Hand-made Yagi Uda adapter antenna

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

Hello Guys, yesterday I thought to myself I'm gonna make me one of those Yagi Uda antenna adapters for my Mavic Mini controller even though I don;t have a 3D printer! And I did, and it actually works! I used an online Yagi Uda calculator, and I just chose my options, I made a 11.8 dBd gain directional Antenna an Yagi Uda one. It has one reflector at the base, and then it has a place where the antenna would be(the active element) and lastly I have 8 directors!!! So it is very directional, but I only need it for long distances, and so the "beam" of radio energy waves will be spread up far enough so aiming will not be an issue. It is a Yagi Uda adapter antenna for 5.8ghz band and it looks pretty good actually.

I'll post pictures of it when I gets home from work, so you guys can see that I took real real good care to get all the measurements to be correct, the spacing and everything to be really well measured! I used paper clips as my metal, those thin ones! and I used a wooden coffee-mixer stick as the boom base. It took me about 45 minutes to make and I did really take super great care to get all the dimensions correct! I tried it through a few walls, and it WORKED!!! I was totally BLOWN AWAY! I mean some paper clip pieces on a tiny piece of wood all spaced out in a special pattern with special sizes & that gives my CE version Mini the ability to have connection through my whole residential building! I first tried taking my Mini to another room in my apartment. I disabled the FCC Hack, so my Mini was all stock transmission for my region. The crazy thing is that without the Yagi Uda adapter antenna I could control my Mini throughout my whole apartment, from any room to any room! I had to go out of the building downstairs and go all the way to the opposite side to lose connection! Yagi Uda adapter antenna actually made it possible for my Mini to get connection, and a very good one also! So I'm completely blown away by what some small pieces of metal, paper-clips can do when arranged correctly!

I will make a video tonight, to demonstrate how effective this Yagi Uda adapter antenna really is, especially the one I made, 11.8dBd gain, according to the Yagi Uda online calculators! I will do some more testing but I think that I may have finally found the cheap, simple, elegant solution to extending my range and improving m signal quality in the city!

Edit: attached are the pictures of my home, handmade 5.8ghz Yagi Uda antenna adapter!!!

cool cool

 

[jumpingbean]

That’s impressive. I’m eager to see the test results. As long as penetration through walls is elegant while achieved without amplifiers, the length of the 11.8 dBi Yagi will put a lot of leverage on the stock antennas. I’d say the sweet spot would be around 5-6 dBi, though for particular missions the massive gain is worth the effort. Back in my old drone times, 15.5 dBi Super Cannon antenna used to be my favorite.

 

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

I tried it and it works through walls! My home made Yagi antenna is working through walls and I can't believe it! How is this possible!? The thing is that I have to aim extremely well, else no connection. It is very easy to lose connection, you have to have it precisely pointed at the drone for at least 5 seconds to get connection. I first thought that my Yagi Uda antenna doesn't work, I was all depressed and almost gave up - but then it hit me that I can't just scan for the drone I have to do it extremely slowly so that I have these 5 secs pointed at it to get the actual connection! When I say aim well, extremely well, I mean like aiming with a gun well at a distance of about 8m I guess! My metal door of my apartment though, blocks it completely, no signal at all going through a double metal door!

So when I realized that my Yagi Uda antenna does indeed work, with very good aiming at close distances, I was super happy and started wondering how far out will I be able to fly with it!? When I think about it its like super weird and unbelievable, how can a few pieces of cut to size paperclips stuck on a piece of wood, cause such good signal penetration. Between me and the Mini were 3 walls and 2 floors up in a different apartment, hence the 8m I mentioned above. I also had to switch off the FCC Hack, because I was getting connection through all that space and walls with the FCC Hack enabled! I was lazy and didn't feel like going out or further for this test so I just disabled the FCC Hack and flew the Mini in normal CE mode, the way it should be! Yagi Uda antenna adapter seems to work pretty well and I'm so impressed its like magic this really! First when I saw the 3D printed version of the Yagi adapter and how nice and thick their metal elements were I thought to myself..... I'm using PAPERCLIPS it probably will now work! Anyway, was I wrong about that. So now I have to actually test it outdoors and see!

I'm pretty sure that in Sofia city there is so much interference that my beam will most definitely be intercepted by some other signals - but will still give it a try. I only made one of them though, for 5.8ghz.

Maybe I need to make another one and see results with having 2 of them Yagi Uda antenna adapters.

cool cool

I will be doing some more testing today, but I just love to fly my Mini!!!

 

[RogerDH]

How are you attaching that to your controller? What is the green striped thing?

 

[LDmitriy]

The similar adapter for 5.8 - Yagi antenna
Not sure about how many dB

And 3d models 2.4 5.8

 

[old man mavic]

looks like a dipole antenna tuned to a particular bandwidth

 

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

How are you attaching that to your controller? What is the green striped thing?

I'll post a picture of how it stays attached to the controller just now..

The green stripped thing is another paper clip, but it is fully insulated, it doesn't touch the director elements. I had to add it because all the online Yagi Uda antenna designers have a "boom" stick.

The online calculators asked me for the boom stock's thickness/diameter and I didn't know you can put 0(no conducive boom stick) and I had entered 1mm for the boom thickness and 1mm for the director elements. I had already designed and permanently stuck my paperclips elements on the wood, extremely precisely, cut them to perfect length also — only after that I tried to enter 0mm for the boom diameter and it changed around all my design elements distances!

