Home Roof Antenna Install

[Interficiam Stercore]

You do realize that the FAA has nothing to do with flights in Italy!

Here are some of ENAC's rules. Italy's ENAC "re-writes national drone laws to comply with new EU rules" - Unmanned airspace

 

[DoomMeister]

Italian Civil Aviation Authority
The Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC), English: Italian Civil Aviation Authority, is the national aviation authority of Italy. Its headquarters are located in Rome.

The FAA remark was in response to @Paulricchi asking if the OP was planning on breaking FAA rules. If you are going to admonish at least use the rules from the area they are flying in.

 

[Interficiam Stercore]

The FAA remark was in response to @Paulricchi asking if the OP was planning on breaking FAA rules. If you are going to admonish at least use the rules from the area they are flying in.

Sorry about the misunderstanding. No admonishing here. When you guys started mentioning Italy, I actually thought the Video was from Italy, so I provided the info. Woops.

 

[DoomMeister]

Sorry about the misunderstanding. No admonishing here. When you guys started mentioning Italy, I actually thought the Video was from Italy, so I provided the info. Woops.

I just read my response in the previous post and realized that it sounded like I felt you were admonishing me. It was meant to convey that we should not assume that everyone posting here has to follow FAA rules. Members are from all areas of the planet and have different rules. I try to avoid commenting on the rules and regulations in areas I do not fly in, and do my best to fly legally in areas that I do fly.

 

[bonzo]

I just read my response in the previous post and realized that it sounded like I felt you were admonishing me. It was meant to convey that we should not assume that everyone posting here has to follow FAA rules. Members are from all areas of the planet and have different rules. I try to avoid commenting on the rules and regulations in areas I do not fly in, and do my best to fly legally in areas that I do fly.

ikr? gets old hearing all these old geezers repeating themselves, lol

 

[DoomMeister]

ikr? gets old hearing all these old geezers repeating themselves, lol

I understand where many of the members are coming from because the basic rules of flying sUAS aircraft are pretty consistent. Keeping VLOS, 120 meters AGL, don’t fly over people, fly responsibly near airports, and yield to manned flights. There are three types of drone pilots: 1)those that know and adhere to the rules, 2)those that know the rules and choose not to adhere to them, and 3)those that have no clue there are rules and just do as they want.

If we all were of type 1 then things would present a better image of the drone community and educating those in group 3 would be the worst of our problems.

 

[bonzo]

I understand where many of the members are coming from because the basic rules of flying sUAS aircraft are pretty consistent. Keeping VLOS, 120 meters AGL, don’t fly over people, fly responsibly near airports, and yield to manned flights. There are three types of drone pilots: 1)those that know and adhere to the rules, 2)those that know the rules and choose not to adhere to them, and 3)those that have no clue there are rules and just do as they want.

If we all were of type 1 then things would present a better image of the drone community and educating those in group 3 would be the worst of our problems.

Well all that is fairly obvious. What people need to realize is that "good" people can't control "bad" people.
They are going to do what they want no matter what. No different than gun laws.

I am just saying it sux the "good" people have to hear the same crap over and over, knowing it makes no difference in the end, imho.

 

[martin0641]

I did exactly what he's saying because my DJI FPV streams video to my face, line of sight is irrelevant.

I just wanted the peace of being able to fly around my home from the comfort of my living room, you end up getting way better at flying your drone because you're in a well defined environment like a fighter pilot.

 

[DoomMeister]

I did exactly what he's saying because my DJI FPV streams video to my face, line of sight is irrelevant.

I just wanted the peace of being able to fly around my home from the comfort of my living room, you end up getting way better at flying your drone because you're in a well defined environment like a fighter pilot.

That is interesting. Any chance you could post photos of your setup and explain how it works?

 

[Jakke Pedal]

I did exactly what he's saying because my DJI FPV streams video to my face, line of sight is irrelevant.

I just wanted the peace of being able to fly around my home from the comfort of my living room, you end up getting way better at flying your drone because you're in a well defined environment like a fighter pilot.

VLOS irrelevant?? do you have permit to fly BVLOS? or do you post someone (an observer) outside to keep VLOS?

