Yuneec H - long-range antenna modification

[@flyingtyphoon4400]

Bo Lorentzen, You guys are great! Helping the drone community! You did a great job and I preformed this telemetry operation thanks to this video. With all respect, I did the job in 30 minutes, because removing the transmitter board is completely unnecessary. You can access the antennas and plugs without removing any boards, not removing the clear shrink wrap that covers it. Fun operation! How about soldering in a microphone jack to add a directional mic?

[@anthonysmith5979]

Don't know why any one would give you a dislike for this? It's up to the consumer, you and George spent a heap of time bringing this "option" to us and I for one appreciate the trouble you both have gone to.

[@gewema-makkum]

i agree....it takes a long time to make these video,s ..for free.. and then these Dislikes guys...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......!!!

[@bophoto]

LOL Anthony, its probably a guy who love his phantom, or it is something who feel its wrong to crack anything open. dont know. can't care. We just gotta do whatever seems fun in life.

[@bophoto]

You said it.. but hey to each his own. we still fly because we have fun doing it.

[@DavidDurst61]

Awesome video, I pulled this off last night with no problems. Took about an hour to perform the whole procedure. So far this seems to have resolved the Telemetry data disappearing on the ST16 when out at 1200'

[@bophoto]

Yeah the telemetry BACK to the radio is the weakest link in this system, i had the exact same experience, the antenna mod gave me solid telemetry, and a lot more confidence, because the control-link is more powerful than the telemetry, so I know that as long as I have telemetry, Im good and safe.

[@lloydprunier4415]

Great to see you guys doing these mods. I was really surprised at how the retractable gear were built and attached.

[@bophoto]

Me too, love how it just plugs in, no wires or anything.

[@samzattair8582]

Bo, I appreciate the fact that you are a micro-manager. I would like to send George my Typhoon H with Realsense and I'd like him to upgrade my ST-16 to ST-16+ and upgrade my Drones Long range antennas but only with your supervision. Can you help me with my need?

[@eyeinthesky4561]

What a difference in the drone after doing this thank you for doing these videos keep them coming

[@bophoto]

Awesome, glad it worked well for you. Agree, its such a much better feeling flying out and having solid control-link all the time.

[@anthonysmith5979]

Looks great and easy to do, I have the fpvlr antennas but the telemetry is unstable at distance I'm sure this mod is the answer, need to get out to an island with seals at about 1.5k this has to make the connection more secure. great stuff guys Tony from Australia

[@bophoto]

Hey Anthony, sorry for not replying sooner to this. your 1.5km reach to seal island is 100% possible, you can do that with a long-range antenna "projecting" your signal from the ST16 to the aircraft. personally I have noticed a significant improvement in the telemetry link after doing the antenna on the body modification. however you dont need to do that. people have been flying significantly past 2km with just a antenna on the ST16 ;-) One important thing with that kinda flights, dont fly around the island and get stuff between you and the aircraft, for two reasons. 1 you likely will block your signal, 2. the RTH may run into whatever blocked your signal. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.. carolinadronz.com/products/itelite-dbs-for-yuneec-typhoon-h-tornado-h920l-st16-st24-radio

[@Raptor50aus]

Hi Bo, I tested the H today with the stock antennas now hanging 9cm below the bottom shell and I was able to get no loss in telemetry or rc out to 2.4km using FPVLR helical I have ordered the UFL to RPSMA cables to change the antennas on the H too and will try the 2.4ghz skew planar I have and put a dipole on the other side. Maybe its the cold weather here but my flight time is around 13 min then I get low battery warning on the ST16 but that was flying flat out for about 11 min

[@bophoto]

outstanding. 2.4km is very respectable. :-)

[@markwelch7125]

Completely understood and i couldn't honestly risk my investment if a guaranteed fail safe was in place such as the return to home should it lose connection with the base controller. Thank you for the information and the perspective. I'm just trying to avoid spending unnecessary money or limiting my options. Although The Typhoon H is the newest the Q500 4K isn't a bad unit as a start. But i will keep watching and make a decision soon. Have an amazing 4th of July

[@PhillLongley-PhoenixDronesLtd]

Great vid. I was reading up on the st16 and found the 4 antennas are actually 3 @ 2.4 and 1 @ 5.8. The zig-bee radios (control) are on 2.4 with the wlan on both 2.4 and 5.8. Just thought I'd mention as it looks like you have 2 x 5.8 antennas on the modified St16.

[@PhillLongley-PhoenixDronesLtd]

fccid.io/document.php?id=2911280

[@avugiak]

Loved the video, but glad I bought a H plus, and didn't have to do any of this, but good work you two! Some advice for people new to drones, it's always a good idea to hold off buying a drone until a year or two to see what bugs it may have, and the price will always drop, and you will have a much better product that will have the bugs fixed, just some advice!

[@bophoto]

agree with the idea, we always find bugs in new stuff. however in reality we also like to get into the new stuff quickly. clearly the Hpro shows exactly what you are talking about, all the H features refined to be a little better.

[@redjr16]

And miss 2 yrs of fun? Nah, I like the bleeding edge sometimes. This technology is changing wayy to fast!

[@eyeinthesky4561]

I just went to the links and ordered the parts thank you again you are a blast to watch great videos I have learned so much thanks again

[@thomascard6701]

OK while watching you do this Mod not exactly sure of the time stamp but it's where you guys both first view the antenna cable connection Board that had been heatshrinked with clear heatshrink material from Yuneec,.I know you did not have any heat shrink so instead used gorilla tape but do you know the approximate size of heat shrink that would've been needed for that? maybe 25mm=about 1" before shrink? also do you by chance know what cable type you used for this like rg178, RG???,RG??? Im wanting to replace all stock antennas inside the H & the ST16 WITH NEW ONES & WANT THEM TO BE THE ABSOLUTE BEST POSSIBLE OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL STILL BE ABLE TO BEND & PLY TO FOLLOW THE SAME ROUTE AS THE STOCK CABLES USED & ALL WITHOUT CAUSING ANY STRESS AT ANY POINT OF THE SETUP. THANKS Tom C I'm looking to make my own kit not just buy a kit so I can be 100% assured that I'm using only the best.

