Short Range in Devo8S with nrf24L01+PA+LNA module

Hi everybody, I am new here . Hope someone knows the answer... Thanks in advance.
I have a Devo8S with 4.0.1 deviation soft and I have installed a new module nrf24L01+PA+LNA from Banggood following this instructions . I also have seen here that it is mandatory to link the pin 2 to pin 3 (VDD with CE), anyway I have tested with or without with the same results.
Everything seems to be ok, my heli (hisky HCP100S) binds correctly and I can fly, but the range is very limited, just a few meters away. When I bind the heli, the RX LED remains solid but I made a test leaving the TX and walking away with the heli until I see that the status LED starts blinking, so is loosing signal strength.
I am using the TMS pin on the transmitter board so I have modified my tx.ini file accordingly with "A13" and activated the PA with "1".
Considering the possibility that this module is defective, I bought one without antenna (those that have the antenna printed on board) that it is supposed that the range is at least 50 meters but I am unable to fly the helicopter just 3 meters away!, then I lose control and crash.
Do you think this is correct? I am not sure but reading comments about this module, usually people are happy and fly quite away without any signal problem. Any ideas?

Thank you!

You should try with a different nRF24L01 compatible model to make sure is not something related with your receiver.
Do you have the stock Tx for this Helicopter?
Did you have good range with stock TX?

Durete wrote: You should try with a different nRF24L01 compatible model to make sure is not something related with your receiver.
Do you have the stock Tx for this Helicopter?
Did you have good range with stock TX?

No , I don't have the stock TX. But I have tested the hisky with a Spektrum satellite and using the Spektrum Dx6i transmitter goes perfect, no problems with range. My Devo8s works well using the original transmitter with one Walkera helicopter I have and also with another one that uses DSM2 protocol (orangeRX). So, is not a Devo8S problem by itself neither the deviation software.

Regarding the nrf24L01 modules, I mounted the one with amplifier and other module without it ( this one ). Obviously the one with amplifier has more power but clearly there is something that is not working properly. What compatible module do you recommend? I do not know any other...

Fernando wrote:

Durete wrote: You should try with a different nRF24L01 compatible model to make sure is not something related with your receiver.
Do you have the stock Tx for this Helicopter?
Did you have good range with stock TX?

No , I don't have the stock TX. But I have tested the hisky with a Spektrum satellite and using the Spektrum Dx6i transmitter goes perfect, no problems with range. My Devo8s works well using the original transmitter with one Walkera helicopter I have and also with another one that uses DSM2 protocol (orangeRX). So, is not a Devo8S problem by itself neither the deviation software.

Regarding the nrf24L01 modules, I mounted the one with amplifier and other module without it ( this one ). Obviously the one with amplifier has more power but clearly there is something that is not working properly. What compatible module do you recommend? I do not know any other...

So the main board of your helicopter can be used with an external receiver?
Using an Spektrum satellite connected at your Hisky, you are not testing the integrated Hisky protocol receiver, so this test is useless. With these configuration you are using and external receiver at your main board's helicopter, and different transceiver (CYRF instead nRF24) using your Devo (or Spektrum DX6i).
You should test using an nRF24L01 protocol with any other bird. I suspect your integrated Hisky receiver is faulty, because it's weird the same/similar behaviour using 2 different nRF transceivers, but the same receiver (your Hisky helicopter).

Yes, hcp100s model can fly with a Spektrum satellite, very convenient .
Testing the helicopter with an Spectrum tx makes sense just to rule out a Devo 8S issue and to make sure I don't have range problems with just this heli, anyway, I tested the Devo8S with DSM2 protocol and works great, so yes, the problem just appears with the nrf module.
I agree with you that may be the heli receiver is the problem, connections are quite easy and I am not new soldering so I think I made the mod correctly. I have only one doubt, whether link the VDD pin to CE pin or not... Anyway, I did it with and without and nothing changes.
I am about to receive another heli that uses that module, Wltoys v977 so will see if I get the same behaviour...once I test it I will post the results. Thank you.

Fernando wrote: Yes, hcp100s model can fly with a Spektrum satellite, very convenient .
Testing the helicopter with an Spectrum tx makes sense just to rule out a Devo 8S issue and to make sure I don't have range problems with just this heli, anyway, I tested the Devo8S with DSM2 protocol and works great, so yes, the problem just appears with the nrf module.
I agree with you that may be the heli receiver is the problem, connections are quite easy and I am not new soldering so I think I made the mod correctly. I have only one doubt, whether link the VDD pin to CE pin or not... Anyway, I did it with and without and nothing changes.
I am about to receive another heli that uses that module, Wltoys v977 so will see if I get the same behaviour...once I test it I will post the results. Thank you.

Yes the VDD and CE signals should be bridged.
You are welcome Please, post your results.

I were looking for more information on Internet and I found that I am not the only one who have range problems. This post on rcgroups looks quite similar to my case. You can read some suggestions to improve the signal but is clearly not enough. It is supposed that you installed a module with a range of several hundred meters and in my case (our case) it loose connection just a few meters away.

Yesterday I made a a new test connecting the Devo8S antenna directly to the nrf module to rule out a problem with the antenna delivered with the module but much more the same.
Another easy test was to bind the helicopter with the transmitter just 1 meter away and with the antenna out of the transmitter link was ok, but If I hide the antenna inside the transmitter, the signal LED of the helicopter started blinking. That's something you don't expect to happen with a module that has installed a power amplifier, is just 1 meter!, even with the antenna covered. I wonder if I can measure the radio signal some easy way, just to be sure the nrf is working properly.
I am still waiting to have my brand new helicopter to come and make a range test with it, but in the mean time I want to make as many tests as I can.
I already ordered another nrf module...

Are you sure you enabled the PA in your hardware.ini ( you are mentioning it with tx.ini ... ) ?I'm using a multimodule with NRF+PA in my Devo 8S and even that I have some issues (due to bad cables),
I don't have range issues with any of my supported models.
My NRF is not from Banggood, but its using the very same PCB Layout, thus I suppose its almost identical.

btoschi wrote: Are you sure you enabled the PA in your hardware.ini ( you are mentioning it with tx.ini ... ) ?

has_pa-nrf24l01 = 1

I'm using a multimodule with NRF+PA in my Devo 8S and even that I have some issues (due to bad cables),
I don't have range issues with any of my supported models.
My NRF is not from Banggood, but its using the very same PCB Layout, thus I suppose its almost identical.

Thank you for your answer.
Yes I am sure, but I don't have the "hardware.ini" file, just tx.ini. I installed the deviation firmware 4.0.1 from here .
Today I have had looking for information regarding this issue and I have seen that that version 4.0.1 is quite old as has been released some so called "nighty builds" that it is supposed an upgrade. I have just donwload but I don't have any idea how to install into my Devo8s. I am thinking that could be the problem as the original 4.0.1 firmware may be has some bugs. Do you know how to install/upgrade my Devo with the latest nighty build? Thank you.

EDIT.
I didn't realize that I downloaded the "emu" version and I can't see any dfu file. Now I downloaded the firmware itself and I am going to burn into my Devo. Let's see...

EDIT 2. Done! and best of all...successfully. I already have my 977 flying . I wish I get better range results with new version. I will make some range tests tomorrow and will post the results.
Thank you for your help!

Hi!,

Much better now, latest version of deviation (nightly builds) correct this issue, at least in my preliminary range tests. Now 20 or 30 meters away and still under control .
Thank you!