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

Hello all, I have a Mavic Pro 1 and am looking to extend the flights from my home backyard. I have read all there is on the forums about antenna modification on aircraft and controller side. I have a decent understanding of radio frequency waves and antenna concepts. So my goal would be able to fly far and low with the mod. At first I thought I would just mod my controller, putting giant omni 14 db antennas on it with to 4 watt amps each. That honestly I think is the most economical and best solution. Then it occurred to me line of sight is a huge issue with the trees, and neighbors etc....(2 story houses). I did a quick test yesterday with an unmodded controller. I went max range flight at 200 meters North bound, into the city where there can be interference, and southbound where there are agricultural fields. I did three tests to isolate some ideas. First I flew south to the fields standing in my back yard. Max flight is 2100 meters. Then I walked up to the second story window of my house and got max flight of 2454m south. aka 10 ft vert bought 300 meters! Same on north flight, original ground level max range was 1216 meters with max range from 2nd story window was 1695 meters. Last test I did was to fly the drone north while I was on the south lawn (aka my 20 ft house blocking my signal). I flew with the antennas pointing south....range was still decent around 1110 meters but I think this illustrates the effects terrain and buildings have on omnidirectional antenas.....

All that data experiment to say is the juice worth the squeeze of putting roof top antennas on my house? Here is how I would do it: 2x 15db 3ft antennas mounted on the roof, with 25-40 ft of LMR400 cable running to the side of the house or to the yard then they go to the 4 watt amps. When I want to fly I simply walk up and hook up to the cables. As my roof is like 25 feet high I would assume I make some huge range gains....But LMR400 ain't cheap, I also have to fight attenuation loss of about 1.6 Db in 40 ft of LMR400. By my calculation I am spending essentially $150 extra dollars to get a weaker signal by 10db but the signal is elevated. Do you think this is worth it?

Couple of Questions:
Do you think this is a good idea?
If so what sort of connector goes to the antenna? I know that controller mod kit from max UAV is RP-SMA....

Here is a quick link to the list of stuff that I would buy for this kit(ebay cart attached in pic):
Antenna x2 15 Db:2.4GHz 15dBi Omni Antenna(15-503) WITH Surge Lightning Arrester(17-501) | eBay

LMR 400 cable x2:TIMES MICROWAVE® 10-50 Ft LMR400 Antenna Jumper Coax Cable RP-SMA M/F Connector | eBay

4 watt amp x2: Cheap 4W 802.11b/g/n Bluetooth Wifi Wireless Amplifier Router 2.4Ghz WLAN sig... | eBay

Does the receiver gain of an amp make a difference? the 5Watt model I saw was 20bucks more and didn't really help in my Effective radiated power but the reciever gain was about 9 db higher. My understanding is receiver Db, is its ability to listen for signal back and amplify that signal. Is that correct? Essentially I would want a high receiver gain because this is the only way to better extend weak drone transmitter without modifying it. Is this logic correct? 5watt amp here 2.4G 8W EP-AB003 Wifi Wireless Broadband Amplifier Signal Booster 802.11b/g/n | eBay

According to my calculation website plugged in here I should have a 42 Db signal which is about double the stock ....If I were to ditch the antenna roof idea I could get it up to 50Db by getting indoor wifi 15db omni antennas.... Yes I know I can get yagi and directional antennas but I am just not confident in tracking to make sure I am in the antenna FOV.

Thoughts on the project overall?

If only controller mod I am going with the MAX UAV clean install kit and omni wifi 12db antenna (12dBi RP-SMA 2.4GHz 5GHZ High Gain Wifi Antenna for Wireless Security Camera | eBay someone can convince me I should strap a directional antenna on the control kit. I will still be getting the 4 watt amps as well for the controller. Anyone who has used the directional antennas...how sensitive are they? I intend to experiment after I have made the mod since I will have RP-SMA adapters....

As an aside to any nay sayers I looked at pumping in a 10 watt amp just to see but all the Effective radiated power does not really change....teh cost per DB becomes astronomical and the gain is maybe 5db from the kit I have just suggested...In my opinion the only way to really leverage more signal gain is to get a better antenna or modify transmitter on drone....

I guess does anyone have a solid understanding of the height vs Db max power output ....I.e. do I spend money on getting elevation or spend money on getting increased EFRP.

thanks!

With apologies for exhuming this 4-year-old thread, I am curious to learn if there are any further updates about this external antenna project.

