My delve in to the world of the DJI Inspire

Actually, you would have been very surprised at how comfortable it is once on, I also have back issues and it was fine once you struggle to get it on your back.

:blush: Me

3D printed by the looks of it.

No problem, I knew youā€™d be happy if you got one.

I suppose you could lay it flat and put a mattress on it :laughing:

Mine donā€™t fold, Iā€™m not that posh.

Iā€™m sure I saw someone mod the original case for folding props, so I donā€™t see why not :thinking:

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Well, after my hydro dipped Inspire 1 mod several months ago, itā€™s been a while since I posted in this thread so itā€™s time I shared the latest mod with you all :grimacing:

You may recall the Titan Atlas active antenna mod that I did on my Mavic Pro?

Well, you can probably guess whatā€™s comingā€¦

:grimacing:

Yup!

Inspire controller modded to take the Titan Atlas :scream: :bowing_man:

I wonā€™t do another tutorial for the modding itself, the process is the same as the Mavic controller mod. Open controller, disconnect existing antennas and removed, fit new QMA connectors in place, re-assemble.

Plus, Titan have an excellent tutorial video which does a better job of explaining it that I could:

Titan sell a mod kit on itā€™s own, for various DJI controllers, so you only need one Atlas amplifier and can then quickly swap it between aircraft.

Hereā€™s roughly what the kit looks like, itā€™s somewhat universal for some RCs (Inspire, Phantom, et al):

For the Inspire 1, youā€™ll also need a separate trace patch antenna if you use two controllers in a Master / Slave configuration.

The reason for this is because one of the two antennas actually has two antennas inside it, giving you three antennas in all. So the removal of the OEM antennas will kill off the communication between two remotes.

5.8GHz patch, itā€™s an extra $10 quid:

Anyway, video above if you want to see the mod process in action.

Skipping directly to the end result, hereā€™s what we have, an Inspire 1 controller fitted with the Titan T-Lock system that allows you to use just the whip antennas on their own, or the powered amplifier for that extra oomph.

Also fitted here is the DJI CrystalSky quick release mount. It needs a slightly longer screw due in the top after this mod, as a couple of mm are lost by by the Titan T-lock bracket now sandwiched in the middle.

So thatā€™s the T-lock and the quick release connectors in place.

And as per the Mavic mod, you can just clip the whip antennas directly on if you like and youā€™re good to go :+1:t2:

These are the 7dBi ones. They do a 5dBi and a 9dBi, but theyā€™re chuffing huge! Youā€™ll have someones eye out :rofl:

And for comparison purposes, hereā€™s how it looks next to an unmodded controller.

Then with the all important Atlas kit fitted :grimacing:

And last but not least, the whole shebang, complete with CSU:

And again, next to the unmodded RC for comparison:

Thereā€™s no denying, there is a significant bit of weight with everything attached. A lanyard is essential in this configuration.

I might try a tripod mount and split the CS and the Atlas out on to the tripod and just connect the controller via the 6ft long car-kit cables that I have. Another option is to attach the car kit to the drone case and use it as a base station, then just the CS and RC in my hand. Will see how it goesā€¦

I am itching to fly this thing now :smiley:

Donā€™t forget guys and gals, we have exclusive discounts in place with both Titan Drones and MaxxUAV - check out the #members-only category for details :+1:t2:

4 Likes

Rich, that looks super super tasty !, been thinking of Modding mine over to the QMA Connectors now for sometime.
Found a good cheap supplier of the various types of QMAā€™s, I have plenty of cables of various sorts from previous modding, plus all the crimping tools needed.
Itā€™s just the old SMA connectors are a right pain in the ass these days when swapping them round .
I done my Phantom 2 and 3 a long while back, and the 4 is waiting to be done.
And now i have more time on my hands it will give me something to do !! LOL
I am looking at building a base station in a flight case with chargers and amps, to be universal with most of the Squadron.

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UK-based Chris? Can you share the details?

Ordering from Titan is costing me a small fortune in shipping and customs & excise fees :blush:

Thatā€™d be an amazing mod :bowing_man:

Iā€™ve looked at the various ground stations Titan have built with some envy over the years, and I simply couldnā€™t justify the cost.

Iā€™d love to do a self buildā€¦

Looking around, Iā€™ve probably got all the parts too! Especially if I butchered / sacrificed one of my car kits for it.

Please do share your experiences if you go down this route :+1:t2:

Iā€™ve used these people for electrical connectors, etc, before.

https://uk.farnell.com/search?st=qma

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Yes, Dave thatā€™s one of the suppliers i found ā€œCPCā€, who i have an account with !!:+1:
@PingSpike, they also do the Waterproof tool boxes (which i already buy for my Flight Cased Computer Systems) , they would make a great ground station cases.

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Blimeyā€¦

Iā€™ve been a CPC customer for about 20 years :rofl:

Why didnā€™t occur to me to check there!?

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https://cpc.farnell.com/c/tools-maintenance/storage/water-resistant-cases#

These make great drone storage cases

OOOOOwww !, they are bloody expensive for QMAs !!

Hereā€™s where i get mine from, granted from China, but pretty quick on postage

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_sac=1&_ssn=rfstore2015&item=222788885707&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR10.TRC0.A0.H0.Xqma.TRS0&_nkw=qma&_sacat=0

rg316 Cable

QMAs

RG402

@PingSpike so if you have the antennas all you need is the cable kit?

Precisely !, a 2 lengths of cable 4 QMAā€™s and wallah !

Well, and the relevant T-Lock bracket to suit your controller. But yup, thatā€™s all the kit you need to mod a second remote. Itā€™s just plugā€™nā€™play then to swap the Titan over :+1:t2:

Iā€™m just wondering if this mod might raise issues with PFCO insurance?
I take the cable set is exactly the same for Insipe 1 and 2?

Thatā€™s a very good point, i would not want to change mine before my PfCO if thatā€™s the case !

While researching before biting into PFCO I came across an insurer that stated the SAUV must not be modified in any way. I think Iā€™ll make a random call to an insurer and see, Itā€™s possible that they havenā€™t thought about it or even come across anyone with the mod.
Iā€™d think that if itā€™s done by the TX manufacture they would accept it, a do it yourself job has no guarantees and in the eyes of an insurer the risks have skyrocketed.

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Like vehicle insurance Iā€™m guessing any undeclared mod (hardware, apps, firmware, etc) would void most policies - suggest checking the small print. Same goes for hobbyist public liability insurance Iā€™m guessing.

Fire up a new thread in Legal & Privacy to discuss further :+1:t2:

Unsure re the I2.

Itā€™s identical for the Mavic Pro and Inspire 1, so Iā€™m guessing DJI use a common connector throughout most of their equipment?

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I would say that would be a pretty much a standard response from any Insurance Company.

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Ive not seen it mentioned in any of the T&Cs for hobbyist liability as they dont differentiate between quads, model aircraft and even home builds.