I have the Black Pearl 5.8 GHz 7 channel monitor.  I have a Fatshark 250mW transmitter.  The video quality is occasionally garbled looking no matter which channel I use.  I am using the stock antennas.  Would the video quality improve with better antennas?

Thanks for your input.

At which range is your video quality poor, even at very close range? With a 250mW transmitter and whip antennas you should get up to 500m of good video feed. Other antennas like the SpiroNet would generally give you more range.

This was at any range.  It has occasional lines of static showing.  I can still see the picture just not clear all the time.

Did you perhaps start up your phantom without having an antenna on your transmitter? This could blow the tranmitter and would also cause the very poor range/signal strength.

I seem to lose signal when the Phantom is directly overhead, then it returns after a second or two. Is that to be expected?

JerryLaurence Posted at 2015-2-16 02:18
I seem to lose signal when the Phantom is directly overhead, then it returns after a second or two.  ...

What direction is your antenna on the remote control pointed?

Remember that the signal strength from whip antennas comes off from the sides, not from the tip of the antenna. So if it is over you, don't point the antenna vertically up, keep it horizontal.

That makes sense. So you move the antennas according to where the Phantom is?

JerryLaurence Posted at 2015-2-16 02:40
That makes sense. So you move the antennas according to where the Phantom is?

Correct, You need to adjust the antenna as you go.

Here is a clip showing the differences comparing linear and circular polarized antennas.

markus2015 Posted at 2015-2-16 01:25
Did you perhaps start up your phantom without having an antenna on your transmitter? This could blow ...

No the antennas were all in place prior to and during the operation.