Just back from another awesome flight (video coming soon!) on ezUHF. I had it set to lo power and I had a range of approx 2.3 km before the failsafe started kicking in. Then, in flight, I switched to hi power and still only got pretty much the same distance.
Now I know that the range depends on many factors but that seems a little low to me since I did the same distance, same flight path, on my 35MHz with a 202cm antenna.
Could it be that switching in flight from lo to hi does not work?
I bought my ezUHF from Firstpersonview.co.uk - does that come with the 100mw limit firmware? That would explain it...
Do I need to look at the rx settings (usb connection on the immersionrc tools) and change something there?
My dual rx antennas are set at about 45 degrees so all I can do is maybe place the rx in another spot.
I think your best bet is to ask in this thread over on FPV lab, as it seems a few with similar problems!, and see what Sassen says.
http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread.php?5274-EzUHF-range-problem (http://fpvlab.com/forums/showthread.php?5274-EzUHF-range-problem)
Cool, thanks.
Quote from: markvanhaze on May 30, 2012, 10:43:57 AM
Just back from another awesome flight (video coming soon!) on ezUHF. I had it set to lo power and I had a range of approx 2.3 km before the failsafe started kicking in. Then, in flight, I switched to hi power and still only got pretty much the same distance.
Now I know that the range depends on many factors but that seems a little low to me since I did the same distance, same flight path, on my 35MHz with a 202cm antenna.
Could it be that switching in flight from lo to hi does not work?
I bought my ezUHF from Firstpersonview.co.uk - does that come with the 100mw limit firmware? That would explain it...
Do I need to look at the rx settings (usb connection on the immersionrc tools) and change something there?
My dual rx antennas are set at about 45 degrees so all I can do is maybe place the rx in another spot.
You should be getting way more than 2.3km on high power setting. I have range tested mine to about 4 miles and that's using the UK firmware at 100mw. Didnt show any signs at all of loss of signal, this is in a enviroment full of valleys, hills and trees! Make sure you program the tx and the rx to the same version of firmware and use 459mhz tuned antennas on both tx and rx. Mine were from Simon at firstpersonview.co.uk
Hope this helps!
Mark we need more info from you...the 2 antennas showing coming out of the plane are 433MHz, so I'm taking you bought the 433 version off Simon, can you confirm ?
The version I bought from Simon:
EzUHF Tx + Diversity Rx + 433MHz Antennas Bundle
My firmware was 1.25a. I now updated it to 1.25b and will do another flight this afternoon.
I also contacted Immersionrc Sassin but since he does not reply a lot to pms, I dont think I will get a reply soon.
Apart from that, I am a little clueless.
Back from another great flight. This time I got 4.2km and the failsafe did not kick in. Maybe it was the old firmware after all. Ill see if I can test it further as soon as I can get my video signal strong enough.
If you bought the 433mhz bundle then you should not try and use the UK 459mhz firmware as the antennas are tuned to 433mhz. If you use the 433mhz firmware then you should be able to go miles and miles and miles. However this may not be the case in the UK as the 433mhz band is taken. This is why you should run 459mhz. (not to mention 433mhz is illegal to use in this country for this purpose)
:)
I have the non uk firmware now, so thats ok and I think that it must have been a bug in the old FW. Im also not flying in the UK, currently, 433 is allowed here.
haha so my olrs 459 fw owned the ezuhf firmware hahaha
Quote from: markvanhaze on June 01, 2012, 08:58:43 AM
Back from another great flight. This time I got 4.2km and the failsafe did not kick in. Maybe it was the old firmware after all. Ill see if I can test it further as soon as I can get my video signal strong enough.
One other thing for you to consider is(for max range),... you will get more range from 12volt than you will from the standard 9.6 tx battery.
I use a 3 cell lipo in my Futaba TX for this reason,.... only thing to remember is to take the lipo out to charge it, don't try going through the charge socket.
