Increased transmission switching to another type antenna, and adding booster

[DownADrone]

I just ordered the alientech pro for my evo 2. This is my first drone that I've still only put in the air about 6 times. I've experienced the loss of signal at about 1 mile out launching the drone from my house which is a very populated area so I wasnt sure what to expect my limit would be. I've went to a different area that has very few houses around to use the drone to survey 5 acres of property that im about to purchase. Got some great video of the property an after that I wanted to see how far out I can get with the drone. I was only able to make it about .8 miles. This area is heavily wooded with huge oak trees throughout, so once again I wasnt sure what to expect. Whenever I feel comfortable enough to bring the drone out on the boat with me is where I will really be able to push the distance limit but unfortunately I'm not sure when that will be. I will post back with my results once I recieve the alientech.

Also if anybody is looking for video of the install, "Alientech Booster" YouTube channel just recently put out a video of the install and a range test. Thanks all for the info in this thread

 

[Ender]

Great, i installed 4Hawks SR (so: non amped Antenna) and i like it very much and its hard for me to judge how much better the Alienetech would perform.
So i am curious for your results.
My problem is very close to yours: I *do* test range but what i am looking for is Penetration through forest / wood.

Ender

 

[Waldo Pepper]

I just ordered the alientech pro for my evo 2. This is my first drone that I've still only put in the air about 6 times. I've experienced the loss of signal at about 1 mile out launching the drone from my house which is a very populated area so I wasnt sure what to expect my limit would be. I've went to a different area that has very few houses around to use the drone to survey 5 acres of property that im about to purchase. Got some great video of the property an after that I wanted to see how far out I can get with the drone. I was only able to make it about .8 miles. This area is heavily wooded with huge oak trees throughout, so once again I wasnt sure what to expect. Whenever I feel comfortable enough to bring the drone out on the boat with me is where I will really be able to push the distance limit but unfortunately I'm not sure when that will be. I will post back with my results once I recieve the alientech.

Also if anybody is looking for video of the install, "Alientech Booster" YouTube channel just recently put out a video of the install and a range test. Thanks all for the info in this thread

Congratulations with getting the Evo 2, and adding the Alientech Pro to boost its range. If possible, if Alientech Pro dealer can modify controller for you I highly recommend this if it’s not too late.

I flew yesterday with Evo 2 Pro using Alientech Pro booster, it’s definitely well worth the extra investment. I’m sure you’ll be impressed as well, keep us posted.

Congrats again!
Paul

 

[DownADrone]

Congratulations with getting the Evo 2, and adding the Alientech Pro to boost its range. If possible, if Alientech Pro dealer can modify controller for you I highly recommend this if it’s not too late.

I flew yesterday with Evo 2 Pro using Alientech Pro booster, it’s definitely well worth the extra investment. I’m sure you’ll be impressed as well, keep us posted.

Congrats again!
Paul

Thanks, super happy with the drone as it is. I'm confident enough with modifying the controller myself. The hardest part was convincing my wife that I wanted to spend an additional $370 to upgrade the antenna. Took me a few days to accomplish that, now I jus need to make sure she's not around when I disassemble the controller lol. Glad to read your positive experience with the alientech. It will prob be about another 10 days before I have the time to do the install but I will def post back with my results.

 

[Quad808]

Great, i installed 4Hawks SR (so: non amped Antenna) and i like it very much and its hard for me to judge how much better the Alienetech would perform.
So i am curious for your results.
My problem is very close to yours: I *do* test range but what i am looking for is Penetration through forest / wood.

Ender

I am hoping to do some testing this weekend with the 4 hawks boosted to see whats up. All my cables came in for the Titan booster, so will see. As it is, un-boosted is amazing for 2.4 in my area. I can also test against the original Evo I with same setup. Just because.

