Poll

Do you have your GPS on a stick on top of your Multirotor and does it make a difference?

Yes and it improves reception.
1 (50%)
Yes but did not change reception.
1 (50%)
Yes because it looks cool.
0 (0%)
No because it made no difference.
0 (0%)
No because I wanted to loose the 20g off my unit.
0 (0%)
No because it kept catching tree limbs when I fly.
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 2

Voting closed: February 03, 2017, 05:52:30 am

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trike_flyer

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  • If it was easy we wouldn't do it!!
GPS on a stick
« on: January 14, 2017, 05:52:30 am »
Hello everyone   :)

Just for the fun of it I thought I would do a pole to see if getting a gps antenna stick or post makes a difference.  I am not planning to use one myself because of weight and I don't think it is needed when you have the gps on top of the quad anyway.  I don't see the rotors blocking the signal from the sat.  We will see what the pole says. Can't wait.

Thanks for voting.

TF

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TheOtherCliff

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  • 4303
Re: GPS on a stick
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2017, 06:43:12 am »
The mag is the important thing to have up on a pole.  GPS reception probably doesn't get better just because it is on a pole, unless you have something like an FPV transmitter (or rarely your Rx or OpLink telemetry) that is causing GPS problems.

If you are worrying about 20g then you are probably flying a very small quad, and those are the ones that need the pole the most (for an aux mag) because without putting a mag on a pole you have to use the FC mag, and it is too close to the motor wiring, and that generates mag fields that can easily make it unflyable.

Most people who have experience will tell you that you need a mag on a pole for 330ish or smaller quads.  I have an F330 with a long pole and it works very well.  I haven't tried it without the pole.

I have a 500mm quad where I build all the motor wiring below the bottom plate and put a dome on top of the top plate for the FC and the GPS on top of the dome so GPS is about 6cm above top plate and about 11cm from motor wiring.  No pole, but a lot of separation from motor wiring.  Of course all motor wiring is twisted.  I built one of these with a smaller dome for a friend, and it yaws a bit after takeoff.  I would call that one marginal.
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Mateusz

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  • 808
Re: GPS on a stick
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2017, 06:55:26 am »
Quote from: trike_flyer on January 14, 2017, 05:52:30 am
I don't see the rotors blocking the signal from the sat.  We will see what the pole says.

Usually it's not just GPS, but GPS module contains additionally magnetometer.
It's not about anything blocking sats, but mostly because you want built-in AuxMag to be away from electronics. For me that's the only way I can get good Mag signal.
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drmeatball

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  • 27
Re: GPS on a stick
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2017, 07:12:48 am »
I have two 550 hexs - one with GPS on a mast, the other on the frame. The GPS mast hex is giving me fits (not related to the mast) while the 'taped to the frame' gps hex works fine.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
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TheOtherCliff

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  • 4303
Re: GPS on a stick
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2017, 08:00:01 pm »
What transmitters do you have on the one with the problems?  Try turning the transmitters off and see if the GPS issues go away.

Same brand of GPS?  Maybe swap them and see if the issue follows the GPS or the vehicle...
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