Good Day Gavin. I am an old Ham Radio operator, and a couple of weeks ago I had made an observation about the many stories of the Mini 3 Pro range issues, and at that time I, as now still have not received my new Mini 3, so I could not try the experiment that you have just done. I want to thank you for taking the time to test this out. I believe that you may have hit the nail on the head. I suspected that Ocusync 3 is having a problem deciding which frequency to use and when, and thus also creating a hesitation between choosing frequencies, therefore loss of signal, only to regain it again a minute later when Ocusync 3 makes up it's mind. I also do not think it makes a great amount of difference which controller is being used. Thank you so much for doing this test. I really hope Dji pays attention to your video posts. GOOD JOB!!!!
Thank you very much for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the test and the reasoning and that our suspicions seem to be in line with each other. Appreciate you wanting and your comment thank you
The image in the video pretty much tells me that the drone is still on the ground. Before the drone takes off, the distance between the drone and the remote would only be a couple of feet, so obviously there won't be any connection issues. So from that point until a certain distance interference would not be strong enough to cause a channel switch as Ocusync is designed to do. Doesn't matter whether you're using the RC-N1 or the DJI-RC.
Just upgraded from Mini SE to a Mini 3Pro and was very disapponted with the range. I saw you video yesterday and swapped to manual and 2.4GHz (I am rural) and my range doubled instantly. Thanks!
Thanks for this gavin . I had a flight last night around Nottingham castle and couldn’t get very far without complete drop out . Tonight I’ve switched to 5.8ghz and it’s made a huge difference
Absolutely 💯 you are absolutely right. Often it's not the signal strength, but the interference that reduces the range. Have excellent flights. Much love Matthias 👋
What would DJI do without you? Thank you for all the information you pass on and the work that goes into it. I definitely will pay more attention to this.
Well FINIALLY somebody has done his homework and provides a real possible cause of the range discrepancies with the Mini 3 PRO. Excellent video and maybe DJI is watching and will update the firmware accordingly. Thanks lots as you have put my mine at ease.
Definitely could play a part in some cases, however I've seen many people with equally poor signal on the RC-N1. I do most flying in a rural area so next time will manually select 2.4 and see how it goes. I still find it strange my Mini 1 continues to outperform my Mini 3 when it comes to range here.
Hi Gavin, I noticed long ago that when you turn the RC by 90 degree (but still towards the drone), I get a stronger signal. This would support the mismatch of the antennas in the arms "Horizontal" Versus "Vertical" polarization in RC .. :(
hi thanks for sharing your thoughts on this matter , I had the mini 2 first and could send it miles before it lost connection . Since buying the mini 3 with the rc remote when it came out I have been very let down with the range it can fly before it loses connection. Im at a point now where I'm thinking of selling it and going back to the mini 2 ,although I do like some of the features of the 3 and feel the camera and picture quality is much better. I am going to try your advice to see if makes a difference in range perhaps this could be the last chance for my little mini 3. Regards, Buzz.
Well I hope it works for you ! Please feed back what you discover with this method, I do believe the antenna placement on the drone is the issue rather than the RC controller but please do let me know
Great explanation! That explains why the recent firmware update for this issue was only for the controller. Whereas it used to be a theory that the drone had bad antennas. Unfortunately, while almost everyone has stated they've gotten better connection, many people say it did not improve by too much. This remains a sporadic issue. Some people have shown fantastic ranges on their mini 3, even surpassing the mini 2 signal and range. Whilst others stay showing abysmal range and signal dropouts on the mini 3. The rc-n1 just seems like a better controller. Indeed upon opening up my mini 3 the controller felt so flimsy compared to it. Another annoying widespread issue (also affecting my drone) is overheating. My mini 2 never overheated. Just today I did a test keeping the drones on and idle and the mini 2 did not overheat even after an hour while the mini 3 overheated in 7-9 minutes on multiple tests. Have you solved/figured out your signal issues since? And have you ever had overheating issues? Great video!
it is said that the dji mini 3 pro doesn’t have internal fans to make it lighter and is designed so that when in flight that the back propellers pushes air into the back vents to keep it cool, so if left on the ground the dji mini 3 overheats and shuts off while the dji mini 2 doesn’t overheat because it has internal fans
The mini2 has a fan built in. My mini 3 gets warm in less than ten minutes also. I use a air mattress inflatable device and prior to that a lap top fan table stand helped also...
Hi Gavin just found a very annoying 'feature' on the Mini 3 pro relating to signals you might like to review. I live in an authorisation zone so applied for an unlock which I did make work by using my mobile phone as a hotspot. However having turned the hotspot on and connected the controller too it, when you go to take off the message 'Turning Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity off to improve connectivity, If you need wifi turn it back on manually'. You still need wifi to finish the authorisation process so you then have to turn it back on again. Unless I'm being a numpty and doing something wrong.
Very interesting and super helpful video! I got this drone as my first drone ever a couple of weeks ago and having a LOT of fun with it. But indeed, signal drops when the drone is still in quite close distance did happen to me yesterday. I went to a rural area but where there are some overhead power lines installed. Obviously I'm well aware these would have an impact and I tried to stay relatively far from them. But I was wondering what is usually the range of interference of those lines on the RC transmission signal. Any ballpark idea? In any case, I will try your manual switching tip on my next flight....which should be in an hour or so. :)
In Scandinavia... I´m getting more stable and longer range with the RC-N1compared to the new RC that comes with the Mini 3. Had both and did several tests at exactly same places, similar climate, same time of day, etc. RC-N1 has no problem letting you fly out of site (not recommended of course but for sake of test) behind forest, standing behind building, around and behind island on sea, etc. Also seeing more stable connection with RC-N1 when flying in densely populated areas. Glad I sold the Mini 3 with RC and kept the RC-N1 kit (yes did the test switching units back and forth.. same result.) On a side note.. also preferring the stick controls on the RC-N1 which feel a bit more damped and easier to make micro adjustments with.
@@GAVINHR Thanks for the response! If you want extra content ideas, especially regarding your extensive range extending legacy, you can try making a large parabolic mirror bowl with aluminum foil, and then try it with a proper satellite dish. Align the controller antenna in the focus of the mirror dish and in theory it would work. It's more based on real science than the yagis, reason you don't see it is it would be only useful for extremely high altitude 0 Distance flights, where the parabolic mirror is sat on the ground permanently facing up. if you need help getting a form 107 waiver to get above 500m restriction then I can help you since that is what I do. I have 4999m unlocked
There is a strong theory that the removal of the vertical antennas at the feet is the cause of the weaker signal. The drone is no longer sensitive to vertically polarized signal...
