NEW DJI O3 Range & Penetration | Improve FPV Drone Signal Testing | DIY & TrueRC High Gain Antennas

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  • Опубліковано 3 сер 2024
  • In this video were testing my latest FPV Long-Range High-Penetration DIY antenna setups. I'm using DJI here, but this would work well on Analog, HDZero, and WalkSnail systems as well.
    How do you improve FPV Range & Penetration? Do you need expense antennas? Let's find out!
    Please Like, Comment, & Subscribe if you enjoy these videos, and if you want to support my efforts feel free to: "Buy Me a Coffee": www.buymeacoffee.com/nhNDRzf2sx
    ------- Summary of Video: DJI High Gain Antenna Testing -----------------
    0:00 - Introduction
    0:19 - Penetration Tests
    0:35 - Antenna Setup #1
    0:50 - Analog, HDZero, WalkSnail
    1:10 - Antenna Setup #2
    1:25 - Antenna Setup #3
    1:43 - Antenna Setup #4
    2:03 - Antenna Setup #5
    2:28 - Penetration Results
    2:50 - Long-Range Test
    3:27 - Weird Glitch Issue
    3:50 - VTX Antenna Note
    4:30 - Top 3 Setups
    5:00 - 7km (4 miles) Range!
    5:20 - Favorite Setup?
    6:00 - Conclusion & Next Steps
    -------------- Wanna Build a Helical Antenna? ---------------------------------------------------------
    Below I'll share the DIY video, a list of basic parts and tools, and provide the complete setup details for reference. Hope this is helpful to those looking to improve range without spending a lot of money.
    ------------ DIY HELICAL INFO --------------------------------------
    Here's my Super Simple "Trash Helical" DIY video, costs ($10-$20):
    • Easy DIY 5.8ghz Helica...
    Here’s the STL file I use: www.thingiverse.com/thing:367500
    • "Free" Version Recycled Parts List:
    - 35mm of Solid Copper Wire, thicker is better
    - Coax Cable with SMA connector, can use an old antenna
    - Metal Lid from a Pasta Sauce Can, or similar. Aluminum isn't recommended because it's very difficult to solder...
    - Plastic/Wooden Tube to wrap copper around, about 15mm diameter.
    º Or you can 3D print parts if you have a printer
    • "Cheap" Version Parts List:
    - 35mm of Solid Copper Wire, thicker is better
    - RG405 Coax Cable with SMA connectors
    º I ordered "Uxcell SMA Male to SMA Male RG405 Coax Cable" which was $10 and enough to make 4 antennas
    - Copper Plate, or Blank Circuit Board
    º I ordered "Copperlab 2-5/8 Inch Round Circle Disc Copper" f0r $15 and it's enough to make 12 antennas
    - Plastic/Wooden Tube to wrap copper around, about 15mm diameter.
    º Or you can 3D print parts if you have a
    * Note: You can mix and match the above versions and substitute parts as needed. Something I mention in the video is these antennas don't have to be perfect to function very well.
    • Basic Tools:
    - Soldering Iron and Solder (with flux core ideally)
    - Pair of pliers
    - Ruler or Tape Measure
    - Optional: 3D printer
    ------------ VTX / VRX Antennas and Quad Setup --------------------------------------
    - Frame: iFlight Chimera 7
    - VTX: DJI O3 with V2 Goggles
    - VTX Antenna: HGLRC Hammer Omni
    - VRX: Fatshark Sharkbyte Model RX5.1
    - VRX Antennas: Stock Linear, TrueRC Duality, TrueRC X2-Airs, 7-Turn Helical Antennas
    - FPV Camera: DJI O3
    - Flight Controller: Mamba F722 MKIII
    - ESC: Mamba F50 4-in-1
    - Motors: EMAX ECOII 2807 1500kv
    - Props: HQ J75
    - GPS Module: HGLRC M100
    - Control Link RX: ELRS Gemini
    - Buzzer: ViFly Finder 2
    - Batteries: DIY 6s2p 8000mAh Li-Ion Pack made with Molicel p42a cells
    #longrange #dji #fpv
    Stay Tuned, Cheers!
    __________________________________________________
    Quad Setups:
    - iFlight Chimera 7", with Emax ECOII 2807 1500kv motors, HDZero Freestyle VTX
    - iFlight Megabee v1 3" with WalkSnail Avatar 1s VTX
    - FlyWoo Firefly Baby Nano with HDZero Whoop Lite 1s VTX
    - DemonRC 5" Freestyle Quad with Xing 2306 2450kv motors
    - ELRS on all quads now, previously CrossFire
    - FRSky Taranis X9D Plus TX with BetaFPV ELRS 500mW TX Module
    - DIY Helicals, search my channel about how great those are!
    - TrueRC X2-Air Antennas, Singularity, TBS Triumph Pro, VAS antenna Tests Soon!
    - DIY Li-Ion packs using Molicel Batteries, also amazing, check out my video for reference!
    #fpv #fpvdrone #dronevideo #gopro #hdzero #dvr #norway #longrange
  • Навчання та стиль

