[kypfer]

With a bit of a struggle, provided I stand close enough, I can get my iPhone to connect to my KP with ImageSync and all appears good.
The camera has got the specifically purchased OEM mains adaptor fitted so I don't have to worry about the battery going flat … I've just got to sit back a few feet away and await my unwitting subject


WRONG

After a minute or so the wi-fi connection is dropped and I have to start over.


Now the weird stuff!
If I run the camera off the battery, with no connection to the mains (which rather defeats the object of purchasing the adaptor in the first place) the wi-fi will remain connected 'till the battery goes flat!
I've tried various combinations of Power Saving (or not) but the overriding situation remains … with the mains adaptor connected the wi-fi disconnects in fairly short order!
Is there some obscure menu setting that I've missed that causes this effect, or is it a "feature"?

[UncleVanya]

One probably unrelated thing that I’ve found is that my iPhone will grab the normal WiFi baby and drop the camera if I don’t reconfigure it to NOT auto join that WiFi. This may be unrelated to your offsite unless the locations of the tests are in different places where battery use was away from known WiFi networks and ac was near known WiFi networks.

[kypfer]

One probably unrelated thing that I’ve found is that my iPhone will grab the normal WiFi baby and drop the camera if I don’t reconfigure it to NOT auto join that WiFi. This may be unrelated to your offsite unless the locations of the tests are in different places where battery use was away from known WiFi networks and ac was near known WiFi networks.

Valid thoughts … thanks … but, luddite that I am, I don't use wi-fi for anything other than to control my cameras remotely and only then because I was given an old iPhone specifically for the purpose (it doesn't even have a SIM-card fitted)!
The 'phone only "knows about" three networks … all my Pentax cameras, and there's only ever one with wi-fi enabled at a time.
The K-70 won't do movies over wi-fi, so that's not applicable for this particular instance, and I haven't tried the K-3iii 'cos I don't have a mains adaptor for it, though the K-3iii battery would last longer than the KP so that may be a workaround.

[AfterPentax Mark II]

If you have the adapter connected, is the battery in the camera or not. If it is in the camera remove the battery and then connect the camera with the adapter. And do your usual set-up. Maybe this will help. What does the manual of the adapter say about leaving the battery in the camera?

[kypfer]

If you have the adapter connected, is the battery in the camera or not. If it is in the camera remove the battery and then connect the camera with the adapter. And do your usual set-up. Maybe this will help. What does the manual of the adapter say about leaving the battery in the camera?

Interesting suggestion. The battery was in the camera … I'll try it tomorrow without a battery fitted.
The Operating Manual for the AC Adaptor D-AC168 (yes, I kept it!) says :-
"For information on how to use the AC Adaptor, please refer to the operating manual for the digital camera"
Other than that, there's just the usual Warnings, Cautions, cautions about the warnings and instructions on how to dispose of it … in 10 different languages!

The KP Operating Manual, p40, says (I kid you not) :-
"Be sure to read the manual of the AC adaptor kit before using the AC adaptor."

The only real instruction for use is to connect the adaptor to the camera with the camera switched off, then connect the adaptor to the mains before switching the camera on.
Nowhere (that I can find) is there any reference to removing the battery (or not) when using the adaptor, but it'll definitely be worth a try

Just a point of reference … the KP manual quotes the use of the K-AC167 adaptor … the D-AC168 is the same device, but in addition has the "dummy battery" for use in the K-70.

[clackers]

With a bit of a struggle, provided I stand close enough, I can get my iPhone to connect to my KP with ImageSync and all appears good.
The camera has got the specifically purchased OEM mains adaptor fitted so I don't have to worry about the battery going flat … I've just got to sit back a few feet away and await my unwitting subject


WRONG

After a minute or so the wi-fi connection is dropped and I have to start over.


Now the weird stuff!
If I run the camera off the battery, with no connection to the mains (which rather defeats the object of purchasing the adaptor in the first place) the wi-fi will remain connected 'till the battery goes flat!
I've tried various combinations of Power Saving (or not) but the overriding situation remains … with the mains adaptor connected the wi-fi disconnects in fairly short order!
Is there some obscure menu setting that I've missed that causes this effect, or is it a "feature"?

I think this is more likely your phone, not the app, Kypfer!