@@barryp8145 I just believe better safe than sorry. Love the bird myself.. been long time since owened a camera bird.. always few FPV race drones. Allot of fun but repairs take time and money. Not as much as this bird! Lol
I’ve had my mini 3 pro with rc for a week now and I live in a built up area like you in the uk, except I have a 100meter row of very tall trees in front of my house . I’ve had no signal drops so far flying out to around 400 meters . I haven’t gone further yet due to some angry seagulls . Looking at my flight data in the Airdata app it shows no signal drops whatsoever and I am using the remote with built in screen . Airdata tells me my mini 3 maintained %100 signal during my 35 minute flight (extended batteries) . So far so good 😀
has this been fixed? I hear the RC is bad because it does not have antennas so it might be good to get either the old one with the phone controller or the PRO RC
Lost a mini 1 recently, so have a 2 on the way better signal ect, good advice on the frequencies. Stayed away from the 3 as a pole showed 48% having problems, could be down to the different chips due to shortage, many are using chips they wish they didnt have to.
I live in the mountains, if available , if you can fly from a spot where you can stay above the drone, the mini drones, all of the ones I owned seemed to keep their signal better and this also can make maintaining L.O.S. easier. There are many places in mountainous areas where this situation is possible. A really good way to fly low and close to stuff as well. Hope this helps if anyone sees it, drones are a blast, so much fun, an excellent way to waste time if we’re talking hobby. I’m strictly hobbyist.
I’ve experienced the exact same issue… the range would vary depending on the location. In one urban environment, the video signal dropped out after just a few hundred metres away. I definitely think there was interference from another source on the same frequency. While in a large park with open space, my Mini 3 happily went for miles.
Very interesting Gavin👍. So looks like your testing shows in urban congested areas where the 2.4ghz frequency is being shared/used by all kinds of peripheral equipment, home WiFis, cell phones, computers, and so on, are affecting the mini’s best signal. Switching to the less popular 5.8ghz frequency gives the mini a more reliable signal… BRILLIANT observation. I will test the theory myself here in Miami, Florida, 🇺🇸. Just earned a new subscriber.
Great tip! So glad to see this was not a video recommending people to illegally mod the drone/controller to use FCC mode, but rather how to adjust to the right condition. FCC mode is, anyways not needed, as the added value really only comes after breaking the mandatory VLOS anyways.
Thanks for the video and great explanation. But even if you are correct, why is the mini 3 still performing worse then eg mini or mini2? Also is ocusync 3 vs ocusync 2 not causing the problem? And the antenna design in the legs of the mini 3? And we are very far away from the DJI advertized range...even if we reduce this by 50%, most users will not even reach 5 or 10% from the published range. So DJI has to step up now and announce first of all there is an issue and second how and when they plan to fix this!
Hi there my friend, well if you remember my test I found no difference between the mini 2 and mini 3 , I do appreciate others are saying there is a difference but I didn't see one, ocusync 3 is basically just 2 extra antennas and a 1080p feed to the controller / phone that's all. I mean - it's all still poor don't get me wrong, the autel signal is bulletproof !
My Mini 3 with RC-N1 still has substantially shorter range than my Mini 2. If there is a design flaw in the Mini 3 itself which makes reaching advertised distances in optimal conditions impossible... hello class action lawsuit.
Some countries don't allow 5.8, thus are "stuck" only at 2.4, because it's locked that way. Still some have problems, while others don't. No one really knows why this thing happens until DJI will acknowledge it has a problem and do something about it.
Regardless what configuration my mini 2 will go about 1.5 kms further before I start losing signal. My friend also has the same problem. Informative video but I think the problem runs deeper than this. Hopefully they can fix it with a firmware update but for now I'm taking my mini 2 on my vacation.
That sir is one of your best videos and if as you suggest the auto switching is not working well (clear channel assessment) then dji need to sort it, its a function of good FHSS
Thank You so much GAVINHR for your great attention of the problem!!! Like many others I am waiting to order this Mini 3 Pro untill a Firmware Update has solved its Range Issue.... The Frequence Shifting Function is for sure the most complicated basic function which would need to be secured for DJI ! Highest probability to fail if any major included sw or hw is updated! I can read out that their antenna specs are changed from Air 2S to Mini 3 Pro! 2T4R in Air 2S means two transmitters and four receivers. 1T2R in Mini 3 Pro means ONE transmitter and two receivers, which could possible be a step to save cost or weight in the Mini 3 Pro?? It looks like the Air 2S Antenna Spec in general manage 300mbps "Fast Upload and fast download" while the Mini 3 Pro Spec manage 150mbps which is on the edge of its MAX VIDEO Bitrate Spec! => While the Air 2S and the Mini 3 Pro has equal rated Video Bitrate Spec, it looks like the Air 2S Antenna has by far a larger Bitrate Marginal left to handle the Drone it self and Frequency Shifting in parallell to the Video Transfer! The drone will pass over areas where WiFi Traffic differs, so a shift in WiFi Frequence should in most cases be initiated by the drone! With the new less efficient Mini 3 Pro antenna which limits the upload capacity there must be a function which handle a priority between Drone Handling, Frequency Shifting and Video Transfer? That function must be by far more important in the Mini 3 Pro than in the Air 2S! => If there was a way to limit the Video Bitrate it self ? And when weak signal also testing influence of limit the handling (stop the drone..) we could maybe figure out if the signal improves? Meaning the Frequency Shifting worked due to less other Data Transfer from the Mini 3 Pro Drone?
Hi, could you tell me what the minus is for at the top right of the map icon at 5:10 please. When I press the -, it changes to a + but it doesn't seem to seem do anything, I thought it would be to zoom the map in or out. Thanks.
@@GAVINHR Thanks for the quick reply but the icon at the bottom left minimises the map on mine. The top right just toggles the plus/minus symbol. No biggie, I just can't make out what it's changing, or if it's for a future use.
With latest fw. RC has still less range than N1 (2500 vs 3000m) on 2,4 GHz. About the 2,4 GHZ it is not "design" for longer ranges but it is about that attenuation increase with frequency ( in GHz range relation became quadratic).This is the reason why in radio comm (LTE/5G) you input 100W in antenna and in a few hundred meters you can pickup just few nano Watts. So in 5.8 GHz attenuation is bigger than in 2.4 GHz. For the long range one must always prioritize 2.4 GHz. 5.8 has the advantage that it can allow much larger bandwith channels, which in that case is not so important (4k recording is done on drone, and for video stream is enough bw on 2.4 GHz). The 5.8 band is supposed to be less bussy than 2.4 due to the fact that there sloud be less devices on this frequency.This is why producers recomends using 5.8 in city, but you must always make tests before the fly, because no one cand predict electromagnetic map on every place.
I am doing intensive research at this moment and about ready to pull the trigger for a Dji Mine 3 pro. My question, who do you trust to buy from. I am seeing some reviews I don't like on Amazon that talk about sorry vendors not responding to problems. Who should I purchase my drone from? Thanks for an answer. Jerry
Thanks for running these tests. I experienced the same problem with mini3 pro and DJI RC. My mavic 2 pro had the same problem of stock controller has great range, but smart controllers range was pathetic. Could the frequency band be the problem there too?
