Antenna tuning service

Antenna tuning

Standard tuning — included

Every 5.8 GHz antenna we ship is tuned before it leaves us, at no extra cost:

• centred on 5800 MHz, which suits the majority of FPV systems
• usable across 5650–5930 MHz
• compatible with standard 5.8 GHz equipment
• antennas within a set tuned to a common point, so a pair or group behaves consistently
• each unit measured individually and labelled with its own figures

If you fly on standard channels, this is all you need. Order normally.

Custom tuning — a paid service

If your equipment sits somewhere specific in the band, or off it entirely, we tune to your frequency instead of ours.

Custom tuning is added as a Custom Order item in the cart. One item covers one frequency: if your order needs antennas on three different frequencies, add it three times.

If you have ordered from us before, one retune per order is free.

What tuning actually changes

A better-matched antenna radiates more of the power your VTX produces instead of reflecting it back, and picks up more on the receive side. Three things follow from that.

Lower and more stable latency on digital links. DJI and Walksnail respond to a weakening link by retransmitting, adding error correction and buffering more — all of which costs milliseconds. Holding link margin keeps latency low and, more usefully, predictable.

Better performance behind obstacles. Trees, walls and terrain all eat link margin. More margin to start with means you stay connected further into the obstruction. The antenna cannot change what the obstacle does; it changes how much you can afford to lose.

Cleaner reception in reflective environments. In circularly polarized antennas — crosshair, MiCross, helical — multipath rejection depends on axial ratio, and axial ratio degrades as the antenna drifts off its tuned frequency. An antenna tuned to the frequency you actually fly on holds its polarization purity where it matters.

Our guarantee is VSWR no worse than 1.3 across the antenna's range. In practice most units measure well below it, and the label tells you the figure for the unit in your hand.

Beyond the catalogue

The shop shows what we keep as standard. A significant part of our work sits outside it.

Other bands entirely. We have designed and delivered antennas at 415 MHz, 800 MHz, 1400 MHz, 1500 MHz, 1580 MHz, 2.1 GHz, 2.2 GHz and 6 GHz, among others. Current production covers roughly 400 MHz to 6 GHz. Send us the frequency, polarization, mechanical constraints and quantity, and we will tell you what is feasible, what needs a new design, and what it costs.

Antennas built into your structure. We design antennas integrated into the airframe itself — inside a vertical stabilizer, a fairing or an enclosure — and tune and measure them in that mounting rather than in free space. The figures then apply to the antenna as installed, which at that point is the only figure worth having. Send us the part or its drawing along with the target frequency.

Antennas you bought elsewhere. Send them in and we will measure them. If they can be corrected, we will tell you; if they cannot, you will at least know what you have.

Documentation. A measurement certificate is available on request where a project needs one on file.

Cable and connectors

Non-standard cable lengths are available on most models, excluding MMCX and IPEX. Connector options vary by model — ask if you need something outside the standard SMA and RP-SMA range.

Cable length affects the match, so the VSWR guarantee applies to catalogue lengths. On a custom length we will tell you upfront what to expect.

How to order

Standard tuning: order normally, nothing to add.

Custom tuning: add the Custom Order item to your cart and put the following in the order notes:

• the target frequency in MHz, for example R4 / 5733 MHz
• if you are adding to a set you already own, the span from that antenna's label
• anything else relevant — cable length, connector, mounting constraints

Custom tuning extends the lead time. If you are in a hurry, order the standard version.

Questions

How accurate is it? Within ±20 MHz of the requested frequency as standard, and tighter when a project needs it.

Can you match antennas I already have? Yes — send us the span printed on the label of your existing unit and we will tune the new one to it.

Can a whole batch be tuned to exactly the same point? Yes, but it is quoted separately from standard set matching. Tell us the quantity and we will price it.

How much longer does it take? Longer than a standard order, and how much longer depends on quantity and frequency. We will give you a date before you commit.

Not sure what you need? bartek@prodrone.pl, +48 725 908 725 (also WhatsApp).