Seattle and kloner - mind if I chime in with an antenna-location question? It's actually a package of questions I guess, since nothing here is simple, lol.... anyway, basically I am upgrading one of my quads to a Naza GPS, and I am uncertain as to how far the GPS antenna needs to be from the Vtx.
The quad is my own design, 750mm MTM with 15" props. Right now I'm using an 800mw, 1.3 Ghz rangevideo Vtx with a V antenna and band-pass filter on it. The Vtx was on the underside of the quad with the V pointing forward but this is turning into an entire rebuild, so I can move it. The 2 groundstation Vrx's use an 8db patch and stock whip with diversity for now, so I am seeing an opportunity to greatly improve my FPV video with a Bluebeam Omni set, and maybe scale back to a 300mw Vtx in the process. I am looking to get longer flight times and shed some power and weight with a smaller Vtx...
Note: I have several of the V antennas flying on quads and airplanes, and a side question is how do they compare (when matched to the 8db patch + stock whip diversity groundstation, or sometimes just a single stock whip groundstation) vs what I will gain by switching to a Bluebeam setup using only one Vrx on the groundstation? Or should I keep the diversity even with the Bluebeam?
Being a quad, the system doesn't need huge range (i.e. 1 km seems to be enough, as I'm using FrSky equipment on a JR radio), but right now I get occasional minor dropouts and am looking to clean it up somewhat. I know the V is somewhat directional and feel it is probably the source of the dropouts. If I go with a Bluebeam on the quad, 1) will it help? and 2) should I mount it high on the quad pointed up or can it go underneath in back, pointed down to give more distance from the GPS mast? The Naza instructions say to keep the GPS high obviously, but will the 1.3 Ghz Vtx interfere with the GPS signal if it is up high also? Most of my flying is high, looking down, and is sometimes over water. I don't do much low level at all, so that's why I am wondering about the Vtx at the rear and down placement. Thanks for all your help and your wealth of information here guys.
Big Duke Six