Range Extenders - My Experience

[DrizzyDrones]

I do turn to be facing in the general direction of the drone, but don't need to be exact. To be sure that I wasn't dreaming they added range, I flew my mini away till it had terrible signal, then slid them in place, and was back to good signal, then flew it another 200 meters away from me, and it remained in good signal. Once the extra 200 meters off into the distance, I slid the range extenders off, and it lost signal, triggered the automatic return to home, and that was all the proof I needed.

I never understood why the people reviewing the range extender didn’t test like this.. most videos they do two separate flights I think it is a better test of the extenders doing it this way.. i have flown two different flights in the same general path and have gotten signal notification at different distances but if u lose signal put on the extenders and it gets back then remove and lose it again thats a better test.. so you did this with fcc model?

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

I never understood why the people reviewing the range extender didn’t test like this.. most videos they do two separate flights I think it is a better test of the extenders doing it this way.. i have flown two different flights in the same general path and have gotten signal notification at different distances but if u lose signal put on the extenders and it gets back then remove and lose it again thats a better test.. so you did this with fcc model?

Thanks.
A regular Mini, bought in Canada, so whatever the stock drones here are. I have left the frequency choice set to automatic, not forcing a certain signal to be locked in.

 

[Thanev]

Thanks.
A regular Mini, bought in Canada, so whatever the stock drones here are. I have left the frequency choice set to automatic, not forcing a certain signal to be locked in.

I do the same when using the reflector style.
If using the Yaggi,would you go 2 Ghz or 5Ghz and lock in a specific? Which would give a longer range?

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

I do the same when using the reflector style.
If using the Yaggi,would you go 2 Ghz or 5Ghz and lock in a specific? Which would give a longer range?

It sounds like most people say one is better around obstructions, and the other in wide open spaces. So picking 2.4 or 5.6 depends on where you are flying, but i have only read that, not experienced it myself.

 

[sunbinder]

The ones made in China, so 99% of the market, are poorly made. Luckily the look doesn't have an impact on the functionality.
The 2.4 GHz are more difficult to be found on eBay/Amazon/Banggood...

By the way, this one looks cool:
View attachment 103249

Yagi-Uda antennae. Cool. Got it.
Thanks!

 

[MajorHavoc]

Any updates on how the Yagi is working out? Improvements? Compared to the gold reflectors?
Thanks!
...oh and, first post! Wo0t!

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

Any updates on how the Yagi is working out? Improvements? Compared to the gold reflectors?
Thanks!
...oh and, first post! Wo0t!

Welcome to the forum Major.

 

[tlap]

I just checked and if you search on Amazon, you can easily find the Yagi range/signal extender. It's about 12 - 16 dollars. Strangely enough, not a lot of reviews.

 

[Jstar]

It's not illegal from state parks unless it is posted. You can not fly from federal parks. But you can fly over federal parks. No taking off or landing.
I take off literally ten feet from the Parkway and fly for miles along the Parkway.

Thanks for that info..

 

[DrizzyDrones]

Would you go with the parabolic or the yagi.. can anyone link me to a set of fcc yagis preferably one that isn’t shipped from china

 

[Boyce555]

I have both range extenders and tend to just use the yagi now. I made my own 2.4ghz yagi and get a good 2 mile range no problem. You can easily buy the 5.8ghz yagi online.

 

[Boyce555]

I do the same when using the reflector style.
If using the Yaggi,would you go 2 Ghz or 5Ghz and lock in a specific? Which would give a longer range?

Depends if you have FCC model or CE model, I have a CE model and use 2.4ghz for range.

 

[MavicairLou1]

I provided a hyper link to them in the first sentence of my post....

Your hyper link didn’t show up?

 

[Ozziebattler]

The ones made in China, so 99% of the market, are poorly made. Luckily the look doesn't have an impact on the functionality.
The 2.4 GHz are more difficult to be found on eBay/Amazon/Banggood...

By the way, this one looks cool:
View attachment 103249

Hi, these are 5.8 Yagis 2.4 yagis only have 4 bars there is a guy in England that makes them i will try and find his YouTube channel

 

[Ozziebattler]

This guy makes 2.4 Yagi and on his channel he tests them

 

[Ozziebattler]

This is one of my flights with Parabolic dish.....Australia

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

My parabolic dish style antenna booster, adds a good 40% to 50% to my range.

 

[Piecar]

"This is one of my flights with Parabolic dish.....Australia "


I was about to scoff at your image, Ozziebattler, but then I noticed the '4' ,buried in other data, of your '4171'. That is some amazing distance. (Especially with VLOS! Ha!) I would guess there's less WiFi interference in that rural area....but, Jeepers

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

View attachment 104546
This is one of my flights with Parabolic dish.....Australia

I would be ecstatic to get half of that.

 

[m80116]

I have the shiny GOLD parabolic reflectors and they definitely help, I've driven my CE Mini up to 1.2 Km and reach my set distance limit there without much fuss. They don't do miracles as I was in a rural area but they help to a very considerable extent. In my town I can have clear video feedback even 800 meters away from me, which wasn't happening before. I tend not to push things to the limit as for what I am doing I need a clear fast-refreshing video feedback.

I've also recently got the Yagi-Uda clip on antennas and I wanna combine the two and see what I can achieve. I think I will modify my Y/U set to insert beyond the stopping point (as also the Right side antenna on the RC antenna stick enclosure sits lower than the left one), thus combining the joy of both the parabolics and the Yagi/Udas into one...

I hope they don't steal my idea before anyone else pops out and says FIRST