Tip regarding the FC40 camera

[Molokai]

If you are experiencing the camera losing connection after a few minutes while using a wifi booster, make sure you sync up the time and date before each run.

 

[Beario]

I will definitely look at this next time I have been trying different combinations for long range lately and noticed I had one time I lost the connection while I was way out. Luckily I had my neighbor there playing spotter with his binoculars. Another thing I have noticed is that if I remove the sd card and use the camera for fpv only that I get the longest range if it is not recording anything. I am using an sjcam for recording video most of the time now.

 

[Molokai]

I will definitely look at this next time I have been trying different combinations for long range lately and noticed I had one time I lost the connection while I was way out. Luckily I had my neighbor there playing spotter with his binoculars. Another thing I have noticed is that if I remove the sd card and use the camera for fpv only that I get the longest range if it is not recording anything. I am using an sjcam for recording video most of the time now.

Yeah it definitely works best without the SD card.

 

[Beario]

Just curious but IIVII posted a mod for the FC40 camera a while back, but I never saw a follow up to that other than a few people saying it made their cameras worse.

http://www.phantompilots.com/threads/external-antenna-mod-for-the-fc40-cam.18388/

I am already getting great range with booster's and antennas, but I never touched the camera. After rereading this thread though I am thinking it is not worth it things seemed to have stalled.

 

[IflyinWY]

So Beario & Molokai,
You found that when not recording & NO SD card in place, the WiFi range for FVP is increased?

About how much farther can you go?

Does the "Lag Time" decrease as well?

Thanks guys.

 

[Beario]

So Beario & Molokai,
You found that when not recording & NO SD card in place, the WiFi range for FVP is increased?

About how much farther can you go?

Does the "Lag Time" decrease as well?

Thanks guys.

Hey IflyinWY It would appear that the camera writing to the sd card and sending video at the same time diminishes range. This is what I have experienced while flying. I have had the furthest range by not recording video with the FC40 cam using it for FPV and an SJCAM for recording video.

 

[IflyinWY]

That makes an awful lot of sense. I'll try that out.

I'll bet you and Molokai, just broke new ground.

Good job.

 

[IflyinWY]

Thank Beario


So, what kind of range increase are you getting without enabling recording?

The DVR at the receiving end is sounding like the best way to work with what we have.

 

[lake_flyer]

I vaguely remember I experienced that the camera shut itself off after a given time when there was no card in the slot, like most camera's. But I tend to agree that no card probably means extra power to the whole camera system and maybe a better range.

 

[IflyinWY]

Thanks lake flyer, sounds about right.

How'd you do with the wind and all?

 

[Beario]

Thank Beario


So, what kind of range increase are you getting without enabling recording?

The DVR at the receiving end is sounding like the best way to work with what we have.

Hey IflyinWY I think that will mostly depend on your setup at the receiving end. With an unmodified Kindle Fire HD you can get 300 meters or more. Adding an antenna gets you an addition 150 meters for 450 meters. Adding a Sunhans 2.5W booster gives about 1500 meters. The boosters behave differently. Sunhans is by far the best and the others I just dont trust. I returned one of the unbranded ones I had. It had the same specs as the sunhans, but when I used it I got more video lagging. It didnt make sense that two 2.5W boosters performed so differently.

I've never had the FC40 camera disconnect on me unless I went too far beyond range for too long or I was using an SD card below cat 10. I'm using the extra one I have as a rear view camera in the car the battery even last longer when you are not recording anything.

 

[Molokai]

I'm currently getting 400 meters using a Hawking HWREN 1 Wifi repeater equipped with a single 7 (or 8?) dbi panel antenna and a stock one. And removing the SD card does not end up with my camera shutting off after a while (it'll stay on as long as you have it connected to the app). For myself, I have very little latency when I'm running without it also.

 

[Molokai]

Hey IflyinWY I think that will mostly depend on your setup at the receiving end. With an unmodified Kindle Fire HD you can get 300 meters or more. Adding an antenna gets you an addition 150 meters for 450 meters. Adding a Sunhans 2.5W booster gives about 1500 meters. The boosters behave differently. Sunhans is by far the best and the others I just dont trust. I returned one of the unbranded ones I had. It had the same specs as the sunhans, but when I used it I got more video lagging. It didnt make sense that two 2.5W boosters performed so differently.

I've never had the FC40 camera disconnect on me unless I went too far beyond range for too long or I was using an SD card below cat 10. I'm using the extra one I have as a rear view camera in the car the battery even last longer when you are not recording anything.

Do you have pics of your setup?

 

[Beario]

Do you have pics of your setup?

Here are pics of one of my setups. This is the easiest and most compact setup not requiring a tripod. The Kindle is modified by removing the rear cover and making a round hole over where the camera is located. I removed the camera so that when I mount the base for the antenna it fits nice and allows me to close the cover. I also drilled 2 holes in the cover to mount the booster. The booster requires 6 volts so thats 4 AA batteries I used a battery holder from one of my rc cars and attached the plug to it. I can go pretty far with this setup.

 

[Molokai]

Here are pics of one of my setups. This is the easiest and most compact setup not requiring a tripod. The Kindle is modified by removing the rear cover and making a round hole over where the camera is located. I removed the camera so that when I mount the base for the antenna it fits nice and allows me to close the cover. I also drilled 2 holes in the cover to mount the booster. The booster requires 6 volts so thats 4 AA batteries I used a battery holder from one of my rc cars and attached the plug to it. I can go pretty far with this setup.

Wow that is a really impressive setup. I'm surprised that the directional panel is usable with the transmitter. Aren't 2.4ghz antennas not supposed to work with 5.8ghz antennas?

 

[Beario]

Wow that is a really impressive setup. I'm surprised that the directional panel is usable with the transmitter. Aren't 2.4ghz antennas not supposed to work with 5.8ghz antennas?

If you are going to run 2 signals through 1 antenna, then you need an antenna that can do both 2.4 and 5.8. On the other hand in my experience if it is just one signal going through the antenna then you can use whichever one you want. The alfa antenna is 7db on the 2.4 ghz frequency and 10 on the 5.8 ghz frequency. With the standard DJI antenna, I was getting signal loss at about 1.2 KM, but with this alfa antenna I can go out much further. Once I get the new FPV setup going, I will take a trip out to the field again to test just how far I can go.

 

[Molokai]

If you are going to run 2 signals through 1 antenna, then you need an antenna that can do both 2.4 and 5.8. On the other hand in my experience if it is just one signal going through the antenna then you can use whichever one you want. The alfa antenna is 7db on the 2.4 ghz frequency and 10 on the 5.8 ghz frequency. With the standard DJI antenna, I was getting signal loss at about 1.2 KM, but with this alfa antenna I can go out much further. Once I get the new FPV setup going, I will take a trip out to the field again to test just how far I can go.

Ah ok makes sense. I look forward to your results.