drone has to be in line of sight to maintain the signal. The moon is in my line of sight at the moment. I cannot see the drone from 1700m, or even 1000m away though, that's true.

Here's 1702m

Here's 1720m

And here's 1698m

Mako79 · Jan 13, 2016

ninosnicolaou said:
control signal is 5.8GHz and Wifi video is 2.4 GHz

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Whoops. sometimes you forget which is positive and which is negative. My bad.

Mako79 · Jan 13, 2016

ninosnicolaou said:
explain that with the reflective parabola please

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The windsurfer is designed using parabolas on each antenna. Its a calculation used to calculate curvature for a nominated focal point. Think of TV satellite dishes.

ninosnicolaou · Jan 13, 2016

Mako79 said:
The windsurfer is designed using parabolas on each antenna. Its a calculation used to calculate curvature for a nominated focal point. Think of TV satellite dishes.

Thank tou very much. So will it work? I mean really work. more stable signal at least ?

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Mako79 · Jan 13, 2016

ninosnicolaou said:
Thank tou very much. So will it work? I mean really work. more stable signal at least ?

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Yes and no.
Yes for the control signals because it has an external antenna which will work with a windsurfer.
No for the video FPV stream. You need to some get access to the internal antenna inside the remote and then change the antenna to suit the windsurfer. If you are doing this, then its much better to look at boosting the 2.4Ghz with Sunamp kit (I think that's what its called).

If you were looking at distance flying, it would have been better to get an Adv with the Lightbridge.

Air Ontario · Jan 13, 2016

I easily fly 1200m away @ at altitude of about 50-75 ft with sparse trees 6-8 ft. in front of me,the RC and the takeoff point with no loss of video or signal. I leave from my back deck straight up, then over the trees bordering the deck and then across the lake.

If I have better weather tomorrow, I may try a max distance since the lake is frozen for miles.

edit.....P3P

ninosnicolaou · Jan 13, 2016

Mako79 said:
Yes and no.
Yes for the control signals because it has an external antenna which will work with a windsurfer.
No for the video FPV stream. You need to some get access to the internal antenna inside the remote and then change the antenna to suit the windsurfer. If you are doing this, then its much better to look at boosting the 2.4Ghz with Sunamp kit (I think that's what its called).

If you were looking at distance flying, it would have been better to get an Adv with the Lightbridge.

No money for advance. In cyprus is €599(with discount)the standard and €899(with discount) the advance... €300 are a lot. Now, thanks for your help. I will get a windsurfer just to have the extra transmition signal so if i lose video i can use rth function or something else via the dji go. I know, failsafe will do the trick, but you never know.

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