Titan Drones Control Antenna

[buttons276]

I’ve been wanting to get this antenna for a few weeks. I went back and forth with it. I looked around for peoples reviews. Some people seemed to love them. Some people said they were snake oil. Very few people answered the questions I had. I’m not a tech wiz but I know what I wanted to know when I was thinking about buying this. FYI in the next few months I plan on getting some other things they offer and I’ll put my thoughts in this thread if anyone is curious. If not I guess I’ll just be taking to myself but anyway.

 

[buttons276]

So I ordered the control antenna and a set of their 9db whip antennas. They are 14” long by the way. When you get this stuff in the mail it all looks pretty amazing. Some people could care less about the packaging. My thoughts are if you care enough to pack it and present it nice then you probably put that same attention into whatever is inside the box. For this antenna you have to modify your remote a little. You remove your factory antennas and replace them with little jacks. I was pretty stressed about tearing apart a $300 dollar remote. The stress was uncalled for. I watched the video they have as I done it and it was pretty simple. I got it all together pretty late but I had to take a test flight to make sure my controller still worked. First off let me say this. I’ve been trying a lot of test flights from my house checking distance in 2.4 and 5.8. With and without the little cheap parobolic deals you can stick on your stock antennas. So I know pretty much the distances I was getting going north and going south. I live kinda in a small valley and there are a ton of house so I get a ton of interference from my house. That’s why I’ve been looking for some kind of range extender. I always do better in 5.8gz so that’s the way I ordered the control antenna in 5.8gz. All my numbers will be at an altitude of 350ft. So with stock antennas to the south(the most congested direction) I usually got about 2800-2900ft. Same set up going north I got consistently 4300 ft. Before you tell me you get 13000 ft remember I’m in a hole basically and surrounded by trees. So far I only got to take a few trips with the control antenna. Two trips to the south, first trip I got 3450. Second trip 3500. I’ll be honest I was disappointed. I will say this. This thing looks so bad *** as long as I didn’t get less range I wouldn’t think about getting rid of it. Ok so I had one battery left and went to the north with it. To the north I got 5800ft and I didn’t lose signal but it was almost dark so I turned around. I was just happy to see that A. I didn’t break my controller and B. I did get a significant increase in range atleast one direction. I know this isn’t a ton of info but when I was shopping this is the kinda of numbers I was dying to know and couldn’t find them anywhere. Let me add a few things real quick. As I practice I’ll keep putting my results here. I’m sure things will improve. I rushed out to try it so although I already feel like it was worth what I paid I feel certain the numbers will get better. I haven’t even tried the whip antennas. As soon as I get home from work tomorrow I’ll be trying those out. And I have to add this about the company. They are pretty awesome. They have answered a ton of questions from me. And have always answered very quickly. Also, I told them my situation and they tried to tell me to get the powered version they sell. It’s called a switch. And I do intend to but I couldn’t spend that much right now and didn’t want to wait. I’ll pay a little more buying everything separate but I’m cool with that. I just wasn’t patient enough to wait. So if anyone actually cares about any of this hang tight and I’ll try to share my results as I get them. But so far for what I have in them I’m very happy with them and would recommend them to anyone. More to come...

 

[buttons276]

Also I should have said I have a Mavic Air. I posted this in the Mavic Air forum so it was obvious but they moved it to here because it said I posted in the wrong place so I thought I should make that clear.

 

[droneuser]

ya trees are a killer then add leaves its even worst!!! I am going thru this now I am going to have my antenna 25-30 feet in the air so we will see what happens! once I get it done

ohhh here is the thread I am doing this in ( last page)

My amp/antenna build and distance test (I will update thread as i go)

 

[TrayBoz]

Thanks for sharing that, Buttons. I have been curious as to whether those Titan or Atlas antennae are worth it and I like to hear the real scoop. I am interested in hearing how things progress, how the whip antennae affect things, how much more your range is affected, etc.

I have a pretty different scenario. I live in Dallas, TX, so it's totally flat, and the trees are never higher than about 50 feet, but there is a ton of city-type interference, and I have a Mavic Pro. I can sometimes get about 2 miles out before my signal bars get in the red and I get the video gets pixelated and I get nervous and turn around, and the concept of sitting in the comfort of my living room and flying farther out without worrying is appealing. But I was honestly hoping/thinking that a Titan system (or similar) would make a more significant difference.

I would seriously consider it if it could double my range, but it's probably not worth it to me if it only improves my range by 20-30%. But I'm sure my results would be different than yours given the differences in our terrain and the differences between the Air and Pro.

I also have to consider the fact that there isn't that much around me that's very interesting to film. All around me the only thing I can see is lots of Big City. If I get MORE range, all I get to see is MORE Big City. So it would really just be in an investment in my "range ego".

Do you mind if I ask what you've spent total so far on your Titan system?

Please continue to keep us posted in your progress, and Thank You.

 

[buttons276]

Thanks for sharing that, Buttons. I have been curious as to whether those Titan or Atlas antennae are worth it and I like to hear the real scoop. I am interested in hearing how things progress, how the whip antennae affect things, how much more your range is affected, etc.

