Let us position. Let us angle. Let Us Drone. You'll want to position the antennas on the remote controller to get the best possible signal between the controller and drone, but what is that position? In short, the strongest signal can be achieved when the drone is aligned perpendicular to the antennas.
Let's go ahead and talk about where you should and shouldn't point the antennas, what frequency the RC's run on, common types of interference, and best practices for when the signal is weak.
What do the antennas do on a drone?
Let's get real basic for a minute. “Transmitter” is another name for the remote controller, as it transmits your commands (stick movements) to the receiver which is inside the drone. The drone then carries out those commands.
The antennas simply increase the range that a signal can be transmitted. Remember having bunny ears on your TV? We all had our little dance routine to try to position those antennas just right so we could watch our favorite show.
The antennas help to ensure that we have clear video and a strong radio signal. Check out this post on how to avoid poor video quality.
The strong radio signal ensures that the stick movements we perform are indeed carried out and the strong video signal ensures that we have smooth video transmission.
Related post: In-Depth Guide for DJI’s P-Mode, S-Mode, and ATTI Mode – Every drone user should have a working knowledge of each of these three flight modes, and be able to adapt accordingly when one of the flight modes is selected. This post takes an in-depth look at P-mode, S-mode, and ATTI mode, and learn about how to be a pro at each.
How to align the antennas
As stated above, you will want to ensure that the length of the antennas is pointed toward the drone. In other words, don't point the tips of the antennas toward the drone. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so refer to the picture below and my thousand-word blog post will be done ;). Just kidding.
I like to pretend that I am holding a shield (the RC) and the drone is the enemy. You've never seen a picture of a knight holding his shield out flat to defend against incoming spear and sword strikes, have you? I am constantly adjusting my shield to keep the antennas optimally positioned.
What frequency do DJI RC's run on?
DJI's drones run on either 2.5GHz or 5.8GHz.
The 2.4Ghz frequency is better for longer range and the 5.8GHz is better for shorter range but offers a stronger signal.
If you are flying in an urban area, most people's home Wi-Fi routers run on 2.4GHz, meaning that you may receive more interference if you're also using 2.4 GHz. But remember that 2.4GHz is typically better for longer ranges so it really depends on your current environment at any given time.
I recommend that you leave it on auto and let your RC choose between 2.4 and 5.8GHz.
Check out my recommended gear!
What type of interference is common for drones?
It can often be difficult to ascertain what is causing the interference when you're out flying. If you are experiencing interference, I would recommend that you look around your environment for one or more of the following objects:
- Cell towers.
- Radio transmitters.
- Solar panels.
- Large metal structures.
- Power lines.
- Transit tunnels.
- Numerous Wi-Fi networks.
The items on the above list are known to cause either Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), or Radio Frequency Interference (RFI), which can majorly affect your radio signal with the drone.
If you are receiving error or warning messages while flying I would urge you to take a look at your surroundings for possible sources of interference and consider moving locations if possible.
Common mistakes
Here are a few common mistakes people make when they are positioning their antennas:
- Remember to not point the tips of the antennas directly at your drone.
- Do not cross the antennas. Keep them parallel to each other.
- Don't point the antennas in two separate directions.
- Don't fly with a lot of physical obstructions between yourself and the drone.
- Try not to fly where there is a lot of electromagnetic interference.
- Try not to have the drone right over the top of you as this makes for a poor signal.
I can't tell you how many times the last one on this list (not flying directly overhead) has gotten me. I'll be cruising along with full bars and suddenly drop 2-3 of them. Not flying directly overhead takes some forethought, and can be a problem if you need to fly a particular flight path for something.
Related Post: DJI Drone CSC – What It Is and Why We Need It – This post discusses when a CSC should be performed, and how to avoid accidentally shutting off your motors in midair, as catching your free-falling drone is the last thing you want to do on a Saturday morning.
Do signal boosters work?
There are a variety of different available signal boosters on the market, and most drone pilots wonder if having one will make a difference. There are the cheaper ones like this one here on Amazon, and more expensive ones like the company 4Hawks make that will set you back over $100.
Whether or not you need a signal booster really depends on if you currently have poor signal where you usually fly, and how important it is for you to have the best possible signal. A hobbyist who takes his Spark out once a month probably isn't so concerned about having perfect signal, whereas the professional drone pilot is going to want an excellent signal wherever the job takes him/her.
I will say that the signal boosters are more commonly used for drones that operate on Wi-Fi instead of DJI's Occusync or Lightbridge systems which offer much better range and signal strength.
The Mavic Air and Spark are two common DJI drones that use Wi-Fi and a quick Google search will yield many results about people who say that using a signal booster is a must.
I have used the cheaper signal boosters found on Amazon and would say that they are worth the price, but I've never had any first-hand experience with a 4Hawks signal booster. However, I will say that I have watched YouTube videos of people that have seen tremendous improvements with their signal after installing a 4Hawks booster on their RC.
Just remember that you get what you pay for in the end. Don't buy a cheap one with hopes of it extending your range by a mile.
Make sure you have the RTH set properly
Did you know that you can give your drone preset instructions on what to do if you lose signal and the RC disconnects from the AC? You have three options: Return-To-Home (RTH), land, or hover.
One of the most important things you can do to prevent a flyaway is to set your Remote Controller Signal Lost setting to Return-To Home. To do this, go to settings > Main Controller Settings > Advanced Settings > Remote Controller Signal Lost > Return-To-Home.
There are special circumstances where you don't want the drone to RTH when the RC signal is lost, but 99% of the time you're going to want that bird to come back to you. Imagine that you'reflying over water and the RC suddenly disconnects. If you have “Landing” or “Hover” selected you're going to be doing your best Michael Phelps impression in an effort to catch the drone before it meets a watery grave.
Related post: DJI Drone Battery Maintenance and Tips – This post walks you through everything you need to know about DJI's intelligent flight batteries; from how to store them, to what signs to look for if you suspect a battery may be bad, and much more!
Trevor's Take
Having a basic understanding of how to position the antennas on your RC is vital to the safe flight and return of your drone. I've accidentally forgotten to unfold my antennas before taking off a couple of times. Flying near your location likely won't result in poor signal, but you're going to want those antennas optimally positioned when your flights involve further distances. Have you had trouble positioning your RC's antennas? Have you learned any tips/tricks that weren't mentioned in this post? We'd love to hear about it in the comment section below. Well, I don't know about the other readers of this blog, but I'd love to hear about it 😉
