Alfa Antennas

Pedals2Paddles · Jan 24, 2017

JdogMoneyMan said:
Hello just to let you know how exactly you communicate back and forth with your drone so you can better understand and help others out in the furor when you are asked to same this. So in laymens terms, when you turn you controller on it looks for your solo drone, at the same time it sends off a wifi signal that you connect to off your phone or tablet that gives you the ability to see first person view, if you have a camera and to chang she drones setting. When you turn on your drone it sends out a signal that connects to your remote. I don't believe this is wifi that goes from your drone and controller. If I remember right the controller and drone simply connect to each other once successfully paired. Wifi signal is not strong enough to go as far as 1,000 feet away, even 500 feet is pushing it. The only wifi that is being sent out is from your remote control so your phone or tablet can connect. Which is turned into a connection to your remote to your drone and back and forth. I hope that clears up any confusion.

This is 100% wrong! All communication between the controller, the drone, phones, and tablets are via WiFi. The controller is a Wireless Access Point with a router and DHCP server. It has a fixed IP address of 10.1.1.1. The drone itself also has a fixed IP address of 10.1.1.10. Mobile devices such as phones and tablets get DHCP IP addresses assigned to them. This is all using WiFi N (802.11N) which is MiMo (Multiple Input Multiple Output). Both antennas are used for transmit and receive simultaneously. Which allows for very high speed and high bandwidth. No different than what you would find on a router in your house. Also, the notion that WiFi can't work beyond 500ft is also nonsense.

Next.

3drHighMileFlyer · Jan 24, 2017

Pedals2Paddles said:
This is 100% wrong! All communication between the controller, the drone, phones, and tablets are via WiFi. The controller is a Wireless Access Point with a router and DHCP server. It has a fixed IP address of 10.1.1.1. The drone itself also has a fixed IP address of 10.1.1.10. Mobile devices such as phones and tablets get DHCP IP addresses assigned to them. This is all using WiFi N (802.11N) which is MiMo (Multiple Input Multiple Output). Both antennas are used for transmit and receive simultaneously. Which allows for very high speed and high bandwidth. No different than what you would find on a router in your house. Also, the notion that WiFi can't work beyond 500ft is also nonsense.

Next.

Interesting, thank you for your response. I was under the impression that the remote to drone and back and forth communication used different frequencies other than wifi from 3DR tech support. I have never seen a wifi router that you can connect to blocks away from where it is set up. Forward me proof and I will take that back.

3drHighMileFlyer · Jan 24, 2017

Like I said I am not 100% sure, these are based on chat support and talking with 3DR tech support. Another person said that it is wifi communication from drone to controller and back and forth. I would be amazed that wifi can reach 2,500 feet easily. But it wouldn't surprise me technology now a days.
Happy droning

LuvMyTJ · Jan 24, 2017

Most consumer camera drones use either the 900Mhz, 2.4Ghz or 5.8Ghz wifi transmission for video & control. This setup will work miles away from the operator. My friends Phantom # Standard (basic wifi) is getting up to 20,000' from a TX with an un-amped panel antenna. The new DJI quads have 4 mile range out of he box.

These guys at DBS are the kings of long distance flights... here is a 9.2 mile flight with a P3P...

3drHighMileFlyer · Jan 24, 2017

Very interesting, I will research a lot more . Thank you for the great video and references. I definitely didn't buy the solo for that long of a distance. Just something I can go up to 1500 feet and still have solid connection. Today I was able to get to 2600 feet until rth kicked in. Before that the second longest was roughly 2,000 feet until rth. I was surprised by 2,000 but today I flew a different direction and my signal icon showed fluctuations between 2-3 which is always good for me. Once I hit a steady two I normally loose connection shortly after. This is all on stock antennas with those dji reflector shields attached to my remote. I can't wait for my Alfa antennas to arrive tomorrow and report back on the range I get. Any advice on them? Other then what I've seen and read on google and YouTube? I'm really just looking for solid 3-4 bars at roughly 2,000 feet maybe a little more bcuz past that it's close to being out of site due to tree line. I sure love the return to home function. I normally cruse at altitude of 390 feet and if its lower then that before it comes home I have it set to rise to 395 ish or so before making its way back home . What are your setting looking like?