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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Komodo Antenna Boost Options?!?

It might "work"......but not well.

But aren’t they made for drones and distance? Or are there any lollipop antennas with dual channel abilities?
 
You mean that the lollipop antenna might only be for 5Ghz and not work with 2.8Ghz?

It might "work"......but not well.

I sure hope it works well because I need it to work well ;)

I have seen dual band Antennas but did nothing then the one shipping with Komodo already doesn't do.
This is why I opt it for the Lollipop with 5.8Ghz.
 
I have not found a dualband lollypop antenna, and have done a pretty good search for something flexible. I doubt that the antenna supplied with Komodo is 2G, and if it is it will not have the gain a "standard 1/4 wavelength" will have. The placement of the antenna jack on the side of the Komodo is not optimal as it is in very close proximity to the camera and paralell to it, so there is attenuation and the beam patern is affected also. To get maximum range for camera control without using external boxes or routers, I would use a 2G hi gain antenna with a short extention cable to get the antenna up and away from the camera body and/or accessories. Maybe mounted on a cold shoe?

My choice is is a folding dual band router antenna. Unfortunately it is made of solid plastic and rigid except for the hinge at the base and is therefore somewhat delicate. But for $10 dollars on ebay, I won't complain. I put it on as needed, but keep the Red supplied antenna on most of the time as it is out of the way and protects the connector on the camera.
 
Vaxis atom has a bulilt in Wifi amplifier for the red signal I learned to today. It boosts the signal to a good 150m.
 
I have not found a dualband lollypop antenna, and have done a pretty good search for something flexible. I doubt that the antenna supplied with Komodo is 2G, and if it is it will not have the gain a "standard 1/4 wavelength" will have. The placement of the antenna jack on the side of the Komodo is not optimal as it is in very close proximity to the camera and paralell to it, so there is attenuation and the beam patern is affected also. To get maximum range for camera control without using external boxes or routers, I would use a 2G hi gain antenna with a short extention cable to get the antenna up and away from the camera body and/or accessories. Maybe mounted on a cold shoe?

My choice is is a folding dual band router antenna. Unfortunately it is made of solid plastic and rigid except for the hinge at the base and is therefore somewhat delicate. But for $10 dollars on ebay, I won't complain. I put it on as needed, but keep the Red supplied antenna on most of the time as it is out of the way and protects the connector on the camera.

Yeah I haven't found any Lollipop dual band either.
I guess we'll see if the Lollipop 5.8Ghz will do better.

Vaxis atom has a built in Wifi amplifier for the red signal I learned to today. It boosts the signal to a good 150m.

Sadly Vaxis latency voids any benefits for accurate Monitoring so its a no go, but either way for this project I don't need/want to add anything to the camera, just change the Antenna for stronger signal.

If what I am trying to achieve is not possible without a Wireless system I'll likely go with a Teradek system.
 
Yeah I haven't found any Lollipop dual band either.
I guess we'll see if the Lollipop 5.8Ghz will do better.

Looking forward to a review :) Check monitoring as well even though that's not your aim. Awesome if the antenna improves on that as well.
 
Looking forward to a review :) Check monitoring as well even though that's not your aim. Awesome if the antenna improves on that as well.

Will report...

Ketch, this might work for you....

Apparently you can use a wireless transmitter to actually extend Komodo's internal wifi signal so you can extend the distance viable for using RED Control app if that is what you are looking to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HpcmawKXg8

Thanks Andrew,
And yes it does but it is not what I am looking for, I only want to extend power form the Antenna itself, not by adding any modules at all.
If I decided or see th eneed to go that route I would go with a Teradek Wireless system that will also provide accurate Monitoring with zero delay for Focus Pulling etc.
 
