I wondered just what the raw edge of range on 10 milli watts of 2.4ghz license free transmitting power is.
Mark Palmer help me prove that I could get 1 mile clear signal range on the Booster Vision Mini GearCam with the 14db receiving antenna. He flew that on a 5.5" ISQY Tomahawk on a Pro75 L-800 to a stump pullin' flight.
I still keep wondering how high the signal fades out to nothing.
At Midwest Power, Clayton of the Jackson Michigan Club, JMRC flew his L3 Rocket on a HyperteK M1010 provided by Scott Miller of SFSM Industries.
He build a beefed up Hitch Hiker pod for one of my GearCams and I used the 14db receiver antenna to follow it up as best I could.
Snitch Girl, Emily Palmer, held the TV, and if I lost the signal, she told me and I could position the antenna better.
You see, his rocket disappeared from sight 2/3 of the way up !
After the rocket passes our F5 clear signal range of about 1 mile, you will see drops outs as the fast spinning rocket puts the tx antenna on the far side facing away from the receiver on the ground.
His Rocket Reaches 13,800 Feet and we still got a video signal at the top !
At apogee, almost 3 miles, the signal would move from F0 to F4 in and out as the rocket changes positions in the sky.
In Ham TV, F1 is almost all snow and F5 is clear.
I've posted the video link and some kewl stills here:
Art Upton K8XG