Fpv antenna question.

I know its bad. But I've gotten used to auto level. So much that its like learning all over again how to fly in acro. I'm wondering should I master fpv in semi auto level? Then when I'm totally comfortable with it try full acro? Cause a lot of people say auto level is a bad bad habit to fall into. And I've fallen into it.. Even on my simulator, I can't get it to do anything but crash in acro. But in auto level I can zip all around. Fpv and los
 
Ryan63 said:
I know its bad. But I've gotten used to auto level. So much that its like learning all over again how to fly in acro. I'm wondering should I master fpv in semi auto level? Then when I'm totally comfortable with it try full acro? Cause a lot of people say auto level is a bad bad habit to fall into. And I've fallen into it.. Even on my simulator, I can't get it to do anything but crash in acro. But in auto level I can zip all around. Fpv and los
Click to expand...
Hey Ryan........most of my flying is Aerial Platform stuff so auto level and altitude hold are major "must have" for me. However, I would recommend to you what I recommend to everyone else who's just starting out. Get yourself some little cheap mini drone that has lots of spare parts available and fly the crap out of it. Also, keep practicing on the simulator. And do it in acro mode. You're trying to develop "muscle memory" so start with how you will go. My practice bird is a Boldclash Bwhoop B-03......auto level and altitude hold. And it cost less then $20. And I know that many will poo-poo this.........but eBay is your friend! You gotta be careful, but you just about can't beat the prices.

And of course, all that crap I just spewed at you...........that's just my opinion.............now get out there and fly!
 
LHCP
RHCP
they both need to match.
Other than the TBS stubby the aomway antenna are about the best. Imo
And can be used as both tx&rx.
 
:rolleyes: ... There's no difference in performance between RHCP or LHCP except that when flying around several other pilots who (usually) have RHCP
IF yours are LHCP you're less likely to receive (or transmit) any interference (to/from them) because of their signals being attenuated by your
polarization being opposite of theirs.

Omnidirectional "sticks or whips" (usually 2 or 5 dB depending on the make) suck ... period.
Even if a "mushroom" has only the same gain (about 3 dB is typical) being polarized (and generally more efficient) still helps to provides a better signal.
Most pilots use 2.4 GHz mushrooms for flight control and 5.8 GHz mushrooms for video TX/RX. Don't use the wrong frequency antenna for your application or you'll be worse off than if using a "stick".

Planar antennas (bottom pic) provide higher gain BUT they are NOT omnidirectional so they need to be (generally) pointed at the quad.
They will also pick up either "stick" or "any mushroom" transmissions regardless of polarization.

Helical antennas provide the highest gains of all but also have the most narrow field of reception for any antenna so they also need to be (rather precisely) pointed at the quad. They also need to have matching polarization to the antenna they're looking at.

Both planar and helical antennas are only ever used for receiving because of their limited "field of view" (to borrow from camera terms for sake of simplicity).

Pilots using diversity systems (basically two receivers both "looking at" the quad with a circuit that automatically switches to the better signal between the tw0 receivers) will typically have one planar (or helical) antenna plus one mushroom.

There's also another type of antenna, that (imho) surpasses the typical mushroom, which is called a "pagoda" antenna. The signal dispersion and reception
is much more uniform than mushrooms, which still have lobes, and they are also much harder to damage than mushrooms.

The two key points to note are are: 1.) Be sure to buy antennas with the proper connections. 2.) Match polarization between the TX and RX antennas.
Aside from that everything else is somewhat just a matter of choice and money . ;)
 
IMHO pagodas break very easy. I bought a set, you only have to knock the disk out of alignment & it's shot as where if you bend a lobe on a clover you still have another 3.
Dont get me wrong they are good.
There are vids on how to make your own.
 
mozquito1 said:
if you bend a lobe on a clover you still have another 3.
Click to expand...

Good point, although as with clovers (mushrooms) there's always a good chance you can simply realign them.
There are several videos on how to make clovers too, which really aren't that hard to do if you first build yourself a good jig.

Having one bent lobe on a clover will distort the radiation pattern so there's a diminished area where the signal is more weak,
(which is worse on a three lobe and not quite so bad on a four lobe) whereas a bent pagoda seems to just throw the radiation pattern
off center. Either case is, of course, undesirable as when the quad flies through the weakened zone you can temporarily lose signal and
Lord knows that already happens often enough from other causes.

And I ALWAYS use the types with protective shells on them. Flying with "naked" antennas is just asking for trouble. :)
 
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