updated on 3/17/18 DIY controller amp antenna mods only!

[droneuser]

Yes drone user that’s exactly what i wanted to know. so on the amps where it is marked antenna they go to the 4 hawks and the other end marked signal goes to the mavic controller. No I’ll make sure i don’t power the amps on without the antenna. Thanks. One more thing if an amp did go down in flight would you loose all signal or just the boosted signal. Thanks

yes that is how you would hook it up. as for your other question that would depend on HOW the amp was to fail. its best to plan for that NO signal will pass thru if that was to happen, it should kick in RTH ( due to signal lost) so all always make sure your RTH height is set high enough check that for every flight!

 

[Pollymer]

Great thanks for all your help. I really do appreciate it. IF there were no signal at all coming through a broken amp is it possible that the controller would be damaged due to not being connected to an antenna also. Sorry to bug you with more questions

 

[droneuser]

Great thanks for all your help. I really do appreciate it. IF there were no signal at all coming through a broken amp is it possible that the controller would be damaged due to not being connected to an antenna also. Sorry to bug you with more questions

I stock controller with an stock output I don't think it would plus the cable you have in-between the controller and amp ( would act like a small load) however depending how the amp was to fail its possible it could feedback back into the controller. so yes anything is possible but I myself don't worry about it. if that was to happen there is not much you can do to stop it.

 

[Pollymer]

Yes you are absolutely right. Not much point in having these drones if all you do is worry about the what ifs. I’m really looking forward to getting the amps. Wont be here till 28th November though. I’ll let you know how i get on. Once again thanks for your help and knowledge with this.

 

[Pollymer]

Hi drone user. I have the amps delivered today. Im just a bit concerned about something. If i get my multi meter and put one probe on the brass earth of the amps and the other probe into the insulated main element it shows a definite beep of continuity just as it would if you put the probes directly together. As you know if you do that with an antenna the earth and middle element are not connected. On the amps its as though it is a direct short. Hope that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[droneuser]

Hi drone user. I have the amps delivered today. Im just a bit concerned about something. If i get my multi meter and put one probe on the brass earth of the amps and the other probe into the insulated main element it shows a definite beep of continuity just as it would if you put the probes directly together. As you know if you do that with an antenna the earth and middle element are not connected. On the amps its as though it is a direct short. Hope that makes sense. Thanks.

if there is a "coil" in there you would be reading that and would have that meter reading. I will check my but I am out of town so I don't have them handy I hope to be back in town in a day or two.

 

[Pollymer]

Ok thank you for that if i can’t find anything on it before i will wait for you. I don’t want to blow the mavic transmitter up. Strange though it does it on both of them. Thanks for your time and speak when you’re home

 

[The Bob]

I should add one ant per output!

edit - Mavic has two antennas you cant use one antenna for both! you have to use two! so that means you would need two amps, two ants, cables, etc two of everything!

I am discovering that this is not true. The right antenna is used for diversity only.. so you only need to amp the left antenna.
I am taking this information from other posts and their experience / testing so I need to test this myself to verify.

 

[M8len]

I know this thread is old but I was hoping that someone could help....


I wish I would have found these posts sooner. I didnt totally understand the amp and dbi at the time so I ended up buying s little bit of everything and experimenting.

My goal is to be able to place the antennas on a building or container about 8 feet up and run cable down to the ground where I would be standing with the controller

So here is my issue. And unfortunately I dont have the testing equipment so here has been our standard test with the mavic air. I have a REALLY LARGE vacant building that we have access to. We have used it for indoor flying and then started standing outside and controlling the drone whilst it is flying inside.

We have a known distance for stock antennas and were looking to push the signal further with no lag.


So here are the combos that we have tried. The set up is this. Out of the controller we are running 6 to 8 foot cable to the amplifier and then the antenna is attached to the amplifier (and I have tried all types of antennas 1DBI, 7DBI, 12DBI both directional and omni directional).

Here are the different setups:

Just the controller and 7DBI direction antennas ( just stock..no 6' cables or the antennas up high)

Just the controller with no antennas (just the posts out of the controller)

Controller attached to 2.4 4 Watt amps (each powered separately) to 7 DBI antennas

Controller attached to one 2.4 and one 5.8 4 Watt amplifiers and 7DBI antenna

Controller attached to 5.8 4 Watt amplifiers and a 7DBI antennas

Controller attached to one 5.8 and one 2.4 4 watt amplifier and a 12DBI Sierra wireless antenna

Controller attached to 2.4 4 watt amplifier and the 12DBI Sierra Wireless antenna

Controller attached to a 2.4 8 watt amplifier and a 7 watt antenna.

So we literally tried everything. We thought we were going to see a huge difference flying in the vacant building. And they were all exactly the same. The transmission / reception was almost exactly the same. When we took the antennas completely off then it cut out about 20 feet shorter than the others but considering it had no antennas on it that was no that big of a deal.


I think I can get a little better push with the signal if i used helix antennas...maybe....

Any ideas why we can not push the signal any further regardless of amps and antrnnas??

I thought it was a great idea and it has been totally frustrating. Now I have a box full of antennas, amps and parts and I feel like I never made any progresss.

Any help.would.be really appreciated!!!

 

[GadgetGuy]

I know this thread is old but I was hoping that someone could help....


I wish I would have found these posts sooner. I didnt totally understand the amp and dbi at the time so I ended up buying s little bit of everything and experimenting.

