2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft?  
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Aerial Photography and Video >> 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft?
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2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 2:46:04 AM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline 		I bought a 2.4 GHz video camera. While the specification says that the signal range is 1000+ ft (line of sight), I was surprised to find out that the signal worked only within 150-200 ft when I tried it around the neighbourhood. I called the tech support and was told that there was too much interference in my neighbourhood. So I picked a parking lot and tried it again. The range did not improve. I figured there were 2 possibilities:

1. For video, the LOS 1000+ ft range is indeed only effective within 200 ft, or
2. the tech support is full of bull and really it was because I got a bad transmitter or receiver.

I do not know if this is has anything to do with Draganflyer IV or not, since Futaba 4-channel receiver is a generic brand.

Any help is welcome.
       Post #: 1

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 3:39:59 AM   
aambrose


 

Posts: 76
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Pana, IL, USA
Status: offline 		Im going to take a stab at it but maybe make sure the antenna of the video receiver is pointing in the general direction of the camera. See this review

I have a DF IV and Eyecam coming in the next couple of days. PLEASE let me know what kind of experiences you have with yours! Thanks!

_____________________________

Tony

(in reply to ihaveatxt1wow)
       Post #: 2

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 4:03:50 AM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline 		That review was the reason I decided to buy a Draganflyer IV with the camera. I tried pointing the receiver to the camera, but it did not seem to help much.

I got my DF for only a few days. Therefore I am still learning. I never fly a heli or an airplane before, but I managed to hover around after an hour of flight. One thing to remember is that you should never try to fly indoor when you are still in training. The wall and the furniture will break your blades within minutes, and then you have to order a new set for $29 and get grounded for a week or two!

(in reply to ihaveatxt1wow)
       Post #: 3

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 12:57:23 PM   
stevennh


 

Posts: 814
Joined: 6/5/2003
From: Portsmouth, NH,
Status: offline 		There might be a couple of problems. First, the power output is low on that unit, probably less than 10mw. This means that you need a totally clear line of site (no trees, animals, rocks or anything) between the tx and rx. You should also get the RX as high as possible, and remember that you will probably do better once the DF is airborn. The other problem is that 2.4GHz is a very busy place. Even with my 600mw system, I had a hard time getting a good signal since my rx was picking up everything in the neighborhood (wireless networks, portable phones, wireless speakers etc.). I found that I got my best results by pointing my patch antenna straight up and placing it on the ground. This limted the gain of the antenna (cut out the clutter) and put the antenna in a good position to "see" my plane while flying (I got this suggestion from the owner of BlackWidowAV). This might not work as well with lower power, but I would give it a try. I think your RX is a patch type antenna. Using this antenna orentation did the trick for me. I am now using a 200mw system with very few drop-outs due to signals from other devices. The down-side is that my range is limited when flying near the horizon since the antenna is pointing straight up, but this is usually not a problem.

Good luck.

Steve

(in reply to ihaveatxt1wow)
       Post #: 4

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 2:02:10 PM   
aambrose


 

Posts: 76
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Pana, IL, USA
Status: offline 		This thread is somewhat discouraging as well as encouraging at the same time. I dont like hearing about the problems associated with the Eyecam tx/rx but hearing that you were able to hover the DF within an hour is encouraging (especially with no prior heli/airplane experience)! I really hope you find a solution to your tx/rx problems and please share them with us when you do. Also, thanks for sharing your input Steve! Maybe I should order some spare blades now to avoid being grounded for a week or two. I'm expecting my DF within the next few days. I spoke with Bill from BlackWidowAV about a CCD system that might work with the DF IV but we never hashed anything out because I dont have my DF yet and didnt know enough about it to answer Bill's questions. Maybe a better quality camera and tx/rx system would work with the DF. If my memory serves me correctly, I think Bill said one of his CCD systems weighs only 1.5 oz. which the DF should be able to handle.

_____________________________

Tony

(in reply to stevennh)
       Post #: 5

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 2:29:06 PM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: stevennh

There might be a couple of problems. First, the power output is low on that unit, probably less than 10mw. This means that you need a totally clear line of site (no trees, animals, rocks or anything) between the tx and rx. You should also get the RX as high as possible, and remember that you will probably do better once the DF is airborn. The other problem is that 2.4GHz is a very busy place. Even with my 600mw system, I had a hard time getting a good signal since my rx was picking up everything in the neighborhood (wireless networks, portable phones, wireless speakers etc.). I found that I got my best results by pointing my patch antenna straight up and placing it on the ground. This limted the gain of the antenna (cut out the clutter) and put the antenna in a good position to "see" my plane while flying (I got this suggestion from the owner of BlackWidowAV). This might not work as well with lower power, but I would give it a try. I think your RX is a patch type antenna. Using this antenna orentation did the trick for me. I am now using a 200mw system with very few drop-outs due to signals from other devices. The down-side is that my range is limited when flying near the horizon since the antenna is pointing straight up, but this is usually not a problem.