КОМЕНТАРІ • 73

  • @xjet
    @xjet Місяць тому +5

    Stag--- geringly good tests. 😀

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Thank you sir, appreciate you tuning in! The STAG & I are just trying to keep these tests fun & interesting.

  • @FPVVins
    @FPVVins Місяць тому +4

    thanks to you I discovered helical antennas, I fly with 2 helical 7 turns and lumenier patch at 7km I have 50.8mbs it's incredible 😮

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +2

      Are you using DIY Helicals? 50mbps at 7km is awesome!!
      Glad to have helped, hoping folks find this video helpful as well.

    • @FPVVins
      @FPVVins Місяць тому +1

      @@GiantAntCowboy yes diy, 3d printed, i use a 1.5mm2 domestic electrical copper cable and the base is 1mm thick copper plate. I forgot to mention that is with the old dji unit, two hglrc antenna.. it's awesom yes, first time for me that i reach as much km.. i would like to test 10 or 12km the next time, with 6000mah i fly more than 20km flat

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      @@FPVVins amazing! Yea keep pushing the limits, exciting stuff. Very satisfied with this setup!

    • @Lorenzo.Rizzuto
      @Lorenzo.Rizzuto 4 дні тому

      mw?

  • @eminyesillie122
    @eminyesillie122 Місяць тому +2

    I'm excitedly looking forward for the new video. Thank you for the effort you put into the FPV community.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      @@eminyesillie122 thanks! I really appreciate the support from everyone and will keep trying to produce quality videos!

  • @Wild__FPV
    @Wild__FPV Місяць тому +3

    You totally helped me out, thanks man! The test was awesome - you're the best!

  • @Mr.Laidukas
    @Mr.Laidukas Місяць тому +2

    I was already missing your videos and waiting for a new one. You edit them in calm, esthetic, pleasing manner. They are like ASMR, I enjoy them even if content is not relevant to me. For example I do not have and do not fly DJI.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +2

      Hey man thanks, I appreciate you on-going support! I wish I could produce more videos, but my obsession with details and lack of free time limit my production capacity to like one video a month… which system do you fly the most? I have a few videos in the works.

    • @Mr.Laidukas
      @Mr.Laidukas Місяць тому

      @GiantAntCowboy I enjoy flying fixed wing planes line of sight. I also enjoy technology, so I occasionally fly FPV to learn technology and try new systems and setups. Curently, I use Walsnail V1 goggles with different Vtx.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      @@Mr.Laidukas cool, I haven’t built a fixed wing yet, though I used to fly RC Planes years ago. It’s on my “to do” list! WalkSnail is perfect for fixed wings, can’t believe some of the range tests I’ve seen!

  • @LivLazer
    @LivLazer Місяць тому

    Awesome video, interesting results and incredible performance! Thanks!!

  • @InfinityDrones
    @InfinityDrones Місяць тому

    Awesome video as always! Looking forward to those teasers you mentioned.

  • @colibrifpv
    @colibrifpv Місяць тому +1

    Awesome test, it was nice to see the differences between these antenna setups... makes me want to go antenna shopping...

