A question about Range extenders

[revzin2000]

Hi,
After browsing and browsing trough the forums I still can't find the answer so help would be appreciated...

From your personal experience: would a range extender like Titan or 4Hawks would give me better communication with the drone (I got M2P) in urban environments or behind / above mountains, trees and other obstacles or just add distance in open field with direct line of sight only
if one of them would help - which one? 4Hawks / Titan, what model ?

Many thanks

 

[sea157]

I love my Titan Switch antenna system. (best of both worlds, Omni antenna and also directional antenna)
I am getting well over 2 1/2 time the distance I was getting with the stock antennas , in the same environment you are asking about.
In an open fields environment I must be carful because my AC battery will not get me home if I don't keep an eye on it.

 

[Starz]

I have the 4hawk on an mp1 and the air. Does make a definite difference on the air. Slight improvement on the mp1. The mp2 in my opinion doesn’t need any help, as I think they tweaked the system on that one. Certainly you’re environment will come into play. Line of sight with no obstruction is always the best.

 

[Mossiback]

I see that you are new (Welcome, by the way) so you may not have used the search function of this site. Searching for range extenders netted these results. Search results for query: range extenders

 

[iowahill]

I love my Titan Switch antenna system. (best of both worlds, Omni antenna and also directional antenna)
I am getting well over 2 1/2 time the distance I was getting with the stock antennas , in the same environment you are asking about.
In an open fields environment I must be carful because my AC battery will not get me home if I don't keep an eye on it.

I have to concur with sea157 after having posted a few questions and observations about antennas and boosters, and after having some excellent and helpful advice from James at Titan. I'm going to pull the switch and buy the Switch since the antenna selection that comes with it gives you choice of omni or directional patterns, as well as choice of using with or without the amplifier panel. Changeover is a matter of seconds for your choice.

Watch the video and be prepared to spend the money. I'm going to also add a pair of the 9dB whip antennas for omni because of the mountainous terrain I will be operating in. Of the systems being offered I'm convinced that the Titan Switch is what I need.

 

[sea157]

I have to concur with sea157 after having posted a few questions and observations about antennas and boosters, and after having some excellent and helpful advice from James at Titan. I'm going to pull the switch and buy the Switch since the antenna selection that comes with it gives you choice of omni or directional patterns, as well as choice of using with or without the amplifier panel. Changeover is a matter of seconds for your choice.

Watch the video and be prepared to spend the money. I'm going to also add a pair of the 9dB whip antennas for omni because of the mountainous terrain I will be operating in. Of the systems being offered I'm convinced that the Titan Switch is what I need.

The 9dBi antennas are also a very wise decision on your part. I have these and they help push the Omni signal out even further.


I have my Titan Switch antenna system mounted on a tripod with my home made sunshade attached to it with 6' cables so I have nothing hanging on the RC. I also have 20' cables that I can hook up to it so I can fly from inside my house on very cold or hot days.

I love this setup!

View attachment 56300

 

[revzin2000]

Many thanks for all the answers
After what you wrote and some more digging online I'd like to know you opinions about:

1. From what I understand, omnidirectional untennas send the signal all over (which means less getting to the bird) - what is the benefit, exept not being have to point the remote toward the bird ? Is it better with physical obsticals (urban, trees ?) Or I must go with the directional for that purpose?

2. I see that budget-wise I can go only with the 4hawks and no lt the Titan switch many suggested (around 200$) - would it be goid for my purposes (not as range extension but as signal improve in urban / mountain / forest areas)?
If not, is there a lower priced option from Titan you I can use (like the control 2.4 antenna sysstem or a combination from "build your own switch antenna system)

Thanks again

 

[iowahill]

Many thanks for all the answers
After what you wrote and some more digging online I'd like to know you opinions about:

1. From what I understand, omnidirectional untennas send the signal all over (which means less getting to the bird) - what is the benefit, exept not being have to point the remote toward the bird ? Is it better with physical obsticals (urban, trees ?) Or I must go with the directional for that purpose?

2. I see that budget-wise I can go only with the 4hawks and no lt the Titan switch many suggested (around 200$) - would it be goid for my purposes (not as range extension but as signal improve in urban / mountain / forest areas)?
If not, is there a lower priced option from Titan you I can use (like the control 2.4 antenna sysstem or a combination from "build your own switch antenna system)

Thanks again

Having obstacles such as trees and varying ground elevations in my flying areas makes using an omni antenna system the logical choice. I installed the Itelite NanoSync (directional) circular polarized system on my MP1 and am very disappointed with the results, finding it really no better than my stock antennas,

The good part of it was that the modification to the controller requires disassembly and installation of two SMA connectors that bring the antenna ports outside the case, thus allowing your choice adding just about any antennas and/or range extenders, amps, etc you choose. Titan has two 9dB whip antennas for around $40, so once you've modified your controller I think this would give you the best non-amplified omni solution for the lowest bucks.

