Right choice for FC40 Camera to extend the FPV range??

[J.James]

I THINK the black wire is the antenna in a Kindle Fire. It might be worthwhile just to run it out of the case and let it hang.

A little bit of an update on the kindle fire antenna mod I was wanting to do. I got the kindle all open and was ready to install an external Ipx or mini pci to rp-sma antenna pig tail extension wire. But when I pulled the plug off the kindles antenna wire to plug. The extension wire in is when I noticed the connector plug thats in the kindle is about 1/2 the size of a normal mini pci connector. They use whats called an "ultra miniature" pci connector. and i am having a heck of a time finding any place at all that sell either the pig tails with the ultra mini connectors on them and even having a hard time finding any female ultra mini connectors at all.

So far the only thing I came up with is to get some solder on rp-sma connectors and a cheap $5 kindle antenna i can chop off the wire with the ultra mini connecter on and solder it it to the rp-sma connector to make my own extension. It just sucks that I now have to wait again for parts to arrive and it ended up costing me $6 to make what should of been under $2 mod. Had it just had a regular mini pci connector in the kindle.

 

[zerodb]

Anyone else have trouble staying connected to the FC40 camera at ALL with their Kindle? I just picked up a Fire HD 7" and sideloaded the FC40 app but even in the same room, after it connects to the camera it loses connection almost instantly.

 

[zerodb]

Never mind that last post, I think it was just because I was surrounded by so much other wifi hardware in here. I took it outside and set the FC40 camera up on a rock column and walked away from it until I lost connection... ground level, unobstructed. I'd imagine it would do better with some sky under it.

Using my iPad Mini Retina: 250 feet before it lost connection and booted me out of the app

Using my Kindle Fire HD (2012 model): at 850 feet the feed was freezing and zoom buttons unresponsive, but the app held connection and kept updating the feed slowly.

I can't imagine how much more distance I could pull out of a cloverleaf antenna hanging on the FC40. I also haven't even tried my Amped SR10000 repeater with this.

 

[fofun]

Well just got back in fro testing the wifi repeater with the kindle and the results were very under whelming. using the kindle for my monitor and hooked up to the repeater in the camera app I would lose feed at about 300meters out. and the repeater just could not still get a signal from the camera unless I aimed the antennas just right and even still it would only go a few more meters and lose the signal. Yet I could still connect directly to the fc40s camera from the kindle to about 320m to 350m or so depending on how high up i was. So basically the repeated had less range then the kindle did on its own. So it was pretty much $80 down the tube to cut my range. it will help if i try to use the smart phone but thats got a crappy tiny screen and so I don't like using it much anyway.

So Im going to so some more testing and try a different set of antennas and see if that helps at all with the repeater other wise its just a $80 brick to me or can use it in my metal shop behind my house that has a week wifi signal for my shop computer tho I hardly ever go to the web on that computer much at all other then when I need to down load any software or cut files for my CNC machines.

I made a tin foil parabola and held it over my iPhone facing the camera and I got 980 feet with it. It really worked. That's with the stock fc40 camera.

 

[wattage]

I made a tin foil parabola and held it over my iPhone facing the camera and I got 980 feet with it. It really worked. That's with the stock fc40 camera.

Do you have a picture of this miracle contraption? :shock:

 

[Cajvol94]

I made a tin foil parabola and held it over my iPhone facing the camera and I got 980 feet with it. It really worked. That's with the stock fc40 camera.

Do you have a picture of this miracle contraption? :shock:

+1

 

[mikey]

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I just got my fc40 and did my first flight this morning. How do ya'll know how far away it is? is there an option on the camera app that tells you distance? Or ya'll just guessing by line of site? Or maybe I'm missing something.

 

[J.James]

I got back to your ? in one of the other posts in more detail. But you can either get a flytrax flight recorder. or take video during your flight with the cam faceing straight down and use google maps to approximate the spot you were over when it went in to fail safe and turns around at the measher the distance from your start point using the distance scale. Tho thats a bit of a pain in the butt.

 

[silverfox71]

J.James, I went and purchased the kindle fire hd to get the added range. I have only had a chance to play with it indoors at this poin but I am noticing that there is quite a bit of lag even when i am only 3 feet away from the camera. Can you offer any suggestions what you did to prevent this? When i say there is quite a bit of lag, I am comparing it to my samsung galaxy s4. Thanks

 

[silverfox71]

I got back to your ? in one of the other posts in more detail. But you can either get a flytrax flight recorder. or take video during your flight with the cam faceing straight down and use google maps to approximate the spot you were over when it went in to fail safe and turns around at the measher the distance from your start point using the distance scale. Tho thats a bit of a pain in the butt.

J.James, I went and purchased the kindle fire hd to get the added range. I have only had a chance to play with it indoors at this poin but I am noticing that there is quite a bit of lag even when i am only 3 feet away from the camera. Can you offer any suggestions what you did to prevent this? When i say there is quite a bit of lag, I am comparing it to my samsung galaxy s4. Thanks

 

[toorboy]

What are you guys using to hold the kindle
While your flying my kindle don't fit in the
Phone holder??

 

[lake_flyer]

I made a tin foil parabola and held it over my iPhone facing the camera and I got 980 feet with it. It really worked. That's with the stock fc40 camera.

Do you have a picture of this miracle contraption? :shock:

+1

OK, I just tried it, downloaded a template and in 20 minutes I made a tin foil antenna. Fortunately the weather is calm so I gave it a shot.

INCREDIBLE! I reached well over 900 feet and still the picture on my iPhone 4 kept steady and was updated almost real time without hick ups. Only when I started to pan around I lost wifi contact but I could reconnect at 450 feet and take it again to 500 feet and 300 feet high before losing contact. I just confirmed it with Google maps.

Freakin amazing if you ask me. 900 feet is a nice operating range and suddenly my FC40 is fun again.

Thanks Cajvo94, you were right.

Great start for a sunny sunday.

 

[lake_flyer]

I have to correct myself......

It turns out to be 1001.25 feet!!!!!

 

[lake_flyer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUTT8wdN_VA if you have some aluminium foil and want to give it a shot.

I realise that standing on my balcony, probably interfered by the powerful wifi setup from my neighbour (who has a professional weather wifi station), as well as my own wifi router, the range might be even limited.

I will try it in the field as soon as my batteries are recharged.

 

[lake_flyer]

On the beach just now, with the camera facing the transmitter it took 1095 feet before I lost connection. Facing away 900 feet. The FC40 camera is attached to the battery door, the Gopro is under the Phantom. I suspect that the camera is suffering from interference by the phantom body, the batteries and the Gopro. With the camera pointed at the transmitter the range is clearly better. But still, I am very happy with the results.

 

[lake_flyer]

Here's a screen shot of Google Earth, showing the 1095 feet stretch.