External antennas on the H

[Jom]

Has anyone out sourced an antenna kit to replace the two 2.4ghz telemetry antennas on the H? I watched Bo's YouTube video on modding those two antennas but the ones they used seemed a bit long and might get in the FOV of the camera. The pro version seems to have shorter ones. I'm thinking about modding my H and the ST 16.

Thanks
Jon

 

[Steve Carr]

I am doing the ST16 right now and plan to hold off on the H. The ST16 is an easy mod and may give me the distance I need. The H is considerably more risky and will likely void the warranty so I won't do that unless I'm convinced it's essential.

 

[Jom]

I am doing the ST16 right now and plan to hold off on the H. The ST16 is an easy mod and may give me the distance I need. The H is considerably more risky and will likely void the warranty so I won't do that unless I'm convinced it's essential.

Steve, can I ask where you ordered the antenna and connectors/cable? I've had the
ST16 open and can see telemetry antenna. Seems like an easy mod.
Thanks
Jon

 

[Steve Carr]

For the control and telemetry I ordered these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZWPS3O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Jom]

For the control and telemetry I ordered these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZWPS3O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks so much!

 

[Steve Carr]

Steve, can I ask where you ordered the antenna and connectors/cable? I've had the
ST16 open and can see telemetry antenna. Seems like an easy mod.
Thanks
Jon

This is the type of cable you need. I had several on the shelf and just picked out the right length.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005UWD0EG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Ddraiggoch]

I take it we are talking about opening up the ST16 and replacing the internal antenna with the pigtail to bring it outside and adding the two of the Alfa boosters?

Sounds a simple mod?

Did it work well?

 

[Steve Carr]

I take it we are talking about opening up the ST16 and replacing the internal antenna with the pigtail to bring it outside and adding the two of the Alfa boosters?

Sounds a simple mod?

Did it work well?

You can replace the 2 external antennas with upgraded ones. If you still have trouble losing telemetry then you can remove the inside antenna and replace with one of those listed above.

 

[Ddraiggoch]

I used to driven nuts with the video on the Q dipping out randomly.

I had the Itelite mod on the SD10 and it improved somewhat.

However, when I used the little pigtail to connect the gimbal to the socket on the underbelly of the bird I had no more problems.

Seems to me the "hotshoe" connector plays up?

Can't do that on the H (or can you?) so I wonder if that is a weakness? The hotshoe I mean.

 

[martins]

For the control and telemetry I ordered these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ZWPS3O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

but on ST16 right antenna is 5.8GHz and you ordered 2 2.4GHz will not work properly

 

[Jay36Jay]

I have been reading through forums. Since the firmware update I noticed spotty telementry loss. Has anyone had any luck or even noticed it. I was about 300ft up open terrain off the beach. I lost telementry not video.

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[Jom]

I have good video and control out to 4,000 ft at altitude but telemetry is sometimes spotty at range. I understand from other posts that the telemetry is transmitted from the two small dipole antennas on each side of the H body to the internal 2.4ghz antenna on the ST 16. Can anyone confirm or deny that? When I saw the upgrade on the H pro with the external antennas on the body and extra one on the ST 16, I figured Yuneec was addressing some shortcomings with the initial design so figured I'd do the mods myself. I'm more interested in a solid telemetry signal while filming than extreme range.

 

[Jay36Jay]

Exac I don't fly out that far so I'm looking for solid data up close.

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[Ddraiggoch]

but on ST16 right antenna is 5.8GHz and you ordered 2 2.4GHz will not work properly

Oh, did I musunderstand?

I thought Steve was referring to the camera wi-fi and control?

Isn't that 2.4?

Mind you, it is late for me after finishing a twekve and a half hour nightshift plus over an hours drive each way sigh. (See, I can't even spell twelve!)

I thought the intent was to bring the telemetry from inside the ST16. And use one of those antennae, replace the wi-fi with the other and leave the 5.8 alone or replace with a mod one?

 

[Jay36Jay]

I'm looking either way which ever works best. I thought the camera wifi is built into the cg03. I think k the 2.4 is telementry.

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[BobW55]

Eventually, I will move my telemetry antenna outside of the ST-16. I have had a few moments of loss of telemetry, and video. I have found by the time I am losing either one, the H is such a small dot in the sky I am far enough anyway.

 

[Hal]

Here's what I uncovered last night as I continue to try to figure out what connections and internal antennas do what…. Please, someone correct me if I am wrong.

Both internal antennas are 2.4GHz. Looking down at the PC boards once the back cover is removed, the one inside on the upper right is the telemetry antenna and the one on the upper left is for 2.4 GHz WiFi (probably not used to control the H). tracing back the feed line from each…. The connection for telemetry and the new external antenna should be made to the RF board in the center of the ST16 (after you remove the small internal antenna)…. I believe this board has marking of "SR 24" and this appears to be the same board used in the H (craft) as the control/telemetry transceiver. Yuneec is using a protocol called "Zigbee" to control the H --- which has a standard frequency of 2.4 GHz in the US. So that board has two antennas on 2.4 GHz (perhaps a diversity system).

The other "communications" board in the ST16 is a WiFi board (marked "ST18_Wifi) and used for the internal 2.4GHz antenna (upper left side) and the external 5.8 GHz camera antenna-- It's located to the upper left of the ST16 (when looking from the top).

Yuneec has repositioned the external antennas on the ST16 plus model to have the 5.8 GHz now in the middle and the two 2.4 GHz on either side. The WiFi antenna remains internal.

I've seen various mods where people have moved all four antennas externally --- in the FPVGuy's H antenna mod they show Jorge's controller using a itelite DBS ST10 antenna along with the 5.8 GHz mushroom antenna--- I believe this is wrong as the DBS ST10 antenna covers two 2.4 GHz antenna and one 5.8 GHz….So, he should be using THREE 2.4 GHz antennas externally and ONE 5.8 GHz.

I will also point out in the FCC database of files/photos to get certification for the ST16… It appears the test facility had identified the external antennas incorrectly and mixed them up…Having the 5.8 GHz antenna on the left (when using the controller).

In the end…. I don't believe there is any need to move the 2.4 GHz WiFi antenna externally unless you are using the internet…. I don't think it is used for any features on the H.

 

[Jay36Jay]

So the telementry antennas on the st16 are internal????

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[Hal]

One of the telemetry antennas is internal and Yuneec and owners are moving that antenna externally to increase reliability of the telemetry. Honestly, it may be a diversity (2 antenna system) and the transceiver maybe switching between the two antennas… I don't know for certain.

In the end, it's been concluded that having both antennas from the ST18 radio board external is beneficial.

 

[Jay36Jay]

Yea I figured that much I sent a email to yuneec complaining about this. I was flying yesterday and lost telemetry about 4 or 5 times through the flight. The new st16 is one of those antennas telemetry or both for video I wonder?

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