[@peterrod5239]

some folks criticized how this guy works because is not the way you or i would do it. .!! we all do things different at some point as long as the results are the same. that is all the maters. some guys remove the entire car dash 4 hour job to remove a heater core and charge $1000 bucks i would cut a hole thru the fire wall a 1 hour job and cover the hole and charge $300 bucks. see my point Jorge knows what he is doing ill trust him 100%.

[@timattls]

Did the upgrade today, and all went well! Thanks guys! :)

[@bophoto]

I would not trust me fixing a toilet. This video is definitely a case of "In my defense I was left unsupervised, with a set of pliers"

[@vonjose888]

Bo, what is the name of the hdmi monitor you showed in the video? Do you have the link when you bought it? Thanks in advance.

[@bophoto]

Are you talking about the Vufine.? I gotta hurry up and say, its "cool" but not THAT great, the screen is too small and its hard to get a good viewing angle, that said, its practical for line-of-sight flying with the H and similar aircrafts. vufine.com

[@Raptor50aus]

Bo, I was able to get 4km one way today with the stock antennas hanging down 9cm below the bottom shell and using my FPVLR helical. The telemetry dropped off after about 2.5km but rc control worked ok to 4km I have just posted on rcgroups the same mod you have done in this video and I used a dipole and a 2.4ghz Skew planar so testing next week :)

[@LuckyNikitaBoba]

This has to be one of your best videos! Both of you are so funny!

[@bophoto]

Thank you sir. :-)

[@Redirthgink]

Hi Bo, Not sure if someone asked this allready but, what antennas did you use? I'm definately going to do this mod but after my warranty expires :D

[@bophoto]

www.fpvguy.com/2016/07/yuneec-h-hack.html

[@Raptor50aus]

So I can use a right hand helical on the RC 2.4 ghz side on the ST16 then ??

[@Mike_Malloy]

Bo, did you ever make a follow up review of Vufine? Would be interested in seeing what you think of them. Thanks!

[@ephotosaver]

Pretty cool. Bo please have George come back so we can see what he can do with an Inspire 1. Interested in the Mod's for my Inspire 1.

[@bophoto]

LOL Charles, Im loving my inspire, but Im very much considering putting the better lens on the X3 camera.

[@neirad537]

Sorry at 2:01 there is a white cable coming form the leg. My drone crash and I have to replace the camera mount but I see that cable and I have no idea where does that goes. If you can tell me it will be a great help

[@bophoto]

That is the antenna cable, let it stick down so that it can see the radio signal.

[@neirad537]

Bo Lorentzen awesome, I was freaking out. But thanks.

[@Sanuske4]

I like how Bo's face gets progressively more and more concerned.

[@bophoto]

LOL you noticed that ha ha .

[@Sanuske4]

+Bo Lorentzen I would be concerned too! but it looks like it turned out well. have you had a chance to fly and test it?

[@bophoto]

yes have flown it, its a great mod, interestingly the newly released Yuneec H pro with the real-sense sensor, have exactly this antenna modification.. guess Yuneec agree with Jorge and me.

[@Sanuske4]

+Bo Lorentzen I was curious why Yuneec didn't take a page from these types of mods! Seems like it would be easy for them to do..so I guess they did!

[@bophoto]

They did, they also bought a stack of the lenses we used for the camera-modification, so Im guessing they are looking at improving the camera lens as well.

[@eyeinthesky4561]

Carolinadronzs is were I have been buy most my parts I also have a DJI phantom 4 love them both

[@eyeinthesky4561]

hi great video what do i need to buy these parts so i can do this modification  i did the lens change you folks are great to learn from i hope with this change my typhoon h will transmit better i purchased a itelite 2.4GHz Duel Element antenna for my controller do you think changing the antenna on the drone would help thank you keep the videos coming there great your friend from Maine USA Rachel

[@bophoto]

Good Morning Rachel, The itelite antenna should already give you a significantly range increase, however dropping the antennas down like we did will increase the range on the telemetry. www.fpvguy.com/2016/07/yuneec-h-hack.html

[@bophoto]

PS. looks like your lens mod is working great.

[@icarus_1559]

By the looks of the antenna upgrade on the introduction part, the antenna's installed are bendable as I see a pivot joint. Are the antenna being sold at Carolinas dronz the same and can pivot up slightly to adjust and avoiding being seen by the camera? Thanks.

[@brusaferri2]

this is a very helpful video. where I can buy those antena are they the best one to put in the typhoon? thanks you guys

[@daronvague7372]

This was SO painful for me to watch as this guy "Wally" considers himself as a electronics geek but has trouble with the basics. Why cut the old antennas when it is just a case of unsticking a but of double sided sticky tape. I would not trust him to wind up a stop watch...What a cowboy..

[@bophoto]

Yeah I gotta say i kinda agree with ya. bit sloppy in process. it did work though, Ive been flying without loosing telemetry to the originally advertised distances.

[@daronvague7372]

That being said, they do show in close up detail just how to do it. SO a big thank you lads for that.

[@sardomnumspa]

People are just trying to help us here, all the smart remarks other than "thank you" are not needed.

[@osvaldo3221]

Why destroy some thing that is good and you can use it again.

[@JohnFT3414]

Have you ever done any 2.4Ghz mods to the Phantom 2 Vision+? I just installed the ITE-DBS01.1 antennas to the remote, but now I think I want to try and replace the 2 patch antennas in the P2V+ with omni-directional 2.4Ghz antennas. The patch antennas are very small and face opposite directions, resulting in less signal strength to the front and the back of the P2V+. What do you think?

[@markwelch7125]

Will the Typhoon reach flying distances equal to or greater than the Phantom after mods?

[@bophoto]

Hey Mark, not sure what the stock Phantom range is.. however I know the Typhoon H with the mod and a long-range antenna on the ST16 have been past 10,000 feet. thats way more than I need personally.

[@MitchellPetersoncustomdrone]

What happens to a typhoon H w real sense whey you have signal loss. For example, the H is 1000 feet out at an altitude of 300 feet....you are walking backwards and trip over a curb....the radio hits the ground and has turned off/inop. Does it fly home (I don't think so) or does it simply land 1000 feet out?