It does make sense Gavin cant understand how some users are not getting such problems with the RC version. So it maybe its only affecting some RC’s? Let’s hope DJI sort this soon as it doesn’t bond confidence or safety knowing there is inconsistencies with signal strength. Great inspiring channel 👍
As ever you give me something i had never even thought about to check and consider if i get signal problems ( i haven't yet ) but cheers Gav. Always thinking outside the box
Yes but he’s thinking outside the box about what’s going on inside the box, and for that we are grateful 👍🏻 New owner living in a sparsely populated rural area of the highlands, and getting line of sight of around 1,5km, beyond which I would lose sight of the bird anyway, so basically happy. I did see that several are fitting external antennae per Dutch Mark Mark’s video, but it’s not clear to me that this would be a great advantage, the Netherlands being the most densely populated country in Europe, with lots of interference sources. Basically I’m happy with the range, given the size, and looking forward to installing the waypoint upgrade, which will make the wee drone a powerful tool for my purposes. Thanks again!
OK so if I put it in 5.8 should that be all I need to do? Or do I need to put it in manual then or just leave it in automatic? Also, every time I start the drone do I need to put it back in to 5.8? Does it automatically going to 2.4 every time it’s restarted Thanks.
I would like to know how far one can fly with 2.4 vs 5.8, of course assuming no significant interference from other devices using the same frequency (which I think is almost an impossible mission in an urban environment).
Range is too good on mine i took it out 5.6kms and had no transmission issues but rookie mistake i forgot to go out into the wind and with the wind on the way back. Anyway it landed in a farmers field and even though the battery was dead i was able to find it via gps
ive had some strange signal dives under BIG bridges over the river i love to fly over. This explains all my theories! thank you cheers! oh hey could you make a video with the RC PRO controller and the mini 3 pro for this issue?
Hi Gavin I do a lot of flights that involve going low round ships of different sizes this is where I get poor signal strength, do you think if I change the frequency to 5.8 it might give me a better signal, cheers Gavin.
@@Steve53 thank you very much! I always try reply when I can but sometimes I simply don’t get notified of comments so I miss them :) thank you for watching!
Didn´t you say there is no difference in the RC and RC1 in term of range? So it can´t be a 2.4 / 5.8 issue, right? Actually in my case there was no (positive or negative ) effect when switching manually between the two wavelengths. Same bad signal strength.
That's correct but when I did the controller test I fixed the frequency to take any variables out of it, but the RC-N1 seems to be picking the correct frequency when left in auto - the RC seems to be getting it wrong
Very interesting. Just got my mini 2, will be interesting to see what happens. Question If you select manual, set your frequency then take off what happens if you then change your frequency mid flight without first landing
fact good observation, not only the environment but the time . if you are in town at 6pm expect lots of interference and swap over to 5.8 but at night the 2.4 wont be half as bad!
When you pass over houses, the 2.4 Ghz routers can also detect the band of drone and is switching also the channel...As all new routers and mesh units does this, will start a hopping between channels as long as you interfere with that network. Now, 5.8 Ghz is more clear as the signal is not penetrating the walls at houses so easy...but will be pretty sensitive to any obstacles, so even a tree will kill your range. To set manual channel is pretty dangerous, as you can enter in a range of a network that you cannot predict at take off and you will be jammed. Act with caution.
Unless you put a Spectrum Analyser on the 2 different carrier freq's where you are "testing it" it will always be just a case of perhaps/maybe/if......
Well you can use a spectrum analyser absolutely but the proof is 5.8 worked better than 2.4 as shown, ideally the drone should be doing the hard work but I suspect it's not
Was expecting something more technical like frequency analyzer, check if it's giving the correct power output, correct polarization which so far I know, I watched somewhere that, MIni 3 Pro (obviously) is in horizontal polarization unlike the Mini 2 RCN1/DJI RC is vertical polarization
I see the following problem: When you lost signal because of interferences, you will not be able to switch manually. When your drone crashs or have a flyawy because of manually settings, will this affect warranty? Maybe dji will say, why do you have changed it to manual, with Auto detect the crash wouldnt be happen. So in my opionion its a good video for DJI to develop a fix but manually switching could be dangerous.
I've got the DJI RC had flights in rural areas that have ranged 1200m and rural to over an urban area at 1300m, never really noticed any issues with signal drop until i get to the 1000m range.
Makes perfect sense to me Gavin. Unfortunately the newer member to the hobby have no idea and just put it down to the drone and software :) cheers pal keep flying!
Exactly, the older drones such as the air and the Mavic mini really took a lot more finesse, people became too reliant on out the box and expecting it to work perfect. Thanks for watching
If you want range, slow your forward speed, this is for mini 2 and beyond. Won’t help mini 1. The automatic switching Seems to need some extra time to find a good channel. Sometimes stopping for a few seconds will greatly improve your signal. When your really stretched out , don’t turn around to come back, reverse to a distance where you have a stronger signal. Turning the drone with a weak signal will cause signal loss for sure. If you trust the tech, this stuff becomes less important. If you set a DJI drone up properly before you fly , it’s going to return to home if it’s able. I have had 4 DJI drones and only my spark experienced technical issues that made operating it difficult, it did not loose control completely, it was impossible to get it to do anything at all smoothly. I crashed it into a tree purposely to recover it. Only suffered broken prop.
I’ve been losing rc signal on my air2s for a while now I don’t know what the problem is. I’m some locations I have a strong rc signal while in some locations I turns red and my drone returns to home
Great information Gavin, I've ordered a new Mini 3 Pro but have opted for the standard controller. I'm not too happy with the new one going off the various problems that have been reported.
@@GAVINHR It was supposed to be here Thursday but it turned up earlier . So have just finished updating it. One thing I noticed though is that it got quite warm as I updated the firmware. But sent it out over the front and it was cool when it got back. Couldn't give it a good try as the Shell ducks on the pond at the front have chicks on the water and decided to have a go. Anyway I'm getting Coverdrone insurance from your link tomorrow. £65 .09p but that's without ground items.
Brilliant news! Yes it does get a bit warm during the update process's but at least it's now done, the advantage is because you can buy the drone on its own means you can do exactly that and just insure the drone only! Thanks for using the link I really appreciate it
Hey Gavs, in your vid, the horizontal line is exactly on the 1km (4km?) mark. On mine, using the air 2s, the horizontal line is just below the 1km line. I am forced into ce as i live in Africa, but u sound like u also a ce resident. What is this line difference about?
Could very well be the answer gavin good video hopefully your viewers can come back with their findings to you so we can see if the controller is indeed making poor choices on frequency
Nicely explained. I will be checking the setting you mentioned .. should I find a poor signal .. however to date it seems to be meeting my nice expectations Merv Aussie in Thailand
Great video, thanks for sharing. I also noticed the lose of signal at very short range after executing panoramas o even just taking a photo. First time I had these issues, it happened with both remotes and always in city area. Hope DJI can fix this or I will go back to my Air2s...