There may be others in this forum with their own take, so I yield the podium! Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[revzin2000]

Having obstacles such as trees and varying ground elevations in my flying areas makes using an omni antenna system the logical choice. I installed the Itelite NanoSync (directional) circular polarized system on my MP1 and am very disappointed with the results, finding it really no better than my stock antennas,

The good part of it was that the modification to the controller requires disassembly and installation of two SMA connectors that bring the antenna ports outside the case, thus allowing your choice adding just about any antennas and/or range extenders, amps, etc you choose. Titan has two 9dB whip antennas for around $40, so once you've modified your controller I think this would give you the best non-amplified omni solution for the lowest bucks.

There may be others in this forum with their own take, so I yield the podium! Good luck with whatever you decide.

Any suggested kits for this mod ?
(I can do it myself so I just need the kit)

 

[iowahill]

Any suggested kits for this mod ?
(I can do it myself so I just need the kit)

I bought the Itelite NanSync from Amazon for $109 which included the SMA cables that require disassembly of the controller to install, and the antenna panel. Some people swear by this product where I didn't find it noticeably better than my stock antennas since an omnidirectional antenna serves my needs much better than directional, which the NanoSync is.

I would check with James Crutchfield at Titan Drones about getting the mod kit, or even having them do the mod (around $100). And if you want the omni antennas I don't think that you can do better than their $40-ish per pair +9dB whips. That's what I'd go for as the best bang for the buck for a passive omni antenna system.

But I'm spooling up to get their Titan Switch system that provides switchable directional or omni antennas as well as a booster/range extender amp panel, all of which can be reconfigured in a matter of seconds. They use a QMA connector which is the slip-on equivalent of the screw-on SMA connector, so swapping configurations is as easy as it gets.

Others might chime in with their own ideas and suggestions, so read, listen, and decide for yourself. And best wishes for something that suits your need.

 

[sea157]

I have the Titan Switch antenna system and it more than doubled my distance where I live over the stock antennas.
And if I go to my flying club field in the country my only limit in distance is my AC battery, I must keep a close eye on it or I will run out of battery before I get back.

 

[iowahill]

I love my Titan Switch antenna system. (best of both worlds, Omni antenna and also directional antenna)
I am getting well over 2 1/2 time the distance I was getting with the stock antennas , in the same environment you are asking about.
In an open fields environment I must be carful because my AC battery will not get me home if I don't keep an eye on it.

I just placed my order to MAXX UAV for the dual XT60 battery connector and the plastic battery saddle (now $25) that holds two external batteries on the MP. What I didn't realize is that MAXX UAV might be the same as Titan Drones, and I almost placed my order before realizing that I could save on shipping by combining the orders. I texted a message to them to see if I can add on to my original order. But I just went back to the email replies from James Crutchfield at Titan and saw that their site is (also?) commandcase.com.

I believe I saw +9 dB whip antennas on the that site three weeks ago for around $40. Was I on the wrong site or just dreaming? This was when I also saw that you could buy the Switch system parts as a "build your own" option. I have do go deeper in my search!

 

[sea157]

Here is the link to the Titan whip antenna selections.
https://www.commandcase.com/online-store/Whip-Antennas-Set-of-2-p79286406


MAXX UAV and Titan are not the same people, MAXX UAV just happens to sell Titan antenna systems for Titan.

 

[iowahill]

Here is the link to the Titan whip antenna selections.
https://www.commandcase.com/online-store/Whip-Antennas-Set-of-2-p79286406


MAXX UAV and Titan are not the same people, MAXX UAV just happens to sell Titan antenna systems for Titan.

I was just looking at the command page again and hadn't found that page yet when you posted. Thanks! Now somewhere on that site should be the customizing options for the Switch system. I messaged James to get his idea of what the right combo is going to be for me.

BTW, I'll post the video of my test flight yesterday, just before the first of the rain came in. All went exactly as promised. Litchi is actually a simple program to use once a few basic steps are taken as you and BDOG have pointed out. I still have to finesse a few things such as camera positioning during a flight. I saw in my test video that the bird was shooting at the last waypoint on the way home as it was flying backwards. I just need to familiarize myself more with the actions and initial setup when planning a mission.

 

[iowahill]

I was just looking at the command page again and hadn't found that page yet when you posted. Thanks! Now somewhere on that site should be the customizing options for the Switch system. I messaged James to get his idea of what the right combo is going to be for me.

BTW, I'll post the video of my test flight yesterday, just before the first of the rain came in. All went exactly as promised. Litchi is actually a simple program to use once a few basic steps are taken as you and BDOG have pointed out. I still have to finesse a few things such as camera positioning during a flight. I saw in my test video that the bird was shooting at the last waypoint on the way home as it was flying backwards. I just need to familiarize myself more with the actions and initial setup when planning a mission.