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the info in this post, but I'm new to modified RC, so.a bit confused. So what is the difference between the 4Hawks and Alien? Boosted and not boosted? I'm looking at the 4Hawks. The price difference in regards to the Alien is significantly lower. The majority of my flights will be in medium to high noise areas. I only fly distance when I am out of the city. Any advice is welcome.

 

[Ender]

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the info in this post, but I'm new to modified RC, so.a bit confused. So what is the difference between the 4Hawks and Alien? Boosted and not boosted? I'm looking at the 4Hawks. The price difference in regards to the Alien is significantly lower. The majority of my flights will be in medium to high noise areas. I only fly distance when I am out of the city. Any advice is welcome.

Hi!
Yes basically you got it, its amplified vs. non amplified.
I guess the ANtennas themselves are of comparable technology & Quality.
As the price tag was a bit high for me on the AT i decided for the 4H SR (was able to get used ones from Yuneec and the holder was easy to "convince" to fit on a EVO 2 RC).

Right now i have very few time but i tested a setup where i could simply add 2 Amps if needed.
So i try to have the "best of both worlds" for less monex.
Of course if i add velcro straps here and there to hold the optional Amps & Lipo it will not look as sleek as the AT, but in nirmal use the 4H SR looks fine and is lighter then the AT and i do not have to worr y about charging "one more gadget".

I'll also try to get the AMps power supply from the RC, lets see. Would save weight & space for the additional Lipo.

Ender

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

How much better are the alien vs 4hawks vs original stock antenna?

 

[Ender]

How much better are the alien vs 4hawks vs original stock antenna?

I would love to know that as well, but its so hard to check.

If my boosted 4H SR are very similar to AT Performance my conservative *guess* would be:
(testing flight distance with similar connection quality / connection loss distance flying away straight at 2m Altitude):

Stock ist 100%
4H SR "normal" is 175%
4H SR Amped (maybe == AT) is 250%

But thats a wild guess, i do not have better :-(

Ender

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

@Ender
Thanks for the info. That's a great starting point to work from!? I will post results as I experiment.

 

[Ender]

P.S: i used the very same Amps that AT uses in their Antenna...

P.P.S. i would urge others with different results to chime in and let us find an average...

 

[Quad808]

MNT Drone Solutions:
You have to determine why it is that you want to mod your RC. Distance? Stronger signal in noisy area? Just because you can?
I fly in a noisy urban area, so there is loads of Wifi noise. Remember that the Evo line, I and II are both 2.4G and that is what most home wifi is on. 5.8 is good for noisy areas for signal penetration, but not as good for long distance. (just throwing this in there, even though Evo's can't do 5.8)
Boosted vs non-boosted. Boosted increases the signal ouput and reception of the RC. Non-boosted is less expensive and allows you to change the stock antennas to something better that will give better reception, as long as the antennas are better than the stock ones.
Modding the RC is easy to do, and once modded to accept 3rd party antennas, you have the choice now on what works best for your situation.

The Alientech uses a panel antenna, best suited for distance. Same goes for the 4hawks. This doesn't mean you can't use them for close flying, but keep in mind they are more directional, than the omni directional antennas that are like the stock ones. Alientech also makes non-boosted antennas too.

I would say that for a really good all in one solution, it seems the alientech boosted 2.4G solution is outstanding. It's small and not very heavy. Both Ender and I have a different setup than the Alientech, with pros and cons to both.

I went with a boosted setup to ensure the strongest signal and reception that I could get easily for all around flying, but have found that just changing the stock antennas on the Evo II, for non-boosted omni directional antennas, has made a big difference. These are the "rubber duck" type antennas.

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

MNT Drone Solutions:
You have to determine why it is that you want to mod your RC. Distance? Stronger signal in noisy area? Just because you can?
I fly in a noisy urban area, so there is loads of Wifi noise. Remember that the Evo line, I and II are both 2.4G and that is what most home wifi is on. 5.8 is good for noisy areas for signal penetration, but not as good for long distance. (just throwing this in there, even though Evo's can't do 5.8)
Boosted vs non-boosted. Boosted increases the signal ouput and reception of the RC. Non-boosted is less expensive and allows you to change the stock antennas to something better that will give better reception, as long as the antennas are better than the stock ones.
Modding the RC is easy to do, and once modded to accept 3rd party antennas, you have the choice now on what works best for your situation.

