Range Modding DJI Inspire 1
2I haven't had much time to post recently but a few weeks ago I modded my Inspire 1 to boost the control and video range and here's a few shots:
Inside the controller. I tied dental floss around the ends and slid out the existing antenna wires from behind the circuit board so I could pull through new wires that terminated in standard connectors. I drilled little holes and mounted those connectors at the top.
I removed the plastic tray from the super crappy Justin Case iPad Mini keyboard and battery case we sold a few months ago. I glued two 12 volt output lithium ion batteries to the back and velcro mounted two 2.4GHz signal boosters I picked up off of Amazon. I directly connected two larger antennas to these boosters
The resulting controller is really heavy but still fairly balanced. The use of the dual batteries is a bit crude - I'm sure there's a better way to split these and have a single one power both boosters. This way was quick and easy and it kept the controller balanced. It does seem to be overkill though.
My Inspire 1 would get to somewhere around 2/3rds of a mile radius from my controller, depending on terrain and altitude. Around 3400 feet. Here's a screen grab following the mod as I crossed 10k feet distance from the controller:
Of note, the controller side of the signal here appears to be reporting full strength. In real time it was fluctuating between no signal and full strength so I believe this is a not accurate. However, I did still have what felt like full control throughout this time and I expect that control rage goes significantly beyond the Lightbridge video transmission range. (transmitting 720p video over 2 miles is really pretty incredible on it's own to me)
It's hard to make full use of this but to explain the initial reasoning behind this mod: there was a kiteboarding competition about a half mile out from the most convenient launching point and I wanted to have range to possibly film it. It turned out I was too worried about distracting the riders so I didn't do much directly overhead.
Fun to push the limits!
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@snapster that's an impressive antenna/transmitter mod! If it's a diversity system, you might find one monopole antenna and one more directional (patch, helical, etc) that you face the direction of flight could have you covered for near and far ranges, although if it feels solid at 2 miles out, I don't know how much further you can go and still have battery power to make it home. If you're wanting to push the envelope, though, that could help you get more distance.
Is lightbridge separate from control on the inspire 1? I looked into the standalone and understood that it merged all communications (control/video) into one stream.
also, awesome repurposing of Meh goods!
@snapster, nice configuration! I'm curious, in your description it wasn't clear what became of the original antenna connections? I notice you still have the (original) antennas mounted. Are they inop? Or did you connect all four antennas? Pretty awesome Frankencontroller!
I get about 1/2 mile reliably from the Tali before video transmission becomes too spotty to be useful. At about 2/3 mile my visual acuity for line of sight is pretty much useless to determine orientation, but I still get solid telem data returned. I don't think I dare venture beyond that point without video. The idea of a solid 2 miles... that's absolutely incredible!
I concur with @djslack RE: directional antennas. Although you are comfortable with the stability of control, I wonder if a coil or flat panel antenna would restore a more stable signal strength?
@ruouttaurmind Check this out it seems djslack is right.
@qseework That's a fine looking setup right there. Did you notice the "Far Out - 4 Mile Pilot" decal there at the end?