[@bophoto]

If the radio link is lost it will return to home, it will rotate so the obstacle avoidance face the direction of flight and it will "crawl" over obstacles. and land where it started the flight

[@Raptor50aus]

Bo I wonder if the RC/telemetry would improve if I simply hang more of the stock antennas outside of the H shell??

[@bophoto]

Im thinking that would be a reasonable assumption. though if you have it cracked open, I would say put some better antennas on there while you are at it.

[@edijatmiko1770]

Hi Bo... Awesome video... I like to modify my yuneec H too... just getrough with double battery (plus 4s 5100mAh outside the cover) and its hovering about 30 minutes. Will you also modify the camera WiFi antenna 5.8 GHz, to have more stable WiFi signal..?

[@bophoto]

the big thing with doubling antennas is that you also have more weight, so there is never that great of a gain, (we all would hope to double flight time but it dont work that way) I did modify the ST16 radio with a second WiFi antenna, 5 turn left-hand helical.. rock solid WiFi at long ranges.

[@edijatmiko1770]

Yes... agree with you Bo... i also plan to modify the ST16 with helical antenna, both for 2,4 and 5.8 GHz... just searching how to build that antennas...

[@bophoto]

I would just grab a couple from eBay, these are dirt-cheap from china. hardly worth building a $10 antenna

[@edijatmiko1770]

Ha ha ha... thankyou Bo...

[@Raptor50aus]

Why does the Rc telemetry 2.4 side on the st16 have to use a left hand helical ? Or can I use a right hand helical ?

[@bophoto]

The Left hand helical on the ST16 is the video link not the telemetry. you want to use a left-hand because the antenna in the CG03+ camera is left hand.

[@Alpha6.31]

Thanks for all your informative videos. Extending the range also brings up the issue of extending the flight time, it seems to me. Do you have any experience with the batteries from Hongkong with 7000mAh for the Typhoon H? Are they any good?

[@bophoto]

there are several sources for 7000mah batteries, they give you a bit more, however the added weight tend to cancel out some of the gain. carolinadronz.com/products/gifi-yuneec-typhoon-h-7000mah-4s-14-8v-lipo-battery

[@Alpha6.31]

Thanks for the information. I live in Europe, so have to find out which is best. Might give it a try..

[@DRONERAMO]

any special setup for the vufines or plug and play?

[@Raptor50aus]

I have a spare airside booster kit from FPVLR which includes a 2.4 right hand skew planar antenna and micro booster with a Bec I might just try the antenna on the h first Which cable do you use from the H rx to sma ?

[@bophoto]

Im not keen on "boosters" and prefer directional antennas. :-)

[@Raptor50aus]

I have helical to try without the booster too so will try both

[@denniswalker36]

can you post the parts used for the H, cables, connectors and Antenna's

[@bophoto]

YES im putting a complete post together on the blog FPVguy.com

[@billwilliamson6271]

BO can you post the parts used for the H, cables, connectors and Antenna's For the H mod for the antennas on the quad.you guys are nuts but keep up the good work

[@Raptor50aus]

Hi Bo, Do you know if the ST16 uses an internal antenna for the telemetry??

[@bophoto]

Raptor, im not sure, Yuneec is pretty mum with information.

[@judgeygx1159]

Great work there Bo.Love the mods. You have convinced me now to get the YTH as being able to improve the range/reception as well as the lens mod to improve the picture quality is defiantly the way to go With the ITELITE DBS antenna mod on the controller and you have a great drone package. Question, How much more range do you feel you have been able to achieve? Cheers

[@bophoto]

Im not really keen on discussing range, but more than the advertised range ;-) Before starting cracking open the H, remember we did that simply because we could. and it seemed like a fun project. you can get far beyond the advertised H range by simply sticking a long-range antenna on the ST16 controller carolinadronz.com/products/itelite-dbs-for-yuneec-typhoon-h-tornado-h920l-st16-st24-radio

[@aafes30]

I would like more information about your Vufine Goggles. What they cost and where i can get them.

[@bophoto]

theoretically they work, but compared to a pair of FatSharks they suck. I used them for a while but finally gave up, super cool concept but not very practical

[@aafes30]

okay , but I still would like know what they cost and where I can get a set.

[@bophoto]

Vufine.com ;-)

[@JohnFT3414]

Have you tried a test to see how much better this mod is over the OEM antennas?

[@bophoto]

It roughly doubled the telemetry range. :-)

[@jerrylofy9153]

Hey guys couldn't you just solder on extensions to the existing wires with high quality wire and attach them to the landing gear struts?

[@bophoto]

You could however that generally not a good idea for antennas as you change the internal resistance which is not good for a antenna.

[@Raptor50aus]

Hey Bo, Have you tried your H since installing the dipoles on the craft? How is the telemetry info at range??

[@bophoto]

I roughly doubled my telemetry range.

[@orinfletcher3423]

Hey Bo - do you get the antennae in any shots when rotating the gimbal?

[@robbryan3044]

I was planning on asking a similar question, until, upon scrolling through other people's posts, I came upon yours. Looking at the length of the antennas, I am wondering the same thing. With the Peau Productions 8.25mm lens, I'm sure this isn't a problem...but, with either the stock lens, or the Peau Productions 3.97mm lens (essentially, about equal in focus length to the stock lens), I'd think the camera would "capture" the antennas. So, Bo, what's thew answer? If you haven't found out yet (which I'm doubting), how about filming with the camera in its up-most position, and rotating the gimbal 360 degrees...then posting the answer.

[@Raptor50aus]

What if you simply fit a left hand helical to the 2.4ghz side of the ST16??

[@bophoto]

That will definitely project a lot more range. there is box like this on the market ready to play which offers a substantial range increase carolinadronz.com/products/itelite-dbs-for-yuneec-typhoon-h-tornado-h920l-st16-st24-radio

[@Raptor50aus]

So once you have modded the H can u use a right hand antenna on the 2.4 side on the st16?

