Did this mod tonight because I was bored. Not sure I see much improvement yet and didn't spend a lot of time flying since I'm testing different antenna's to see what works best. Took about an hour to do the mod.
Latest mod, long range antenna on the H
- Thread starter azpilot61
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favor antennas are directional no? you would not want directional on the quad itself, you yaw, your done
https://fpvlr.com/store/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IMG_8312.jpg
it could do 2 2.4 and a 5.8 for the cgo3+ besides the 2 for the st16 with a booster. but the weight would be an issue for the h alone. need to try it out. waiting on yuneec to get it fixed.
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yeah those are directional, they would only work well if they were always pointed at you, if you yaw the hex, your signal is gone
Yep the antennas are directional as that is all I have in that size for right now until the new ones get in that's why I haven't flown it much and only around the house a few doors down. The new ones should be here in the few days that are the omni directional ones.
If your really wanting to get the best range & signal then as for what you CAN do on your H itself is you can mount a 2.4GHZ Micro Amp I've seen 2 watt versions but there may be up to 3W or higher if you really look hard. But considering after I've read through the Typhoon H FCC Test Report as far as what kind of power it radiates out of the box, the 2.4Ghz Band is only 0.05 Watts & then the 2.4Ghz antenna on the ST16 is rated -0.11 dBi Gain. So after reading that, the 2W booster alone would multiply your signal significantly then add on 2- 7dBi Omni Directional Antennas that I got off Ebay for around $15 for both. & thats all before ever modifying anything with your ST16. I'd also highly recommend you to replace the internal antenna cables inside your H because if you go to all that trouble to get everything & install it without replacing the pretty thin wires your ultimate gain will be minimal, its like thinking of filling up a swimming pool: if you try to do it with a garden hose it will take forever & be slow but if you do it with 2 fire hoses it going to allow alot more through at a time. That's why everyone on here that buys a DBS antenna or the FPVLR antenna set & only simply screw them into their existing ST16's & then complain that they aren't really getting any better range it's most likely because they are still using the stock antenna cables.. When buying antenna cables the ultimate best ones to buy are going to be RG-142 or RG-400. & don't worry all this is not just coming out of my mouth claiming to know it all, I've actually researched all of this, the Jury is still out on whether to buy the FPVLR Antennas or the DBS though & that will always be different for everyone because there are so many factors that play into your ultimate amount of gain, even if you had 2 people in the same place at the same time with all the same equipment.
I'm always one for a low loss cable--In my two way radio work I always use the best for repeater sites and home stations....But, with the thicker cables, it is so hard to route them around inside the controller and H, and then they put more stress on the connectors on either end which could contribute to signal loss. I would think with such a short run, the difference, in loss, between the higher grade coax and the standard are probably minimal.
@Tom C So yea I replaced the internal cables on the ST16 when I opened it up to pull out the other 2.4 connector to the outside. I used RG178 cable with the RP SMA Female end. That's some pretty thick cable the way it is already.
I have the FPVLR antennas for 2.4 and 5.8 and am trying out different ones at the moment. I have solid control and telemetry with moving the cables to the outside of the controller and am now working on making the video signal as strong as I can.
The RG178 cable however seems a bit too thick inside the H itself so went with the normal cabled RP SMA F connectors and cables. Really those two runs are so short that a normal cable works just fine for the limited space.
As for the RG142/400 I don't that cable comes with any ufl type connector so couldn't use it internally. If I'm wrong I'd like to see it..
I have the FPVLR antennas for 2.4 and 5.8 and am trying out different ones at the moment. I have solid control and telemetry with moving the cables to the outside of the controller and am now working on making the video signal as strong as I can.
The RG178 cable however seems a bit too thick inside the H itself so went with the normal cabled RP SMA F connectors and cables. Really those two runs are so short that a normal cable works just fine for the limited space.
As for the RG142/400 I don't that cable comes with any ufl type connector so couldn't use it internally. If I'm wrong I'd like to see it..
Tom, Thanks for the info. Would you be willing to post the amazon link for the 2- 7dBi Omni Directional Antennas and the Micro Amp? If you have a video for these mods that would be great if you could share the link. Thanks again for the info. loss of signal is my biggest concerns, and as you pointed out, there are many suggestions for antennas and mods, but many of them do not produce positive and consistent results.
