Black and white DEVO 10 range tests

Hello.
Until now I had a black DEVO10 with Deviation 4.0.1 and I flew in the DEVO protocol with Walkera receivers (without problems as long as telemetry was set to off )

I bought a new white DEVO 10 with the 5 dB gain antenna (instead of 2dB for the black one) and installed Deviation 5.0.0 on both the black and the white.

In theory, the 5dB gain antenna should increase the range by about 20%.
I also bought some OrangeRX receivers, the V2 ones with better range (2 Km as Hobbyking says, but well, it's your decision to believe it or not !)

This morning I did some (not very scientific) range tests and thought it would be nice to share them.
I tested the DEVO protocol with a Walkera RX601 receiver, and the DSMX protocol with a Hobbyking OrangeRx R702X V2 receiver.
Both transmitter were set to 1 mW output power.
In theory at 100 mW, range should be 10 times more than at 1 mW, if I'm not wrong.
The tests went on a flat meadow, in the exact same conditions for each
Of course both antennas of each receiver went perpendicular to each other and the transmitter antenna showed it's long side to the receiver !
I put a servo on the throttle channel, set the throttle to 0 (mid stick) while failsafe was set to -100, so I was able to see on servo movement when I go into failsafe.
I did do each test twice, the repeatability was good.

Just a note on failsafe :
On the Walkera receivers, as the red led begins to blink, it immediatly goes into failsafe.
On the OrangeRx receivers, there is a "hold" function, wich maintains the servos in the last known position if there is less than 1 second of contact loss.
Failsafe only occurs when the is a signal loss longer than 1 second.
This to say that on the Orange Rx you have first the led beginning to blink as you begin to loose frames. The led only goes off (with servos going into failsafe) when you are far enough from the transmitter to lose the signal for on second.

Knowing that, here are my test results :

Walkera Receiver :
Black DEVO 10 : 150 meters before failsafe
White DEVO 10 : 180 meters before failsafe

OrangeRx receiver :
Black DEVO 10 :
120 meters before the receiver led begins to flash as they are frame losses
150 meters before faisafe.
White DEVO 10 :
150 meters before the receiver led begins to flash as they are frame losses
350 meters (yes 350, tested twice) before failsafe

The +20% of range with the 5dB antenna of the white DEVO 10 are really here !

Regards, Roland

Thanks for the info Roland, I KNEW the white one was a better choice (Cheaper too!)

Hello Roland,

interesting numbers!
Please post your concrete OrangeRX FlightLog Hold + FrameLosses (+ Fades if available) numbers @1mw.

1mw seems to be about the ground test range which Spektrum suggests for 30-35m and their Spektrum TX reduced output power.

These are my 1mw tests to ~60-65m: www.deviationtx.com/forum/protocol-devel...port?start=400#45377

I have to be honest with you, that my plan was to re-test ground range @1mw with those genuine Spektrum receivers at a different place with more space.
I just did a 2nd shorter test last year, but I tried not the max >60-65m with proper F/H checking and writing down FlightLog numbers to paper....so I can not remember anymore the results >60-65m.

Thanks for testing and posting!

Thomas

Thomas.Heiss wrote: Hello Roland,

interesting numbers!
Please post your concrete OrangeRX FlightLog Hold + FrameLosses (+ Fades if available) numbers @1mw.

Hello Thomas.

i don't know were I can find (read) these values ??
Dataloging was set to off on my transmitters.

Roland

it would be interesting to know the results with the 5db gain antenna on the black d10, and the 2db gain antenna on the white one, as I think that's the only difference between the two, apart from the case colour of course

Roland you can just view the DSM FlightLog numbers in the Deviation telemetry monitor: www.deviationtx.com/manuals/html-devo10/...ml#telemetry-monitor

The OrangeRX just needs to send back those numbers to your Devo. AFAIU the newer receiver do support (basic) telemetry as well as.

Well, there might be no real need for Data logging - well it could happen that is more detail / concrete showing all numbers instead of just the FlightLog sum.
Data logging and CSV translation was not working for me that good anyways when choosing only some data logging columns (basic FlightLog) in the Devo instead of full data (all column) logging. Did not re-try...it's on my TODO list forever...

HappyHarry wrote: it would be interesting to know the results with the 5db gain antenna on the black d10, and the 2db gain antenna on the white one, as I think that's the only difference between the two, apart from the case colour of course

Hello HappyHarry.
On the black Devo 10 the antenna can't be removed (at least without moding-cutting-sawing the TX case), on the white one it's possible, it is mouted with a SMA connector.
So basically they are not interchageable.
But on the white one it is in fact possible to test other antennas with even more gain (and more directivity)

Roland

Thomas.Heiss wrote: Roland you can just view the DSM FlightLog numbers in the Deviation telemetry monitor: www.deviationtx.com/manuals/html-devo10/...ml#telemetry-monitor
The OrangeRX just needs to send back those numbers to your Devo. AFAIU the newer receiver do support (basic) telemetry as well as.

Yes they support telemetry and have connectors for battery voltage - temp - Amps- RPMs
It's the mean reason I bought some.
Can you explain me what are the meanings of A - B - F - H - L - R readings on the Telemetry screen for DSMX ? (fades, frame losses, holds, etc... ?)

I didn't have telemetry activated for my tests, so no values to give to you

MfG, Roland

Rollmops67 wrote:

HappyHarry wrote: it would be interesting to know the results with the 5db gain antenna on the black d10, and the 2db gain antenna on the white one, as I think that's the only difference between the two, apart from the case colour of course

Hello HappyHarry.
On the black Devo 10 the antenna can't be removed (at least without moding-cutting-sawing the TX case), on the white one it's possible, it is mouted with a SMA connector.
So basically they are not interchageable.
But on the white one it is in fact possible to test other antennas with even more gain (and more directivity)

Roland

it can be done, you just need to separate the black d10 casing and remove the antenna, as it is connected to the rf board using a ufl connector, the white version also uses a ufl connector to connect to the rf board but instead of directly connecting to the antenna like the black version it goes to an sma header, so like i say it can be done but requires a little bit of work to do so

HappyHarry wrote: it can be done, you just need to separate the black d10 casing and remove the antenna, as it is connected to the rf board using a ufl connector, the white version also uses a ufl connector to connect to the rf board but instead of directly connecting to the antenna like the black version it goes to an sma header, so like i say it can be done but requires a little bit of work to do so

Mmhh OK, didn't think at the UFI connector !
Is it outside or inside the PA schielding ??

Anyway, thanks foryour advice !

Roland

Rollmops67 wrote: Is it outside or inside the PA schielding ??

I don't have a 10 but I believe it uses the exact same module as the 6, 8 etc., in which case it's outside the shielding, just "above" (towards top of TX)

Rollmops67 wrote:

Thomas.Heiss wrote: Roland you can just view the DSM FlightLog numbers in the Deviation telemetry monitor: www.deviationtx.com/manuals/html-devo10/...ml#telemetry-monitor

Can you explain me what are the meanings of A - B - F - H - L - R readings on the Telemetry screen for DSMX ? (fades, frame losses, holds, etc... ?)

I didn't have telemetry activated for my tests, so no values to give to you

Activate it

German RCN forum about TM1000: www.rc-network.de/forum/showthread.php/2...um-TM1000-Flight-Log

There is an English Spektrum manual for TM1000 too.