Good luck.

Steve

Steve,

Thank you so much for your reply. I am new to the field, and not sure if my Video RX/TX is a patch type antenna or not. The RX looks like a box and I assume the antenna is wrapped inside somehow. It does have a label asking me to point one end to the RX. And I also could not find the power of my RX/TX. But since I got the system without a HAM license, my system cannot be as strong as 200mw, right?

(in reply to stevennh)
       Post #: 6

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 2:37:15 PM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: aambrose

This thread is somewhat discouraging as well as encouraging at the same time. I dont like hearing about the problems associated with the Eyecam tx/rx but hearing that you were able to hover the DF within an hour is encouraging (especially with no prior heli/airplane experience)! I really hope you find a solution to your tx/rx problems and please share them with us when you do. Also, thanks for sharing your input Steve! Maybe I should order some spare blades now to avoid being grounded for a week or two. I'm expecting my DF within the next few days. I spoke with Bill from BlackWidowAV about a CCD system that might work with the DF IV but we never hashed anything out because I dont have my DF yet and didnt know enough about it to answer Bill's questions. Maybe a better quality camera and tx/rx system would work with the DF. If my memory serves me correctly, I think Bill said one of his CCD systems weighs only 1.5 oz. which the DF should be able to handle.

aambrose

When I said "1 hour", I meant 1 hour of flight time. Unless you have ordered extra one, a single 3-pack Li-Po battery will last for about 10-15 minutes on the DF IV, after which you need to spend over an hour to recharge it, which is not a bad thing since you need to let the 4 DF motors to cool down anyway. (That is why I decided NOT to order extra battery so that I can resist my temptation to burn out my DF on the field.) Therefore, to get my 1 hour flight, it took me actually 6 hours. Each hour I flew for 10 minutes and recharged Li-Po for 50 minutes.

You probably also need to check up your DF every time you fly. The screws always turn loose, and if you do not tight them up every time, you will crash often. Also, whenever you find yourself trimming the DF a lot, it means some of the roter blades are not aligned very well. Visually aligning them one by one before each flight helped me a lot and the trim was reduced to almost none.

(in reply to aambrose)
       Post #: 7

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 2:58:17 PM   
stevennh


 

Posts: 814
Joined: 6/5/2003
From: Portsmouth, NH,
Status: offline 		Since licensing is not required the power must be very low. It is probably in the 10mw range. The systems Bill sells do require a ham license, but they are really easy to get (you only need a tech license, no code, mutiple choice questions). He has systems ranging in power from 10mw to 600mw. A ham license is great since you can learn quite a bit about RF in general getting it (antenna theory etc.). My guess is there is a built in patch antenna in your RX. If there is a direction arrow, I would point it straight up and put the rx on the ground. Once your DF is up, it should work OK.

Steve

(in reply to ihaveatxt1wow)
       Post #: 8

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 3:16:03 PM   
aambrose


 

Posts: 76
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Pana, IL, USA
Status: offline 		jiang_chen,
I realize the DF can only fly for about 10-15 minutes per charge and I bought an extra battery pack. I guess I'll have to resist the temptation to fly back to back without letting the motors cool. In regards to the loosening of the screws on the DF, what screws are you talking about? Is there anyway you could apply Loc-Tite or something similar to keep them tight? Also, you talked about visually aligning the rotor blades prior to each flight. I'm not quite sure why that has to be done? How do they become misaligned?

OK, tell me this. Is it worth the $1000? Is it really as much fun as one would think? How durable is it? Any tips on what to avoid? I have plenty of open grassy area to practice -- is that good? Thanks!

Steve,
You say the systems Bill sells require a ham license and you say they're really easy to get. Where does one go to get a ham license? Thanks!

_____________________________

Tony

(in reply to stevennh)
       Post #: 9

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 4:11:43 PM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: aambrose

jiang_chen,
I realize the DF can only fly for about 10-15 minutes per charge and I bought an extra battery pack. I guess I'll have to resist the temptation to fly back to back without letting the motors cool. In regards to the loosening of the screws on the DF, what screws are you talking about? Is there anyway you could apply Loc-Tite or something similar to keep them tight? Also, you talked about visually aligning the rotor blades prior to each flight. I'm not quite sure why that has to be done? How do they become misaligned?

