Extending Range (Crazy idea)

[OregonEd]

Ouch! Fly your drone at mobile phone rates per minute! Now there's an idea ... In addition, there would be latency (time delay) which is never fun when you are trying to fly in real-time.

? I ‘m goi ng too duble chek on dat ?

 

[ShadowCat]

Hi All,
I am fairly new to DJI Drones after using Parrot ones for the past few years, but hopefully now I moved to DJI I would be able to complete an idea I had a few months ago.
I want to extend the range of my drone, I want to ideally do this by putting antennas on my chimney and connecting them via cable into my drone controller. Has anyone does anything like this before or got any comments on it? Really dont know where to start!
Thanks
Rob

Not entirely sure if you want to fly drones or get an amateur radio licence as what you are suggesting is more in keeping with that hobby than drones am struggling to understand the reasoning

 

[GadgetGuy]

The latest DJI drones will outfly the battery life in distance using just the stock controller

Exactly! Before increasing range, you first need a battery mod to add external batteries, for anything except a suicide/one-way mission.

 

[ShadowCat]

Hi All,
I am fairly new to DJI Drones after using Parrot ones for the past few years, but hopefully now I moved to DJI I would be able to complete an idea I had a few months ago.
I want to extend the range of my drone, I want to ideally do this by putting antennas on my chimney and connecting them via cable into my drone controller. Has anyone does anything like this before or got any comments on it? Really dont know where to start!
Thanks
Rob

I had a think about this and there is absolutely no reason you should want to do what you are thinking of doing. They do say 'the devil makes work for idle hands' ?
Lets look at this logically. The drone is something you will want to keep an eye on visually. It has a beyond LOS capability, would you want that I would think not. Only reason I would want to do that is with a much bigger drone, which uses Geo Location and is autonomous from its controller, the only people who use what you are suggesting is the military (or surveying), and the controllers are all pilots. So you are talking about something between $20,000 at the lower end to $5,000,000 at the upper end. Hope it answers some of your questions

 

[GadgetGuy]

I had a think about this and there is absolutely no reason you should want to do what you are thinking of doing. They do say 'the devil makes work for idle hands' ?
Lets look at this logically. The drone is something you will want to keep an eye on visually. It has a beyond LOS capability, would you want that I would think not. Only reason I would want to do that is with a much bigger drone, which uses Geo Location and is autonomous from its controller, the only people who use what you are suggesting is the military (or surveying), and the controllers are all pilots. So you are talking about something between $20,000 at the lower end to $5,000,000 at the upper end. Hope it answers some of your questions

Why spend $20,000 to $5,000,000 when a $1,500 M2P will do the job?

 

[ShadowCat]

Why spend $20,000 to $5,000,000 when a $1,500 M2P will do the job?

My question exactly and providing you have $5,000,00 laying around the house

 

[Bebopperoo]

As the op days, a crazy idea from a crazy poster. Anyone who responds to this crazy post is crazy,... ...oops

 

[Rnl]

New item by Rick Lynch

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Rnl]

Lmr 400 or 600 cable with an amp. Would work nice.

 

[ShadowCat]

As the op days, a crazy idea from a crazy poster. Anyone who responds to this crazy post is crazy,... ...oops

Still trying to work out why!!

 

[ShadowCat]

Now that’s what I call thinking outside the box. I’m sure somebody has tried it before though.

Sounds more like thinking outside the house!

 

[ShadowCat]

Assuming you could get the signal up there, the only benefit would be would be, perhaps, a better line of sight connection to the drone, less impacted by trees or other signal destroying obstacles. If you have a clear los on the ground, it won’t make any difference.

Every thought of sitting on the Roof or move to a tall block of flats, a far cheaper option!

 

[Andrex]

It would be illegal to fly it so far, as you must keep the drone within 500 m and line of sight in the UK, and the controller is more than capable of this. That should be the end of the discussion, quite frankly.

 

[ShadowCat]

It would be illegal to fly it so far, as you must keep the drone within 500 m and line of sight in the UK, and the controller is more than capable of this. That should be the end of the discussion, quite frankly.

Free speech and all that.. Anyway I think Sir isn't in the UK, and had something on his mind so hopefully some food for thought?

 

[OregonEd]

Every thought of sitting on the Roof or move to a tall block of flats, a far cheaper option!

Personally, for me the idea has a lot of merit. I have thought about doing something like this for a very long time. If you live in the jungle, the flying area at home is non existent or extremely limited. I have gone up on my roof many times.
I think I will see how long of a pole I can erect. Like the HAM operators do. I think it will make a big difference. Not to mention the added luxury of the BIG screen! Thanks for sharing

 

[ShadowCat]

Personally, for me the idea has a lot of merit. I have thought about doing something like this for a very long time. If you live in the jungle, the flying area at home is non existent or extremely limited. I have gone up on my roof many times.
I think I will see how long of a pole I can erect. Like the HAM operators do. I think it will make a big difference. Not to mention the added luxury of the BIG screen! Thanks for sharing

Thats why I mentioned ham radio as I am a ham operator in the UK. Only things with radio operation i that it is a omni directional radiation pattern and can cause a lot of problems for something like a drone because of the broadcast power. and also operating on the HF/VHF/UHF bands and with sidebands added and being close to the drone operating frequency you can see a potential for disaster ?

 

[Wiruz]

Why not just unlock the mav2 with NLD and use 1.5watt transmit power? U cannot do this if you updated with the lastrst fw though

 

[ShadowCat]

Why not just unlock the mav2 with NLD and use 1.5watt transmit power? U cannot do this if you updated with the lastrst fw though

The question still hasn't been answered? Why?!

 

[Van Shteffy]

Hi All,
I am fairly new to DJI Drones after using Parrot ones for the past few years, but hopefully now I moved to DJI I would be able to complete an idea I had a few months ago.
I want to extend the range of my drone, I want to ideally do this by putting antennas on my chimney and connecting them via cable into my drone controller. Has anyone does anything like this before or got any comments on it? Really dont know where to start!
Thanks
Rob

Great idea. Years ago I put an antenna for my cordless phone upstairs in my house. I would bring my cordless phone to my classroom two blocks away. It worked perfectly. I was the only one in the school with a phone.
Another idea. I would stay on Round Island next to Mackinac island. I could get cell phone coverage on the other side of the island only. I bought the thinnest copper wire from Radio Shack and wrapped one end of the wire around the pull out antennae on the phone. I let out about 40 feet of wire from the spool and hooked it to a helium balloon and launched it. Perfect reception...
Well until the wind blew the balloon sideways. So brought the set up into the woods and launched through the trees and it went above the trees and got snagged. Perfect. I had my own phone booth in the forest.
Your idea should work. (Removed by Moderator) "try it, what have you got to lose?"

 

[ShadowCat]

Great idea. Years ago I put an antenna for my cordless phone upstairs in my house. I would bring my cordless phone to my classroom two blocks away. It worked perfectly. I was the only one in the school with a phone.
Another idea. I would stay on Round Island next to Mackinac island. I could get cell phone coverage on the other side of the island only. I bought the thinnest copper wire from Radio Shack and wrapped one end of the wire around the pull out antennae on the phone. I let out about 40 feet of wire from the spool and hooked it to a helium balloon and launched it. Perfect reception...
Well until the wind blew the balloon sideways. So brought the set up into the woods and launched through the trees and it went above the trees and got snagged. Perfect. I had my own phone booth in the forest.
Your idea should work. Political Comment removed)

Well the drone for one ?