The Alientech uses a panel antenna, best suited for distance. Same goes for the 4hawks. This doesn't mean you can't use them for close flying, but keep in mind they are more directional, than the omni directional antennas that are like the stock ones. Alientech also makes non-boosted antennas too.

I would say that for a really good all in one solution, it seems the alientech boosted 2.4G solution is outstanding. It's small and not very heavy. Both Ender and I have a different setup than the Alientech, with pros and cons to both.

I went with a boosted setup to ensure the strongest signal and reception that I could get easily for all around flying, but have found that just changing the stock antennas on the Evo II, for non-boosted omni directional antennas, has made a big difference. These are the "rubber duck" type antennas.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I will mainly be flying in medium to high noise areas in the city and outlying suburbs. The only time I will ever do distance is away from the city while shooting in the mountains and nature area and at the one national park here that allows drones. (Red Rock national Conservation) And even at that I will not push it very far. There is no reason to. For me it is more about signal strength and image transmission. I do my best to plan my shots so as to get the most efficient and productive time from each battery and also to save time in post. After the inquiries I have done so far, I would agree with you on the alientech pro. Boosted seems the way to go. Although I might start with 4Hawks and they are much cheaper. I'm not so concerned about being very directional. It's rather simple if you use common sense. If I understand correctly, all I have to do is modify the controller with the correct hardware for the Evo RC and I can use different antenna configurations whether they are boosted or not. Is that correct? Once I finalize my configuration choice, I will post the results I get.

 

[Quad808]

Yes, correct. Mod the RC first. Red Rock? GREAT place to fly drones....Last time I was in Las Vegas I flew there. Just have to be respectful of the hikers. So much beauty there!
Modding the RC, you have two choices...do you mod with a screw on type post or the quick connect post? If you are planning on using the Alientech, I would go with the quick connect posts. The kit from alientech comes with them. I have several antenna, so went with the screw ons.

 

[hiken]

I have an Evo 2 Pro that now has the Alientech. The difference in range and reliability is like night and day. I still have my Mavic Mini on which I got the 4Hawks. That antenna did give an improvement but it was much less dramatic.

 

[DownADrone]

Alientech pro is worth every penny. Easily doubled the range and improved the video transmission quality to what I what expect from the evo 2 pro. I easily hit 3.6 miles flying in windy conditions before I had to return home due to low battery. I had got to my launch site only to power on the drone right into the firmware update. Wasted some juice getting through that. When I finally got to launch the drone I also wanted some time checking all the controls. I feel like it could have atleast got to 5 miles an back with minimum video transmission issues as long as its pointed at the drone. Flying this drone around my house where I struggled to reach a mile out i was able to get 2.6 miles with a solid video throughout. More than happy with the purchase.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Alientech pro is worth every penny. Easily doubled the range and improved the video transmission quality to what I what expect from the evo 2 pro. I easily hit 3.6 miles flying in windy conditions before I had to return home due to low battery. I had got to my launch site only to power on the drone right into the firmware update. Wasted some juice getting through that. When I finally got to launch the drone I also wanted some time checking all the controls. I feel like it could have atleast got to 5 miles an back with minimum video transmission issues as long as its pointed at the drone. Flying this drone around my house where I struggled to reach a mile out i was able to get 2.6 miles with a solid video throughout. More than happy with the purchase.

Hello DownADrone,

I agree, AlienTech Pro is worth every penny. Under conditions with interference, it will double range I noticed this as well. From range experience, about 5 miles out is maximum to return safely with enough battery to bring it back. Sure, with the AlienTech Pro it’ll definitely go further but going beyond this distance, you’re pushing the envelope and may need to land Evo 2 short on route back. 10 miles round trip is safe as long as wind allows, 11 miles round trip is too close way too dangerous, 12 miles round trip you‘ll be forced to land short.