Other youtube videos said that the mini 3 pro has poor signal because it doesn't have the little vertical antenna feet on the tips like the previous mini 2 or the new mini 3. Is that accurate according to you?
Great video thanks. A month ago I was in Liverpool city centre and I lose control when I can still read most OT the writing on the drone. Definitely I can read my drone reg number with squinted eyes. Now July the 12th and many updates later on the Isle of Mull clearly no buildings around beautiful sea and scenery. No signal yet again it gives no faith in the mini3. I have been flying DJI drones for 15 years and NEVER have I had this. I have the mini2 with me no problems I have the Mavic pro 2 no problem but the mini 3 I seriously want to throw it a way it has no use or ornament. Now I am using the Tripltek8 not sure if that’s a problem with the mini3 but with the mini2 it’s brilliant.. DRIVES me nut. Thanks for sharing. Ray K. UK. YNWA.
I had the same issue and lost a Mini 3 Pro, crashed after losing signal and hovered for few minutes. I love the mini 3 pro but it's the first time had issues in years with DJI...Very annoying indeed.
Great video, with a possible explanation of why some are experiencing issues. It’s important to emphasize some, because that exactly what it is, some. It isn’t a conspiracy either like some seem to think when others say they don’t have any issues.
Good info definitely going to try this next time I fly at the ranch because the mini 3 Pro is garbage for signal compared to my old Mavic pro. Because as it sets now my mini three is worthless in what I need it for.
This problem is not limited to the Mini 3 Pro (Obviously) but Do NOT Bind your Mavic 3 with the DJI RC. I had massive range and connectivity issues and it has led to my drone crashing after my screen went black minus the info icos on the top (satellite, rc connectivity, etc.) and DJI is blaming me because while I looked at the controller and had to assume the drone was gone from my connection DJI looked at the flight data and said nope the drone still worked so the crash is your fault and is putting me on the hook for a new Mavic 3. it is NOT Worth it. Or make sure you have a SIM card and screen record every time you fly, because @DJI Support only takes into consideration the flight data to determine your accident and what they see when they can pause and slow down the video rather than the factors not shown on said data. The really messed up part is that my flight data shows the controller go from full connection to zero within 2 meters (zero obstructions or interference between me and the drone). @DJI Support will not care or take into account any factors so with a cheaper mini 3 go for it but with your nice new expensive professional drones Do NOT risk it.
Great info, but how do I get the RC controller to select FCC mode here in the USA.............RC always goes to CE where RC-N1 picks FCC every time...............bummer!
Hi bil! My apologies if I didn’t make that clear, the RC selects the transmission strength based on location therefore in the US it should already be in FCC mode
That's the rub, it does not select FCC mode, picks the right frequency for rural vs urban, but stays in CE mode always according to the Transmission graph (verified I have the right firmware updates for the aircraft and controller, and right software update for the Fly app).........DJI has no response as yet, started with agent, upgraded to supervisor, and now awaiting reply from engineering staff. Got a dud me thinks!
I wonder if another factor for the different experiences with range is down to what appears to be different transmitter power levels across regions - eg 25.5dbm in FCC and just 18.5dbm in CE rest of the world presumably. That appears 7db more power in FCC.
I had a different problem. I live in California and received a CE version from a US firm....probably sourced from a EU company. Transmission showed it was in fact in CE mode. I then booted it to the DJI Assistant app on the computer and did a refresh of the newest firmware. A new flight showed it now in the FCC firmware and it stays there.
Killer intro 😍Thank you for a very plausible explanation why we see these differences
Good Day Gavin. I am an old Ham Radio operator, and a couple of weeks ago I had made an observation about the many stories of the Mini 3 Pro range issues, and at that time I, as now still have not received my new Mini 3, so I could not try the experiment that you have just done. I want to thank you for taking the time to test this out. I believe that you may have hit the nail on the head. I suspected that Ocusync 3 is having a problem deciding which frequency to use and when, and thus also creating a hesitation between choosing frequencies, therefore loss of signal, only to regain it again a minute later when Ocusync 3 makes up it's mind. I also do not think it makes a great amount of difference which controller is being used. Thank you so much for doing this test. I really hope Dji pays attention to your video posts. GOOD JOB!!!!
Thank you very much for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the test and the reasoning and that our suspicions seem to be in line with each other. Appreciate you wanting and your comment thank you
The image in the video pretty much tells me that the drone is still on the ground. Before the drone takes off, the distance between the drone and the remote would only be a couple of feet, so obviously there won't be any connection issues. So from that point until a certain distance interference would not be strong enough to cause a channel switch as Ocusync is designed to do. Doesn't matter whether you're using the RC-N1 or the DJI-RC.
Just upgraded from Mini SE to a Mini 3Pro and was very disapponted with the range. I saw you video yesterday and swapped to manual and 2.4GHz (I am rural) and my range doubled instantly. Thanks!
i got mine and faced the range issue today, it barely went a few steps away from me before losing signal, should i switch to 2.4ghz?
Thanks for this gavin . I had a flight last night around Nottingham castle and couldn’t get very far without complete drop out . Tonight I’ve switched to 5.8ghz and it’s made a huge difference
OMG! Videos like this are worth their weight in gold - thanks for making it.
Absolutely 💯 you are absolutely right. Often it's not the signal strength, but the interference that reduces the range.
Have excellent flights.
Much love
Matthias 👋
What would DJI do without you? Thank you for all the information you pass on and the work that goes into it. I definitely will pay more attention to this.
I appreciate that!
Well FINIALLY somebody has done his homework and provides a real possible cause of the range discrepancies with the Mini 3 PRO. Excellent video and maybe DJI is watching and will update the firmware accordingly. Thanks lots as you have put my mine at ease.
Thank you kindly ☺️ I enjoy this stuff I miss it so I wanted to test the theory out 🙂
He did his "dronework"
@@GAVINHR agreed, I'm going with that.
Thanks to you, I increased the range by 4, from 300m to 1300m at least by switching to 5.8 Ghz. Many thanks!
Definitely could play a part in some cases, however I've seen many people with equally poor signal on the RC-N1. I do most flying in a rural area so next time will manually select 2.4 and see how it goes. I still find it strange my Mini 1 continues to outperform my Mini 3 when it comes to range here.
I have the Mini 1, my max range is around 300m, what distances are you seeing?
Check out my video on extending range with the mini, picking the right manual channel and a range extender will really help
Hi Gavin,
I noticed long ago that when you turn the RC by 90 degree (but still towards the drone), I get a stronger signal. This would support the mismatch of the antennas in the arms "Horizontal" Versus "Vertical" polarization in RC .. :(
Also if you rotate it with screen down, you get over 10% more signal.
hi thanks for sharing your thoughts on this matter , I had the mini 2 first and could send it miles before it lost connection .
Since buying the mini 3 with the rc remote when it came out I have been very let down with the range it can fly before it loses connection. Im at a point now where I'm thinking of selling it and going back to the mini 2 ,although I do like some of the features of the 3 and feel the camera and picture quality is much better.
