Using a WiFi extender to increase drone range?

[Tim Good]

A few people we've met whilst cruising have a wifi extender. A small antenna which links to a router which allows them to pick up wifi from a good distance away. I think so also use an insulted back stay.

No I know some people hate drones... but I get some lovely shots and only use mine when it won't disturb others. However I only get a 1km range at best and wondered if somehow a wifi extender could use my insulated backstay to get a much much greater range?

For the techy ones out there that can answer then my phone connects to my Controller by wifi, the controller then connects to the drone also be wifi. The controller is kind of middle man. However I can connect the phone directly to the drone also.

 

[prv]

The proper length for an antenna is related to the wavelength of the signal it’s to transmit or receive. WiFi operates around 2400MHz so has fairly short antennas.

Insulated (are they insulted by being cut? ) backstays are made for HF radio operating below 30MHz. The length will be completely unsuitable for WiFi.

If your repeater accepts external aerials then you might be able to fit one with higher gain (probably about 18” tall if omnidirectional) or a directional one that you can point towards the drone to avoid wasting power in directions where it isn’t.

Pete

 

[BelleSerene]

A few people we've met whilst cruising have a wifi extender. A small antenna which links to a router which allows them to pick up wifi from a good distance away. I think so also use an insulted back stay.

F****** backstay. How many times has it got in the way of the drone landing in the cockpit?

[Edit:] Sorry, prv got there first.

 

[elton]

No I know some people hate drones... but I get some lovely shots and only use mine when it won't disturb others. However I only get a 1km range at best and wondered if somehow a wifi extender could use my insulated backstay to get a much much greater range?

"Quadcopter 101" who posts a lot of quadcopter reviews on Youtube uses a range extender of some kind. Trawl through his videos and you'll find details.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC90A4JdsSoFm1Okfu0DHTuQ

 

[Frank Holden]

What drone do you have that only has wifi contact out to 1 kilometre ?

My Mavic Pro is good for at least 4 k as long as I have line of sight ... maybe further but it has an 8k range so send it out more than 4k and it won't make it home.....

The Air is the same... just slightly less endurance.

 

[Tim Good]

What drone do you have that only has wifi contact out to 1 kilometre ?

My Mavic Pro is good for at least 4 k as long as I have line of sight ... maybe further but it has an 8k range so send it out more than 4k and it won't make it home.....

The Air is the same... just slightly less endurance.

Spark.

 

[paulajayne]

Lots of info here:-

https://forum.dji.com/thread-101016-1-1.html

 

[Frank Holden]

These sound interesting .. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-DJI-...m=323131458427&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 but look as if they may be very directional....

Not much money being risked to test them...

 

[prv]

These sound interesting .. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-DJI-...m=323131458427&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 but look as if they may be very directional....

Not much money being risked to test them...

Looks like a kind of mirror that wraps around the existing antenna to give an appearance of concentrating the signal into one direction.

I wonder if it actually does anything?

Pete

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Most WiFi extenders that are legal operate by using a highly directional antenna. The ones that operate by increasing the power are mostly illegal, though YMMV depending on where you are.