Another advantage to adding the AlienTech Pro, you can use the smaller whip antennas which transmit a stronger signal over the stock antennas if you find yourself in an area not needing a boosted setup.

I’m glad to see others like yourself experiencing positive results with AlienTech Pro, appreciate you sharing!

Paul

 

[Quad808]

Gee...this makes me wish we all could invest in Alientech! I went and picked up one, and modded my RC back to quick connects for the Alientech. It's just a great setup. I have only been able to fly once with the Alientech, but noticed right away the solid signal, and didn't have to have the Alientech pointed directly at the drone. With the way the Alientech can swivel...its a no brainer setup. I still have the Titan drones amps, but that system is big and bulky to use. As Waldo Pepper notes, and my testing also confirms...using whip antenna's un-amped is better than the stock Autel antennas only.
Depending on your needs, this doesn't mean you HAVE to use an amped setup, but for the best, strongest signal....highly recommend the Alientech 2.4G setup for the Evo II, and Evo I for that matter.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

Gee...this makes me wish we all could invest in Alientech! I went and picked up one, and modded my RC back to quick connects for the Alientech. It's just a great setup. I have only been able to fly once with the Alientech, but noticed right away the solid signal, and didn't have to have the Alientech pointed directly at the drone. With the way the Alientech can swivel...its a no brainer setup. I still have the Titan drones amps, but that system is big and bulky to use. As Waldo Pepper notes, and my testing also confirms...using whip antenna's un-amped is better than the stock Autel antennas only.
Depending on your needs, this doesn't mean you HAVE to use an amped setup, but for the best, strongest signal....highly recommend the Alientech 2.4G setup for the Evo II, and Evo I for that matter.

Hello Guad,

I’m glad everything worked out well for you going with Alientech Pro, and had no issues reopening controller switching to disconnects. You’re going to enjoy them even more with each flight, especially not having to lug around those Titan boosted setups had you gone with Titan.

Occasionally, I’ll switch to whip antennas when boosted is not needed. Wish everyone Evo user had either one of the two antenna setup, Non-boosted whip antenna setup or Alientech Pro amplifier setup. Both are terrific, Once they switch they'll never go back to stock.

Been experimenting with different Ipad holders, found one that may be my permanent setup. Was hesitant at first getting the LifThor setup, price and size almost stopped me. Although it’s large, it’s extremely light. Has a lantern, and well balanced. Couldn’t mount Alientech Pro directly to quick connects, due to LifThor bracket. But, a simple zip tie and double sided tape mounts it’s snug onto the LifThor bracket. That will work until I make a mini bracket, for now this works great.

Congratulations getting the Alientech Pro setup, And trying out whip antennas. Maybe Autel is reading these forums, and next controller will have an enhance signal.

All the best,
Paul

 

[MNT DRONE SOLUTIONS]

Yes, correct. Mod the RC first. Red Rock? GREAT place to fly drones....Last time I was in Las Vegas I flew there. Just have to be respectful of the hikers. So much beauty there!
Modding the RC, you have two choices...do you mod with a screw on type post or the quick connect post? If you are planning on using the Alientech, I would go with the quick connect posts. The kit from alientech comes with them. I have several antenna, so went with the screw ons.

So I chose the 4Hawks SR. I I am extremely happy with my purchase. They provide the penetration through the noise exactly as I had hoped and needed. They work great with the Lifthor tablet Mount I purchased. Well worth the money in my opinion! I even went to Red Rock last weekend and did a short-range test. I was able to go 3 miles with zero latency and not one bit of video break up. Extremely happy! I would definitely recommend the 4Hawks if the Alientech is too pricey for you. Super simple and quick install. Just follow the steps by step instructions carefully and don't pinch any wiring.