Mini3P antennae improvements

[SpinItUp]

After opening the controller a heatsink is covering a board with the antennae terminals.
Just run the wires from the RC1 antennae to the original place of the onboard ones and you're good to go.
Use RC1A/B antennae plugged into where the original ones were and hot glued into place until I commit to permanently fixing them in place.
You may have to buy a controller as the antennae are hard to find on the interwebs
Using in an urban environment and the signal is 50-100× better than before the signal and video would stutter/drop out with a warning notification to adjust antennae (why it still use the same warning?), the signal only drops a bar now.

 

[surfbird]

Very clever!
Can you make a range test?
I cant decide if I should make an order, however if this fixes the problem it's great!

 

[SpinItUp]

Very clever!
Can you make a range test?
I cant decide if I should make an order, however if this fixes the problem it's great!

I tested it from my backyard where I was getting dropout video and poor signal/along with the associated error warning on stock antennae but using this mod' the signal bar just drops a single bar and the video is strong throughout/ no error warnings.
Fixes the error 100%

 

[Gary R]

After opening the controller a heatsink is covering a board with the antennae terminals.
Just run the wires from the RC1 antennae to the original place of the onboard ones and you're good to go.
Use RC1A/B antennae plugged into where the original ones were and hot glued into place until I commit to permanently fixing them in place.
You may have to buy a controller as the antennae are hard to find on the interwebs
Using in an urban environment and the signal is 50-100× better than before the signal and video would stutter/dropout with a warning notification to adjust antennae (why it still use the same warning?) the signal only drops a bar.

Excellent !
I have an Alientech DUO II. Hopefully Alientech will soon come out with a kit so I can use it on this....

 

[Gary R]

After opening the controller a heatsink is covering a board with the antennae terminals.
Just run the wires from the RC1 antennae to the original place of the onboard ones and you're good to go.
Use RC1A/B antennae plugged into where the original ones were and hot glued into place until I commit to permanently fixing them in place.
You may have to buy a controller as the antennae are hard to find on the interwebs
Using in an urban environment and the signal is 50-100× better than before the signal and video would stutter/drop out with a warning notification to adjust antennae (why it still use the same warning?), the signal only drops a bar now.

Did you take any internal pics of the antenna mods before closing the case ?
1) I'm interested to see the case cutouts before you mounted the external antennas.
2) Also, after you mounted them (from inside).

Thanks, good work....

 

[SpinItUp]

Did you take any internal pics of the antenna mods before closing the case ?
1) I'm interested to see the case cutouts before you mounted the external antennas.

There's no real difference as there are only the wire coming from each antenna to the board

2) Also, after you mounted them (from inside).

Thanks, good work....

No pics but I will do if/when I drill/make holes for permanent use
I will take out the original boxy antennas to make room for the fittings
I haven't finalised the installation as of now and only trying them out before I cut out the holes to fix the antennas permanently.
They are only stuck on with hot glue at the moment

 

[Gary R]

There's no real difference as there are only the wire coming from each antenna to the board

No pics but I will do if/when I drill/make holes for permanent use
I will take out the original boxy antennas to make room for the fittings
I haven't finalised the installation as of now and only trying them out before I cut out the holes to fix the antennas permanently.
They are only stuck on with hot glue at the moment

So far, great.....

 

[Raffaello_IZ0QWM]

Before that mod I would like to be sure about the polarization of the drone antennas.
I hope to do soon test in my laboratory.

 

[SpinItUp]

The RC1 antennas have the same layout with one cable being longer than the other...whereas the longer cable is black and the shorter is white (however you want to interperate that? [in your lab] )

Before that mod I would like to be sure about the polarization of the drone antennas.
I hope to do soon test in my laboratory.

 

[Raffaello_IZ0QWM]

Oh I already know that the white one is for TX/RX antenna and the black one is for RX only antenna.
I tested with spectrum analyzer and the confirmation of this there is also in the FCC reports of RC-N1.
What I want to know is the right polarization of the antennas.
I still don't know the antenna polarization in the DJI MINI 3 PRO drone, so I don't want to install vertical polarized antenna on the DJI RC, if the drone has horizontal.

