Antennas with ST16
- Thread starter Marine One
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You may want to try some DeoxIT contact cleaner / conditioner on the antenna connector, and check for proper contact.
With my ST16+ and its square antenna, I've had video out to one mile before it started to stutter and break up. Much of the flight was over a residential area where the would have been plenty of sources of 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio emissions.
With my ST16+ and its square antenna, I've had video out to one mile before it started to stutter and break up. Much of the flight was over a residential area where the would have been plenty of sources of 2.4GHz and 5GHz radio emissions.
PatR
Premium Pilot
I've had mine out further than I care to say with the stock -16 antennas in rural environments with zero connectivity issues. A clear sight picture was always maintained between the H and the 16.
The most obvious difference may perhaps be my location. I did have two football fields of room and went straight out....so its almost a perfect scenario for max video distance.
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The results I get are in a similar area. I recently surveyed 22 acres - baseball, softball, lacrosse, two tennis courts and three small soccer fields. The starting point was higher than the rest of the area and the furthest distance from me was about 1000'. The H performs flawlessly with the flat antenna but had major problems with the mushroom one. I think I will try a different mushroom one to see if it performs better. I have some made by Fat Shark that I could try, but I get the same performance out of my racing quads so I don't know if it will help.
Altitude, surroundings, atmospheric conditions, solar K-Index.
Very early in my experience with the TH (last June), I flew out over 5000 ft. at 400 ft. elevation at an abandoned golf course before the video broke up. Thank Yuneec for a reliable RTH function. I didn't get video back for about 2 minutes on the return flight. Scared the daylights out of me but it came faithfully home. More recently, video breaks up have occurred at about 3000 ft. I certainly would not make such long range flights over populated areas. BTW, my ST16 has the original 2 antennas.
Just so you know I'm not pulling your leg, here's a video of the 1-mile flight:
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That's good to know. I'm going with atmospheric disturbances because I've never flown in less than ideal LOS situations, aside from going behind the occasional tree. I have a shoot coming that may require the mushroom because I won't have much freedom of movement and maybe the sun will not flare that day.
So what is the correct answer of the question? Mushroom or flat? I just purchased my standard H. It did come with the flat antenna loose in the box. I have the 2 antenna ST-16. Is it safe to say that it will call for the use of both antennas at different times in different situations?
PatR
Premium Pilot
For me, the answer is if you fly line of sight out to 1,000-1,500' the stock antennas work great. If you put objects between the H and the 16 or insist on using it at long range you might want to boost things with an antenna swap. Those that fly legally are good to go out if the box.
Oops I miss read your question.
I fly with it all the time. Without it I was not getting the 1500 range like patr gets. But I probably have a high noise floor. I also fly Los but also can reach 2500' and still see the thing but I only do that when doing video over a lake or ocean where it is wide open . Makes it a little easier to spot with a clear background.
I fly with it all the time. Without it I was not getting the 1500 range like patr gets. But I probably have a high noise floor. I also fly Los but also can reach 2500' and still see the thing but I only do that when doing video over a lake or ocean where it is wide open . Makes it a little easier to spot with a clear background.
PatR
Premium Pilot
Directional antennas have always been a better choice but many have found the hard way what is meant by the term directional. Omni antennas have consistently shorter range in anything they are attached to. Start playing with antenna gains and distances increase even more. As an example with something else I've worked with, omni antennas would allow a range of up to 15 miles but a directional antenna allowed more than 130 miles. Woe unto you if you were out 30 or more miles with a misaligned directional antenna. It would become bye-bye birdie in a heart beat.
The problem is not one of what antennas are used, but in who are using them. Another brand is designed for uneducated people lacking any skill to be able to pick up a box and tap the screen to say "go here". They don't even need to know how to take off or land. Unfortunately that brand provides long range operation capability to entice more buyers. Although advertised as an anyone can fly system the H is anything but a beginner's aircraft and requires both skill and understanding to be successfully operated. Because of the success in marketing using distance as a grading criteria by the other company, a lot of people buy the H expecting the same attributes. We have all seen the numerous posts from people complaining they can't fly as far as the other brand, and other things, which only demonstrates how little they understand of the activity they are trying to participate in. Those people can be a danger to us all. Because of them that brand is trying to get governments to force the brand's flight restriction software on other manufacturers.
I really do understand the people in frequency saturated environments that need the most reliable signal they can get, who choose directional antennas to accomplish that. But they need to be aware that such environments provide considerable unpredictability that an antenna change is not going to resolve by itself. They also should understand a failure on their part to keep the antenna aligned with the H can cost them the aircraft. With the increase in capability comes an increase in responsibility
Now go have fun
The problem is not one of what antennas are used, but in who are using them. Another brand is designed for uneducated people lacking any skill to be able to pick up a box and tap the screen to say "go here". They don't even need to know how to take off or land. Unfortunately that brand provides long range operation capability to entice more buyers. Although advertised as an anyone can fly system the H is anything but a beginner's aircraft and requires both skill and understanding to be successfully operated. Because of the success in marketing using distance as a grading criteria by the other company, a lot of people buy the H expecting the same attributes. We have all seen the numerous posts from people complaining they can't fly as far as the other brand, and other things, which only demonstrates how little they understand of the activity they are trying to participate in. Those people can be a danger to us all. Because of them that brand is trying to get governments to force the brand's flight restriction software on other manufacturers.
I really do understand the people in frequency saturated environments that need the most reliable signal they can get, who choose directional antennas to accomplish that. But they need to be aware that such environments provide considerable unpredictability that an antenna change is not going to resolve by itself. They also should understand a failure on their part to keep the antenna aligned with the H can cost them the aircraft. With the increase in capability comes an increase in responsibility
Now go have fun
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Well, there you go. I asked for advantages and disadvantages of the patch antenna. After reviewing past posts and Pat's comments above, I think I understand the trade-offs better. Patch antenna may provide more video range and better visibility through trees (we have a lot of them here) but when the bird is far away, keeping it pointed in the right direction could become quite difficult because you may not be able to see the bird at that extended range, leading to a disaster. Thanks.
Makes sense! Thank you!Directional antennas have always been a better choice but many have found the hard way what is meant by the term directional. Omni antennas have consistently shorter range in anything they are attached to. Start playing with antenna gains and distances increase even more. As an example with something else I've worked with, omni antennas would allow a range of up to 15 miles but a directional antenna allowed more than 130 miles. Woe unto you if you were out 30 or more miles with a misaligned directional antenna. It would become bye-bye birdie in a heart beat.
The problem is not one of what antennas are used, but in who are using them. Another brand is designed for uneducated people lacking any skill to be able to pick up a box and tap the screen to say "go here". They don't even need to know how to take off or land. Unfortunately that brand provides long range operation capability to entice more buyers. Although advertised as an anyone can fly system the H is anything but a beginner's aircraft and requires both skill and understanding to be successfully operated. Because of the success in marketing using distance as a grading criteria by the other company, a lot of people buy the H expecting the same attributes. We have all seen the numerous posts from people complaining they can't fly as far as the other brand, and other things, which only demonstrates how little they understand of the activity they are trying to participate in. Those people can be a danger to us all. Because of them that brand is trying to get governments to force the brand's flight restriction software on other manufacturers.
I really do understand the people in frequency saturated environments that need the most reliable signal they can get, who choose directional antennas to accomplish that. But they need to be aware that such environments provide considerable unpredictability that an antenna change is not going to resolve by itself. They also should understand a failure on their part to keep the antenna aligned with the H can cost them the aircraft. With the increase in capability comes an increase in responsibility
Now go have fun