I have a pretty different scenario. I live in Dallas, TX, so it's totally flat, and the trees are never higher than about 50 feet, but there is a ton of city-type interference, and I have a Mavic Pro. I can sometimes get about 2 miles out before my signal bars get in the red and I get the video gets pixelated and I get nervous and turn around, and the concept of sitting in the comfort of my living room and flying farther out without worrying is appealing. But I was honestly hoping/thinking that a Titan system (or similar) would make a more significant difference.

I would seriously consider it if it could double my range, but it's probably not worth it to me if it only improves my range by 20-30%. But I'm sure my results would be different than yours given the differences in our terrain and the differences between the Air and Pro.

I also have to consider the fact that there isn't that much around me that's very interesting to film. All around me the only thing I can see is lots of Big City. If I get MORE range, all I get to see is MORE Big City. So it would really just be in an investment in my "range ego".

Do you mind if I ask what you've spent total so far on your Titan system?

Please continue to keep us posted in your progress, and Thank You.

So far I ordered the control antenna and it comes with everything to mod your controller with. It was 139 for the 5.8ghz. They had it also in 2.4ghz for 129. I also get the whip antennas for around 40 dollars. They have three different sizes of those but I got the biggest ones. Next I plan on ordered there switch panel which basically makes the control antenna a powered antenna. The switch panel also works with the whip antennas. It seems the control antenna is suppose to be used when you have line of sight. It’s probably what would work best for you. And the whip antennas are suppose to be better when you have things in the way like trees and buildings. They are also working on antennas that replace the ones on the legs of the Mavic Air. I’ve seen it on one guys Mavic Air but I don’t think it’s on their site yet. It looks really cool too.

 

[buttons276]

Weather sucked yesterday. I’ve been dying to try out the 9db whips. Did I mention the are 14” long? They look great on the controller. It’s not raining today so I’m on my way to get my son some breakfast then I’m taking it up! I’ll post my range results in a couple hours

 

[buttons276]

I hope this clears up soon

 

[Canuk]

Keep posting . I am enjoying the reading [emoji106][emoji106]

 

[bonzo]

R u back yet?

Awaiting results

 

[buttons276]

This is what rolled in. Believe me I’m wanting to be out there flying right now. The weather is suppose to clear up. Actually according to the weather people it should have already stopped raining. But as soon as this rain takes a break I’ll be out there.

 

[lisadoc]

I would seriously consider it if it could double my range, but it's probably not worth it to me if it only improves my range by 20-30%. But I'm sure my results would be different than yours given the differences in our terrain and the differences between the Air and Pro.

I have several MPs and ended up purchasing the Titan Atlas for a single controller. While modding the RC, I pulled off the speaker module from the back of the panel, and now that controller is completely silent (double bonus!).

Where I live, in the suburbs, I get significant interference from trees (50-100 feet tall) in all directions and of course the WiFi from everyone's home units. My typical range, depending on the direction of travel, was usually 3,000 feet before the signal degraded and I would lose signal. On Litchi missions, this meant that the MP was out of connection for a significant portion of time if I flew out of range.

With the Titan Atlas, my workable range is now almost double. I tend to lose signal on the way out at roughly 5,800 feet and coming back (due to the location of the MP's antennas on the craft), I regain signal at 6,500 feet or more.

I travel a lot and take a MP with me to shoot lots of different locations. With the modded antenna, I can get a significant distance without a degradation of signal, especially without local interference. I can't tell the difference between with/without the Atlas, since I typically only bring one unit with me. Some trips I bring it and others I just bring a regular RC (the Atlas is quite bulky and adds significant weight and space when packing). I certainly get exceptional range when using the Atlas but who knows what my range would have been if using the stock RC. It seems quite significant to me but that just could be confirmation bias.

However, I can say unequivocally that it roughly doubled my range when flying a specific Litchi route that goes out of range in my congested and tree-laden suburban neighborhood (I fly it weekly for a long-term project). For me, it was well worth the investment.

 

[lisadoc]

BTW, when traveling, I still bring the modded RC with me even if I wish to keep the bulk/weight down. I simply leave the Atlas panel and charger at home and use their antennas instead of a stock RC. My controller is still silent (yeah!) and Titan claims that the provided antennas are as good, if not better, than the stock antennas. I would tend to agree. The only difference is that they can/must be removed when packing and aren't as "handy" as the stock antennas that fold neatly onto the front of the RC.

 

[buttons276]

Well ****, I was dying to try it out all day. So about 6:30 I saw clear sky one way and dark sky the other. I thought to myself sure I have time for one quick flight. So I take off going north. First flight with the whips. I get out about 4000ft and boom I feel rain drops. So I turn around and I’m high tailing it back. A few minutes later it’s in sight and the rain is really starting to fall. So I’m trying to zoom over to the driveway and land.

Let me stop here and say the other day I noticed when I get close to my Jeep the Mavic Air kinda drifts toward it. I have no idea why. But when it did it I always had control and could just kinda move it back. I’m sure you can tell where this is going.