Antenna gain, radiation pattern and placement is the biggest determinater of range for radio waves for any given transmitter or receiver for any given frequency. Komodo manual indicates that 2G is best for camera control range and 5G is best for video streaming. Antenna efficiency is measured against a reference standard. The standard reference for a vertical antenna is 1/4 wavelength of the operating frequency. The unit of measurement for antenna efficiency is measured in decibel (DB) units referenced to the standard. For every 3 DB of gain, the effective radiated efficiency of the antenna doubles as compared to the standard.

Imagine that a transmitter is delivering 1 watt of power to the standard 1/4 wavelength antenna. A 3 DB gain antenna will have an effective radiated power (ERP) of 2 watts. A 6 DB gain antenna will have an ERP of 4 watts, a 9 DB gain antenna will have an ERP of 8 watts, a 12 DB gain antenna will have an ERP of 16 watts, and so on.

Antenna placement will affect antenna beam pattern when located in proximity to external conductive and obstructive influences. These can be mitigated by distancing and/or isolation from affecting bodys. Antenna polarization also has an effect on distancing. Best practice is to match polarization between the two or more devices with the same physical antenna polarizations, be they either vertical or horizontally oriented.

Hope this helps on making decisions.
 
Antenna gain, radiation pattern and placement is the biggest determinater of range for radio waves for any given transmitter or receiver for any given frequency. Komodo manual indicates that 2G is best for camera control range and 5G is best for video streaming. Antenna efficiency is measured against a reference standard. The standard reference for a vertical antenna is 1/4 wavelength of the operating frequency. The unit of measurement for antenna efficiency is measured in decibel (DB) units referenced to the standard. For every 3 DB of gain, the effective radiated efficiency of the antenna doubles as compared to the standard.

Imagine that a transmitter is delivering 1 watt of power to the standard 1/4 wavelength antenna. A 3 DB gain antenna will have an effective radiated power (ERP) of 2 watts. A 6 DB gain antenna will have an ERP of 4 watts, a 9 DB gain antenna will have an ERP of 8 watts, a 12 DB gain antenna will have an ERP of 16 watts, and so on.

Antenna placement will affect antenna beam pattern when located in proximity to external conductive and obstructive influences. These can be mitigated by distancing and/or isolation from affecting bodys. Antenna polarization also has an effect on distancing. Best practice is to match polarization between the two or more devices with the same physical antenna polarizations, be they either vertical or horizontally oriented.

Hope this helps on making decisions.

Correct Vance,
This is why I am looking not only for one that preferably has a Dual Band 2.4/5.8GHz but also has a higher dBi as importantly one that stands taller so it sticks out form the top of the Komodo camera, currently looking at a 75mm+ length so to have no interference or blockage from body itself.

Testing few options hopefully will find one that does the job ;)
 
https://www.amazon.com/FOXEER-Thriv...oxeer+wifi+antgnna&qid=1617403475&sr=8-2&th=1

Its compact, just extends a bit over the camera body, and I measured 10dB gain, and it seems to be pretty robust.

Hey George,
Can you post a pic on the Komodo?
Does it stick out in the same way as the ones I got on my Komodos?
And do you mean you tested-measured a 10db gain bettering the Stock one?

This is the ones I got which seems almost the same thing: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JFXY8NG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Ketch,
these type of butterfly antennas focus the signal in the horizontal direction. When I compare the signal strength with the stock antenna there is about a 10db gain and its not obscured by the camera body, it just sticks out a bit above it. There are a whole bunch of similar ones.
 
Ketch,
these type of butterfly antennas focus the signal in the horizontal direction. When I compare the signal strength with the stock antenna there is about a 10db gain and its not obscured by the camera body, it just sticks out a bit above it. There are a whole bunch of similar ones.

Cool George,
Do you see on paper both the one you got and the ones I got to be the same?

Or do you suggest I replace mines with the same one you got?
 
I just got in at the tail end, didn't see your first post. The smaller antennas are pretty neat. I think I get some and check them out. Thank you. What I really like to do is get it to work with a strong wifi router in infrastructure mode, tht covers the eintire location, but currently that isn't working at all...
 
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