Extending Bluetooth Range

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FengShuiDrone
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Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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PatrikE
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

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FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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copterrichie
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by copterrichie »

If you are in the mood to tinker around, here are some videos showing ways to extend the range of bluetooth:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... oth+range+

I personally tried some and they do work however, I live in a highly RF congested area and the results were disappointing.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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PatrikE
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by PatrikE »

If you have a somewhat modern Android phone the 433 USB can be connected via OTG cable.
Fully compatible with EZ gui.

I thought i remembered someone presented a BT antenna hack here.
And found brewski's thread.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5250

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

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recliner
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by recliner »

Here's the 433mhz with EZGUI in action: https://youtu.be/UdPR5JuXsTc (915 actually in USA)

A generic 3DR radio set is only $20 if you can wait for slow boat from china...only a few bucks more to get one inside the US from Ebay.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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recliner
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by recliner »

Yes, 433 requires an amateur license and is otherwise illegal. ..but yes, you can reconfigure the frequency of the radio set using the 3dr radio tool...which you will need to use anyways to disable mavlink and increase the baud rate to 115k.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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recliner
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by recliner »

It'll come with antenna's that are twice as big...that's all.

This is the one I'm familiar with: http://www.goodluckbuy.com/single-ttl-3 ... -apm2.html

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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PatrikE
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by PatrikE »

Check if your phone support OTG.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

So I just went threw this same thing, I have a really nice sprint 4G LTE samsung galaxy note tablet that does not have OTG (and assuming I want to keep using LTE data I cant root it) so I was stuck with BT but I wanted a real range from my telemerty system...

What I did was setup a bluetooth to telemerty bridge and it works great and was only $21 worth of parts(the price of the 915mhz radio kit) and since you already have the kit it wont cost you ANYTHING! I got myself a 915mhz kit ($21 from a US seller off eBay, got here in 4 days) and replaced the BT module on my tri with the 915mhz radio (ZERO code changes needed), I then got it setup using the ground station half of the radio plugged directly into my laptop but I didnt want to carry the computer around so what I did next was to make a BT bridge. It's really simple, just wire the UART port of the BT module to the UART port of the ground station 915mhz radio module, that's it!

Then you have that running off a battery pack (I'm using a 18650 battery box with a built in USB output to power it threw the on-board CP2102 adapter / 5V regulator from the USB port) or even plug it into your car if you're standing near it (make sure you're staying close enough for BT range between your ground station and you) and the 915mhz ground module sends it's data to the BT module over UART then the BT module sends the info to your phone, no OTG needed!

The only thing is, with the super cheap clone 3DR radio set I couldnt get AT commands working but it wasnt an issue, I just ran the whole system at the stock 56700 baud rate and it all connected no problem (tho with a $36 original 3DR kit you could I'm sure use AT commands to set it all at 115200 if you cared)

http://www.dronetrest.com/t/bluetooth-t ... bridge/205


Edit: Looks like you already have a telemetry kit ordered, I'm sure that will work too so you already have everything, you can use a BT bridge so you can connect to a non-OTG phone / tablet!

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Last edited by FengShuiDrone on Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

I've never had any luck with and FDTI, even a confirmed real one... I use CP2012's mostly and after having no issue with them on some clone arduino's Ive been using I just purchased a handful of CH340G's and they're working fine for me too.

Yes I did reprogram the BT to 56700, like I mentioned I was planning on changing everything to 115200 but I couldn't get the clone 3DR radio modules to take AT commands so I changed the FC's serial speed and the BT to match it's stock speed which was 56700.

Edit: yes if you ONLY want an FDTI one, and to get itfrom Amazon I'd say go with the one that has the good reviews, you're correct that they do look exactly alike...

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Last edited by FengShuiDrone on Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

That'll be perfect.

Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

Just updating that I've now got my Bluetooth bridge working with Multiwii GUI on my iPhone 5c (it'd been working on my android tablet since last week).

Native iOS won't recognize the the HM-10 BLE module thus it won't be selectable in the GUI, you'll need to download (from App Store) any of the free BLE app's (I went with "BLE Scanner"), after that open it and run it (just once) and after doing that Multiwii GUI (the iPhone app) will then recognize the HM-10 and allow you to connect to the bridge. One final thing I should mention, I run MW2.4 however on computer I use WinGui meaning I already had to change the code to identify the FC as running MW2.3 (since WinGUI2.4 isn't out yet), this may also be required for the iPhone Multiwii GUI because it only lists up to 2.3 however I'm not sure if it's smart enough to prevent connecting to a mismatched version. The code change is because computer based GUI's are smart enough to prevent that.