[@bophoto]

You could do that if you also use right-hand antennas on the aircraft side. once you got SMA plugs you can pretty much choose any antenna you want

[@maurodemello6078]

Hey Bo... sorry to ask... but the antennas don't show in the video when you pan 360 ?

[@bophoto]

Good question.. they dont show. Mine have flexible joint for changing position, I would probably get a pair of un-articulated antennas to have even more extra space in the future.

[@maurodemello6078]

Thank you very much for the crazy fast reply... LOL... when you come visite Miami give a call

[@bophoto]

:-)

[@Raptor50aus]

Yes I did not want to go further than 2.4 km as the H battery becomes the limitation Might be the cold weather here but I get around 13 min then first battery warning

[@davidjayamazingkitesurferp3819]

raphy battery tray; 8000m battery

[@thomascard6701]

davidjay amazing kite surfer peterson. Yes Yes he just barely has 100% confirmed that he is able to get 30 minute flight times with the cam recording & not removing anything for weight issues. he is now working on a dual battery mod one for each side of the H. But before you can get to much more flight time you'll need to mod the props, then the engines & then ESC's cuz they all get hot when lifting to much weight & I'm wanting to upgrade my motors no matter what being as the stock ones are brush type motors which use more power & don't last near as long.

[@thomascard6701]

Raptor50aus - Wait Are you saying that you've flown your H all the way out to about 2.4km & it only took 13 minutes??? I do think that Yuneec needs to release an update that will give us all the abilities to fly in full manual mode if we wanted but mainly the feature of being able to switch it into a "Sport" or whatever you'd like to call it I was personally thinking it may be cool to name it "Raptor Mode" or "Eagle Hunting Mode" instead of what DJI calls it "Sports Mode" but then allow us the ability to use one of those modes to fly our H's at their absolute top speed cuz I'm not sure if any of you've seen or heard about the drone video filming the cruise ship after taking off from land, but they flip on their sport mode to have full throttle ability so they then fly pretty fast towards the ship so it doesn't take forever plus traveling from front to back of that Cruise ship would be a feat in its own right being that it was the world's longest cruise ship that could fit like 4 or 5 pro football fields end to end inside of it.

[@Raptor50aus]

yes but I doubt the gimbal could handle the speed I bought the DJI Mavic last week and its the best drone I have ever flown period ( I had the DJI P4, Inspire 1, and others)

[@thomascard6701]

Raptor50aus When you say that you don't think that it could handle the speed are you refering to the typhoon H if Yuneec where to release an update that allowed us to have some kind of sport mode to fly it at full speed when in angle mode & not only when its in autonomous mode??? Because I have absolutely NO doubt that the H would have an issue handling the speed because the H not only is a Hexacopter which help immensly to keep it steady but also ask most anyone that owns one & they'll all tell you that in either high wind or with any load or both at the same time that the H with its 6 rotors handles much better than any of the DJI's offerings. & yes the Mavic may be great but especially if we are talking about handling any wind or speed it is much smaller than the H or any of the P's so therefore unless it has ungodly power with huge rotors it won't hold up near as well & I'm sorry but if you think otherwise or are about to tell me otherwise you may have what many people call the "DJI Flu/Sickness" where someone that owns any of the offerings fromn DJI will no matter what it may be regarding always "One-Up" some else that says otherwise if they own anything except for a DJI, & I'm truely sorry but there is such a thing. I mean I have heard & experienced Bias in many different realms of life but WOW is all i have to say when it comes to hearing out someone that owns a DJI, Now at the same time by no means am I saying that ALL people that own anything DJI are this way but it's as if those that do have the sickness cannot just be "OK" with finding a middle ground when disagreements arise involving any questioning of their DJI instead they are either right & everyone agrees with them & therefore they are happy or if wrong they will never admit it nor come close to that but instead go the entirely opposite direction in that they start to come up with outrageously exageration, Example if one non DJI owner where to say that they had a 18" long rg-178 antenna cable & it was the best that you can get, a DJI owner would come back with a comment to the effect of well ya I have a 20" long rg-178 antenna cable & it performs 4 times as great as your does!! Like I said not all have that Flu but those that do have it hard core... Oh & BTW as I do own a Yuneec Typhoon H I still have had my eye out looking at the DJI Mavic just so i can have a range in sizes aswell as I love that it has the ability to become so compact yet still have the ability to perform as well as it does because before it to get any UAV that was as compact as it you'd be looking at the $50 little toy 4 rotor r/c drones they sell at convient stores & we all know that if one of them came to close to you & you blew out a breath to hard it would knock it off course!!! LOL I had to Purchase a $400 case for my H just so I could take it with me on vacation without it being smashed or broken so yes i deffinately am admiring that Mavic but with so many things I don't usually like to buy the very first off the line of anything cuz I wait till I start hearing the majority in favor or Not.

[@Raptor50aus]

Nice Mod Bo, Can you please test your H and do a video showing what happens when the first and second battery warning come up. Will the H auto land ??

[@bophoto]

Have never flown that battery that far down, but thats surely something I can do.

[@LuftdroneDk]

Hi Raptor50aus, I tested this last week and it do indeed initiate a landing sequence and will sit on the ground beeping loudly so you can locate it.

[@bophoto]

Wait.. I did not know that. I was sure there were a autolanding, So on the first warning you are just notified and on the second it lands where it is. (which makes sense since it may not have adequate power to return home) I like the beeping touch.

[@LuftdroneDk]

+Bo Lorentzen yes, you get those warnings both visual, audiable and through your fingers on the controller :) When it started to decent I noticed that it also folds down the landing gear but you do not have any directional control upon landing so you better respect those early warnings and locate a suitable safe landing spot.

[@bophoto]

Thats GREAT feedback.. thank you. I love the shaker warnings, but have never flown to see what happened. actually I almost always land around 14.2 - 14.5ish. and plan my flights so that I expect to have power left at the end of the flight.

[@markwelch7125]

Thank you for the reply, the phantom claims 3.1 miles as advertised.