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      Have you tried making some helical antennas? Really easy and just incredible performance!

  • @Dec1duousTree
    @Dec1duousTree Місяць тому

    Great video! Thanks for sharing! 🙏

  • @jaysonrees738
    @jaysonrees738 Місяць тому +2

    The wild thing is that wireless video is still getting better.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +2

      Yea, curious what the O4 or the future of other FPV systems will bring. Even after years of doing these tests I’m still amazed by the capabilities of these systems!

    • @callsign_whitefox5146
      @callsign_whitefox5146 Місяць тому

      @@GiantAntCowboyso far personally not liking the o4 over the o3 could just be since it’s in the Avata 2 but yeah.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      @@callsign_whitefox5146 interesting, what don’t you like about the O4 system?

    • @callsign_whitefox5146
      @callsign_whitefox5146 Місяць тому

      @@GiantAntCowboy mainly the goggles and the avata so far. sold it and went to using the o3 just cuz it doesnt feel right.

    • @WildpixFPV
      @WildpixFPV Місяць тому

      @@callsign_whitefox5146 No hate, just to put some counterweight here: I am amazed by the Goggles 3! Best and lightest fit for me, don't even feel them on my head and face!
      The picture, range, screensize and over all handling has reached the furthest optimum possible. Will never upgrade again (lol)!
      The Avata 2 is a good longrange cruiser and an amazing explorer with all its functions! But not suitable for true freestyle at all. Can't wait to slap some 04 Air unit on a built!

  • @WildpixFPV
    @WildpixFPV Місяць тому

    Thank you so much for the great work, the way you set up the screen is super professional now!
    I would have preferred some more "usual" upgrade patches only instead of the multiturn-helicals.
    Did you ever try the Maple Wireless Mjolnir? I have them laying around, waiting way too long to finally build a O3 setup with the Goggles V2 for them.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      Thanks, appreciate the comment. I’d love to test more antennas but decent high gain antennas are expensive. This video will only make like $3.50 in ad revenue… so I can’t justify buying antennas just to test.
      These Helicals only cost like $5 each to make and perform great!
      Are they’re any antennas you’d like to see me test though? You mentioned the Maple Mjolnir setup, maybe I can reach out to some companies for samples to test. Thanks for watching, cheers!

  • @scottyh72
    @scottyh72 Місяць тому +1

    I have gone 5 miles and 2.5k' up with truerc x2s on bottom and omni's on top. Stock 03 antenna on vtx. 20 mbs setting. Lowest bitrate was around 8.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Yea the stock VTX antenna works great, I just found it loses performance when turn due to its size. Using two tall Omnis isn’t necessary but does offer some performance gains. Appreciate you sharing your experience!

  • @WinstonSmith1984
    @WinstonSmith1984 Місяць тому +1

    Interesting. You should try 4 helical antennas: you'll probably get an even better bitrate and lower latency at that range. I use 2 Pergoda triple feed patches on top with the Iflight Crystal plate and get reasonable range, but not as much as you got with the helicals.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Yeah I bet quad helicals would work great. I’ve used that setup on my HDZero and WalkSnail quads in previous videos. For this setup I’d like to use the iFlight Crystal antenna simply because it fits so nicely. Quad helicals are tricky to attach & aim properly and have to be removed after each flight.
      Thanks for watching, appreciate the suggestion and maybe for testing purposes I’ll make two more LHCP Helicals. Cheers!

  • @Magneticitist
    @Magneticitist Місяць тому +1

    It's odd to see the iflight combo working better than the TrueRC at times as the TrueRC patches are definitely superior.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  29 днів тому +1

      Yea, “take it with a grain of salt”. There were some variables that may have affected the results. All the antennas I used were Linear or LHCP, but since the X2-Airs are RHCP I had to use a different set of Helicals & Omni antennas which were connected using UFL-SMA connectors.
      So these variables could have created performance issues, however as mentioned i did have similar glitches in my original HDZero tests years ago.
      This X2-Air setup did perform the best through the gantlet though. It’s hard to do perfect tests with all these variables. Thanks for watching, appreciate the comment. Cheers!

