Consistently lost connection at 125'

Ed Beck · May 7, 2016

I've been trying different things to get Solo to stay connected to the controller.

I just had the MicroTik cards installed. I went out and tried them using my FPVLR antenna and lost contact at about 100'. I regained contact a couple of times but otherwise it just didn't stay connected. I was flying a Tower survey and it ran out of battery and landed without ever regaining contact despite getting within 200 feet of me several times.

So is the FPVLR incompatible with the MicroTik cards?

Any other antenna suggestions?

What's up with this?

I though at one time I saw some antennas that were extra-long and can't find them now.

Thanks,

PdxSteve · May 8, 2016

I would double check to make sure both the antennas have a good connection at the MikroTiks. Those connectors are very tiny and if just a little part of the glue that was there gets inside it could possibly make it lose contact. Did you reglue them?

The FPVLR with or without the MikroTiks should be getting at least 4-5k feet.

Just remember the FPVLR is highly directional. You need to keep them pointed directly at solo like a scope on a gun lol. The further out it gets the more narrow the sweet spot is. Next to boosters, they are probably the best thing you could do to extend Solos range and signal penetrating power. Like you, I live in the PNW and got them mainly for penetrating power (trees, etc) and not necessarily long distance. They've worked great.

ajdelange · May 8, 2016

I wouldn't call them highly directional. Just the fact of 10 dbi gain implies that the beam width will be about 90 °. Various posts here and there on the net suggest that the 3 dB beam width is 60 - 70°. When the vehicle is far away you should be pointed as close to it as you can be as being off by 30 - 35° will cost you 3 db (in each direction). When within 100 - 200 ft it doesn't much matter where you point. So I don't think the problem is with the FPVLR antenna. When changing something like this you would do well to check one variable at a time. Do things work with the stock antenna since the card changeout? If they don't that focuses attention on some aspect of the cards themselves or their installation. When everything checks out with the new cards then it is time to add the fancier antenna.

franknitty69 · May 8, 2016

the other alfa's you are referring to are the APA-M25. dual band 10db.

Amazon.com: Alfa APA-M25 dual band 2.4GHz/5GHz 10dBi high gain directional indoor panel antenna with RP-SMA connector (compare to Asus WL-ANT-157): Computers & Accessories

i bought both the 05s and the 25s last summer for testing. used them a few times and they didn't do anything for me as i was getting a healthy 1.1km on the stock antennas. i did the wifi card mod after that and it improved my punch through trees and around structures as well as completely eliminating the overhead dead band. also i can fly behind without turning around as well.

definitely check both U.FL Connectors on the cards on both the controller and solo.

Ed Beck · May 8, 2016

Thanks, I need to test with the stock antennas, might not get to it today.

Maddog · May 8, 2016

Ed Beck said:
I've been trying different things to get Solo to stay connected to the controller.

I just had the MicroTik cards installed. I went out and tried them using my FPVLR antenna and lost contact at about 100'. I regained contact a couple of times but otherwise it just didn't stay connected. I was flying a Tower survey and it ran out of battery and landed without ever regaining contact despite getting within 200 feet of me several times.

So is the FPVLR incompatible with the MicroTik cards?

Any other antenna suggestions?

What's up with this?

I though at one time I saw some antennas that were extra-long and can't find them now.

Thanks,

How did it connect before the card installation?

Ed Beck · May 9, 2016

Maddog said:
How did it connect before the card installation?

Good connectivity if I was in the middle of nowhere. The reason I got the cards was because if I was in a neighborhood with lots of WiFi I'd loose my connection frequently. Most of my flying is in neighborhoods and it was getting very frustrating.