[@bophoto]

wow.. I would say the H is 1.5+ miles

[@markwelch7125]

is there any way to achieve 3mile range without going broke in the process

[@bophoto]

Hmmm mjah.. I would put a couple long-range antennas on the ST16 and do the antenna mod.. however PM Jorge about that. he is the long range geek. here is the bottom line, 18,000 feet range require the aircraft to be fairly high in the air to avoid anything on the ground breaking the connection.. so in a lot of ways that kinda range skirts on the edge of legality and practicality. we have demonstrated that kinda range and significantly more for government agencies, however using 900mhz control links to avoid suddenly having a RTH situation mid-mission. this is really a area Im not completely comfortable with in a consumer system in the first place because there are not enough backup system.

[@DD6VD]

Nice Job, and now a way to disable the Kiddy No Fly Zones in the Software that make me Happy.

[@christianpena9122]

Yes there is.

[@Save-A-DogAps]

Yes Yuneec is the only company you can call and just tell them why you need it off, and they will do it / show you on the spot, i have them shut mine off, when i go on search and rescue missions with my H

[@moodberry]

@@Save-A-DogAps Not really true that they will turn it off by request John. They require you to have Part 107. I don't see why that is an important requirement however. It seems arbitrary to require something that the FAA doesn't require. Having a Part 107 doesn't mean you won't fly in a no-fly zone. Besides, not everyone who has a Part 107 does search and rescue, so why do they ask for that? They are most concerned with holding them harmless. Part 107 doesn't increase that probability.

[@albertnov52]

i'm in the market for a drone. I was checking the phantom 4 or the H what do you recommend.

[@bophoto]

Personally I fly the H, I've got a P4 here but I feel there are more features in the H for the money. you get some very pro-features, like the retracts, the ability to do a 360 pan of the camera, having a camera operator run the camera separately from you flying the aircraft. and some redundancy if you nick a prop. its really a personal choice thing, for me its great value for the money, other people see it differently.

[@milesodonnol4456]

2:51 "If you remove the legs, you could travel very flat with this." "Yeah, but...what about if you forget your, uh, if you lose the bolts?" TIP: Remove legs. Replace bolts in their threaded holes for safe keeping.

[@bophoto]

Agree. that seems like a very practical solution.

[@losc1091]

Wow this great. Fpvguy. Do offer service to do this ? I mean I would pay you or him to mod mine. I just don't want to take on such a mod. Or do you suggest some one who would.

[@gecko1357]

Are you able to maintain video downlink at the new and improved range? Considering mod, for the hell of it! (I have the fpvlr antenna kit, so that should help)

[@bophoto]

You are right on, at this point a helical or similar on the video side will be very helpful. However if you already got a long-range kit.. that ought to do the trick. the antenna modification was just kinda to mess more with the aircraft. ;-)

[@gecko1357]

+Bo Lorentzen I get it. I always take flak because I can't leave anything stock!

[@bophoto]

LOL, Im just repeating that over and over. because I dont want people to think they have to do this. this is not a must do mod, but a ton of tinker type folks will probably do it anyway.

[@gecko1357]

+Bo Lorentzen Did the upgrade to my H today. Went super smooth. Great DIY how to! So the question is, if I have a spotter with a pair of binoculars, does that count as LOS for FAA purposes? I'd love to do a range test with this mod and my long range antennas. Wouldn't want break any laws, now.

[@bophoto]

Awesome, glad it worked smoothly. LOL theoretically it probably do... I would suggest testing in the desert or similar, make sure there is no structures that can interfeer. and fly safely. PS. stay away from RailRoad transmission systems, they are surprisingly powerful.. dont ask how I know. :-)

[@RichardGilmoreDronetech]

just to let you know. the wire from the BOARD. wasn't just wrapped around because it was too long. this is not the case. if you know anything about radio frequency and antenna length. and that the antenna must match the frequency for best S.W.R (standing wave ratio). but the coax. (your wire) the feeder must also be a certain length too. this is due to the resistance of the wire and feed point impedance at the actual antenna! the reason it is wrapped around is to create what is called a 'CHOKE' this helps to reduce eddie currents flowing back down the feeder cable and causing R.F feedback back into the transmitter/receiver board of the radio. thus reducing overall 'Noise' in the circuits. also i see. bascially all you done was move the Dipole antennas out a bit. I wouldn't think this would be the best design to increase range by a huge margain??? something I'm sure the original designers thought of?? but still enjoyed the video. had a good laugh at the way you hacked the crap out of a typhoon H. he he he lol. but if I could give any advise. it would be to keep the coax length the same as it originally was and put the same amount of turns in the coax as it was originally around the board. if you decide to do this mod that is. good luck!!!!! he he he he

[@bophoto]

Hey Richard, thank you for posting this.. I should have jumped on this when Jorge said that. the lengths, but honestly you described it much better than I could have. You probably know I studied electronic engineering, but it was a long time ago ;-) OK the oddity here is, that only ONE of the antennas were coiled up, and I am pretty sure its not a choke. Now with that. Im pretty sure we mostly accomplished 3 things.. (kinda) 1. Changing the mounting points to the body for practical convenience. * side benefit, the antennas were not in particularly good points for antennas, they were just fitted inside the body-shell. 2. Having mounts on the body shell, let me use 10db or 12db antennas instead of the fairly low-performance whips the factory installed. this DO have actual application for range of the control link / telemetry link 3. darn.. the third point was the by-effect of better location for the antennas. At least thats what I thought we got out of it. Its not really a life-altering mode, but more something we did because it could be done ha ha.

[@RichardGilmoreDronetech]

+Bo Lorentzen hey No worries. thanks for the info.. appreciate it.. but I've just ordered my first ever RTF.drone. the typhoon H lol. and I can tell you now I won't be hacking it open. lol. glad its getting better range maybe in the future I will do a similar mod. but only after warranty is up. way too much money for me to waste. but yes I understand the need to get the antennas out in the open away from the battery and other electronics. cheers

[@bophoto]

You are doing the right thing. these are awesome aircrafts straight out of the box. the only mod I would do if you want more range at some point, is stick one of the long-range antennas on the ST16, straight replacement job, just remove existing and connect the new one.

[@MrTUBER408]

Mr. Bo. Now you have doubled the telemetry range,you two mad scientists must do a CEGO antenna range mod. It isn't any fun flying far if you lose FPV half way there. Great hack!