I am going to try your advice to see if makes a difference in range perhaps this could be the last chance for my little mini 3.
Regards, Buzz.
Well I hope it works for you ! Please feed back what you discover with this method, I do believe the antenna placement on the drone is the issue rather than the RC controller but please do let me know
May we have a feedback please ?
Great explanation! That explains why the recent firmware update for this issue was only for the controller. Whereas it used to be a theory that the drone had bad antennas. Unfortunately, while almost everyone has stated they've gotten better connection, many people say it did not improve by too much. This remains a sporadic issue. Some people have shown fantastic ranges on their mini 3, even surpassing the mini 2 signal and range. Whilst others stay showing abysmal range and signal dropouts on the mini 3.
The rc-n1 just seems like a better controller. Indeed upon opening up my mini 3 the controller felt so flimsy compared to it. Another annoying widespread issue (also affecting my drone) is overheating. My mini 2 never overheated. Just today I did a test keeping the drones on and idle and the mini 2 did not overheat even after an hour while the mini 3 overheated in 7-9 minutes on multiple tests.
Have you solved/figured out your signal issues since? And have you ever had overheating issues?
Great video!
it is said that the dji mini 3 pro doesn’t have internal fans to make it lighter and is designed so that when in flight that the back propellers pushes air into the back vents to keep it cool, so if left on the ground the dji mini 3 overheats and shuts off while the dji mini 2 doesn’t overheat because it has internal fans
The mini2 has a fan built in. My mini 3 gets warm in less than ten minutes also. I use a air mattress inflatable device and prior to that a lap top fan table stand helped also...
Interesting, thanks. I've certainly seen numerous comments re good and bad signal strengths for no apparent reason. Simon.
Hi Gavin just found a very annoying 'feature' on the Mini 3 pro relating to signals you might like to review. I live in an authorisation zone so applied for an unlock which I did make work by using my mobile phone as a hotspot. However having turned the hotspot on and connected the controller too it, when you go to take off the message 'Turning Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity off to improve connectivity, If you need wifi turn it back on manually'. You still need wifi to finish the authorisation process so you then have to turn it back on again. Unless I'm being a numpty and doing something wrong.
This is one of the feature that annoyed me too!
Very interesting and super helpful video! I got this drone as my first drone ever a couple of weeks ago and having a LOT of fun with it. But indeed, signal drops when the drone is still in quite close distance did happen to me yesterday. I went to a rural area but where there are some overhead power lines installed. Obviously I'm well aware these would have an impact and I tried to stay relatively far from them. But I was wondering what is usually the range of interference of those lines on the RC transmission signal. Any ballpark idea? In any case, I will try your manual switching tip on my next flight....which should be in an hour or so. :)
In Scandinavia... I´m getting more stable and longer range with the RC-N1compared to the new RC that comes with the Mini 3. Had both and did several tests at exactly same places, similar climate, same time of day, etc. RC-N1 has no problem letting you fly out of site (not recommended of course but for sake of test) behind forest, standing behind building, around and behind island on sea, etc. Also seeing more stable connection with RC-N1 when flying in densely populated areas. Glad I sold the Mini 3 with RC and kept the RC-N1 kit (yes did the test switching units back and forth.. same result.) On a side note.. also preferring the stick controls on the RC-N1 which feel a bit more damped and easier to make micro adjustments with.
I also prefer the RC N1 controller myself
@@GAVINHR me too, I like being able to take a call while flying. Instead of holding the controller and having to pick up a phone also.
Thanks for talking about the manual channel selection I needed this to fix my issue
You’re welcome
@@GAVINHR Thanks for the response! If you want extra content ideas, especially regarding your extensive range extending legacy, you can try making a large parabolic mirror bowl with aluminum foil, and then try it with a proper satellite dish. Align the controller antenna in the focus of the mirror dish and in theory it would work. It's more based on real science than the yagis, reason you don't see it is it would be only useful for extremely high altitude 0 Distance flights, where the parabolic mirror is sat on the ground permanently facing up. if you need help getting a form 107 waiver to get above 500m restriction then I can help you since that is what I do. I have 4999m unlocked
@@MarkHivosk did you solve your problem by manually changing the frequency?
Hello, there is still the range problem with the mini 3 pro and rc controllee or it's done ? Thanks
I think it seems to be OK now
Makes a lot of sense! Thank you for taking the time out to help us drone people out. Your truly appreciate and your video's.
There is a strong theory that the removal of the vertical antennas at the feet is the cause of the weaker signal. The drone is no longer sensitive to vertically polarized signal...
Yes. It makes a huge difference
But then others don’t have that problem. Also, you are more likely to hear about an issue than a non-issue for people.
i think gets to hot during firware upgrade. made video
@@sleepingbearffg5008 mine has been fine with updates and range so far, thank goodness.
@@barryp8145 I just believe better safe than sorry. Love the bird myself.. been long time since owened a camera bird.. always few FPV race drones. Allot of fun but repairs take time and money. Not as much as this bird! Lol
I’ve had my mini 3 pro with rc for a week now and I live in a built up area like you in the uk, except I have a 100meter row of very tall trees in front of my house .
I’ve had no signal drops so far flying out to around 400 meters . I haven’t gone further yet due to some angry seagulls . Looking at my flight data in the Airdata app it shows no signal drops whatsoever and I am using the remote with built in screen .
Airdata tells me my mini 3 maintained %100 signal during my 35 minute flight (extended batteries) . So far so good 😀
Hi where did you get the extended batteries, and do they work ok in the uk
@@djidroneadventures4059 forgot to mention. Yes the batterie plus works fine in the uk , I’ve had no problems
@@pollyaloy That's amazing. Where did you manage to get the + battery from
@@djidroneadventures4059 someone is selling them on eBay uk . He must of imported them, he sells single batteries and the full fly more kit plus .
Excellent video and demo of the impact of using 2.4 and 5.8 in rural vs Wifi congested areas. Thanks for sharing!
Dude thanks for your vlog just got a mini 3 pro and I'm excited about learning all the ins and outs
has this been fixed? I hear the RC is bad because it does not have antennas so it might be good to get either the old one with the phone controller or the PRO RC
N1 will always be better due to external aenntenas.
Lost a mini 1 recently, so have a 2 on the way better signal ect, good advice on the frequencies. Stayed away from the 3 as a pole showed 48% having problems, could be down to the different chips due to shortage, many are using chips they wish they didnt have to.
I live in the mountains, if available , if you can fly from a spot where you can stay above the drone, the mini drones, all of the ones I owned seemed to keep their signal better and this also can make maintaining L.O.S. easier. There are many places in mountainous areas where this situation is possible. A really good way to fly low and close to stuff as well. Hope this helps if anyone sees it, drones are a blast, so much fun, an excellent way to waste time if we’re talking hobby. I’m strictly hobbyist.