According to coyote, that's a myth. But I'm using a Lipo anyway because I need to powert my goggles off of them too.
However today I was out and the failsafe was back at around 2-3km. I have to say, I'm a little disappointed and now I'm not sure I should have gone with ezuhf. And I have yet to get any reply from the immersion forum...
Quote from: Xup on June 02, 2012, 06:58:55 PM
Quote from: markvanhaze on June 01, 2012, 08:58:43 AM
Back from another great flight. This time I got 4.2km and the failsafe did not kick in. Maybe it was the old firmware after all. Ill see if I can test it further as soon as I can get my video signal strong enough.
One other thing for you to consider is(for max range),... you will get more range from 12volt than you will from the standard 9.6 tx battery.
I use a 3 cell lipo in my Futaba TX for this reason,.... only thing to remember is to take the lipo out to charge it, don't try going through the charge socket.
The RF transmission is not affected by the tx voltage as long as it is above 9v. Wether 9 or 12v the output is still 600mw or 200mw regardless
Just going on what it says in the EzUHF manual. :-\
"As an example: Take the case of a R/C transmitter which uses a 2s LiPo pack. The EzUHF will emit slightly less power than specified (approx. 25dBm on 8v, vs. around 29dBm on 11.1v) when powered this way. In most cases this power difference is insignificant, for buzzing around the local flying field, this is a very reasonable power level. If full power is desired in this case, a 3s LiPo pack (or equivalent) can safely be connected to the DC Power jack, providing both higher power, and redundancy (no power will be consumed from the R/C transmitter's battery until the external pack is either drained, or removed"
Mark,... Sassen has replied to you in the tread, asking you to pm him your E-mail addy
The EZUHF power range is 9-12v, a 2S pack is 7.4v so obviously underpowered for the 9-12v in that case
I got Sanders mail now and did as advised, turning a poti inside the ezuhf tx up a bit. I got to 4.3km before the failsafe kicked in, tx on high setting.
I could turn the poti a little more but I'm waiting for Sander to tell me if that is wise.
I am now not sure if my placement of the rx in the Skywalker was good, maybe that's the problem. After all, there's the engine and the carbon rods that support the tail in the way. I'd there any way of testing what's the cause?
You could run a series of tests, the EZUHF has a micro test mode doesn`t it ?
Quote from: markvanhaze on June 03, 2012, 08:53:10 PM
I got Sanders mail now and did as advised, turning a poti inside the ezuhf tx up a bit. I got to 4.3km before the failsafe kicked in, tx on high setting.
I could turn the poti a little more but I'm waiting for Sander to tell me if that is wise.
I am now not sure if my placement of the rx in the Skywalker was good, maybe that's the problem. After all, there's the engine and the carbon rods that support the tail in the way. I'd there any way of testing what's the cause?
Shame you don't have the EZosd or you could have tuned the pot watching the RSSI values, find the best,.... then hot glue the pot to lock it.
I'v pm'd you mark
Today I managed 5km and no failsafe! I didn't change a thing, wtf?
All that was different, I had my 3s 2200m itay Lipo fully charged.
What's the voltage needed for the ezuhf?
9-12v DC
Hi Mark
I get the feeling that you Are thinking that extra voltage will give you extra range. I dont think that is right, all that happens to excess voltage is that its turned into heat and your board gets hot, which is not good in the long run
When I first saw your pics I imediately thought that the rx was too close to the motor, esc and video tx. There is a post on here somewhere that tells you what should be kept away from what and what can be close to each other.
My gut feeling is that this is the route of your problems, not voltage powering your tx
I think you should look at the positioning of all your electronics before you start looking for faults with your equipment.
good luck
QuoteI got Sanders mail now and did as advised, turning a pot inside the ezuhf tx up a bit. I got to 4.3km before the failsafe kicked in, tx on high setting.
