Building A Long Range UAV

I am working on a project of controlling a UAV over long ranges, for example would it be possible to control a UAV Via wifi?. 2.4ghz has a range of 140 mile with the proper equipment, so would it be possible to operate a UAV within this hotspot?. Once I figure out the range issue the next step would be to figure out how to control this UAV via Windows PC with joystick and throttle. I really think this can be done with the technology we have available to use, but I am new to the R/C scene and I may be wrong.

Tags: PC, Range, UAV, longe

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Permalink Reply by Docmafia on January 1, 2010 at 1:01pm
Thank you all for your input, I think I am going to have to study on radio waves and transmission or hire someone here locally to help with this project.
Permalink Reply by Nicholas Budd on January 1, 2010 at 2:18pm
You might want to check your local regulations and laws before expending too much effort on this - in the UK, UAVs must remain within 500m of their operator, and I believe the US rule is similar. You can get around this by applying for various special status classifications (eg. having your UAV recognised as an experimental/research aircraft) but these classifications vary in what they let you get away with, and of course you'll need to satisfy certain requirements to prove that the special status does actually apply to your UAV.
Permalink Reply by Kendric Eugene Oatis on January 1, 2010 at 2:29pm
Mr mafia try this link, I'm sure you will find it interesting
webx.dk/rc/uhf-link3/uhf-link3.htm

ModeratorPermalink Reply by Ken on January 1, 2010 at 8:49pm
Doc,

As others have hinted (or plainly stated) this is a big project. One suggestion is to decide whether you have a real reason to use 2.4 GHz, or is it that just you heard about someone's sister's boyfriend's cousin achieved 140 miles as part of some challenge thus it is "doable." Realize that what a handful of motivated hackers at a convention can achieve, or a group working on a senior project or prank at MIT can achieve, is not what can be done reliably under various weather conditions and "in the field" ... dirty connectors, aging cables, drifting components, tired operators, garbage weather, EMI/jamming (intentional or accidental).

Bottom line: Is your goal to use 2.4 GHz or is your goal to communicate with a device 140 miles away? The answer to that question will drive your solution.

ModeratorPermalink Reply by Sgt Ric on January 1, 2010 at 4:11pm
@Docmafia,
Are you talking about UAV, or FPV, or R/C?

You would not be controlling a UAV with a joystick... that sounds like FPV or just plain R/C.

There are many forum threads here dealing with increasing the range of the many radios which need to be used for control, video, and telemetry.
Permalink Reply by Kendric Eugene Oatis on January 1, 2010 at 6:15pm
this is where you can find the interface to control a uav with a joystick
endurance-rc.com/pctx.html

ModeratorPermalink Reply by Sgt Ric on January 1, 2010 at 9:04pm
I have the PC/Tx interface which I purchased for FPV flight, not for UAVs.

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