Mode Zero

Brilliant Phil,

What sort of range are these?

Ron

Limitation in this cases and 2,4 GHz is actually the line of sight when flying. on surface the issue is more complicated as obstacles shows them self differently. ...the key is to keep an open line of sight to the antenna and this was the issue the satellite RX are supposed to enter and help.

Super super effort Phil.

I've been keenly following the development (evolution) of this project right from your first post - now you've answered THE question that's been on my mind for a while now:

Phil_G wrote: 20 Apr 2020, 01:17 They're advertised as 1100 metres Ron but there are many youtube videos showing huge distances...
I cant see me spending £25 on R/C modules again...

Thanks for sharing all your efforts with this "project" - I've just got to try & build a set (Tx & Rx modules) AFTER I find the boxes containing all my tools & components in the aftermath of our very recent move

Lets hope the Chinese don't rip off your hard work (again).

RON wrote: 19 Apr 2020, 09:15 Brilliant Phil, what sort of range are these?

They're advertised as 1100 metres Ron but there are many youtube videos showing huge distances...
I cant see me spending £25 on R/C modules again...

Thats mine and Roo's old 27mhz car radios converted, the second one was much easier as I just repeated everything. I've since broken the hot-glue securing the module, still works but it will have to come to bits again for re-gluing. Could do with a better mounting idea.
Dave is a bit of a snob and wants Futaba, he has an 'acquired distrust' of Dads homebrew projects
Oh, ye of little faith
This started with a homebrew bicycle-computer which worked perfectly but was a huge box on his handlebars, so uncool for a 12-year-old. Then there was the homebrew ECU for his race bike, which worked brilliantly in every respect but tolerance of nearby spark plugs. So I suppose he has a point

I've ordered a replacement ESC (eight quid delivered!) so I just need to make another 2ch receiver and we're good to go racing!





Ok, lets race! Oh wait, no ESC yet....

Wayne_H wrote: 20 Apr 2020, 12:10...now you've answered THE question that's been on my mind for a while now

That makes it five transmitters and six receivers so far. All perform equally as well as any of my 'commercial' (Frsky, Orange, Flysky etc) conversions. Perfectly happy so far but we need to fly them!

Power to the NRF24L01:
To anyone 'having a go' I've found that a good power supply is the one crucial thing that the NRF boards need. It not that they use a lot of current; more that the current demand changes instantly and can catch a linear regulator off guard. Additional capacitance is usually a complete cure but I have had a couple of dubious-origin Prominis and Nanos with tiny 100mA regulators which were simply not up to the job, so for these I've had to add an external regulator.
Generally if an NRF misbehaves then its almost certain to be the power supply. If you notice (for example) sluggish response, try a large-ish tantalum (20 - 100uF) across the NRF pos & neg. If that doesnt cure it, try an external regulator. If like me you've hardwired it, its easier to add a regulator than to desolder & swap the Promini Heres the tantalum which was necessary on just one of my receivers, I'll probably do the same on the others anyway:



...and similarly on a high-power module. Its good practice anyway:

Great that Phil,
Our Oliver and George have been playing out the front with their RC cars, racing each other, its a great past time for them at the moment.

Ron

Heres a more compact arrangement of the NRF24+PA with the 5v adapter board.
They normally fit together like this :



... which is a bit unwieldy - much neater to piggy-back the 5v adapter on top of the NRF:





I've started adding the 100µF tantalum across gnd & 3v3 every time now.

Very neat! Phil, do you place an insulator between the two boards, such as double sided tape, kaptan tape or playing card before enclosing in heat shrink?

Hi Wayne yes they have insulation between - a square of DST cut to shape insulates the two, although they're held apart by the plastic bit of the 4-pin header

I've got full FHSS running on the NRF transmitter now, all interrupt driven using the CTC, working great.
It pretty much fills the width of the spectrum analyser screen ... and amusingly, because six of the FHSS RF channels coincide, the old receivers still work....

Had a very productive day today, I finished wiring Roo's campervan (mains hook-up, mains charger, solar panel & controller, 12v supplies, a twin mains socket behind the drivers seat and a triple (double mains + 12v) at the back. And I mowed the lawn, spilled a full pint of alcy ginger-beer over my workbench, and played NRF24 too !

Now, to FHSS on the receiver... Edit: http://mode-zero.uk/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=971

PS the black box under the charger, yes, I know its on the pi55...


.

Phil_G wrote: 25 Apr 2020, 20:22 .....Had a very productive day today, I finished wiring Roo's campervan (mains hook-up, mains charger, solar panel & controller, 12v supplies, a twin mains socket behind the drivers seat and a triple (double mains + 12v) at the back. And I mowed the lawn, spilled a full pint of alcy ginger-beer over my workbench, and played NRF24 too ! .........

Phil, sounds a very productive day, quite right to be chuffed
Now that you've done that so will soon be getting bored, how about you come help me finish wiring my hangar & temporary accommodation?? - mains lights & power with 12v solar, lights, wind turbine & inverter backup.
(There's plenty of ginger-beer in the fridge too )

Phil_G wrote: 14 Apr 2020, 16:27 RF-Nano
Ready-made receivers!
cheaper from Ali, I've ordered 3:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32980796969.html

On your recommendation, I also ordered three, and they arrived this morning. I have another project on the go right now, but I hope to use these as a neat way to develop and test some frequency hopping code. I expect to swap to the high power version for the transmitter if and when I get anywhere, but for initial tests I can use these for both transmitting and receiving which will keep my desk tidier.