Difference between Drone antennas and RC antennas

[Rchawks]

What is the difference in how they work, and why the departure from old radio control operating systems? For example vlos aside could you stand at the bottom corner of a building and fly around it while staying at one corner. Would the drone receive the signal and if not why?

 

[WithTheBirds]

Whether the radio link between the controller and drone might be maintained so as to allow for operation as intended would be almost exclusively a function of the attenuation by the building of the signal. Other obvious factors include presence of other RF and EMI sources. Operating frequency may be a big factor (older systems below 75 MHz which have greater penetrating ability). Also purely analog control systems may be more tolerable for link quality deterioration.

Antenna design, at least in the context presented in your question, is largely irrelevant.

 

[bumper]

I'm gonna date myself here, . . . old RC was in the 27 MHz band. Newer DGI stuff is 2.4 and 5.8 GHz. This much higher WiFi frequency can transmit way more data due to it's higher bandwidth. You could never transmit digital pictures in real time over the old RC frequencies.

But, there's a downside, the higher frequency is more easily blocked as the radio waves cannot penetrate materials as well as lower frequencies, they are attenuated and absorbed in non-conductive materials, and completely blocked or reflected by metallic things.

It's not all bad though, the high frequency signals can bounce off radio reflective objects and get to the backside of the structure where your drone is lurking. Note that things like trees and foliage will not bounce the radio signal, but more tend to absorb them.

 

[hactick]

Super

I'm gonna date myself here, . . . old RC was in the 27 MHz band. Newer DGI stuff is 2.4 and 5.8 GHz. This much higher WiFi frequency can transmit way more data due to it's higher bandwidth. You could never transmit digital pictures in real time over the old RC frequencies.

But, there's a downside, the higher frequency is more easily blocked as the radio waves cannot penetrate materials as well as lower frequencies, they are attenuated and absorbed in non-conductive materials, and completely blocked or reflected by metallic things.

It's not all bad though, the high frequency signals can bounce off radio reflective objects and get to the backside of the structure where your drone is lurking. Note that things like trees and foliage will not bounce the radio signal, but more tend to absorb them.

Super informative, thank you. I remember an old rc airplane remote I had whose antenna would extend like four feet.