A lot of phones will under different circumstances panic and switch to cellular data if the wifi network they're on is not getting them to the Internet.

eg How to Disable Samsung’s “Smart Network Switch” to Avoid Too Much Data Usage

Temporarily disabling your cellular data will do the same thing.

[UncleVanya]

I think this is more likely your phone, not the app, Kypfer!

A lot of phones will under different circumstances panic and switch to cellular data if the wifi network they're on is not getting them to the Internet.

eg How to Disable Samsung’s “Smart Network Switch” to Avoid Too Much Data Usage

Temporarily disabling your cellular data will do the same thing.

On iPhones the setting is WiFi assist. About Wi-Fi Assist - Apple Support

@kypfer You can turn that feature off (directions in the link) - it might help.

It doesn’t explain why it works when the KP is on battery and not on an ac adapter however…

[kypfer]

I think this is more likely your phone, not the app, Kypfer!
A lot of phones will under different circumstances panic and switch to cellular data if the wifi network they're on is not getting them to the Internet.
eg How to Disable Samsung’s “Smart Network Switch” to Avoid Too Much Data Usage
Temporarily disabling your cellular data will do the same thing.

As mentioned above … the 'phone has no SIM-card, so cellular access isn't an issue … the 'phone has only been "introduced" to my three cameras, only one of which is in use with wi-fi at a time, it has no information for any other network.

---------- Post added 08-11-22 at 10:54 PM ----------

On iPhones the setting is WiFi assist. About Wi-Fi Assist - Apple Support
@kypfer You can turn that feature off (directions in the link) - it might help.
It doesn’t explain why it works when the KP is on battery and not on an ac adapter however…

Thanks … WiFi Assist is only available with a SIM-card fitted, so that's not applicable, but I did find Siri had access to ImageSync so I've disabled that.
I'll be playing later.

[UncleVanya]

As mentioned above … the 'phone has no SIM-card, so cellular access isn't an issue … the 'phone has only been "introduced" to my three cameras, only one of which is in use with wi-fi at a time, it has no information for any other network.

---------- Post added 08-11-22 at 10:54 PM ----------



Thanks … WiFi Assist is only available with a SIM-card fitted, so that's not applicable, but I did find Siri had access to ImageSync so I've disabled that.
I'll be playing later.

Well poop.

[kypfer]

Update :-
Thanks for all the feedback so far … I've been playing some more and there might be more to it than simply a battery/adaptor problem.
Seems like there might be a heat/range/interference issue in the mix as well.
Indoors, over a 5-10ft range, all is good irrespective of configuration.
Outdoors, in the garden in bright hot sunshine, the battery only configuration is still fairly reliable, but as soon as I connect the mains adaptor (with a mains extension lead), with or without a battery in the camera, the connection drops very regularly, as though either the adaptor is acting as an antenna or causing the wi-fi to be more sensitive and so being affected by external interference … or maybe the camera is simply shutting down in the hot sunshine.
So, as it stands, provided I don't get too far away from the camera (what is the range of a good wi-fi connection?) and don't try to run the camera off the mains, I can get it to work … not quite what I had in mind
One configuration I've not tried, having only just thought of it, is to wedge the "dummy" battery, as used in the K-70, into the KP and run the mains adaptor through that … something for next time

[UncleVanya]

Try shading the camera as well.

[ZombieArmy]

EMI could definitely cause wireless dropouts.

[Joetitch]

Would using the battery grip give the run time and would it switch batteries without dropping the wifi?
I have no idea.

[kypfer]

Would using the battery grip give the run time and would it switch batteries without dropping the wifi?
I have no idea.

Neither have I !!
I've not bought a battery grip for the KP for several reasons … all size and price related.
Having bought an OEM AC Adaptor I'd expect it to be more reliable than an internal battery, not less … I'll certainly not be paying even more money just to find that doesn't work either

[kypfer]

Update :-
A couple more hours testing and checking, mostly using Wi-fi Commander, has shown that the problem is the camera overheating … even more so with the AC Adaptor in use than when just running on batteries
Wi-Fi Commander gives a wider range of camera feedback than ImageSync so it's possible to recognise the camera is getting hot from the on-screen message.
So it would seem trying to use my KP for this kind of work at this time of year may be a non-starter
I've reverted to a totally reliable long wire cable release, but this does mean I have to be in line-of-sight with my subject to know when to press the button, a situation I was wanting to avoid.