Antenna mod (4Hawks) - Any tips?

JoostGT3 · Mar 22, 2018

Ok, guys&gals, I haven't been real active on this thread, as I only have a Mavic Pro and no Spark, but I have been lurking and think it's about time to put the power of this wonderful forum to work, hope you can help me!

Background
Like I said, proud Mavic Pro owner here, but found myself lusting over the Spark and the Mavic Air recently. The mind knows I don't need either, and that I should keep my money in my pocket for the MAvic Pro 2, but the heart just loves the extreme compactness and portability of the Spark and the Mavic Air, with the sidenotes that both have some serious downsides for me:

Range (I am in the Netherlands, EC area)
Cost (Mavic Air, can afford it, but don't want to spend €1100 right now)
Image quality (Spark, I need at least RAW photos)
Flight time (Spark)
Necessity; I really don't need either one, just really like them

The idea
So, lately, I have been thinking to get a 2nd hand Spark FMC just for fun, and solve at least the range issue with the 4Hawks RaptorSR for DJI Spark, maybe in combination with a clean install kit like this.
The DIY/Tinkering aspect would be really cool, and it would give me a "good" excuse to buy the Spark

There are some excellent threads on this subject on the forum:
Antennas
How to : Maxx UAV 4 Hawks Mod
Perfect Spark Antenna mod RP-SMA

The questions
OK, so having looked at the existing threads and the websites offering these kits, I have some questions:

I think I would do this install on a Spark, but if I like it, I might want to apply it to my Mavic Pro, or maybe in the future a Mavic Air or (most likely) the Mavic Pro 2. If I get the RaptorSR for the Spark, is it compatible with the Mavic Pro and the Mavic Air as well?
Is the RaptorSR compatible with both the EC and the FCC regions?
Will the range/reliability gain that I get be useful when I run the Spark in EC mode? (Not really wanting to have to change it to FCC, as I have a sneaking suspicion that that possibility will be removed in a future version of the Go App pretty soon)
And lastly, I like the idea of the improved reliability and incresed range, BUT... a huge upside for me is the portability of the spark... throw it in the door of my car in the foam box, maybe together with the portable charger in the combined pack and be done with it. Now... all kits that I have seen have the ungainly bracket in front of the controller that basically get rid of all the portability of the system.
Now... are there different, more compact solutions available for the attachment of the antenna? I can imagine a system where you can fold the antenna flush with the underside of the controller when not in use or so...?

If bad comes to worst, I have access to Solidworks 3D modelling program and have some experience with engineering parts, so I could design something that can be 3D printed or so, but I have no experience with 3D printing itself.

So, I hope there's some people who can either convince me that this is totally doable, or put me off it and convince me to save my money for the Mavic Pro 2 and the Mavic Air...

Come to think of it.... I might be better off trying this whole stunt with the Mavic Air, as that is exactly the drone I want except for the range... but it's too expensive for me at the moment!

Thanks in advance! Cheers, Joost

BrilhasMuito · Mar 26, 2018

JoostGT3 said:
Ok, guys&gals, I haven't been real active on this thread, as I only have a Mavic Pro and no Spark, but I have been lurking and think it's about time to put the power of this wonderful forum to work, hope you can help me!

Background
Like I said, proud Mavic Pro owner here, but found myself lusting over the Spark and the Mavic Air recently. The mind knows I don't need either, and that I should keep my money in my pocket for the MAvic Pro 2, but the heart just loves the extreme compactness and portability of the Spark and the Mavic Air, with the sidenotes that both have some serious downsides for me:

Range (I am in the Netherlands, EC area)

Cost (Mavic Air, can afford it, but don't want to spend €1100 right now)

Image quality (Spark, I need at least RAW photos)

Flight time (Spark)

Necessity; I really don't need either one, just really like them

The idea
So, lately, I have been thinking to get a 2nd hand Spark FMC just for fun, and solve at least the range issue with the 4Hawks RaptorSR for DJI Spark, maybe in combination with a clean install kit like this.
The DIY/Tinkering aspect would be really cool, and it would give me a "good" excuse to buy the Spark

There are some excellent threads on this subject on the forum:
Antennas
How to : Maxx UAV 4 Hawks Mod
Perfect Spark Antenna mod RP-SMA

The questions
OK, so having looked at the existing threads and the websites offering these kits, I have some questions:

I think I would do this install on a Spark, but if I like it, I might want to apply it to my Mavic Pro, or maybe in the future a Mavic Air or (most likely) the Mavic Pro 2. If I get the RaptorSR for the Spark, is it compatible with the Mavic Pro and the Mavic Air as well?