  • @BrandonBeans
    @BrandonBeans Місяць тому +1

    Did I miss the control setup? The one with stock DJI v2 antennas on the goggles all the way around and the stock o3 antenna on the drone... Thats how I do ALL my LR now and I don't need to worry about turning my head to aim for signal. With MIMO we can have gain through beamforming, and when we swap to antennas that don't take advantage of that we have to rely on the antenna gain by itself (no MIMO gain!). When using stock v2 antenna, the best drone antenna I found is the long FlyfishRC o3 antenna.... Also, food for thought: I was just flying tandem with a buddy with patches and true rc stubbies on the goggles and long truerc sma antennas on the o3 in the drone and when he had signal issues a few km out I had perfect video. he lost video and had to ascend, while I was just following him up wondering whats wrong 😂

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      You’re basically saying that using Linear antennas allows the system to use multipathing, or bouncing signals to strengthen the signal. While using CP antennas eliminates the ability to use these bouncing signals?
      I would think this would be more useful in a parking garage or bando situation than in long-range where higher gain directional antennas should perform better. (Though theoretically directional linear antenna would be best).
      In my tests my high-gain CP antenna setups seemed to perform better.
      Regarding your buddy’s setup, I wonder if he wasn’t aiming his patches well, or if there was just a general issue with his setup.
      Eitherway great info, appreciate you watching and sharing feedback! I continue testing and recording results, but let me know you thoughts.

    • @BrandonBeans
      @BrandonBeans Місяць тому

      @@GiantAntCowboy multi path interference is not a problem with DJI digital transmission, the packets are serialized and it knows time of flight for the packets over the air, so there's no concern of displaying the slightly older and out of phase reflections. Antennas as the engineers designed allows the o3 to use creative phase offsets in the transmission and reception of signal and this forms constructive interference to boost this signal. Aiming antennas really can be a thing of the past!

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      @@BrandonBeans but you’re saying this only works with stock linear antennas?
      I didn’t actually test the stock linear antennas too much because I didn’t think performance was so great in initial testing, especially through “the gantlet”.

    • @BrandonBeans
      @BrandonBeans Місяць тому

      @@GiantAntCowboy I'm saying it is designed to work with the stock antennas, and no guarantees any other way. That's all really.

  • @Phoenix.-
    @Phoenix.- Місяць тому +1

    Great Tests! Regarding the long range part, do you prefer the DJI Goggles V2 for your daily flights to the newer models or is it just that they have a better mounting interface for the different antennas to run the tests?

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Thanks man. I have actually tried the Goggles 2 or Integra yet, so I can’t speak to them. The V2 goggles are great because swapping antennas is simple, I can fit glasses under if I’m not wearing contacts, and I got them used for a good price!

    • @Phoenix.-
      @Phoenix.- Місяць тому +1

      @@GiantAntCowboy With the Googles 2 & 3 range improves. But have the feeling; the V2s still offer a better immersive experience of them all during flight.

  • @farisnazeri9841
    @farisnazeri9841 19 днів тому +1

    Hello sir , are u doing new long-range walksnail kit ? i am eager to watch the review from u

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  18 днів тому +1

      @@farisnazeri9841 thanks, appreciate the support. If WalkSnail wants to send me a setup I’ll test it. I’ll reach out to them. However feel free to send them a message too, it always helps when others recommend my channel. I’m certainly interested to see how higher power performs in these tests!

  • @resort4994
    @resort4994 Місяць тому

    Try connect Alientech antenna to the googles and do some test

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      I don’t see any Alientech antennas for the O3 system. Can you provide more info?

  • @reedfpv
    @reedfpv Місяць тому

    the old goggles uses h.264 encoding, while the goggles 2 (new one) uses h.265. you can punish it with very low bitrate still remains very flyable, even with the stock antennas. (I use x-airs tho.)

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Interesting point, thanks for sharing. These retransmission systems (DJI/WalkSnail) make me nervous because they can disconnect when pushed too far. For mountain surfing I’ve always used Analog or HDZero, which have fixed latency/resolution, static feedback, and can’t disconnect (per say).
      However I’m obviously impressed with the DJI O3 system and will be testing it more in the mountains.

