need to replace vTx antenna

[yay]

unfortunately, i do not know the part for my vTx, but of course it's 5.8g 16CH 25mW, like most basic fpv boards.

i cannot post a piccie of it because banggood doesn't seem to like copying image URLs, it is for the kingkong 110GT here -
https://www.banggood.com/Kingkong-1...CH-800TVL-ARF-BNF-p-1151830.html?rmmds=search

the vTx antenna is sticking out the top, i haven't seen this antenna design elsewhere, but i expect as long as i'm matching the wavelength i'm nice. there's a pic of the vTx board a couple images down on that page, but it doesn't show the antenna, so i'll probably have an ass of a time trying to figure out where it goes.

 

[Jackson]

Dipole. A lightweight solution.

https://www.kadosmicromotors.com/products/5-8ghz-dipole-antenna

https://www.banggood.com/10cm-2dBi-IPX-FPV-Antenna-Bendable-Flexible-p-1142441.html?rmmds=search

 

[yay]

ty much jackson

 

[mozquito1]

Have you got any old router aerials knocking about. Just strip the plastic off it and cut it off at the bottom.
Some are different sizes inside. Great if it was a small one but either would get you back in the air. Just cut the bottom like in cowboys picture for soldering.

 

[mozquito1]

All 5.8ghz antenna are obviously that but
Can be configured & built different.
You open them rubber duckies up, the thing is half empty. Pretty sure if you cut one of these as close to the sma connection as possible. It may work.
But I'm sure the original antenna is like 2.4ghz rx coax but configured to 5.8ghz.
Google it or YouTube it. Make your own it's so easy & probably better than you would buy.

 

[yay]

well.. as you surely must know by now, this is how things go round here -

my $40 eyes showed up today, if i'd waited one more day i would have had the ability to watch myself crash (of course, i'm sure it's folly to believe that this helps locate the quad afterwards).

configuring the monitoring channel was amazingly easy, i had vision in about as long as it took me to pick it up and start pressing the buttons. of course my signal fades to fuzz at ~25 feet.

(fwiw saying here on those, the 480 resolution is too low, my eyes focus on it much better at about 10", so hopefully i've focused my cam well for recording, can't tell past 480.)

i used a loupe to inspect the solder joint where the old antenna was... even with 8x magnification it is hard to see, but it looks like a tiny blob of solder with a tiny wire in the middle, it's going to take my best soldering skills to wick the old solder *away* from the wire and *truly amazing fortune* to connect something to it without soldering them both together, as the outer solder is really close to the center on all sides.

bought a couple of antennae and a kingkong Q25-mini cam/vTx... this item is a few dollars cheaper in another listing on banggood if you look it up under "q95 replacement parts" $19.99 instead of 21.99 iirc so not too far off any cheapo cam/vtx combo.

so if i can't solder the replacement antenna on properly i can replace the whole fpv. just gotta wait another week or two, so i have time meanwhile to fine tune my flysky. but nope, no spare cables around here. would be nice for the w/e but waiting to reduce fuss is better for my nerves. thanks for the diy info tho

 

[Gyro Doctor]

... You likely need the whole VTX

Anytime the VTX transmitter (ANY transmitter for that matter) is transmitting into an antenna that's not there (or has damaged/broken connection) that power
that's supposed to be radiated out into space by the antenna reflects back into the amplifier which usually results in it's final output's innards being fried ...

 

[mozquito1]

Shame coz I got em coming out my ears along with all size coax. Rx coax with mini jfl connectors out of laptops routers.
If anybody wants to PM me there address if they need any. Whats the price of a stamp

... You likely need the whole VTX

Anytime the VTX transmitter (ANY transmitter for that matter) is transmitting into an antenna that's not there (or has damaged/broken connection) that power
that's supposed to be radiated out into space by the antenna reflects back into the amplifier which usually results in it's final output's innards being fried ...