Here is the link to the Titan whip antenna selections.
https://www.commandcase.com/online-store/Whip-Antennas-Set-of-2-p79286406


MAXX UAV and Titan are not the same people, MAXX UAV just happens to sell Titan antenna systems for Titan.

BTW, I ordered the dual battery adapter AND the neat little plastic saddle that holds the dual batteries from MAXX. Should be here Friday.

 

[iowahill]

BTW, I ordered the dual battery adapter AND the neat little plastic saddle that holds the dual batteries from MAXX. Should be here Friday.

And James just messaged back the link for the build-it-yourself section:

https://www.commandcase.com/online-store/Build-Your-Own-Switch-Antenna-System-p102084664​

 

[iowahill]

I just made the plunge and got the Titan Switch system along with the +9dB whip antenna option and the car mount that has 10' cables. And the always helpful James Crutchfield provided me with a 10% discount code which was a really kind gesture!

I like what sea157 has done with his mounting the antenna system and display on a tripod. I'm using an Apple iPad Pro 64k 10.5" screen for its large display and storage space. I also have a 16k iPad Mini 4 that I originally bought for my first MP1 because DJI's software began to favor Apple's OS rather than Android, so I have a choice of platforms when running either Go4 or Litchi.

Now if the weather would just stop messing with me I'll go out and burn up some battery time!

 

[sea157]

I just made the plunge and got the Titan Switch system along with the +9dB whip antenna option and the car mount that has 10' cables. And the always helpful James Crutchfield provided me with a 10% discount code which was a really kind gesture!

I like what sea157 has done with his mounting the antenna system and display on a tripod. I'm using an Apple iPad Pro 64k 10.5" screen for its large display and storage space. I also have a 16k iPad Mini 4 that I originally bought for my first MP1 because DJI's software began to favor Apple's OS rather than Android, so I have a choice of platforms when running either Go4 or Litchi.

Now if the weather would just stop messing with me I'll go out and burn up some battery time!

I think you will be very happy with your purchase.
James is a GREAT guy to work with!
If for any reason you may want 20' extension cables let me know I have an extra set I could sell you at a fair price.

 

[iowahill]

I think you will be very happy with your purchase.
James is a GREAT guy to work with!
If for any reason you may want 20' extension cables let me know I have an extra set I could sell you at a fair price.

Thanks! But I'm pretty sure I won't need to be 20' away from the antennas, not when I can sit in my car or truck and listen to the radio while my bird does its work! Your tripod setup looks like the way to go.

The dual battery option using the MAXX UAV seems especially appealing. I planned a mission in Mission Hub that is about 6 miles in length and estimated 22 minutes in time. Not knowing the winds aloft, or the battery life is a concern when flying over 15 minutes. And though I have a couple of spare certified rebuilt batteries on the way to supplement my two 1-year old DGI batteries, having the duals onboard potentially gives me peace of mind.

I recently sold my other MP1 (an sad story about why I had two MP's to begin with!) and see that the MP1 birds (many "rebuilt") without controller can be bought for around $300 give or take. I think I'll pick up one or two to have as backups in the event I lose the one I have now. I'll bind them to my controller so that I can spread operating time over them.

I've replaced parts on my two MP's including camera and gimbal, arms, the entire case, gimbal cables, etc over the past year or so and am pretty comfortable with maintenance and don't fear a mishap. And I tooled up quite substantially over the past 4 years with modifying and repairing my fleet of Phantom 2's and GoPro cameras.

Yeah, when you get bit as hard by the bug as me, the sky's the limit!

 

[iowahill]

Any suggested kits for this mod ?
(I can do it myself so I just need the kit)

I posted that I had installed the Itelite NanoSync kit in my controller, was disappointed with the result, and have just ordered the Titan Switch system with the +9 dB whip antennas which I'll use on occasion with their car mount kit with 10' cables.

But the Titan controller kit has longer threaded SMA connectors at the controller so that their tee mount can be sandwiched between the mounting nut and controller case to ensure connection with the slip-on QMA connectors that they use. James at Titan is going to send me some adapter cables that might work with my existing without me having to go back into the controller and replace the Itelite kit shorter connectors with the longer Titans. But I think I'm going to go ahead and redo the mod with the Titans anyway as I had a mysterious little clear plastic part fall out as I was reinstalling the display'battery module that James identified as a part that goes under the module and isn't vital.

Having the longer controller-side connectors can't hurt and might prove to be an advantage later on. So unless you've already decided, I'd suggest going to Titan's web site at https://www.commandcase.com/ and order just the controller side mod, either as a kit or have them install for you (about $100 plus shipping). If you don't see it use the "Contact us" button and James will surely get right back to you.