Antenna position

[BAR]

Hi all,
I have read the manual regarding antenna position and I keep seeing reviews (youtube and images) of people using the antenna in a completely different position. Am I missing something? some people are pointing the antennas up and not down and out as per manual??

Cheers

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I don't even know what the manual states. But the stock antennas on the controller should be vertical, or as near vertical as possible. The antennas on the solo are in the legs. The legs are fixed in a vertical position. As such, the antennas on the controller should also be vertical, or as close to it as practical. If you put the controller antennas horizontal, you get 20-40% signal loss due to to the polarization mis-match.

Videos showing anything otherwise are wrong.

 

[Acroduster]

Generally, the best situation is to have the broadcast and receiving antennae parallel to each other, with the broad side of one pointing at the broad side of the other. Since Solo will usually be above your position, pointing them down offers their broadside up at an angle, pointed at Solo. If you point them up, the tip will be more in line with the aircraft which is the worst for signal transmission.

 

[Jubalr]

3DR recommends down and out 20deg.... Here is where it was discussed...

 

[Chuck]

A while back I experimented with having the antennas up instead of down. It didn't go well. I could not get any distance at all, and kept losing signal and triggering a RTH. I changed back to the down position, and all was well again.

 

[Joe90]

The antennas produce a linear signal, as in the signal is sent from the length of the antenna, so the receiving antenna needs to more or less be at the same angle. The only way i can describe it is like this, if you have the antennas at opposite angles like a 'X', the only section that is recieving the signal is the bit on the 'X' where the lines cross eachother. If they are set like this '\\' the signal is received by the whole lenght of those lines.The best way to achieve the position is to roughly have them angled to mimic Solo's legs and also they need to be out a little because solo will usually be up in the air when transmitting the signal and that position will compensate for that angle too. That is why circular polarised antennas are far better at sending and receiving signals. I only know this from being in RC for a few years. Hope that helps.
(Sorry about the primitive diagrams!)

 

[Joe90]

Just seen the link that Jubalr posted, it far better explains it !

 

[brandonofaat]

I don't even know what the manual states. But the stock antennas on the controller should be vertical, or as near vertical as possible. The antennas on the solo are in the legs. The legs are fixed in a vertical position. As such, the antennas on the controller should also be vertical, or as close to it as practical. If you put the controller antennas horizontal, you get 20-40% signal loss due to to the polarization mis-match.

Videos showing anything otherwise are wrong.

Even when they are 3DR's own instructions?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

Vertically down vs up doesn't matter much. The angle at which the controller is held, pointing down is easier than up. 3DR instructions do not say to have the antennas horizontal.