While that is true, with experience.
But not necessarily with a 25mw.
Maybe I got lucky. I had a spare & put it on it was OK. TBS Greenhorn.

 

[yay]

thanks, i've read that before. tho i have had it powered for a while adjusting the focus and wandering around with the headset on.



on an unrelated note, sacrificed the top of a can of cat food to make this lovely Rx hutch. quad feels so much better now that i can put the battery on it without losing the bind. fancy quality work.

 

[yay]

i'm gonna ask for your reassurance here: just tell me, yes, child.

trying to get that other antenna soldered on without a short is going to be a really special time, isn't it.

 

[mozquito1]

When I say spare, I mean the sma connection on the vtx. It came clean off.
I solderd a new one on & it was OK.
Maybe the 25mw bounce back is not enough to fry it. Sometimes.

 

[mozquito1]

i'm gonna ask for your reassurance here: just tell me, yes, child.

trying to get that other antenna soldered on without a short is going to be a really special time, isn't it.

You will likely need some soldering skills.
Good close up vision you old git or a magnifying glass.
But it's doable for a beginner.
I swapped both antenna on an ia6 rx for high gain ones after about a month. Worked out OK. I broke a few since now it's a sinch.

 

[mozquito1]

I forget the yes, yay.
RC model reviews has a video how to do this along with loads of other ppl on YouTube.

 

[yay]

it's funny that, it's not the only time the idea of using youtube didn't occur to me.

 

[yay]

the terminal was on the sticky side of the board, pulled it up, looks much easier to solder now. there's probably about 5mm of antenna wire, might be enough of a load for non-TBS "toasted burned and served" i think it said.

 

[mozquito1]

it's funny that, it's not the only time the idea of using youtube didn't occur to me.

Wooooh. I was more getting at a channel for you to procure the knowledge to go about fixing your predicament. But if you know where YouTube is, then I'm not holding your hand.

 

[Gyro Doctor]

... LMAO ...

 

[Gyro Doctor]

fancy quality work.

... I like the cat food can RX hutch you've fashioned !
It's ingenuity like that which will take you far in the RC modeling world

 

[yay]

just to keep my waffle in one thread,
(sorta braindead today, wood chipper, sun)

you're right about them props moz, i ordered ten pair and gone through em before they ever got here. orders from 2 weeks later arrived. so ordered more. how did they know, the props is what i need for flying now?? (like other reviewers, i like the kk props.. dang they take some damage, white ones different plastic from transparent of course, but can't make a set out of the ones i've destroyed.)

so out of sheer, cling-free, static-free love, i'm building some micros with the e011 fcb. while i was chucking palm fronds thru the chipper today i figured, hey, even palm fronds.. light, strong... stalks man, stalks! airbound constructs..... "i don't know if this is ingenuity doc or some some kind of infection" about the same as balsa, much larger grain. the desert is full of amazing construction material if tiny lengths suffice, it's just too bloody hot to go and get them.

anyway. looking for some cheapo larger props for them. i know i'm mad, i know people say no. got a set of 720s and 8.5mm (dunno length) motors hope they both fit the same. buckets of e011 props. but i'm thinking, 2, 2.5, 3 inch props with longer arms.. don't need speed, only long flight time and sort of wafting about observing things. too braindead to think of models atm, which is the only way to sort products.

here's the latest item on my washlist -
https://www.banggood.com/New-Smalle...mera-With-Mic-p-1170608.html?rmmds=mywishlist
$9.35 cam with 4 IR leds pretty low res and small view angle but 0.008 lux
rcmodelreviews mentioned the lens (eg. obviously removing IR film) is really the place to start with night vision, but i have no such knowledge.

just pure decadence really.

 

[mozquito1]

I found the KK props to be robust as well.
Back in the day before tri blades came out. Still got a shed load. I cut some of the 5045's down to 4" & balance them on a jig if I run out. Still decent props tday but don't have the bite or speed of a tri, but hardly any prop wash off em. Just feels a bit slidey.