I reside in a remote Third World backwater currently and my location way out in the boondocks means that drone legislation remains but a glint in the eye of local lawmakers. Within the context of this freedom to fly my drone virtually anywhere, I routinely send my older Mavics out on fully autonomous Litchi waypoint missions that cover well over 13 miles round trip, thanks to extra-capacity, OEM-style Mavic 1 Pro batteries now readily available on Ali Express.

During such Litchi waypoint missions, I found that the only way I could view the progress of the flight in real time was to clamber up a 60-foot eater tower next to my house, to attain a 6-mile distance link between the Mavic and its controller in my hand. Climbing up that tower is getting old and I went ahead and purchased the coax cable, line amplifiers, connectors, and both 2.4Ghz and 5.8GHz antennae for installation atop a 100-foot radio mast I had constructed specifically for drone flying.

Thus far, however, I have been hesitant to perform the open heart surgery that will convert one of my Mavic 1 Pro or Mavic 2 Pro controllers such that it can be connected via coax cable to a tower-mounted external antenna. I have been waiting to see if I would find anyone else online who had posted a detailed how-to procedure that an electronics novice like myself can follow without bungling the connections. If the OP is still flying drones, I would be grateful if he could write back with updates about this promising project he described in such tantalizing detail. Thanks in advance to the OP for any insights that can be shared here.

 

[Yaros]

Laws and regulations aside, I think you might be better by getting a Mini 4 Pro or Air 3 with a DJI Cellular Dongle 2, put a SIM card in it with 4G, and get pretty much unlimited range, if mobile data is good in your area.

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

Laws and regulations aside, I think you might be better by getting a Mini 4 Pro or Air 3 with a DJI Cellular Dongle 2, put a SIM card in it with 4G, and get pretty much unlimited range, if mobile data is good in your area.

This idea is a good one for sure, although my reason for owning older Mavics like the Mavic 1 Pro and Mavic 2 Pro, in addition to my being a chronic cheapskate and miser, is that those old classic workhorse drones are the last Mavics that work with Litchi's waypoint planning Mission Hub, my hands-down all-time favorite DJI drone flying app that makes waypoint mission planning so easy.

While the Mavic 3, Mini 4 Pro, and Air 3 all feature native DJI waypoint planning facilities, and are all reportedly capable of completing waypoint missions beyond signal range, those DJI waypoint planners are notoriously cumbersome to use, while the ingenious workaround solution of the Litchi-to-DJI waypoint converter created by the legendary Wes Barris can be difficult to master and time-consuming utilize.

This is why I never let go of my dream to create a Mavic 1 Pro ground station that will enable me to relax indoors as I watch the rural landscape unfold beneath the watchful eye of my drone as it follows predefined Litchi waypoint flight plans. Here's hoping the OP or any other hobbyist with experience rigging up external antennae for DJI Mavic drones, will respond to this archival discussion thread soon.

 

[hank970]

Sounds like an interesting, albeit costly, experiment. Another approach would be to build, launch, and position a network of satellites in low Earth orbit and use that network to relay control signals to your drone. Maybe team up with Elon Musk. Then you could check out every farmers' market around the globe at any time of day or night from the comfort of your roof. Battery life and flight endurance would be problematic, but I'm sure there's a work-around -- perhaps an extremely long power cord from roof to drone or using microwave radiation to beam energy from satellite to drone. Something like that, anyway.

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

Haha oh yeah Elon and I go way back. Why back in the day we used to scuba dive shark-infested waters in search of the fabled red snapper, albeit with varying degrees of success. I'll give him a shout and see if he can't send me a signed blank check to cover this project.

On a slightly less optimistic note, I would be grateful for any technical advice that can be offered by this forum's RF gurus, that will help me actualize this Mission Impossible I have assigned myself.

 

[Droning on and on...]

VLOS irrelevant?? do you have permit to fly BVLOS? or do you post someone (an observer) outside to keep VLOS?

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" – Ralph Waldo Emerson

The law is an imperfect, blunt instrument. It is, in part why we have judges.

It's also why the FAA doesn't care about you flying FPV around your house, below 50-75ft, without an observer. I am 120% sure of this. Maybe even 130%

 

[Droning on and on...]