I’ve experienced the exact same issue… the range would vary depending on the location. In one urban environment, the video signal dropped out after just a few hundred metres away. I definitely think there was interference from another source on the same frequency. While in a large park with open space, my Mini 3 happily went for miles.
That’s fantastic. Did you manually select the frequency?
same, I can fly the mini3 14 kilometers in the countryside, but only 1-2 in the city
@@CastorTroy666 that has to be flying out and back. I can’t be 14 one way 🤔
Very interesting Gavin👍. So looks like your testing shows in urban congested areas where the 2.4ghz frequency is being shared/used by all kinds of peripheral equipment, home WiFis, cell phones, computers, and so on, are affecting the mini’s best signal. Switching to the less popular 5.8ghz frequency gives the mini a more reliable signal… BRILLIANT observation. I will test the theory myself here in Miami, Florida, 🇺🇸.
Just earned a new subscriber.
That’s exactly the case ! Thank you for the sub :)
What happened? Did it make any difference?
Thank you for this comment. This really helped me understand it better.
All sounds perfectly logical. Cheers for that , Gavin.
Taking in everything into account and what I noticed it certainly seems to make the most sense
Thank you, mine will delivered tomorrow so will look into this. First explanation I've seen so gives me hope.
Great tip! So glad to see this was not a video recommending people to illegally mod the drone/controller to use FCC mode, but rather how to adjust to the right condition. FCC mode is, anyways not needed, as the added value really only comes after breaking the mandatory VLOS anyways.
Can you manually change to 5.8ghz on the dji rc? Or are you stuck with whatever it chooses?
Yep you can change manually :)
As a beginner is this Anything i should worry about
Or a reason to get mini 4 pro instead?
Thanks for the video and great explanation. But even if you are correct, why is the mini 3 still performing worse then eg mini or mini2? Also is ocusync 3 vs ocusync 2 not causing the problem? And the antenna design in the legs of the mini 3? And we are very far away from the DJI advertized range...even if we reduce this by 50%, most users will not even reach 5 or 10% from the published range. So DJI has to step up now and announce first of all there is an issue and second how and when they plan to fix this!
Hi there my friend, well if you remember my test I found no difference between the mini 2 and mini 3 , I do appreciate others are saying there is a difference but I didn't see one, ocusync 3 is basically just 2 extra antennas and a 1080p feed to the controller / phone that's all. I mean - it's all still poor don't get me wrong, the autel signal is bulletproof !
I've seen zero difference between mini 2 and 3 re range including swapping between RCN1 and DJI RC
@@GAVINHR But does that mean, Mini 2 has the same switching problem?
My Mini 3 with RC-N1 still has substantially shorter range than my Mini 2. If there is a design flaw in the Mini 3 itself which makes reaching advertised distances in optimal conditions impossible... hello class action lawsuit.
@@MichasWelt I personally have not experienced any switching issues with the mini 2 no, or using the RC-N1
Some countries don't allow 5.8, thus are "stuck" only at 2.4, because it's locked that way. Still some have problems, while others don't. No one really knows why this thing happens until DJI will acknowledge it has a problem and do something about it.
Regardless what configuration my mini 2 will go about 1.5 kms further before I start losing signal. My friend also has the same problem. Informative video but I think the problem runs deeper than this. Hopefully they can fix it with a firmware update but for now I'm taking my mini 2 on my vacation.
That sir is one of your best videos and if as you suggest the auto switching is not working well (clear channel assessment) then dji need to sort it, its a function of good FHSS
Thank you very much :)
Thank You so much GAVINHR for your great attention of the problem!!!
Like many others I am waiting to order this Mini 3 Pro untill a Firmware Update has solved its Range Issue....
The Frequence Shifting Function is for sure the most complicated basic function which would need to be secured for DJI ! Highest probability to fail if any major included sw or hw is updated!
I can read out that their antenna specs are changed from Air 2S to Mini 3 Pro!
2T4R in Air 2S means two transmitters and four receivers.
1T2R in Mini 3 Pro means ONE transmitter and two receivers, which could possible be a step to save cost or weight in the Mini 3 Pro??
It looks like the Air 2S Antenna Spec in general manage 300mbps "Fast Upload and fast download" while the Mini 3 Pro Spec manage 150mbps which is on the edge of its MAX VIDEO Bitrate Spec!
=> While the Air 2S and the Mini 3 Pro has equal rated Video Bitrate Spec, it looks like the Air 2S Antenna has by far a larger Bitrate Marginal left to handle the Drone it self and Frequency Shifting in parallell to the Video Transfer!
The drone will pass over areas where WiFi Traffic differs, so a shift in WiFi Frequence should in most cases be initiated by the drone!
With the new less efficient Mini 3 Pro antenna which limits the upload capacity there must be a function which handle a priority between Drone Handling, Frequency Shifting and Video Transfer?
That function must be by far more important in the Mini 3 Pro than in the Air 2S!
=> If there was a way to limit the Video Bitrate it self ? And when weak signal also testing influence of limit the handling (stop the drone..) we could maybe figure out if the signal improves? Meaning the Frequency Shifting worked due to less other Data Transfer from the Mini 3 Pro Drone?
Hi, could you tell me what the minus is for at the top right of the map icon at 5:10 please.
When I press the -, it changes to a + but it doesn't seem to seem do anything, I thought it would be to zoom the map in or out. Thanks.
It’s to minimise the map :)
@@GAVINHR Thanks for the quick reply but the icon at the bottom left minimises the map on mine. The top right just toggles the plus/minus symbol. No biggie, I just can't make out what it's changing, or if it's for a future use.
With latest fw. RC has still less range than N1 (2500 vs 3000m) on 2,4 GHz. About the 2,4 GHZ it is not "design" for longer ranges but it is about that attenuation increase with frequency ( in GHz range relation became quadratic).This is the reason why in radio comm (LTE/5G) you input 100W in antenna and in a few hundred meters you can pickup just few nano Watts. So in 5.8 GHz attenuation is bigger than in 2.4 GHz. For the long range one must always prioritize 2.4 GHz. 5.8 has the advantage that it can allow much larger bandwith channels, which in that case is not so important (4k recording is done on drone, and for video stream is enough bw on 2.4 GHz). The 5.8 band is supposed to be less bussy than 2.4 due to the fact that there sloud be less devices on this frequency.This is why producers recomends using 5.8 in city, but you must always make tests before the fly, because no one cand predict electromagnetic map on every place.
I am doing intensive research at this moment and about ready to pull the trigger for a Dji Mine 3 pro. My question, who do you trust to buy from. I am seeing some reviews I don't like on Amazon that talk about sorry vendors not responding to problems. Who should I purchase my drone from? Thanks for an answer. Jerry
Thanks for running these tests. I experienced the same problem with mini3 pro and DJI RC.
My mavic 2 pro had the same problem of stock controller has great range, but smart controllers range was pathetic. Could the frequency band be the problem there too?