So I come in fast fairly close to the Jeep and bam, it starts to drift toward the Jeep. No problem I’m trying to fly it away a little bit to land. This time no response from the controller. It’s getting closer. I panic. I stick my hand between the car and the mavic. Now my car is scratched. My hand is cut. And I broke a prop. I’m know I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have had it out anyway. Well I just recompensated my imu and compass and put new props on and did a quick hover in the driveway to make sure the mavic was ok. I had to do that or I wouldn’t have been able to sleep tonight. Anyway, lesson 2 lessons for the day. Don’t fly in the rain and those props will cut the crap out of you.

 

[buttons276]

Weather was terrible all day. I got to make a few runs in between the rain and honestly for about an hour I was so frustrated i dug out the stock antennas and I was ready to put them back on. Before I did that the owner of titan drones started messaging back and forth with me. After he gave me some thoughts I made a couple of the runs on my little route to the north with the control antenna. Although a few times I got out about 4000ft (pretty much what I got stock) on two of the runs I got out over 6000ft. Neither of the good runs did I even lost signal completely. I just turned around. Weather was so bad I didn’t want to be to far away. That’s more than a 50% improvement and like I said it could have went farther. I’ve been sitting here looking at the flight logs and I’m pretty sure I know why some of the runs were a lot shorter than the others. I’m almost certain on the runs that didn’t go out that far I was pointing the antenna in the wrong direction. I’ve been standing in exactly the same spot pointing the same direction everytime. I’ve tried to keep everything I can as close to the same everytime so I can have a good idea of the difference the mods are making. Looking back at the logs it was obvious on the two best runs I had the drone was in a completely different point than on the other runs when it was out at its max distance. I hope I’m explaining all this where it makes sense. I’m going to test out my theory tomorrow. I can’t wait. But to sum everything up atleast until this point I’m very happy with the increased range I know the antenna is capable of making. I thinking once I tweak the direction I’m flying things will be a lot more consistent. Also I really just can’t say enough about the customer service from this company. I mean today was Sunday and it’s a 3 day holiday weekend at that and to still be able to get such a quick response from the owner was very impressive to me. He was extreamly patient and helpful with me. Anyway, I’ll post how things go tomorrow.

 

[buttons276]

Update——
Weather has still sucked today but I just squeezed in three runs to the north. I have three batteries. That’s why three. So I have done some studying online and I had been using the live map wrong. I thought I was pointing toward the drone when actually I was pointing off to the left. I figured this out last night looking at flight logs. So first three trips today I made it out to 8500ft. I got nervous because of the weather and turned around. As I still had good signal. That’s double the range I was getting stock. I was blown away. I have figured out when you are out farther away you really have to stay pointed in the right direction. Moving a little bit the wrong direction really hurts the signal. Which now that I understand the live map better it’s really easy to keep it pointed the right direction. On the last battery I actually got to 9100ft before I felt rain drops and turned around. I really had no business even flying today because of weather but I couldn’t stand it. I can’t wait to try it off in the southern direction now but it’s pouring rain so it won’t happen today.

A few conclusions...this antenna is amazing and it’s there most basic antenna. I can’t wait to try it with the powered switch panel in a month or two. Also, after a few flights I was ready to strip down the controller and go back to stock. But the problem was me. Not the antenna. So I understand why I’ve seen some people say they didn’t get good results with it. And I can’t say enough about their customer service. They are so responsive with answers and help. When I was having problems they even offered to send me a new antenna Incase something was wrong with mine. Anyway, I’m extreamly happy with everything so far. Whenever I get to do some more flying this week I’ll post my results.

 

[Turn11]

Keep up the reporting, I like everything but your cut finger.

 

[buttons276]

Keep up the reporting, I like everything but your cut finger.

Thanks! Glad someone cares to read all this stuff. I’m just really trying to answer the questions I had when I was deciding if I wanted to upgrade the antenna. I found a lot of people that either loved them or said they were snake oil. Very rarely did they give the kinda information I was looking for.

 

[buttons276]

And yes it sucked getting cut but it’s nice to know that you can crash the Mavic Air with pretty much no damage to it. I always feel like it’s so delicate when I’m getting it out or unfolding it. It’s actually a tough little thing.

 

[Turn11]

Everyone has their own agenda, mine is a little different than yours and @droneuser
I live in the west central part of Arizona. Elevation varies from 500' to 4,000' (round numbers) in 12 mi (curvy road). In another direction it is flat with not too much (if any) vegetation over 15' tall. The elevation goes from 500' and rises maybe 300 - 500' guess. Mostly no cell coverage and a good 4-wheel drive for the off road is mandatory IF you want to explore.

I need to be portable, have the ability to get video and control to and from the bird. I am watching all threads, there is SO MUCH information and options available.

If something goes wrong (Murphy's Law) Marco Polo is presently the only transmitter I know of that will give me a fighting chance to retrieve my bird. Kinda like the American Express card commercial of a few years ago, "Don't leave home without it"

On the other hand if you want to do extreme distance, from Searchlight Nevada southern outskirts to Hwy 163 is about 18 miles straight line and low vegetation, an odd tree and such. A dirt strip airport in CalNevAri and just outside Searchlight

This why I am watching and reading as many threads as possible. Now I will be quiet and watch. Keep up the good work and no more prop cuts.