OK, tell me this. Is it worth the $1000? Is it really as much fun as one would think? How durable is it? Any tips on what to avoid? I have plenty of open grassy area to practice -- is that good? Thanks!

Steve,
You say the systems Bill sells require a ham license and you say they're really easy to get. Where does one go to get a ham license? Thanks!

aambrose

At least to me, DF IV definitely worth the dollar. Think of it this way: How many hours of fun you can get out of it? If I spend $400 on a RC electric monster car, I will be bored after 10-20 hours of racing since I am not a race guy. So it is about $20-40 per hour of fun. Kind of expensive.

A DF IV, however, can take aerial videos for me. Even after hundreds of hours of flight, I can simply pick a new location and immediately I get new video. I love to see the different part of my town from the air. If I can get 200 hours out of it, it is only $5 per hour which is cheaper than a movie ticket.

As far as the alignment, it is the motors which can be turned by hand around the arms on which they are fixed. Every time you land the DF IV, unless you do it perfectly, some of the motors will hit the ground prior to the rest of the DF body. Such impact will knock the motors out of alignment, meaning that the roter blades will not be horizontal anymore. What you need to do is to visually inspect each blade, and if anyone is not horizontal, simply manually turn the motor so the blade is horizontal again. You will probably do the same thing to your RC car wheels if you constantly hit the wheels to some poles or rocks. Nothing unusual.

(in reply to aambrose)
       Post #: 10

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 4:16:54 PM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: aambrose

jiang_chen,
I realize the DF can only fly for about 10-15 minutes per charge and I bought an extra battery pack. I guess I'll have to resist the temptation to fly back to back without letting the motors cool. In regards to the loosening of the screws on the DF, what screws are you talking about? Is there anyway you could apply Loc-Tite or something similar to keep them tight? Also, you talked about visually aligning the rotor blades prior to each flight. I'm not quite sure why that has to be done? How do they become misaligned?

OK, tell me this. Is it worth the $1000? Is it really as much fun as one would think? How durable is it? Any tips on what to avoid? I have plenty of open grassy area to practice -- is that good? Thanks!

Steve,
You say the systems Bill sells require a ham license and you say they're really easy to get. Where does one go to get a ham license? Thanks!



Forgot to answer 2 other questions you have:

1. Loose screws. They are the ones on the rotor blades. Your suggestion probably will work. But since I am still a lousy pilot, I am always prepared to replace my broken blades :-)

2. Open grassy area. It is definitely good for DF IV to land on grass. But you need your paved surface or drive way to take off. DF IV will not easily take off from your lawn since the blades will tangle with the grass.

(in reply to aambrose)
       Post #: 11

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 4:24:14 PM   
aambrose


 

Posts: 76
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Pana, IL, USA
Status: offline 		I never really looked at it from the standpoint of the price of fun. Thanks again for sharing your experience and tips! I'm looking forward to receiving mine. They told me yesterday that it will be shipped today and it should take 1-3 business days. Did you have to wait 2 weeks for them to build yours?

I havent flown RC planes for almost 10 years and I'm sure I'm pretty rusty with a transmitter. I'm hoping I'll do OK with the DF. I would have considered myself an intermediate RC airplane pilot "back in the day" but never tried helicopters.

_____________________________

Tony

(in reply to ihaveatxt1wow)
       Post #: 12

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 5:14:34 PM   
stevennh


 

Posts: 814
Joined: 6/5/2003
From: Portsmouth, NH,
Status: offline 		These days, you can get a ham license by attending a VE session and passing a test. There should be local clubs around that provide classes for getting a technian license (the one you need). Tests are given by other Ham operators that volenteer to give the tests. You get your license from the FCC after passing the test. I think the tech test is still a mutiple choice test, and you can get copies of the question pool with answers. Some folks just memorize the answers, but it is a good idea to learn the theory. It comes in handy when building antennas and working with RF (Radio Frequency) stuff in general. Your best bet is to look up a local ham club (if you know any hams ask one of them where to go).

Steve (N1FWN).

(in reply to aambrose)
       Post #: 13

RE: 2.4GHz video camera with range of 200 ft? - 5/25/2004 5:18:23 PM   
ihaveatxt1wow


 

Posts: 89
Joined: 5/10/2004
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: stevennh