Since sparkfun makes the ardupilot boards for DIY Drones I thought this might be a place to post this question. I am using a standard Ardupiliot and HiTEc receiver in my EasyStar plane. Not at first but of recient I have experienced transmitter range troubles. W/O the Ardupilot I can fly my plane as far away as I can see it. With the Ardupilot installed with or without the shield installed or IMU the unit cannot be 6 ft away with the antenna down on my 72 Mhz radio. The servos will start getting the jitters 50 ft away with the Tx antenna up. It is always my tendancy to distrust software as the issue but the plane appears to function in any mode properly close up so now I suspect signal throughput issues. Somehow the signal appears weakened from the receiver to the controller. I am guessing a board component is ill, but which? Any one w/ ideas or experience in this by all means jump in. Cheers!