So I thought, if it's a 1mm in diameter boom that the contraption needs then I'll simply give it what it requires and hence stuck the 1mm isolated, paperclip as this boom.

These online Yagi Uda antenna design calculators AR pretty cool, they ask you for things like is the boom connected to the elements or isolated, I always chose isolated.

Just got back from work now & I'll be testing some more with this crazy cheap antenna!

Cool cool

 

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

looks like a dipole antenna tuned to a particular bandwidth

It is almost exactly what you say. Yagi Uda antenna adapter for working with an active element working on the 5800Mhz band..

I used an online Yagi Uda antenna designer to get the sizes and dimensions right. I then cross checked with other online calculators just to be sure..

It does work, but need way more testing outdoors I guess.. Indoors it's really tricky for me to test it well.

Cool cool

 

[EyesWideShut]

Interested in seeing how you orientated it with the antennas and an update after you test it. Hope it achieves what you want.

I may be wrong but it appears to me you will have array crossways to the antennas. As "LDimitriy" link shows (above) and others I've seen have it lined up parallel. Here's another 3d printed one showing the orientation I plan on printing.

BTW, with my standard FCC 5.8g setup transmits thru a wall and floor and I can fly around indoors and downstairs into and around the lower level without any video breakup.

 

[Mrveronn]

Here's another 3d printed one showing the orientation I plan on printing.
View attachment 94675

This is the one that I am printing also (through 3Dprintingcanada.com). Have purchased 3mm copper rods (100mm in length) through amazon.com for the antenna booster. Will have to find a way to cut the rods neatly...

Photo shows the RC with yagi on both antennas. Decided to print out two of the antennas, although I am still not clear if you only need one for the antenna that is Rx/Tx, and not for the antenna that is only Rx...

 

[RogerDH]

This is the one that I am printing also (through 3Dprintingcanada.com). Have purchased 3mm copper rods (100mm in length) through amazon.com for the antenna booster. Will have to find a way to cut the rods neatly...

Photo shows the RC with yagi on both antennas. Decided to print out two of the antennas, although I am still not clear if you only need one for the antenna that is Rx/Tx, and not for the antenna that is only Rx...

A Yagi-Uda antenna improves reception as well as transmission -- in fact their most common usage is for TV reception -- so yep, make two.

 

[Moixixon]

This is the one that I am printing also (through 3Dprintingcanada.com). Have purchased 3mm copper rods (100mm in length) through amazon.com for the antenna booster. Will have to find a way to cut the rods neatly...

Photo shows the RC with yagi on both antennas. Decided to print out two of the antennas, although I am still not clear if you only need one for the antenna that is Rx/Tx, and not for the antenna that is only Rx...

Do the rods have to be made of copper, or can they be made of steel or brass?
Is any of these better than others?

 

[RogerDH]

Do the rods have to be made of copper, or can they be made of steel or brass?
Is any of these better than others?

You want a metal with high conductivity, so silver would be better than copper, but copper is better than gold, aluminum, brass or steel.

 

[jumpingbean]

Do the rods have to be made of copper, or can they be made of steel or brass?
Is any of these better than others?

I’ve had the same question which I’ve asked to my electronics guru, and he’s adamant that with such short lenght of the rods, the difference will be negligable. Therefore, I’m just back home with a 3 mm brass rod, ready for some precise cutting. I should have the opportunity to post my results somewhere around the weekend.

 

[Mrveronn]

Do the rods have to be made of copper, or can they be made of steel or brass?
Is any of these better than others?

The discussion/comments on the Thingverse were that Copper or Aluminium were acceptable. I went with copper, more for a bit of colour, but appreciate RogerDH's explanation above that its conductivity that counts. Just for fun, had a look for 200mm of 3mm sterling silver rods, and found some on www.cooksongold.com that would cost about £12.31 + shipping, but I'm going to stick with my copper..!

 

[Mrveronn]

Well, took my own advice...cooksongold.com … I was able to order 10 - 14.5mm silver sections, and 2 - 24.5mm sections for about $35 CDN...so have placed the order and may be able to do a comparison between the copper (which I have to find a way to cut cleanly) and the silver (which hopefully will show up all nicely cut for me...just need to insert.

 

[Moixixon]

The similar adapter for 5.8 - Yagi antenna
Not sure about how many dB

And 3d models 2.4 5.8

I’m going to print the 3D model and test it on my MM, but I have a question: for the European drone, which is the right model, the 2.r4 or the 5.8 one? Do I have to print both?

 

[jkmaxfli]

I’m going to print the 3D model and test it on my MM, but I have a question: for the European drone, which is the right model, the 2.r4 or the 5.8 one? Do I have to print both?

5.8 US
2.4 / 5.8 EU

 

[Moixixon]

5.8 US
2.4 / 5.8 EU

So, I have to print one of each model and attach them in the right place?

 

[jkmaxfli]

So, I have to print one of each model and attach them in the right place?

It depends what version you have. If the CE or FCC.
Made yagi on the version that you have and test.
Then let know how the test went.
If this signal is much stronger, it will be good to have a link to the files for 3D printing and what you used metal parts.
Thanks