To put this into perspective, I got 8km ground test on OpenLRS on just 100mw power setting. That`s way less than EZUHF on high setting. Something is definitely wrong with your results
No I'm aware that any excess voltage does nothing. I needed to know the lower limit for ezuhf. But since it's 9v, the 3s will do fine and I don't let it drop below 9v anyways in feat of damaging it.
Any suggestions on where tl place the rx?
At least 12" from GoPro or 433 noisy camera's.
Ok will check that and tonight do one more flight with the gopro stitched off.
Hi,
Gopro off, no difference. After 2.5km failsafe kicks in. Also, I measured 15 inches between Gopro and the ezUHF rx.
I stand on a hill, 60m above ground, no obstruction whatsoever, LOS, keeping the Fresnel Zone as clear as possible, all flying done at an altitude of 800m.
But, here is some new,interesting info: I had the tx set to low, and as long as I had the antenna of my tx perfectly vertical, the failsafe did not kick in. In fact, I flew 6.5km like that, on low, all ok.
So then the question of course - do you all fly with the TX antenna perfectly vertical?
I fly with tx pointing horizontally, this is so if a failsafe kicks in I raise the tx to get control straight back when flying normally.
I also don`t fly with monopole uhf rx antennas, I fly with dipoles after finding they yield far better results
Mark....mine is set exactly as in the pic (mark knows what I'm talking about :))
I'm waiting for this to arrive, just to try out so the antenna is always vertical, might have to shorten the cable , but rather not as it can sit on top of the Van.
http://www.locuradigital.com/en/magnet_bases/mini_mag_sma.htm (http://www.locuradigital.com/en/magnet_bases/mini_mag_sma.htm)
Do you have anyone near you with the EZosd ?, where are you based ?
Quote from: Coyote on June 06, 2012, 02:04:11 PM
I fly with tx pointing horizontally, this is so if a failsafe kicks in I raise the tx to get control straight back when flying normally.
I also don`t fly with monopole uhf rx antennas, I fly with dipoles after finding they yield far better results
For exactly the same reason I fly with the antenna horizontally - its a safe warning if I hit the range limit and gives me the chance to increase the range by pointing the antenna up.
Dipole antennas - where do I get those?
Quote from: Xup on June 06, 2012, 03:59:28 PM
Mark....mine is set exactly as in the pic (mark knows what I'm talking about :))
I'm waiting for this to arrive, just to try out so the antenna is always vertical, might have to shorten the cable , but rather not as it can sit on top of the Van.
http://www.locuradigital.com/en/magnet_bases/mini_mag_sma.htm (http://www.locuradigital.com/en/magnet_bases/mini_mag_sma.htm)
Do you have anyone near you with the EZosd ?, where are you based ?
Unfortunately im in the sticks now (Turkey) and nobody has an ezOSD. My wife is off to the UK in 2 weeks time so maybe Ill have her sort it out then.
So what range are you getting?
Its easy enough making your own, but I`m sue one of the lads on here could knock one up for you
I think the best will be to fly with the antenna vertical, set on low power. Then if the failsafe kicks in, I can still switch to High. I only hope that will work.
I have my RTL set and I tested it many times - a life saver, but I dont like relying on it entirely.
Thanks papa_lazerous.
Watch this vid Mark,... gives you an idea how the RSSI works,.... on the EZOSD.
UHF antennas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3QShAUB-UM#)
The reason I suggest trying horizontal is because of your problem, your experiancing rubbish range wether on hi or low power. Having your tx antenna pointed vertical does give you the best polarization, but if you failsafe, your screwed. Your high power setting right now seems to be terrible, so I would not reply on it.
I suggest the horizontal antenna position simply because you yourself are incurring the loss, so when you raise it up to vertical you get up to a free 26 dbi back, which is useful. Its a loss you have introduced and you can control.