[@bophoto]

The simplest CG03+ hack is putting a 3 or 5 turn helical on the ST16, oh if desperate stick a 16turn for monster range, remember to point it at the aircraft while flying. these need to lefthand polarized and female SMA as for some reason Yuneec put the male plug on the ST16

[@mjisenhart702]

Not complaning but if you look in the description it says do not try this at home right below it parts of ailable here lol

[@eyeinthesky4561]

The lens is much better one next I may try those antenna thank so much getting back to me so quick

[@raulvenegas5783]

How come you don't have any mods like this for the Yuneec Typhoon Q500 4K ? Lens , batteries etc... if you do please send me the links , I already subscribed to you Bo Lorentzen

[@bophoto]

There were not quite as much interest in modifying the Thypoon. and the radio was a closed system. it could be cracked open though. Frank at CaroinaDronz.com have range extender antennas for the Typhoon radios.

[@Ralphie20]

could you upgrade the radio antennas instead of the drones antennas?

[@bophoto]

You could however the problem here is the drones antennas ;-) Newer H's don't have this problem as they have added longer antennas flown below the body to avoid interference

[@kaiman5307]

where do it get clip on HDMI FPV like you show on this you tube? thanks

[@bophoto]

Hey Kai, check out VUFINE.com But do remember that the screen is VERY small, honestly the eyepiece is more of a backup screen that you can plug into a inspire or phantom radio, with the big screen on the Yuneec I really don't use it much on the ST16 radio.

[@musiclover2927]

Bo Lorentzen Hi Bo, can you read my two comments I left on here.. I have no idea how to PM someone (unless this is the way 😂) Hope to hear back from you, Cheers from sunny Ireland 🇮🇪 (yup, the sun does come out here once in a while… LOL)

[@RonnieB300]

What is the length and dBi of the antenna? Also, why s the length of the wire's? Thank You

[@bophoto]

Don't remember this was quite long ago while the H was fresh off the shelf :-)

[@RonnieB300]

Bo Lorentzen Ty Sir.

[@gecko1357]

Do the external antennas get caught in frame of the rotating camera?

[@bophoto]

flex them out a little and there is no problem, Personally, I fly with the camera locked in place so I dont much care since I yaw the aircraft instead.

[@gecko1357]

For any that are interested, I did the MOD yesterday. At a hover the antennas don't get caught by the camera when panning. I need to do more testing, but I suspect the antennas will only be seen if the camera is aimed straight out to the side and you bank hard that same direction. Bo was right, if you think it might be an issue most of the "Rubber Ducky" antennas have an 90 degree elbow at their base. I found that at full bend the antennas would sit almost parallel to the rotor arms. I imagine they would still provide more range than the stock in this configuration, and they shouldn't get caught in frame at all.

[@bophoto]

Thank you for the update. Glad it did go smoothly for you. we probably showed more stuff in the video than required but wanted people to have a very good idea what they would find when cracking the H open. Im thinking it must be possible to find some stubby 2.4ghz antennas without the bend, they should be much more compact.

[@FALpwn]

Should I get this drone or the phantom 4 if I want maximum range and reliability

[@bophoto]

Honestly, today, get either the DJI Mavic Pro or the DJI MavicPro2 for range.

[@AlexB-gz9dn]

how can i reach this guy to modify my H-pro

[@bophoto]

Hey Alex, call Frank at CarolinaDronz.com he do modifications to birds.

[@JudasBytes]

can i send my drone and have you guys perform all the upgrades?

[@bophoto]

LOL no we dont do upgrades, call the guys at CarolinaDronz, they can set you up.

[@AlbertoLopez-fx5el]

does any one knows the format of the telemtry on the typhoon H. interested to read lat/lon in real time for moving map.

[@bophoto]

Its all coming down, you may be able to write an app. I would take a look at the SDK thats available withe the new H product, somebody must have a copy of it out there somewhere :-)

[@daneb7265]

Also does Cgo3+ have more output power than Cgo3?

[@bophoto]

I think these have the same power-output, I use a lefthand helical on the ST16 for longer range, however have not had any problems on the distance I typically fly.

[@musiclover2927]

Hay Wally.. Ignore the haters, they are just a bunch of “by the book” technicians..”When this is clearly just a matter of preference hack” It’s funny, I always mumble to myself when I’m working of whatever project. I think it’s just something that “out of the box” thinkers seem to do 😂 I’m always being asked by people that walk into my workshop when I’m working on something new or telling myself “hmm maybe it will work/look better if I do it this way” (as an example) “Excuse me, were you talking to me.? When in all honesty I wasn’t even aware there was someone in the room with me 😅 Love this hack bro, but I’m all about getting to know the remote and perhaps even adding a small amplifier to both craft and base station 😎

[@blacknine]

How far did you go Jorge?

[@alsey7]

due to FAA regulation cant tell you LOL

[@BenHayat]

As always, Bo gives us the facts and no BS... :-)

[@gewema-makkum]

tnx for this video...now we can have a look INSIDE the H8 !! looks pretty good... i have NO P4 or H8 and build my own Drones ...but beiing a Hamradio guy ..i always modify Antenna.s .. :)

[@bophoto]

Antennas are still where they were in the dark days, rather ignored, or kinda a afterthought, a bit like factory cameras two years ago. I put 6db's on the H which is better than the stock. But interestingly Jorge found out that both the video WiFi and the control-link have diversity inside the ST16, he pulled those out which is why he had 4 antenna connectors. We were using a 5turn helical on the WiFi along with the stock cloverleaf for short range. that was good for data-throughput and minimized the video lag at range.

[@LuckyNikitaBoba]

I see future issues with this mod. How are you going to add the Intel RealSense?

[@bophoto]

The Intel RealSense will should perfectly in there, ;-)

[@Raptor50aus]

So what is your telemetry range now ?

[@bophoto]

Pushed past 2000 feet.

