Have got some existing low power 2mW XBee series 2 with an Explorer that I've used successfully to communicate between a PC with the XBee Explorer and a remote Arduino based project.
I'd now like to create a one way link to send telemetry data from a model rocket with an Arduino based telemetry board that has a ZigBee option. I'm thinking I'd be able to get away with the existing low power XBee I have plugged into the XBee explorer as the base station to receive the data and just purchase a high power XBee with an aerial to mount inside the rocket.
Does anyone have any experience or comments about combining a low and high power XBee to create this one way link from the rocket to a base ground station?
I realise the XBee must be of the same series (1 or 2/2.5) to be able to successfully communicate.
The ones I currently have are these www.sparkfun.com/products/8691 and I'm thinking if I bought something like this http://www.littlebirdelectronics.com/products/XBee-Pro-50mW-Series-2.5-RPSMA.html# I'd be able to create a reasonably good distance link for a smallish model rocket to send it's telemetry data through.
One issue I'm seeing is that the transmitter may need to be in some sort of broadcast or no sync/acknowledge mode as the receiver would be low power and not be able to transmit data/acknowledgements back to the rocket to acknowledge data being received. It also may (given a very good flight) go out of range and so coping with nobody listening/receiving needs to be configured into the transmitter end.
Second, what aerial or version of the 50mw XBee would make sense to use in the rocket? The link to the one I've shown above requires an external RSPMA aerial to be plugged in. Assuming the combination of high to low power sending only would work, would this be the right aerial type to use being mounted internally in a rocket?
Or am I just trying to make this all to complicated and should ignore the fact that I have low power XBee modules now and buy 2 high power ones that I won't be transmitting from one with?
Thanks.
Best Answer
I guess you are not trying to get range >1km, right?
Are you really sure you need telemetry? Logging data into microSD card is way easier & more reliable. microsd card can survive even the most horrible crash.
If you really need to extend range, I would suggest directional antenna on ground receiver with servos to track rocket. That would be very fun and will extend the range much more than 50mW transmitter.