Your output power is obviously a cause for concern, but by your tests, flicking to hi power will have no where near such a positive effect as raising an antenna will
Exactly my point Xup, bearing in mind your flying level 99% of the time the Dipole walks all over a Monopole as far as performance goes
There is no helical in the tests though, a 433 helical is massive, the helical you have there is a monopole 2.5dbi thats why its performing the smae as a monopole, only its elements are tiny so its range is terrible. You get these antennas with Open LRS and you throw them in the bin
http://www.flytron.com/antennas/104-5dbi-433mhz-uhf-antenna.html (http://www.flytron.com/antennas/104-5dbi-433mhz-uhf-antenna.html)
Thanks Xup! So what should I be expecting in terms of range with the antenna horizontal and on low power?
I can now get 5 miles on low power ground range mountain top to mountain top, not tried any further but thats with both TX and rx vertical held above head hight (using Diamond SRH771 and Sander style antenna),... thats the only info I have... as I was like you know way of knowing any more than it worked or it did not !!!.
I now have the EZosd (last week)so I can gather more info/testing.
Edit to clarify,.... thats not in a plane or with camera gear just the Immersion gear connected up to 1 servo to see if I have control
So the conclusion here is install a dipole? If so, where do you suggest to put that on a skywalker? Wing or Tail?
Either / Or
More practical to have in the tail ( as it doesn`t come off for transport )
Do I use 2 dipoles for ezUHF? Or do I use one? If its one, do I need a dummy load on the free diversity connector?
Dipoles are still single antennas, you still in the diversity receivers case use two of them
Thanks. Usually I dont bother with making my own antennas but this seems rather easy so I think unless I find some ready made ones, I will give it a go and make them myself. As a tutorial, can I use this? http://webx.dk/rc/uhf-link3/mcx-antenna.htm (http://webx.dk/rc/uhf-link3/mcx-antenna.htm)
Yeah that ones fine bud :)
Hi Markvanhaze,
Did you ever get this issue sorted, did Sander send you that mistical pic that everyone is talking about regarding the internal TX pot etc?
Any chance you can pm it me & with what to check, as I'd like to double check my ezuhf too.
Quote from: markvanhaze on September 04, 2012, 11:21:22 AM
Here you go:
IMAGE DELETED
It has a flat side which should be pointing in the direction illustrated in the attached picture. If it isn't use a small screwdriver to make sure it does, turn it clockwise, not anti-clockwise.
Thanks man, had a look, mine pot isn't quite the same a that one pictured, instead it has 2 small cutouts on the Side where your flat spot is.
Whoever posted that picture clearly isn't honoring the fact that that picture is not for distribution and was shared with a few individuals reporting range issues and is not fit for public consumption.
Do not, repeat *DO NOT* fiddle with that trimmer. It sets the bias voltage for the output stage and when set wrong it can run too hot and be rendered defective.
If there's an issue with your EzUHF system please contact us at info(at)immersionrc(dot)com or post in the appropriate subforum on FPVLAB.com.
Ho yes.
If it sets the bias point, fiddling with it will not only make it run hot, as ssassen says, but you will probably cause distortion of the waveform, harmonics being radiated, and therefore interference.
It has to be set with specialist test equipment to the optimum point.
Ron
EI8GMB - G6IWK
www.bandonmodelflyingclub.com
Quote from: ssassen on November 05, 2012, 05:16:48 PM
Whoever posted that picture clearly isn't honoring the fact that that picture is not for distribution and was shared with a few individuals reporting range issues and is not fit for public consumption.
Do not, repeat *DO NOT* fiddle with that trimmer. It sets the bias voltage for the output stage and when set wrong it can run too hot and be rendered defective.
If there's an issue with your EzUHF system please contact us at info(at)immersionrc(dot)com or post in the appropriate subforum on FPVLAB.com.
No offense sassen but I was not aware that I am not to post this publicly since you did not write that when you sent me the email.
I Will remove it now but I am certain that many of your customers would appreciate a slightly better support when we run into problems with your otherwise excellent uhf systems.