Devo 12S DSMX Range and Telemetry Questions

Well, I did some primary tests with no good results.

The test equipment:

- Walkera Devo12S with indigo´s firmware deviation-devo12-v4.0.1-5c8744e
- Spektrum DX7s
- Spektrum AR8000 with Spektrum satellite.

Test environment:

Inside my apartment with wifi signals and walls.

Test with the Spetrum DX7s:

Receiver and satellite bound in DSMX 22ms
TX set to Range test and reduced power with the trainer button pressed:

Result: At 15 steps leds flikering, at 17 steps the satellite and main receiver led turned off.


Test with the Walkera Devo 12s:

Receiver and satellite bound in DSMX, 9 channels, telemetry off
TX set to 100uW as vlad_vy indicated

Result: At 7 steps leds flikering, at 11 steps the satellite and main receiver led turned off.

I think that in the same environment, the TXs should reach the same distance... The difference with reduced power is significant. I could achieve the same distance as the DX7s in rage test, setting the Devo at 1mW...

Anyway I am not convinced with the test. I will perform a range test at the flying field next saturday.

gdrekuc wrote: Test with the Spetrum DX7s:
TX set to Range test and reduced power with the trainer button pressed:
Result: At 15 steps leds flikering, at 17 steps the satellite and main receiver led turned off.

Test with the Walkera Devo 12s:
TX set to 100uW as vlad_vy indicated
Result: At 7 steps leds flikering, at 11 steps the satellite and main receiver led turned off.

Thank you gdrekuc
It's good to have some comparison to genuine Spektrum gear

This is consistent to my test

Test environment:
In my garden TX and RX ca. 1m above ground
Spektrum Satellite SPM9645 (connected to Spirit-FBL mounted on RX-tray of Warp360)
Walkera Devo10 with Indigo's deviation-devo10-v4.0.1-db5dcb3
DSMX Range test mode (=100uW)
TX antenna 90° bend, orientated like you would do when flying.
RX antenna pointed towards TX (worst case but realistic flight condition)

Result: At 7 meters led flikering, at 13 meters the satellite led turned off.

gdrekuc wrote: The difference with reduced power is significant. I could achieve the same distance as the DX7s in rage test, setting the Devo at 1mW...

1mW would be -20dBm to full 100mW power
(150mW is illegal in many countries)

Hmm, this rises some questions:
- how reliable are Deviation's power settings?
- what are the results at 100mW?
- is Spektrum range test mode really -30dBm of 100mW (=100uW)
Andy claims: "Radios in US mode will have a greater output power difference than radios in EU mode"

I agree with linux-user.
100uW neither 300uW works for DeviationTX range test.

Tested with Indigos nightly build 36cccce5c, AR6210 and TM1000.

Compared to DX8 ground range tests.
Up to 60-65m was possible with the DX8+AR6210:
- only a small fraction of fades starting 50-60m
- no FrameLosses up to 60m
- no Holds up to 60-65m

With 100uw fades start increasing fast <30m. High FrameLosses, even Holds.
Will re-test exact meters. Was maybe 4-7m.

Same with 300uw: Very high FrameLosses.

For 100uw+300uw I can not reach 60-65m without high FrameLosses and Holds.

With 1mw I could reach 60-65m without Holds, some FrameLosses, some Fades.
Whereas I will have to re-test Fades A+B with AR6210 in the range 30/35m to 60-65m. Must be <80 Fades, not 255.

Fades A + Fades B reset to 0 once 0xFF/255 has been reached on AR6210. Next bug. Maybe it's faded out / filtered.

Thomas

Thank you Thomas, That's the test I was going to do today afternoon. In a certain way, your results confirm my results. 1mW is required to match the distance of a Spektrum TX in range test mode. And the same questions Linux-user made are rising. I think that the only way to be sure is to meassure the signal output at full power with an RF Explorer.
What if the range wasn't affected at all, and the only thing was the frames not being sent because of the bug at telemetry reception? Can we think that a telemetry signal lost, drives the DEVO to not send frames for a certain period, and this period can be more than a pair of seconds? If that is true, I cannot think we can improve the range...