My goal is to be able to place the antennas on a building or container about 8 feet up and run cable down to the ground where I would be standing with the controller

So here is my issue. And unfortunately I dont have the testing equipment so here has been our standard test with the mavic air. I have a REALLY LARGE vacant building that we have access to. We have used it for indoor flying and then started standing outside and controlling the drone whilst it is flying inside.

We have a known distance for stock antennas and were looking to push the signal further with no lag.


So here are the combos that we have tried. The set up is this. Out of the controller we are running 6 to 8 foot cable to the amplifier and then the antenna is attached to the amplifier (and I have tried all types of antennas 1DBI, 7DBI, 12DBI both directional and omni directional).

Here are the different setups:

Just the controller and 7DBI direction antennas ( just stock..no 6' cables or the antennas up high)

Just the controller with no antennas (just the posts out of the controller)

Controller attached to 2.4 4 Watt amps (each powered separately) to 7 DBI antennas

Controller attached to one 2.4 and one 5.8 4 Watt amplifiers and 7DBI antenna

Controller attached to 5.8 4 Watt amplifiers and a 7DBI antennas

Controller attached to one 5.8 and one 2.4 4 watt amplifier and a 12DBI Sierra wireless antenna

Controller attached to 2.4 4 watt amplifier and the 12DBI Sierra Wireless antenna

Controller attached to a 2.4 8 watt amplifier and a 7 watt antenna.

So we literally tried everything. We thought we were going to see a huge difference flying in the vacant building. And they were all exactly the same. The transmission / reception was almost exactly the same. When we took the antennas completely off then it cut out about 20 feet shorter than the others but considering it had no antennas on it that was no that big of a deal.


I think I can get a little better push with the signal if i used helix antennas...maybe....

Any ideas why we can not push the signal any further regardless of amps and antrnnas??

I thought it was a great idea and it has been totally frustrating. Now I have a box full of antennas, amps and parts and I feel like I never made any progresss.

Any help.would.be really appreciated!!!

No amount of signal amplification will overcome lack of LOS and penetrate ceilings and walls. All the above setups require clear LOS to provide any measurable benefit.

 

[M8len]

So if I tested all of the setups outdoors you think I would get different results?? I just assumed the stronger the signal the more it would penetrate inside.

I just dont like testing distance stuff outside.

Is there any other way I can test the signal coming out to compare when using amplifiers and various antennas?

 

[GadgetGuy]

So if I tested all of the setups outdoors you think I would get different results?? I just assumed the stronger the signal the more it would penetrate inside.

I just dont like testing distance stuff outside.

Is there any other way I can test the signal coming out to compare when using amplifiers and various antennas?

Absolutely! You have to go outside, and find somewhere you have clear LOS out to 5 miles from an elevated location. That's the best way to compare stock antennas to any other setup! You could use a signal strength meter, but that doesn't necessarily translate into distance, when you have any obstructions in the way, nor does it measure the directionality at great distance. Only flying the aircraft will do that.

 

[tarotX8]

it's not posible to use only one of the two antennas of the remote? I thought DJI mavic remote used diversity antennas, so it would be only needed boosting one one of the two.

 

[Rnl]

Left side only

it's not posible to use only one of the two antennas of the remote? I thought DJI mavic remote used diversity antennas, so it would be only needed boosting one one of the two.

 

[tarotX8]

Left side only

Left side¿ do you mean only boost left side?

 

[Masakatsu]

Hi I am new to the forum. I would like to place the antennas into a drainage system (from a manhole) to let the signal travel as much as possible in the drainage system, where I would like to fly my Mavic Mini (I would stay outside the drainage system of course). Can I install sort of 5 m long coaxial cables between the amplifiers and the antennas without loosing power/quality, so that I can stay outside with the remote, while the antennas would be underground in the sewage system? Will be there a particular signal loss in connecting the antennas to the amplifiers using such long connection cables?

 

[Rnl]

Lmr 400 cable up to 20-25 feet, won't loose much signal in cable but alot of metal in that drainage system that I'd worry about. Not sure how signal would travel but putting ant. In drain won't hurt.

Hi I am new to the forum. I would like to place the antennas into a drainage system (from a manhole) to let the signal travel as much as possible in the drainage system, where I would like to fly my Mavic Mini (I would stay outside the drainage system of course). Can I install sort of 5 m long coaxial cables between the amplifiers and the antennas without loosing power/quality, so that I can stay outside with the remote, while the antennas would be underground in the sewage system? Will be there a particular signal loss in connecting the antennas to the amplifiers using such long connection cables?

 

[Oneball 1971]

Surely the Drone needs to be EX rated to put it into a sewer system?

 

[Oneball 1971]

Also of I'm not mistaken, you will lose GPS when the drone disappears in the sewer so assume you'll have to fly Atti mode.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hi I am new to the forum. I would like to place the antennas into a drainage system (from a manhole) to let the signal travel as much as possible in the drainage system, where I would like to fly my Mavic Mini (I would stay outside the drainage system of course). Can I install sort of 5 m long coaxial cables between the amplifiers and the antennas without loosing power/quality, so that I can stay outside with the remote, while the antennas would be underground in the sewage system? Will be there a particular signal loss in connecting the antennas to the amplifiers using such long connection cables?

The VPS system requires light and a patterned surface for stability, neither of is likely to be present inside a sewer. GPS will also be unavailable, so you will definitely be flying by the seat of your pants, even after installing an antenna mod to have control signal.