 

[SpinItUp]

My guess is the same


I kinda get what you're on about but what's the point?

The mini3P has a box-like antenna with what looks like multi-directional

 

[Raffaello_IZ0QWM]

My guess is the same

In another thread you can see the DJI RC opened, if you want to take a look.

DJI RC (mini 3 with display) controller disassembly

Ill edit this post as I continue exploring So since I couldn't find a video to disassemble to DJI RC, I said to myself "how hard can it be anyways" and disassembled it. Here is first few photos: If anyone wanna see anything specific, let me know before I close it again :D So far: 4 screws...

mavicpilots.com

 

[SpinItUp]

In another thread you can see the DJI RC opened, if you want to take a look.

DJI RC (mini 3 with display) controller disassembly

Ill edit this post as I continue exploring So since I couldn't find a video to disassemble to DJI RC, I said to myself "how hard can it be anyways" and disassembled it. Here is first few photos: If anyone wanna see anything specific, let me know before I close it again :D So far: 4 screws...

mavicpilots.com

Mine is open and the antennae are boxes with direction being off all sides of the box...or should I say bi directional.

What are you planning to do with this highly confidential info? sounds like you need to send a guided missile!!!

Oh, I get it you have your own antenna.
Well if you use the RC1 antenna they match perfectly with the controller here
Sorry, your lab' flew me off course a bit!

 

[Raffaello_IZ0QWM]

Mine is open and the antennae are boxes with direction being off all sides of the box...or should I say bi directional.

What are you planning to do with this highly confidential info? sounds like you need to send a guided missile!!!

Oh, I get it you have your own antenna.
Well if you use the RC1 antenna they match perfectly with the controller here
Sorry, your lab' flew me off course a bit!

ahahaha no reserved? There is nothing confidential.

On the RC-N1 I used an home made dual biquad antenna that can be used in both horizontal and vertical polarization.

I made a modification so that I can continue to use both the original antennas and connect the self-made antenna.

I don't know if I will do the same thing on the DJI RC.

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[SpinItUp]

Bodged in some real antenna

 

[Stach]

Bodged in some real antenna

That looks Great! So how much has the signal improved?

 

[SpinItUp]

50 - 100 times better in a dense urban environment


The original box-shaped antennae next to a broken RC1 that has replaced them

 

[Stach]

Thanks for the update and pics. Any chance you could put together a quick Start to Finish YouTube video, documenting the steps (i.e. safely opening the transmitter, removing the heatsink, drilling holes, attaching, attaching heatsink, etc...)?

 

[Gary R]

Excellent ! You've done the first DJI RC mod that I've seen. Brass Balls for sure...

As you've been through the mod, what would you have done different (if anything) that might help the rest of us ?

I'm considering doing something similar but installing Alientech quick connects so I can use my DUO II.

 

[SpinItUp]

Thanks for the update and pics. Any chance you could put together a quick Start to Finish YouTube video, documenting the steps (i.e. safely opening the transmitter, removing the heatsink, drilling holes, attaching, attaching heatsink, etc...)?

I'd be happy to if you would like to send me some funds to show 'n' tell all that was involved.

Seriously there's nothing to it just as the previous post mentioned 'balls of brass' not knowing what was holding it together and to not damage it.

2 screws are holding the 2 sides together (you have to find them) then it's a case of prising them apart.
The heatsink has 4 screws clearly visible and the thermal goo between so be careful lifting it off.

The antennae are snapped onto the mainboard with common aerial connectors and screwed in place holding the boxy bit.

I would've done it better if I had a better way of making the holes (it was all done in mid-air with a stepped hole drillbit).
I had to rip away some of the plastic that was the mounting for the original box-type design for my mod to fit and the clips at the top no longer snap shut as 2 had to be removed so although they (aerials) stay-in-place now I need to keep checking they haven't come loose. They are held in place with a nylon washer Ideally this would be both sides so as to make them tighter and stay in place but I couldn't get one each side (needs some more tinkering. I drilled the holes between a space in the plastic with no ridges I think it may be necessary to cut into the other side slightly to make a better fit?