[@davidochoa6117]

where are you at how much will it cost me for you to put those antennas on mine

[@bophoto]

Hey David, im not sure what Frank's rate is for that. we are in Hollywood and Frank is in SouthCarolina Before you start hacking the H, consider simply putting a long range antenna on the ST16 instead carolinadronz.com/products/itelite-dbs-for-yuneec-typhoon-h-tornado-h920l-st16-st24-radio

[@daveeverett9341]

+Bo Lorentzen Yes, I'd rather get the Itelite long range antenna and fix the telemetry and video issues from the ST16 side. Thus, I don't risk bricking my H. Frank highly recommends and increase in range and stability of at least 3X, I'm reading.

[@bophoto]

Yes I have that antenna, its very effective. :-) We just wanted to crack the H open, and had fun doing it.

[@daveeverett9341]

...you have a very competent associate for doing that, as well. I'd have no worries in having him work on mine! As a value-add on this vid, it was VERY Interesting seeing the "Guts" of the H, kinda like open heart surgery... LOL!

[@daveeverett9341]

Hey Bo, I see the Itelite long range antenna for sale at Carolina Dronz, however I'm also seeing vids with guys flying further, more consistently with the FPVLR antennas. Any experience with the FPVLR? Looks like (from the manufacturer's website) that they are moving to a new production facility and won't be taking orders until late July... BTW, my need is less for extreme distance and more for consistent telemetry and video connection for short and moderate ranges, with perhaps interference and structures being a factor.

[@daneb7265]

Bo how is that Vufine working in sunlight? Is it worth it?

[@bophoto]

The Vufine works well, but I dont feel they are worth it for the Typhoon H, because I keep looking at the screen on the controller instead.. The Vufine make more sense with the inspire and phantom because then you can fly these without having a tablet.

[@daneb7265]

+Bo Lorentzen Thanks

[@blacknine]

Link to the parts used? Thank you.

[@bophoto]

carolinadronz.com/products/itelite-dbs-for-yuneec-typhoon-h-tornado-h920l-st16-st24-radio

[@CINCYB0Y]

Bo, Can you please post a link for the antennas that were used? The link above is to the long range for the 16. Looking for the ones you used in the body of the H. Thanks!!!

[@bophoto]

Hey Randy, this is the parts I used www.fpvguy.com/2016/07/yuneec-h-hack.html

[@Raptor50aus]

I contacted Yuneec about my problem with telemetry freezing from 199.9 meters and higher Yuneec want me to send them my telemetry data to find out out why which means it is not a limit they have setup on the H and I have read others having the same problem

[@bophoto]

Looking forward to hearing how the goes.

[@ebproduction2501]

same problem ...after 199,5 end

[@Raptor50aus]

So there you go it is a common problem I updated the firmware on the H and it made no difference the telemetry no surprise there since it is clearly an ST16 problem as the telemetry files show the height logs updating so the ST16 is getting the correct info from the H I DID find that since the firmware update the camera live feed connects heap faster now like in about 20 seconds.

[@bophoto]

on the new H they have dropped the antennas down like we did, I'm shooting the unbox today, you will see what I mean, that should make for better telemetry.

[@Raptor50aus]

cool looking forward to that video Bo I have now managed 4km flight line of sight using a Skew and dipole on the H :) and the telemetry problem was fixed with the latest firmware update and now reads above 199 meters

[@juancuello2184]

it' s ok, but how to increase over 2500 meters the highest setting imposed by the typhoon software?

[@bophoto]

THAT is something you need to take up with Yunec ;-)

[@RCTanksTrucks247]

Awesome video, very entertaining yet informative too :) Love hacking the shit out of things :)

[@bophoto]

nothing more fun than modifying stuff just because.... heck yeah.

[@musiclover2927]

Also, perhaps you could PM me with some of those numbers (both for control distance and Video distance) Or were they the same ? I love in Ireland 🇮🇪 so (thank god) we have very relaxed drone laws here. As long as you fly just outside any city (or airport of course 🙃) Peace, and keep up the good work ✌🏼☘️☀️

[@bophoto]

don't have current numbers on this project. Yuneec essentially copied the relocated antenna which was great as their newer birds are much more reliable.

[@ericdaoust8280]

awsome guys.... sad your not living in canada montreal :(

[@bophoto]

+1 to that, I love montreal. :-)

[@javieryzf]

Hi Bo! how much far you can go with it??

[@bophoto]

I have not really pushed it super far, I found the telemetry range roughly doubled. Check some of Jorge's posts. as he have been quite far out,

[@javieryzf]

+Bo Lorentzen thanks Bo!

[@BdNina]

so the antennas will be in the way when doing 360 view...

[@bophoto]

Nope they dont show up. Ive been flying mine a while now and used the 360 pan, had no problems.

[@RichardGilmoreDronetech]

BO.......HELP....im so pissed right now? ok so youve got long range. my Typhoon H just came today. ahhhhhhhhhh bumber.....it wont fly near where i live. hehehehe, NOW I AM going next week to do my CAA approved PFAW. (basically a U.K licence to fly for aerial work) But YUNEEC have taken it upon themselves to restrict me with NFZ!!!!! i need this removed......DO YOU KNOW HOW THIS IS DONE?? can you make a video on it. Thanks otherwise i have just bought an expensive paperweight, ahhhhhhhh ffs.....PLEASE HELP. THANKS.

[@bophoto]

DANG. that sucks big time.. (slight upside most of the pro-drones have NFZ's) Basically you need to contact Yuneec, they have a firmware for approved pilots, like certified drone-operators, which enable you to operate in areas that by default are NFZ's by the CAA.

[@chrishaydenotis8028]

Can i have a yunecdh typhoon h

[@EdwininfanteLeocadio]

So what's the modification dudes info???

[@alsey7]

what u looking for me

[@EdwininfanteLeocadio]

Castle Tech News am not sure who you are but the dude with the short hair. Am thinking of getting a Typhoon H and I might wanna do somethings to it.

[@bophoto]

CastleTech IS the dude with short hair ;-)

[@crazycrow3378]

I guess the new version already has the antennas on the outside just behind the legs. I know mine does. Saves me some modding and voiding warranty. Lol

[@bophoto]

Yes they updated the new version with this mode after the video :-)

[@tin2001]

Crazy Crow By new version, do you mean the one with the enhanced collision thingy, or just newly produced units without it?

