Antenna masts arrived. All equipment received. Thursday and Friday off of work hoping to complete the installation. Pics to follow.

Two 3 foot tripods with 5 foot masts. Rx antrenna mast will have manual rotator operated from dail at groundstation. Have a yagi for now to try it out with the truck, will replace with 5 turn helical. Also have a second antenna (CP skew planar) both hooked to Eagle Eyes for diversity. Also two high res cameras from home security system mounted on mst to rotate with antennas for view of runway area/flybys.

Separate mast for DragonLink. Will be at least ten feet away. Is there much advantage to ten foot mast over five foot for DL? Not going long range... just want 360 degree coverage.

Just try to get your antennas (both video and DL) above your roofline so there is clear "view" of sky all around for them. Which sounds like your plan already. The higher you get your antennas the better, especially if by being higher they afford you a clear LOS even out past obstacles far away. Can you say "flying low and fast far away"!!? Cool stuff!

you can mount the uhf tx antenna on same mast to save set up time and limit complexity

just use stock dl omni antenna and mount it about 72 cm above the video rx antenna


I do this but useing a uhf yagi, so both video yagi and uhf yagi are aimed at the plane

if you do not fly far away then useing stock dl antenna works no problem mounted just about anywhere,

Originally Posted by benderfly

Antenna masts arrived. All equipment received. Thursday and Friday off of work hoping to complete the installation. Pics to follow.

Two 3 foot tripods with 5 foot masts. Rx antrenna mast will have manual rotator operated from dail at groundstation. Have a yagi for now to try it out with the truck, will replace with 5 turn helical. Also have a second antenna (CP skew planar) both hooked to Eagle Eyes for diversity. Also two high res cameras from home security system mounted on mst to rotate with antennas for view of runway area/flybys.

Separate mast for DragonLink. Will be at least ten feet away. Is there much advantage to ten foot mast over five foot for DL? Not going long range... just want 360 degree coverage.

Originally Posted by philthyy

Just try to get your antennas (both video and DL) above your roofline so there is clear "view" of sky all around for them. Which sounds like your plan already. The higher you get your antennas the better, especially if by being higher they afford you a clear LOS even out past obstacles far away. Can you say "flying low and fast far away"!!? Cool stuff!

Thanks!
Mounts will be at the peak, so antennas will be 5-7 feet over peak. When I have them on my deck I can fly 5 feet over the corn fields 2000 feet away and 300 feet below my house (down in valley). Hoping to get even lower...

Originally Posted by David22

you can mount the uhf tx antenna on same mast to save set up time and limit complexity

just use stock dl omni antenna and mount it about 72 cm above the video rx antenna


I do this but useing a uhf yagi, so both video yagi and uhf yagi are aimed at the plane

if you do not fly far away then useing stock dl antenna works no problem mounted just about anywhere,

Can you do diversity on 433 LRS? I have only used the whip antenna mounted on the transmitter, I have never had any range issues with planes, only with the truck... so I was not planning directional for the LRS. Main antenna with rotator has directional and CP above it, so I can't mount LRS above. But not a problem to put it on a second pole and I could add a rotator later if I need to add directional for LRS.

Antennas set up for roof.

Watching with GREAT interest, I am in the planning process of installing a home FPV system as well.....Great info guys....

Originally Posted by JSTFISH

Watching with GREAT interest, I am in the planning process of installing a home FPV system as well.....Great info guys....

Thanks!

Antennas are mounted securely. Wires routed into attic. Tomorrow I will pull them through to the basement and plug everything in.

You lucky man

I want to mount antennas on my roof that are outdoors and stay permanently. On the roof with coax to tv in living room.

I hope to one day launch plane from balcony and then come sit on couch and fly from house, then eventually land on street and quickly go,out side and get plane.

What luxury flying from inside house would be

I will start with rc car and drive around the block or see how far I can go with rc car and sitting in my house

I just love this idea

Originally Posted by benderfly

Thanks!

Antennas are mounted securely. Wires routed into attic. Tomorrow I will pull them through to the basement and plug everything in.

Originally Posted by David22

You lucky man

I want to mount antennas on my roof that are outdoors and stay permanently. On the roof with coax to tv in living room.

I hope to one day launch plane from balcony and then come sit on couch and fly from house, then eventually land on street and quickly go,out side and get plane.

What luxury flying from inside house would be

I will start with rc car and drive around the block or see how far I can go with rc car and sitting in my house

I just love this idea

Thanks! I dreamed of this since I was a kid. So close. I have planned a bungee launcher with pin release on 72mhz so I can remotely release the pin and take off from the indoor GS.

My first install will need improvement. CP antenna is exposed, I plan to enclose it as long as DL works fine enclosed.

I also have a truck. I can get it out over 1200 feet with my regular portable GS. I am hoping for greatly increased range as the antennas are now 30 feet higher than before. I will definitely begin with the truck, but I have a Bixler with just a cam/tx/CP antenna that I built in an afternoon that I am willing to risk...

OK everything works. I need to replace the yagi and will sacrifice my 5 turn helical and put it up there. I am sure it will not last the winter, but can't wait. Have not flown, but tested with the truck today and had no problems. Hoping for good flying weather tomorrow.

I set my slash for fpv and will try to go around the block from roof of a house.

Weather is no good however

Originally Posted by David22

I set my slash for fpv and will try to go around the block from roof of a house.

Weather is no good however

Huge range extension for the truck! And do not even have a helical up on the roof yet. Plus I could go 360 degrees around the house and even drive into the basement through the garage. So I literally do not have to leave the chair!

I flew the Bixler LOS while the indoor GS recorded the flight. Excellent reception. Got fuzzy when I flew directly over the antennas as expected but never lost picture. First FPV flight tomorrow if weather is good.

That is so cool! I'm pumped you got a huge range improvement for the truck. I really enjoy my ground FPV setup and now that winter is on it's way, I don't know how much flying I'll be able to do. But I can definitely "ground pound" so now you've got me interested in my own roof top FPV system. I already have enough high quality RG-6 and cable. Also have a 100f CAT5 cable I might be able to use...plans plans...

Originally Posted by philthyy

That is so cool! I'm pumped you got a huge range improvement for the truck. I really enjoy my ground FPV setup and now that winter is on it's way, I don't know how much flying I'll be able to do. But I can definitely "ground pound" so now you've got me interested in my own roof top FPV system. I already have enough high quality RG-6 and cable. Also have a 100f CAT5 cable I might be able to use...plans plans...

For this first version, I put the antennas only on the roof. RG59u 75ohm 50foot cables down to the receivers in the basement. Dragonlink has a 100 foot cable between antenna and transmitter. I have about 20 feet of slack, so I can walk out the back door with the transmitter if needed. It gets very cold here so I did not want to mount the receivers up on the roof unless absolutely necessary. If I have range issues versus my protable setup I will rethink that part.

I plan to fly this winter... but I will have warm thumbs!