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Increase in range by positioning antennas

edmavic

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OK so for a long time, i've been wondering why i got so mixed results with my MM (FCC model) range. Mostly the range was very bad. Sometimes i would lose video feed while flying 100m up in the air right above me (CE mode). In FCC mode i got slightly better results.

However, I found out online that your antenna position matters. This is also listed in the manual.

Mostly about the right part:
Schermafbeelding 2020-03-14 om 12.38.05.png

Previously, i just used to point the antennas to the outmost position, but in the up/down orientation i used to fix them in diagonal position, if you know what i mean. This meant that the MM was flying in direction of the antenna root to tip line, which is wrong.

I discovered that when the MM is perpendicular to the antennas as in the image above, i get much, much better results in terms of range!
 
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I discovered that when the MM is perpendicular to the antennas as in the image above, i get much, much better results in terms of range!
This is true for all DJI drones. Keeps the antennas parallel and always point the flat side of the antennas at the aircraft.
 
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There are many things to know for flying these complex systems well. Read the manual, as others have recommended.
 
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So here's a question I've wondered about, should you turn to always face the direction of the drone when flying. How sensitive is the signal to the aircraft in terms of how how your transmitter is facing it? What if it gets behind or right or left of you at distance?
 
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OK so for a long time, i've been wondering why i got so mixed results with my MM (FCC model) range. Mostly the range was very bad. Sometimes i would lose video feed while flying 100m up in the air right above me (CE mode). In FCC mode i got slightly better results.

However, I found out online that your antenna position matters. This is also listed in the manual.

Mostly about the right part:
View attachment 96541

Previously, i just used to point the antennas to the outmost position, but in the up/down orientation i used to fix them in diagonal position, if you know what i mean. This meant that the MM was flying in direction of the antenna root to tip line, which is wrong.

I discovered that when the MM is perpendicular to the antennas as in the image above, i get much, much better results in terms of range!
Try these cheap range extenders. I have a couple of them. One for my Mavic Mini and one for my M2Z. They do work and help by focusing the signal on the quad. They are available at many online outlets such as Amazon etc.


HOT1950s Foldable Aluminum Parabolic Remote control: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics
 
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So here's a question I've wondered about, should you turn to always face the direction of the drone when flying. How sensitive is the signal to the aircraft in terms of how how your transmitter is facing it? What if it gets behind or right or left of you at distance?
@Rchawks simple answer yes if it was behind you you would not be flying VLOS unless you had a visual observer standing by you and facing the other way,but you would be blocking a lot of the signal from the RC it is always better to face the drone at all times as much as you can and that means turning around as you fly
 
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@Rchawks simple answer yes if it was behind you you would not be flying VLOS unless you had a visual observer standing by you and facing the other way,but you would be blocking a lot of the signal from the RC it is always better to face the drone at all times as much as you can and that means turning around as you fly
Thank you, and for the record all of my flights have been VLOS, it's very hard for me to take my eyes off the MM. All those years of Flying RC are deeply ingrained. Thinking back now on how high and far away I flew without giving it a second thought and comparing it to this, I am a bit embarrassed.
 
Thank you, and for the record all of my flights have been VLOS, it's very hard for me to take my eyes off the MM. All those years of Flying RC are deeply ingrained. Thinking back now on how high and far away I flew without giving it a second thought and comparing it to this, I am a bit embarrassed.
i did not think you were not flying VLOS, that's why i said about the VO,before someone else may have picked up on behind me, in your post #5 don't feel embarrassed
 
With the normal antennas - Yes. The antennas need to be vertical, and aligned with the drone antennas, with nothing but air in between.
 
So here's a question I've wondered about, should you turn to always face the direction of the drone when flying. How sensitive is the signal to the aircraft in terms of how how your transmitter is facing it? What if it gets behind or right or left of you at distance?
With Radio antenna's, there is a thing called 'Polarisation' (Polarization if you are in the USA). This is about the orientation of the antenna element that radiates the power. If that element stands vertically, then the polarisation is vertical. If it's turned 90 degrees from that - then it's horizontally polarised. The key thing is that to get the maximum power at the receiving antenna, its polarisation must match the transmitting antenna. The reason for this is that an antenna radiates an electric field, in conjunction with a magnetic field (or in combination, an "electromagnetic field"). The two fields exist at 90 degrees to each other ... An electric current through a wire produces a magnetic field at right-angles to it - which is a major part of why an electric motor works.
The Mavic series drones have their receiver antenna wires positioned vertically in the legs below the motors on the front arms. Therefore, in the main - since the drone spends most of its time right-way-up, and sitting level in regard to the surface of the earth - the receiver antennas on the Mavic are vertically polarised. That's what determines the polarisation that you should apply to the antennae on your RC Controller i.e. the controller antennae should be set to point directly vertical into the sky and that will make them parallel to the receiving antennae on the Mavic.
 
This is true for both the Phantom 3, and 4s, which have their antennas running down 1 leg vertically.
 
OK so for a long time, i've been wondering why i got so mixed results with my MM (FCC model) range. Mostly the range was very bad. Sometimes i would lose video feed while flying 100m up in the air right above me (CE mode). In FCC mode i got slightly better results.

However, I found out online that your antenna position matters. This is also listed in the manual.

Mostly about the right part:
View attachment 96541

Previously, i just used to point the antennas to the outmost position, but in the up/down orientation i used to fix them in diagonal position, if you know what i mean. This meant that the MM was flying in direction of the antenna root to tip line, which is wrong.

I discovered that when the MM is perpendicular to the antennas as in the image above, i get much, much better results in terms of range!
Be sure the manual you read is the full 60 page online only DJI manual for your drone. Get it here if you don’t have a copy..
 
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suppose aircraft is flying forward in front of controller, does it matter whether the front legs where the antennas are, face the controller (moving forward) or away (moving backward) from the controller?
 
suppose aircraft is flying forward in front of controller, does it matter whether the front legs where the antennas are, face the controller (moving forward) or away (moving backward) from the controller?
Nope - that makes no difference. The only issue I've seen that may have an effect is if you are using Carbon Fibre prop's. If you imagine a scenario where you are flying the drone away from you but at a lower height than you, then the spinning CF prop' disk may act as a screen and interfere with signal reception at the drone.
 
suppose aircraft is flying forward in front of controller, does it matter whether the front legs where the antennas are, face the controller (moving forward) or away (moving backward) from the controller?
Do not think there is much difference in signal whether the MM is flying directly towards or away but I saw something somewhere where the video signal drops out during a yaw/turn. I have experienced this while doing a stationary 360 panorama and changing the camera angle 3 times then rotating slightly and pausing as I shoot up 3 times. As I repeated this until the pano was done I was getting solid reception then video stuttering on and off and had to guess a little on some of the camera positioning.
 

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