[@crazycrow3378]

tin2001 just enhanced units. Intel real sense is an optional unit that can be installed later on every typhoon H.

[@MitchellPetersoncustomdrone]

Thx for the reply Bo. Keep the right side up, Mitch

[@pandemicfever]

This video was a perfect tutorial on exactly what not to do. Jesus, could you have man handled that poor drone any more.

[@karlinguk]

I get the impression that whilst Yuneec want exposure on youtube to help drive sales (just like any company would), they are none too happy about 'geeks' no matter how charming and nice publically carrying out mods that suggest an improvement are necessary or recommended. Afterall, it suggests there's a issue with THE BRAND NEW Yuneec H explaining the mods shown (i.e. to do with telemetry and/or wifi signal(s). STILL, there seems to be a veiled 'damage limitation' effort towards the end of the video (which made me smile) to downplay the ('cracking open' the drone and controller) mods that were done by suggesting that really its enough for the normal consumer just to swap over the one antenna on the ST16 controller for a longer one, and making the 2 internal wifi wires external. Isn't it ironic (and worrying to those who have already blown money on the Yuneec H, and maybe have already experienced teething issues with what is a new product) that NOW the Pro Version comes with 3 NOT 2 ANTENNAS, AND HAS 2 EXTERNAL WIFI ANTENNAS (1 either side of the underbelly of drone). Hmmm, and all this within weeks/months of THE ORIGINAL Yuneeec Typhoon H leaving the factory. Moral of the story? Never rush in and be the first to buy a new expensive bit of kit no matter how enthusiastic stores or channel hosts are . If you do you might be little more than an involuntary lab rat or test guinea pig for any issues that are yet to be identified and ironed out/rectified (hence versions 1,2,3 etc etc) haha I could be wrong of course (apologies if I am, no offence was intended), but me not wishing to be a mug or be stuck with a problematic expensive item (like I have in the past), think its something worth thinking about before I jump in and fork out my good money. Anyway, the end result of the antenna mod actually does seem to look aesthetically better than Yuneec's in factory mod as seen on the New Typhoon H Pro Version. The former (from appearances) seems to allow for future antenna replacement via gold screw connections, whereas Yuneec's factory modification seems fixed within the housing leaving the thin wire sheathed in black plastic hanging down externally either side of underbody). Or have my eyes deceived me? lol If I'm correct, I wonder why Yuneec never made a better looking mod with option to screw off/on antennas, and chose to settle for what look like 2 dangly wires? Is it possible they rushed to mimic the mod in the video after they realised it was wrong of them to have designed the antennas to be housed internally? Questions questions questions lol ..still, I think I'll wait a few weeks or even months to see what other reviews by unbiased owners reveal re. the Typhoons reliability, performance, problems (if any). Peace

[@bophoto]

Hey Karl, LOL you are right, there is obviously a lot of open-ended questions here. It do seem Yuneec chose to literally use the existing antenna wires, but created a plastic tube that the wires can be dropped into which give a better position and better connectivity. And yeah, You know I HAVE to say that while we do this kinda stuff to our gear, I really don't recommend people digging into a multirotor. Honestly, its amazing how far these things have come, 5-6 years ago we were thrilled if they flew and had numbers of crashes, I'm still having a hard time getting comfortable with the reliability of todays camera-drones. they have come SOOO far. and yet we both realize we are just scratching the surface. Im still amazed that I'm now comfortable flying the H down over areas that I would never have flown over 6 years ago, simply because I would have worried about how to retrieve the aircraft in case of a crash, now we do this as a matter of routine, so things are going forward, but I agree, there is still a LONG way to go.

[@karlinguk]

Bo Lorentzen - Thanks. I hear you... I'm glad my points were given consideration and caused no offence. Peace!

[@hankVa13ncia]

Um excuse me Jorge, but the Inspire absolutely needs no modifications....lmao Great video Bo!

[@bophoto]

Agree, I like my inspire the way it is. However in all fairness, its been documented that the 3.97 lens we installed the other day provide a fairly substantial image quality improvement on the X3

[@NunoOsswald]

Damn... nice video! Not to do at home! At all! Hahaha you are dangerous people for Yuneec (and others!) doing that. Anyway, I like it. Keep doing.

[@bophoto]

LOL thank you sir. YES ABSOLUTELY DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.!

[@DIGITALCANADA]

Bo... I haven't been too happy about the lack of telemetry and I keep loosing the data. The more I dig, the more I learn that this is not a "technical" limitation, but an FCC ** imposed ** limitation. I'm disappointed about the range and loosing video feed. Again, its a self imposed FCC limitation. An RC aircraft needs FCC regulation here in Canada (and possibly also the United States). Here in Canada, I can **BARELY** find a WIFI router greater than 0.5 watts. Most are 0.3 watts. FCC regulation here states no more than 0.5 watts. My most powerful long range (1 KM) router I have is at 0.5 watts. A friend bought a signal booster / amplifier and more than quadrupled the distance. My $50 family radio here in the forest where we live is about 10 KM range in the forest. The technology is already here to give us 5-10 KM and I ** think ** Yuneec knowing the FCC regulations and its imposed limitations, has likely kept enough room for us techies to mod the heck out of it for longer range (if we desired). Technically I'm breaking the law if I fly the drone out of sight. But I'm not breaking any laws modding it to give me greater range. I have no choice but to mod it because of lack of telemetry even at 1000 feet. Carolina Drones is out of stock for the mod (external antenna kit). Any idea whether those RF connectors (antenna plugs connecting to the transmitter board) is it an IPEX MHF3 or MHF4 plug / connector? Thanks again to you and Jorge, for sharing this.

[@bophoto]

Yeah I think you are right. im sure a lot of manufactures want the units to be looking good going through the FCC checks. There is a post on my block with links to the parts on amazon, www.fpvguy.com

[@magua1368]

Tip #1 MOVE TO THE USA

[@joacimwennerberg8310]

Thanks guys! Very interesting hack! I just love electronics. :)

[@avstryker]

So I take it that the "H" has a very modular design : )

[@bophoto]

LOL Yes it do. I guess I could have worked a bit more on that... :-)