Limitless Futaba 3pv / 4pm range booster installation

[limitless202+]

I will be going to a 7px / 10px for my car soon, and i need a ton of range, so, for a fee of whoever says yes’s choice, install a range booster on a futaba 3pv, or 4pm? For me?
thinking from $40 - $75 fee, but i would be open to anything.

thanks everyone.

 

[Exc3l]

I have seen @jondilly1974 's. It looks clean with a fan and all.

 

[N.Mango]

Got mine all set up

 

[GMballistic]

@limitless202+ honestly fitting a booster is really simple in most cases. Literally plug N' play.
My booster came with an aerial wire that was supposed to be soldered onto the radio circuit board but rather than risk that I just bought a male to female appropriate aerial plug.
This one: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294528826070

Booster I bought/used below.

Lipo battery I am using below.

I do have some pictures of fitting my booster to my Futaba 4PLS if that helps at all. Obviously a different model but the premise is the same.

Standard Futaba aerial plugged into board shown in picture below, ...just need to gently unplug it and then press/plug in your new aerial for the booster.

The rest of it from then on is pretty simple; like making a hole for the wire to come through, choosing a position for the booster etc.

Hope that helps some.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I will be going to a 7px / 10px for my car soon, and i need a ton of range, so, for a fee of whoever says yes’s choice, install a range booster on a futaba 3pv, or 4pm? For me?
thinking from $40 - $75 fee, but i would be open to anything.

thanks everyone.

Bro,

Come on.... if you are going to ever be a legit speed runner you are going to have to crack some eggs and get your hands dirty.

 

[Diem Turner]

Do any of you guys know if the performance of a signal booster is affected by the input voltage? I wouldn't think so, I imagine it working much like a DC lipo charger that has a power consumption (W) and the input voltage just needs to be in a range from x-y to function. Have I got this right or would a range booster work better with its power being supplied by a 3S instead of a 2S?

 

[LicketySplit]

Bro,

Come on.... if you are going to ever be a legit speed runner you are going to have to crack some eggs and get your hands dirty.

I boosted the NB4 and those are a lot more difficult. You got this, OP.

 

[Diem Turner]

I just finished installing a 4000mW booster on my 7PXR.

Except...it's Saturday.

 

[GMballistic]

Do any of you guys know if the performance of a signal booster is affected by the input voltage? I wouldn't think so, I imagine it working much like a DC lipo charger that has a power consumption (W) and the input voltage just needs to be in a range from x-y to function. Have I got this right or would a range booster work better with its power being supplied by a 3S instead of a 2S?

I don't know myself but I was told by an experienced WR speed runner when fitting mine to get a 3S battery so that's what I did. Hopefully someone else can answer more definitively.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

I don't know myself but I was told by an experienced WR speed runner when fitting mine to get a 3S battery so that's what I did. Hopefully someone else can answer more definitively.

It is really impossible to know without knowing how the internal circuitry is engineered.
Some will have a power conditioner that regulates the input voltage to a specific value before entering the RF amplifier part of the circuit.

Some range testing with different input voltages would likely be the easiest way to determine if that is true.

 

[Diem Turner]

It is really impossible to know without knowing how the internal circuitry is engineered.
Some will have a power conditioner that regulates the input voltage to a specific value before entering the RF amplifier part of the circuit.

Some range testing with different input voltages would likely be the easiest way to determine if that is true.

I may have to set up a test and find out. I have 1500mAh packs in both 2S and 3S. If I can save a little weight and get the same performance, I'd take it. Not that the 3S is that much heavier.

 

[nathanlow]

I may have to set up a test and find out. I have 1500mAh packs in both 2S and 3S. If I can save a little weight and get the same performance, I'd take it. Not that the 3S is that much heavier.

Hi! have you gotten around to do this test? I just installed my booster and am wondering the same thing, whether to fit a 2S or 3S to maximize the booster's range.

 

[Diem Turner]

Hi! have you gotten around to do this test? I just installed my booster and am wondering the same thing, whether to fit a 2S or 3S to maximize the booster's range.

Unfortunately not. My booster got damaged in a fall and I need to open it up to see what happened and see if I can fix it.

 

[nathanlow]

Unfortunately not. My booster got damaged in a fall and I need to open it up to see what happened and see if I can fix it.

Ok, just to share, I have tested it with a radiolink with 4w booster on 2s and 3s. I monitored the rssi values and it seems that there are really differences. The boosters operation voltage is 6v to 16v.Hope this helps.

 

[Diem Turner]

Ok, just to share, I have tested it with a radiolink with 4w booster on 2s and 3s. I monitored the rssi values and it seems that there are really differences. The boosters operation voltage is 6v to 16v.Hope this helps.

Cheers for the feedback, that's interesting news. I had suspected that might be the case but I hadn't seen anyone test it yet.

 

[Panther6834]

I just finished installing a 4000mW booster on my 7PXR.

1) Can you share (ie. URL) which booster you got?
2) Have you figured out, and repaired, the problem?
3) Have your tested to determine maximum useable range? And, assuming you have, what is the max?

I get you installed your booster to your 7PXR. I have a 7PX & FS Noble NB4, but I don't want to mess with either...so, I'm considering the 4PM. I'm guessing/going the install shouldn't be much (if any) different than installing in the 7PX/7PXR.

 

[LicketySplit]

1) Can you share (ie. URL) which booster you got?
2) Have you figured out, and repaired, the problem?
3) Have your tested to determine maximum useable range? And, assuming you have, what is the max?

I get you installed your booster to your 7PXR. I have a 7PX & FS Noble NB4, but I don't want to mess with either...so, I'm considering the 4PM. I'm guessing/going the install shouldn't be much (if any) different than installing in the 7PX/7PXR.

I boosted the NB4. It’s very easy and cheaper than the 7PX if you do happen to mess something up. Just my $.02

 

[Diem Turner]

1) Can you share (ie. URL) which booster you got?
2) Have you figured out, and repaired, the problem?
3) Have your tested to determine maximum useable range? And, assuming you have, what is the max?

I get you installed your booster to your 7PXR. I have a 7PX & FS Noble NB4, but I don't want to mess with either...so, I'm considering the 4PM. I'm guessing/going the install shouldn't be much (if any) different than installing in the 7PX/7PXR.

1) I got my range booster off Ebay. https://www.ebay.de/itm/163620503843 The sellers name is onemoredeal. This is the one I got:

2) Unfortunately not. After opening it up I discovered that the input connector had been damaged in the fall and come apart from the circuit board. But even after soldering it back on, the device remains non-functional. I've gone over the board with high power magnification but, alas, I can't find anything else wrong with it. It powers on (red LED turns on), but the green LED doesn't light up. In hopes that it was possibly just the LED I took it outside but lost range after about 40-50ft.
3) No I haven't. I had been meaning to do it but never got around to it before it was damaged. But it's definitely 1200ft at minimum which is from where I stand to my launch point. I'm sure it has at least 2000ft range, but probably a good deal more.

Installing it on the 7PX and 4PM is pretty much the exact same process. The antenna connector on the Tx board is in the same place. It takes about 20-30 minutes to install. I know that the 7PX has a lot more range stock than the 4PM does. How this affects range after installing a booster, I have no idea.