FPV Range increase

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Sep 6, 2015
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I have a stock IRIS+ with the FPV setup, Tarot Gimbal and GoPro. My video signal seem to crap out at about 140 -160 meters. Are there better antennas I could use? Is my Vid Tx (3M stick tape to underside) wiggling causing signal loss? what are your thoughts. I'd really like to get closer to the claimed 1Km range of the radio.

any ideas, suggestions or snide remarks?

Mark
 
sfstrong's recommendation is a pretty solid one. You should consider it.

In addition, some sound theory in Radio Frequency fundamentals would go a long way here. That's why a lot of FPV enthusiasts really support getting your HAM license. I didn't go down that road, as many of those RF theory knowledge nuggets were part of my job in the navy.

Some homework on your end is key. I've been traveling the FPV road for a bunch of years now. Much like this site, FPVLab.com is a wealth knowledge and info with a pretty good and supportive community of likeminded hobbyists and (some) professionals from around the world.

Here's a good thread there which will answer your questions about increasing your range. Lots of good links too.

Link Margin, Transmitter Power, Theoretical Range, and Antenna Gain

To make a long story short, and assuming you are on 5.8 video, consider some CP omnis - this will improve your 5.8 video link and take your range a little further 1K easy (depending on where you fly, of course). VAS - 5.8 GHz Bluebeam Ultra Antenna Set (RHCP) [BB-5800-UL] - $54.95 : Ready Made RC LLC, The Leader in All Things FPV, RC, and Beyond

If you want to bump it up considerably, and take your video way past your RC range, consider a high gain CP directional antenna on your receiver, with a CP omni on your video transmitter. Even a 3-5 turn helical antenna will boost your range significantly, while a patch or high-turn helical (8+) will get you way out there. VAS is a great brand for these antennas. Immersion RC for the patch. My go to high gain directional antenna for VRX is the Pepperbox by VAS. High gain, and huge fov.

Increasing your video range, you'll quickly be limited by your RC/controller range. Be sure your failsafes are set correctly and tested for when that happens. If you get the LR bug, consider a Long Range System (LRS) for your Radio. I'm a Dragon Link user. EZ UHF by Immersion had a loyal following too.
An older 72mhz radio is an option as well.

And also consider different video bands. This is another topic all together, as there are many considerations involved.

Hope this helps and doesn't make your head explode.
 

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