It does make sense Gavin cant understand how some users are not getting such problems with the RC version. So it maybe its only affecting some RC’s? Let’s hope DJI sort this soon as it doesn’t bond confidence or safety knowing there is inconsistencies with signal strength. Great inspiring channel 👍
As ever you give me something i had never even thought about to check and consider if i get signal problems ( i haven't yet ) but cheers Gav. Always thinking outside the box
Thanks Nick!
Yes but he’s thinking outside the box about what’s going on inside the box, and for that we are grateful 👍🏻 New owner living in a sparsely populated rural area of the highlands, and getting line of sight of around 1,5km, beyond which I would lose sight of the bird anyway, so basically happy. I did see that several are fitting external antennae per Dutch Mark Mark’s video, but it’s not clear to me that this would be a great advantage, the Netherlands being the most densely populated country in Europe, with lots of interference sources. Basically I’m happy with the range, given the size, and looking forward to installing the waypoint upgrade, which will make the wee drone a powerful tool for my purposes. Thanks again!
Nice video Gavin. I'm gonna try that next time.
Were they running the same fly app version?
OK so if I put it in 5.8 should that be all I need to do? Or do I need to put it in manual then or just leave it in automatic? Also, every time I start the drone do I need to put it back in to 5.8? Does it automatically going to 2.4 every time it’s restarted Thanks.
Hi there ....is there any update on this issue from DJI forum ....have they made the Smart rc remote with 5.x ghz as default
I would like to know how far one can fly with 2.4 vs 5.8, of course assuming no significant interference from other devices using the same frequency (which I think is almost an impossible mission in an urban environment).
Range is too good on mine i took it out 5.6kms and had no transmission issues but rookie mistake i forgot to go out into the wind and with the wind on the way back. Anyway it landed in a farmers field and even though the battery was dead i was able to find it via gps
ive had some strange signal dives under BIG bridges over the river i love to fly over. This explains all my theories! thank you cheers!
oh hey could you make a video with the RC PRO controller and the mini 3 pro for this issue?
Hi Gavin I do a lot of flights that involve going low round ships of different sizes this is where I get poor signal strength, do you think if I change the frequency to 5.8 it might give me a better signal, cheers Gavin.
Hi Steve just saw this! Yes 5.8 may help !
@@garywolfe4504 it's part of the adventure 😁👍
Cheers Gavin thanks for the reply I really appreciate it, your channel is very busy so I know you have a lot to do, keep up the great work 👍👍.
@@Steve53 thank you very much! I always try reply when I can but sometimes I simply don’t get notified of comments so I miss them :) thank you for watching!
Thank you brother. How are you liking the mini 3.
Thank you so much! Very helpful!
Great detective work and overall great video. Great too that you don't waste time but get straight to the point every time. Thanks.
I used to waste a lot of time with rubbish, thankfully a trait I'm getting out of haha! It's halved my video length ☺️
Thank you. In your experience, do you see the M3P as having the same, less or more signla range than the mini 2 ?
Pretty much the same, I’ve never found a difference in my testing
this is true, this is what i discovered also... so what i did everytime i take off i always check the transmission
Didn´t you say there is no difference in the RC and RC1 in term of range? So it can´t be a 2.4 / 5.8 issue, right? Actually in my case there was no (positive or negative ) effect when switching manually between the two wavelengths. Same bad signal strength.
That's correct but when I did the controller test I fixed the frequency to take any variables out of it, but the RC-N1 seems to be picking the correct frequency when left in auto - the RC seems to be getting it wrong
@@GAVINHR Understand. However, unfortunately in my case there was no difference between 2.4 and 5.8 GHz - exactly the same bad range.
@@phix1742 noted t
so 5.8 is for City and 2.4 for Land & Beach) so I manually choose the best choice myself before the flight?
Basically yes, unless the drone is doing what it is supposed to in flight and keeping on the correct frequency
@@GAVINHR thank oh 👌🏼
Remote ID for Dji Mini 2 is being installed in your drones.Will it ground recreational pilots and will there be any fun left in the hobby?
Very interesting. Just got my mini 2, will be interesting to see what happens.
Question
If you select manual, set your frequency then take off what happens if you then change your frequency mid flight without first landing
I only landed to restart the test, yes of course you can change frequency in flight no problem
This makes me want to get the mini 3 now
fact good observation, not only the environment but the time . if you are in town at 6pm expect lots of interference and swap over to 5.8 but at night the 2.4 wont be half as bad!
When you pass over houses, the 2.4 Ghz routers can also detect the band of drone and is switching also the channel...As all new routers and mesh units does this, will start a hopping between channels as long as you interfere with that network.
Now, 5.8 Ghz is more clear as the signal is not penetrating the walls at houses so easy...but will be pretty sensitive to any obstacles, so even a tree will kill your range.
To set manual channel is pretty dangerous, as you can enter in a range of a network that you cannot predict at take off and you will be jammed.
Act with caution.
Thank you I'm a DJI drone noobie so this was perfect explanation
Unless you put a Spectrum Analyser on the 2 different carrier freq's where you are "testing it" it will always be just a case of perhaps/maybe/if......
Well you can use a spectrum analyser absolutely but the proof is 5.8 worked better than 2.4 as shown, ideally the drone should be doing the hard work but I suspect it's not
Was expecting something more technical like frequency analyzer, check if it's giving the correct power output, correct polarization which so far I know, I watched somewhere that, MIni 3 Pro (obviously) is in horizontal polarization unlike the Mini 2
RCN1/DJI RC is vertical polarization
Using FCC would definitely help the range as well.
Absolutely!
But that would be illegal in a CE country as it would create its own interference with everything else.
I see the following problem: When you lost signal because of interferences, you will not be able to switch manually. When your drone crashs or have a flyawy because of manually settings, will this affect warranty? Maybe dji will say, why do you have changed it to manual, with Auto detect the crash wouldnt be happen. So in my opionion its a good video for DJI to develop a fix but manually switching could be dangerous.
Yeah DJI never takes responsibility for the crashes even if you’re 2 feet away from the drone and loose signal
I've got the DJI RC had flights in rural areas that have ranged 1200m and rural to over an urban area at 1300m, never really noticed any issues with signal drop until i get to the 1000m range.
No for most the range is plenty, I personally feel it’s fine also but others were having problems so I looked into the cause
good work Gavin - thanks for sharing this and let's hope the guys at DJI see this too and do something with it.
Makes perfect sense to me Gavin. Unfortunately the newer member to the hobby have no idea and just put it down to the drone and software :) cheers pal keep flying!
Exactly, the older drones such as the air and the Mavic mini really took a lot more finesse, people became too reliant on out the box and expecting it to work perfect. Thanks for watching
This is a very good ( ie. plausible ) explanation.