    • @awerks12
      @awerks12 Місяць тому

      Goggles don't encode the video, VTX does. There's a difference in encoding between Vista and O3. Goggles don't matter here/

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      @@awerks12 thanks for sharing, good point. I’m guessing O3 looks better/ can transmit the extra pixels because the h265 encoding.
      Is there any disadvantages to using h265? Link stability for example?

    • @awerks12
      @awerks12 Місяць тому +1

      @@GiantAntCowboy no, the only disadvantage is that more processing power required. Link stability is all the same.

    • @reedfpv
      @reedfpv 28 днів тому

      @@awerks12 yea my bad, still h.265 encode

  • @saturn_fpv
    @saturn_fpv Місяць тому

    How does the vista compare to the O3 when using the same antenna setup?

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      At the moment I can’t comment on the Vista performance. I might pick up a Vista at some point for testing though, at which point I’ll post some comparisons. Thanks for watching, cheers!

  • @Robocopter_fpv
    @Robocopter_fpv Місяць тому

    Check out OTR Helical antennas

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Yea I know ORT and have always wanted a pair, however I’ve been making these helicals for years and they only cost about $5 each. Can’t beat that!

    • @Robocopter_fpv
      @Robocopter_fpv Місяць тому

      @@GiantAntCowboy curious if your DIY ones are as good. They definitely don't look too, too hard to make but the OTR have nice laser cut acrylic and the craftsman is very good. The problem for me is finding decent male to female plug ins for the goggles 2.

    • @Paulwhittingham
      @Paulwhittingham Місяць тому

      ​@@GiantAntCowboydo you have a tut vid for the helical assembly? I can only get rhcp locally

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому +1

      @@Paulwhittingham here’s a video I made years ago showing how simple it can be to DIY. ( ua-cam.com/video/TS4fYcT3DEE/v-deo.html ) However if you want more detailed explanation tutorials, search @ModelRCReviews or @FalconRad, both have excellent video with detailed steps. I’ve been making and using these for years, cheap, simple & amazing! Let me know if you have any questions, cheers!

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      @@Robocopter_fpv OTR look very professional, and I assume they do some sort of tuning so theoretically they should be better than mine; however mine have always worked very well, I’ve made a dozen over the years, and they only cost about $5 each.
      FPV shops have adapters for the Goggles 2 that convert them to SMA or RP-SMA which could be a good option.
      Here’s a simple DIY video I made years ago - ua-cam.com/video/TS4fYcT3DEE/v-deo.html

  • @elxero2189
    @elxero2189 Місяць тому

    The hglrc hammers are my worse antennas. I found thay the transmit anytnna frkm the wuad is pretty improtant maybe even more than the receieve. As for the true rc patches without them i have the woorse oerformmance on hdz

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Interesting, I got these HGLRC antennas because the were the longest antenna with a UFL connector I could find. At the moment pretty happy with the performance of this setup.

  • @vk2icj
    @vk2icj Місяць тому

    With the 7 turn helical antennas, are they dual frequency 2.4/5.8? They only look 5.8.

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      They are only 5.8ghz, but I don’t use the 2.4ghz for DJI. My RC Link is ELRS Gemini.

    • @vk2icj
      @vk2icj Місяць тому

      @@GiantAntCowboy Thanks mate. Awesome flying. Do you think that sticking to 5.8 restricts your range at all?

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      @@vk2icj no, because the O3 system only uses 5.8ghz for FPV video. The 2.4ghz signal is for the DJI RC Link.
      The DJI FPV drone (and maybe Avatas) however can transmit video on 2.4ghz and does have noticeably better performance.

  • @CarlPaulsen
    @CarlPaulsen Місяць тому

    Excellent video, as per, but pleeeeeaaaassseee use megaBITS, not megaBYTES when talking about mbps, thanks...

    • @GiantAntCowboy
      @GiantAntCowboy  Місяць тому

      Thank you sir, and yes good point… megabits it is. Cheers!