So I added my 5.8 booster to the radio and gotta say, the whole 5.8 video setup on the H IMO sucks. My Phantom far out does the video capability and distance of the H, at least the one I have. Choppy video streaming starting at 500 feet and just continues no matter what I do can't stop it.
I will say my telemetry and signal for control is spot on out to 1500'
Makes me want to get rid of the entire setup..
I will say my telemetry and signal for control is spot on out to 1500'
Makes me want to get rid of the entire setup..
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My 'regular' stock H gets at least 1200' out with no video breakup. (Haven't found the need to go any farther out.)
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I've not added a 5.8 booster, but my FPVLR antennas have solid telemetry and video feed at 1600 at 300'altitude...and that is over treetops where I can barely maintain LOS over them. That's as far as I care to push it.
You've got to keep in mind that the 2 watts is optimum output with a certain input signal level. While it can amplify up to 2 watts, the drive has to be within a certain dB range to get that 2 watts. If the H outputs on 50mw, The output might only be 500mw and not 2000mw (2 watts). Above that, if the amp is a noisy amp you are doing more harm then good. Just sticking an amp on and getting more output power doesn't mean the RF digital signal is clean. That could contribute to data/telemetry communication issues and video signal issues.
Above all, make sure all your antenna connections are tight -- The FPVLR needed the lock washer to be removed on the ST16 for a snug fit.
To me, short range video signal from the H could mean local RF interference or a bad antenna connection. I've only added the DBS and FPLVR antennas to my ST16 and H, while moving the internal Zigbee 2.4 GHz antenna to the outside of the ST16 and adding two omni external antennas to the H. I have gone 2000 ft with no control or video issues. I've yet to venture further since I have no reason at the moment...
I find it hard to believe it's interference, I can shut down the H, start the phantom and fly to the same spots and further with no video breakup. I remove the booster, wasn't making any difference. My next plan is to move the pinwheel antenna to the outside if the camera. Mount is made, this should get interesting
So I took a few days and thought about the changes and then ordered some new cables for the ST16. I found the video streaming issue and its all fixed out to right now 1700 feet (which is good enough for me)
I had purchased and used the RG178 cables and apparently this was the cause of the problems.
Description of the new cable:
Cable is 1.13mm mini-coaxial cable (50 Ohm): This is a very thin and flexible cable, with a black jacket. When connecting U.FL connector to a jack on a miniPCI card or board, often the tight space requires the use of 1.13mm cable, because it is very thin and flexible. If you want a thicker, double-shielded low-loss cable: Contact us for special order.
Connectors are precision machined in ISO 9001 facilities, and gold-plated for low loss. ROHS compliant: The entire product is ROHS compliant (connectors and cable).
Its the black one in the picture. I ordered several 4", 5" 6" and 8" and then used exact sizes from the connector on the wifi boards to where they go outside the controller.
Video runs like a champ now with no stuttering, loss or anything else in any direction I'm pointed
Here is the link - U.FL to RP-SMA Cables for WiFi and Bluetooth Antennas
I had purchased and used the RG178 cables and apparently this was the cause of the problems.
Description of the new cable:
Cable is 1.13mm mini-coaxial cable (50 Ohm): This is a very thin and flexible cable, with a black jacket. When connecting U.FL connector to a jack on a miniPCI card or board, often the tight space requires the use of 1.13mm cable, because it is very thin and flexible. If you want a thicker, double-shielded low-loss cable: Contact us for special order.
Connectors are precision machined in ISO 9001 facilities, and gold-plated for low loss. ROHS compliant: The entire product is ROHS compliant (connectors and cable).
Its the black one in the picture. I ordered several 4", 5" 6" and 8" and then used exact sizes from the connector on the wifi boards to where they go outside the controller.
Video runs like a champ now with no stuttering, loss or anything else in any direction I'm pointed
Here is the link - U.FL to RP-SMA Cables for WiFi and Bluetooth Antennas
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what do you think about this setup?
I personally think its a waste of $ yet a killer range for the H, let me know what you think. thanks for the link, im having my H back tomorrow.
So which cable did you use...? you said the thin black ones right..? what was the white color cable for? and you mounted all 4 antenas outside the ST-16 2-2.4 and 2-5.8 where did you get the exterior antenas and what ratings