Thank you 😊
If you want range, slow your forward speed, this is for mini 2 and beyond. Won’t help mini 1. The automatic switching
Seems to need some extra time to find a good channel. Sometimes stopping for a few seconds will greatly improve your signal. When your really stretched out , don’t turn around to come back, reverse to a distance where you have a stronger signal. Turning the drone with a weak signal will cause signal loss for sure. If you trust the tech, this stuff becomes less important. If you set a DJI drone up properly before you fly , it’s going to return to home if it’s able. I have had 4 DJI drones and only my spark experienced technical issues that made operating it difficult, it did not loose control completely, it was impossible to get it to do anything at all smoothly. I crashed it into a tree purposely to recover it. Only suffered broken prop.
Upon manually choosing 5.8GHz frequency, how do we know which is the better channel to choose?
I’ve been losing rc signal on my air2s for a while now I don’t know what the problem is.
I’m some locations I have a strong rc signal while in some locations I turns red and my drone returns to home
Great information Gavin, I've ordered a new Mini 3 Pro but have opted for the standard controller. I'm not too happy with the new one going off the various problems that have been reported.
Hi David! That's great news! I think you made the right decision, when does it turn up? Really excited for you
@@GAVINHR It was supposed to be here Thursday but it turned up earlier . So have just finished updating it. One thing I noticed though is that it got quite warm as I updated the firmware. But sent it out over the front and it was cool when it got back. Couldn't give it a good try as the Shell ducks on the pond at the front have chicks on the water and decided to have a go. Anyway I'm getting Coverdrone insurance from your link tomorrow. £65 .09p but that's without ground items.
Brilliant news! Yes it does get a bit warm during the update process's but at least it's now done, the advantage is because you can buy the drone on its own means you can do exactly that and just insure the drone only! Thanks for using the link I really appreciate it
so you mean that rc-n1 (your phone app) choose in the same senario 5.8GHz?
Hey Gavs, in your vid, the horizontal line is exactly on the 1km (4km?) mark.
On mine, using the air 2s, the horizontal line is just below the 1km line. I am forced into ce as i live in Africa, but u sound like u also a ce resident. What is this line difference about?
Could very well be the answer gavin good video hopefully your viewers can come back with their findings to you so we can see if the controller is indeed making poor choices on frequency
Spot on. Does this mean when you set to 5.8ghz, with O3 it will change channel automatically?
Yes it will change channel within that frequency yes
Nicely explained. I will be checking the setting you mentioned .. should I find a poor signal .. however to date it seems to be meeting my nice expectations Merv Aussie in Thailand
Works fine for me also, I have no complaints and I'm glad you don't also 😊
Great video, thanks for sharing. I also noticed the lose of signal at very short range after executing panoramas o even just taking a photo. First time I had these issues, it happened with both remotes and always in city area. Hope DJI can fix this or I will go back to my Air2s...
Other youtube videos said that the mini 3 pro has poor signal because it doesn't have the little vertical antenna feet on the tips like the previous mini 2 or the new mini 3. Is that accurate according to you?
I agree that’s a large factor 👍
Great video thanks. A month ago I was in Liverpool city centre and I lose control when I can still read most OT the writing on the drone. Definitely I can read my drone reg number with squinted eyes. Now July the 12th and many updates later on the Isle of Mull clearly no buildings around beautiful sea and scenery. No signal yet again it gives no faith in the mini3. I have been flying DJI drones for 15 years and NEVER have I had this. I have the mini2 with me no problems I have the Mavic pro 2 no problem but the mini 3 I seriously want to throw it a way it has no use or ornament. Now I am using the Tripltek8 not sure if that’s a problem with the mini3 but with the mini2 it’s brilliant.. DRIVES me nut. Thanks for sharing. Ray K. UK. YNWA.
I had the same issue and lost a Mini 3 Pro, crashed after losing signal and hovered for few minutes. I love the mini 3 pro but it's the first time had issues in years with DJI...Very annoying indeed.
Great video, with a possible explanation of why some are experiencing issues. It’s important to emphasize some, because that exactly what it is, some. It isn’t a conspiracy either like some seem to think when others say they don’t have any issues.
That's what I tried to get across in the video, taking a long time to think about why some have issues and some don't this makes the most sense
@@GAVINHR You did a great job in the video.
Good info definitely going to try this next time I fly at the ranch because the mini 3 Pro is garbage for signal compared to my old Mavic pro. Because as it sets now my mini three is worthless in what I need it for.
This problem is not limited to the Mini 3 Pro (Obviously) but Do NOT Bind your Mavic 3 with the DJI RC. I had massive range and connectivity issues and it has led to my drone crashing after my screen went black minus the info icos on the top (satellite, rc connectivity, etc.) and DJI is blaming me because while I looked at the controller and had to assume the drone was gone from my connection DJI looked at the flight data and said nope the drone still worked so the crash is your fault and is putting me on the hook for a new Mavic 3. it is NOT Worth it. Or make sure you have a SIM card and screen record every time you fly, because @DJI Support only takes into consideration the flight data to determine your accident and what they see when they can pause and slow down the video rather than the factors not shown on said data. The really messed up part is that my flight data shows the controller go from full connection to zero within 2 meters (zero obstructions or interference between me and the drone). @DJI Support will not care or take into account any factors so with a cheaper mini 3 go for it but with your nice new expensive professional drones Do NOT risk it.
New to drones - question - can you manually pick what frequency you want to use on the DJI RC?
Yes you can :)
@@GAVINHR Thanks!
Great info, but how do I get the RC controller to select FCC mode here in the USA.............RC always goes to CE where RC-N1 picks FCC every time...............bummer!
Hi bil! My apologies if I didn’t make that clear, the RC selects the transmission strength based on location therefore in the US it should already be in FCC mode
That's the rub, it does not select FCC mode, picks the right frequency for rural vs urban, but stays in CE mode always according to the Transmission graph (verified I have the right firmware updates for the aircraft and controller, and right software update for the Fly app).........DJI has no response as yet, started with agent, upgraded to supervisor, and now awaiting reply from engineering staff. Got a dud me thinks!
Is this the same issue with the mini 3 not mini 3 pro ?
I wonder if another factor for the different experiences with range is down to what appears to be different transmitter power levels across regions - eg 25.5dbm in FCC and just 18.5dbm in CE rest of the world presumably. That appears 7db more power in FCC.
Have this issue been resolved? Im thinking of buying this drone. Thanks
No, but if you fix on 5.8 you should be fine
I have doing the "frequency dance" for many years with my phantom 4 pro+. Always trying to find the right frequency for the location.
Indeed and it you get it right the signal strength is much better isn't it
genuinely useful Thanks!
merci pour ce topo instructif. peut on changer manuellement de fréquence en plein vol? Merci
Hi, in-flight data centre on the DJI fly app I got two different names 1 drone. How do get rid of 1 of the names? Can u help, please.
I had a different problem. I live in California and received a CE version from a US firm....probably sourced from a EU company. Transmission showed it was in fact in CE mode. I then booted it to the DJI Assistant app on the computer and did a refresh of the newest firmware. A new flight showed it now in the FCC firmware and it stays there.