While the Mavic 3, Mini 4 Pro, and Air 3 all feature native DJI waypoint planning facilities, and are all reportedly capable of completing waypoint missions beyond signal range, those DJI waypoint planners are notoriously cumbersome to use, while the ingenious workaround solution of the Litchi-to-DJI waypoint converter created by the legendary Wes Barris can be difficult to master and time-consuming utilize.

You can take a mission created with Litchi Hub and convert it to a compatible DJI Fly waypoint mission using Litchi Mission Utilities, then upload it to the RC2 or DJI Fly on your smartphone.

If I were in your shoes, I'd leave the old mavics behind and get an Air 3 with RC2 for your purposes, plan waypoint missions on Litchi Hub, load them on to the RC2.

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

With my corrected eyesight not being what it once was, the resolution of drone cameras is not as evident to me as it might have been in the past. The 4K video resolution imagery shot by the Mavic 1 Pro and Pro Platinum is still a thing of wonder to behold for these tired eyes so the rapid evolution of drone cameras featured on DJI's newer drone designs left this old dinosaur by the wayside years ago, truth be told.

After-market plug-n-play batteries for the older Mavics sold online by Ali Express breathed new life into these trusty workhorses by extending their round-trip range from 6 miles to over 13 miles flown at 27 mph. Out here in the rural backwaters of a Third World country where drone laws are yet to be considered, Litchi makes it possible for my old Mavics to roam 6 country miles afield on waypoint missions over farmland and forest, while I monitor proceedings on my iPad perched atop a 60-foot water tower beside my humble abode.

All that being said, I really like the Mavic 3 and have been watching their prices for some time now, while praying fervently for them to depreciate due to any obscure geopolitical reason at all. Story of my life haha. Married to an older model yet craving an upgrade to something perhaps a little sleeker and affordable.

 

[kentdavidge]

With apologies for exhuming this 4-year-old thread, I am curious to learn if there are any further updates about this external antenna project.

I reside in a remote Third World backwater currently and my location way out in the boondocks means that drone legislation remains but a glint in the eye of local lawmakers. Within the context of this freedom to fly my drone virtually anywhere, I routinely send my older Mavics out on fully autonomous Litchi waypoint missions that cover well over 13 miles round trip, thanks to extra-capacity, OEM-style Mavic 1 Pro batteries now readily available on Ali Express.

During such Litchi waypoint missions, I found that the only way I could view the progress of the flight in real time was to clamber up a 60-foot eater tower next to my house, to attain a 6-mile distance link between the Mavic and its controller in my hand. Climbing up that tower is getting old and I went ahead and purchased the coax cable, line amplifiers, connectors, and both 2.4Ghz and 5.8GHz antennae for installation atop a 100-foot radio mast I had constructed specifically for drone flying.

Thus far, however, I have been hesitant to perform the open heart surgery that will convert one of my Mavic 1 Pro or Mavic 2 Pro controllers such that it can be connected via coax cable to a tower-mounted external antenna. I have been waiting to see if I would find anyone else online who had posted a detailed how-to procedure that an electronics novice like myself can follow without bungling the connections. If the OP is still flying drones, I would be grateful if he could write back with updates about this promising project he described in such tantalizing detail. Thanks in advance to the OP for any insights that can be shared here.

@Conservative Nihilist good afternoon, have you tested your setup? what were the results?

 

[Conservative Nihilist]

@Conservative Nihilist good afternoon, have you tested your setup? what were the results?

My order of extra-range batteries for my Mavic 1 Pro and Mavic 2 Pros will arrive next Wednesday, Kent, and I can hardly wait to run some tests to see how long each drone can stay aloft with those batteries on steroids. For my initial tests, I'll create a half-mile radius circle centered on my house as a waypoint mission, and monitor the battery level as the drone flies progressively increasing numbers of laps at 30mph until the low battery alarm signals the end of each test and the time to land.

With the new DJI Air 3S hitting the stores yesterday, I was able to snag a lightly used Air 3 paired with the RC-N2 controller for a reasonable price but that impulse buy won't reach me for another month, so I won't get to probe the Air3's impressive range when powered with that 40-minute stock battery. I never intended to buy any drone newer drone than a Mavic 2 Pro, but the more enthusiastic reports I watched about the Air 3 on YouTube, the more I convinced myself that I had to own an Air 3 to find out what all the commotion is about haha.