BTW I'm powering mine off a 18650 battery box that I just leave in my car (assuming I can park within 30' of where I fly, usually I can), my 2002 Ford Explorer isn't cool enough to have built in USB :(

Edit: you'll likely need to pull one of the resistors in the RX/TX lines on the 3DR radio so the on-board UART isn't interfering with your BLE to Si1000 UART comms, at least I did (you could also use two "air modules") i.e. build your bridge out of a UART only module (same as on the copter), the USB-> TTL convert makes it so the two modules can't talk.

This is a moot point if you have the newest V3 radio kit as there is no "air" and "ground" modules, the one module has both UART direct and USB-TTL on board so just hook directly to the UART breakout (but you can still power it from USB).


Edit:
A few pic's. Excuse the messy work bench, it's how I like it!
Image

Image

Image

915mhz RHCP DIY cloverleaf (IbCrazy style). I set out to build it and knew the math but I didn't realize exactly how big it would be in the end, way to large to put one on my 300 tri!
Image

Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

Another update, I was FINALLY able to make config changes in the clone 3DR radio's. I had such a time with it I am going to make a video showing the process since I didn't find the answers to what was going wrong anywhere. I'll be posting that, either as a thread or a blog at RCGroups soon.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Last edited by FengShuiDrone on Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Last edited by FengShuiDrone on Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

Hey man, just saw this post...

I'm having some newly discovered issues with my BT Bridge too (they started when I bought the EZ GUI unlocker code).I've managed to get a better connection by lowering the air rate, cant remember to what tho. BTW what BT module are you using? I'm using an HM-10 now cause I needed it to also work with iphone but we're getting rid of iphone soon so I dont care anymore!

I'm also working on a better solution for physically making the BT bridge (a PCB to make the connections for you).

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Last edited by FengShuiDrone on Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

Yea I did a bunch of flying on the beaches there, I got some pretty photo's and some we added to the family vacation album but no really GOOD ones, something happened to my mobius and it got knocked out of focus and I didnt notice till I watched the footage at home :(. They're good enough but not great or even worth uploading...


What GoPro clone do you have? I love my SJ4000 (but make sure you get a real one) and woldnt dream of spending 3X what it cost on a real GoPro, there's no quality difference.


I did manage to get some decent footage of one of those red lighthouses at the pier. Scarry flying out there. While I was our there a dude fishing off the end cought a MONSTER cat, probably 24+" and >30lbs, I recorded him fighting it for 8-10 minuted (from my 300) and getting it all the way up the wall to within a foot of his girlfriend's hand (she was there helping him try to land it) and it pulled the hook. All the boaters going by let out a collective "oh shit" at the same time lol. To bad that wasnt in focus, it would of been a really cool video.

FengShuiDrone
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by FengShuiDrone »

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Last edited by FengShuiDrone on Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

Cereal_Killer
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Re: Extending Bluetooth Range

Post by Cereal_Killer »

The SJ4000 (a genuine one) cost $73 including the waterproof case and all the mounts. The lens is glass, factory it comes with a 170* one which is just a little bit "fisheye" (not bad at all, probably 80% of the picture is uneffected, only the outer edge shows the distortion. I actually ruined my stock lens (got water inside it, well really I had the whole camera submerged for about 15 minutes and the only thing I couldn't fix was the lens so I can't complain lol) so I ordered a 150* lens that should be here by this weekend, from what I saw other people say about it is that the lite distortion around the edges should disappear with the "narrow" lens.

I'm actually in need of another action cam and I just don't find the display useful enough for much (and definitely not useful enough to pay more for lol), I don't review my still pic I take with it (not that I take many still's, it's pretty much only for video) and I don't look at the screen when shooting video, I don't zoom in or use any effects like that, I'm thinking I'll probably go with the xiaomi Yi this time.

Says sale but that's yhe price I was told it's always been, you know how they are...
http://m.banggood.com/Original-XiaoYi-A ... 48201307YE

My one major complaint about the SJ4000 is that the little recording indicator LED is on the top, not the front so when it's mounted and flying it's hard to look at it and tell if it's recording. The xiaomi also does 720P at a whopping 120FPS and it even weighs a few grams less without the display and it's $5 cheaper (and will probably drop when the xiaomi company releases their upcoming 4K action cam).

Edit: Here's the only video I uploaded, I edited & uploaded this from my tablet and didnt notice it was out of focus that whole time. It's clear within about 10', after that tho it's totally out of focus. Not sure how that happened but I was able to get it back into perfect focus over the weekend by adjusting the lens pretty easily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIagJp7 ... e=youtu.be

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