I am not sure.
But I had once the case of a TX locked out on my ground test with 200QX on a special Indigo nightly version yet because of RX telemetry so yes??

www.deviationtx.com/forum/protocol-devel...port?start=200#30411

So many nightly code changes, still pending improvements / rewrites, hard to tell what nightly versions and what code blocks will do in detail. Needs a extensive ground + air testing for sure with multiple RXs.

I had flown 200QX successfully before with nightly DeviationTX v4.0.1-92e1705: had no TX lockout even with DSM telemetry ON.
But even with 100mw I can not fly it too far away.

Thomas

All you guys with genuine spektrum gear, please do a full power range test. You might have to walk 500m, burn some calories, sweat it, but its the only reliable way to measure this, and you will have a great sense of accomplishement + great sex after doing it.

Hi, I did some range tests with full power =100mW
The measurements fluctuate significantly so take them with a grain of salt.
e.g. putting the TX on 30cm above ground instead of 1m could cut the range to 1/2.

Test environment:
TX:
Walkera Devo10 with Indigo's deviation-devo10-v4.0.1-db5dcb3
Telemetry OFF
TX antenna 90° bend sidewards, orientated like you would do when flying.
ca. 1m above ground

RX:
- Spektrum Satellite SPM9645 (mounted on RX-tray of Warp360)
- Orange R800X (two long antennas)
ca. 1m above ground in my hand.

Result:
1.) Spektrum Satellit antenna pointed towards TX
~200m flickering
~300m signal loss

2.) Spektrum Satellit antenna orientated parallel to TX
~300m flickering
~400m signal loss

3.) Orange R800X (one antenna parallel to TX)
~300m flickering
~400m signal loss

I don't know but my radio have as full power 150mW.
I want to try it the next weekend. I will take my heli and I will try the full range with 150mW, I will leaving on the floor and them start to walk.
I have two orange satellite with a short antenna.
The thing is than I have ACCURC simulator with a satellite (short antenna) and my house have three floor and the simulator still working from the kitchen (I can hear the heli) and have to cross at less to concrete ceilings.

You put the TX on the ground? Does that really make sense since you are not then live checking FlightLog Fades/FrameLosses/Holds?

I believe you really should put the plane/heli/quad above the ground (50-150cm), high as best as possible and hold the TX in your hand. Even the Spektrum manual tells you about it

Also all your 3rd RX testing (e.g OrangeRX) is IMHO waste of time since it does not support FlightLog over DataPort and for this reason you can not check Fades and FrameLosses. Without these numbers you do not know what is going on behind the scene.

Yes, of course, I will leaving the heli on the ground but Do you mean than this kind of check are totally usefulness? but Why anyone try the option with 150mW? because if the radio have a short range with 100mW why no use 150mW, I don't know what is the problem maybe we can get the same range of spectrum in 100mW using in deviation 150mW. could be the problem a defecting measure of power in TX?

DX8 has no short range on DSMx and 100mw.
So Devo 6/8/10/12 and DeviationTX firmware with the Devo HF module should neither have short-range, if all "works normally".
150mw is illegal in Europe anyway.

Thomas.Heiss wrote: DX8 has no short range on DSMx and 100mw.

It would be interesting to see some full power range test numbers with genuine Spektrum gear (TX + RX)
EU and US versions may be different!
And maybe a comparison of Deviation and Spektrum under the same test environment.

Be aware:
humidity, vegetation, obstacles, level above ground etc. have a significant effect.

If i find the time i would make a range test comparison between Devo 6, Devo12s and my DX8 with an AR8000 and TM1000 telemtry

Hello my friends, could be here the solution?
www.deviationtx.com/forum/3-feedback-que...er-150mw-100mw#32524

By vlad_vy
150mW = 65.21mW = 18.00dBm
100mW = 37.28mW = 15.71dBm
30mW = 12.51mW = 10.97dBm
10mW = 3.27mW = 5.14dBm
3mW = 1.11mW = 0.45dBm
1mW = 0.30mW = -5.44dBm
300uW = 0.06mW = -12.36dBm
100uW = 0.02mW = -17.88dBm

Deviation output power 150mW = 100mW
Thank you very very much vlad_vy