Is the RaptorSR compatible with both the EC and the FCC regions?

Will the range/reliability gain that I get be useful when I run the Spark in EC mode? (Not really wanting to have to change it to FCC, as I have a sneaking suspicion that that possibility will be removed in a future version of the Go App pretty soon)

And lastly, I like the idea of the improved reliability and incresed range, BUT... a huge upside for me is the portability of the spark... throw it in the door of my car in the foam box, maybe together with the portable charger in the combined pack and be done with it. Now... all kits that I have seen have the ungainly bracket in front of the controller that basically get rid of all the portability of the system.
Now... are there different, more compact solutions available for the attachment of the antenna? I can imagine a system where you can fold the antenna flush with the underside of the controller when not in use or so...?

If bad comes to worst, I have access to Solidworks 3D modelling program and have some experience with engineering parts, so I could design something that can be 3D printed or so, but I have no experience with 3D printing itself.

So, I hope there's some people who can either convince me that this is totally doable, or put me off it and convince me to save my money for the Mavic Pro 2 and the Mavic Air... Come to think of it.... I might be better off trying this whole stunt with the Mavic Air, as that is exactly the drone I want except for the range... but it's too expensive for me at the moment!

Thanks in advance! Cheers, Joost

I own a spark. I don't know if it's far enough for your taste but I have plenty of 1.8 km and even further distances, using 5.6Ghz. I dont feel the need to go further. My spark is under CE regulations, and if you don´t consider the OTG cable, it's FULLY stock.

JoostGT3 · Mar 26, 2018

Thanks for your reply mate!
Just checking; what kind of area do you live in? The Netherlands is immensely crowded and there are literally hardly any places for example where there is no cellphone coverage... I can imagine that this has a detrimental influence on the stock range...

BrilhasMuito · Apr 5, 2018

JoostGT3 said:
Thanks for your reply mate!
Just checking; what kind of area do you live in? The Netherlands is immensely crowded and there are literally hardly any places for example where there is no cellphone coverage... I can imagine that this has a detrimental influence on the stock range...

Sorry for the late reply.
I live in São Paulo/Brazil, one of the most crowded cities in the world but I really avoid flying it on crowded areas. Couldnt fly it further than 600 meters in the city, which is not too bad. But it's not recommended at all, too much interferences.
I like going to beaches, dams, forests, etc... You gotta move to less crowded places in order to squeeze the most of it. It's a really nice excuse to travel.

BrilhasMuito · Apr 5, 2018

JoostGT3 said:
Thanks for your reply mate!
Just checking; what kind of area do you live in? The Netherlands is immensely crowded and there are literally hardly any places for example where there is no cellphone coverage... I can imagine that this has a detrimental influence on the stock range...

You can use a 2 euro OTG cable and a 5 euro antenna boost. These two items are working pretty well for me.
Remembering that if u own an android you will lose the telemetry infos in DJI GO 4 when using the OTG. The spark is also easily turned to FCC mode if you feel the need for that.

Ben Chapman · Apr 8, 2018

I bought an after market antenna I got a Totan Control 5.8, it goes till I have to return for a low battery, I have yet to push it for a limit on distance.

JoostGT3 · Apr 9, 2018

Thanks for the replies @BrilhasMuito & @Ben Chapman.
The OTG seems a no-brainer to me, especially since I am already used to that for my MavPro.
The parabolic antenna boosters are a nice&cheap add-on as well, but still looking for the most compact version.
The boosted antennas look so brilliant! Still on the fence though, especially regarding price and size..

BrilhasMuito · Apr 9, 2018

JoostGT3 said:
Thanks for the replies @BrilhasMuito & @Ben Chapman.
The OTG seems a no-brainer to me, especially since I am already used to that for my MavPro.
The parabolic antenna boosters are a nice&cheap add-on as well, but still looking for the most compact version.
The boosted antennas look so brilliant! Still on the fence though, especially regarding price and size..

Last weekend I took my spark 3.7km away. It had rock solid signal. Battery made me come back.